Thank You America. Thank You Ned. Thank you Cindy

This much is clear. The country issued a loud and resounding rebuke to Bush, Republican corruption, and the War. The Democrats will have the House by a comfortable margin, a substantial gain (and possibly control) in the Senate, a majority of governorships and statehouse power to undo much of the Republican gerrymandering lock-in.

The count is still in process, the recounts haven't started and the first salvos in the next rounds of our political battle have already been fired. While, the White House congratulated Pelosi and Emanuel and offered cooperation, Bush allies were quick to proclaim the power to obstruct any Democratic agenda. Within the Democratic party there will be a fierce battle to frame and claim the victory. (See Arianna Huffington and Christy Hardin Smith.)

But before I get into the next round, I want to thank America for taking away the President's rubber stamp.

And I want to thank Ned Lamont and his fierce Netroots supporters (Matt Stoller, Firedoglake, Howie Klein, Kos, Arianna, and many others) for forcing the spotlight onto the war. By the end of the campaign virtually all Democrats had made opposition to the Bush war policy central to their message. But that was painfully slow in coming. Immediately after 9/11, Rove began to wrap Bush in the mantle of protector and the drumbeat begain to wrap him in the mantle of War President. It was a strategy that paralized Democrats in 2002 and 2004. The Republicans were counting on it again in 2006, making it the centerpiece of Bush rhetoric through the closing weekend of the campaign..

It took the Connecticut primary and Ned's resounding defeat of Joe Lieberman to make it clear to Democrats across the board that it was safe to stand up to Bush on Iraq. By the end, even Lieberman was stressing his independence from Bush and Rummy on Iraq policy. Even Lieberman. Though Ned Lamont lost his bid for a Senate seat, I credit him for a huge role in giving the Democrats permission to take on the Commander in Chief.

A final thank you to Cindy Sheehan for forcing the mainstream media to cover opposition to the War

Mickeleh's Take: Go ahead, Nancy. I think it's safe now to order the new drapes for your new office. And when that's done and you have your 100-hour program behind you, please remember to do what's possible and what's necessary to move the White House to a change the course.