The Lightning Round:Post-Partum Election

This week's midterms proved without question the American People are not the American Sheeple. When they get angry enough, they clean houses -- both of them. President Bush told the Democrats not to measure the drapes. Now he's recommending an interior decorator for Nancy Pelosi. So in the newfound spirit of bipartisanship, we offer these observations from the middle of the aisle.

GIVE IT UP. Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano -- arguably the state's most popular Democrat next to Raul Grijalva -- crushed Republican sacrificial lamb Len Munsil. He never had a chance. The victory was so decisive, the Associated Press declared Napolitano the winner minutes after the polls closed, before a single return was in, based on exit poll data.

"Janet," as her campaign signs said, ran on her strong record. And the day after the vote, she talked about spending some political capital.

From the Arizona Republic:

"I clearly won a resounding victory. I mean, come on.

"It's time for the Legislature to recognize that a majority of Arizonans want to accomplish what I'm working on."

In other words, it's time for Arizona's GOP leadership to stop throwing hissy fits and start finding solutions.

DOWN FOR THE COUNT. The Republicans may have given up in Virginia, but Arizona elephant J.D. Hayworth isn't getting up from his hotly-contested House seat until every vote is counted. He was losing to Democrat Harry Mitchell on Election Night, and the continuing count isn't promising.

Mitchell, meanwhile, is putting together his transition team. Maybe he can't measure the drapes, but he can at least pick the color.

SPLITSVILLE. Provided Mitchell does win, Arizona's congressional delegation will be split dead even: four Republicans, four Democrats. The GOP is lucky they weren't playing against the Arizona Wildcats on Wednesday night.

ROOM TO RECOVER. Disgraced former Republican congressman Mark Foley will spend more time at a rehab center in Tucson, presumably recovering from alcoholism, fetishism, and dumbism. Now that facility plans to expand.

From the Tucson Citizen:

"We have to educate the American people about addiction," [former drug czar Barry McCaffrey] said. "And by the way, there is hope."

And no shortage of people running to rehab, we might add.

Now that we think of it, a lot of people run to Tucson for recovery. We call them "snowbirds."

RUMMY'S OUT. Donald Rumsfeld ankled the Bush administration, presumably telling Democrats, "You can't fire me! I quit!"

An insider tells The Lightning Round of a few parting words by the outgoing Secretary of Defense: "You deal with the Congress you have, not the one you would like it to be."