U.S. Midterm Elections: The Democrats won control of both chambers of the US Congress

The Democrats won control of both chambers of the US Congress. The American electorate had spoken and rebuked U.S. President George W. Bush mishandling of the Iraq war. The Democrats had succeeded to project the failed Iraq policies as national issue. Voters disapproved of the war in Iraq by a large margin followed by corruption and ethics. U.S. taxpayers’ cost the war in Iraq is about $340,745,140,752 based on congressional appropriations by Republican-controlled Congress. Maybe the Democrats are planning to impeach U.S. President George Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney for abuse of power, deliberately misled Congress and American public in Iraq invasion. San Francisco Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the incoming House Speaker is the third in line of succession in case the U.S. Senate successfully impeaches both Bush and Cheney.
There will be a total over-haul in US foreign policy particularly repressive regimes. The corrupt Gloria Arroyo regime was cited for human rights violation, extra-judicial killings and dictatorial tendencies by international communities, religious groups and the US State Department. Parroting Bush’s global war on terror won’t sell anymore to Democrat-controlled Congress. The Filipino people will junk discredited Gloria Arroyo’s candidates in the May 2007 midterm elections in a credible and honest election. I doubt this will happen unless there’s top to bottom over-haul in the Comelec. Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos’ cheating machinery and resources are still intact. Hello Garci clones are promoted and holding key positions at local and provincial levels. Mrs. Gloria Arroyo’s political survival is at stake. The cheating has started six months before May 2007 elections with bloated number of projected new voters by eight million and illegal diversion of public funds. Big-time electoral fraud is the name of the game to neutralize another impeachment complaint and possible conviction. AMEN

MALAYA 11/10/2006 Opposition says GMA in for a drubbing like Bush
BY WENDELL VIGILIA AND REGINA BENGCO

THE United Opposition and the militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) yesterday said President Arroyo and her allies could end up like US President George W. Bush whose Republican allies were swept away in the midterm elections by Democrats.

President Arroyo chided the opposition for campaigning early, saying her critics are upsetting the economic growth that her administration has been working for.

She said the fruits of her reforms might not reach local governments because of the opposition’s early campaigning. It is not yet the time to campaign, she said.

"Sayang lamang at may ilang mga mas gustong guluhin ang gumagandang kalagayan at ibig ibalik ang bayan sa dating gawi ng pulitika. May panahon para magkampanya sa halalan ngunit hindi ngayon," she said in a speech before the closing program of the 8th national assembly of the Philippine League of Secretaries to the Sanggunian Inc.

The election period for the May 2007 senatorial and local elections is Jan. 14 to June 13, 2007. Filing of certificates of candidacy for senatorial candidates is from Jan. 14 to Feb. 12 and for local candidates from Jan. 14 to March 29 for local candidates. The campaign period is from Feb. 13 to May 12.

Following the victory of the Democrats in the US mid-term elections, the opposition said candidates of the Arroyo administration are likely to suffer the same fate as the Republicans in the May 2007 polls.

House minority leader Francis Escudero, UNO secretary general who is eyeing a senatorial post, said opposition candidates are on the way to sweep administration contenders at the House, Senate and local government posts because of questions on Arroyo’s legitimacy as president.

"It’s possible (that Arroyo could end up like Bush) and I think that’s why the administration does not want elections to push through," he said.

One of the contentious issues surrounding the charter-change campaign is the proposal to cancel the elections and retain current members of Congress as members of the interim parliament.

Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano supported Escudero’s assessment.

"Bush’ shameful defeat is one of the main reasons Ms. Arroyo and her cohorts are hell-bent on pushing their no-election agenda behind the constituent assembly," he said.

"Ms. Arroyo is afraid of the Filipino people’s protest vote against her responsibility in the extra-judicial killings, corruption and illegitimacy which are the graveyard issues akin to Bush’ unjust war in Iraq," he said.

Majority leader Prospero Nograles dismissed the opposition’s claim, saying administration candidates will surely clobber them.

"The opposition has a head-on in terms of propaganda mileage because many of their candidates have already started campaigning since the time they filed impeachment cases against the President," he said.

"We in the administration party on the other hand are still working very hard to help the President and our country so there’s seems to be an impression that the candidates being floated by the opposition are leading. But wait until our candidates start campaigning. Everything will change," he added.

Nograles said the loss of Bush’s allies to Democrats has no political implication on the Arroyo government because the defeat of the ruling party in the US "was mainly caused by their discontentment in the government’s all-out war policy in Iraq."

"Our Lakas-CMD will still win. The big issue in America is war in Iraq but we had pulled out our troops since last year. In America, they have clear alternatives but in the Philippines, the alternatives are fragmented, divided and even a junta is being proposed. I can’t see how US results can really affect politics today," he said.

Deputy speaker for Mindanao Gerry Salapuddin said the accusations against Arroyo are "political and fueled by some politicians’ ambition to oust the President."

"We don’t want to burst the opposition’s bubble but realistically speaking, their sole agenda of ousting the President is not a principled foundation for a coalition. That is not even a sure formula to win overwhelmingly in the polls," he said.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, UNO president, said a "voters revolt" is likely to happen in the country just like in the US.

"In a clean and honest election, the opposition will surely match if not exceed the victory of the Democratic Party in the United States," he said.

He said "questions of legitimacy, competence, and scandalous acts" will hound the Arroyo administration and its candidates in the 2007 elections.

"The administration candidates will have to answer a lot of questions during the campaign. They will have to explain why Mrs. Arroyo had attempted to subvert the Constitution through a fraudulent people’s initiative; why there is widespread hunger and unemployment; why the case of (former Agriculture) Undersecretary Joc-Joc Bolante remains unresolved," Binay said.

He said political persecution of oppositionists and political killings will also be major issues in the campaign.

But the core issue, he said, remains the legitimacy of the Arroyo administration.

"Until now, the `Hello Garci’ scandal and the widespread cheating in the 2004 elections are still unresolved. These issues will hound the candidates of Mrs. Arroyo," he said.

Binay has announced that talks are ongoing for the creation of a grand coalition of opposition parties for the 2007 elections.

The coalition partners include PDP Laban, Partido ng Masang Pilipino, Liberal Party, Nacionalista Party, individual members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, and smaller independent parties.

Binay declined to give the names of the opposition’s senatorial candidates, but he said the line-up is a "powerhouse" that is simply unbeatable.

Renato Reyes, Bayan secretary general, said the Arroyo government should be "terrified" with the results of the US elections.

He said strong rejection awaits Arroyo and "five years of bad governance is bound to catch up" with her if ever the elections push through in 2007.

"Five years of the so-called war on terror, the quagmire in Iraq, violations of constitutional rights and cuts in social services have finally caught up with the Bush regime. The midterm elections show a growing rejection of Bush and his policies," Reyes said in a statement.

Reyes said that like Bush, Arroyo has also embarked on her own war of terror by "sponsoring" the extrajudicial killings victimizing activists.

But Reyes said Arroyo might still "try to cheat her way in 2007" and that the administration could still move heaven and earth to scuttle the 2007 elections in favor of charter change and a shift to a parliamentary system.

"While the charter change plans of the administration is now in the intensive care unit, the regime might still have some tricks up its sleeves," Reyes said.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said anything is possible under a democracy but the Arroyo administration is not likely to be trounced in the May elections. He said the ruling Lakas-CMD is "well-prepared for all eventualities."

Ermita said the administration party is "standing on very solid grounds" and has a lot of allies. "I cannot remember anymore what the party is of the other side," he said.

US Ambassador Kristie Kenney said US-Philippine relations will continue to be strong despite the Democrats’ victory.

"Our relationship is so strong that whether members of Congress change or not, they’re all going to be fans of US-RP friendship and of the great work we do together to keep our citizens safe and offer our citizens a brighter future," Kenney said.

She said the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld as defense secretary would not affect the fight against terrorism, which "goes back a very, very long time."

"President Bush remains very committed to the work we’re doing here in the Philippines as does the entire American government and the American people," she said.

"That partnership is incredibly strong and it’s going to stay that way. We’re united in the fight against terrorism. We want our citizens to stay safe and that’s going to stay very strong," she added.

Arroyo congratulated the winners in the US elections, saying the Philippines will continue to work with President Bush "to strengthen our strategic interests for a safer and more prosperous world." – With Ashzel Hachero and Reinir Padua


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