Senator Jeff Merkley

This is fabulous news. The Oregonian is calling the Senate race for Jeff Merkley. Most of the outstanding ballots are in heavily Democratic areas, and Merkley had just taken the lead over Gordon Smith. Smith ran a dishonest and at times vicious campaign and I'm happy to see that cousin of Tom and Mark Udall not join his colleagues.

I met Merkley at a fundraiser this year and was very impressed with him. I think he will bring a fighting spirit to Washington not unlike Sheldon Whitehouse did in 2006. We need leaders willing to be unashamed progressives in the Senate.

So that's +6 for the Dems in the Senate, something like +20 in the House, with several seats yet to be called, the Franken-Coleman recount, whatever the heck is going on in Alaska, and the Martin-Chambliss runoff. With some luck, maybe the Democrats will capitalize on the wave atop their ticket, after all.

I think I'm just bitter about it because I'm in California.