Monday, November 20, 2006

TV Commercials I Love: GE Healthcare

You've probably missed this one for General Electric Early Health. Running since February, usually during the Sunday morning talk shows, it promotes G.E.'s health diagnostic services and equipment. The ad features a "monster" rampaging on a beach, a la Godzilla, a trio of Japanese children, and well, you can see it here. It still makes me laugh!

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

The Election Results

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent, on everything from direct mail, to TV ads, to bribes and consultant fees, and finally, the election season has ended (well, except for the races too close to call). On the national scene, the Democratic Party has taken control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in 12 years, and are closing in on a bare majority in the Senate. For the Republicans, especially in the Congress, they have no one but themselves (and President Bush) to blame.

The Republicans won control of the House in 1992 (for the first time in 40 years) because of a backlash against Democratic scandals, and an overreach by the Clintons in pushing for an even bigger role for government in health care. The Contract With America, which was roundly denounced by Democrats and the Left, was an attempt to break from "business as usual" politics by nationalizing what are essentially hundreds of local races for Congress.

In the years since then, the limited-government approach of the Republicans was forgotten by many of them. Term limits, earmarks, deficit spending, regulation-it used to be that you knew where most House Republicans stood on these issues. But too many had become corrupted by a system they had railed against. And now, it's their turn to leave. Hey people, don't let the door hit ya ...

But the number of close races, the continuing disgust, anger, and disillusionment with politics should be a warning to the Democrats too: Don't abuse your new power. Don't lord it over the GOP (too much) or the President. Get things done. Or you'll be gone too.