I am actually a big believer in labels and I've written many times that I think people who say they don't believe in labels are essentially ashamed, embarrassed or otherwise uncomfortable with admitting they are liberals of one stripe or another. In Washington I meet scores of successful professionals (particularly journalists) who swear they are moderates or fiscally conservative but socially liberal. Let's leave the second part for another day since we've batted that around in here so many times. But these self-described moderates are very, very often simply liberals but who have a real problem saying so.

For these and related reasons I'm a bit dubious that all of these people who tell exit-pollsters that they're moderates are, in fact, moderates. Many probably are. Also there's the whole dull but complex issue of figuring out what a moderate actually is. But I'd bet a statistically super-significant chunk are just too ashamed to admit they're liberals.

Everyone seems to think Scheiber means this. Sounds fair to me:

I "think" what they mean is simply Bush made sure his base showed up. If the 4 million missing Christians theory was true, then, he just needed to get them to vote.

I am no linguist, so, I don't know if the term electorate means the group
eligible to vote, or those that actually voted. If the latter, then their
statement makes sense. If the former, then I understand your feeling that
it is a screwy one.

I DO think the country got more conservative on 9/11, easily a 5% swing.
But, you can't discount the effect that the Christians turning out for Bush
had.

Noam Scheiber writes (and Sullivan posts):

Not only did Kerry win by an 86-13 margin among self-described liberals, he also won by a 55-45 margin among self-described moderates. So how'd Bush pull it off? He won 84-15 among self-described conservatives, and, more importantly, he made sure conservatives comprised a much bigger chunk of the electorate than they did in 2000. (Conservatives comprised about 34 percent of the electorate yesterday, versus 29 percent in 2000 -- a huge shift, raw numbers-wise.) Anyone anticipating a conciliatory second Bush term should stop and consider how much Bush owes his base.

Me: I'm not being cute. I can't link to his full piece and I'm tired. But I don't get it. How did Bush "make sure" that conservatives comprised a much bigger chunk of the electorate? Couldn't it be the case that electorate is becoming more conservative?

(apologies to Warren Zevon).

Fine Andrew, go ahead and make sensible points. Hmm....how about Ambassador Zell Miller?

Or, more seriously, how about Ambassador Giuliani?

Jonah, I do think that it’s important that Bush be seen to be a good winner and I do know that you were only sort of serious, but Kerry is not the guy to send to Europe. To be effective over there, any such envoy would have to be known to have the ear of the president. Somehow I don’t think that Kerry is that guy.

Yeah, the more I think about it the more I think approach is not only smart but right (though for the record, Mass Governors no longer appoint Senators).

At minimum putting the pressure on Dems to make the war bipartisan makes sense. Put the ball in their court. Extend a hand. If the dems slap it, fine. Make hay. But I do agree with the pro-Kerry, pro-warriors that one appealing aspect of a Kerry win would have been making the Dems accountable on the war. I simply thought Kerry wouldn't rise to the challenge and that the price to be paid and risk involved in giving him a shot wasn't worth it. But that doesn't mean getting the Dems more on board wouldn't good for the Dems, the GOP, the war and the country.

From Poppa G:

First order of business for Bush should be changing the spelling of Faneuil Hall to Fannell Hall. As it stands now, the only American who can pronounce it as it originally was intended is the losing candidate, the French-speaking John Kerry. This would be followed, in the course of Bush's new term, by the substitution of K for Q in all those Arab names (Qadaffi to Kadaffi, the Qaaba to the Kaaba)) and the the elimination of the double A in the Middle east (Baath becomes Bath). Part of the confusion in Middle East politics is our inability to pronounce the names of people and places, which is why sometimes civilians are inadvertently killed. It is the same problem that keeps black Africa divided. How can you get on the phone in the Congo and say I want to speak with Mr. Bmdgrasa? How many times a day must the question be asked Would you spell that, please?, before giving up? We'll get to the Chinese names at some later date. (I'm assuming that Faneuil was a French name, but I could be wrong and it was a Gaelic name, in which case I say, "Whatever.")

From a reader:

Hey Jonah:

I just read the Josh Marshall article you linked. My favorite part is this:

"The fact that the president is 'convinced' that he won, is not only
meaningless but offensive. We have a system of rules for counting votes.
That's how we decide.

"(As I was writing this, word just went over the wires that Sen. Kerry
called President Bush to concede the election. I don't second-guess the
decision. They have a better handle on the numbers than anyone. And I'm
sure they can see that they are simply not there.)"

So, let's see ... it's meaningless and offensive for the President of
the United States to draw a conclusion based on the information at his
disposal, but for John Kerry to do the same is something that shouldn't
be "second guessed."

Then this guy moans for several paragraphs about how Bush has, more than
anyone, "bitterly" divided this nation, and just how tragic that is.
John Marshall's solution? Why, build a special secret
"Democratic-leaning counter-establishment ... with an alternative media,
activist groups, organized political giving, in short a political
infrastructure" to attack the Bushies and Red-Staters, that's what.
Sounds like a unifying gesture to me.

Judging from the consistency exhibited in this article, no wonder this
guy weeps for the Flip-Flop King.

I stopped cataloging instances of the cheese-eating surrender monkeys phrase propping up, but this one is too rich to pass up:

PARIS, Nov 3 (Reuters) - French President Jacques Chirac, who led Western opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq, said on Wednesday that strong transatlantic ties were essential if Paris and Washington were to overcome the challenges they faced.

"Our cooperation, our joint fight against terrorism and our efforts to
promote freedom and democracy must continue to develop in a spirit of
dialogue, esteem and mutual respect," he said in a letter congratulating
President George W. Bush on his re-election.

"We will not be able to come up with satisfactory responses to the many
challenges we face today without a strong transatlantic partnership," he
added.

"On behalf of France and myself, I wish to extend my warmest congratulations
on your re-election to the presidency of the United States of America,"
Chirac said in the hand-written letter made available to the media.
Transatlantic relations were badly damaged by Chirac's opposition to the
U.S.-led war on Iraq, which prompted U.S. media to dub the French people
"cheese-eating surrender monkeys".

Chirac referred in his letter to the 60th anniversary last June of the World
War Two D-day landings in Normandy as a sign of strong Franco-American
relations, and said he hoped those links would be reinforced during Bush's
second term in office.

Bush is highly unpopular in France, where the majority of citizens would
have voted for Democratic candidate John Kerry -- who has relatives in
France -- if they had had a say in the U.S. election.

Kerry was at pains during his election campaign to play down his links with
France for fear of alienating U.S. voters.

John Kerry keeps saying "we're all Americans" etc.

Fine, good, nice.

But didn't his Veep just introduce him by insisting that "the battle rages on"? And didn't he buy his Veep's line that there are "two Americas"?

Hi Rod: You should see the streets of Paris, you should listen to the conversations at restaurants and cafés. Les défaitistes are defeated! Hilarious! We'll holding a victory party at an Italian, Bush-friendly, restaurant tomorrow night. Edwards and Kerry are speaking right now. what a day!

By the way, great call on switching parties! Seriously, boffo move my man!

From a reader:

Dear Jonah,

The mainstream media just suffered it's first post election credability casualty. I finally turned off NPR. I was listening to the arbiters of unvarnished truth tell me how Florida was, and would remain a swing state (Bush by 376,923). Pennsylvania swung decisively to Kerry (Kerry by 121,489) and was probably no longer a battleground state, while Bush eked out a narrow victory in Ohio (Bush by 136,218). They aren't even trying to base their opinions on reality.

*Stands for Can't Please Everybody. From a reader:

Dear Mr. Goldberg,

I am a regular NRO reader and NRODT subscriber who used to read your columns. I avoid them, as a general rule, as you have become the NR/NRO writer I'm least likely to read.

Your juvenile "F*** you" comment directed toward Osama bin Laden truly diminishes NRO's reputation. I frequently refer friends and acquaintences to NRO, but attitudes like yours do little to promote the conservative cause. John Derbyshire gloated thoughtfully in his column this morning. Articles like his are worth consideration. Comments like "F*** you"--well...consider your own reaction to emails from losers who disagree with you, but are only able to muster "F*** you" to register their disagreement.

I'm happy that Bush won. I'm grateful that Kerry, for whatever reason (and you know that he has a political motive), has conceded. I wish that OBL would be caught and executed for his murderous actions. But, please, let's promote conservatism intelligently. I seem to recall that NR used to have a slogan, "Reason over rhetoric."

I'm certain that you'll dismiss my letter (if you've even read this far) by claiming that we deserve a victory lap, or that conservative doesn't have to mean stuffy, or some other defense. That's fine. But, as a paying customer, I did want to take this opportunity to point out that I don't care for that product line, and that it hinders my endorsement of NRO as a reliable source of information.

You are our math guy, but you seem entirely uninterested in the statistical issues involved in the exit polls etc. Why is that?

Just curious.

The following is a statement by Admiral Roy Hoffmann, founder of Swift Vets and POWs for Truth concerning Sen. Kerry's decision to concede the presidential race.

"We are pleased with the fact that we were able to effectively bring attention to our issues and raise questions regarding Senator Kerry’s character, leadership ability and qualifications as a potential Commander in Chief. As we have stated since we formed, we believed that John Kerry’s actions in Vietnam, coupled with the reprehensible statements he made after he returned were serious and consequently made him unfit for command. The primary purpose of our organization was to provide a voice for the courageous and honorable veterans of Vietnam, more than 280 Swift Boat Vets, Coast Guardsmen and POWs who served their country with honor. Our national grassroots efforts produced donors in every state in the nation as we raised more than $26 million, with more than $7 million in online contributions. In addition, Swift Boat Veterans and former POW's visited dozens of states to take their message directly to the American people. We were the true embodiment of grassroots citizen action, complied fully with federal election law and had every right to participate in the public discussion of John Kerry's qualifications as Commander in Chief."

If I were a political cartoonist, I would draw Dan Rather or Katie Couric with a thought-bubble over his/her head. Inside would be the front page of the New York Times.

Banner Headline:
OBAMA WINS SENATE
Only Black Senator

Tiny headline below the fold:

Bush wins presidency, Fails to reach out to Blacks, Gays.
GOP picks up Senate, House Seats

Sidebar:
Hillary Clinton Congratulates Obama
"We can do great things together," NY Sen Declares.

To all the folks who've written notes like this:

Jonah, I must say a big thank you to NRO and The Corner. I spent 80% of my time last night hitting the refresh button. All my friends were in a panic, but I was calmer because I had been reading The Corner all day. You guys called it! I am encouraging my friends to go to NRO for trusted political commentary. I am a regular now!

(apologies to Al Pacino)

And Osama Bin Laden wherever you are out there ... f*** you too!

From a reader:

J- The disparity between the initial exit polls favoring Kerry and his subsequent loss to W tells me one thing: Most people voted for Kerry.......before they voted against him.

Their forums are closed to outsiders (i.e. unregistered DUers) today. But their blog is worth a gander.

Finally broke down and did it. Been a big NRO fan for a couple of years now. The Corner the past few days put me over the edge though. It's kind of like crack for political junkies -- I can't get enough of it. Keep up the great work!

286-252. [Shannen Coffin] That's my prediction. Bush holds Ohio and Florida. Picks up NM and IA. NH, overrun by Massachusetts libs who can talk a good game about the need for higher taxes but can't back it up by paying them, flips to Kerry. I wouldn't be entirely surprised, however, if I'm wrong on Wisconsin, which I currently have as a Dem hold. Actually, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if I am wrong on the entire damnable enterprise, since I rarely get these things right. I was just hoping I could have something else to laugh at NRO editors about (in addition to the Red Sox Series win), so I am taking a free shot. Posted at 01:02 PM

That's what Kos wants. I do agree with him that the current dufus in there has been the worst DNC chair in modern memory. He raised a lot of money, but he lost seats in the house, senate and statehouses. Bush won by a bigger margin than his hero-mentor Bill Clinton. McAuliffe far more than Karl Rove has helped make the Democratic Party a rump party.

As for Dean, I love that idea. The Democratic Party just got walloped on social issues -- particularly gays and religion -- and Kos thinks the money bet is on a guy who is completely tone deaf on religion and is associated (a bit unfairly) with the most pro-gay marriage wing of the party. Yes! Dean for DNC Chair. Heck Dean for President in '08 baby!

From a reader:

Dear Jonah,

I would say that the 90/10 Kerry split at the NIH is mirrored here.
Lots of Kerry/"I Love Choice" shirt, but today most students are
wearing long faces. 15-20% of students didn't even show up today. The
Federalist Society guys are giddy.

Best. Election. Ever.

Cheers,
Adam

Ramesh, I love it. Will Saletan can't stand Bush because he thinks Bush is a simpleton. He thinks being a simpleton makes you a bad president and bad for America. So, his conclusion: The Democrats need a simpleton!

From a reader:

Greetings from NIH Building 10. I'm guessing the popular vote in this building went 90%-10% Kerry, so everyone here today is really sad. Me, I've got a grin ear to ear. For what it's worth, all the Kerry supporters I've spoken with seem resigned to the fact Kerry lost, and lost fair and square. I haven't heard a single Moore-on try to claim the election was stolen or fixed. Just giving you the vibe from on the street.

North Carolina results in 2000: Bush 56%, Gore 43%

North Carolina results in 2004: Bush 56%, Kerry 43%

President Bush:
*** Became the first President to be re-elected while gaining seats in the House and Senate since 1936 and the first Republican President since 1924 to be re-elected while re-electing Republican House and Senate majorities.
*** Became the first President to win a majority of the popular vote since 1988.
*** Received 57.4 million votes - more than any other candidate in history. He broke President Reagan's 1984 mark of 54.5 million. (96% reporting)
***Increased the popular vote by seven million votes since 2000 - more than twice Clinton's increase from 1992 to 1996.
***Improved his percentage in every state except four (MD, OR, VT and WY). This includes a four percent increase in John Kerry's home state, Massachusetts.

It's the first time the House Republicans have expanded their majority in two successive elections, and the first time they've expanded their majority during a presidential election since 1928.

By 2008, the Democrats will have held the presidency for only 20 out of 56 years. (But for 40 out of 76 years.)

When I get back... if someone can explain to me what John Edwards did for that ticket, I'd love to know. He was supposed to make the south competitive. Brrrrrr: Wrong! He was supposed to gin up the rural voters. Brrrrr wrong! He was supposed to make economic populism work for Democrats.....Brrrrrr oh you get the point.

Edwards brought no substance, he brought no states, he brought (as far as I can tell right now) no vital demographics but he did bring pretty hair.

Just said on FM 96.9 in Boston (his radio show) that the Kerry campaign will issue a "directional" statement this AM and that Kerry will give a concession speech this afternoon. This was based on his "discussions" with the Kerry folks, who Barnicle is tight with.

FOR THE RECORD PEOPLE. It IS actually possible for an educated person to CHOOSE to be Republican. Get off your high horses and accept the fact that people think differently from you. Don't dare insult my beliefs unless you have a logical arguement to come at me with. Otherwise, I'm tired of it.

Go ahead, one more person, scream how its the uneducated in the country who choose Bush. Which, by the way, WONDERFUL sentiment, saying 51% of the country are fools. Pick a fight with me. I dare you.

YES. I am a 21 year old woman in college, even planning on graduate school. Yes I am middle class. YES, EVEN THIS MEANS I CAN BE A REPUBLICAN. Cause guess what? If I choose to be Democrat because of those things, THEN I'm not thinking. I think, and I choose Republican.

I just heard Tavis Smiley (an African American pundit) on ABC say that "George Bush has certainly raised the bar in terms of thanking the African American community for their support", citing DR. Rice and C. Powell, and that JFK, should he win "tonight or in the days ahead", will have to "clear the bar high bar that W set".

KLO, I take back everything I said yesterday regarding the early exit poll reporting you did. We all owe you a great deal of gratitude for your service, and by the way you have gained another subscriber. Job well done.

1. Catholics voted for President Bush over Senator Kerry by 51 to 48. That is a 4 percent gain over 2000.

2. Among regular Mass-attending Catholics, President Bush by 55-44 percent. This number was not reported in 2000, but the result is clearly impressive and debunks any suggestion that the Catholic vote is a myth.

3. The gain in Catholic support (4 points) surpassed the gain in the Protestant vote (2 points).

John Thune won in the closing weeks of the campaign because of the potency of two overlapping themes:

1) Daschle talks conservative in South Dakota but acts the opposite in Washington.

2) Daschle has lost touch with basic South Dakota values.

The issues that drove these two themes in the closing days were the Federal Marriage Amendment, Daschle’s patently false pro-life and pro-marriage claims, Daschle’s record of obstructionism – especially his blocking of President Bush’s conservative judicial nominees, and the brouhaha over Daschle’s official residency.

As NRO has noted, the 527 “You’re Fired” ran a massive television and radio campaign in the closing weeks of the campaign using Daschle’s opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment to question whether Daschle’s “heart is still in the heartland.” That phrase became a shorthand expression for the growing perception that the answer was “no.” The ad also raised the specter of liberal activist judges – complementary with the judicial obstruction charges being raised by Thune and others. The ad also linked Daschle to “his pals in Hollywood” effectively touching on the idea that Daschle does not share basic South Dakota values.

Daschle’s campaign also took the threat from the marriage issue so seriously that they ran an “over-the-top” ad saying Daschle was both pro-life and pro-marriage. Most observers agree that this ad backfired on Daschle – since his record – particularly on the life issue was so extensively the opposite of his claims.

At the end of the day, Daschle lost because what he had been doing for years finally caught up with him – and same sex marriage was the new issue in the equation that finally drove it home.

Re: There better be some riots tonight ... I can't believe Bush won. Where did we go wrong?

Personally, I played my bongos at many rallies to defeat Bush. I had some phat beats going sometimes for hours, I really gave it my all.

How could this happen?

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Senator Tom Daschle was defeated tonight by challenger John Thune in a race whose outcome was largely determined by Daschle's betrayal of South Dakota values, particularly on the issue of abortion.

"The people of South Dakota have spoken that they want a Senator who will protect life," said Joseph Cella, executive Director of The Ave Maria List.

"South Dakotans are people of common sense and they have zero tolerance for politicians like Tom Daschle who say one thing in Washington and do another in their home state," said Cella. "Having a 90% pro-abortion voting record just doesn't square with a state that is 75% pro-life," Cella added....

Brokaw just said, after carefully explaining the Kedwards position, that "The President and his people feel as though they have won, fairly this time...."

Kerry sends Edwards with message of hope

By Nedra Pickler, Associated Press | November 3, 2004

BOSTON -- Unwilling to concede defeat, John Kerry dispatched smooth-talking running mate John Edwards to deliver his trademark message of hope to supporters and a divided nation waiting for a president. . . .

Kerry sends Edwards with message of hope

By Nedra Pickler, Associated Press | November 3, 2004

BOSTON -- Unwilling to concede defeat, John Kerry dispatched smooth-talking running mate John Edwards to deliver his trademark message of hope to supporters and a divided nation waiting for a president. . . .

Jonah, Some blowhards are presently marching down St. Mark's St. chanting, "NOT OUR PRESIDENT". We won. Best, Nick

K-Lo, "Anyone at the North Pole? Anywhere especially exotic?" I know of, and have myself, read NRO from inside the Arctic Circle! There are some oil fields west of ANWR in Alaska with a strong NRO fan-base!

Hey, thanks so much for staying up late and keeping these reports coming. I'm watching the election from Nanjing, China (where, of course, it is the middle of the day), and because of assorted internet screening techniques, I can't get most of the major US news outlets' webpages on my computer. National Review (thank goodness), is no problem.

Incidentally, every Nanjing taxi driver I've talked to in the last two weeks was hoping for Bush. They knew what to expect with him, and Powell made that nice, strong statement on Taiwan recently. My absentee Bush vote did not break the tide in Minnesota, but such is life.

South Dakota - 88%

Daschle - D 160,216 48.90%
Thune - R 167,439 51.10%

Difference for Thune: +7,223

Shannon and Todd Counties have not reported. These are the same counties that were outstanding two years ago when Tim Johnson "found" enough votes to defeat John Thune.

As the dust settles, we are beginning to see how heavily this election was influenced by concern about moral values. After a campaign focusing on the threat of terrorism and the war in Iraq, this development will surprise those from the Left –– and Right ––who dismissed moral issues and social conservatives as irrelevant. And, in fact, those who view the appeal to moral values as mere political manipulation and ideological posturing have a basic misunderstanding of people of faith and Main Street Americans. The moral values that were a top priority in this election –– abortion, embryonic stem cell research, same sex unions, etc. –– are values rooted in deep religious beliefs. In addition, at another level they are the values that form the basis of democracy –– moral boundaries and personal responsibility, respect for life and human dignity, freedom, etc. –– and are the essence of what it means to be American. President Bush embodies those values and, during his first term, put people and policies into place that supported those values. Further, there was no way that patriotic Americans would elect as president a person who betrayed his military buddies and trashed his nation’s reputation. Nor would Americans choose as president a person who surrendered the nation’s leadership in the world arena. Bush’s strong, resolute stance on terrorism as well as his unwavering position on pro-life, pro-marriage and pro-family issues resonated with mainstream Americans. The Left has tried to portray these moral values as extremist; Americans have resoundingly said that these values are American.

Just went outside my house for a smoke on Q Street in Georgetown and the lights are going out on numerous Kerry parties all along the block... Quiet groups of well-heeled liberals traipsing home all around... Long faces, consoling hugs and muttering all around... Just a snippet for you from the epicenter neighborhood of Kedwards country...

But Kerry (and Michael Moore, Barbara Streisand, Dan Rather, Alec Baldwin, Tom Daschle, Janeane Garafalo, Mohammed El Baradei, Richard Clarke, Joe Wilson, Ron Suskind, Ron Reagan, Kofi Annan, Bon Jovi, Michael Stipe, P Diddy, Cameron Diaz, The New York Times, Al Franken, Molly Ivins, Graydon Carter and others) LOSE!

Our early numbers aren't that great but that's the absentee votes. Lines were very long here today and people were still voting over an hour after the polls closed (if they were in line at 6:00 they got to vote). It may be a while before we get good numbers. On the bright side - the more 'conservative' mayoral candidate in the hotly contested Honolulu County mayors race is ahead which should be good for us.

As for my 5 year olds take on it all:

upon going to pick up our mail today at the Print Shop where we have our mailbox. My 5 year old daughter announced to all who would listen that "we are voting for George Bush. John Kerry doesn't have a plan!"

Much Aloha

Elinor in Kailua, HI

He put this up in the last 20 minutes or so:

by kos
Wed Nov 3rd, 2004 at 04:05:18 GMT

So far, no big surprises. Like I wrote below, we need surprises to win the presidency.
Ohio is not out of contention, not as long as the urban areas (like Cuyahoga county) fail to report in. My brother, who has been crunching numbers all night (he likes math), makes a persuassive case that Bush will have a 20K lead in Ohio without absentees after all urban precincts report. The absentees would decide the race.

Florida won't be called tonight, not without so many absentee ballots outstanding (1 million). I don't feel good about Florida, but those absentees are mostly from Dem areas according to MSNBC. It's not over.

NH looks ready to go to Kerry. And early Nevada results look good. Same with the rest of the Gore states except for New Mexico.

If we hold the Gore states, which is quite a reasonable assumption, and flip Nevada and New Hampshire, then we have the dreaded 269-269 results.

But Ohio would be the big prize.

Update: Nevermind Florida. It's been called for Bush. Let's hope it's been called prematurely.

My buddy writes (I'll ID him in the Morning):

Allow me a purple moment:

It’s too soon to say (and I risk reading WAY too much into what is but one election) but if Bush wins in the way it’s looking he will win, with the states like Florida and Ohio breaking in the manner in which they are, I can’t help but think this is Jacksonian America – tribal, but wise -- asserting itself. And doing so without bravado, but nevertheless in a convincing manner; wishing to send a message to the rest of the world about the freedoms it guards with jealous intensity and its quiet but relentless faith in the future. If nothing else, I hope this gives enormous hope to the rest of the world that wondered if America would remain that “last best hope”. And I pray we ensure those hopes are not false ones.

From a reader:

Jonah,

I have to hand it to you, brother: you were right as rain on the youth vote. As a youth (23), I feared many of my compatriots would be lulled from their X-Box's to the polls by the all-powerful P Diddlypop & CO. You, sir, proved me wrong.

SWEET FAILURE!!!

Canadian TV (CTV) said it will be an early landslide (their word) for Kerry. They had inside information.

Californians pass Prop 71, spending $3 billion on embryonic stem cell research. So even if school children don’t have textbooks and highways crumble for lack of funding, Californians will still have to fund risky, unethical research for 10 years - even if, say in the third year, it proves unsuccessful.

And here’s an unexpected twist – this takes the wind out of the arguments for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. This stunning amount (yes, $3 billion, not million) dwarfs the federal spending on all stem cell research (adult and embryonic), which is about $300 million. So, Bush-bashers have lost an issue to attack him on.