Hmmm ...  It hasn't gotten much attention outside of the Boston suburbs and truly hardcore political junkies.  But there was a congressional election today.  The topline is that the Democrat, Nikki Tsongas, wife of the late Massachusetts senator and presidential candidate Paul Tsongas, won.

Many GOP Donors Yet to Open Wallets  —  More than a third of the top fundraisers who helped elect George W. Bush president remain on the sidelines in 2008, contributing to a gaping financial disparity between the GOP candidates and their Democratic counterparts.

Support Wanes in House for Genocide Vote  —  Worried about antagonizing Turkish leaders, House members from both parties have begun to withdraw their support from a resolution supported by the Democratic leadership that would condemn as genocide the mass killings of Armenians nearly a century ago.

Questions of Justice  —  Michael B. Mukasey, President Bush's nominee for attorney general, appears today before the Senate Judiciary Committee.  The Op-Ed page asked four legal experts to pose the questions they would like to hear Judge Mukasey answer.  —  1. Griffin Bell …

Sarah Maria Santorum's tears inspire song  —  This is the story of a defeated senator, his crying daughter, a Nashville songwriter and Martina McBride, the country music star.  —  It begins in Pittsburgh on election night 2006.  Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), losing to Democrat Robert P. Casey Jr …

Iowa caucuses: GOP shuffle 'keeps us first'  —  Iowa party's move protects caucuses' relevance, officials say; Democrats maintain later date (for now)  —  Iowa Republicans have scheduled the party's presidential caucuses for Jan. 3, arguing the date would preserve the state's coveted leadoff status …

Voters unhappy with Bush and Congress  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Deepening unhappiness with President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress soured the mood of Americans and sent Bush's approval rating to another record low this month, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

CHENEY AND OBAMA COUSINS?  —  From NBC's Adam Verdugo  —  In an interview with MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell this afternoon, Lynne Cheney revealed that while researching the Cheney family tree for her new book "Blue Skies, No Fences," she discovered that the Vice President Cheney and Barack Obama are related — albeit distantly.

Mugged by Unreality  —  MANHATTAN — So perhaps Jon Elliott wasn't exactly cool as a cucumber when he took to the airwaves early Tuesday to announce fellow Air America host Randi Rhodes had lost several teeth in an cold-blooded assault while walking her dog on the streets of New York City.

U.S. Consumer Price Index Rises 0.3% in September; Core Up 0.2%  —  Oct. 17 (Bloomberg) — Prices paid by U.S. consumers rose more than forecast in September as food and energy costs climbed, while core measures showed inflation remains contained.  —  The .3 percent increase followed …

Africans are less intelligent than Westerners, says DNA pioneer  —  Fury at James Watson's theory: "All our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours - whereas all the testing says not really"  —  One of the world's most eminent scientists was embroiled …

Knocking Turkey easier than bashing the Chinese  —  While Congress seems willing to pick a fight with Turkey over the World War I-era killing of Armenians, members have been much more cautious about confronting China over next year's Olympics in Beijing.  —  Three House bills urging a boycott …

Lifers as Teenagers, Now Seeking Second Chance  —  BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — In December, the United Nations took up a resolution calling for the abolition of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for children and young teenagers.  The vote was 185 to 1, with the United States the lone dissenter.

Democratic Pandering to the Middle Class  —  Explaining a simple proposal to help people squirrel away gold for their golden years, Hillary Clinton said that a person "should not require a Ph.D. to save for retirement."  But can even Ph.D.s understand liberalism's arithmetic and logic?