Latest tally: Begich leads Stevens by 3 votes  —  The elections division still has over 10,000 ballots left to count today and thousands more through next week, but the latest numbers show Mark Begich leading Sen. Ted Stevens 125,019 to 125,016.  —  The new numbers, reflecting nearly 43,000 …

Why Palin Still Matters  —  Some readers think my continuing attempt to expose all the lies and flim-flam and bizarre behavior of Sarah Palin is now moot.  She's history - they argue.  Move on.  I think she probably is history.  Even Bill Kristol and his minions in the McCain-Palin campaign …

The Biggest Lesson Obama Learned From The Clinton Transition  —  Democrats who survived the transition from George H.W. Bush to William Jefferson Clinton are a bit in awe these days of what Barack Obama is doing and how he is doing it.  —  Of the Clinton transition, one very senior …

WORLD EXCLUSIVE: CINDY MCCAIN CAUGHT CHEATING ON J-MAC!  —  The ENQUIRER's exclusive bombshell expose as Sen. John McCain's wife, Cindy, is caught with another man!  —  Not only that but multiple witnesses have caught the pair lip locking on several other occasions.

Hopeful signs on health care  —  This is very big news.  One of the key questions about the new Democratic majority was whether Congress would try to play it safe, backing down on big ideas about reform, especially on health care.  You can view the whole chorus about how we're still a …

Dem senators try to save Lieberman  —  Several top Democratic senators have launched a behind-the-scenes effort to save Sen. Joe Lieberman's chairmanship, despite calls from a Democratic base seeking retribution for Lieberman's vocal support of John McCain's presidential campaign.

MN Secretary of State: Coleman's goal ‘to win at any price’  —  The Democratic Secretary of State of Minnesota, Mark Ritchie, was just on MSNBC talking about the recount in the Minnesota Senate race between Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) and Democrat Al Franken, and his comments will likely upset Coleman's campaign.

Maddow wears pajamas on air in solidarity with bloggers, says she sees herself as ‘a blogger on TV.’  —  Last night, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow showed a clip of Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) complaining about being criticized by “some blogger” sitting “in their parents' basement.”

Cleland ad causes trouble for Chambliss  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  With Sen. John McCain returning to the campaign trail on Thursday on stump for Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss in his runoff race in Georgia, Democrats are reminding voters and donors …

Pelosi's power reigns supreme  —  After delivering a 20-seat pickup for House Democrats on Election Night, Rep. Chris Van Hollen wanted out of his grinding campaign job and into a more powerful leadership post.  —  “The one option I am not exploring is continuing as the chairman” …

Gun Sales Up Since Election  —  The LA Times reports gun sales are up in the wake of last week's election.  The Denver Post reported last week the election has spurred a rush on gun sales in Colorado due to fears an Obama Adminstration will restrict Second Amendment gun rights.

Allergists' dander up about Obama quest for dog  —  CHICAGO - Not to put a damper on the Obama family's canine quest, but allergists have a news flash: There's no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog.  —  So Malia and Sasha, how about a fish instead?  —  President-elect Barack …

The Good Life of a New-Media Guru  —  Is Jeff Jarvis gloating too much about the death of print?  —  Take a look at this, from Jeff Jarvis' blog BuzzMachine: … Jeff Jarvis is living the good life.  (But he's still humble—he says so himself!)  Jeff Jarvis is the very model of a modern new-media guru.

Luntz's straight talk  —  Frank Luntz, kicking off an RGA panel session looking back at '08, promised candor — and then delivered.  —  “I understand how Dr. Kevorkian feels at an AARP convention,” Luntz proclaimed at the top of his presentation to a darkened and quiet ballroom of Republicans, drawing scattered laughs.

Idaho students chant ‘assassinate Obama’ on school bus: Report  —  Madison County, Idaho was once dubbed “the reddest place in America” by Salon, but that didn't make it any less shocking when elementary school children started chanting “assassinate Obama on the school bus.

Rino Season Is Now Open  —  Like any entity that abandons basic quality control, political parties rot from within.  It happened to the Democrats long ago, and now has become the case with the Republican Party, which has strayed from its conservative underpinnings.

Obama Transition Team Staffs Up Internet Outreach Crew  —  Now this is a good sign: The Obama transition team has just signed up two leading Web types for the transition's Internet outreach team, a welcome indication that the Obama team is moving to transfer its astonishing online successes during …

Shep Smith tells it like it is  —  Via Hot Air, an interesting video — Fox News anchor Shepard Smith goes off on comedian Nick Di Paolo for claiming that the media is responsible for Barack Obama's victory.  Not only is it good (and a little surprising, even for Smith) …

A Senior Fellow at the Institute of Nonexistence  —  It was among the juicier post-election recriminations: Fox News Channel quoted an unnamed McCain campaign figure as saying that Sarah Palin did not know that Africa was a continent.  —  Who would say such a thing?