Cornyn: ‘We Will Not Spend Money in a Contested Primary’  —  ABC News' Rick Klein reports:  —  With Republicans grappling with the fallout of an intra-party battle that may have cost them a House seat, the head of the Senate Republican campaign effort is making a pledge that may ease …

North and South in the Republican Party  —  One of my commenters has some thoughts on NY-23: … This resonates with me, because my mom's from Western New York.  I remember once noting that until I was in college, I hadn't known any Republicans, to which my mother blinked, and replied “You knew your grandparents.”

Independent voters big for GOP; Democrats keep black vote  —  A big share of independent voters on Tuesday has Republicans optimistic about 2010, but some resiliency in the African-American vote could stunt their gains.  —  Exit polling data from the governors' races in New Jersey …

Prejean Sex Tape Triggers Settlement  —  Carrie Prejean demanded more than a million dollars during her settlement negotiations with Miss California USA Pageant officials — that is, until the lawyer for the Pageant showed Carrie an XXX home video of her handiwork.

Letter to Reid on healthcare from former Surgeon General Koop shuts Senate  —  A letter about healthcare reform to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) from former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop triggered a security scare that briefly shut down much of the Senate on Wednesday.

Bachmann aide no longer taking care of business  —  The aide who helped turn Rep. Michele Bachmann into a controversial mainstay of cable news has informed colleagues that she's quitting - just as the firebrand Republican congresswoman prepares for her biggest media moment yet.

Axelrod: NY-23 Is A Reminder For Blue Dogs  —  Senior White House adviser David Axelrod just made an appearance on MSNBC, and, as host Andrea Mitchell asked him about the elections last night (which, by the way, are being cast by some as an “awful day” for President Obama) and their implications …

AP Sources: AARP to endorse House health care bill  —  WASHINGTON — Officials are telling The Associated Press that AARP_the seniors' lobby_will endorse the health care overhaul bill that House Democrats are preparing to take to the floor.  —  Officials with knowledge of the group's decision told …

Crazy Nancy Pelosi: “We Won Last Night” ...Lies Twice About NY-23 Race  —  They lost the Virginia gubanatorial race by 18 points in a state Barack Obama won by 6 points last year.  —  They lost the New Jersey gubanatorial race by 4 points in a state Barack Obama won by 15 points last year.

How Gay Marriage Lost In Maine  —  Mainers, and national observers, have woken up this morning asking how the Yes on 1 coalition won this fight.  Through most of the lead up to this vote, observers (including myself) felt that it would be extremely close, potentially to a recount, and that the No on 1 folks had the early advantage.

Axelrod to ABC News on Voters' Economic Anxiety: “There is a Heavy Burden That Falls on the Governing Party.  That's Just Something You Accept.  That's Part of the Deal”  —  This afternoon we spoke with White House senior adviser David Axelrod about the election results.

Kerik Expected to Accept Prison Term in Corruption Case  —  Bernard B. Kerik, New York City's former police commissioner, is expected to plead guilty on Thursday to a single conspiracy charge in an agreement that would resolve the three pending federal criminal trials he faces in New York and Washington …

As Inhofe's Climate Bill Boycott Continues, Kerry, Graham, Lieberman Try End-Around  —  Colorless, odorless, invisible, deadly.  GOP senators boycott Tuesday's climate bill markup.  (photo via talkradionews)  —  James Inhofe (R-OK) appeared briefly today at a climate bill markup …

Obama Uses Malia's Test Scores as a Teaching Example  —  MADISON, Wisconsin - President Obama marked the first anniversary of his election on Wednesday by calling on states to toughen their education standards - and wound up calling on parents to toughen theirs, too, as he confessed …

France: ‘Autistic Tories castrated Britain in Europe’  —  French Europe minister says David Cameron's pledge to reclaim EU powers is ‘pathetic’ and will leave Britain isolated  —  The Conservatives were accused by the French government tonight of “castrating” Britain's position within the EU by adopting an …

Bachmann Watch  —  We've spent the day trying to get a handle on just what Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has in mind with her boffo Capitol Hill Tea Party event tomorrow, whether she's going to get the crowd riled up and just send them in or actually lead the protestors into the offices.

Obama Watched HBO Special About Himself Instead of Election Results  —  UPDATE: Fox News misreported Gibbs' press gaggle comments.  He did not claim President watched HBO special on election night.  —  During the 10AM ET hour of America's Newsroom on Fox News Channel …

That's NOT YOUR CAKE, Barack Obama!  —  That's BLUE GAL'S Anniversary Cake!  Her blog is five years old today!  —  I don't know how FOX News can claim they aren't a propaganda arm of the Republican Party after they sent you a half-eaten (Cavuto, natch) “aborted white babies” theme cake.

STIMULUS WATCH: Salary raise counted as saved job  —  WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's economic recovery program saved 935 jobs at the Southwest Georgia Community Action Council, an impressive success story for the stimulus plan.  Trouble is, only 508 people work there.

Supreme Court is asked to spare sniper  —  Lawyers: Muhammad shouldn't have been allowed to represent self  —  Attorneys for sniper John Allen Muhammad, mastermind of the terrifying 2002 Washington area shooting spree, asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to halt their client's execution …

ELEMENTARY EPIDEMIC: 11 Uncovered Videos Show School Children Performing Praises to Obama  —  Big Hollywood has already posted a couple disturbing videos of young school children singing/speaking praises to President Obama, but when eleven more dropped in our email box it came as quite a shock.

V: Tea Party TV  —  I didn't watch much television as a kid.  But when the miniseries “V” came out in 1983, when I was eleven years old, it was event television for the entire family.  The sci-fi series used an alien invasion of Earth under friendly guise as a metaphor for fascism.

Can Prosecutors Be Sued By People They Framed? … text sizeAAA  —  Do prosecutors have total immunity from lawsuits for anything they do, including framing someone for murder?  That is the question the justices of the Supreme Court face Wednesday.  —  On one side of the case being argued …