McConnell: No Shutdowns, No Full Obamacare Repeal  —  An exclusive interview with TIME about his plans as Majority Leader  —  Sen. Mitch McConnell was giddy, not an emotion often seen in the sober 72-year-old Kentuckian.  But that's the only way to describe TIME's interview with him in Perry County, Kentucky, on Monday afternoon.

Battle for the Senate: How the GOP woke up while Democrats were feeling the drag  —  One night in early September, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called a longtime colleague, Sen. Pat Roberts, from his living room in Louisville, furious about the 78-year-old Republican's fumbling and lethargic reelection campaign.

President Obama Left Fighting for His Own Relevance  —  WASHINGTON — Two things were clear long before the votes were counted on Tuesday night: President Obama would face a Congress with more Republicans for his final two years in office, and the results would be seen as a repudiation of his leadership.

The Polls Were Skewed Toward Democrats  —  For much of this election cycle, Democrats complained the polls were biased against them.  They said the polls were failing to represent enough minority voters and applying overly restrictive likely-voter screens.  They claimed early-voting data was proving the polls wrong.

First Impressions: Historic GOP House Majority  —  It's hard to overstate House Democrats' bad night.  By all measures, Republicans enjoyed an historic night, exceeding pre-election expectations across the country.  There are fewer than ten races where the outcome is in some doubt …

The Democrats' Southern Problem Reaches a New Depth  —  For generations, Southern Democratic politicians could count on doing better at the ballot box than the national party, which had long been abandoned in the South in presidential elections.  No longer.

NBC's Today Show ‘Hires’ Pippa Middleton  —  After rumored courting by both ABC and NBC, Pippa Middleton is reportedly inking a deal to become a Today correspondent.  Buckingham Palace may not be amused.  —  NBC News, which has an expensive affection for royalty—whether British or American …

27 senators who voted for Obamacare won't be part of new Senate  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL CONGRESS OBAMACARE SENATE HEALTH CARE 2014 ELECTIONS  —  On Dec. 24, 2009, the Democratic-controlled Senate passed President Obama's healthcare law with a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority …

Lessons for Obama's Final Two Years From Reagan, Clinton and Bush  —  A president in the final two years of an eight-year run in the White House.  Congress held by an opposing party that loathes the occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  A staff that is depleted and exhausted by six-plus years of governing.

Sullivan lead holds in Alaska U.S. Senate race; Begich won't concede  —  Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan appeared to grab an insurmountable lead over incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Begich early Wednesday, with all of Alaska's precincts reporting.

The Evaporating Democratic Majority  —  “For Republicans, what counts as victory?”  I asked in my pre-election post, and now we have an answer: This counts.  Control of the Senate with room to spare, easy victories in what were supposed to be tight purple-state races and even easier victories in red states …

Berkeley breaks through on soda tax  —  Berkeley, Calif., a city known for its progressive politics, made history Tuesday night by approving the first real sin tax on soda in the United States.  —  Voters looked likely to approve Measure D, a penny-per-ounce tax, by a wide margin …

Meet Elise Stefanik, the Youngest Woman Ever Elected to Congress … Republican Elise Stefanik has become the youngest woman elected to Congress in history, winning her race against Aaron Woolf in New York's 21st open district 56-32, ABC News projects.  —  She's the first Republican to win the district …

The New Segregation  —  It's class, not race.  And we know how to solve it.  —  Three years ago, Kelly Williams-Bolar, a poor, single mother, stood in a Summit County, Ohio, courtroom facing a number of felony charges, including one count of grand theft.  Her crime: stealing an education …

HICKENLOOPER POISED TO DEFEAT BEAUPREZ FOR COLORADO GOVERNOR  —  Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper was in a strong position to win re-election early Wednesday morning in a year that saw Republican gains across the state and nation.  —  Ten hours after the polls closed, Hickenlooper rebounded …