And so the Alaska Senate race has truly come to an end: Ted Stevens has conceded the election, after Democratic challenger Mark Begich built up a small but nevertheless insurmountable lead in last night's vote count.

Stevens shocked the political world when the ballots counted on Election Night originally showed him winning the race, despite the fact that he'd just been convicted on multiple felony counts in a corruption trial. This sent organized punditry and Capitol Hill into a frenzy wondering how Stevens could have possibly been re-elected -- but it wasn't over yet.

Begich had banked a lead in absentee voters that happened to not be counted yet -- indeed, he quipped during an appearance on the Rachel Maddow TV show last week that his own early ballot had only just been counted the day before. And when those votes were all tallied, Begich was the winner.

Begich is the first Democrat elected to represent deep-red Alaska at the federal level since Mike Gravel was re-elected to his final Senate term in 1974. And Ted Stevens, who in the 1950s was a U.S. Attorney known for fighting crime and busting corruption, is a lame-duck convicted felon, who even if he had won would have faced possible expulsion from the Senate.

The Associated Press has projected that GOP Senator and convicted felon Ted Stevens has lost re-election, with the final major batch of absentee ballots giving Democratic challenger Mark Begich an insurmountable lead.

The current vote count: Begich 150,728 votes, Stevens 147,004 votes. Begich's lead of 3,724 votes is greater than the roughly 2,500 outstanding ballots. By percentage, the 1.18% lead is beyond the 0.5% threshold that would have entitled Stevens to a state-funded recount.

Even if every last single outstanding ballot went to Stevens -- an unlikely scenario, to say the least -- he would still lose, and even if they broke for Stevens by a strong margin it would still likely be outside of the state-paid recount threshold.

Begich will be the first Democrat to represent deep-red Alaska at the federal level since Mike Gravel was defeated for re-election to the Senate in 1980. This also brings the Democrats to a total of 58 Senate seats, with the GOP-held Minnesota and Georgia seats still up for grabs.

Late Update: The Anchorage Daily News has now called the race for Begich.

Late Late Update: Here's something to think about, adding insult to injury: Today was Stevens' 85th birthday.

It looks more and more like GOP Senator and convicted felon Ted Stevens is finished.

The latest numbers from Alaska: Democratic challenger Mark Begich 146,286 votes, Stevens 143,912 votes, a Begich lead of 2,374 votes. Begich's lead has more than doubled from the 1,022-vote edge this morning, with the vast majority of the remaining ballots expected to be finished tonight.

As a percentage, Begich leads by a margin of 0.77%, above the 0.5% that would entitle a losing candidate to a state-paid recount.

The Anchorage Daily News says that some valid overseas ballots could still come in after tonight, thanks to the sheer logistical difficulties of delivering mail in this remote state. But it's highly unlikely that those remaining votes would be enough to change the result if Begich's lead holds up tonight.

Some more ballots have been counted in the exhausting Alaska Senate race, with Democrat Mark Begich's lead over GOP Senator and convicted felon Ted Stevens increasing just a little bit more.

Begich's lead has gone from 814 votes to 1,022 votes. In terms of percentage, Begich leads by 0.35%. If his lead gets up to 0.5% or higher, there will not be a state-paid recount. Over 14,000 more votes have been counted, with about 30,000 left to go -- and that process will take us into some time next week.

The Anchorage Daily News points out that some of these new ballots have come from the Mat-Su area, the right-wing stronghold that gave us Sarah Palin -- so the fact that Begich's lead is still going up is a very bad sign for the incumbent Republican. Not only is the pool of remaining votes shrinking, but Stevens is running out of GOP areas that could put him over the top.

Here's yet another sign that the Democrats are poised to defeat Alaska GOP Senator and convicted felon Ted Stevens and pick up this key seat in a deep-red state.

The Anchorage Daily News analyzed the remaining 41,000 ballots left to be counted in this truly bizarre and drawn-out contest, and the numbers are very promising for Democratic challenger Mark Begich. It turns out that 56% of the remaining votes are from areas that Begich has carried in the votes already counted.

If those absentee votes go roughly the same as the rest of the ballots from those areas, Begich's current 814-vote lead could extend by as much as four-thousand votes -- enough to put him beyond the margin that would require a recount. There's even a chance that they could be more for Begich than the rest of the ballots, too, as his campaign actively pursued an early-vote strategy.

So unless these final votes contain a surprise that goes against all the available evidence, Stevens is probably toast.

Looks like even Senator Ted Stevens' own pollster, Alaska-based David Dittman, can read the writing on the wall: Stevens is gonna lose to Dem challenger Mark Begich once all the remaining votes are counted.

At least that's what he's now admitted to The Huffington Post:

"I don't think Stevens can come back," Dittman said, noting that he thinks the remaining trove of uncounted ballots will help Begich "increase his lead."...

Dittman believes early and absentee ballots, which compromise the approximately 40,000 votes left to count, will likely reflect Begichs' overall advantage so far among those who took advantage of either process. Heavy early voting occurred in the period that directly followed Stevens' conviction on seven felony counts of making false statements on his Senate financial disclosure forms.

The current count has Begich ahead at 814 votes, and as Stevens' own pollster concedes, that lead is likely to grow.

Hmm, maybe convicted felon Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) didn't get re-elected last week.

Stevens shocked the political world when the election-night tallies showed him leading Democratic opponent Mark Begich by about 3,000 votes, despite the fact that he'd just been convicted on multiple felony counts and several polls showed him trailing Begich by double-digits.

But now the remaining votes -- about 95,000 of them, including both absentees and provisional ballots, according to the Anchorage Daily News -- are being counted, and it looks like Begich could be pulling ahead after all.

The current count puts Begich ahead of Stevens by three votes -- not three percent, but three raw votes, with nearly 50,000 more ballots to be counted.

The remaining ballots will provide us an answer as to whether Alaska is so corrupt that they would re-elect a convicted felon. But the trend so far appears to be in favor of a Begich win.

Late Update: Begich now leads by 814 votes. Things are looking a whole lot better for him right now than they were on Election Night.

Although Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) might possibly have just been re-elected in the wake of his felony convictions, he could soon find himself with a lot less clout in Washington, thanks to a potential vote by Senate GOPers to expel him from their caucus.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) is calling for the motion to eject Stevens from the caucus, a move that would strip him of his committee assignments and the ability to vote in Senate GOP decisions like leadership elections.

But Stevens would still be a U.S. Senator with the ability to vote on the floor, as it would require a two-thirds vote of the whole chamber to expel him, just in case it turns out he was re-elected -- though an expulsion vote is quite possible, too. Votes are still being counted in Stevens' race and he has a lead of a little over 3,000 votes with 90,000 ballots left to be processed.

The GOP caucus could potentially debate this at their meeting next week, then DeMint formally brings up the motion.

One thing to remember is that if Stevens was re-elected, anything that happens next wouldn't have any real effect on the Dem/GOP balance of the chamber. The state would hold a special election if Steven is expelled or resigns, and the Republicans would be heavily favored to keep the seat. Another wrinkle is one particular name on the list of potential candidates for this hypothetical scenario: Sarah Palin, who might want to have a national stage from which to build a campaign for president.

WSJ: Obama Could Keep Gates On At Defense
The Wall St. Journal reports that Barack Obama is leaning toward keeping Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense for at least the first year of his term -- which if true would represent a very prominent act of continuity from the Bush Administration.

Obama To Recognize Veterans Today
Barack Obama will be publicly observing Veterans Day this morning, laying a wreath in Chicago in honor of fallen veterans. He will be accompanied by Tammy Duckworth, the Illinois director of veterans affairs and herself a disabled Iraq War veteran.

Podesta To Address Reporters Today On Transition
John Podesta, the former Bill Clinton White House chief of staff and current co-chairman of Barack Obama's presidential transition, will be speaking to reporters today in order to provide some updates on the transition process. Some of the big questions he'll probably address will be regarding when the president-elect will start naming cabinet appointments, whether any Bush appointees will stay on, and to what degree Obama is demanding action from President Bush during the interregnum period.

Obama To Refocus On Afghanistan -- And Bin Laden
The incoming Obama Administration is looking to refocus U.S. foreign policy on the conflict in Afghanistan and the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. One possible element of this strategy, the Washington Post reports, could cause some serious domestic and international friction: Negotiations with Iran and potentially reconcilable elements of the Taliban.

Palin On 2012 Run: It's In God's Hands
In an interview with Fox News, Sarah Palin left the door open for a potential 2012 run for president: "I'm like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I'm like, don't let me miss the open door ... And if there is an open door in '12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I'll plow through that door."

Report: Jarrett Going To White House, Not Senate
CNN reports that Obama sources say Valerie Jarrett will stay on as an adviser in the White House -- not as an appointee to Obama's vacant Senate seat, as had been rumored over the weekend. At the end of the day the Senate appointment will be up to Dem Gov. Rod Blagojevich -- regardless of whether Obama asked him to appoint a particular individual.

Most Uncounted Alaska Ballots Expected To Be Counted Tomorrow
The Anchorage Daily News reports that the majority of the 81,000 uncounted ballots should be processed tomorrow. The campaign of Dem Senate candidate Mark Begich is hopeful that those ballots will turn around their current narrow deficit against incumbent GOP Sen. Ted Stevens -- and if not, Begich will have the distinction of losing an election to a recently-convicted felon.

NYT: The Southern Era Of Politics May Be Over
The New York Times this morning points out that, besides Republican rule in Washington, another important political trend might have ended last week: "And the Southernization of American politics -- which reached its apogee in the 1990s when many Congressional leaders and President Bill Clinton were from the South -- appears to have ended."

Obama To Meet Bush Today
Barack Obama will hold his first in-person transition meeting with President Bush today, with a private meeting in the Oval Office. This meeting holds extra significance for Obama, as well -- he's never actually been in the Oval Office before, a place that he'll be getting to know a lot better over the next four to eight years.

Van Hollen To Stay At DCCC
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) has announced that he is staying on for a second consecutive term as head of the DCCC, a break from the usual Democratic practice of switching that office every cycle. On top of his extended campaign role, Van Hollen will also take on an expanded policy role, as a liaison between the House Dems and the Obama Administration.

Alaska Results Could Take Two Weeks To Know
Roll Call reports that results might not be known in the Alaska Congressional races for two weeks, as the state gets to work counting over 80,000 absentee ballots. The big question for incumbent Senator and convicted felon Ted Stevens (R) is whether those votes are made up more of early voters for Barack Obama and the Dem ticket, or military personnel and oil workers in remote areas who break Republican.

Some Bush Appointees Guaranteed To Stay On
The Washington Post points out that Barack Obama will still have at least three Bush appointees to work with come January: Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen, and FBI Director Robert Mueller, who all have fixed terms instead of serving at the pleasure of the president. "His campaign's success was based partly on the selection of a team he personally trusted," the Post comments, "but in his first years in the White House, he will not be able to rely solely on advisers of his choosing."

Minnesota Secretary Of State: I'll Get The Recount Right
Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie (D) is promising a fair and non-partisan process in the Minnesota Senate recount -- but it's going to be slow: "People who are the most active have a kind of bias to want to get [results] fast. Election administrators have a bias for wanting it correct, transparent and trusted."

"Barack" Quickly Becoming A Popular Name
Barack Obama's unusual name might not be so unusual for much longer, as new mothers the world over are already naming their baby boys "Barack" in honor of the president-elect and his historic election. In just a single hospital in Kenya, 23 boys were named "Barack" and 20 girls named "Michelle" from Election Day through this past Saturday.

Rahm: Obama Sets The Tone For Bipartisanship
In an interview on ABC's This Week, incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel sought to downplay his reputation as a partisan bulldog, instead citing Barack Obama's frequent calls for bipartisanship. "So that is the tone. That is the policy," said Rahm. "And that is exactly how we're going to go forward."

New Obama Administration Eyeing Bush Policies To Be Reversed
The incoming Obama White House is already getting ready to quickly reverse various George W. Bush policies by executive order: The ban on federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research, the prohibition against California settings its own emissions standards, and the global gag-rule that prevents international groups that receive federal funding from counseling women about abortion, among others.

Over 81,000 Votes Left In Alaska
The Juneau Empire reports that over 81,000 ballots are left to be counted in the Alaska Senate race, made up of mostly early votes plus absentee and disputed ballots. With convicted felon Sen. Ted Stevens (R) leading Democratic opponent Mark Begich by only 3,257 votes in the current count, the result could easily shift depending on how those 81,000 votes turn out.

GOPers Already Eyeing 2012
The Politico reports that some top-name GOPers already seem to be laying the groundwork for 2012 campaigns for president, now that the 2008 race is officially over and lost. Bobby Jindal and Mike Huckabee will be visiting Iowa this month, and the upcoming annual meeting of the Republican Governors Association could also serve as an audition for multiple potential candidates.

FRC's Perkins: GOP Should Reach Out To Minority Groups On Social Issues
Tony Perkins, president of the Christian-right Family Research Council, says the Republican Party should expand its presence among minority groups by targeting them on social issues, citing the fact that these groups voted for Barack Obama but also favored state amendments to ban gay marriage. "If Republicans want to reach into those ethnic groups, really the only bridge they can cross over are the social issues," Perkins told the Associated Press.

Inaugural Committee: Don't Fall For Fraudulent Ticket Sales
The committee overseeing the presidential inauguration is warning the public against any online vendors claiming to sell inaugural tickets -- in fact, no tickets have been issued to anybody yet, and will not be issued until a few days before the event itself. "Anyone claiming to have tickets to sell right now, or saying that they will guarantee tickets, is not telling the truth," said a spokesperson for the committee.

So here's the latest on the Senate map: We already know the Dems have picked up a minimum of five seats, but there are still four races that could go either way, with one of them leaning in the Democratic direction.

Here are the four outstanding races:

• In Alaska, GOP incumbent Senator and convicted felon Ted Stevens may have confounded the polls that showed him losing by a landslide -- he's now narrowly ahead 99% of the vote counted, and he is now saying it's almost impossible for his Dem opponent to win.

Forget about the Bradley Effect -- we're dealing here with the Stevens Effect: An unwillingness of poll respondents to admit to a pollster that they're going to vote for the convicted felon. This one seems to be tilting towards the GOP.

• In Georgia, GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss appears headed to a December runoff against Democrat Jim Martin. Chambliss came out ahead of Martin, but seems to be so tantalizingly short of his true goalpost of 50% plus one: With 96% reporting, Chambliss has 49.9%, Martin 46.7%, and the Libertarian candidate has 3.4%.

Either Chambliss has reached the threshold to avoid a runoff, in which case he's re-elected outright, or he goes into a runoff where he would have to be rated as the initial favorite.

• In the Minnesota Senate race, where GOP incumbent Norm Coleman has a lead of just a few hundred votes against Al Franken, this one is going to a recount. That process itself could take several weeks, so we may not get a true verdict on this race until some time in December.

This one is a real tossup, and there is a precedent for Senate recounts changing the initial outcome in a close race -- that exact thing happened in a key Senate race in 2000, in Washington State.

• In the current vote count in Oregon, where all balloting is done by mail, incumbent GOP Sen. Gordon Smith has a very narrow lead over Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley. However, Oregonian columnist Jeff Mapes points out that many of the outstanding votes are from the Portland and Eugene areas, which are expected to heavily favor Merkley.

It might take another few days to get this thing counted, but the conventional wisdom in the Oregon press seems to be that Merkley will eventually pull ahead. Of the four races listed here, this one presents the most optimistic outlook for the Democrats.

In the highly unlikely scenario that the Democrats were to sweep all four of these races, they would then reach that magic number of 60 Senate seats, counting Joe Lieberman. But don't expect that to happen.

Late Update: Oregon's top newspaper has projected Merkley the winner over Smith. So that's one more Democratic pick-up.

Here's tonight's run-down of the Congressional races:

Uncle Ted To Address Alaska On Election Eve
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), who is widely expected to lose re-election as a result of his recent felony conviction, will make a final plea (no pun intended) for his political future tomorrow night. Stevens will air a two-minute TV ad across Alaska's media markets, making the case that he should be allowed to continue to serve as Alaska's senior Senator.

Minnesota GOP Mailer Lies About The Constitution
A mailer from the Minnesota Republican Party, provided to us by two different readers in the state, gets around the pitfall of implying that the presidential race is lost in its rhetorical efforts to keep the Democrats from getting 60 seats -- they just lie about how the Constitution works:

"The U.S. Senate could have a 'super majority' of 60 Democrats after this election, allowing them to pass laws without bipartisan input or teamwork," the mailer says. "Not even a Presidential Veto will be able to stop them." The actual threshold for overriding a presidential veto is 67 votes. Minnesota GOP spokesperson Gina Countryman refused to speak with Election Central to confirm or deny the authenticity of the mailer.

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Here's tonight's run-down of the Congressional races:

GOP Candidate's Ad: Democrats Have Blown Up Our (Fiscal) Houses
Wow. Check out this truly amazing new ad from former Rep. Melissa Hart (R-PA), who lost her re-election in an upset in 2006, and is now in a rematch against Democratic Rep. Jason Altmire. The ad accuses the Democratic Congress of blowing up America's fiscal house:

Unfortunately, it looks like no real explosions were used in the making of this ad. Hart's campaign manager informed Election Central that the ad was most likely done with computers.

Franken's Closing Argument: Coleman Is "Trying To Fool You"
Here's Al Franken's new attack ad against Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), accusing him of running a "fake positive campaign" and lying about his political record and personal scandals:

"Norm Coleman really did take 52 trips paid for by special interests -- remember Alaska?" the announcer says. "Norm Coleman really does live in a million-dollar home owned by his special-interest friend. Norm Coleman really has voted with George Bush almost 90% of the time."

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Here's tonight's run-down on the Congressional races:

Hagan Files Lawsuit Against Dole Over Atheism Attack Ad, Launches Rebuttal Spot
Senate candidate Kay Hagan (D-NC) has announced that she is filing a defamation lawsuit against the campaign of GOP Sen. Elizabeth Dole, over an attack ad that accused Hagan of selling out to the Godless atheist agenda. Hagan also has this new rebuttal spot:

"I'm Kay Hagan, and Elizabeth Dole's attacks on my Christian faith are offensive. She even faked my voice in her TV ad to make you think I don't believe in God," Hagan says. "Well I believe in God. I taught Sunday school. My faith guides my life, and Senator Dole knows it. Sure,politics is a tough business, but I approve this message because my campaign is about creating jobs and fixing our economy -- not bearing false witness against fellow Christians."

Two More Polls Have Dole Losing
Meanwhile, two separate polls today show Hagan leading Dole by six points: Hagan is up 52%-46% in Rasmussen, with a ±4% margin of error, and Hagan is ahead 43%-37% in National Journal, with a ±4.9% margin of error.

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Here's tonight's run-down of the Congressional races:

Another Poll Shows Tight Race For Murtha
A new poll from the Las-Vegas based Dane & Associates, commissioned by GrassrootsPA.com, shows Jack Murtha with a bare lead of 46%-44% over GOP opponent William Russell, within the ±3% margin of error. GrassrootsPA.com is a right-wing site, but it should be noted that Dane is a non-partisan firm that has done polling work for politicians of both parties from across the country.

New Mahoney Ad: He's A Jerk, But Look At The Other Guy
Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL), whose sex scandal has probably doomed his bid for re-election, has this new ad in which constituents admit he's been a personal disappointment, but his opponent's positions on the issues would damage the country:

One line in particular seems poorly written for a politician in Mahoney's situation: "He (Rooney) doesn't have Congressman Mahoney's experience."

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The first public poll of Alaska conducted entirely after GOP Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted on all counts in his corruption trial shows a probable Democratic pickup in this deep-red state -- but Stevens is doing surprisingly well for a newly-minted convicted felon.

The new numbers from Rasmussen: Dem candidate Mark Begich 52%, Stevens 44%, with a ±4.5% margin of error. Three weeks ago, Uncle Ted had taken a 49%-48% edge over Begich. So apparently getting convicted of a felony a week before the election can be quantified as taking five points off of a candidate's poll numbers.

On the one hand, this is still a deep-red state, and Stevens might have an outside shot at getting re-elected even with the conviction. On the other hand, the Democrat is up eight points a week out from Election Day, and more and more Republicans are calling upon Stevens to resign.

And those Republican leaders aren't the only ones calling for Stevens' resignation. The poll also shows that 52% of likely votes want Stevens to resign -- the same percentage as those who say they're voting for Begich.

Here's today's run-down of the Congressional races:

GOP Releases Excerpt From The Kentucky Voice Recorder
The Kentucky voice-recorder saga -- involving a criminal complaint by the NRSC that the campaign of Dem Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford allegedly erased content from a voice recorder they secretly planted at his podium -- just keeps getting weirder. The NRSC has released this piece of audio recovered from the recorder after its return, of what appears to be an angry Lunsford telling his staffers not to give the recorder back:

This has got to be one of the most bizarre allegations of a dirty trick ever: That a campaign secretly planted a bug on an opposing candidate, then complained when the bug was not initially returned and may have been erased.

Murtha's Opponent Blasts Him On Racist/Redneck Comments
Check out this new ad from William Russell, the GOP candidate against Jack Murtha, hammering Murtha for referring to his western Pennsylvania constituents as rednecks and racists:

Murtha is usually a safe bet for re-election, but this gaffe may have landed him in serious trouble. A recent Susquehanna poll shows Murtha just edging out Russell 46%-41%. A fun part of this ad is its use of a computer interface to show videos of Murtha -- as if to say that the people of western Pennsylvania do in fact know how to read and use a computer.

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Here's tonight's run-down on the Congressional races;

NRSC's New Mailer Invites Children To Read About Pornography, Rape
The NRSC has this new mailer against Al Franken, presented in the format of a goofy children's book about what an obscene human being Franken is. The mailer invites unsuspecting children to open the pages, and then read about pornography and rape:

To his credit, GOP Sen. Norm Coleman has distanced himself from this one. "A piece of direct mail, dealing with this subject matter, that could be viewed as a comic book by children is something that is just not acceptable," Coleman wrote in a letter to NRSC chairman John Ensign. "I'm astonished that anyone would have used such poor judgment."

Poll: GOP Sen. Smith Already Losing Badly With Half The Vote In
The new SurveyUSA poll shows Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) trailing Democrat Jeff Merkley by a 49%-42% margin -- and the internals are even worse. Half of the voters have already turned in their ballot, the poll says, and this group has given Merkley a 51%-41% win. Time is running out for Smith to get the landslide win among the remaining voters that he would need in order to pull of a victory.

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The big news today in the Alaska Senate race -- that Sen. Ted Stevens (R) was convicted on all counts in his corruption trial, and now faces up to five years in prison -- might just guarantee a huge Democratic pickup in this deep-red state next week.

Stevens' initially took a huge dive in the polls after his indictment over the Summer, falling behind Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) by about 20 points. As the controversy settled down and Stevens vowed to beat the charges at trial, his numbers began inching up again -- and a poll last week from local pollster Ivan Moore put him behind Begich by only one point.

But with Stevens now officially a convicted felon, any good will he built up with voters will probably be falling away very quickly. Over the next eight days, voters are likely to swing heavily to Begich in a state that hasn't elected a Dem to federal office since 1974. And this also puts the Democrats one step closer to that magic number of 60 seats.

Meanwhile, the Alaska Dems have put out this statement, calling upon Stevens to resign:

"Senator Stevens' felony convictions are very serious and he should immediately resign from the United States Senate. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he did it anyway and lied to Alaskans about it. Alaskans deserve better from their public officials. It's time for us to elect an ethical and honest Senator who will move this state forward."

In all likelihood, the Dems don't have too much to worry about -- the voters might be getting rid of Stevens no matter what he decides to do.

Here's today's run-down of the Congressional races:

National House Committees Shell Out Big Money, NRCC Finally In The Game
Both parties' national House committees shelled out big bucks in the newest federal filings. The DCCC spent nearly $4 million in yesterday's FEC filings, with the biggest expenditure going for $450,000 against Rep. Robin "Liberals Hate Real Americans" Hayes (R-NC). The NRCC, which has held on to its much smaller war chest until the home stretch of the campaign, spent $4.1 million, with the biggest payment going for over $450,000 to defend Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA).

DCCC Going On The Air Against Bachmann
The DCCC will be going on the air against Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), with this ad attacking her for blaming the financial crisis on too much regulation of Wall St. -- and pointing out how much money she's received from Wall St. interests:

The DCCC has committed to spending $1 million on this race, sensing an opening in the wake of Bachmann's statements on Hardball that the media should investigate Barack Obama and other members of Congress for possible anti-American views, followed by her truly awkward attempts at denying she said it.

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Here's tonight's run-down of the Congressional races:

Bachmann: It Is "Absolutely A Lie" That I Questioned Obama's Patriotism
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) told the Washington Times that people are lying about her McCarthyite rant on Hardball last week. "I did not question Barack Obama's patriotism, I did not say he was anti-American," Bachmann said. "And the other accusation is that I was calling for members of Congress to be investigated on their anti-American views. That's absolutely a lie."

House GOPer's Ad: Dem Opponent Favors Driver's License For 9/11 Hijacker
Check out this new TV ad from Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL), who is facing a very tough re-election battle. The ad accuses Democratic challenger Suzanne Kosmas of favoring driver's licenses for illegal-alien terrorists -- using a picture of 9/11 hijacker Muhammad Atta:

Feeney's problems here stem from his having been implicated in the Jack Abramoff scandals, and he's gone so far as to tape an ad in which he abjectly apologized for it. The Democrats have released internal polling showing him losing in a landslide, but he clearly thinks that playing the terrorism card could help him recover in this GOP-leaning district.

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Here's today's run-down of the Congressional races:

Chambliss Spokesperson: "Bomb Obama" Remarks By Supporters "Inappropriate"
Michelle Grasso, the campaign spokesperson for Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), gave Election Central this statement late on Friday in response to reports that a Chambliss supporter yelled "Bomb Obama" at a local Senate debate: "Last night was definitely a rowdy crowd and lots of inappropriate things were said by some people in attendance, Senator Chambliss believes that we must focus on the issues - our economy is hurting and we must focus our energy on helping our citizens who are loosing their jobs, savings, and homes."

DSCC Ad Has Stevens Saying He Might "Serve A Little Time In Jail"
A new DSCC TV ad features the audio of FBI tapes from Sen. Ted Stevens' (R-AK) corruption trial. Stevens says in a worst case scenario he "might have to serve a little time in jail."

"The worst that can happen to us is we run up a bunch of legal fees, and might lose," Stevens is heard saying. "We might have to pay a fine, we might have to serve a little time in jail."

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