Wonkette

• Approval of Bush rests at 36% in Newsweek poll: most Americans are pessimistic about the direction of the country and do not believe Bush can be effective; 65% disapprove of his handling of Iraq; and the Republican “base seems to be cracking.” [Newsweek]
• Alito, in 1985, wrote that he believes “very strongly” that “the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion.” [WT]
• Coalition of liberal groups including Naral, Planned Parenthood, the AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club, and the NAACP are set to launch an anti-Alito television campaign; line of attack will expand beyond abortion. [NYT]
• Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) says senators have learned to be critical of intelligence findings before approving military action: “We don’t accept this intelligence at face value anymore.” [WP]
• Brownstein says the GOP “has tilted its agenda so heavily to the demands of its conservative base that moderates feel alienated. Over the next year, the choice for Republicans is whether to adapt to that evidence.” Democrats, meanwhile, must “coalesce behind comprehensive solutions to the problems most concerning the country.” [LAT]
• Bush leaves today on four-day trip to Asia. [USAT]
• Time magazine names Mike Huckabee, Mark Warner, Kenny Guinn, Janet Napolitano, and Kathleen Seblius as the country’s top governors. [Time]
• With close ties to Bush loyalists, “Progress for America often functions like an unofficial extension of the White House, advancing the president’s policies alongside the Republican National Committee.” [NYT]

MORE »

If every campaign were a mayoral election in a historically liberal city, Republicans would be so kicking ass right now. First, Bloomberg crushes the

• Approval of Bush slips to 37%, a new low in WSJ/NBC polling; 79% believe the leak investigation is “a serious matter” and a majority say Bush “deliberately misled people” to war. [WSJ]
• House Republicans scrap ANWR drilling to ensure passage of budget. Schumer: “If you are a moderate Republican, you are starting to say, ‘I am not going to follow George Bush over the cliff.’” [WP, NYT]
• Republicans fear implications of Tuesday’s elections; Democrats have their own lessons to learn. Pollster: “The waning of enthusiasm for Bush and his presidency is national.” [LAT, WP, WT]
• Senators press top oil executives about their profits; “if the hearing had an air of the theater, the public resentment articulated by the senators was real.” Milbank: “[I]nstead of calling oil executives on the carpet yesterday, senators gave them the red-carpet treatment.” [WP, NYT, WSJ, USAT, WT]
• Bush splits with Republicans over ban of abusive treatment of detainees. [USAT]
• Judith Miller leaves The New York Times. [WP, WP, NYT]
• Chalabi denies misleading the U.S. and offers to testify before Congress. [USAT, WP]
• Senate Judiciary Committee considers televising Supreme Court proceedings. [LAT]

MORE »

• Kaine and Corzine win gubernatorial races in Virginia and NJ; Texas approves ban gay marriage. [WP, WP, NYT, USAT]
• Frist and Hastert seek investigation into the disclosure of CIA’s “black sites” to the Washington Post. McClellan: “The leaking of classified information is a serious matter and ought to be taken seriously.” [WP, NYT, WT]
• Alito “has signaled he would be highly reluctant to overturn long-standing precedents” such as Rove v. Wade. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine): “At this point, I see no basis for invoking ‘extraordinary circumstances’ and for anyone to mount a filibuster.” [WP, NYT, LAT]
• Schwarzenegger’s initiatives are rejected; his “celebrity may not be the tonic it once was.” [LAT, LAT, USAT]
• Election came at a sensitive time for both parties, especially the GOP. [NYT, WSJ, LAT, USAT]
• House to decide fate of ANWR; Senate approves drilling by vote of 51 to 48. [WP]
• Grassley (R-Iowa) proposes $70b in tax cuts. [NYT, WSJ]

MORE »

MORE »

Acting New Jersey Governor Richard Codey has a lot of sympathy for Jon Corzine and Doug Forrester. When asked to assess NJ GOV

Over at The Corner, John Miller predicts a near clean sweep for the Democrats:

“Later this morning, I’ll be going out to vote for Jerry Kilgore, the Republican running for governor in Virginia; alas, I suspect that Democrat Tim Kaine will be holding a victory party tonight. Down ticket, Bolling (R) will win the race for LG and, in what may be a minor upset, Deeds (D) will win AG. In New Jersey, Jon Corzine (D) will beat Doug Forrester (R), with Forrester not breaking 45 percent. The four California propositions that Arnold Schwarzenegger and everybody else are watching closely, nos. 74, 75, 76, and 77, will all lose. The New York mayor’s race was over before it started: Bloomberg (R, sort of) will win re-election. And in a city close to my own heart, I’m anticipating a small piece of good news: In the mayoral race, Freman Hendrix (D) will oust incumbent Kwame Kilpatrick (D), a man with a wonderfully alliterative melting-pot name but also a fellow who has cared more about taxpayer-funded private parties than improving a city that still needs a lot of help. Bottom line: This looks like a day for the Ds.”