AIG Gaffe Puts Dodd 16% Behind GOP Challenger: Poll

He also isn't giving up without a (longer) fight

(NEWSER) - Joe Miller won't block Lisa Murkowski's Senate certification, he announced last night … but that doesn't mean he's giving up. Miller also said that he will continue to pursue his legal challenge of Murkowski's write-in victory, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The US district court judge hearing Miller's federal challenge—who forced Miller to first take the issue to state court (where he lost ) before pursuing it in federal court—has said he will likely lift his order to stay the certification, meaning Murkowski will assume office Jan. 5. Miller says he is continuing with his lawsuit "for the sake of the integrity of the election." More»

111th passed vast legislation in 'dysfunctional' environment

(NEWSER) - The 111th Congress adjourned last night, after passing more key legislation that affected more Americans than any since Lyndon Johnson’s 1960s “Great Society,” Bloomberg reports. That included $1.67 trillion spent to save the economy, health insurance for 32 million people, and new regulations on Wall Street; in the lame-duck session alone, there was the tax cut deal, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, START treaty ratification, and 9/11 health bill. More»

EJ Dionne: She deserves to stay in a leadership position

(NEWSER) - EJ Dionne thinks Nancy Pelosi is "one of the most effective speakers in history," and he's got no problem with her keeping a leadership role. "Yes, there are valid political reasons for House Democrats to change leaders," he writes in the Washington Post . "But there's an argument rooted in justice that the person who built their majority should have a shot at winning it back. And aren't Democrats tired of reflexively capitulating to the other side's narrative?" More»

John Boehner wants more transparency, less 'arrogance'

(NEWSER) - On Tuesday, Americans reminded Washington: “Government leaders are servants of the people; the people are not servants of their government,” writes John Boehner in the Wall Street Journal . After complaining about the culture of secrecy and "arrogance" in the current government, the next Speaker of the House lays out some clear rules for the next Speaker of the House:

• End earmarks. “The speaker of the House shouldn't use the power of the office to raid the federal Treasury for pork-barrel projects.”

Quinnipiac, SurveyUSA tops for accuracy, finds Nate Silver

(NEWSER) - Now that the dust has settled, whose polls were the best predictors of the actual midterm results? Nate Silver ranks them by accuracy and party bias over the last 21 days of the election cycle. The most accurate, according to his calculations: Quinnipiac, which “showed little bias,” he writes in the New York Times . The worst: Rasmussen, which scored poorly on both accuracy and bias. More»