A proposal to amend the Wisconsin Constitution to ban civil unions and gay marriage passed by a 2-1 margin. The Republican-controlled legislature wanted this on the ballot to help Mark Green in his race against Gov. Jim Doyle. The strategy failed, as Doyle easily won reelection.

Right wing extremist John Gard was recruited to run for the congressional seat that Green vacated. He's exactly the kind of whacko who, in years past, has appealed to "values voters." Gard also expected a boost from the gay marriage amendment, but the folks in the Green Bay area -- known for their love of football, God, and hunting (with God and hunting vying for second place) -- chose Steve Kagen, a popular physician who happens to be a Democrat.

The cynical ploy to turn out "values voters" by allowing them to cast a gay-hating vote didn't work. They cast their anti-gay votes, then many of them voted for Democrats, who seized control of the state senate. This election was plainly not about "values" in the Karl Rove sense of the word. It was about not valuing the governance that Republicans have provided in Wisconsin and across the country in recent years.

The "recount" in Yellowstone "somehow" cost Jon Tester a 2500 vote swing but it was not enough shenanigans from the GOP to get Burns over the top or even into recount range.

With only one tiny precinct of about 500 voters in Meagher to count (what's the freaking delay on THAT?!?), Tester is in the clear

Tester 194,914
Burns 193,179

The Senate will be Democratic. Hello Majority Leader Reid.

I didn't give predictions before last night, but I'm willing to now. The Dems will take Montana and Virginia, and, who knew, the Senate.

Howard Dean gets a huge amount of credit for redirecting Democrats to a strategy that focused on every state, rather than a few key races.

Loser tonight: Karl Rove, the radical right and Republicans. I couldn't be more pleased.

Memo to John McCain: You are not the answer. 2008 is not your year. You're too late.

Here's my photos (slideshow here)...3:30 a.m. now and time for bed, more tomorrow.

Congrats to the Democrats...Virginia and Montana still teetering on the edge, but it may be a Democratic sweep after all.

And a huge thank you to CNN, Jacki Schechner, Abbi Tatton and Alex, and all the tech and camera people...

And to Tryst, which now may be my favorite coffee house anywhere...please open a Denver branch.

In Montana, I am told by good sources that a recount of Yellowstone County has been ordered.

In the middle of an election!!!

Watch out. We could be looking at a robbery attempt here.

UPDATE -- Montana will NOT recount Yellowstone until tomorrow!!!!! Watch your wallet Dems!!!! There is an attempted robbery underway!!!!

UPDATE- Strange rumor of a recount in Yellowstone County in Montana. I never heard of such a thing. A recount of a precinct before the votes are counted? Just bizarre.

Bizarre but true. The vote totals for the candidates just had the Yellowstone totals subtracted. They are recounting in the middle of a damn vote count!! Never heard of such a thing.

Claire McCaskill Wins! Webb is now up by 12,000, outside the recount total! It is up to Montana now.

Tester leads by 10,000 votes, 51-47.

I actually have good sources on that race and it looks good I am told. Yellowstone is in. Tom Brokaw got it wrong on TV so ignore that. Gallatin is what we are waiting for and then we should be able to to celebrate a Jon Tester win. Hopefully.

Pombo is losing to McNerney in CA-11. Grant has a decent chance in ID-01. We can stretch our lead in the House maybe.

Latest word on Montana - worries about Flathead. Hold on to your hats. It's close.

What Republicans are trying to spin is that the tsunami tonight as not a loss for conservative policies.

But look who was defeated or is headed to defeat tonight - Santorum, Allen, Burns, Talent. Not to mention the conservative congressmen defeated. These are four of the most conservative politicians in America.

If that is not conservative defeat, then what is?

Bump and Update (TL): CNN calls Missouri for McCaskill. Only Montana and Virginia are left at 2 am on the east coast, and these are two close to call. The Dems are so close to taking back the Senate.

**********

The urban precincts are coming in and McCaskill takes the lead with 74% of the precincts counted, 751,000 to 749,000.

Webb leads by 3,000 in Virginia.

Tester has held a 10 point lead through a third of the vote counting in Montana.

Dems win these 3 races and you can say hello to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Nancy Pelosi is about to speak. She will be the Speaker of the House of Representatives, two seats away from the Presidency.

How great to not only have a Democrat Speaker of the House and a female Speaker of the House, the first ever, but a true progressive and non-centrist Speaker of the House.

Welcome, Speaker Pelosi. We just lead a clapping cheer for you here at CNN's blogging party.

Pelosi: "Mr. President, we need a new direction of Iraq. Let us find a new solution. The campaign is over. Democrats are ready to lead."

I watched MSNBC all night. No offense to CNN, but I enjoyed Chris Matthews' interplay with Keith Olberman very much.

The best political coverage I've seen in a long time.

Jon Tester, the Netroots candidate for Senate from Montana has an early but significant lead over incumbent Senator Conrad Burns. With 22% of precincts reporting, Tester has 59,841 votes to Burns 46,341.

Go Tester, who I think would the most significant politician to be elected this year, if he can hold on.

I'll explain why I think so tomorrow, maybe, if Tester wins.

By the time the initial count is over, Jim Webb may have a small lead over George Allen.

No matter, under Virginia law, there will be an automatic recount because the margin will be under 10,000 votes.

We won't know until then.

UPDATE: Webb takes the lead. Up by 3,000 votes with 1% of precincts left.