Federal authorities are examining whether Michael S. Steele, the newly elected chairman of the Republican National Committee, violated any laws in his handling of money raised for his 2006 Senate race and an earlier campaign.

The inquiry, which in recent days led federal agents to approach Steele’s sister, stems from accusations last year by the finance chairman for Steele’s failed Senate bid. Among the allegations was that Steele paid a defunct company run by his sister for campaign services that were never performed.

But remember he likes puppies.

Michael Steele is a rising star in the GOP in part because people hope he can persuade more blacks that Republican policies are in black America’s interests and explain to Republicans that there are ways to reach out to blacks without compromising conservative principles.

Michael Steele was the GOP’s great black hope in Maryland, shoved into the office of Lieutenant Governor by holding on to Bob Ehrlich’s jacket straps, and then propped up as the uber candidate for senate who would bamboozle Maryland’s black voters into voting for him with commercials in which he pretended to be independent and with campaign signs that sold him as a Democrat. Conservatives thought it was the one Democratic-leaning race in 2006 they just might win, because the polls were “tied”.

Michael Steele went on to lose the election by double digits.

This is what it takes to be a “rising star” in conservative circles if you’re a black man.

Adding another victory to the Democrats’ sizable scoops this season, former Congressman Ciro Rodriguez reclaimed a seat in the House with his runoff victory against incumbent Henry Bonilla, who had served seven terms. The vote was 54 percent to 46 percent.

Democrats beat Republicans, even in Texas.

The GOP is apparently making a similarly hasty miscalculation as a result of their losses. Conservative blogs are filled with chatter about a supposedly conservative electorate that shifted the balance of power because they were concerned about federal spending. Nonsense.

The electorate turned out the GOP because it had lost control of the government. Out-and-out bribery, covering up for perverts, a war gone wild, and a botched response to a disaster of unprecedented proportions. People don’t want a bloated government, but they don’t want one that is paralyzed by a hurricane and a bunch of thugs in the middle east (the same military that destroyed the axis is bogged down in Iraq because of a failure to plan – unbelievable).

The right has put a silly bumper sticker on all this and say people want "smaller government" but they want one that’s smarter, not smaller. They want the government to govern, whereas the Republican apparatus is built to win campaigns. A friend recently echoed Harry Reid’s sentiments to me – we have a lot of work to do. This is the progressive/Democratic assessment of what this election means. Yes, winning in 2008 is important but we have a lot of valuable government functions to repair after the GOP just absolutely trashed the place.

So what is the true message of Election 2006?

It’s good government, stupid.

Not here.

My entire adult life (1995-present) the GOP has controlled at least one branch of the congress and pissed all over our nation in the process. I am going to enjoy this until the cows come home.

Sooo…

Hugh Hewitt:

The lefty blogs are like lead pipes, poisoning the information they serve up to the Democrats. Just this morning Kos was touting the Democratic candidate running against J.D. Hayworth in Arizona’s 5th. I hope that the KosKids run off and contribute a bunch of their limited resources to a doomed candidate, just as they did in California’s 50th.

In the Arizona 5th, Democrat Harry Mitchell has defeated Republican JD Hayworth by a safe 5%.

Feel the leadmentum.

Mikulski, now in her fourth term, will become the head of the Maryland delegation to Congress. She predicted a smooth transition for Cardin from the House of Representatives to the Senate.

"I’ll tell you what I’m excited about, is that after Ben is sworn in, that we put our Maryland jerseys on, and we’re on the floor of the United States Senate, I can see it, within that first 100 days, the Cardin amendment to change the Medicare prescription drug benefit to close the coverage gap, and I’ll be backing that Cardin amendment," she said.

"I’ll be over there working to double the Pell grants so that our kids can afford higher education. Ben will be my backup on that. Then we’ll go down together working with our Democratic leadership on really trying to create an economy where we’re keeping jobs in this country."

Mikulski, the dean of the Senate women, also said she was excited by the election of Democrats Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Claire McCaskill of Missouri. And she quipped that those who had predicted that Maryland was becoming a red state were now "red in the face."

Still, she said, "when the Democrats go in, we don’t seek revenge. We seek results."

I feel the excitement…

Though I wonder, which of these jerseys do Mikulski/Cardin plan to suit up in? Heh.

Senator-elect James Webb (D-VA)

MAJORITY-leader elect Harry Reid (D-NV)

Two branches One branch down. Two to go. 50 States to win.

“Blue Fury” was in full effect.

Almost 79 million people voted in Tuesday’s election, with Democrats drawing more support than Republicans for the first time in a midterm election since 1990, according to a private analysis.

The Hotline has more details on the killer work the DSCC/DCCC did in getting out the vote.

Blue Fury is coming soon to a presidential race near you. Be prepared.