Charlie Cook shifts the Louisiana Senate race from “Likely Republican” to “Lean Republican.”

Eric Kleefeld, who knows Minnesota election law better than just about any non-lawyer (and better than many lawyers), does the definitive takedown on this new right-wing meme that felons voting illegally put Al Franken over the top in 2008’s already-litigated election.

One of our occasional slideshows on the behind the scenes schmoozing in DC:

The inspector general of the Social Security Administration is investigating that anonymously circulated list in Utah of alleged illegal immigrants, TPMmuckraker has learned. To be clear, the IG isn’t checking up on whether those on the list are here illegally but whether whoever created the list violated federal law by releasing private information. The U.S. attorney’s office in Utah tells us it is “working closely” with the federal agencies looking into the matter.

Former Democratic fund-raising bigwig Hassan Nemazee sentenced to 12 years for running a Ponzi scheme.

Wall Street reform is not even officially enacted yet (the Senate will pass it in the next hour here), but already Brian Beutler has Republican leaders on the record saying they will go into the fall elections pledging to repeal financial reform.

Is this the moment in pro wrestling when the retired hero-wrestler suddenly makes a surprise appearance in the arena, strips down to his wrestling tights, and leaps into the ring to save the day?

Former Rep. Rob Simmons (R-CT), who dropped out after losing at the GOP state convention to WWE magnate Linda McMahon, is now flirting with getting back in the Republican primary race.

Minuteman Founder: Ex-Minuteman Bounty Hunter Chased Me After He Slept With My Wife.

Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer is still feeling the blowback from his claim that waiters are overpaid. He ended a town hall meeting early last night (at a restaurant) after an attendee “tipped” Emmer by pouring a bag of 2,000 pennies in front of him.

The Senate just broke the Republican filibuster of financial reform, with the bare minimum of 60 votes required. That is the final hurdle to passage of the long-awaited reform bill (almost two years after the September 2008 financial meltdown began). The final vote, which only requires a simple majority to pass, is expected later today. That will make it official, but the vote just now was the critical one.