Olbermann: I’m sorry I didn’t know about MSNBC’s stupid rule. Watch.

Alaska Republican Senate nominee Joe Miller files suit in federal court to enforce a stricter standard on the counting of write-in ballots for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

In shattering irony, top Tea Partier Joe Miller invokes constitution to disenfranchise poor spellers.

At the suggestion of a TPM Reader M I took a closer look at this suit filed today on behalf of Senate candidate Joe Miller by longtime Palin lawyer Thomas Van Flein. In addition to citing Bush v. Gore, Van Flein makes an incredibly novel and I would think fairly preposterous argument.

Remember, the essence of Miller’s claim is that the State of Alaska may only accept write-in ballots for Sen. Lisa Murkowski if her name is spelled correctly, letter for letter. The State of Alaska is arguing for a somewhat looser ‘voter intent’ standard for judging the write-in ballots. On principle, I agree with the latter approach, so long as it is carried out on some reasonable standard. But Miller’s approach at least follows a logic we can all understand if not necessarily agree with.

But Miller’s lawyer has another argument. Namely, that ballots with mispellings of Murkowski’s name should be interpreted not as votes for her but rather as protest votes against her.

The suit reads … Read More

A campaign worker for Gov.-elect Rick Scott (R-FL) claims the campaign paid him with an American Express gift card.

Virginia tea partiers pushing for “Don’t Tread On Me” state license plates.

Rep. George Miller (D), close confidante to Speaker-Unelect Nancy Pelosi, calls for both Hoyer and Clyburn to remain in the leadership.

There’s a mini-scandal with Gov.-elect Rick Scott down in Florida tied to one of his campaign workers who says he was compelled to accept his pay in Amex gift cards. The story is being played as one of his somehow being abusive toward his short-term campaign workers. But TPM Reader BP notes maybe this is more a campaign finance issue than that. Why does the campaign have a bunch of Amex gift cards around? Where are they from? How were they paid for?

Pelosi confidante Rep. George Miller (D) tells Chuck Todd he wants Hoyer and Clyburn both to stay in the leadership. Watch it.

As we noted a few weeks that GOP insiders were readying list of potential top staffers for incoming Tea Party candidates to hire to get settled into Washington. Florida’s Allen West apparently ain’t interested. He’s hired a bombastic local talk radio yakker to be his Chief of Staff. She’s best known for demanding that illegal immigrants be hanged in the public square and for advocating armed rebellion against the United States government.