British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says he'll step down as leader of the Labour Party, meaning his leadership of the British government is also likely over. His party will build a "progressive coalition government" with Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats. [NYT]

Exit polls show that Tories have made huge gains in Britain's elections. Whatever that means!

It's pretty easy to knock Britain for having a boring political scene, compared to Ukraine at least. The Guardian called on its readers to submit their own political posters and the results are dry, funny, and even gross. Let's look.

You remember Joe the Plumber, of course. The glare from his bald head illuminated just how dumb our American election process is. Now the English people have their very own Joe the Plumber. Meet 65 year-old Gillian the Pensioner!

Kyrgyzstan will hold parliamentary and presidential elections on October 10.

Huzzah! America's Deadbeat Older Brother, the United Kingdom, is holding an election for Best Wizard! Or Prime Minister, or something. Who are the "Party Leaders" who might lead the UK? Is one of them Ringo? We know who Ringo is.

Crazy Senator Jim Bunning is retiring. The Republicans selected normal Republican guy Trey Grayson to replace him. But crazy Ron Paul's son Rand (yes, Rand) Paul is also running, and he's kicking Grayson's ass. Time to call in Cheney.

Former State Senator Hiram Monserrate lost his bid to take back his seat yesterday. Monserrate says he may make a run for his old Assembly seat next. We have some other suggestions for him!

Hiram Monserrate: still a tremendous asshole.

Today in Queens, there is a special election for the State Senate seat of face-slashing gay-hating Hiram Monserrate. Hiram's running, along with two people who aren't violent psychopaths.

LaRouchite Kesha 'Ke$ha' Rogers wins Democratic primary in DeLay's district, will send troops to space.

Harold Ford: Out. It is with great sadness we report that mediocre rich Tennessee person Harold Ford has pre-dropped out of the New York Senate race. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...

The conservative majority on the Supreme Court reiterated their utterly insane opinion that corporations are people today as they struck down restrictions on campaign spending by corporations in a decision that everyone expected but that is depressing nonetheless.

In which a born-and-raised, dyed-in-the-wool Boston liberal (transplanted to New York) tries to make sense of the big old hulking electoral mess that is his home state right now.

If you want to pay attention to the Massachusetts special election results on the internet tonight, here is the Massachusetts Secretary of State's website, and Marc Ambinder's "cheat sheet" of what to look for. More assorted links below.

There will be no exit polls in today's Massachusetts special election.

The final tab is in for Mike Bloomberg's campaign for a third term as mayor. It cost him $108.3 million, or $185.10 for each of the 585,466 votes he received. That's a few million more than what Bloomberg had reported previously. And it's about $99 million more than what poor Bill Thompson spent to come within a mere five percentage points. [NYDN]

Rudy Giuliani announced yesterday that he won't be running for Senate in 2010 and is abandoning any plans to return to politics, so he can focus on his security business (see you in Rio in 2016!) and his law firm (now with offices in Kazakstan!). Rudy's speech, delivered in Conference Room E of the Sheraton Hotel (i.e. the basement), was hardly a triumphant moment for the former mayor. Per the Times:

Lynne Torgerson—who is running against Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), a popular, well-respected U.S. Congressman—wants to stop the "globalization of Islam" and "Ellison [who] is a Muslim." She cites 9/11, Fort Hood, and the book Muslim Mafia as evidence.

Derek Jeter received one write-in vote in the mayoral election that took place on November 3. [NYDN]