Yesterday the Republican politician connected to possibly the most racist campaign ad of all time, Craig Huey, was defeated by Democrat Janice Hanh in a special election for the U.S. House from California’s 36th Congressional District. I understand this is in the vicinity of Los Angeles.

Ever classy, the National Republican Congressional Committee sent out this press release after the race was called:

Washington — National Republican Congressional Committee Communications Director Paul Lindsay today made the following statement in response to the special election results in California’s 36th Congressional District:

“Janice Hahn is now Nancy Pelosi’s problem. Between her pattern of unethical behavior and close ties to LA’s most dangerous gang members, Hahn is adding to the pollution in the swamp of Washington corruption built by Nancy Pelosi’s Democrats.”

Sorta makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, huh?

Unofficial returns show Hahn won 54.6% to 45.4%. Considering there are 18 percent more registered Democrats than Republicans in the district, this actually was a better-than-expected result for Craig Huey. Some rightie bloggers are spinning the result into a symbolic win for Republicans and a harbinger of a turn to the Right next year. However, turnout was low — 23 percent — which means polling results are not necessarily a representative sampling of the district.

Now, on to a serious issue — Minnesota is running out of beer. This is an unintended consequence of the ongoing government shutdown in the lutefisk state. Cigarette shortages are anticipated.

I don’t believe there are any new developments in the debt ceiling standoff. Steve Benen writes that Wall Street and Main Street business leaders, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are virtually screaming at the Republicans to quit screwing around and raise the ceiling already. I guess we’re about to find out if the Republican Party feels it owes greater loyalty to business or to teabaggers.

Elsewhere — a series of explosions have killed 13 people in Mumbai, India; and Murcoch gives up on BSkyB.

In her official campaign biography (and also on Wikipedia), Michele Backmann claims to have an LL.M. degree in tax law from William and Mary. But eagle17765 points out at Daily Kos points out that William and Mary doesn’t have an LL.M. program in tax law. I looked at the William and Mary Law School website, and by golly, there is no LL.M. in tax law offered there. The only LL.M. is designated for foreign students, in fact.

However, maybe they used to offer an LL.M. in tax law, back in 1988 when Bachman says she got hers. So don’t get too excited yet [update — one of the other Kossacks says this is the case, so never mind]. She got her J.D. from the school now known as Regent University, which became famous for supplying corrupt and incompetent Christian lawyers to the Bush Administration.