Trumka made it very clear. “We have no short-term deficit problem.” We have a jobs problem, and we’re not doing a heck of a lot about it. And more is being done inside Washington to pay attention to the former than the latter. “The deficits facing our country right now are our jobs deficit and our infrastructure deficit.”

Tonight is one of the biggest election nights this cycle with primaries in 11 states in one special election in Georgia.

For those of you who may be concerned that the Senators assigned to the conference committee to sort out the House and Senate financial reform bills may not be up to snuff, we have a McClatchy profile of Senator Judd Gregg (R. N.H.), one of the Republican members, to assure us.

I’m still not entirely convinced this presidentially-appointed BP oil spill commission won’t be a whitewash designed to enable future drilling in any case. But subpoena power sure would help.

For those of you who will be joining Marcy, bmaz and me for Closing Arguments of Perry v Schwarzenegger next Wednesday, June 16th, here’s the schedule for orations. These times are all PDT (FDL) time.

Follow election results tonight on FDL, especially crucial Senate primaries and California’s slate of propositions.

As I’ve said repeatedly, you can envision a bill that includes a good renewable energy standard and an energy efficiency piece, along with tough standards in reaction to the BP oil tragedy, as a step forward. But the Bingaman bill which passed the Natural Resources Committee last year is not that bill. It’s a sad moment when Dick Lugar has the best option for an energy bill in the Senate.

After Garland County, Arkansas closed 40 of its 42 polling places for today’s runoff election, voters who wanted to vote early were turned away all week. Now, on Election Day, the full extent of the county’s boneheaded decision to make it more difficult for residents to vote is coming to bear with “long lines and parking problems.”

The storied career of Helen Thomas has come to a sad end. Who will now ask the hard questions in the White House briefing room?

Hey, Blanche kicked off her campaign by doing a little dance on the grave of the public option, so at least she’s consistent.