NATIONAL

“Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday provided a straightforward postmortem on the sweeping defeat her party suffered at the polls two days before: Democrats didn’t win, she said, because Democrats didn’t vote.” – The Hill

“No Democrat is gearing up to challenge Nancy Pelosi in public, but behind the scenes some Democrats are saying it’s time for new blood at the leadership table ahead of 2016.” – POLITICO

“Memo to the GOP. You had a great night on Tuesday. But remember: You didn’t win it; the Democrats lost it.” – Charles Krauthammer/National Review

“In the wake of the Republican electoral wave that saw the success of pro-life candidates, the leader of national pro-life organization Susan B. Anthony List is proclaiming that the liberal, abortion-focused ‘war on women’ strategy is dead.” – Breitbart

“I had thought — wrongly — that the War on Women just didn’t work this time, and that people who have been rather embarrassingly persuadable by trivial and silly pitches might finally have started to wise up.” – Ace of Spades

“I am well aware that Wendy Davis lost the Texas governor’s race by a wide margin. It’s salt in a very personal wound. Her campaign meant a lot to me, and to so many other Texas women — thousands of whom stood in line for hours to cast their ballots in support. Greg Abbott won anyway, and he won by a lot. But he didn’t win by a lot across the demographic landscape.” – Jenny Kutner/Salon

“That was the 2012 presidential campaign. It’s also the 2014 Illinois governor’s race. No contest on Tuesday was more similar to the 2012 national election between President Obama and Mitt Romney than the battle between Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn and Republican challenger Bruce Rauner — except for the final outcome. After many months of intense campaigning and some $100 million in attack ads, heading into Election Day the polls were split and the race was considered a true tossup. Yet in the end, Rauner carried solidly blue Illinois with relative ease, winning 51 percent to 46 percent.” – Real Clear Politics

“That’s why today’s granting of cert is a bolt from the blue. They’ve decided to trump the D.C. Circuit’s liberals by taking the case anyway, making the en banc hearing moot. ObamaCare fans are mortified:” – Hot Air

“The seemingly endless speculation about Mitt Romney’s prospects in 2016 needs to stop. He’s gotten more press coverage than any Republican who has already lost one general election loser in recent memory, and need I remind you, that general election loss was against what was supposed to be a historically weak incumbent President. Even so, the lessons of history seem to be lost on the chattering classes.” – RedState

“NATO has criticised Russian ‘aggression’ after a column of 32 Russian tanks entered Ukraine. The convoy of 32 tanks, 16 howitzer cannons and 30 trucks of troops and equipment crossed the border into the rebel-controlled Luhansk region.” – Sky News

LOUISIANA

“There was a chance the entire country would be spending the month of November focused on Louisiana, as the Senate majority hinged on the fate of Democratic Sen. Mary L. Landrieu in a December runoff. That scenario has evaporated, but is the race still worth watching?” – Roll Call

“The only Democratic outside group with broadcast reservations for the runoff right now is the Humane Society Legislative Fund, which reserved just $101,000 for the final two weeks of the runoff.” – POLITICO

“U.S. Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana wants another term, but her spokesman won’t answer why she wants to continue representing residents who, Landrieu says, carry racist and sexist values.” – Watchdog

“The next day, Rep. Bill Cassidy told Louisianans where he was. At the time of Katrina and Rita, Cassidy was a medical doctor in Baton Rogue, he wrote on Twitter. Moreover, immediately after Katrina hit, Cassidy took the initiative in setting up a makeshift emergency hospital in an abandoned K-Mart to administer aid and care for victims.” – Daily Caller

“The Jindal administration Friday revamped its controversial changes to the health insurance offered a quarter million government workers. The plan outlined to the Louisiana Legislature’s money committees would exchange higher premiums – up by nearly 11 percent – for lower out of pocket expenses.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“Balancing Louisiana’s budget could be trickier for state lawmakers and the governor.” – Shreveport Times

“Most of the 150 people at a special meeting Thursday agreed that the primary purposes of the Baton Rouge lakes is to provide recreational opportunities and natural habitat in a city environment.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“Gov. Bobby Jindal has filed paperwork to officially join a group of Louisiana legislators who are suing state education officials over the implementation of the Common Core academic standards in primary and secondary schools.” – NOLA.com

“A longtime political analyst says it’s time for the federal government – the IRS – to put an end to a practice that’s gone unchecked for decades. It’s a practice we see in full swing as we review 2013 campaign expenditures by state and local politicians in Louisiana. Here’s the latest in our ‘Louisiana Purchased’ probe of campaign finance, reported by FOX 8 News and Manuel Torres of NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune.” – Fox 8 Live

“A massive wave of football fans will roll into Baton Rouge this weekend, flooding the streets around LSU’s campus with purple, gold and crimson, bringing with it the possibility of this season’s thickest traffic jam.” – Baton Rouge Advocate