Election night: The celebrations, the agony and some bizarre moments

5:40 p.m. Tea Party Patriots plant an American flag and a “Don’t Tread on Me” flag into two flag stands at their sides. “We hereby reclaim the Capitol for we the people of the United States of America!” an attendee announces. “Can you hear us now?!” shouts another.
 
5:46 p.m. A man dressed in a blue and gold outfit with a 17th-century-like tri-cornered hat — and who later identifies himself as George Washington — charges up the West Lawn. Washington is accompanied by a man dressed in a Captain America outfit and carrying a 12-by-18-foot American flag. “Revolution!” someone shouts.
 
{mosads}6:27 p.m. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) tweets: “Ate at Bill’s Luncheonette in Plainfield w/ Mayor Robinson Briggs. Best vegetable soup, also try the fried whiting sandwich.”
 
6:28 p.m. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) debuts a fuller, pouffier hairdo on Fox News Channel.

7:03 p.m. In Kentucky, Sen.-elect Rand Paul’s (R) sons do a sound-check on stage with their guitars.
 
7:26 p.m. South Carolina Senate candidate Alvin Greene (D) tells media, “There’s still people standing in line to vote. I haven’t seen any returns, so I don’t know.”
 
7:36 p.m. Democratic National Committee staffer spotted with a bottle of Jack Daniel’s at DNC headquarters.

7:59 p.m.  Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) appears to believe his wife, Debbie DeMint, has left him as he delivers his victory speech. Looking around, DeMint asks, “Debbie? Debbie?” before realizing she is right behind him.
 
8:15 p.m. Rand Paul’s sons play guitars on stage.
 
8:39 p.m.  At GOP headquarters, CNN’s Dana Bash interviews Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. Only thing missing is the sound.
 
9:06 p.m. In Charlottesville, Va., Rep. Tom Perriello (D) arrives at Sips Wine Bar with his sleeves rolled up to give his concession speech. The crowd, many of whom are in tears, join Perriello in a round of applause for Perriello’s mom, who is standing behind him.
 
9:07 p.m. A baby visible to the left of Rand Paul is dressed entirely in red garb, including a red hat. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), Rand Paul’s father, is nowhere to be seen.
 
9:34 p.m. In Bridgeport, Conn., Rep. Jim Himes’s (D) volunteers resort to frantic, broken French to help get Haitians to the polls.

 9:36 p.m. In Delaware, Christine O’Donnell wraps up her concession speech by saying, “We’ve got a lot of food, and we’ve got the room all night, so God bless you and let’s party!”
 
9:46 p.m. Senate Democratic nominee Alvin Greene tweets, “NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
 
9:58 p.m. At GOP Victory party, guests complain of sticker-shock at the cash bar, where domestic beers cost $8.50.
 
10:05 p.m. At former Speaker Newt Gingrich’s (R-Ga.) party, reporters notice a baby stroller sitting near media risers; no baby in stroller. Who brings a baby to an election-night party?
 
10:27 p.m. Baby and young mother thankfully located.
 
10:41 p.m.  Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) works the rope line of the penned-off media area at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) party. Nearby, a bored-looking Barton aide clings to his leather United States Congress folder.
 
10:44 p.m. Greene (D) tweets, “RECOUNT.”
 
10:46 p.m. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) sees Barton at the GOP Victory party, saying, “Come on backstage, Mr. Chairman!” Barton would like to assume the gavel of the Energy and Commerce Committee, but in the wake of his BP gaffe, it’s unlikely he’ll get it.
 
10:47 p.m. NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas) greets his niece, Virginia Sessions, with a kiss on the cheek at the Grand Hyatt, joking, “Can’t the old guy kiss a young lady around here?”
 
10:50 p.m.  Gingrich appears on Fox News from his American Solutions Party, but he also has Fox on a huge screen behind him, creating a surreal effect. While Gingrich speaks, a young man in a suit stands on a chair, waves at the camera, then looks at the screen to see if he made it on TV.
 
10:55 p.m. Huge cheers erupt at Gingrich gathering when defeat of Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) is announced. Woman with brown hair who is clearly in a celebratory mood blurts out, “Yeah, get rid of that dude!”
 
11:02 p.m. Live on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” Olivia Munn reflects on how Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) will soon become Speaker: “It is the highest elected office ever to be reached by an orange American. Wait, I’m sorry, [I meant] an American of orange descent.”
 
11:04 p.m.  VIP guest at the NRCC bash overheard remarking, “I don’t recognize anyone here.”

11:31 p.m. In New York, defeated GOP gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino wields an actual baseball bat during his concession speech in New York, telling supporters, “I promised to bring a baseball bat to Albany — well, here it is.” In a slightly menacing turn, he addresses incoming Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). “As our next governor, you can grab this [bat] handle and take the people with you to Albany, or you can leave it untouched and risk having it wielded against you.”
 
11:35 p.m. Sessions introduces Boehner, but before he can finish, guests begin chanting, “Speaker, Speaker.”
 
{mosads}11:45 p.m. Nearing the end of his victory speech, Boehner chokes up. He continues speaking despite his voice cracking and tears welling up in his eyes. The crowd beings chanting “U-S-A! U-S-A!” Boehner, who is prone to tears, attempts to catch his breath.
 
11:48 p.m. After Boehner’s emotional speech, one young partygoer exclaims, “I don’t care if it was real or fake, it was f–king awesome!”
 
12:05 a.m. Two very generous Texans give their drink coupons to a reporter before they leave the Gingrich party. One of them says, “Y’all have a great time!”
 
Sometime after 1 a.m. Republican National Committee staffers leave a life-size donkey on the steps of DNC headquarters. Donkey is dressed in GOP-logo garb.