By JOE GAROFOLI, San Francisco Chronicle

BANGOR, Maine - The next bellwether battle over same-sex marriage will be settled in Maine Tuesday by an expected 500,000 voters, about as many as cast ballots last year in Sacramento County when the nation's most-populous state, California, repealed same-sex marriage.

SAN FRANCISCO - California voters have never thought less of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state Legislature, according to a Field Poll released Tuesday.

Despite that, a strong majority of poll respondents favor the governor's move to call a special session of the Legislature to deal with California's water crisis and tax reform issues.

People relying on TV advertising or partisan sources for information about health-care legislation in Congress have heard that it will "ration" care to the nation's oldest citizens and hike premiums "95 percent."

While family and friends cheered the release of jailed Current TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee and hailed former President Bill Clinton for negotiating their pardon from a 12-year prison sentence in North Korea, analysts say there could be long-term diplomatic repercussions from Clinton's high-level talks.

The next same-sex marriage battle in California will be fought over a referendum aimed at the November 2010 ballot that is likely to include door-to-door campaigning in Bible-belt areas of the state that backed Proposition 8.

Artist Shepard Fairey says that he has distributed more than 300,000 copies of his iconic poster of President Obama with the word "Hope" written underneath and that it has inspired countless other versions.

Nobody disagrees that passing an economic stimulus package is the top priority for the incoming Obama administration and the new Congress. Then what? Tighter emissions standards for cars? Easing the rules on organizing for labor unions? Universal health care? Ending the wars?

PHOENIX -- Losing the presidency and seats in Congress puts the Republican Party at its lowest point in generations. Insiders and analysts agree that the Grand Old Party's next move should be to return to one of its core beliefs: emphasizing that small government is what makes America work best.

Forget what all of those advance polls are predicting. It's going to be a long election night until the final verdict is in, and you're going to need to keep yourself occupied during the endless drone of punditry.