Unable To Add New Publication

I have been wrestling with this one all day and cannot find anything on MSDN, google, etc.... I have configured replication, but cannot create a new publication either programmatically or using the wizard.
I programmatically did the following:
1. I set up my local server as a distributor, and created a distribution database (@distributor set to server sysname)
execute sp_adddistributor @distributor = @distributor
execute sp_adddistributiondb @database = @distributionDB, @security_mode=1;
2. I registered my local server also as a Publisher (@publisher set to server sysname, @distribution = 'distributor')
SELECT @sql = 'sp_adddistpublisher @publisher = ''' + @publisher +
''', @distribution_db = ''' + @distributionDB +
''', @working_directory = ''' + @directory + ''', @security_mode = 1'
SELECT @sp_executesql = quotename(@distributionDB) + '..sp_executesql '
EXEC @sp_executesql @sql
3. I enabled my local database for transactional replication (@replicationDB)
exec sp_replicationdboption
@dbname = @replicationDB,
@optname = 'publish', @value = 'true
4. I added a logReaderAgent on the ReplicationDB
SELECT @sql = 'sp_addlogreader_agent @publisher_security_mode = 1'
SELECT @sp_executesql = quotename(@replicationDB) + '..sp_executesql
EXEC @sp_executesql @sql

All is well up to this point, no problems, all looks great. When I check the status of things using sp_help repl stored procedures to check on publisher, distributor all looks healthy. Also looks good when I use the SSMS replication interface to check on distributor, publisher, etc. . HOWEVER...... I cannot create any publications.

I tried programmatically, and also by using the wizard.
I keep getting the same error :'Cannot insert the value NULL into column 'pubid', table'.
This is the sql I try to run:
EXEC sp_addpublication
@publication = 'test3333',
@status = N'active',
@allow_push = N'true',
@allow_pull = N'true'
This is the error:
Msg 515, Level 16, State 2, Procedure sp_MSrepl_addpublication, Line 1320
Cannot insert the value NULL into column 'pubid', table 'CypressMaster.dbo.IHpublications'; column does not allow nulls. INSERT fails.
The statement has been terminated.
Msg 14018, Level 16, State 1, Procedure sp_MSrepl_addpublication, Line 1348
Could not create the publication.
If I use the wizard instead of trying to create the publication programmatically, I get this error (just about the same content, but a little different wording):
Creating Publication
- Creating Publication 'NewPublication' (Error)
Messages
* SQL Server could not create publication 'NewPublication'. (New Publication Wizard)

------------------------------
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

An exception occurred while executing a Transact-SQL statement or batch. (Microsoft.SqlServer.ConnectionInfo)

------------------------------

Cannot insert the value NULL into column 'pubid', table 'CypressMaster.dbo.IHpublications'; column does not allow nulls. INSERT fails.

Could not create the publication.
Object 'NewPublication' does not exist or is not a valid object for this operation.
Changed database context to 'CypressMaster'.
The statement has been terminated. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 515)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&ProdVer=09.00.1399&EvtSrc=MSSQLServer&EvtID=515&LinkId=20476



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