CL wrote:

> My own "home" state has still not declared the winner of the US
> Senate seat contest, yet. The incumbent excrescence, Norm "Smarmy
> Normy" Coleman, seems to be leading by less than one hundred votes
> out of three million cast.

For those of you who were not following the action, the Minnesota State 
Canvassing Board has declared the vote recount over with Al Franken 
leading by 225 votes.  "Smarmy Normy" Coleman is suing, which will tie 
things up a bit longer, but it is unlikely that his case will go 
anywhere as the State Supreme Court has already thrown out all of his 
major challenges.  Coleman's Washington D.C. offices were ordered closed 
by the Senate Rules Committee at noon Monday.  The Chief Justice of the 
State Supreme Court (who must recuse himself as he is also a member of 
the State Canvassing Board) will appoint a three-judge hearing panel 
tomorrow to hear Coleman's remaining challenges ... which most legal 
experts on both sides believe will get tossed out in short order.

This is not the longest Senate recount battle by a long shot.  I believe 
it was an election in the 19th Century that took over two years to 
resolve.

-- 
CL