Coleman's Probably Gone in Minnesota

This is discouraging:

Norm Coleman’s term as a U.S. Senator ended at noon Washington time today, and by evening his hopes of winning a second term had been dealt an expected but serious setback as state officials counted previously rejected absentee ballots in St. Paul.

Democrat Al Franken held an unofficial lead of 225 votes over Coleman, according to a newspaper tally of officials’ count of the absentee ballots. Franken had led unofficially by 49 votes going into the day and gained a net 176 votes from the new ballots…

The outcome Saturday was not a surprise, as the ballots counted came disproportionately from precincts where Franken did well on election day, according to a Star Tribune analysis. But a court challenge to the recount is almost certain to follow a certification from the canvassing board, as Coleman lawyers acknowledged this week.

It looks like the people of Minnesota have just elected a porn-writing "comic" as their junior Senator. Nice going. Do any of you people up there pay attention to politics...at all?

Coleman was the first politician I ever donated a dime to. I was so outraged by the behavior of the Democrats and their supporters during the Paul Wellstone Memorial/Partison Political Rally that I sent Coleman $100 the next morning. When the Dems made Walter Mondale their replacement for Coleman, I was especially glad I donated. Thankfully, Mondale did pretty much what he did in 1984 - he lost every state he ran in, only this time he lost Minnesota too.

I'm sorry to see Coleman gone, but I think Franken will be good for some classic political goofs and I'd be shocked if he lasts more than one term.