Neck And Neck: Senate Races Deadlocked

The three Senate races that will determine whether the Democrats gain that coveted 60-seat majority are still deadlocked - by the slimmest of margins in Alaska and Minnesota, and by a tense runoff in Georgia.

In Alaska, Democratic challenger Mark Begich overtook the lead on Wednesday as thousands of new ballots were counted, holding a 814 vote advantage over Sen. Ted Stevens at the end of the day:

Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, the titan of Alaska politics convicted of felony charges last month, fell behind by more than 800 votes Wednesday as the count resumed in his re-election bid.

Democrat Mark Begich, the two-term mayor of Anchorage, began the day down more than 3,200 votes but went up by 814 as officials resumed their counting of early and absentee ballots. The tally was 132,196 to 131,382.

Neither side was claiming victory or conceding defeat, with tens of thousands of outstanding ballots.

"I've always said that this would be a close race," Begich said in a statement. "I'm confident that Alaskans, like the rest of the country, want a new direction in Washington, and ultimately that will be reflected in the results."

Stevens' campaign did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

In Minnesota, where the recount will stretch into mid-December, per the Associated Press:

After the two candidates spent nearly $40 million combined - most of it on ads tarring the other - Coleman leads by about 200 votes out of almost 3 million cast. An automatic recount is to start next week.

"This is an extraordinarily close and bitterly fought election, and both candidates have reason to think that they may have won," said Kathryn Pearson, a political scientist at the University of Minnesota. "They're not going to let the final stage of this go down without a fight as well."

In Georgia, per the Wall Street Journal:

In Georgia, Mr. Martin, a former state legislator, stunned political observers by forcing the runoff with Sen. Chambliss, whose seat not long ago was considered safe. The incumbent had a $12 million war chest that dwarfed the $3 million raised by Mr. Martin. The combination of anti-Republican sentiment and Sen. Chambliss's lethargic early campaigning and support for the $700 billion Wall Street bailout changed the dynamics of the race. Final results haven't been certified, but the latest tally released by election officials showed Sen. Chambliss with 49.8% of the vote to Mr. Martin's 46.8%. Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley received 3.4% and won't be in the runoff, which is scheduled for Dec. 2. He hasn't endorsed either of the other candidates.

Sen. John McCain is scheduled to join Sen. Chambliss at a rally Thursday in Atlanta, and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is scheduled to campaign for Sen. Chambliss on Sunday. A Chambliss spokeswoman said the campaign hopes to get several other big-name Republicans to visit the state, such as Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Comments

[MajGenDude]

I just want to see Al Franken win to see Bill-O the Clown's head explode!

[indy100]

Apparently politics is even more corrupt than I thought. Ted Stevens was convicted of felony charges and could still serve public office??? Doesn't prison enter into this anywhere??

[ShockedSHOCKED]

I never dreamed I'd be suggesting a tactic from Jesse Helm's playbook, but here I go:

Let's heighten the contrast in military record (and lack thereof between Martin and Chambliss by running an ad asking

"Which war did you fight in, Saxby?"

Jesse used this to great (or horrible, depending on your view) effect against Gov. Hunt in one of his early re-election campaigns. I am from the South; this will resonate with my fellow crackers. Maybe include it in an ad after McCain says how shameless the earlier ads Chambliss ran were.

[dezzertguy]

Ritchie in MN is an ally of ACORN and a partisan with the Dems. Votes are appearing in trunks of cars and elsewhere. This one could be stolen by the Dems.

[milo h minderbinder]

Looks like the car story is bogus, one of Coleman's guys made the accusation but never provided any evidence of it.

http://www.minnpost.com/davidbrauer/2008/11/12/4565/minneapolis_election_director_speaks_ballots_in_my_car_story_false

[christopherflynn]

sort of like a "Catch-22"? ;)

[Teritt]

Honestly, there are other channels to get your news from besides Fox. Everyone does a great dis-service to their brains by feeding it only Fox & hate radio. And paranoia can be treated, especially if you have heathcare.

[JNagarya]

"dezzertguy" is empty in the head: everyone -- but he, apparently -- knows the ACORN farce for what it is: in between ACORN and voting are state election OFFICIALS who eliminate questionable voter registrations, thus preventing any fraudulent voting.

But I guess "dezzertguy" needs to lie in order to feel he has some degree of substance.

[solutionrong]

I like Ted's effort and not backing up to what he believes, but I also think it is supported by greedy. Good luck to whoever win this election.

[LeeCalif]

Whoever wrote this article CAN't WRITE.

You made the Alaska results as clear as mud.

[milo h minderbinder]

What don't you understand? Makes perfect sense to me. Begich is up by 800 right now and they're still counting.

[carolo]

It was dumb to even put Ted Stevens on the ticket. The Senate won't have him as a convicted felon and that would mean another election for Alaska. It's taking them long enough to count the votes in this election.

[JayKlein]

It was "Gawd's" will.

"Gawd" showed the republicans a way to put Teddy boy on the ticket.

[Pinkmarbles]

What do these high-poverty cities all have in common?

Detroit, MI (1st on the poverty rate list) hasn't elected a Republican mayor since 1961

Buffalo, NY (2nd) hasn't elected one since 1954

Cincinnati, OH (3rd)...not since 1984;

Cleveland, OH (4th)...not since 1989;

Miami, FL (5th) has never had a Republican mayor;

St. Louis, MO (6th)....not since 1949;

El Paso, TX (7th) has never had a Republican mayor;

Milwaukee, WI (8th)...not since 1908;

Philadelphia, PA (9th)...not since 1952;

Newark, NJ (10th)...not since 1907.

Einstein once said: 'The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.'

It is the disadvantaged who habitually elect Democrats --- yet are still disadvantaged.

[ExpatinRealWorld]

You are ALL shiteforbrains americans..............

[FirstShirt]

Now Fidel. Get ready to kiss some american ***.

[alenaspoppa]

You can make statistics say anything you want to. I can trot out a list of the least educated, poorest states in the Union, and they're all Red States. So wtf are you talking about?

It is the intellectually disadvantaged who habitually elect Republicans--- yet are still disadvantaged.

[alenaspoppa]

Take a look at this:

http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/28/real_estate/wealthiest_states/index.htm

9 out of the top 10 are "Blue States" and 9 out of the bottom 10 are "Red States"

So who is it that the disadvantaged habitually elect?

[Pinkmarbles]

Ironically, most of the bottom 10 "red states" are where the majority of African Americans live: http://www.censusscope.org/us/map_nhblack.html

and where a majority of Hispanics live: http://www.censusscope.org/us/map_hispanicpop.html

with the exception of a state here and there. With traditional trends in education among those two groups, I wonder if your example is somehow......racist?

I'm just asking.

[vjthedj]

You know everytime a republican president as run for office, we had record debt and always a war on something (drugs,Iraq, Kuwait,Aghanistan, and so on). The economy is always tanking when a republican president sits in.

[FirstShirt]

And, much was made of Indiana going for Obama. What was overlooked was that the republican governor and every single incumbent republican was also reelected. The governor got double the democrat total. Obama had no coattails.

[milo h minderbinder]

Not in Indiana, but no question he had coattails in many other parts of the country.

I'm satisfied with him turning around the presidential vote 20% in Indiana from four years ago, it's a great first step to giving the democrats a start in that state.

[mrJJ]

Minneapolis election director speaks: 'Ballots in my car' story false

snip
The "car ballot" story emerged Saturday from the mouth of Coleman lawyer Fritz Knaak, who, according to AP, told reporters, "We were actually told ballots had been riding around in her car for several days, which raised all kinds of integrity questions."

Knaak never provided a source and did not return two MinnPost calls for comment. However, he was already backing off his story at the same press event. As that day"s Pioneer Press noted, "Knaak said he feels assured that what was going on with the 32 ballots was neither wrong nor unfair."

continued

http://www.minnpost.com/davidbrauer/2008/11/12/4565/minneapolis_election_director_speaks_ballots_in_my_car_story_false

[cycledoc]

Looks like "god" may be slamming the door shut in Alaska.

[mafina]

LOL, Because the devil's is out playing right. This nutjob is using all the air time she can get just to get attention. She is really making Mccain and staff look like the bad guys. Karma will be her be&&atch.

[whcjr46]

Funny, the Republicans are bringing in the big guns to GA, McCain, Palin, Huckabee, Romney and Guiliani. Do I detect a trend here, there all LOSERS!

[mafina]

Funny how McCain was pushingCountry First, I would rather lose an election to win a war, put his com rades first. Here he goes to help Suxaby Shameless who will do everything to ste^al an election. Hoping the people of GA turn out in droves to run Suxaby out of office. This man is dis gusting.

[FirstShirt]

Really? Then why is there a runoff election, genius?

[milo h minderbinder]

Because the republican failed to win a majority of votes.

[kobomac]

All they need is Lieberman to join in to make the list complete. Actually, it is sad, but as soon as Lieberman gets to keep his chair position of HSC, he will probably head down to Geogia to campaign for Chambliss.

[squirrealistpainting]

I think when all is said and done, Franken will squeak out a win here in MN. Not the best choice for a Democratic senator, perhaps, but much better than the corrupt opportunist we have now in the Senate. As for AK and GA, who knows? Even if the Dems don't get 60 seats, I have a feeling Obama might be able to win over a few Reps to get things passed, if the ringing Obama endorsements of lifelong Republicans is any indicator.

The stakes are too high now for partisan BS.

[philosopherkingtomas]

GOD wants Begich to WIN to keep the lying slander end of the world loving Palin home with her kids!

[JayKlein]

Palin better stay with her kids. Everytime she goes out of the house one of her kids get pregnant!

[democracydiva]

And the little one, Piper, with high heels! Geez, Louise, that is truly shocking.

[endecott]

Well right now it sure looks probable that the Dems will pick up all three seats in the Senate. And what a relief that would be. Just think, for two years we can get things done and passed. Then there will be another election where voters can really make a clear choice to decide who is best for the country.

[weatherwaxx]

I've read that Georgia has the Diebold vote-fraud machines. If true, those don't have a verifiable recount system--they'll give it to Chambliss.

[Ammobob]

The prospects for a GOP comeback in 2010 has just gotten brighter. DEMS will have fillibuster proof control over the government come January and will go unchecked with the Treasury in the name of fiscal security.........the dreaded DEFICIT will be HUMONGOUS within the 2 years and the economy will still be wallowing miserably because of it.........Due to the massive spending increases, TAXES will have to go up and not just on JOE.........heh........ALL will be involved, except the 40% who pay no income taxes or shall I say 30%........20%.........10%............heh.

[trollsbwild]

An addict can't start the road to recovery until he admits he has a problem. The same will hold true for the GOP. Unless they admit their shortcomings and failures, and begin to articulate a platform, they will continue to lose.

[SirReal1]

Just curious! Do you think the "heh" makes you sound intelligent, or just deranged?

[blackfriday1978]

hahaha.... I thought it was just a lack of intelligence and volcabulary.... :P I also thought the US DEFICIT (just keep in line with the conversation to make it CAPITAL) is ALREADY HUMONGOUS, not?! Wonder who was in power in the past 8 years.... heh...DEM as well created those HUMONGOUS DEFICIT?! heh...I did not get the memo that Bush is DEMS....

[robeson]

wasn't ammobob recently backing the $4.5 trillion GW Bush debt machine, eh? you betcha.

[Grunty1]

[The prospects for a GOP comeback in 2010 has just gotten brighter. ]

The GOP decided to work for the people rather than work for their own ambitions?
Sorry, I doubt that.

[whitewaterwillie]

You also have to look at the history. The pendulum began to swing in the elections of 2006 where demos began to swamp the repubs in the senate. Remember, those repubs elected in the senate in 2004 rode the coat tails of Bush. A number of these 2004 repubs will be thinned from the herd in 2010.

[beihai]

That is so silly, Chambliss will win in Georgia, guaranteed. Dems won't turn out in record numbers for the Senate race because they won't be motivated to. In addition, no way can Dems rely on holy Joe to vote for cloture. Also, off year elections almost always result in gains by the out party so of course Repubs will win more, but they won't come close to taking either chamber so so what? America is in the worst shape since the depression thanks to idiot Republicans, 50% plus will remember how idiotic they are for a while so get used to minority status.

[weatherwaxx]

Um... after the past 8 years, I don't think any sane voter expects Obama to be able to fix the massive damage overnight. Of course, that leaves out the 20-odd percent of right-wing fanatics who still think Dubya's done a 'great job.'

Putting the taxes back to pre-Bush levels -- that is, making those who pull down a quarter-mill per year pay their share -- should help.

So would taking 'tax-exempt' off political machines disguised as churches.

[FirstShirt]

Actually, no sane voter should expect Barry to fix anything. He has never done anything of note or interest. You get what you pay for.