Minnesota Senate Recount -- update 14

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Last time we checked (here), it was almost over. Franken's lead stood at 225 votes -- not a huge lead, all things considered, a large enough one given how few absentee ballots remained to be counted (about 400).

Well, with those ballots now counted, Franken's lead has actually grown -- to 312. As the StarTrib puts it, "Coleman's dim prospects for winning the U.S. Senate trial darkened today."

But it's still not over, not with Coleman's litigiousness in full swing:

Coleman's case during the trial has rested mostly on counting absentee ballots that he contends had been wrongly rejected. Barring an unexpected court ruling, he now lacks the ballots needed for a trial victory, and his lawyers repeated vows to appeal an adverse final verdict.

Don't get me wrong. Coleman has a right to continue his legal challenges, at least until exhausted. But the people of Minnesota are surely exhausted of this by now, and, as they say, the writing is on the wall. Franken won. That may not be easy for Coleman to take, but it's the way it is.