cliffite -- thanks.

DRR -- you're right, of course. I was actually only thinking about the executive branch (eradicating them entirely from Congress would be about as easy as eradicating cockroaches from garbage cans), but even there I was forgetting that we still have 2+ months to go and a whole lotta sucking can happen during that time.

Not sure where to post this, but wanted to share:

http://www.nytimes.com/

Sorry... search for "How to Fix a Flat" by Thomas Friedman

hey Terrie... Your link brings us to the login page. What's the title of the article?

Naw, I didn't turn anyone into a Newt Gingrich. Anyway, I thought that guy got nuetered. Ya sure don't hear of him anymore...

I saw Newtie on TV the other day; you may be right.

Ok, I'm sorry, but not enough people have enlisted into the Bunny Brigades. This means we must institute a draft.



A nuetered Newt??? Why didn't I think of that?

I don't know about the bunnies. A bunny attacked Jimmy Carter, remember? Has a bunny ever attacked Newt Gingrich? What does that tell us about bunnies?

From what I remember that bunny may have kept something bad from happening to Jimmy...no matter what it produced a good song...

That bunny probably was a good thing for Jimmy.....after all, if one rabbit's foot is lucky, four must be.....uh.....more lucky!!!

It's not so lucky for the rabbit! Poor little guy...hobbling around on a skateboard, with his stumps!

From NPR Franken vs Coleman- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... d=98272423

Morning Edition, December 16, 2008 · In Minnesota, Democrat Al Franken's bid to unseat Republican Sen. Norm Coleman hangs by fewer than 200 votes. An initial recount began Nov. 4. Now, election officials plan to meet Tuesday to review thousands of challenged ballots that may help decide the outcome.

"The campaign has continued, even though the election was over" six weeks ago, Jay Weiner, who writes for MinnPost.com, told NPR's Renee Montagne.

The five-member bipartisan Minnesota Canvassing Board will review questionable or vague ballots that were challenged by both sides during the recount. To speed up the process — and ward off criticism — each campaign is eliminating challenges.

"It feels a lot like more of a fourth-grade softball game, where somebody's trying to take their ball and go home," says Weiner. And he says the campaigns have raised the level of trash-talking to a degree more often seen in professional sports than in political arenas.

The senatorial race "was super-duper negative," Weiner says.

And the public has grown less interested in the outcome as the recount has dragged on. "I think the mood is, 'When is it going to be over? Let's get somebody in there,' and maybe, 'Will it ever end?' " Weiner says

Both Coleman and Franken got 42 percent of the vote in a contest that Weiner calls the most expensive Senate race in the country this year — about $30 million.

"Neither one of these guys really won. I mean, both got 42 percent of the vote," he said. "It was a 'none of the above' kind of vote here."

Sixteen percent went for Dean Barkley, whom Weiner calls an "anti-government" candidate. Barkley served briefly in the Senate in 2002 after Sen. Paul Wellstone died in office.

Each campaign has raised money to help get their view of the election out, even as they recruit volunteers to monitor the recount.

"To use the sports metaphor, they're working the refs," Weiner says. In this case, the "refs" are the Canvassing Board, made up of 4 judges and the secretary of state. The board will rule on challenged ballots.

At one point, there were more than 6,000 ballot challenges. That number has dropped by half, and the campaigns have pledged to continue to throw out their own challenges. By Tuesday, there may be only about 1,500 challenges for the board to review.

The ballots are problematic and contested for a range of reasons — on some ballots, for example, voters scribbled in names such as "Lizard People," or circled a name rather than shading in the appropriate circle, or made bizarre markings. "Some people do strange things," Weiner says.

The review process could take an entire week, but the race won't end there. Last week, the Canvassing Board agreed that as many as 1,500 incorrectly rejected absentee ballots — which were never counted on election night — could be included in the recount total.

Minnesota's 87 counties reportedly will review which of those rejected ballots might be included in the overall recount.

New senators need to be sworn in to Congress by Jan. 6, but even that seemingly firm deadline isn't guaranteed to end the election — particularly if the recount margin is fewer than 100 votes. Noting that both sides have shown a determination to "keep on keeping on," Weiner says that if the recount doesn't resolve the issue to everyone's satisfaction, the U.S. Senate could choose which candidate should take the seat.

"It could come to that," Weiner says, although he doubts it will.

"I just don't think Minnesotans want to see the senatorial race decided by 99 other rich guys."

I heard Al pulled ahead by a couple hundred votes yesterday. Why? Because he is good enough, and smart enough, and dog-gone-it, people like him.

Ya know what I'm sayin'?