Yesterday we said the Democrats would not get to the magic 60 in the Senate, and we were right because then Jim Martin lost to Saxby Chambliss, the senator from Mos Eisley. But over in Minnesota, the recount is almost done. And comedian Al Franken might win.

The Star Tribune's recount counter still has Norm Coleman leading, by 300 votes. But they're not counting any of the ballots challenged by both campaigns, and some of those challenged ballots will count once the canvassing board looks at them later this month.. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Secretary of State is maybe going to allow some 1,000 of 12,000 rejected absentee ballots to be counted, or at least looked at.

Franken just withdrew 633 frivolous challenges, and Coleman says he might do the same next week. Coleman has challenged hundreds more ballots than Franken. So you begin to understand the Franken campaign's math, here, when they tell reporters they're actually ahead in the recount, by 22 votes.

Once Al Franken is a Senator, of course, the Republicans will rally around hating him and retake both houses in 2010 and ban the Amtrak forever.

(If Franken does win by 22 votes, Nate Silver will be appointed Secretary of Predicting Stuff.)

Franken Camp Claims to be Winning Recount [CBS]
Franken claims he is in the lead [The Hill]