In the final day of the Minnesota U.S. Senate race recount, reports are that 171 uncounted ballots mysteriously turned up and had apparently been uncounted because of a ballot-counting-machine malfunction on Election Day. Al Franken made a net gain of 37 votes from these ballots, as he got 91 of the total, to 54 for Sen. Coleman, (26 went to other candidates). This gives Coleman an official edge of 305 votes, assuming all the challenged ballots will remain uncounted. The Franken campaign somehow insists Coleman's lead is only about 50 votes.
Georgia- Chambliss vs Martin
Two of the last polls give Chambliss what appears to be a solid edge. Public Policy Polling gives him a 7 pt advantage and the Insider Advantage poll has him up by 4. Additional good signs for the incumbent- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that turnout is light but steady. This probably means the democratic turnout that so helped Obama is not coming out for Martin.
So it looks likely that Republicans will win both of these seats and the question becomes, what does this mean?
It means the Republicans will have to be active participants in the next congress. They won't be able to hide behind a Democratic super-majority and instead will have to engage the other side both on issues they agree on and those they don't. Centrist Republican senators like Susan Collins, Arlen Specter and yes, John McCain, will become pivotal players leading up to 2010. They will feel pressure from the right to obstruct everything that comes down the democratic pike, and they will be pressure from the left to "cross the aisle" and put "country first."
It is going to be an interesting couple of years.
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