Wow.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Republican Norm Coleman has won a second term in the U.S. Senate, surviving a stiff challenge from former comedian Al Franken.

Coleman squeaked past Franken by the narrowest of margins: a few hundred votes with nearly 2.9 million cast. The margin appeared certain to trigger an automatic recount.

If the margin holds up, Coleman would be among the fortunate Republicans who survived big gains by Democrats nationwide.

Heads

Two very good headlines in the LA Times.

First-term Illinois senator is elected president

That is a big story, and not one much of the liberal media is focusing on.

Which Barack Obama will govern?

I don't think he'll have much choice. This is a time for leadership, not for liberalism.

Best Headline

Lead changes; Coleman leading Franken

99% reporting, Coleman is leading by a bit more than 2,000 votes, so a recount is likely.

Minnesota Race Not Funny

The economic meltdown has totally rewritten this campaign year in favor of Democrats - even Barack. How bad is it for the GOP? Al Franken leads for the first time in the Minnesota senate race.

As the electoral landscape continues to look bleak for Republicans, Al Franken has pulled ahead of Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in Minnesota’s hotly contested U.S. Senate race. Support for Independent candidate Dean Barkley could have a significant impact on the final outcome of the race.

Franken, who is one of the most unlikeable people on the planet, has a lead similar to Barack's 7% advantage over McCain in the tradionally blue state.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey shows Franken with 43% of the vote, Coleman with 37%, and Barkley with 17%. This is the largest advantage Franken has enjoyed all year. A month ago, Coleman was up by a point.

The Democrat controlled congress is already a joke - things will get dramatically less funny if Al joins.

Franken leads by fourteen points among women but trails by a single point among men.... Coleman is seeking a second term in the Senate and has been under the 50% level of support in nine-out-of-ten polls conducted this year. That’s always a sign that an incumbent is potentially vulnerable. He was first elected to the Senate six years ago, with just under 50% of the vote.

Nationally, Barack is up 5% over McCain in the Rasmussen poll:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows Barack Obama attracting 50% of the vote while John McCain earns 45%. Those figures are unchanged from yesterday and mark the fifteenth straight day that Obama’s support has ranged from 50% to 52% while McCain has been at 44% of 45%.

The Zogby daily tracker has Barack leading by the same margin.