On CNN last night some talking head or other described Norm Coleman as the "long-serving Senator from Minnesota." Coleman was elected in 2002—so he's served just a single six-year term. And it's looking more and more like that's going to be Norm's only term. Al Franken is now up by more than 200 votes after absentee ballots were counted today.

Franken's lead now stands at 225 votes after gaining 176 votes more than Coleman in Saturday's review of the formerly sealed absentee ballots. Franken started the day with a 49-vote advantage.

The 933 absentee ballots were among those rejected by poll workers but later found to be excluded in error. The campaigns eventually agreed they should be added to the recount.
Unless Coleman wins a pending court petition that seeks to add hundreds more ballots to the recount, the counting is done and the Canvassing Board can sign off on the result on Monday or Tuesday. The result cannot be certified for at least one more week under state law.

Way to go, Al.