The small war in Saint Paul, Minnesota’s capital, looks almost about to end, after the lengthy recount in the junior Senate seat there, now apparently finally final, gives victory to humourist and left-media pundit Al Franken.

Franken’s campaign has now claimed victory, with Republican candidate and incumbent Norm Coleman’s team telling anyone who’ll listen that the race is not yet over.  The margin of victory now stands at 225 for Franken, (table of votes and how the recount changed talllies is here(PDF) still well within the margin of error for an election with more than 2.5 million electors voting.  It seems likely now that Franken will be confirmed, and that the Senate will look even more glum for Republicans come presidential inauguration day.