Ari

Senator Franken has a nice ring to it: (Via Email)

With the Minnesota recount complete, it is now clear that Al Franken won the election. The Canvassing Board will meet tomorrow to wrap up its work and certify him the winner, and while there are still possible legal issues that will run their course, there is no longer any doubt who will be the next Senator from Minnesota.

Traveling most of the day today. Have a nice Sunday.

Al Franken is now up by 225 votes.

Sorry for the lack of posting. I’m out of the country and ran into a slightly spotty Internet connection. However I would be remiss if I did not point out this trip down memory lane by Paul Krugman: “A national severe price distortion seems most unlikely in the United States” — Alan Greenspan, October 2004.

Americablog: Yesterday, Sam Adams was sworn in as the new mayor of Portland, Oregon, which is now the largest city in the U.S. to have a gay mayor:
There was a countdown at Portland’s City Hall overnight, but it wasn’t to ring in 2009.

About 40 people — including the mother and partner of Sam Adams — were on hand to sip sparkling wine and watch as the first openly gay mayor of

Cabinet confirmation hearing begin:With Congress returning next week, the calendar for confirmation hearings on nominees to President-elect Barack Obama’s Cabinet is becoming more crowded by the day.

The Coleman Campaign’s efforts to thwart democracy continue:Shirley Graham was astonished to learn that a lawyer from Norm Coleman’s campaign on Tuesday blocked her absentee ballot from being added to the U.S. Senate recount.
“I’m an election judge,” said Graham, of Duluth. “I expected to be the last person whose ballot wouldn’t be counted.”

Mortgage delinquencies:The credit crunch has plagued much of 2008, and Ezra Becker, principal consultant for TransUnion Financial Services, expects credit conditions to continue to deteriorate in the new year.

“The biggest story is really with mortgages,” said Becker. His firm, which has a database of 27 million anonymous consumer records, projects delinquencies will reach their highest levels since 1992.

The market in 2008 — an interactive graphic from the New York Times.

2009 is here. :)