Cliff-Hangers Still Hanging

President-elect Obama will be getting his first glimpse inside the Oval Office today but there are still three U.S. Senate races where the final results remain unknown. In Minnesota, Democrat Al Franken trails incumbent Republican Norm Coleman by just 221. The state will conduct a hand recount beginning after the initial vote certification on November 19th and is expected to be completed by December 5th, depending on legal fights that may arise. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has an overview of the process.

In Georgia, both parties are gearing up for a potential runoff election and political observers are talking about what role, if any, Mr. Obama might play in it, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. Worth recalling is this point: In 1992, a newly elected Bill Clinton campaigned for the incumbent Democratic senator in a runoff election but the Republican won.

Finally, in Alaska, Senator Ted Stevens leads by 3,257 votes with over 81,000 absentee or uncounted votes remaining. Both campaigns have appealed to supporters for more donations, the Anchorage Daily News reports, as the prospect of legal wrangling over questionable ballots looms.