While we wait for the counting of the 387 ballots (it was originally 400, but thirteen turned out to be ballots that had already been counted) to start at 9:30 am CDT, here are a few tidbits to tide you over.

In the course of an MSNBC interview today, Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty conceded a key point: That the election contest initiated by Norm Coleman is done when it has run its course through the state courts. Not Federal, state. Which means that once Norm makes his appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court, and they reject it, he’s done.

With the last of the absentee ballots to be opened and counted wending their way to Saint Paul, everyone is looking past the count and gearing up for the inevitable Republican-fueled appeal by Norm Coleman to the Minnesota Supreme Court. Why is the appeal inevitable? Because Norm’s going to lose.

Norm Coleman spoke behind closed doors to a bunch of powerful Republicans in DC the other day. He didn’t say much about what, publicly.

Once there were two law firm partners, Eric Magnuson and Tim Pawlenty. They were great friends and staunch Republicans, and worked together, along with Tim’s wife Mary, at a now-defunct law firm. They were such great friends that after Tim Pawlenty became governor, Eric Magnuson evenually became the Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. But lately they’ve been fighting each other, and are soon going to be fighting over when Al Franken gets his Senate seat.

Joe Bodell reports Charlie Cook’s words to Hardball’s Chris Matthews with regard to the contest: “Put a fork in it.”

I wondered yesterday if Harry Reid was going to try and seat Al Franken today as he’d promised he would six weeks ago. The bad news: Nope. The good news is as follows: 1) He avoided the whole “Franken’s an April Fool’s joke” meme (besides, if you want to see April Fools, watch John McCain duel with his fellow Republicans for the right to submit the Official GOP Budget), and 2) it looks like his people have been told about the Minnesota Supreme Court’s repeated references to the end of an election contest being when the state courts are done with it, regardless of whether the person contesting takes it to Federal court.

The clock is ticking for Norm. Even as Governor Pawlenty is grudgingly recognizing that both the Minnesota Supreme Court and the Secretary of State’s office are going to interpret State law as allowing an election certificate to be issued once the state courts are done with any and all contests (which means that taking the case to the Federal level won’t stop the cert from being signed), the specter of Nasser Kazeminy has reappeared.

While we wait for the three-judge panel to render their rulings, here are some more tidbits on the election, the recount, and other related matters.

While we wait for the Election Contest Court to issue its rulings on this case, here are a few appetizers to keep you occupied: