[Video fixed -- sorry for the problems. -- ed.]

Republicans are getting very nervous about Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman's re-election chances, now that the lowly, humiliating, obviously undeserving comedian [/wingnutspeak] Al Franken has pulled into the lead in their recount, according to the Star-Tribune, which puts Franken's lead at "about 250".

Sam Stein reports that analyses now project that Franken will win when the dust settles:

As it stands now, it seems likely that Franken will end this process with a lead wider than even his campaign expected. Earlier projections, from the Associated Press, Star Tribune and Franken himself, suggested that Coleman would lose the race by roughly 20 votes or less. And this tally doesn't even take into consideration the legal and political battle being waged over wrongfully rejected absentee ballots, which the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled, on Thursday, should be counted. That decision, another loss for the Coleman campaign, could mean even more votes flowing into Franken's tally, though the Court also stressed that the state and both campaigns come up with a uniform standard for identifying these absentee ballots before they are counted.

I wonder how those Senate Democrats who were telling some talking heads anonymously last month that they might be relieved not to have "that comedian" in the Senate are feeling. Poor babies.

The best part of all this is that Franken's election will absolutely drive the wingnuts batty. This will make for some good high comedy in the weeks and months to come, no doubt.