No, no literary news. The fate of the nation is just too damn important. Virginia and Montana are tight, but Tester and Webb are both ahead and it’s looking possible that the Demos will get the Senate too.

Bush has called a press conference for 1:00 PM EST. What is this guy going to say? What is he going to do to spin this when he just got drop-kicked by the votes of the people?

Okay, it boils down to this. If the Demos take Montana, Missouri, and Virginia, then we have the Senate. Here are the latest numbers:

Montana
Tester (D): 88,302
Burns (R): 75,256

40% precincts

Missouri
Claire McCaskill (D): 812,038
Jim Talent (R): 799,471

80.3% precincts

Virginia
Webb (D): 1,150,473
Allen (R): 1,148,656

99.47% precincts

With 19.69% of the precincts reporting in, Webb (D) is leading Allen (R — incumbent) by a few hundred votes. Close, but this could change.

UPDATE: Allen has lurched ahead, with 30% of the precincts reporting. He’s up by about a few thousand votes.

UPDATE 2: Man, this is close. With 35.8% of the precincts, Webb leads by a mere thirty-eight votes. Pass the bourbon.

3rd District: Yarmuth (D) ahead of Northup (R – incumbent) 50.1% to 48.8%, with 65.7% precincts reporting.

This is looking good, but I won’t be confident until we’re closer to 90% precincts reporting. Even so, this is a hell of a lot less closer than I expected! Thank you for running, Ms. Libertarian! Feels just like Nader in 2000 again!