• Kennedy missteps might not trip her up in the end 1/5/2009, 5:29 p.m. CST
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Caroline Kennedy's missteps and halting speech patterns have been replayed endlessly since she announced her bid to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton in the U.S. Senate.

• Franken on top in Minn. recount; Coleman to sue 1/5/2009, 5:23 p.m. CST
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota board on Monday certified results showing Democrat Al Franken winning the state's U.S. Senate recount over Republican Norm Coleman, whose lawyer promised a legal challenge that probably will keep the race in limbo for months.

• APNewsAlert 1/5/2009, 2:39 p.m. CST
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minn. board certifies results showing Democrat Al Franken winning Senate recount.

• Burris to go to DC as his fate remains in question 1/5/2009, 10:52 a.m. CST
CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois U.S. Senate appointee Roland Burris is leaving for Washington on Monday afternoon for a high-stakes showdown on Capitol Hill about whether he'll succeed President-elect Barack Obama in Congress.

• Minn. board expected to announce Al Franken winner 1/5/2009, 5:57 a.m. CST
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The state Canvassing Board was posed to certify the results of the recount in Minnesota's grueling Senate election in Al Franken's favor — but that doesn't mean the race is definitely over.

• Schumer: Senate should seat Minn. Dem. Al Franken 1/4/2009, 4:09 p.m. CST
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — New York Sen. Charles Schumer says Democrat Al Franken should be seated in the Senate when it convenes Tuesday.

• Former DNC chief announces Virginia governor run 1/3/2009, 11:21 p.m. CST
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe said on Saturday he intends to run for governor of Virginia.

• Franken leads as Minn. recount nears finish line 1/3/2009, 8:23 p.m. CST
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Victory in Minnesota's drawn-out Senate race moved within Democrat Al Franken's grasp Saturday when he increased his lead over Republican Norm Coleman as the statewide recount drew to a close.

• Minn. recount nearly done; next up, the lawsuits 1/3/2009, 6:58 p.m. CST
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — This coming week, Minnesota's Canvassing Board will declare what everyone's been waiting for in the state's prolonged U.S. Senate race: A winner.

• Colo. gov names schools chief for Senate vacancy 1/3/2009, 5:42 p.m. CST
DENVER (AP) — A whip-smart lawyer who has turned successively to the worlds of business and education, Denver Superintendent Michael Bennet won't have much trouble adjusting to the biggest promotion of his life: to U.S. senator.

• Minn. recount nearly done; next up, the lawsuits 1/3/2009, 4:59 p.m. CST
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — This coming week, Minnesota's Canvassing Board will declare what everyone's been waiting for in the state's prolonged U.S. Senate race: A winner.

• Senate GOP would block early try to seat Franken 1/2/2009, 3:58 p.m. CST
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A top Senate Republican said Friday his caucus would block any attempt to seat the winner of Minnesota's close election until an anticipated court case is finished and an official election certificate is issued.

• Activists support Burris' appointment to Senate 1/2/2009, 1:25 p.m. CST
CHICAGO (AP) — Activists in Illinois are urging state lawmakers to accept Gov. Rod Blagojevich's appointment of former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate.

• Powerful NY lawmaker says he'll support Kennedy 1/1/2009, 11:36 p.m. CST
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Despite early reservations, New York state's most powerful legislative leader now says he'll support Caroline Kennedy for the U.S. Senate if the governor names her to the seat expected to be vacated by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

• Powerful NY lawmaker says he'll support Kennedy 1/1/2009, 2:45 p.m. CST
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Despite early reservations, New York state's most powerful legislative leader now says he'll support Caroline Kennedy for the U.S. Senate if the governor names her to the seat expected to be vacated by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

• Franken lead at 49; Minn. absentees left to count 12/30/2008, 7:15 p.m. CST
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Democratic candidate Al Franken now holds a 49-vote lead over Republican Sen. Norm Coleman in Minnesota's Senate race, but wrangling over inclusion of absentee ballots continued Tuesday and any final determination of a winner was still days or weeks away.

• Franken lead at 50; Minn. absentees left to count 12/30/2008, 4:38 p.m. CST
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Democratic candidate Al Franken now holds a 50-vote lead over Republican Sen. Norm Coleman in Minnesota's Senate race, but wrangling over inclusion of absentee ballots continued Tuesday and any final determination of a winner was still days or weeks away.

• Franken lead at 50 with absentees left to count 12/30/2008, 10:22 a.m. CST
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Democratic candidate Al Franken now holds a 50 vote lead over Republican Sen. Norm Coleman with almost all of the counting in Minnesota's Senate race done.

• Number of uncounted ballots in Minn. still unclear 12/29/2008, 5:07 p.m. CST
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The campaigns of Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken wrangled Monday over hundreds of unopened absentee ballots that could still tip Minnesota's Senate race.

• Analysis: Kennedy's shine obscures other hopefuls 12/27/2008, 8:24 p.m. CST
ALBANY (AP) — Officially, Gov. David Paterson's main focus is the state's fiscal crisis, not the decision about whom to appoint if, as expected, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is confirmed as secretary of state.

• Analysis: Kennedy's shine obscures other hopefuls 12/27/2008, 2:48 p.m. CST
ALBANY (AP) — Officially, Gov. David Paterson's main focus is the state's fiscal crisis, not the decision about whom to appoint if, as expected, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is confirmed as secretary of state.

• Kennedy says 9/11, Obama led her to public service 12/26/2008, 8:16 p.m. CST
NEW YORK (AP) — Caroline Kennedy emerged from weeks of near-silence Friday about her bid for a Senate seat by saying that after a lifetime of closely guarded privacy, she felt compelled to answer the call to service issued by her father a generation ago.

• Kennedy says 9/11, Obama led her to public service 12/26/2008, 5:58 p.m. CST
NEW YORK (AP) — Caroline Kennedy emerged from weeks of near-silence Friday about her bid for a Senate seat by saying that after a lifetime of closely guarded privacy, she felt compelled to answer the call to service issued by her father a generation ago.

• APNewsAlert 12/26/2008, 12:21 p.m. CST
NEW YORK (AP) — Caroline Kennedy tells AP she must work twice as hard as others if she is picked for Senate.

• Minn. court blocks Coleman on double recount votes 12/24/2008, 8:34 p.m. CST
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota's highest court on Wednesday ruled against Republican Sen. Norm Coleman's attempt to keep dozens of possible double votes from Democratic-heavy precincts out of the long-running U.S. Senate recount, but left the door open for a lawsuit.