James W. Pindell's blog

Before Barack Obama's grandmother died today she cast an absentee ballot to help Obama become president.

Under Hawaii law, though, that ballot will not count. The state law says that if the local election clerk is notified before the polls open on Election Day the ballot is invalid.

The issue is whether or not someone conveniently forgets to tell the clerk.

If Democrats wind up with 59 U.S. Senate seats on Election Day, they can still reach the magic filibuster-proof number of 60 if the new President appoints Republican Olympia Snowe to his cabinet. The Governor of Maine, John Baldacci, would presumably appoint a fellow Democrat to serve until a November 2010 special election to fill the balance of Snowe's term.

GOP candidates for the 6th congressional district gathered on Monday for a debate sponsored by PolitickerCO.com.

HIGHLANDS RANCH -- Immigration and the Iraq war dominated a debate among four Republicans hoping to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Littleton) tonight.

While the candidates have attended several forums this debate, sponsored by PolitickerCO.com and the Sagebush Forum, was the first in this 6th Congressional District race where the August primary will likely determine who will replace Tancredo in this heavily conservative district.