Things are getting really weird in Al Franken and Norm Coleman's down to the wire race for a Minnesota Senate seat.

For example, take this little bit of political maneuvering from the GOP…

Republicans are also questioning the credibility of Minnesota's Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, the man tasked with overseeing the recount. A background document distributed by national Republicans portrays Ritchie as a far-left, Democratic version of Katherine Harris, the former Republican secretary of state whose actions helped decide the 2000 presidential election.

Wait a minute. There was something in there that didn't make any sense at all to me. Let's read it again…

A background document distributed by national Republicans portrays Ritchie as a far-left, Democratic version of Katherine Harris…

Nope. Still doesn't make any sense. One more time…

…a far-left, Democratic version of Katherine Harris…

Once more…

…Katherine Harris…

I'm sorry, but I just cannot, for the life of me, understand what a secretary of state — charged with watching over a statewide recount of a hotly contested election, with a vested interest in particular party's victory, who might possibly take unfair advantage of the power that comes with his or her position — could possibly have to do with Katherine Harris.

Call me thickheaded, but I'm just completely at a loss. What exactly are they saying about Ritchie? And, by extension, about Harris — the person who, more than possibly anybody else in the world, is responsible for George Bush winning Florida over Al Gore eight years ago?

Why, they're not saying that…

…Mark Ritchie wears entirely too much make up, are they?

(via Crooks and Liars)