In a major breakthrough in Minnesota, the Coleman and Franken campaigns have resolved that about 900 wrongly-rejected absentee ballots will be counted this weekend, out of nearly 1,350 that the county election officials had initially sorted out.

This is a surprisingly high number. The process set up by the state Supreme Court seemed ripe for abuse, because it required both campaigns to sign off on counting any one sealed ballot envelope. The camps ended up approving quite a lot of ballots in what seemed like a chaotic process over this week. The Coleman campaign did manage to throw another wild card in, though: They're going to court to try to force the inclusion of about 650 ballots that the local officials have rejected, and which seem to be stacked their way.

In a very good sign for Al Franken, 255 absentees were sent out from heavily-Democratic Hennepin County (Minneapolis) alone, and the number of vetoes from the two campaigns were nearly tied there. So expect this particular load of votes to break for Franken, with the remaining question being how the ballots from all the other places work out.

The votes still haven't been counted yet. But from where we stand right now, it appears that Franken is favored to still hold his paper-thin lead over Norm Coleman after the ballots are counted this weekend. But that will just be the result going into the next step: A whole lot of litigation from the Coleman campaign, which could bottle up a Franken win for weeks or even months.

Is the DSCC having doubts about Al Franken's campaign for the Senate? Minnesota Monitor reports that the DSCC has reached out to freshman Congressman Tim Walz — whom Franken extensively campaigned for last year — and asked him to get into the Minnesota Senate Democratic Primary. Walz is saying no, according to his spokesperson: "Tim Walz is not and will not be a candidate for the United State Senate in 2008. He will be meeting with the DSCC in the near future to discuss how he can best help raise the profile of Minnesota's Senate race and he plans to do what he can to ensure the DFL Senate candidate wins Minnesota's 1st Congressional District in 2008."

Although recent polling shows Franken's gap with Coleman narrowing, the polls nevertheless give Franken a net unfavorable.

Here are some updates on the movements of the Presidential candidates (plus one House '08 item):

* Speaking to activists in Iowa yesterday, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney conceded that the Iraq war has been poorly managed, but refused to go against President Bush's current plan for the war.

* Speaking of Romney, he has been named the keynote speaker at a Lincoln Day dinner jointly sponsored by two Republican county committees in New Hampshire.

* Republican Minnesota state Sen. Dick Day has filed papers to challenge freshman Rep. Tim Walz (D-01) in 2008. Walz, an Afghanistan vet, beat incumbent Gil Gutknecht this past November in what many considered an upset.

* Sen. Barack Obama's fundraising practices -- and how they mesh with his call for higher fundraising standards -- come under scrutiny in the Chicago Sun Times.

* Did someone say "rock star"? Obama's Monday event at the University of New Hampshire is sold out despite being held in a gymnasium with a 3,500 person capacity.

* A bill being considered by the New Hampshire state Legislature is is meant to solidify the secretary of state's ability to schedule New Hampshire's primary -- traditionally the first in the nation -- before the Nevada caucuses.

* Sen. Hillary Clinton has hired New Hampshire Democratic Party executive director Nick Clemons as her state director. Clemons supervised the political and field operations that successfully gained two House seats for the Dems in 2006 and was the state director in New Hampshire for the Kerry-Edwards campaign in 2004.

* In other Clinton hiring news, former Iowa Democratic Party communications director Mark Daley will serve as her communications director in New Hampshire.

* On the campaign trail today, Hillary Clinton is speaking in New York City, Sen. Christopher Dodd is in Florida to address the National Association of Home Builders' Board of Directors, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is the keynote speaker at the TD Ameritrade Partnership 2007 National Conference in San Diego, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is speaking to business leaders in New Hampshire and Mitt Romney is speaking at the Republican Party executive committee meeting in Alabama.

* Former Sen. John Edwards recieved a positive reaction at a crowded International Longshoremen's Association Hall in Charleston, South Carolina where he spoke yesterday about his health care plan and the need to withdraw from Iraq. Also in South Carolina, Mitt Romney fielded questions about abortion this morning when he spoke to a crowd of 100 in Anderson.

* Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is on course to have 14 New York City fundraisers in the bag by March 14, according to Ben Smith.

* The 2008 Presidential ad blitz is about to begin and far earlier than in previous elections due to the lack of a White House incumbent running and the gobs of cash in the race.

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said in a foreign policy address yesterday that the United States must reduce its stock of nuclear weapons, close Guantanamo Bay, and dramatically cut energy use in order to take the lead on many global issues. Richardson is both a former Secretary of Energy and ambassador to the United Nations.

* Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced today that that New Hampshire State School Board member Fred Bramante and former City Chair of the Manchester Republican Committee Cliff Hurst will serve as the New Hampshire Co-Chairs of his 2008 presidential exploratory committee.

* Rep. Duncan Hunter will next be in New Hampshire from Feb. 19-21.

* Speaking in Connecticut yesterday, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack said he "can bring a degree of leadership" to the Presidential race while discussing his plans for Iraq, health care, education, and the environment.

* A fundraiser for Rep. Tom Tancredo in Greenwood Village, Colorado on Feb. 25 will be hosted by conservative talk radio hosts Peter Boyles and Robert "Gunny Bob" Newman.

Here's a quick roundup of political news relating to down-ticket races:

* Democrats plan to use the issue of stem-cell research against two Republican Senators from blue states who have voted against it: Norm Coleman and John Sununu, The Hill reports.

* Coleman, meanwhile, is busy raising money for an expected challenge from a strong Democratic contender, possibly from comedian Al Franken.

* Senator Tom Harkin told The Des Moines Register that he is taking the necessary steps to run for re-election in 2008, but stopped short of a full commitment. The 67-year old Harkin said, "until I tell you differently, the Democratic presidential nominee will have Harkin on the ballot in Iowa."

* The Hill reports that freshman Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-KS, might face former state Attorney General Phill Kline in 2008. Kline — who does not live in Boyda's district — was defeated for re-election in historically Republican Kansas by a wide margin last Fall.

* Nathan Daschle, son of former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, has been appointed as the new executive director of the Democratic Governors Association, Roll Call is reporting.

* Roll Call notes that a special election nexth month for the New York State Senate would — if Dems pick up the open GOP-held seat — leave Democrats just two seats away from a majority. If a majority is achieved in 2008 or 2010, their ability to totally control redistricting would have a drastic impact on the state's six remaining GOP House members.

As today's Washington Post notes, Dem strategists are divided right now over whether to dig deep into their pockets to fund uphill but somewhat competitive races. Well, here's such a contest. CQ Politics has just changed the rating of the race between 12-year GOP Rep. Gil Gutknecht and Dem challenger Tim Walz, a retired command sergeant, from "Republican Favored" to "Leans Republican." More after the jump.

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Court agrees to hear Minnesota Dem lawyer's novel legal argument: Sitting Congressman Gil Gutknecht should be tossed from the ballot for reelection because he collected signatures before prescribed date.