Senate GOP to block attempt to seat Franken early

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The top Senate Republican said his caucus would block any attempt to seat Democrat Al Franken until an anticipated court case over Minnesota's close election is finished and an official election certificate is conferred.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn said Friday that Republicans would object to seating the race leader Franken sooner. A filibuster would require 60 votes to break — a few more than Democrats currently hold in Washington.

Franken holds a 49-vote lead over incumbant Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, pending the resolution of the absentee ballots. Franken's campaign has declined to say whether he would try to take his seat immediately if the canvassing board certifies him the winner.

Senate Democrats have not indicated what they would do if Franken's lead over Coleman holds up after the recount ends.

The loser can appeal the recount result in court.

Cornyn's threat means it is probable that Minnesota will have only one senator when the new Congress convenes on Tuesday. A court challenge and possible appeals could keep it that way for several months.

Coleman's term expires at noon EST on Saturday.

An Obama boom in the publishing industry

NEW YORK (AP) _ Between the books already out there and the books signed up for the future, it's boom time for President-elect Barack Obama in the publishing world.

According to Nielsen Bookscan, which tracks about 70 percent of the country's sales, more than 100,000 copies of his books sold Nov. 3-9, including 50,000 copies each of "The Audacity of Hope" and "Dreams from My Father" and 19,000 copies of "Change We Can Believe In," a collection of speeches and policy papers.

Bids on eBay for a signed first edition of "The Audacity of Hope," a million-seller published in 2006, have topped $1,000.

Meanwhile, publishers are grabbing up new books about Obama, the first black president-elect. According to the industry newsletter www.publishersmarketplace.com, which compiles deals, at least seven Obama-related projects have been agreed upon since the Nov. 4 election.

They include William Eggers' and John O'Leary's "If We Can Put a Man on the Moon," a policy "roadmap" for the incoming administration, and "Renegade: The Education of Barack Obama," by Newsweek's Richard Wolffe.