On the recount newsfront, it's good news for New Hampshire voters, where a Nader-sponsored recount showed electoral accuracy, and also showed the nation how to do efficient hand recounts of roughly 50,660 paper ballots. Ohio is another story. Yesterday we learned that an Ohio Delaware County judge issued a temporary restraining order in an attempt to prevent Green Party presidential candidate Cobb from seeking a recount of the presidential ballots cast in that county. But the news from Ohio also brought new players to the stage. The Kerry-Edwards legal team has filed papers in Delaware County, Ohio to intervene in legal proceedings in defense of Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb, Libertarian Michael Badnarik and their legal counsel, the National Voting Rights Institute, who are seeking a recount of all votes cast for president in the Ohio 2004 general election. And we can all take heart that the current administration is in full support of legitimate democratic elections, as evidenced in Colin Powell's statement last week:

"We cannot accept this result [of the presidential election in Ukraine] as legitimate because it does not meet international standards and because there has not been an investigation of the numerous and credible reports of fraud and abuse," he said. "It is time for Ukrainian leaders to decide whether they are on the side of democracy or not, whether they respect the will of the people or not."

Ukraine's president and prime minister seem to be in agreement, saying they support a rerun of the country's sharply contested presidential election:.

"If we really want to preserve peace and agreement, and really want to build a legitimate democratic society that we so often talk about ... then let's hold new elections," Mr. Kuchma said, according to the Interfax news agency. The president appeared to be driven at least in part by fear that the dispute will split the country. "We cannot in any instance allow the disintegration or division of Ukraine," he said, while continuing to insist that claims his government stole the election were without basis.