Betting, Bullying, B&E at the Booths

BALLOT BULLY? Allen

• Menace to voting community: The FBI has mobilized, looking into complaints that Capt. Macacawitz's (born George Allen) campaign is intimidating potential voters. "Republican officials ... say the GOP and the Allen campaign are focused on mobilizing voters and have not discouraged anyone from voting."

• Betting on the Senate, for once: Want to make lots of money, but lacking connections to Jack Abramoff? The Off Track Betting predictions are in, and they say the Republicans have a 69 percent chance (no Foley!) of maintaining control of the Senate.

• Why, oh why, Ohio?: Coming in from Columbus: "An overnight break-in at Franklin Alternative Middle School ... caused a short delay in opening the polls there. Police had to make sure that whoever broke into the school had left before allowing voters to enter." In completely unrelated news: "Vote-stealing programs could be installed easily on most voting machines in mere seconds."

• No-confidence vote: In at least three wards in Philadelphia, home of the Liberty Bell and the first capital city of this great nation: "Inside several voting locations, individuals have poured white out onto the polling books and the poll workers are allowing voters to go into the polls and vote without first registering." Oh, it was also the home of the Broad Street Bullies.