Rep. Dan Maffei (D) continues to deny the obvious. I suppose he’s thinking that perhaps a few voting machines or bags of ballots will magically appear so he can continue with his Keynesian fantasy. But even if he’s successful, he’ll be in the minority. If the Republicans have learned their lesson, the historic GOP gains in the House would render him impotent anyway.

No matter how you slice it, Ann Marie Buerkle has won the election. Yet Dan Maffei still refuses to concede. A hearing scheduled for Tuesday was postponed. Gee, do you think Buerkle asked for that delay? I really doubt it.

The race between U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei and Republican challenger Ann Marie Buerkle will continue this week as the judge has moved a scheduled court hearing from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Buerkle is ahead by 567 votes after the absentee ballots have been counted by elections boards in four counties. Frank Hoare, attorney for Maffei, said the extra day gives the campaigns time to review the final numbers the county boards of elections are giving to the state to certify the election.

And he’s still threatening to burden the taxpayers of Onondaga County with a full hand recount.

Everyone waited for one final step, for democrat Dan Maffei to concede. Instead, the likelihood has now been raised of what amounts to the “nuclear option” in this day of new voting technology in New York State where paper ballots are scanned by voting machines.

Word began circulating Monday that Maffei would press for the long and costly procedure of recounting those hundreds of thousands of ballots by hand. That word arriving just as republican calls for a concession were building.

Note to Dan Maffei: The voters have spoken. It’s time to give it up. I’m sure you have a promising future as an SEIU lobbyist ahead of you.

Side Note: It took every ounce of self control not to litter this post with unladylike expletives.