Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Democratic challenger Jim Martin both continued yesterday the run of big names who've come to Georgia to campaign for them. Rudy Giuliani and Democratic strategist Donna Brazile were both in metro Atlanta yesterday, one week before the Senate runoff takes place. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

The resulting showdown has brought an ongoing parade of political bigshots to Georgia, along with hundreds of volunteers and millions of dollars, much of it burned up on televised attack ads from both campaigns.

“We've got to make sure we don't give (U.S. Sen.) Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and (U.S. Rep.) Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Democrats in Washington D.C. a blank check,” Giuliani said at a Tuesday afternoon press conference at Chambliss's Cobb County headquarters. “If we give them a blank check, they will sign that check and be taking money out of our pockets.”

As Giuliani spoke, Brazile addressed about 75 students and teachers at a get-out-the-vote rally at Spelman College sponsored by that institution's Young Democrats club.

“You have a great responsibility to make history next week,” Brazile said. “To send someone (to the Senate) who will be your voice, your champion, who will carry your water.”

In the Minnesota recount, problems continued yesterday with lost ballots and rejected absentee ballots. From the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Minnesota's U.S. Senate race took a dramatic turn Tuesday with a pair of developments involving absentee ballots: One county acted on its own initiative to count several ballots that it said were wrongly excluded, and two prominent county attorneys proposed a statewide process to reexamine rejected ballots.

The moves came on the eve of a state Canvassing Board meeting today at which the fate of such possibly decisive ballots may be determined.

Meanwhile, controversies involving dozens of lost-and-found ballots continued to pop up at recount centers around the state.