Across the Nation

Recount ordered in Wash. Senate race

OLYMPIA, Wash. - A recount was ordered yesterday in the closest Senate race in the country, with the outcome determining whether the chamber will be split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats for the first time in a century.

In totals released last week, Democrat Maria Cantwell, a dot-com millionaire, apparently defeated Republican Sen. Slade Gorton by 1,953 votes, or .08 percent of the 2.4 million ballots cast.

Under Washington law, a recount is automatic when an election margin is less than 0.5 percent.

The recount, which is expected to take about a week, is not expected to stir debate over dimpled ballots and hanging chads. The ballots will simply be run through the machines again.

"It's not very exciting. It's kind of like watching grass grow," said Washington Secretary of State Ralph Munro, who ordered the recount.

A hand recount would have been mandatory if the difference had been less than 150 votes. Only 16 of Washington's 39 counties use punch card ballots. The rest use optical scan ballots in which voters mark circles with a pencil or pen.

A victory for Cantwell would put the Senate in a 50-50 tie. Republicans would still hold an advantage, though. Under a George W. Bush presidency, Vice President Dick Cheney would break ties in the Senate.

Firestone tire recall nearing completion

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. is nearing completion of its massive tire recall, with supply of replacement tires now outstripping demand and the company encouraging consumers who still have recalled tires to check in with dealers.

The Nashville-based tiremaker had replaced 5.3 million tires - about 82 percent of those still on the road - by Friday, spokesman James Loduca said yesterday.

In August, the company announced plans to recall 14.4 million P235/75R15 size Firestone ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires that had been linked to fatal wrecks, most in the Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle. The companies estimated that about 6.5 million tires were still in use because many were made during the mid-1990s.

Officials with Bridgestone/Firestone initially estimated the recall would be completed by next summer.

But under pressure from Ford and safety advocates, the company accelerated tire production and airlifted tires from plants overseas to accommodate the flood of motorists wanting to quickly replace their tires. And after public outcry, the companies allowed competitors to provide replacement tires; Ford even bought tire molds for other tire makers to increase production.

Microsoft asks court to dismiss lawsuit

WASHINGTON - Arguing that the Microsoft antitrust trial had been "infected with error," attorneys for the software giant yesterday asked a federal appeals court to throw out the landmark case, including a judge's order to break up the company for violating federal antitrust laws.

In its filing to U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Microsoft denied that its Windows products amounted to a monopoly for personal-computer operating systems. The company said that the government had not proven its case that Microsoft had broken antitrust laws to protect and maintain that monopoly.