AP reports on Daschle v. Thune

The AP is reporting: "Daschle takes Thune to court on night before election." Excerpt:

During a break in the hearing, Daschle spokesman Dan Pfeiffer and Thune campaign manager Dick Wadhams got into a back-and-forth exchange with reporter.

Pfeiffer said Thune's campaign lied in saying Daschle was trying to keep Republican observers from watching the polls.

"It seeks to stop this behavior," Pfeiffer said of the testimony. "All we're trying to do is to let people vote."

Thune campaign manager Dick Wadhams shot back that the intent was to keep GOP watchers away and lay the groundwork for a judicial challenge of the election results.

"Who goes into court the night before an election if they're not afraid they're going to lose," he said.

Wadhams said Piersol was at one time Daschle's lawyer, the judge was recommended to the bench by Daschle and Piersol's wife supports Daschle's campaign.

"This is a joke," Wadhams said.

UPDATE: The AP has revised the story under the headline "Judge partially grants Daschle's request to limit activity of GOP poll watchers."