A bit late in the day, the Marshall Independent tells Norm Coleman to give up his election-contest appeal. That returns us to a tie (9-9) in the Quit vs. Continue battle among state dailies.

The Independent notes that it’s telling Coleman to go even though the paper endorsed him last fall. They’re not alone: at least four pro-Coleman papers have switched (Marshall, Worthington, Albert Lea and Bemidji).

Here’s the updated tote board:

Quit now, Norm (9)
♦ St. Cloud Times
♦ Worthington Daily Globe
♦ Albert Lea Tribune
♦ Winona Daily News
♦ Faribault Daily News
♦ Owatonna People’s Press
♦ Bemidji Pioneer
♦ Marshall Independent
♦ Minnesota Daily

Stay the course for now, Norm (9)
♦ Star Tribune
♦ Pioneer Press
♦ Duluth News-Tribune
♦ Rochester Post-Bulletin (second item)
♦ Mankato Free Press
♦ West Central Tribune
♦ Crookston Daily Times (with plenty of snark)
♦ New Ulm Journal
♦ Mesabi Daily News (Virginia, Mn.)

Lamely wishy-washy (2)
♦ Fargo-Moorhead Forum
♦ Grand Forks Herald

Unheard-from or unfound (8)
♦ Fairmont Sentinel
♦ Red Wing Republican-Eagle
♦ Morris Sun-Tribune
♦ International Falls Daily Journal
♦ Austin Daily Herald
♦ Brainerd Daily Dispatch
♦ Fergus Falls Daily Journal
♦ Hibbing Daily Tribune