A heated debate, as Josh posted below, two court cases about a $75,000 payment that is ethically murky at best and a party activist calling a sitting U.S. Senator a "lying sack of crap." What happened to that "Minnesota Nice" thing we've heard so much about?

Just hours before voters head to the polls, two surveys show Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken running neck and neck, with each trading leads. The Star Tribune Minnesota Poll surveyed 933 likely voters 10/29-31 for a margin of error of +/- 3.2%. Coleman, Franken and Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley were tested.

General Election Matchup
Franken........42 (+3 from last, 10/17)
Coleman........38 (+2)
Barkley........15 (-3)

While the Star Tribune hasn't showed Coleman leading since early September, other polls are showing the freshman Republican making a comeback. A Research 2000/DailyKos poll surveyed 600 likely voters 10/27-29 for a margin of error of +/- 4%.

General Election Matchup
(All / Dem / GOP / Ind)
Coleman....43 / 10 / 89 / 41 (+4 from last, 10/16)
Franken....40 / 74 / 4 / 30 (-1)
Barkley....15 / 13 / 6 / 28 (-3)

Franken leads by a wide 45%-33% margin among those who have already voted, but Barkley, the least-funded of the three candidates, is clearly taking a toll on what has become the most expensive race in the country. The Star-Tribune estimates an incredible $40 million will be spent on the race by both candidates and outside groups.

The race has been roiled in the last week by a lawsuit -- now joined by a second suit, Minnesota Independent reports -- that alleges a prominent Coleman backer funneled thousands to the senator's wife, charges Coleman loudly denies.

Coleman has even used a television ad to accuse Democrats of waiting until the last week of the election to leak the story. "What a lying sack of crap," Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor chairman Brian Melendez said, per the Associated Press. (Just to clear up any confusion, Melendez added: "You can quote me on that.") Melendez later apologized.

The picture is muddled in Minnesota, but one thing's for sure: Neither Coleman nor Franken will win Mr. Congeniality.