Or does it mean Kerry lost by 119K, not 136K, meaning he was 17K closer to winning that earlier thought, but still 119K off? I can't tell from the tortured wording.
Tortured is right. This may not be the writer's fault, necessarily, there could be an editor's bias at work, just as easily.
Here we have but the latest example of the MSM's anti-Bush procedure. When something might appear favorable to the President, jump through all the clumsy grammatical hoops you possibly can to make it appear derogatory.
They're just as petty as tantrum-prone children.
I think it means that Kerry will have to duplicate the improvement through about six more recounts before they can declare the election "stolen".