Irene --
You must look at all these situations through the "eye of the press" -- if Thune immediately insists on a re-count, he will be raked over the coals as a poor loser, as a whiner, etc. When you consider the unprecedented "whumping" the Dems took in this mid-term election, you have to know that the press is just looking for a whipping boy to stir up bad feelings, and Thune would be perfect... The media will NOT treat him in the same way they treated Algore. Why do you think Pres. Bush issued a no-gloating "rule"? Yes, he is a class act, but he also knows this nation's media well, and he doesn't want to give them even the tiniest excuse to turn this fantastic election result into a devisive issue.
If enough fraud exists to change the outcome in SD, it will be found. Maybe it will be found quickly and Thune will be declared the winner. If not, we will bide our time, and the people of SD will have a mistake to rectify...2 years isn't that long, and we have a majority in both House and Senate...we CAN afford to be gracious (for now)