Amid the final flush — THERE's an appropriate verb — of twisted ads, distorted records and impossible-to-keep promises, Connecticut's political season is mercifully unwinding to a close.

On Tuesday, it's up to you to end this pain and enjoy what might be the final time you use the hand crank and levers on our beautiful, old, indestructible voting machines.

And while the choices may be painful, think of the weaning that will be going on at the state's television stations as of next Wednesday, as millions of dollars in dubious Congressional and gubernatorial ads end like lies on the campaign trail. Yes, our long statewide nightmare is nearly over. While the big winners won't be announced until after 8:01 p.m. Tuesday, our Capitol View Awards are being dished out right now.

? The Lamont Cranston Award for Shadow Coverage of Free-Speech Rights goes to that inarticulate Ned Lamont video/blagh duo who recently ambushed Speaker of the House Jim Amann at the Milford train station, charging that he personified the "arrogance of power" and threatened him for supporting Lieberman, in a scenario available at YouTube.com.

? The Nikita Khrushchev Golden Palm for Nonviolence is bestowed upon Amann, for suggesting to the aforementioned blagh/vid ambush that he would happily "crush" any Lamont supporters who might move into town and run against him.

? The Putting on Heirs Battle Ribbon is snapped onto the Round Hill Club blazer of Ned Lamont — great-grandson

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of New York banking mogul Thomas Lamont — who has kind of been telling the truth these last six months when he's said "I started my business from scratch."

? The Scratch That Itch Fact-Finding Proclamation gets read into the record by U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, who during the televised debate in The Bushnell, got his chance to allude to Lamont's inherited wealth as "That's some scratch."

? The Basement Tapes Medallion with Magnetic Filigree is bestowed on the Lamont blagh team, who, starting Wednesday, will be able to return to their previous Internet devotions.

? It's no surprise that the Political String-Theory Evangelical Plaque is handed to New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, a policy guy for whom the word "wonk" is an understated pejorative, but who for nearly three years has taken his tent show around the state offering a vision in which the cities, suburbs and rural areas could live in harmony for a better Connecticut.

? The Starve a Candidate-Praise the Darkness Award goes to The Day newspaper of New London, which, under pressure from DeStefano, banned Green Party gubernatorial nominee Cliff Thornton from a major debate, prompting the League of Women Voters to withdraw its co-sponsorship.

? The Truth Shall Set You Free Silver Punchbowl is presented jointly to U.S. Nancy Johnson and her challenger, state Sen. Chris Murphy for their body of false, misleading and disturbing campaign advertising in a malicious race that's an argument for Connecticut to lose another seat in Congress.

? The F. Scott Fitzgerald "The Very Rich Are Different" Oak Leaf Cluster goes to Lamont, who consistently refuses to reveal his actual wealth any closer than that spacious $90-million to $300-million bracket, all while thinking up new terms to call Lieberman a deceitful liar.

? The Have it Your Way Takeout Menu goes to Lieberman, the party of one who wouldn't accept his Democratic primary defeat, but — looking out for number one like he did while running simultaneous campaigns for Senate and vice president in 2000 — decided to make his own rules. If Lieberman wins on Tuesday, he'll also receive a Connecticut Tourism Map, for his reference upon returning to the state in 2016.

? The Standing Tall Statuette goes to Joe Courtney, the former state lawmaker who was political cannon fodder as Barbara Kennelly's Democratic gubernatorial running mate in 1998, but has now gone toe-to-toe with U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons. If Simmons loses, it probably signals a Democratic takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives, but he'll be able to take home his House-member lapel button.

? The Money Where My Mouth Is Commemorative Coin goes to Gov. Jodi Rell, who had promised the State Republican Party $200,000, until the mid-October Quinnipiac University Poll showed an erosion of 6 points, reducing her projected victory margin to a measly 26 points.

Rell also gets the Silver Garden Clogs to mark her rose-garden political campaign.

? A Travelocity Gift Coupon will be mailed to Diane Farrell, the Fourth District challenger, who trails U.S. Chris Shays, R-4, by 14 trips to Iraq. A Chunk of Authentic Iraq Shrapnel is presented to Chris Shays, for use as a puck in his senior ice-hockey league. ? And finally, the White Star Liner Titanic Life Preserver to Lowell "Big Guy" Weicker — the 75-year-old former governor and senator who promised to come out of political retirement if someone like Lamont didn't spring from the woodwork — who will be cruising the Mediterranean on Election Day, an alibi if there ever was one.

Ken Dixon's Capitol View appears Sundays in the Connecticut Post. You may reach him in the Capitol at (860) 549-4670 or e-mail him at dixon.connpost@snet.net.