Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): Too much oil in Craftsman Lawnmower, lawnmower repair, excess oil

Question
I seem to have over-filled our Craftsman 5.5 Gold lawnmower with a B&S motor.  Upon my filling it, it initially blew out thick white smoke and now won't crank at all.  I removed the excess oil by tipping the mower on its side and it still will not crank.  I have not tried to fix it in any other way.  I called a lawnmower repair company in the yellow pages and they said the cost would be $60 to fix the problem.  

As you may have gathered I have no expertise in small engine repair at all. Is there anything I could try without making the problem worse.  

Thanks for your help!

Answer
First off, always tip the mower with the spark plug up.  This will avoid further filling of the cylinder with oil.  Now, you need to remove the spark plug and crank the engine over until it expels all of the excess oil from the cylinder.  Then you need to check the air filter.  It will likely be saturated with oil and will need to be replaced (paper) or cleaned (foam).  Replace the spark plug with a new one (I don't recommend cleaning a plug, unless it's new) and re-check the oil level.  The engine should start right up, smoke for a few seconds and clear up.  Hope this helps.