Sen. Coleman Sues Al Franken

[240 is Back]

(semi-)Funny man beats incumbent.  Yes, it's a change election.

[Dos Equis]

Potential powder keg.  Reid and the Senate better stay out of this one. 

With big stakes, U.S. Senate could decide Coleman-Franken race
by Tom Scheck, Minnesota Public Radio
November 28, 2008

St. Paul, Minn. — Local elections officials are expected to resume recounting votes in the U.S. Senate election on Monday after taking time off for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The entire recount must be done by next Friday, Dec. 5. The State Canvassing Board then meets on December 16 to start reviewing challenged ballots. The board intends to declare either Norm Coleman or Al Franken the winner a few days later.

But even then, the election may not be settled. A court challenge is likely, and both sides are preparing for the possibility that the Senate itself could weigh in.

After saying for weeks that he was going to take the recount process one step at a time, Democrat Al Franken's attorney now appears to be jumping ahead.

On Wednesday the State Canvassing Board rejected Franken's appeal to review any rejected absentee ballots, but the board did leave open the chance that they could examine any rejected ballots that were discarded for errors outside the voter's control. Afterwards Franken's Attorney Marc Elias said he would continue to work to make sure that all legitimate votes are counted.

"There are a number of ways that this can happen. Whether it is at the county level, before the State Canvassing Board, before the courts of Minnesota or before the United States Senate, we do not know, but we remain confident that one way or another, all lawful votes will be counted in this election," said Elias.

The Senate's top Democrat Harry Reid also weighed in on the canvassing board's ruling. In a statement he called the decision "a cause for great concern" and urged Minnesota authorities to ensure that no voter is disenfranchised. The comments by Elias and Reid have increased the potential that the Senate may take the rare step of weighing in on the race.

"Ultimately, the Senate has complete authority to determine who was elected," said Washington University political scientist Steven Smith.

According to Smith the Constitution allows the Senate to be the final arbiter of its membership. Smith said the Senate does so by determining the qualifications of each member. On most occasions, Smith said the Senate simply accepts a state's election certificate, but it has diverted course a few times.

"There is a motion under Senate rules and precedents that allows any Senator to make a motion to refer the credentials to a committee, presumably the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, which has jurisdiction over election matters, in order to delay action on it," explained Smith.

In other words, the Senate could start its own investigation into the election and vote counting. If that action is taken, it's conceivable that Franken's argument regarding rejected absentee ballots could be reconsidered by the Senate.

"So, if this is like cases in the past in the House and the Senate, we could have staff members, or even Senators, sitting there looking at these contested ballots. It could come down to that," said Smith.

Smith said the Senate last weighed in on a serious election contest in 1974.

The contest involved a dispute between two New Hampshire candidates. After several recounts, the Senate moved to seat the Democrat. The motion was brushed back several times by Republicans who filibustered the issue. After months of wrangling, the Senate declared the seat vacant and ordered another election, which the Democrat won.

The possibility that the Senate, which is now controlled by 58 Democrats, could weigh in on Minnesota's election is a worry for Republican Norm Coleman's campaign.

For weeks Coleman's attorneys and Republican surrogates have warned that Franken was laying the groundwork for the Senate to consider the election.

Coleman spokesman Mark Drake called on Franken to abandon any efforts to get the Senate to weigh in on the race when the body seats its new members in January.

"We fear that that's where it's headed, and I think Al Franken owes it to the people of Minnesota to reject any and all efforts to stop a Minnesota Senator from being sworn in on the 6th. If the recount shows that Norm Coleman prevailed, as we expect it to. Al Franken should respect that," said Drake.

Drake said the Coleman campaign is preparing for a lengthy fight either in court or in the Senate.

Political scientist Steven Smith doubts the Senate will get involved. But he said there could be a real temptation for Democrats to consider the option, if Franken loses to Coleman by only a few dozen votes. But he said Democrats know a nasty floor fight could take away from all of the other business they want to conduct over the next several months.

[240 is Back]

Potential powder keg.  Reid and the Senate better stay out of this one. 

Just like the repubs stayed out of the 2000 eleciton in FL? 

[Dos Equis]

The drama continues. 

Franken Opens First Lead in Minn. Senate Race

Friday, December 19, 2008 10:20 AM

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Democrat Al Franken has edged ahead of Republican incumbent Norm Coleman for the first time in Minnesota's long-running U.S. Senate recount.

Franken opened up a lead as a state Canvassing Board made its way through hundreds of ballots challenged in the race.

Franken gained his advantage as the board weighed challenges by the Coleman campaign. But as many as 5,000 withdrawn challenges from both campaigns won't be awarded until Monday, and the lead could change again.

The board has also rejected a request by Coleman to exclude some ballots his campaign had argued were duplicates.

Meanwhile, there is uncertainty over a potential pool of 1,600 incorrectly rejected absentee ballots, which the Supreme Court said Thursday could be added to the count if the campaigns and election officials can agree on a plan for doing that.
 
http://www.newsmax.com/politics/Franken_Opens_First_Lead_/2008/12/19/163672.html

[garebear]

The drama continues. 

Franken Opens First Lead in Minn. Senate Race

Friday, December 19, 2008 10:20 AM

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Democrat Al Franken has edged ahead of Republican incumbent Norm Coleman for the first time in Minnesota's long-running U.S. Senate recount.

Franken opened up a lead as a state Canvassing Board made its way through hundreds of ballots challenged in the race.

Franken gained his advantage as the board weighed challenges by the Coleman campaign. But as many as 5,000 withdrawn challenges from both campaigns won't be awarded until Monday, and the lead could change again.

The board has also rejected a request by Coleman to exclude some ballots his campaign had argued were duplicates.

Meanwhile, there is uncertainty over a potential pool of 1,600 incorrectly rejected absentee ballots, which the Supreme Court said Thursday could be added to the count if the campaigns and election officials can agree on a plan for doing that.
 
http://www.newsmax.com/politics/Franken_Opens_First_Lead_/2008/12/19/163672.html

glad to hear it

[Dos Equis]

What did we do to deserve Harry Reid? 

GOP Vows to Block Franken From U.S. Senate

Friday, January 2, 2009 2:54 PM

By: David A. Patten 

Republicans will filibuster any attempt to seat Minnesota Democrat Al Franken when Congress convenes next week, Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn warned his Democratic colleagues Friday.

It was the latest salvo in the war of words touched off this week when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., suggested Franken was drawing near to clinching a victory — despite the fact that as many as 2,000 votes are uncounted and numerous legal challenges loom.

"At this stage, it appears that Franken will be certified the winner by the State Canvassing Board,” a statement from Reid’s office declared Tuesday. “We're keeping abreast of the situation and will make a decision with regard to Senate action at the appropriate point in the process."

That statement drew a sharp rebuke from GOP leaders.

“The American people will see right through Harry Reid’s crass partisan power grab,” Ken Blackwell, who is a leading contender for the GOP chairmanship, told Newsmax. “He wants to manufacture a filibuster-proof majority to push through his liberal agenda.”

Cornyn, the new chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, left little doubt Republicans would fight any attempt to make a Franken victory appear a foregone conclusion by seating him early.

“I can assure you there will be no way that people on our side of the aisle would agree to seat any senator provisionally or otherwise unless there is a valid election certificate and all legal issues with regard to who got the most votes is finally decided,” Cornyn told reporters during a conference call Friday.

Cornyn said he is confident that no Republican would cross the aisle to support seating someone whose election victory has not yet been formally certified. Doing so, he said, would cause “damage to the Senate and its reputation as an institution,” adding, “It would be a recipe for chaos.”

Minnesota officials hope to complete their recount by Saturday, and will review ballot challenges on Monday. They could declare a winner Tuesday.

Legal challenges are likely to drag on for weeks, however.
 
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/Coleman_Franken_recount/2009/01/02/167253.html

[Dos Equis]

Panel to declare Franken winner of Senate race
From Chris Welch
CNN
     
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- A state election board on Monday will announce Democrat Al Franken has defeated Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race, state officials told CNN Sunday.

The canvassing board on Monday will say a recount determined Franken won by 225 votes, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie told CNN.

However, Coleman's campaign, which contends the recount should have included about 650 absentee ballots it says were improperly rejected in the initial count, has indicated it will challenge the certification.

Coleman campaign manager Cullen Sheehan said his team believes the recount process was broken and that "the numbers being reported will not be accurate or valid."

"The effort by the Franken campaign, supported by the secretary of state, to exclude improperly rejected absentee ballots is indefensible and disenfranchises hundreds of Minnesota voters," Sheehan said.

After the results are certified, Coleman's campaign will have seven days to file a challenge.

The initial count from the November 4 election put Coleman, a first-term senator, 215 votes ahead of Franken -- known for his stint on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" and as a former talk-show host on progressive radio network Air America.

The slim margin triggered an automatic recount.

During the recount, Franken's campaign alleged that thousands of absentee ballots had been improperly rejected and asked that they be counted. The state's Supreme Court eventually ordered that rejected absentee ballots be counted if local officials and each campaign could agree that the selected ballots were rejected mistakenly.

About 950 initially rejected absentee ballots were counted Saturday after all parties agreed on them. However, Coleman's campaign said about 650 other rejected absentee ballots -- many of them from pro-Coleman areas -- also were improperly rejected and should have been counted.

The Coleman campaign has also alleged that more than 100 ballots may have been accidentally counted twice and may have unfairly benefited Franken.

"When a candidate is leading because of double counted votes, and votes that get counted even when ballots don't exist, it clearly means that a [post-election challenge] is the only likely remedy to ensure a fair outcome," Sheehan said.

Franken's attorney, Marc Elias, in a statement said: "The next step is the canvass board's meeting tomorrow, where we have every expectation they will declare that Al Franken won this election."

Deputy Secretary of State Jim Gelbmann, who oversaw Saturday's tallying of the 950 improperly rejected absentee ballots, said the only thing left for the canvassing board to do Monday is certify the numbers. The board's meeting will convene at 2:30 p.m.

"Candidates may have objections or suggestions or comments that they want to make," Gelbmann said. "I would assume the canvassing board will allow that as long as they're brief."

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York and chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, issued a statement Sunday declaring Franken the winner and expressing confidence Franken would remain on top following any legal battle.

"There is no longer any doubt who will be the next senator from Minnesota," Schumer said. "Even if all the ballots Coleman claims were double counted or erroneously added were resolved in his favor, he still wouldn't have enough votes to win."

Schumer also said it is "crucial" Minnesota's second seat in the Senate not go empty, implying Franken should be seated when the rest of the Senate convenes to be sworn in Tuesday.

Minnesota's other seat is held by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat.

Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has pledged a GOP filibuster if the Democrat-controlled Senate attempts to seat Franken before all legal battles play out and before Minnesota's Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, can co-sign the secretary of state's certificate.

Ritchie said the state has no problem with not having two sworn-in senators Tuesday until the process is completed.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/04/minnesota.senate.race/index.html

[The Coach]

Panel to declare Franken winner of Senate race
From Chris Welch
CNN
     
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- A state election board on Monday will announce Democrat Al Franken has defeated Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race, state officials told CNN Sunday.

The canvassing board on Monday will say a recount determined Franken won by 225 votes, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie told CNN.

However, Coleman's campaign, which contends the recount should have included about 650 absentee ballots it says were improperly rejected in the initial count, has indicated it will challenge the certification.

Coleman campaign manager Cullen Sheehan said his team believes the recount process was broken and that "the numbers being reported will not be accurate or valid."

"The effort by the Franken campaign, supported by the secretary of state, to exclude improperly rejected absentee ballots is indefensible and disenfranchises hundreds of Minnesota voters," Sheehan said.

After the results are certified, Coleman's campaign will have seven days to file a challenge.

The initial count from the November 4 election put Coleman, a first-term senator, 215 votes ahead of Franken -- known for his stint on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" and as a former talk-show host on progressive radio network Air America.

The slim margin triggered an automatic recount.

During the recount, Franken's campaign alleged that thousands of absentee ballots had been improperly rejected and asked that they be counted. The state's Supreme Court eventually ordered that rejected absentee ballots be counted if local officials and each campaign could agree that the selected ballots were rejected mistakenly.

About 950 initially rejected absentee ballots were counted Saturday after all parties agreed on them. However, Coleman's campaign said about 650 other rejected absentee ballots -- many of them from pro-Coleman areas -- also were improperly rejected and should have been counted.

The Coleman campaign has also alleged that more than 100 ballots may have been accidentally counted twice and may have unfairly benefited Franken.

"When a candidate is leading because of double counted votes, and votes that get counted even when ballots don't exist, it clearly means that a [post-election challenge] is the only likely remedy to ensure a fair outcome," Sheehan said.

Franken's attorney, Marc Elias, in a statement said: "The next step is the canvass board's meeting tomorrow, where we have every expectation they will declare that Al Franken won this election."

Deputy Secretary of State Jim Gelbmann, who oversaw Saturday's tallying of the 950 improperly rejected absentee ballots, said the only thing left for the canvassing board to do Monday is certify the numbers. The board's meeting will convene at 2:30 p.m.

"Candidates may have objections or suggestions or comments that they want to make," Gelbmann said. "I would assume the canvassing board will allow that as long as they're brief."

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York and chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, issued a statement Sunday declaring Franken the winner and expressing confidence Franken would remain on top following any legal battle.

"There is no longer any doubt who will be the next senator from Minnesota," Schumer said. "Even if all the ballots Coleman claims were double counted or erroneously added were resolved in his favor, he still wouldn't have enough votes to win."

Schumer also said it is "crucial" Minnesota's second seat in the Senate not go empty, implying Franken should be seated when the rest of the Senate convenes to be sworn in Tuesday.

Minnesota's other seat is held by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat.

Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has pledged a GOP filibuster if the Democrat-controlled Senate attempts to seat Franken before all legal battles play out and before Minnesota's Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, can co-sign the secretary of state's certificate.

Ritchie said the state has no problem with not having two sworn-in senators Tuesday until the process is completed.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/04/minnesota.senate.race/index.html

If this election gets certified, it will be the biggest fraud election in recent memory. If it's at all possible, he's less quaified than Obama. Dudes not even quaified for dog catcher. Makes totally sick to my stomach..........buton the good side, it only reassures the Republicans will regain power in 2010 & 12.

[2ND COMING]

If this election gets certified, it will be the biggest fraud election in recent memory. If it's at all possible, he's less quaified than Obama. Dudes not even quaified for dog catcher. Makes totally sick to my stomach..........buton the good side, it only reassures the Republicans will regain power in 2010 & 12.

its called democracy


 

[The Coach]

its called democracy


 

Ok dude, whatever.......finding boxes of uncounted ballots that people just happend to find in the back of officials cars that they ALL just happened to be in Frankins favor is really democratic......but I guess for Democrats it is democratic

[2ND COMING]

Ok dude, whatever.......finding boxes of uncounted ballots that people just happend to find in the back of officials cars that they ALL just happened to be in Frankins favor is really democratic......but I guess for Democrats it is democratic

dude turn on your sarcasm radar!!!

[240 is Back]

Ok dude, whatever.......finding boxes of uncounted ballots that people just happend to find in the back of officials cars that they ALL just happened to be in Frankins favor is really democratic......but I guess for Democrats it is democratic

Ohio 2004 called.  They wanted their irony back.

[Eyeball Chambers]

Ohio 2004 called.  They wanted their irony back.

LOL, literally...

[BM OUT]

Ohio 2004 called.  They wanted their irony back.

Really?Please tell us how Ohio was ANYTHING like this.Ohio was minorities complaining of voter intimidation,funny how they never ever find one vote who was intimidated.

[240 is Back]

Really?Please tell us how Ohio was ANYTHING like this.Ohio was minorities complaining of voter intimidation,funny how they never ever find one vote who was intimidated.

earth to billy... i'm not talking about 'voter intimidation'.  I'm takling about the whole massive computer fraud thing.

Of couse, we could ask the guy who was about to testify against Rove, but his small plane took a wrong turn at the corner of Massive and Fireball, just last month.

Please, try and keep up with the news mate.

[shootfighter1]

I just cannot believe we are going to have an unqualified idiot like Franken in the senate at this crucial time.

The whole thing seems shifty to me.  I know its not in the rules, but I would have a second election.

[BM OUT]

earth to billy... i'm not talking about 'voter intimidation'.  I'm takling about the whole massive computer fraud thing.

Of couse, we could ask the guy who was about to testify against Rove, but his small plane took a wrong turn at the corner of Massive and Fireball, just last month.

Please, try and keep up with the news mate.

Wow,maybe Rove caused the crash.You know,I heard he might be responsible for JFKs killing as well.You guys are nuts.Bush KICKED KERRYS ASS!!!!Kicked his ass!!!You guys cried like girls after Bush beat Gore.They did 50 recounts and Bush won EVERYTIME!!!Get over it.Your grasping at straws.Why is it when democrats get crushed they cry "cheaters"?Then,when its clear Franken is cheating you say "thats justice".Obama kicked McCains ass,no republican cries "investigation".Only when its a case so blatant like Franken do you hear a peep.

[The Coach]

Ohio 2004 called.  They wanted their irony back.

2004 just called me back and said it was only a liberal bitch with no proof. Seems like everyone is bitching about this election WITH proof.

[Straw Man]

I just cannot believe we are going to have an unqualified idiot like Franken in the senate at this crucial time.

The whole thing seems shifty to me.  I know its not in the rules, but I would have a second election.

Franken will do fine. 

[Straw Man]

will Norm Coleman take his own "advices"

Here's what he said in November when he was ahead:

"Yesterday the voters spoke. We prevailed," Coleman said Wednesday at a news conference. He noted Franken could opt to waive the recount.

"It's up to him whether such a step is worth the tax dollars it will take to conduct," Coleman said, telling reporters he would "step back" if he were in Franken's position.

[tu_holmes]

Ok dude, whatever.......finding boxes of uncounted ballots that people just happend to find in the back of officials cars that they ALL just happened to be in Frankins favor is really democratic......but I guess for Democrats it is democratic

2004 just called me back and said it was only a liberal bitch with no proof. Seems like everyone is bitching about this election WITH proof.

Serious question coach... How different is this from the 2000 recount in florida where you had peoples ballots turned away because of stupid hanging chads and stuff?

I am not saying it's not shifty as hell... It is... but it's no more shifty than how 2000 was won for W. and it's certainly better than some of the shady ass shit that went on in politics before the turn of the century.

Seems as though stealing elections only pisses off the group of people who didn't do the stealing from the get go.

[240 is Back]

2004 just called me back and said it was only a liberal bitch with no proof. Seems like everyone is bitching about this election WITH proof.

lol... the guy who planned to snitch was a Republican loyalist his entire life, and worked very closely with Rove to deliver the results in 2004 despite huge electronic *snafus* and other oddities.

We were about to find out exactly what happens, then the dude's plane crashes (runs outta gas, resulting in huge fireball.... riiiight!)

He's a 'lib', huh?  LMAO...the guy was the biggest hardcore repub in the bunch.

[Dos Equis]

I just cannot believe we are going to have an unqualified idiot like Franken in the senate at this crucial time.

The whole thing seems shifty to me.  I know its not in the rules, but I would have a second election.

Tell me about it.  Shame on the voters for putting this comedian in office (assuming that's what happened) over a guy like Coleman. 

[240 is Back]

Tell me about it.  Shame on the voters for putting this comedian in office (assuming that's what happened) over a guy like Coleman. 

you said Gore was a loser for losing his home state.

Coleman lost his home state to an inexperienced comedian?

Beyond pathetic there...

[Dos Equis]

Yawn.