Franken on top in Minn. recount; Coleman to sue
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In a Sept. 23, 2008 file photo Democratic candidate for the Minnesota Senate Al Franken makes remarks at the National Jewish Democratic Council in Washington. The Minnesota state Canvassing Board is expected to certify the results of the re-count of the race between Franken and Republican incumbant Norm Coleman, Monday, Jan. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson/file)
The Canvassing Board's declaration started a seven-day clock for Coleman, the incumbent, to file a lawsuit protesting the result. His attorney Tony Trimble said the challenge will be filed within 24 hours. The challenge will keep Franken from getting the election certificate he needs to take the seat in Washington.
"This process isn't at an end," Trimble said. "It is now just at the beginning."
Franken, a former "Saturday Night Live" personality, ended the recount up by 225 votes, an astonishingly thin margin in a race where more than 2.9 million votes were cast. The recount reversed the unofficial Election Day results, which showed Coleman with a 215-vote lead.
Franken made up the deficit over seven tortuous weeks of ballot-sifting in part by prevailing on challenges that both campaigns brought to thousands of ballots. He also did better than Coleman when election officials opened and counted more than 900 absentee ballots that had erroneously been disqualified on Election Day.
Coleman's lawyers have argued that some ballots were mishandled and others were wrongly excluded from the recount, giving Franken an unfair advantage. After a Minnesota Supreme Court decision went against Coleman earlier Monday, lead attorney Fritz Knaak said a lawsuit was inevitable.
A lawsuit would extend the fight over the seat for months.
Secretary of State Mark Ritchie was careful to note that the board was simply signing off on the numbers found by the recount: Franken, with 1,212,431 votes, and Coleman, with 1,212,206 votes.
"We're not doing anything today that declares winners or losers or anything to that effect," Ritchie said.
All five members of the canvassing board — Ritchie, plus two state Supreme Court justices and two Ramsey County judges — voted to accept the recount results.
A lawsuit would extend the fight over the seat for months. Any court case would open doors closed to the campaigns during the administrative recount. They would be able to access voter rolls, inspect machines and get testimony from election workers.
The campaigns continued the political maneuvering that has marked the nearly two months of the recount.
Marc Elias, Franken's lead recount attorney, referred to his client as "Senator-elect Franken."
"I stand before you today relieved and happy that I can now say with no uncertainty left that Al Franken won this election with 225 votes," Elias said. "This process worked."
Trimble, meanwhile, said that irregularities in the recount mean there "can be no confidence" in the results. And he said Coleman didn't want any delay in filing a challenge.
Minnesota law doesn't allow the issuance of a final election certificate until legal challenges are settled, meaning the state will be represented only by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, when Congress convenes on Tuesday. Coleman's term expired Saturday.
Comments
That's just great-in some cases democrat controlled areas counted more votes than they have registered voters or voters that voted. Stewart Smalley sues and fights and his ACORN buddy the SecState find unsecured ballots that get counted and as soon as Smalley gets int he lead, it's time to certify Smalley as the winner. who cares who REALLY won, we just want Smalley and another democRAT in.
I thought Ms. Plastic Surgery Pelosi and Hairy Roid were going to make sure this was "the most ethical congress in the entire universe' or whatever bullshit they fed people, and so far int he last two years this ahs been the MOST corrupt I have EVER seen the democrats be.
And what a wonderful "watchdog" we have in the press. Nary a mention of the tax king Cahrlie Rangel and his tax evasion. Not a mention of the guy who replaced Mark Foley of the House Page scandal(I can't even think of hsi name-I could look it up but to not know it proves my point-HE'S NOT MENTIONED AND WE STILL TALK ABOUT FOLEY) who screwed several different whores AFTER being elected to Congress in order "to bring integrity back to that seat". Then, when he's done with the one broad he's pumping on his staff her fires her. We get no investigation on how Obama the Most Merciful could be connected to the corrupt Gov. Blagojevic with know close ties and associations (campaign committes, etc.) We get mention of Hairy Roid and his "I can seat whomever I choose to seat" comments. I bet most of you have never heard Hairy Roid and his "we pay voluntary taxes but God help you if you choose to not pay taxes" interview with some local interviewer.
I am not saying republicans are pure as the wind driven snow- I think most politicians are scumbags on one level or another and it's our own fault to keep electing them and not demanding term limits, but democrats are so blatantly corrupt and will stop at NOTHING to steal elections (see also, Washington State Gubernatorial election and note the picture of "Gov". Gregiore) or even how Algore Junior only tried to recount the three counties controlled by the democrat party machine and tried to throw out military absentee ballots and how that was never discussed.
By and large, democRATS are disgusting lawbreakers and Stewart Smalley will probably bring up their reputation and good standing some, as would Larry Flint. (Sorry Larry, I'm not trying to smear you and ruin your "good" Hustler name by saying you would bring credibility to the national democRAT party, but compared to some of them, you are a more credible person.)
See what happens when all the votes are counted?
Apparently Norm thought Al should "step aside" before all the votes were counted and Norm was up by a few. Now that they have been counted and Al got the most, Norm wants to sue. Typical hypocrisy.
I suppose I can't blame Stewart Smalley for wanting all votes counted(even the one not cast) while not blaming Norm either for wanting all LEGITIMATE votes counted. Stewart knew there where fraudulent ballots out there in some guys trunk and no one in the leftstream media would care if there were more votes counted in a DFL district than voters, while Norm was foolish enough to think Smalley, a nutjob angry failed left winger talk show host a-hole, wouldn't cheat like some Cook County democrat party machine hack.
Guess he was wrong. He's probably not the guy to go to DC and try and take on hairy roid and the other angry lib hacks.
"Stewart knew there where fraudulent ballots out there in some guys trunk"
You have been corrected already yet you refuse to acknowledge the truth. Stop embarrassing yourself.
1. The ballots were never in her car.
2. The ballots were never in anyone’s car for several days.
3. The ballots were never lost or forgotten, and spent Election Night until counting day in secure city facilities.
MinnPost - David Brauer: Minneapolis election director speak...
"Minneapolis city election officials said the 32 ballots were never "missing" and were delivered after Election Day."
Coleman leads Franken by 206 votes
"Knaak also said a Minneapolis attorney reassured Coleman's campaign that no one but an elected official had access to the 32 ballots and there was no tampering."
MPR: Coleman takes recount to court
Oh i'm so reassured harry. We know voter fraud NEVER happens and we know ACORN is on the up and up, which is why we are so confident that the ACORN tied secstate of minnesota is only on the up and up. yes harry, looking through rose colored glasses sure helps.
And now after this debacle, I'm sure the democrats will go along with meaningful precautions such as voter ID and other security measures designed to keep ballots secured, make sure that we don't count more ballots than voters and that dead people and Disney characters are not allowed to vote.
What? Say that again. Really?!? You're kidding me! Democrats ahve consistently fought ANY AND ALL EFFORTS TO KEEP ELECTIONS CLEAN!?!?!?
I'm shocked! (mock indignation) Just SHOCKED! (more mock indignation) I cannot believe that democrats-the peoples' party would try and thwart efforts to stop voter and election fraud even though it's worked for them repeatedly in the past. Just shocked (Yep, more mock indignation)
I find it funny, Craig, that even after all of your talking points were dismantled by actual evidence, you decide you have to continue going on and on. Can't you just admit when you made a mistake or must you go down in flames?
"Can't you just admit when you made a mistake or must you go down in flames?"
I believe he's clearly answered that question with his posts over the past few years. Burn baby burn! :-)
Sorry i refuse to believe a couple of libs who get THEIR talking points from biased sources and blogs.
Since when are the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and Minnesota Public Radio biased sources? I mean it's not like I ever called Al Franken "Stewart Smalley," which is how Bill O'Reilly only refers to him. It's not like I repeated Fox News lies perpetrated by Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly over and over again, even after they've been disproven by the actual government of Minnesota and its Republican governor.
Obviously to the conservative media sheep, evidence is considered "talking points" when it is something they don't want to believe. Bias is anything that contradicts what they insist on believing regardless of the facts. On the other hand, unsubstantiated charges and repeating slogans is, to them, original thought and objective truth? Interesting.