CNN

Coleman wanted to stop the recount when he was ahead and wanted to exclude the improperly ballots when he was ahead. Now that he is behind, he wants these votes included. Franken wanted all the votes counted when he was behind and when he is ahead. These two clowns both are not particularly palatable but one is a self serving flip flopping hypocrite and the other is a consistent yet annoying comedian.

What's wrong with you people? Why do I keep hearing "They're going to keep counting the votes until Franken wins"? From what I understand there is only one recount. How about...they're going to keep counting the votes until all the votes are counted. I know that sounds a little unfair. And my last thing...I don't know how liberals are to blame for any of this. Most of the heads of state of Minnesota are Repblican and they are the ones in charge of this recount.

The questions I have for all you Bush haters are:

-NAME ONE PERSON IN THE U.S. WHOSE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS WERE VIOLATED BY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION

-HOW MANY TIMES DID THE DEM CONGRESS VOTE TO GIVE BUSH WHAT HE WANTED FOR WAR FUNDING AND THE PATRIOT ACT WHILE TELLING US THAT THE WAR WAS LOST OR ILLEGAL OR BUSH WAS "TRAMPLING ON THE CONSTITUTION" ETC. ETC. ETC.

-HOW MANY TIMES WERE WE ATTACKED AFTER 9/11

-IS IT THE FACT WE ARE SUCCEEDING IN IRAQ THAT OBAMA CAN SEND 30000 TROOPS TO AFGANISTAN

-HOW MANY MONTHS OF STRONG ECONOMIC GROWTH DID WE HAVE DURING THIS ADMINISTRATION

AND BEFORE YOU GO HERE

-HOW MANY DEMS PROFITTED FROM AND PROTECTED FANIE AND FREDIE WHILE THESE FIRMS COOKED THEIR BOOKS AND HELP ENABLE THIS MORTGAGE MELTDOWN WHICH IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE WHOLE ECONOMIC MESS WE ARE IN.

To answer these questions truthfully is to admit that the current Dem party leadership in congress and their freinds in the MSM are corrupt, inept, or taking advantage of the stupidity of the American people to gain power. I say its all three.

April-
I bet you didn't call for a runoff when Bush stole the 2000 election with 345 voted for the entier nation!

@ima kidding,

Slush Dumbaugh and Insane Vanity may rule over your low-self-esteem-life, but those of us with intellect do not bother with the likes of them and others who think as they do. By the way, does Dumbaugh shares the millions he gets paid to doop you and others with you at all?

At this point, who cares who wins, they're both losers as far as I am concerned!

Don't be ridiculous. The election is not being stolen by anyone. Minnesota has one of the most open and honest election systems in the country. People should just take the time to look at the facts before they start pushing their political agenda by making false claims.

Remember that our country is based upon fair and honest elections, and if you get people to falsely believe that the system is corrupt then we all lose! We are the United States of America and a political party can not be allowed destroy the pillars of our democracy to win an election!

The votes are not being recounted by any political hacks; they were recounted by your grandmothers, brothers, mothers and neighbors that were trained to be election judges. Think about it, would you personally lie or cheat to add a few more votes for your candidate of choice and risk your reputation or possibly go to jail? Remember that you have about 10 people watching you count each of those votes.

The manual recount is required by state law is an election this close. There has only been ONE official tally so far and that was on election night. The recount is winding down and the estimates from the newspaper have been giving misleading estimated results. Each candidate was allowed to challenge the decision made by the voting judges and place the votes into a challenge pile. This is what gives the misleading estimated results. If one candidate chose to challenge 10,000 votes for their opponent, those totals are taken out of the tallies (until reviewed by the election commission) and they would instantly have a 10,000 vote lead in the recount! Also, the election commission is made up of court judges from both parties.

All of the false rumors that were spread around the internet have been proved false (check out the local small time newspapers for the articles). The votes lost in the trunk of a car trunk never happen, the statistically impossible vote changes were just cases where the judges called in the wrong totals on election night (Two Harbors and Pine County) that were corrected when they reviewed them the next day. All have been false rumors, just like most of the rumors being spread on this message board.

Just take the time to check out the fact yourself and question your sources.

Id prefer a second election between just Franken and Coleman, no write-ins and no third party candidates. In the situation which is currently happening, no matter who wins they will claim voter fraud and then go blame Dean Barkley

Ima Kidding December 23rd, 2008 7:44 am ET
These crazy liberals!!! They think that just 'cause somebody gets the most votes they're the one that should get elected. Rush and Sean are right – this country is going to h–l in a handbasket!!!!
***************************************************************************
TO- Ima Kidding --You Rush and Sean are going to knock the Bottom out of HELL!!!

If he wins, we can look forward to episodes of "Stewart Smalley Saves Minnesota".

Norm Coleman is a worthless, corrupt, dweeb.

If this slimeball Franken is "selected" (sound familiar?) he will be completely illegitimate. This is corruption plain and simple and the people are sick of it.

Have a second election. That is the only way to be fair.

Your all a bunch of low brow idiots, really pathetic. What a way to make Christ happy on his Birthday, fighting over this. Inclusive liberals my eye, Evangelical Christian ideals from the right my arse. your all whats wrong with this country and you should all be ashamed. Who cares who is going to win, what big difference does it make? None.

Thanks CNN for contually stirring the pot, and keeping Americans divided and at each others throat. You all are such a credit to the human race let me tell you all about it. I know Christmas really dosen't matter to most of you, you all see it as "Annual Gift Time". It is really a holiday you know, you don't have to go to Church to appreciate what Christ did for ALL of you, or the sacrafice he made for ALL of you.

Can you not show eachother love for even one day without "Liberal this, Conservitive that"? Take a look at yourselves, fighting over something that will not even make a difference in your lives, is this how you all want to be remembered? Give it a rest for just one day.

Oh yeah and Merry Christmas.

Lying, cheating and stealing....it's the democrat way.

Franken not Coleman needs to be senator. Coleman has shown he is not interested in uniting this country and any politician who is not should not be allowed to represent the people. United we stand divided we will fall.

Minnesotans will get what they deserve if they are foolish enough to elect Franken, a thug who made his living, such as it was, from racist and misogynist "satire." And people are saying that Caroline Kennedy isn't qualified to serve as a U.S. senator, when a cretin like Franken might be elected??? Maybe the Minnesota state slogan should be changed to "Land of 10,000 Looneytunes."

Seems to me we are seeing Illinois-style counting of the ballots now, all those "new ink" counts, etc.

minnesota deserves his nut case ,,, fits well with jessie venture,,, the cold has warp the voters

Hey GM from MN,

Get in line behind Al Gore if you want to cry about the election process.

Thankfully MN has the decency to make an attempt to count votes and the Supreme Court isn't involved.

It's the "Recount Shuffle," where you recount-recount-recount until the Democrat wins. It's an old game and we've seen it played out many times. Oh, hey look... I "found" some more ballots for Stewart Smalley in my car trunk here in South Texas! Better include 'em!

OK, I'll ask again, WHEN can we storm the castle?

Al Franken is leading??

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This recount has been checked forward and backwards by Republicans and Democrats. Whatever the end result is, whether the winner is Coleman or Franken, that'll be who actually legitimately won.

And the recount occurred because the margin was well within the .5% margin that, by Minnesota state law, automatically triggers a mandatory recount.

This isn't win at any cost, this isn't dirty politics, by the Democrats OR the Republicans. The margin was close. It was REAL close. An automatic recount was automatically triggered, and both parties are making sure all the ballots are checked and all the votes are counted. Republican or Democrat, deal with it.

It's amazing that the far right laments on Al possible win, accusing him of anything to not being qualified to take the Senate seat. Yet, these same person stood by their prose to support a 6 year college grad in Journalism, that attended 6 plus schools in pursue of that graduation, became sport journalist, then a small time mayor and recently a governor of 650k plus people for Vice President. Give it a rest. We will be fine.

bill:

According to MN law, there were NO initial results to "overturn". State law mandates a recount when the vote is this close so Fraken hasn't done anything except let the process dictated by law play out. Coleman has done the same thing.

Whose a Democrat?:

In Minnesota, decades ago the Democratic party merged with the Farmer and Labor parties creating the DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) Party. Everyone up here just refers to Democrats as DFLers.

December 23rd, 2008 8:27 am ET

I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU!!!!!!!!

THEY WOULD KEEP COUNTING UNTIL THEY FOUND AWAY FOR FRANKEN TO WIN.

FRANKEN LOST THIS ELECTION LAST MONTH BUT THE DEMS AND CROOKED PEOPLE CALLED FOR A RECOUNT AND FIXED IT SO FRANKEN WOULD WIN.

AMAZING HOW EVERYTHING WORKS IN TODAYS WORLD!!!!!!!!

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On the contrary approx 1600 votes aren't being counted because Normie knows that they'll likely favor Al more than him.

Idiot.

Coleman was lucky enough to have a 3rd party come in and grab so many votes.

If there wasn't a decent 3rd party candidate, Coleman would have lost by double digits.

Funny-you die hard neocons had no problem with BUSH v GORE. Bush stole TWO elections. One in Florida (2000)when he had his gangsters stop the counting in Miami, and then in Ohio (2004).

Get over it. Havn't the NeoCons done enough har th this country?

Steve is right. How come an automatic runoff hasn't been done yet? This has gone on for far too long now.

@ BILL.......... I read your post, and it was thoughtful. Here is the thing, BILL, I for one, did not vote for President-elect Obama to "slap Bush down". I voted for President-elect Obama because Bush has all but destroyed our Nation!

The thing that most conservatives do not seem to understand, is that the vile politics of the McCain/Republican campaign was REJECTED by a vast majority of Americans!

At Palin rallies, we heard "Kill Him!" We heard "terrorist!" We heard ALL sorts of LIES on McCain & RNC commercials...... over and over and over.

What our Nation REJECTED and voted AGAINST was the .....LIES, HATE, FEAR AND DIVISION SPEWED BY THE REPUBLICANS!

Also, we REJECTED the Bush Doctrine, the questioning of our Patriotism simply because we questioned the Bush/Cheney decision to attack a sovereign country, Iraq.

One last thing, BILL, the FACT that Bush/Cheney lied, that they condoned torture, ignored the law and our Constitution are ALL reasons that I voted for Barack Obama. PLUS, OBAMA offered me something that I have not heard since JFK.......... inspiration instead of FEAR....... hope instead of HATE......... and a UNITED country instead of as Palin said "Real America....."

This country needs an Al Franken. He is intelligent and tough. To those who say the democrats are angry, painting conservatives as people who are war hungry and do not care about the planet, consider that we have watched this country deteriorate before our very eyes over the last eight years. The Repubilican party has run amok, and we have watched in horror. Yes, we are angry, but mostly we are terrified. The financial world is collapsing and global warming is threatening life on the planet.
Give the democrats a chance to try and undo the damage. Give old Al a chance.

Obama show, your idiocy never fails to amuse me. Franken didn't lose, and he didn't start the recount process. It was mandated by state law. They're not counting over and over, they're counting everything once. All the blather in this thing is coming from the Coleman side, not surprisingly. The first thing out of Coleman's mouth was "You should concede!" even though not all votes had been counted. And which side was it again that challenged over twice as many ballots as the other? Whatever it takes to win, indeed.

These crazy conservatives think that they can call the election from home on the blog rather than be bothered by a fair and transparent recount process. Amazing. Let the process work. It worked for Bush in 2000, perfectly fair. Let it do the same in Minnesota. As we accepted Bush in FL, we have to accept the outcome, whatever it is, in MN.

For those of you who think that Franken will not get much respect in the senate, I would like to remind you of Ted Stevens, Larry Craig and the big five from the south (McConnel, Chambliss, Vitters, Corker, and Shelby), they are the real jokes in the senate. At least Ted is gone.

I've been watching this recount live, on-line, and it is being very professionally done on all sides. Minnesota should be proud. Every person that wanted to vote has been able to vote (unlike Florida and Ohio), and all legitimate votes ARE being counted (unlike Florida and Ohio).

The "double votes" some are referring to have to do with ballots that were unable to be sent though the calculation machine and had to be reproduced. There were a smattering of these all over the state, and everyone wants to make sure they were handled properly. The Franken team doubts there is an issue here, but we will see. They are not trying to stop the review.

The absentee ballots have to do with clerical error when the ballots were set aside and not counted. There was a misunderstanding by some about what was legally required (like a zip code) to count the ballots, and clerical errors have been found. Those votes SHOULD be counted, because it was not a voter error, but an error made by the staff counting votes. Each team will review and agree on each ballot IN THE SECRECY ENVELOPE BEFORE IT IS OPENED. So this is fair, and just common sense.

Whomever wins will have earned it.

Steve December 23rd, 2008 7:48 am ET

..........The fact that a coin flip will decide this race if it is tied is the most ridiculous law in the American political system.........

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Steve,

The 'coin flip' was an honored means of settling legal disputes up to about 130 years ago.

The shame is not the fact that a coin flip may decide this election; the shame is that the state of Minnesota hasn't updated its election tie-break laws in 140+ years.

Minnesota has proven themselves a bigger joke than I. Frankenstein the Comedian is obviously destined to be their senator.

I am glad that Minnesota (unlike FL in 2000 or Ohio in 2004) counts all the votes. Now if Norm would bow out gracefully, it would be a good day.

Why did they not have a run-off election like we did here in Georgia? It would have been quicker and cheaper and lawyers wouldn't be involved.
Oh, I remember now why there wasn't a run-off. Franken would have been destroyed Coleman picked up 90% of the third party candidate's votes. How can Franken claim a legitimate victory by 50 votes with only 43% of the the electorate voting for him. Coleman would have won a run-off 55% to 45% and Franken knows it. You can't claim Bush stole Florida without admitting Franken will steal Minnesota.

Apparently Minnesota is full of morons that can't follow or don't care about pre-defined directions..

Looking more like the 2004 Governor's election in Washington, where the counting was done until the Dem finally got ahead by 10 votes and the overvotes (more votes than registered voters) in heavily Dem areas were part of the count.

Coleman's people are saying that some Franken votes were counted TWICE?

That's kinda pathetic. Tell your supporters to grow up, Norm.
You lost.

I hope Al Franken wins.

Norm colemans is a slimeball that followed the failed policies of bush. throw the bum out !

Al,you've gotta be kiddin me !!!

I read that some ballots may have been counted twice? Good Lord, hold another election. Whoever wins the recount will not be legitimate to half the voters.

Pathetic...
No Shame in business, politics, banking.

Where are we headed?

That's right. And John McCain had Obama "right where he wanted them" a week before the election. This is loser-speak if I've ever heard it.

This is such b.s. Is Franken going to keep counting the votes until they come out in his favor?

keep bringing in the professionals from florida... they stole one election, they can steal another

Is anyone surprised the republican is not accepting defeat, even though it is so clear he lost? He's probably surprised because he''s thinking, gee, I thought I paid those guys lots of money to rig the election in my favor to begin with?

I am an election weary conservative, with no great affection for Bush and admittedly still quite concerned about how far left the country can stretch itself before it breaks the cental tether we have always had as the country sways left to right.

There was so much anger in all the last 12 months, Obama supporters against Hillary, Republicans portrayed as evil greedy war mongers with no concern for the planet, their kids, or the future.

I just offer here, as someone married to a Democrat and that tries at least to be fair, that is this really the type of outcome you want in Minnesota, that this guy is who you want representing you in the US Senate.

I get your infatuation with Obama and you willingness to vote for anyone to slap down George Bush, but does it really mean draggin along anyone who has a famous name or comedy routine that runs as a Democrat, is that what we want to become?

Before the hate reaction comes to accuse the Republicans would do the same thing, I would not. I am from VA and voted for Mark Warner even thought I supported McCain for President.

I caution the mindless following on both sides of the isle, and hope there is no dirty dealing to get this guy in a seat he seems to having alot of help finding votes to overturn the intitial results.

This has taken too long and may eventually create some mistrust and a doubt of fairness. They should have run off to bring an end to this and restore public confidence.

Go Al! Deal another blow to the politics of hate!

Al Franken will make a great senator. he will win!

Unreal. Makes Florida look nice and clean. Win at any cost, even if it means distorting the will of the people. It's all about power and no tactic is off limits. I suggest new election laws. Life with no parole if violated? Afterall, what is more sacred than the honest elections to sustain our Republic.

Why isn't the recount mess in Minnesota getting a bigger play at CNN? I know that CNN want's Franken, but does that mean putting such a spin on the factual news? When did editorial bias allow for factual stories to be so buried at CNN? I am being forced to turn to FOXNEWS more and more to get a real balance. You used to at least report the news.

For votes with less than a two percent margin, perhaps there ought to be a backup plan? Say an automatic runoff six weeks following the original poll? I pose two percent because in science, two percent is statistically insignificant, in other words, a tie.

Good luck Al! America and the world hopes you win so the Republicans can keep dropping like flies.

Colman needs Sandra Day O'conner. She really came through for W in 2000. Maybe she can make them stop the re-count cause you know "if you count them all the Democrat might win."

Look at the picture of the ballot. Franken is a Democrat-Farmer-Labor.

Wow, he's a triple threat.

And I thought he was just a rich white man who doesn't know the difference between funny and mean.

I hope Franken wins, but I wish they would get it over and done with!!

I feel like Al Pacino in The Godfather III: "Just when I thought I was out,, they pull me back in."

There is so much inconsistency in the way the votes have been awarded, this HAS to turn around..... go to the Minnesota Secretary of State recount page and you can view all the actual ballots in question. Its unbelievable! Franken is plain stealing thias election. But that's par for the course for left-wing politics.

Go Al! I know that republicans will soon start screaming bloody foul. They will holler about stealing the election. To them I say how does it feel to have the sins of your past (Bush) come back and hit you in the face like an old shoe?

I'll believe it when it is over. Don't do any more postings until this is settled and over. This like a train wreck or car accident in slow motion. Just let me know the official word. Even if the Democrats win this one, there is no way that they will get 60 seats in the Senate. Even if they did, there wouldn't be a filabuster proof amount because Democrats allow more opinions than the Republicans who must be in lock step or be thrown out.

I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU!!!!!!!!

THEY WOULD KEEP COUNTING UNTIL THEY FOUND AWAY FOR FRANKEN TO WIN.

FRANKEN LOST THIS ELECTION LAST MONTH BUT THE DEMS AND CROOKED PEOPLE CALLED FOR A RECOUNT AND FIXED IT SO FRANKEN WOULD WIN.

AMAZING HOW EVERYTHING WORKS IN TODAYS WORLD!!!!!!!!

So why are all these lawyers who helped Cheney steal 2000 rushing to advise how to steal from Franken? After all, even in Franken wins Dems only have 58. One of those is Liarberman, so there's no way a supermajority to prevent Reps blocking needed legislation – i.e. needed by people not lobbyists.

Only reason I can think of – they are practicing for 2012, which will again be close enough to steal, as African-American turnout will be down. The Reps will have a candidate in Palin who, like Bush, is stupid enough to be entirely manipulable by her VP.

Now this figures......bush/cheney lawyer involved with this recount.
Yep..................ready to steal yet another spot?

I am, once again, deeply concerned that an election is being decided by analyzing ballots of people too stupid to mark their ballots according to the simplest instructions.

In my opinion, any ballot not marked in accordance to the instructions is an invalid ballot.

AL will never be respected in Congress, He'll only be looked at as a left wing kook voting tool.

This is a great case for an automatic runoff. No one will ever know the real winner of this race because of the anti-democratic tactics exercised by both sides. The fact that a coin flip will decide this race if it is tied is the most ridiculous law in the American political system. Just think: these two candidates spent tens of millions of dollars during the campaign and the subsequent recount fiasco and then a simple toss of a silver dollar will determine the state's representative for the next six years. This is democracy in action?

These crazy liberals!!! They think that just 'cause somebody gets the most votes they're the one that should get elected. Rush and Sean are right – this country is going to h–l in a handbasket!!!!