ST. PAUL, Minnesota (CNN) - One of the last remaining steps in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race recount was temporarily halted Saturday morning when attorneys with Republican Norm Coleman's campaign attempted to stop the counting of about 950 improperly rejected absentee ballots.
Currently, Coleman trails Democrat Al Franken by about 50 votes.
The state's Supreme Court had previously ordered that rejected absentee ballots be counted if local officials and each campaign could agree that the selected ballots were rejected mistakenly.
Local officials identified 1,350 such ballots. The Franken campaign wanted to count those and leave it at that. The Coleman campaign took issue with hundreds of those and also wanted to add about 650 more. Since the Franken campaign would not agree to these ballots, the Coleman campaign sought the intervention of the state's high court. The court is currently considering their request but has not set a hearing at this point, and it is still unclear if they will.
At the start of Saturday's meeting, Coleman attorney Tony Trimble asked Deputy Secretary of State Jim Gelbmann to cease any counting today.
After about an hour recess to consult the state attorney general's office, Gelbmann returned saying the decision was to "not slow down this process today, get the counting underway."
"We are relying on the oral advice of the attorney general," he added.
Trimble wanted to respond.
"We understand the decision you've made, we–," Trimble said before sharply cut off by Gelbmann.
"Excuse me," Gelbmann said. "I think the candidates have had an opportunity to address this process."
The two men quickly became visibly agitated, with Trimble adding, "This is a public meeting, and I'm going to have my say. And I will have my say."
"Two minutes," Gelbmann said.
"It may be two and half, sir, but I wll have my way," Trimble said sharply.
Gelbmann repeated, "Two minutes."
Trimble then laid out his objection but said they would reluctantly abide by today's process.
"But we do expect that the Supreme Court does permit the review of additional envelopes," he said. "And for the record our willingness to participate in this process...maintains our objection to an inconsistency which is occurring as we speak."
The Coleman campaign has maintained there has been no uniform standard in reviewing and counting rejected absentee ballots.
Secretary of State Mark Ritchie had hoped that the state canvassing board would complete the counting and allocation of these votes by Tuesday at the latest so a result could be confirmed.
A result would not mean a winner, however, since Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty would also have to sign off on the election certificate.
Both campaigns have seven days after the board certifies a result to file a post-election contest. Pawlenty would likely not sign anything until all legal battles are exhausted.
The unfinished business in Minnesota will likely mean Minnesota will be without a second senator when the new session is sworn in this Tuesday. Sen. John Cornyn, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has said GOP members would filibuster any attempt by Democratic leaders to seat Franken early, even if he remains in the lead, until the certificate is signed.
From CNN Politics
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See what Florida started?
I grow weary of reading about this drama in Minnesota.
If the court appointment of George W. Bush in 2000 has taught us anything it is that when the court stops the counting of votes there can be serious consequences. Keep fight'n Al . You are good enough you are strong enough and dogonnit more people voted for you.
Colman needs oral advice?Wheres Roberto Gonzales when we need him?Didnt he fire the judges?
Why is it always the republicans who have a problem with having all the votes counted?
Because at heart they're really just anti-democratic SOBs.
Let's see–Al Franken, Rolland Burris, Caroline Kennedy. Let's see what other nut we can find for the US Senate. The Senate is losing more respect by the minute.
Stop the recount? Why? Because he's losing?
HAHAHA
Republicans are such sore losers......
typical GWB and GOP game plan, look what happen in florida (2000) and ohio (2004). the rethuglicans loves to cheat and be above the law. keep counting minnesota!!! go FRANKEN!!
Too many strange laws to get something so simple completed as counting all ballots. While I hate this process, I'm grateful that this is front and center so that everyone can view how both of our national parties are solely concerned with their own agendas. The people are subordinate to the greater forces at work by both Republicans and Democrats. I don't even care who wins at this point since this whole farce resembles something from a banana republic in the 1970s.
That's two showing up with no certification !
How many times do Republicans have to fight vote-counting before the whole country gets the message?
Also, I wonder how Joe Lieberman will vote on Cornyn's filibuster.
With the money that will get tied up in court over the disputed outcome, wouldn't it be wiser for the State of Minnesota to hold a special runoff election between these two candidates to affirm the electorates desire? That decision should be within the power of the State legislature.
MN now looks like FL with snow. Remember FL in 2000 with the chads??? Here we go again!!!
Does it really matter? Chambliss won GA, so no filibuster-proof majority for the Dems regardless of the MN race.
There will be no victors and vanquished if Coleman insists on conceding after all votes are counted. I trust that the MN supreme court will do the right thing and uphold the results of the elections. Coleman can muster a challenge to Franken in 6 years. But with the problems he has with ethics and investigations, I'm not sure if Coleman will survive the next 6 years in the senate even if he is declared the winner, which is highly doubtful.
It was a travesty when this happened in Florida in 2000; its a travesty now. This is not rocket science, but like anything, when you get lawyers involved its golden in billable hours and P.R.
Where are all the Democrats who screamed about Bush 'stealing' the election now?
I fail to understand why more states don't have mechanisms for run-offs when the vote is this close. Run-offs allow for legitimate 3rd party bids by taking away the "necessity" to vote for one of the primary parties and yet narrows the field down to two when no clear winner exists. As it stands no matter who wins the other side will claim the result was illegitimate. Just look at how, eight years since the 2000 election, people still claim Bush was illegitimate. Let the two have a run-off for goodness sake and let someone win fair and square.
Screw it! Have another vote in 60 days. Ballot has 2 names and the candidate picture beside their name, Franken & Coleman. You will select one only. Any stray marks that ballot automatically gets trashed period end of story. Last you will have a pictured I.D. to show proof of who you are. Overseas Minnesota residents can be sent an absentee ballot and send back picture proof of that voter over seas ballot will be counted first then the rest by hand. Until then Minnesota will appoint a temporary senator from an impendent party.
Frankin want's to do exactly what was done in the gubernatorial race in Washington state. Keep counting votes until the Democrat is in the lead and then stop counting. The typical Democrat mantra is count all the votes. What they really mean is count all the Democrat votes, at least once, maybe twice. Franken is a disgrace and a failure at everything he has done, yet he now wants Minnesota to award him the senate seat on a thrice counted vote. I say you fight this kind of chicanery with an honest recount of ALL the votes. I have seen some Coleman votes that were rejected. They had blackened the empty dot then crossed through it. The exact same thing done for Franken votes were counted. This is disgraceful. Coleman has a valid point. Where is the uniform clarity on the vote tally?
How can the people of Minnesota accept this travesty of corrupted ballots? A new election seems to be the only fair way to proceed–with voting police everywhere from both parties and hand written ballots. Otherwise it will be forever tainted no matter who wins. Sounds like Minnesota would rather have the drama than a real vote.
Not to be rude, but how in the heck do republicans think that they will be able to block Franken from being seated? The minority does not have the votes.
Besides, after 2000 in which Bush won the presidency due to a questionable re-count that occurred in the state in which his BROTHER was the governor, the republicans have no room to talk or complain.
The END.
Stop the counting of the votes shouts republican attorneys. Sounds to me like 2000 all over again.
Why can't the votes be counted, all the votes. Whoever has the most votes wins. I think the answer is Coleman would lose the election and vote count prevention has somehow managed to become mainstream tactics for one party....
Go Al Franken! Go Pete Tagliani!
Go Franken!!!
ENOUGH ALREADY!!
Couldn't help yelling, this stuff is driving me crazy. Who's paying for all this anyway?
It's obvious that the Coleman camp is trying to cheat, and has been from the beginning when things got close.
Same tactics "W" pulled in 2000.
I hope Coleman looses in the end. Good riddance.
It appears the Republicans already know the outcome of this race
More dirty tricks as is so common with the Republican party
They have an old saying amongst themselves ...
" Can't Beat Um ... CHEAT ... "
Can't wait till January 20
Congrats MN, we are the new Florida.
Freak show!!!!!
The corrupt democrats in MN will undoubtedly take the election from Coleman and hand to the comedian Franken. MN is behaving just like IL now.
It's amazing how bad Minnesota politics are. They are almost as corrupt as Chicago politics. Coleman WON the Senate Seat on Election night, but lost because he didn't hit that magic number. He had more votes then Franken that night. Then all because of the 3rd party candidate which no one talks about, whoever he/she was, I don't know, they had to do a recount. So they start the recount and ballots just happen to appear out of no where for Franken. Claiming they were left in some car trunk that a person forgot about for days. (Cough...liars...cough) No one in their right mind would believe that, well, except Democrats who want Franken to win anyway. So now Franken is in the lead by 50 votes? Where did all these extra votes come from to have him leading when he LOST on election night? Absentee ballots would be about 50% for both candidates, since the election was "close". Who are these people in Minnesota that voted for the not so funny comedian Franken? I guess these are the same people who voted for Obama because he claimed to be the agent of change. Oh how the idiots were duped.
Minnesota should have just held another election without the 3rd party candidate... or easier still. Split the votes 50/50 that went to the third party candidate.
Lie, cheat, steal. It's the only way to win an election. Or you could just buy it with enough money too.
Can anyone please stop the political sci-fi in Coleman's camp?
We can thank Al Gore for this. He set the precedent for contesting elections. I harken back to the 1960 Presidential Election. In spite of clear voter fraud that favored Kennedy in Chicago, Richard Nixon, citing the concern of the harm contesting the election would do to the country, refused to contest the election results and Kennedy won.
Here, Coleman was in the lead after the initial vote tally. There was no reports of fraud. But, Franken and the dems contested the election and ordered a recount-throwing up every legal challenge possible. As soon as Franken got the slightest lead in recounts, he demanded the vote be certified.
This is change? This is the party that will lead our nation? "Recount until I win," is the real message of Franken. He is a joke.
Question-when Reagan ran and won the California Govenorship and the Presidency, he was ridiculed as a B list actor, an intellecutal lightweight. And Franken is.....????????????
As Republicans said after the Supreme Court appointed George Bush president in 2000: Get Over It. Seat Franken.
So what's the story here? The Republicans don't want everyone's votes counted.
It's not legitimate unless they win? Republicans are bad for this country and its voting process.
Because there is such a lack of trust in the current political process, I agree with the above (or is it below) posts that there should be a runoff, highly monitored and quickly done.
It was a free and fair election and a careful and transparent recount is proceeding. All of the states could benefit from using Minnesota as a model for future elections. The only people disputing this are partisan.
Why does a lawyer try to stop a state ballot re-count ordered by the state Supreme Court?
Sounds to me like an attempt to stop due process because the expected outcome of the recount will not go in favor of the lawyers client, Supreme Court order be d****d
The Republicans think they are above the law, a legacy of the Bush presidency.
We are getting rid of these facists in the nick of time, I hope.
can you say filibuster?
fRANKEN IS TRYING TO STEAL THE ELECTION. HE SHOULD BE PUT IN JAIL. FRANKEN MUST THINK WE ARE IDIOTS.
PLEASE GET LOST. '
COLEMAN WON.
I bet Mr. Colman wishs Mike Connell was still alive.
Go Al!
Never mind what the people want this is all about that well paying job (150k to 200k) with outrageous vacation time.
If there was a runoff or a new election of any kind, Franken would win hands down. Many of us voted for a third party candidate and since it is clear he cannot win, our votes would overwhelmingly go to Franken. Norm is a sneaky weasel who has put him own ambition ahead of the needs of Minnesotans at every turn.
The Republicans CAN block the seating without a majority because it takes 60 votes to stop a filibuster and the Democrats are short of that level. One of the reasons this election has such importance is its potential to put the Democrats within a vote or two (of moderate Republican senators) of being able to stop Republican attempts to filibuster legislation which might other wise get a House majority and the President's signature. Regardless of one's views of the tactics on either side, there are very high stakes and each side will exhaust all means of halting a loss.
There's no provision in MN law for a new election....muddy as it seems, the lawful process is being followed. As a Minnesotan, I'm confident the process will be followed and all things are legit. Thankfully for whoever wins, Americans tend to have a short memory. Look at the bigger picture–we've got a few bigger problems to deal with. Let's get to work!
MINNESOTTA,,,,,,,,,,,,,,HASN'T,,,,,,,,,,,LEARNED,,,,,,,,,,,,,,THAT,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
HOLLYWOOD'S,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,HAD,,,,,,,,,,,,,BEENS,,,,,,,,,,,,ARE,,,,,,,,,,,,ILL,,,,,,,,,,,
EQUIPPED,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,TO,,,,,,,,,,,,,,CARRY,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,OUT,,,,,,,,,,,,,THE,,,,,,,,,,,,
PEOPLE'S,,,,,,,,,,,,,BUSINESS
This is another tool to take our attention away from what's really happening in the world. Evil is stirring, and it has three letters – GOP.
I am so ready for this race to be over.If al win he better tone it down with all that funny comedian stuff.
Let's see has any party in the past stole an election? Hmmm, thinking... thinking.
Neal-
Maybe because the state of Minnesota has yet to certify the results? Of course we wouldn't want the law to get in the way. Perhaps you have a good explanation for why the legally-appointed Burriss will be blocked from being seated this week by the Democrats?
Never mind; I already know – the Dems care more about what seems FAIR than what is legal.
No mulligans for the Republicans.
The person with one vote more than the other wins. Since 2000 BushCo has tried to rewrite the rules every time results weren't what it wanted. BushCo is out, it's time to return to the rule of law.
BTW, If McConnell and his gang try a filibuster, Reed should force them to do it the old fashioned way – stand at the podium and talk ad nauseum. The American people have forgotten the way the southern senators blocked progress. Let them see it again.
Coleman and his Attorneys need to listen to the decision of the Attorney General and let this process continue. They sound like spoiled children if they don't get their way.
Blaine is absolutely right. There is no way this should be a constant problem and ALWAYS involve the courts. Rules should be in place to deal with every eventuality.
Now, this isn't exactly a run-off situation, but if it were...an even better idea is the "instant runoff," in which people vote for their first and second choice when they first go to the polls. That way, the run-off revote isn't even necessary!
Of course, to the issue of "what don't they fix this?" My guess is that like all things political, neither party wants there to be clear, unequivocal rules....because they can't be twisted or gamed or manipulated...and they always want that wiggle room.....
I am an independent voter, that tends to lean republican, but I have to say, the republicans have really done their best to take this election. Fraken is in the lead, so be it. The improperly rejected balots are mostly democrat, this will add to Franken's lead, and I'm sure the Coleman campaign will keep fighting to stop them from being counted, but quite frankly, it still doesn't change the fact that FRAKEN is in the lead. He needs to be seated and this needs to be over. If the voters are happy with Fraken, they only need to wait a few years and they can vote Coleman back in. It's simple people.
Blaine–I totally agree with you. For heaven's sake, stop the partisan highjinks and legal maneuvering, and have a run-off race. It certainly couldn't be anymore expensive than what is going on now.
Franken is a joke ! He would be a bigger failure as a senator than he was with Air America. What a disgrace Franken is, and if he wins by hook or crook, then Minnesota is an even bigger joke .
Bush always was illegitimate and always will be!!!!
"Not to be rude, but how in the heck do republicans think that they will be able to block Franken from being seated? The minority does not have the votes."
Try reading a little slower. They have enough votes for a filibuster if they so choose.
There are about 2,000 absentee votes to be counted, why not count them all. The Republicans want to count all of them but the Democrats only want to count 1,350 of them. The same game was played out in Florida eight years ago so the real question should be how to keep a situation like this from happening again. You can sputter, whine and cry that the Republicans stole the election, or you can say the Democrats are better than that and allow the proper votes to be counted. I hope they choose not to dwell in the past.
Neal January 3rd, 2009 1:27 pm ET
Not to be rude, but I agree completely. Republicans are notorious for stealing elections.
Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty will, of course, sway the election if he can any way possible. Sounds like Florida again.... Republican Gov.... Republican Supreme Court?
Oh, come now, I mean seriously... does NO ONE besides me and Neal smell the stink of the past? I am nauseous from this Republican type tactics.... excuse while I barf... .not just spit up in my mouth!
Right now.... everyone who has not so far should bombard this Gov. with our displeasure over the way this is being handled! Minnesota, it's your state.... and you are the ones with the power. I hope you will exercise it!
The Democratic Machine, ACORN and Move On.Org should just declare Franken the winner. It really doesn't matter what the vote count is or will be. The framework is in place to see that Franken wins and the people of Minnesota can suffer the results. Who ever said politics was fair or ethical?
In a Democratic tide (as 2008 was, though less so than 2006 of course), and in a state like Minnesota, I fail to see why Coleman would be so set on the idea that he DIDN'T lose...yes, the vote is close, but the most likely scenario has played itself out.
GEE it worked so well in 2000 and got bush elected, I guess Coleman thinks he can pull a "republican count" and do the same.
Let me get this straight: Republicans in the Senate, led by Senator John Cornyn, have vowed to filibuster allowing to seat Al Franken as Senator from Minnesota unless the election of him is officially certified. The election can only be officially certified if the Republican Governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty, who hosted the Republican National Convention last summer, signs off on the result. Gov. Pawlenty could just keep stalling until Norm Coleman manages to sue his way back to being ahead in the vote count, while John Cornyn and other Republican Senators block the seating of Al Franken, who is currently ahead by about 50 votes. Does anyone remember the 2000 Presidential election? Al Gore won the popular vote, and he was on track to win in Florida too with the full statewide recount ordered by the Florida Supreme Court, but then George W. Bush sued Al Gore to stop the recount, the case was taken directly to the U.S. Supreme Court (which had 7 out of 9 of its members as Republican appointees, still the case today), and then the U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 to install George W. Bush, the loser of the popular vote, as our 43rd President, with 2 of the Republican appointees so appalled by this grave injustice that they joined the 2 Democratic appointees in opposing the ruling of the other 5 Republicans in the Supreme Court. Now it seems the Republicans are poised to replay what they did in 2000, with the help of Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty, replaying the role of former Republican Governor Jeb Bush of Florida. At least we have Barack Obama as our next President! Republicans may cheat to win in Minnesota, but they will still be in the minority in the House and the Senate and lose the Presidency, which is exactly what those Bush loyalists deserve after ruining our country. I hope we Democrats can get back a majority of the Supreme Court, but that will take many years.
Franken should be seated if he is ahead just like bush. People keep thinking that it is a "fair" system. It is not. It is a "process". Just like the legal system is rarely "fair", it is "just", which is different. If people in Minn. do not like the result, next time get out more people to vote for your candidate, or spend the next 6 years changing the "process".
What the heck is wrong with stopping a recount??? The 2000 presidential election, halt of the recount, and seating of a not-duly-elected POTUS set the precedent for any doubts.
Go for it Franken!
Our first and only trip to Minnesota will certainly be our last. The people were so rude and it turned out to be a horrible trip because almost everybody we ran into were hostile, unfriendly we couldn't believe it. We were treated badly at the motel we stayed in also. So needless to say, I say the people of Minnesota deserves an idiot like Al Frankin to represent them. I'm sure he will be selected because democrats have a way of cheating when it comes to counting ballets. And to set the record straight, Bush did win fair and square in 2000. Get over it. A president is elected by electoral votes, not popular votes. So good luck you people who live in Minnesota with stupid Al Frankin to represent you. Good one. He's perfect for such a bunch of ill mannered people.
With apologies to my sister in law from Mankato, first Ventura,now possiblly Al " Freakin Franken". It is an absolute "bad joke" that this puke is even close in this race. It does'nt put the good people of Minn. in avery good light. About as funny , or tasteless as the comedians jokes. Dan Devine Milw.,Wi.
Franken has NOT done anything to corrupt the election or ballots. He's played by the rules and got absentee ballots that were improperly rejected to now be counted. Coleman knew that he'd likely lose a recount and that's why he tried to make Franken concede before it took place. Also, Coleman challenged way more ballots because he knew they favored Franken and wanted people to presume that he was really winning since challenged ballots are subtracted from the overall total. So stop saying Franken cheated and stole the seat when he did nothing but allow more people to have their votes count. Also to Blaine, runoffs are unpredictable because there's a lot less voters turning out since people only really want to vote once every 2 years.
Richard Terrell January 3rd, 2009 1:25 pm ET
Frankin want's to do exactly what was done in the gubernatorial race in Washington state. Keep counting votes until the Democrat is in the lead and then stop counting. The typical Democrat mantra is count all the votes. What they really mean is count all the Democrat votes, at least once, maybe twice. Franken is a disgrace and a failure at everything he has done, yet he now wants Minnesota to award him the senate seat on a thrice counted vote.
I mean, I think both sides of the isle do that, not just Democrats. Try looking at things at a different perspective, it might blow your mind, Richard.
Typical Republican attitude and tactics..."We don't care who actually won the election...stop the recount...WE are taking power and it's time for the democrats to step aside..."
Anyone remember Florida 2000?
Richard, get the facts straight. The Republicans are wanting to stop the counting even though they are behind. Coleman knows he is defeated and the republicans should pack up their losses and move on to plan for the next political season. This shows how bad the party is doing at this point. They are hanging by a thread and are trying to tie a knot with the one thread. It is time for CHANGE and time for the Republicans to change their identity.
Why don't they just seat Mr. Franken on Tuesday. It is obvious he is a clear winner. The Republicans need to stop stalling. Coleman lost the battle. Also, the Republicans have no voice as Bush stole the election from Gore. Donna Brazile was the best the Democrats ever have for Campaign Manager and the Republicans stole it away. A bunch of misfits.
Why do close elections dissolve into lawless anarchy with whoever is able to shout the loudest in the meetings getting their way?
Counting votes isn't rocket science. People have been counting votes for more than 2000 years. If we had a rule of law, there would be no need for controversy or complications.
Allowing senators one 6 or 8 year consecutive term would ameliorate this problem.
Actually, this would solve a lot of problems: about 100 of them.
better franken than coleman. coleman's been a comedian in the senate for a long time. so franken should be a welcome change. at least he's a professional comedian.
Republicans are notorious for stealing elections. This is 2000 all over again this election is over and Franken is the winner. I can't be that Republicans want the Republican Gov. to call this election. Republicans think the rest of the country are as stupid as they are. Republicans you lost!!!!
To Peesue:
From the tone of your comment I'd say the Minnesotans you encountered were treating you as you treated them – you have heard of the Golden Rule, right?
If you count all the ballots from election day, Franken wins, the Senate will seat him.
Those of you who think Norm should have a do-over because he lost, have forgotten that in the real America, the person with the most votes wins.
Hey, Republicans –
Grow up.
Unlike many people making comments, I live in Minnesota. I believe every legitimate vote should be counted regardless of whether the candidate I wanted wins or not. The law allows for a recount in a close race. I would be suspect of the motives of anyone who would object, or stand in the way, of the voter's rights to have their vote counted. I had supported Coleman until his reaction to the recount. I now cannot in good conscience support a politician who would resort to such extreme tactics to try to capture an election he may not have rightfully won. I say, count the ballots! I am willing to live with the candidate elected by the majority because I am an American as well as a Minnesotan.
Make no mistake: this process is not speedy. It's laborious and methodical. The final result will leave some satisfied, some angry and some happy.
Peesue you should register your displeasure with the entire State of Minnesota with their state department of tourism and chamber of commerce instead of claiming every inhabitant is ill mannered and unfriendly. You base your critique of millions of people and a legal process on one visit and the motel where you stayed. You don't get out much do you.
peesue = Your a idiot and people in Minnesota were rude to you because they realized after you said hello how stupid you were. The good people of Minnesota saw you just as another Republican Idiot with 1/2 a brain walking into their state and trying to steal the election that you lost. I've just been informed you are banned from the state. Idiot
First of all, let me apologize on behalf of the Minnesotans who ARE nice, and not rude, for the treatment received by the person who was treated badly in the state. Not everyone is like that here. But you know what they say about "one bad apple".
As for Franken (Not FRANKIN, please, GET IT RIGHT), a guy who jokes about rape is not, in my opinion, worthy of a Senate seat.
This is much too remeniscent of the Rolvaag-Andersen contest of '62. For those of you not in the know, that was a Governor's race. The recount lasted until February, when Anderson finally decided that for the Good of the State, he would concede. Who actually won? I don't believe that was ever officially determined!
It's astounding: even with computers they can't keep errors from occuring. Let's make it simple: If Any ballot doesn't match what it is supposed to look like (IE, "x" in the box rather than a filled circle) it should NOT be counted. Simple, straight forward. And if it has two people marked for one office, either the people should get a new ballot (As required by law) or it should not be counted. Again, very simple.
Of course, we COULD always require a straight party vote.
How many times is the Franken campaign going to "discover" ballots and then insist they be counted? This is starting to sound an awful lot like the lengths Daley went through to make sure Kennedy won Chicago in 1960.
Bill – There are not 2000 absentee ballots to be counted, and Coleman certainky did not want all of them to be counted. He did his level best to count only those favorable to him. There are legitimate reasons not to count some (4 reasons according to the Secretary of State's office). The ones that are not legal should not be counted; the ones that are should be. That has always been the opinion of the Franken campaign.
Al will be a great Senator once this recound is finally finished.
Okay. #1 they are trying to count ALL VALID VOTES. The dems are not doing anything wrong. The only reason that shifty skank Coleman was even elected is because Paul Wellstone died right before the election. Coleman is a nasty vile human being and if history serves us right............... REPUBLICANS steal elections.
just re vote like Georgia did ,,,,, ,, this is the only fair way
@peesue Really? I am a staunch independent and love politics for the simple fact of people like you who are so blindly devoted to one side or the other. Don't get me wrong, both sides have people like this.
Democrats steal elections, but Bush won fair and square in 2000?
Florida 2000 had plenty of issues that could be argued like those today in MN, our politics works in a way today that anytime there is a close election both sides are going to sue and argue until a decision is reached rather than simply just counting all the votes.
Wouldn't it be easier to simply count ALL votes and any "disputed" votes as to intent simply need to follow a written policy agreed to by both sides before the re-count starts?
If there is an X over a vote it doesn't count kind of thing?
In any case I enjoy the zealots on both sides – you make politics interesting while you damage our country. Congratulations!!
@peesue:
NO, Bush did NOT win the 2000 election fair and square. GW's brother, Gov. Jeb Bush, and GW's good friend, Florida Secretary of State Kathrine Harris used their influence to stop the recount in Florida so GW would end up as the so-called "winner."
It seems that the Republicans are at it again.....
Boy is everything the democtats do crooked .....I can't say I blame the republicans one bit....seems like the whole election was crooked how can you count votes that don't belong...where the hell are they coming from
cant wait until we toss that evil crook coleman out of office and take back this stae from the nazi republican party. go franken go, dont let evil stop you we must all fight on in teh name of god and stop teh nazi republican party.
After all the criminal ACORN activities, which have clearly shown that their efforts are to illegally register liberal voters (fradulently, fictitiously, or otherwise), gee, I can't understand why the Republicans might suspect foul play? As for being qualified: why does it matter? Obama – no resume. Caroline Kennedy – no resume. Burriss – defeated 5 times for public office. Ted Kennedy – integrity drowned at Chappaquiddick with Mary Jo Kopechne. Clinton's – responsible for how many deaths, improprieties, and pardons during their administration? C'mon you rabble-rousers – let Frankin in!!! After all, he's a perfect fit...sort of like the "hand in the glove"...and maybe just like OJ, he'll get away with murder. Which, now that I think about it, may be why the dopey folks in Minnesota chose to vote for him in the first place...
Lets look at the way things have played out so far. Election night, Coleman a sizable lead, but close enough for a recount. Thne we have mysterious ballots appearing from under desks, storage losets and numbers of ballots NOT matching those that voted. Now we have FRANKEN saying every vote should count, but NOT the ones he does not think will be for him. Can we see a pattern? It's a Hollywood script that will never be concluded unless Franken gets the nod.
TO–peesue
I say the people of Minnesota deserves an idiot like Al Frankin to represent them. I'm sure he will be selected because democrats have a way of cheating when it comes to counting balletsOur first and only trip to Minnesota will certainly be our last people were so rude and it turned out to be a horrible trip because almost everybody we ran into were hostile, unfriendly we couldn't believe it. We were treated badly at the motel**CUZ YOU STINK!!! *** Excuse me it was the REPUBS That Cheated***** Remember Florida!!!!
MINNESOTTA,,,,,,,,,,,,,,HASN'T,,,,,,,,,,,LEARNED,,,,,,,,,,,,,,THAT,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
HOLLYWOOD'S,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,HAD,,,,,,,,,,,,,BEENS,,,,,,,,,,,,ARE,,,,,,,,,,,,ILL,,,,,,,,,,,
EQUIPPED,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,TO,,,,,,,,,,,,,,CARRY,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,OUT,,,,,,,,,,,,,THE,,,,,,,,,,,,
PEOPLE'S,,,,,,,,,,,,,BUSINESS
Yes, Hollywood hasbeens have been proven illequiped to lead the people's vision – And I refer to the Republican icon – Ronald Reagan. I believe Frankin is more a New York comedian/politcal commentator and not a Hollywood actor.
Why is it always the GOP that wants votes to NOT be counted? I'm an independent and have voted Republican more than 50% of the time, but I'm wondering if I will ever want to again.
After last November election when America told Republicans they were all Idiot and we were sick of them it hurt they feeling. Fact Republicans have nothing to lose because they have lost everything already (Never had common sense or respect). Republicans are going to put their foot in the isle on any and everything they can to stop this nation from progressing and moving forward out of the mess THEY created. Republicans lost this election and now their trying to steal it. Federal prisons are full of these Idiots.
It is so sad that the Democrats still are misguided and wrong about the 2000 election. Education people...he won the election fairly. Get over it. It amazes me how mistruths get spread around by the Liberals and people believe it. The Democrats are going to cherry pick the votes in Minn. and get Franken elected. Caroline Kennedy...who has no experience and has not been attacked anywhere CLOSE to as viciously as Palin will be a Senater in NY simply because she is a Kennedy and for no other reason. And you people talk about how crooked the Republicans are. And this is why I thank God every day for Fox News.
The margin of error in this recount is certainly larger than a few hundred votes. If the election officials in Minnesota did 10 recounts, they'd likely wind up with several Franken wins and several Coleman wins. The people of Minnesota are clearly about evenly divided. We might as well just flip a coin.
@peesue,
If you're a Republican and you don't like Franken, thats all well and good. You have a right to your own political opinion.
However, I take issue with your totally irrational smearing of the good people of Minnesota. We are a state FAMOUS for our niceness, even earning the national distinction of having our people labeled 'Minnesota Nice' to signify our courtesy, respect, and high commitment to treating others with dignity.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
TO–peesue
I say the people of Minnesota deserves an idiot like Al Frankin to represent them. I'm sure he will be selected because democrats have a way of cheating when it comes to counting balletsOur first and only trip to Minnesota will certainly be our last people were so rude and it turned out to be a horrible trip because almost everybody we ran into were hostile, unfriendly we couldn't believe it. We were treated badly at the motel**CUZ YOU STINK!!! *** Excuse me it was the REPUBS That Cheated***** Remember Florida!!!!
The only reason the Coleman campaign wants to have more absentee ballots counted now is because they need a way to win. If he had been in the lead by 50, and the Franken campaign had been asking for a similar deal, any Republican would be up in arms screaming about how it's unfair as well.
And peesue, I'm pretty sure the Bush campaign couldn't exactly have been elected "fair and square" when they wouldn't even allow a proper recount to take place in the first place. At least the state of Minnesota is trying to get it right this time around.
"peesue" If you took that attitude on vacation with you I can see how people would treat you badly. I don't even know you and I don't like you just by the rude attitude you have, go away.....skit.....jump in a lake.
ACTORS DO BEST IN POLITICS,BUT ONLY TILL THEY TIRE OF THE
GIG. SO CALLED COMEDIANS HAVE HAD THE SENSE TO STAY OUT OF THAT SCENE,WHY,THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE GUTS
OR STOMACH TO COMPETE WITH THE LIFERS IN CONGRESS.
THOSE FOLKS IN CONGRESS HAVE NO CONCIENCE AND CAN
BE THERE FOR ONLY SELF SERVING REASONS. THEY DON'T
INCLUDE THE VOTERS UNLESS THERE IS MONEY OR POWER TO BE HAD. FRANKEN–GET LOST. GO BACK TO SAT. NIGHT LIVE AND
ENTERTAIN FOLKS. OR GO ICE FISHING--–
NAM VET NH
republicans need the courts cause they don't have the people or righteousness on their side, some of you obvious republican TEAM players calling franken a "puke" and such just show your colors, just show that your republicans FIRST and amercians well... further down your priorities. let the constitutionally decided process take place, leave out the lawyers, let ALL the people decide. I guess now minnesotoans aren't "real" amercians to some of you, it is so CHILDISH how you behave when you don't get your way, you republicans installed a now universally accepted dolt as president against the will of the people and allowed him to use your fears and prejudice to rape the country, the rest of us where good amercians and respected the process and worked for change. GROW UP, GET OVER your silly TEAM ethics, BE americans!!!! NOT republicans
Many voices here mistakenly lump Franken in with Jesse Ventura. Al Franken graduated cum laude from Harvard College; Ventura dropped out of a community college to become a professional wrestler. Franken is a successful author and one of the first progressive voices ever to be heard on talk radio, who actually beat Fox News in court; Ventura is an ex-Navy SEAL who promised to bring radical change to Minnesota state government with a "HOO-YAH" take no prisoners approach, but utterly failed to deliver. In point of fact, Al Franken is nothing like Jesse Ventura. In point of fact, he is a better choice for the Minnesota Senate seat because he is much smarter than Norm Coleman.
In response to SMK (January 3rd, 2009 1:59 pm ET)
There were no ballots found in the trunk of a car. That was a rumor that conservative talk show hosts hammered on. It was quickly debunked as false – our own republican governor even had to eat crow on that one and admit it was not true. Please check your facts. Posts like yours just spread rumors.
Hey Chris, Dems didn't "order a recount." It was mandatory under Minnesota law, based on the percentage differential. Wake up.
Walt:
We don't want to go there. If you want to talk about someone being illegitimate it would and is obama. Starting from his conception to his birth in Kenya. Kenyan he was and Kenyan he'll always be.
Yay Al, you will make an excellent Liberal senator to properly represent a Liberal state.
Question for@peesue,did they see your Alabama plates?hahaha
To STOP THE RECOUNT, ala Florida, hickory, nc – You obviously only read half the story in Florida. Bush did not object to the recount. He objected to Gore only wanting to recount select districts that had high democratic voter turn out. It was Gore who was trying to steal the election. If you look it up, an independent study went in a did a complete recount later showing that Bush did win Florida. "For example, if Florida's 67 counties had carried out the hand recount of disputed ballots ordered by the Florida court on Dec. 8, applying the standards that election officials said they would have used, Mr. Bush would have emerged the victor by 493 votes." However, I am sure we can both agree that paper election ballots need to be a thing of the past. With the advancement in technology, you surely would think we can come up with an electronic system that allows to vote accurately. I would suggest the machine capture an electronic copy and a printed copy with a receipt showing the voter their ballot. The courts should only have the power to force a new election when a current election cannot be accurately decided similar to the system used in Georgia.
Hey all you people that are trying to say that Al Franken's team is the one trying to stop the recount... THE HEADLINE CLEARLY READS: "Tense moments as Coleman camp seeks to stop recount." Why would Norm Coleman want to stop the recount when he is the one behind by 50 votes? Something is amiss. Franken's side wants to keep counting even though he's ahead by a sliver... Sounds fair to me. Hopefully this will all be over by Jan. 20, we have much bigger problems facing our country than this.
Al Franken FTMFW!
Attn: SMK
The third party candidate is former Senator Dean Barkley. He was named , by Governor Jesse Ventura, to fill the senate seat of Paul Wellstone.
Also, please recheck your "Rush Facts". The trunk ballot information is completely false, and was stated thusly by the Franken campaign.
I am a native Minnesotan, and I take tremendous pride in the fact that we choose our candidates – including Ventura – based on merit. Not on party affiliation or wealth.
Governor Ventura came into office with a decent record for reform as mayor of one of our largest suburbs. He was elected because he was the best candidate at the time: beating Norm Coleman (yes – THAT Norm Coleman) and Hubert "Skip" Humphrey III.
Ventura is well read, not terribly eloquent, and sadly, suffered the effects of too many years of steroid use. He was hostile and the people of the state would not tolerate his poor behaviors.
If Jesse Ventura is the poorest example of a politician that you can come up with, might I offer up George W. Bush? Minnesota's economy did quite well under the Ventura administration. And as much as he would have loved to invade another country, unlike Bush, Ventura refrained.
We would have 4000+ wonderful young men & women alive today, were it not for Bush's implusive invasion of Iraq.
Obviously Peesue has a pea brain to match her comments. The MN residences are by and far some of the nicest and most intelligent people you will ever meet. Unless of course you can't comprehend that. I would rather have a Franken in the office than a criminal like Coleman. He's an idiot that has done nothing for MN.
Not to be rude, but I agree completely. Republicans are notorious for stealing elections. <<<
ha ha. Republicans! But not Democrats!
Really?
All those corrupt city Democratic city machines, they never stole elections? All those years, when the Democrats ruled the South, they never stole elections?!
The recount was done because state law required it. It was done transparently and could be watched on the internet. It was also done by a bipartisan panel. Those who are talking about someone stealing the election don't have a single real example of that happening. They just want to yell but have nothing substantive to say. Minnesota has nothing to be ashamed of. Norm Coleman, on the other and, well . .
Wait till the recount is complete, and the winner be declared ..... to seat. Why all the fuzz now!
Pardon me, dan devine, but why are Al Franken or Jesse Ventura not acceptable or legitimate candidates? Because they came from the entertainment industry? I've got two words for you:
RONALD REAGAN
Get over it. Franken will do a lot of good for the state of Minnesota once he wins this election. Coleman would do well to save the taxpayers a lot of money and let the votes fall where they may!
Dee, I appreciate your position here, but as we all know, sometimes what is LEGAL is NOT at all FAIR.
However, as a registered Democrat myself, I have to speculate the Senate Dems resistance to seating Burris has little to do with fairness and much more to do with the next election, fearing an unpopular Burris (and thus the Dem Party) will not retain the Senate Seat in 2010.
Yeah, right, "peesue."
"The democrats have a way of cheating when it comes to ballets."
First of all, a ballet is a dance recital. Republicans have a way of showing that they're idiots.
Do you happen to remember 2000, when Bush lost the popular vote by 500,000 votes or so, and also got the Conservative supreme court to stop recounting the ballots by hand, because that would have led to the truth?
And you were treated rudely on one trip to Minnesota so the whole state sucks? Typical republican, everything-is-black-and-white stupidity.
Republicans are stupid, and deserve the crappy economy Bushco led us into; the majority of the country, who supported Obama, deserve the turn-around that will begin in 2009.
Al Franken is same as AL Gore who like to be cheater, "count every vote"...therefore, every vote should be COUNT in right way, not count the mistake vote ballet.
Once, you're mistake in ballet, it is NOT count as it is law... why does all D alway complain.....complain.......complain.....c o m p l a i n... as alway...
history show proves!
You can always tell the neocons on these blogs – rude, uninformed, hostile, divisive, with no substance in their comments.
Republican just can't get the point. They are losers in 2008. The vast majority of this country's voters rejected their policies and their approach to solving this nation's problems...many of which they have created during the past eight years when they effectively controlled legislative processes.
FYI, Al Franken graduated from Harvard. He is an intelligent, astute politician with – yes – a great sense of humor (which is sadly lacking in Washington these days). He wants to win in a fair recount and wants all votes to be counted. Coleman wants to win any way he can. Franken would by far be the best Senator for Minnesota!!
@dan devine and peesue: Actually Al Frankin is quite intelligent, he just doesn't blindly follow your neo-tard politics, like the Bush brown-noser Coleman. And he has taken the likes of your hero Limbaugh to task, much to the chagrin of those of you that find it so satisfying to worship such smelly sacks of rightwing excrement. That's why you don't like him. So you'll excuse me if I place you two in a cheap plastic bag with the other delusional Bush true-believers, add a few heavy rocks, tie it off, and toss it into the lake.
Good luck MN, please try to pull yourselves completely out of Dumbf-fistan.
As in Florida in 2000, Democrats are stealing an election; surprise, surprise. In Florida truth and justice prevailed; We can only hope the same happens in Minnesota, and that DFL cronies don't "find" more Franken ballots in the back room somewhere.
peesue: "Democrats have a way of cheating when it comes to counting ballots???" Hahahahahaha! You have GOT to be kidding. Everyone knows the GOP invented election theft and would prefer a "government of the few, the very few." Wake up please. You'll be just in time to see the Dems save our country from the COMPLETE multi level mess the corrupt pigs YOU vote for have made. say hello to Mark Foley, Duke Cunningham, Kathleen Harris, Jack Abramoff, Scooter Libby, Ken Lay (RIP), Ted Stevens, Tom DeLay and all the other former politicians/future felons for me.
For anyone who believes that an adult comedian that ran a great campaign on issues won't be an idea senator, I ask that you look at your own senator. Is your senator one who sat in a bathroom stall tapping his foot? Or have they recently been charged with some corruption scandal? Or has your governor recently been in the news for trying to sell a senate seat? You have no idea how Mr. Franken will lead his state, so before you attack him at least let him have a chance to screw up like the rest of our politicians.
FYI, Al Franken graduated from Harvard. He is smart and – yes – very funny. He will make a great Senator from Minnesota.
Coleman is under investigation and has hired a high priced attorney to defend him againist corruption charges. Franken is in the lead an will likely increase his lead. Minnesota has a pretty good system for vote counting and neither side has an inside advantage.
We should all know the end of this by the end of next week. Seat Franken and let the lawsuits begin. Hopefully Coleman will be indicted on corruption charges, convicted and end this whole ordeal.
What's good enough for Gore is good enough for Coleman. Talk about a double standard.
The Republicans just keep digging a hole to their own detriment.
Sure, its the Republicans who steal elections. After all Tammany Hall, The Daily machine, Pendergast were all Republicans, right?
After reading over the first dozen comments, it's interesting to note the intelligence of Rich's commentary, versus the shallow, misguided talking points of the Republican diehards, such as "dan devine" and "peesue." I doubt either of those two have ever read a word of Franken's books, which deftly expose the dishonesty of most of the Republican talking points spewed by Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Ann Coulter. I'll take education, tolerance, competency, and intelligence (a la Al Franken and Rich) over bigotry, misinformation, blind loyalty, and bullying (a la "dan devine," "peesue," and the entire Bush administration) any day of the week.
Coleman needs to give it up.
Republican sour grapes and tantrums aside, Frankin is eventually going to win this seat. Coleman's representatives know this and they are doing everything they can to dis-allow votes they know belong to Frankin which will put Coleman even further behind.
As to the republicans in the senate, they are just sore losers who are acting like thirteen year olds who have been told they aren't allowed to do something their friends are doing. My guess is that the republican party, if it doesn't immediately begin to act responsibly and begin to contribute to the governance of this country, will quickly become a regional party and marginalized. Acting like bratty, snot-nosed kids isn't going to do it for them.
. . . AND NOW REPUBLICAN SENATORS ARE TRYING TO STOP AL FRANKEN.
If the people of Minnesota selects Al Franken, than the Republican Senators need to accept it and move on. Already GOP Senators are concocting methods for blocking Al Franken from taking his Senate seat.
What's really sad is we can build a space station but we still can't seem to run elections without this kind of nonsense. Whether Franken wins or Coleman wins, this says a lot about our country and political system.
I fail to see how people can look at this situation and say it's exactly what happened in Florida in 2000. People are just screaming, "Republicans don't want to count everyone's votes! They're stealing the election!" In fact, the Republicans are protesting the recount because they feel that not everyone's votes are being counted. Read: "The Coleman campaign took issue with hundreds of those and also wanted to add about 650 more. Since the Franken campaign would not agree to these ballots, the Coleman campaign sought the intervention of the state's high court." It's the Franken campaign that doesn't want to add the 650 votes – if anyone doesn't want to count everyone's votes, it's the Franken campaign. Get the facts straight. A vast majority of comments here are partisan name-calling, with only few intelligent, objective, and informed comments in between. FTR, I think the easiest solution is a simple run-off, like Blaine suggested.
Already the Obstructionist Republicans are at it.
The dark-suits have no intention to join with the rest of Congress and the country to save America.
If we can't pull it together, we will become a weak world power behind China, India, Russia....
In fact, I think we are.....we need to bring home our jobs from foreign countries and for those companies who refuse,
BOYCOTT! SHUT THEM DOWN!
If Minnesotans voted for this failed "comedian" in such large numbers, they deserve whatever they get. What a joke.
Oh, come on.... *LOL* PEESUE must be one of the commentators!
Peesue... Minnesota would be blessed to have Al Franken as their Senator.... have you not read even ONE of his books.... he has said with humor what few could say of the Republican style of Politics.
This is a man well educated and fully qualified to be a senator from any state in the Union! You would be smart to do some research before speaking as an ill informed person.
What many on this site don't seem to realize is that the ballots in question, those that were rejected, were rejected with good reason. As a volunteer in the polling centers and as a political interest writer, I have watched this election carefully. As a resident of MN, I am highly concerned!
I saw rejected ballots firsthand that Franken is trying to count (and has succeeded in counting thus far) that are clearly NOT legitimate votes. A "rejected vote" doesn't mean that someone just decided arbitrarily that the vote shouldn't count; it means that the ballot was not legally allowed to be counted. In some cases it is because it was an absentee ballot that was counted and then the individual showed up to vote again, thus the rejection was eliminating a double vote. In other cases it is because a write-in vote, bubble circle or other markings were illegible and could not be definitively counted. There are very specific laws and rules for voting that must be adhered to in order to conduct a valid election. Unfortunately, there are some in our society that simply cannot follow the rules. Al Franken, in my opinion, is one of them.
For all of you know it alls who don't live in MN, who are saying we deserve Al Franken, go away while the grown ups do their thing. It's not a matter of Franken being what we deserve, it's a matter of we don't deserve a slimeball like Coleman. Every since he slithered into Wellstone's seat, he's had a target on his back. He is EXTREMELY disliked by a large portion of voters. We don't care much for his extreme right politics, nor his habit of pretending to be what's he not when there's a change in the political wind. So, again: sit down. Shut up.
republicans can't see that americans don't trust them anymore.
war, hate, christian creeps, bush and the evangelicals.
that's those republcans for you, folks!
Minnesota has a fair election process and I commend them for that. I remember not too long ago in Florida, how that Presidential race recount was halted by the U.S. Supreme Court and I don't think Minnesota wants that. Let the Minnesota recount process continue and it will work out.
Take care.
Well, peesue, as a Minnesota native it's hard for me to reconcile what I know to be true with your statements. I know that, almost without exception, Minnesota natives will bend over backwards to help out when needed. And having lived a few different places and being fairly well traveled, I haven't found more helpful types anywhere. In fact, I'm guessing from the spiteful, childish tone of your letter, you probably brought out the worst in people-in which case, we're probably all better off that you're not returning.
P.S. I never was a fan of Al Franken–I thought there were plenty more well-qualified Democrats that should have been selected. The race would never have been this close had the Dems run a less controversial candidate.
It's going to be a long cold winter in Minnesota...
Well the day in a life of Politics!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have a great New Years!!!!!!!!!!
It's funny, the day after the election was over Norm was a few hunderd ahead. He said that Franken should concede and that if it was the other way around that he would concede to Franken. Well, what happened Norm? Franken has been ahead for weeks now. What is going on here is nothing compared to the travesty of Florida. Every indication is that this recount has been fair yet because it is appearing more and more that Coleman is losing, the grumbling and threats are coming from the Repubs. I have not heard the Senate Dems threatening not to seat Coleman but of course the Repubs are threatening a filibuster if Franken is declared the winner. Well, this is the same party responsible for over 4000 dead Americans fighting in Iraq over a war based upon lies. So, what's new repubs?
After the 2000 election, Democrats had no choice but to shut up and accept the final ruling, no matter how strongly they disagreed with it.
Will Republicans do the same? I doubt it.
I think that whoever wins needs to accept defeat and get behind the winner to help him, and the winner needs to do all in his power to help the state that he is in. This case it is Minnesota. People need to get over this no good partisan attitude, and get over there sweet selves. This kind of behavior is the reason why this country is in the shape it is in now. When Obama said "This is not the red states of America or the blue states of America. This is the United States of America. We need to take that into perspective. If we do that then we can start to see some progress being made in our country, and maybe we can find common ground with other countries. For example, Israel and Hammas. How can we help them find common ground if we cannot find common ground with ourselves as Americans. Divided we fall, United we Stand. God bless America.
Deja Vu of 2000...when Al Gore was getting ahead in votes the Republicans stop those votes from getting counted.
The Republican way of winning elections.....cheat, cheat, cheat.
Political divisions serve as a system of control. Republican or Democrat, it doesn’t matter. They are two sides of the same coin. No matter who is in office, they will pander to their constituents and work to line their own coffers. People need to wake up to the truth of what has become a corrupt system that cares very little for the people. The real travesty is the pervasive ignorance of the people who continue to buy into this Machiavellian “process”. Wake up America!
First of all, I thought all improperly rejected ballots had to be agreed upon by both campaigns before they are counted. So, if the Coleman campaign disagrees with some, why is a lawsuit necessary? They shouldn't be counted. The same goes for the 650 Franken doesn't want counted. I bet those won't be counted and no lawsuit will be needed. Secondly, the amazing thing to me about this election (and something no one is reporting) is how Coleman lost over 500 votes before the recount even started. He had a lead in excess of 700 votes after the election (or non-election), but when the recount started it was 206 or so. Equally incredible is the Franken campaign' prediction of a 50 – 70 vote victory in the recount. Amazingly accurate, wouldn't you say? Remember, it was Joseph Stalin who told the world that who casts the votes is irrelevant, it's who counts the votes that matters.
As a resident of Minnesota who didn't vote for Coleman or Franken (I voted Libertarian) it is my desire to see this process carried out fully, including the legal challenges. I don't want any allegations of wrongdoing or unfairness to cloud the next six years.
If it takes months to complete the process then so be it. I would rather be underrepresented for a month or two than to have a question regarding the legitimacy of our senator linger in the minds of the voters for six years.
why are the republicans always scared of counting all the votes. if we would of counted all te votes in fla in 2000 we would not be in amess today
I think the term Minnesota Nice refutes the two previous comments. Thank You and have a nice day.
coleman and franken should make a joint statement that they will only accept to serve if senator designate BURRIS OF ILLINOIS is seated by harry REID who shamelessly called illinois governor to campaign against REP. jackson. democrats are you any better than republicans. you all stink..
Just like the Republicans to bring the business of the people to a grinding halt because they aren't getting their way.
They did it constantly under the leadership of Newt Gingrich, most famously during the Terri Shivo case, and now with out economy melting down, the world falling apart, the Middle East blowing up, the GOP is going to hijack Congress because they don't like the results of a legitimate recount?
One that was mandated by Minnesota state laws, one that both sides agreed to the specifics, and now the Republicans are throwing a tantrum because they didn't win?
No wonder the GOP is falling apart. I see more grown up behavior from my 6 year old.
I don't understand why morons from other parts of the country are all of a sudden doing ad hominem attacks on people who live in Minnesota because there is a messy recount that the two candidates are both willing to sue each other over? Your politicians are no better than ours. Rick Santorum, Jesse Helms, Eliot Spitzer, Larry Craig, Rod Blago, Ted Stevens, Tom DeLay and a professional body builder becoming governor by competing against porn stars and midgets all come to mind. I think you people should consider us victims of a BS process and the two-party system and step down off your geographic soap box.
While I would like to see Franken in the Senate, this whole recount thing has become positively ludicrous. I may not have liked the final result of the Georgia run-off, but at least it was settled quickly and efficiently, as this race would be if they implemented a run-off system as well. Yet another example of our ridiculous political system when it goes on a state-by-state basis.
You republicans are such hypocrites. You and Coleman didn't even want a recount to begin with even though it was ALLOWED by law. Now that Coleman is behind, all of a sudden you want an entire recount. What a surprise! Maybe if you just wanted to count all the votes from the beginning as should be the case, you wouldn't be in this position. And to all you Franken haters. He went to Harvard just like Bush. I doubt he could be any worse!
Now let me get this straight - Coleman tried to stop the recount. He fails at that tactic, the entire process takes place with extraordinary transparency (see TheUptake.org) - in front of God and everyone - and ends up 49 votes behind. Coleman tries to halt the counting of absentee ballots. He gets at least part of his way with the Minnesota Supreme Court, where there is a decision that ***both camps*** have to agree to those which are counted. He begins by trying to put the kabosh on ***all of them***, then opts to ***cherry-pick*** them, and then agrees to 650 of them. The process begins again, and now - with total transparency on TheUptake.org - Coleman cries foul.
Say what you will, right-wingers - the deck has not been stacked. It has been turned over where ***everyone*** can see the cards being played, and you STILL cry foul! And you with the ad hominem attacks against future-Senator Franken should go back into the hole from which you crawled and whine in peace. Cretins...
I can't believe the heart of Republican Democracy (that would be the United States) can't figure out how to have a clear election with clear results. Period, Full-stop. Clear election results that are not in dispute and that don't drag on for weeks.
For one, seperate the local and national elections. But TWO ballots you say horrified?!? Ok then. Stick to one ballot with 50 names on it, and make it confusing and disorganized to boot. It's been mismanaged before. So why not keep doing the same thing?
Just figure it out, for once. PLEASE!!!!!
Election Monitors must never be allowed to be members of political parties. This seems to be the root of the problem. I was a Returning Officer of an election at a Canadian University for student council. Small potatoes I know....but we used our national election rules, and it was professional, swift, and any discrepancies were quickly dealt with. Boxes were recounted, and a winner was selected in about 4 hours.
"Sure", said the fox, "I'll make sure everything goes smoothly". That seems to be the US method of determining elections results.
After the debacle of the hanging chads and the US Supreme Court awarding the Presidency to President Bush II, some of the other 7 Billion people on the planet thought you would have figured it out by now.
It's a disgrace to everything the US claims to stand for.
I respect my friends to the south, but this is really starting to get shameful.
To ALL my American friends, I apologize if this is in any way seen as an insult. It is not intended as such. I suppose my entire message can be boiled down to one word: EXASPERATION.
It's interesting as a Minnesota voter and resident to see all the comments from non-Minnesotans complaining about Al Franken as a candidate. They refer to him as a "puke" and an "idiot". Skipping the fact that he's a Harvard grad and they have the grammatical skills of an 8th grade dropout, he was the nominee of the Democratic party, he raised more money than any other Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in the country and he is leading in the recount with the Republican incumbent filing suit to prevent the counting of ballots. This is the same incumbent that said the day after the election, "I'm ahead, so Franken should just drop out." Now that Coleman's behind, why doesn't that same logic apply to him? If you're not from Minnesota and don't like our Senate candidates, don't vote for them (wait, you can't). Let me amend that. If you don't like our Senate candidates, mind your own business and stay in your own state.
The right wants to call Franken corrupt, but they offer up nothing to back it up. They hate Franken because he has opened his mouth to attack the right. That is why they hate him, he took on Bush, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Coulter and any other right wing stooge.
They spin this into a Franken problem, but it is Coleman who is using the courts to stop votes from being counted.
P.S. Franken is no hollywood has been, he is from Minnesota, and most his career was in NYC. Hilarious that the right goes on about Hollywood has beens when they brought us Reagan, Arnold, Sonny Bono, Fred Thompson.....
Whining Republicans: The election is over! Stop obstructing the will of the Minnesota election process. You already stole the 2000 presidential election. Oh yea, you are going to Filibuster, Franken in the senate.
This country is in a mess because of the GOP Running congress for six years and the White House for 8 yrs.. Pelosi should of never taken impeachment off the table after the elections of 2006.
Everyone who voted for Bush 8 years ago deserve what they get from the policy failures of the Bush/Cheney Whitehouse. Phil Grahamm a Republican was wrong that Americans are all about whining about the economy and that its all in our minds on the problems about the economy.
Come on Norm, you know you lost, give it up and go back to being a doctor where you can do he most good. If you go to the Senate on Monday you won't be able to get your old seat or your office back, you are finished.
Filibuster. That's all the Republicans talk about. They will filibuster to keep Franken from being seated. They will filibuster Obama's recovery plans. They will filibuster this, that, and the other. In other words, the Republican Party has publicly declared that if they don't get their way on everything they will pitch the equivalent of a political temper tantrum and make sure that they block anything from getting done. No matter who it hurts. No matter what the consequences. No matter how much damage they do to this country and its people. How very patriotic and responsible of them. With friends like these, who needs terrorists?
Thank goodness Al Franken is not from Hollywood – he is a won't to be! So he got his friend Al Gored to finance Air America ( a take off on the CIA Vietnam South East Asia Airline), which belly-upped. Now that he has learned how to Bankrupt a Network he wants to Join Pelosi and Dirty Harrry and finish what they have started for our Government.
But if your Gov. Pawlenty is smart he will order a new State wide Election run-off just as Georgia did – and Norm Coleman will win hands down, beecause the ACORNS will have been rotted by now and not available to pack the ballot boxes for him as they did in November.
The New York Times did a recount of Florida 2000 and even they believe Bush won.
So the democrats need to move on and stop stealing elections.
They stole the election for governor in Washington in 2004. The republican won the first two counts. But, what do you know democrats kept finding ballots like they are in Minn. And they finally found enough so the democrat won the third recount.
They are trying it again in Minn.
It is a sad day for democracy in America. We used to laugh at these type things happening in other countries. Now the joke is on us.
I THINK A NEW ELECTION SHOULD BE HELD TO ELECT A
CLEAR WINNER.
So what is wrong with a comedian being elected to the US Senate? Being a comedian at his level takes a great deal of skill and talent. It doesn't mean you aren't capable of being intelligent. Let's not forget that B Grade actor Ronald Reagan who became Governor of California and President of the United States. He was quite successful. Who knows, Al Franken could become a great US Senator.
Chris- Because the original count had Coleman winning by less than 1% of the vote, a recount was automatic due to Minnesota regulations. No one had to seek out a recount, because it was already gonna happen. I do think its funny that Coleman is trying to get the absentee ballots counted, when he was the one who originally opposed counting them when it looked like they'd help Franken. Franken had to sue to even get a guideline as to under what circumstances they would be counted. I guess now that he is losing, Coleman figures counting them might help. To bad most of the absentee ballots are from people who are from a predominately democratic district.
Hey Dan Devine,
Republicans are liars and cheats down to the last man, so why don't you STFU!
TO–peesue
I say the people of Minnesota deserves an idiot like Al Frankin to represent them. I'm sure he will be selected because democrats have a way of cheating when it comes to counting balletsOur first and only trip to Minnesota will certainly be our last people were so rude and it turned out to be a horrible trip because almost everybody we ran into were hostile, unfriendly we couldn't believe it. We were treated badly at the motel**CUZ YOU STINK!!! *** Excuse me it was the REPUBS That Cheated***** Remember Florida!!!!
If a ballot has been casted, why isn't it counted? If you do not count all ballots, then our way of electing a senator is not legal. Once a ballot has been cast, whether in person on election day or earlier, then it should be counted. If they are not counted then our process of electing a person is wrong.
"As it stands no matter who wins the other side will claim the result was illegitimate."
So what?
This is a scandalous tactic by the same soulless man who brought you the Bush presidency: argue that the law is somehow wrong and unreliable for counting the ballots. If they are allowed to do this now, it will simply be the case that recounts will not exist and only the appearance of a winner will determine the winner of a race. That's not democracy, that's fraud.
"Franken and the dems...ordered a recount."
WRONG.
The count results, as defined by MInnesota's Constitution, required the recount.
Franken and the dems had nothing to do with the state's constitution. Nor did Coleman and the GOP.
Hollywood also has nothing to do with this...I don't care if you like celebrity-turned-politicians or not. Further, Franken was never a product of Hollywood. Unless Saturday Night Live is actually produced in Hollywood, and they've been lying to us all these years.
Hey, if you can't get a life, at least take the time to get the facts straight.
don't let the repubs steal this election, they are trying hard, that is what they do best, steal elections that is.
>H January 3rd, 2009 2:07 pm ET
>fRANKEN IS TRYING TO STEAL THE ELECTION. HE SHOULD BE PUT
>IN JAIL. FRANKEN MUST THINK WE ARE IDIOTS.
>PLEASE GET LOST. '
>COLEMAN WON.
Dear Mr All Caps:
Uhmmm...well....if he thinks you're an idiot. it's probably because you are. Steal? Jail? You voted for Palin, didn't you, Mr. WebTV?
Peesue, Katherine Harris, a hard right conservative, gave the election for the Republicans because the judges that Bush Sr. appointed to the supreme court let her. The US has paid dearly for the Bush theft. Dem stealing ballots? Your conservative hypocrisy is beyond my comprehension. I guess you also conveniently forget that Palin's kid has a bastard child and Cheney's daughter is gay? I'll bet you don't believe in evolution either. No wonder our nation is in crisis.
"Rich" Wow thanks your the voice of reason in America. Republicans = Sore Idiot Losers.
Real Minnesotans would have preferred Ace Ventura. No on really cares about these two. There are both party insiders.
I'm a Minnesotan. I'm sorry you had such a bad experience here. Give us another shot, I'm sure you just ran into the few bad eggs. Many Minnesotans would gladly invite you into their home and feed you an enormous amount of food – then send you home with all the leftovers.
I went to Atlanta once and vowed never to return based on a few horrible people there, but I think deep down I know if I went back, I'd meet some great Southern folks.
And not all of us voted for Franken. : )
Have a great 2009.
I am astonished at how many of the posters here are so keen to show how clueless they are in such a public forum. The only difference between this and the 2000 election is that in Florida the dems. were not permitted to openly steal the election. Is there any question that if there is a dishonest count there is sure to be a democrat with the calculator? With half witted supporters, of course they try time and again. Luckily it is only in obnoxiously liberal states like Minnesota where they get away with it.
Why don't people respect vote counts any more? It's as if election day is nothing but theater, and the winner is your guy no matter what. The people of the state voted, and whoever wins based on the vote count is the winner. Period. Stop tearing at the seams of American democracy and be happy we even get the choice.
That's so lame. Is this the only way Republicans know how to steal an election victory? Shame on you! I think Obama was right. Republicans know how to win but are clueless when it comes to governing.
Please vote for me, Al Franken...
Franken is a joke. i say have a race all over again and let the people of Minnesota decide who they want to represent him. Not ACORN or Solis or Harry Reid!!!
At least let honest votes be counted on both sides!!!
Franken is about on a par with the dem palm-greasing, corrupt cronies in the Senate!
Reid, Pelosi, Frank, Dodd, Biden... and probably PEBO are in it for themselves!
Hope and Pray for representatives with authentic moral centers in 2012!
We do not need another Florida here. Let ever vote count and count every vote. Either accept the election as is or have a run off election.
wow republicans are still complaining about how democrats rig elections. Too bad all government officials today can't have the perfect fairness and legality our great president had in 2000. Get over it cry babys
How many Gophers are kicking themselves in the butt for not voting?
I am a minnesotan and am personally sick of the campaigns and I am also sick and tired of all the criticism minnesota voters have been getting. It is not our fault the candidates hate each other.
Hmm, many see Franken as a joke. Have they forgotten who has been president the last eight years? And what's with all this hate on Minnesota? Every state has elected loonies. So, lay off. I especially love comments from people in states that don't even come close to Minnesota student's ACT/SAT results and our high school graduation rates. So, witless buffoons, bug off!
Make them filibuster. If they want to hold the U.S.A. hostage because they don't like the fact that they lost an election, let them filibuster. It will only drag the Republicans down into the dirt even further. The GOP is a regional party and only getting smaller.
If Minnesotans allow this clown Franken to steal an election, they will get the leadership they deserve. Everyone with half a brain knows that there is corruption and theft going on in Minnesota right now. I cannot see any state, even Minnesota, actually voting for an idiot like Franken. Someone throw out all the votes and let there be a run-off election. If you need money to pay for it, just ask for some bailout money. It doesn't appear to be especially designated for anyone.
Franken had a very good education and did well enough to qualify to get into Harvard. He graduated cum laude, so he's got a few brain cells, and participated in a college work-study program. He has authored a couple of books that reveal how well-informed and clever he is.
Franken also has a great sense of humor, something he will need when he takes his seat in the senate. Just because he has worked as a comedian does not mean he is a joke or unintelligent. In fact, quite the opposite. Most comedians are very bright and well-informed. Minnesota could do a lot worse, in fact, they have.
People ridiculed Jesse Ventura, simply because he was a professional wrestler. However, Ventura worked very hard for the people of Minnesota. I don't understand why people want to disparage any who has done well at an honest job.
A recount without consistent rules for what is valid is nothing more than a fraud.
I love how people are discrediting Franken as a choice as a senator. Probably the same people who thought Arnold would never be worth anything as a governor, there is a reason millions of people vote for someone, because they believe he's the best choice
For "Dan Devine" – At least we can see why Republicans are becoming an endangered species. If the world is lucky, Bush's last official act will be refusing to put them on the Endangered Species list. Let that be his legacy....
Gee this sounds just like 2000 all over again. The Republicans want to interfer with the process until the clock runs out and the Democrats want to count all the ballots the election officials (the experts) say are legit and let the chips fall where they may. As you may recall, when several news organizations went back and conducted a recount in Florida, 1) Gore would have won, 2) we would not have gone to Iraq, lost our reputation, almost 5,000 young americans, and a war (yes once we leave it's going back to the insame state of the past 3000 years whether we leave in 2009 or 2999) and 3) Our economy would not be worse off than the Great Depression. Plus hundreds of other destructive events of the last 8 years.
Thanks GOP!
Let Franken win. Leno and the resat of our favorite social comentators will have lots of material for six years. The earlier hour will be great, and we can go to bed laughing (or crying).
Al Franken is an intelligent, thoughtful, articulate man who will serve the people of Minnesota just fine thank you!!!!
Welcome to Washington Mr. Franken–Given em Hell!!!!
Sounds like a lot of Republicans on this thread have gotten too used to having their way stealing elections in places like Florida and Ohio through fraudulently challenging voter registration, spoiled ballots, absentee votes uncounted, rejection of provisional ballots etc An excellent account of how the republicans mastered and employ these techniques is in "Armed Madhouse" by Greg Palast. Give it up Coleman you lost.
Why do the Democrats want to count only 1,350 ballots and the Reuplicans wan to coun them all. Is both sides following MN law about recounts. In this situation, the voters of MN loses. Six years from now, MN voters will not remember this. If MN voters really CARED, they would start cleaning house with local officials. Doubt
that has happen. MN voters have no one to blame but themselves.
Ummm... Obama, the best campaign and election money can buy... Franklin, best election shadiness can steal....
If it was so important for Franken to consider those 1,350 improperly rejected ballots, why not these additional 650? Oh, because they're from Republican leaning districts. What a hypocrite! Count every vote...as long as they voted for me!!!
Okay this is just stupid.
Pick any Monday
Tell the Candidates that one week from that day there will be a runoff and they may use the next seven days to Campaign.
The Night before the election-hold a debate
Whoever wins the runoff is the winner.
End of story.
don't seat him, if enough aren't seated than the dems have the majority
I love all these people who leave comments who are NOT from Minnesota and have NO idea what the facts are. Except for the extremes on both sides, the rest of us are content to wait until all the votes are counted and see who wins. I personally hope it will be Senator Franken, but if not – then the process needs to be fair. And, it was not Franken who ordered a recount, but the State of MN, where, by law, there has to be one if the margin is within a certain percentage – which it certainly was. Please – know the facts before making such outrageous comments. All the ballots are there for the public to see so there are no hidden or lost votes – and none found in someones trunk .
Texas Teacher, I'm glad you're not "teaching" my kids your looney liberal ideas.
For the record it was the Dems who tried (and failed) to use the law to steal an election which was conducted by the rules.
As for George, at least he has prevented another 9/11 in this country. Good for him.
Some people seem to think that Franken wants all the votes counted, while Coleman doesn't. Read the article. Franken only wants votes counted from areas that he will gain votes. They both don't want it to be fair, they want to win.
And for the record, the GOP is fully within it's rights to block the seating of a Senator who has not won yet!
Why is it Republicans try to use the legal system to win elections instead of counting the votes of the people? There's a real theme here that I frankly find tiring. It's "We the people," darnit.
Um... Franken did not "order" the recount – it was required by state law due to how close the election was, and now Franken is ahead, showing that the hasty election night counting had errors. The system is working just fine, folks. Only sore losers lie and make-up facts.
as a Minnesotan who supported Franken, I'm very sorry I did that. I wish now that I had gone third party. The absurd, childish behavior of both Franken and Coleman show me that neither is fit to lead and help our country with the tuff choices ahead. We need reasonable adults, not sulking children.
john cornyn should stay out of this, he doesnt do squat for most texans anyway
When Colman was ahead he wanted to declare himself the winner, and he didn't want to count the absent-tee ballots. Now that he is behind Franken, Colman wants to go into the ballots where there was some questions as to clearity of those with errors. Colman just can't stand being the under-dog. I am for Franken, but if Colman wins legally that should be fair. However, we also want Franken to win legally. So keep counting!
This is why MN needs a run-off!
Minnesota has a good voting systm which is nationally recognized as honest and Minnesota has a good government repuration – for all of you uniformed dopes who are likening this situation to Chicago politics – IT IS NOT CORRUPT. The problem is an extremely close vote. For you other dopes who think there should be a "run off" – those only happen when there is more than two candidates and no clear winner. There were two candidates only – so no run off because there is nothing to re-run. It is literally impossible not to have a tedious and contentious battle when the candidates are 50 votes apart and re-counting is going to include a review of wrongly disqualitifed votes. Where there are human beings battling for power and the outcome is a hairs breath difference = there is no human system that can avoid this chaos.
In so many ways, Norm Coleman is a loser.
I would not personally say that the People of Minnesota are anymore unkind than anywhere else. They do have a different way of speaking that to people from the warmer parts of the country could be misinterpreted as being clipped and callous perhaps. I think it is the cold weather actually. In the south we have the warm weather so much longer that we are out and about, around other people a lot. That seems to make us a bit more relaxed with people and at ease. Up north it is cold and people are inside and separated a lot. So when they see each it is not for long periods. It makes them a bit less trusting. I kind of know what it is from having lived up north and here in Texas. I have found that people all over the country when given time to get acquainted are all pretty nice people generally.
Just saying...
After following this for weeks,votes seem to appear and disappear,so far it's the Democrats wanting to count "some" votes,not wanting to count others,the Republicans wanting not to count some votes,now wanting to count some other votes.This one is going to be up to the wrong people to call,they need a run off,let the voters decide.
It's funny to watch Republicans on here go so hung ho for Norm Coleman. He was a lifelong Democrat, a nice Jewish boy from Brooklyn. Who switched to Republican to run for Senate.
The supported Reagen, but anyone else from Hollywood is horrible.
They wanted to stop the recount in 2000, now are all about it.
Silly Republicans, your hypocricy is amazing. Republican Vitter from LA gets caught with his name on a Mada's list and no Republican lashes an eye. Craig arrested, allowed to serve. Yet Spitzer gets caught and steps down.
Blago gets caught but not convicted. You try to make connections to Obama and Democrats in general. Yet Stevens in Alaska gets CONVICTED and no one mentions the possible connection between Palin and Stevens. You're all hypocrites.
More "my way" or the highway approach from Republicans. Enough.
Hey, Walt. You are saying "Bush always was illegitimate and always will be". Guess what, Obama is illegitimate as he wasn't born in the US, He is of Kenyan birth! I defy any Democrat on this comment string to name the hospital that Obama was born at. Also, can you tell us what race is check marked for Obama, was it marked Black, White, Indian, or what [There was no such race as 'African' back in 1961]. Try and answer these two questions before you try and talk about a legitimate President. You guys voted for a fraud. Barack Hussein Obama wont even show the American public his birth certificate! [Don't you fools talk about his published Certificate of Live Birth, that is not a Birth Certificate]. What is Obama hiding? If you are honest Democrats, you would be asking the same question?
Why do the Dems cry when their people are questioned, but scream foul when someone else questions a Dem who might not be a legitimate winner?
Oh, I know...it's the liberal double-standard. Anyone who doesn't fawn over the destruction of America must be wrong.