Minnesota ruling favors Franken as recount looms

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Sen. Norm Coleman has failed in an attempt to block some absentee ballots from being counted in his close race with Democrat Al Franken.

A Ramsey County judge on Saturday denied the request because of lack of jurisdiction. The incumbent Republican had tried to block 32 ballots from heavily Democratic Hennepin County.

Coleman's campaign says the ballots were not counted on Election Day or were not kept in sealed boxes. It says the request was made amid "increasing questions about unexplained and improbable shifts in vote counts."

The most recent vote tally has Coleman leading Franken by only a couple hundred votes. A recount is planned.

Comments

[gopherinjoburg]

Hey Norm! One of those votes is mine, it'd be swell if you'd let my vote count. Thanks.

[demfriend]

Al Should remind him to give up the fight when the election count favors him in the long run a Coleman told him he should do. Praying for the count for AL to increase!!!

[realpolitic]

Conservatives are losing their battles when trying to suppress the vote. Franken will win! Bill O'Reilly will have an old enemy back to attack nightly. One thing about Franken, when conservatives attack him he attacks right back. I like his fearlessness!

[likeicare]

Go Al!!!!!!!

[Plowboy]

Keep appealinng, Norm. Finally you'll reach that slimepit called the US Supreme Court, where all decency disappears aand causes like yours prosper.
And to quote a famous Marine, "God damn such an America as that."

[Jeep]

Dude, where's my vote?

[nellie]

Hand counting favors Franken, too. I think this is going to turn out well.

[nick1936]

Hey Norm did you declare the money your wife got from that lobbyist friend of yours???
Or are you just another Repuk Felon like Uncle TED????

[StillAmused]

Including Franken, this is the fourth time Coleman has sued a campaign opponent.

C'mon, Norm... don't fail us now! Sue every one of those absentee balloters, their children and their pets. Show no mercy. They're probably not real Americans, anyway... especially the pets.

[Georgiamitch]

Good...hopefully it's a speedy recount. Go Al! Go Al!

[Oldbuck]

Al does not need luck he needs a fair election which will get him elected

[MikeCanada]

What is wrong with these Republicans? Just count the damn votes!!

[magnolialiberal]

Good luck, Al!

[CrimeaRiver]

If I were Al, I'd be in a stress-induced coma by now. Good thing he has a sense of humor...

[cucumber]

On Al's radio talk show he never wanted to hear about election fraud or stolen elections or "irregularities" and dismissed it as so much "tin foil hat" stuff. Ironic that now he's in the middle of it. I hope he wins, but serves him right.

[zann]

A recount is a democratic tradition. He's not claiming there were any conspiracies.

[cucumber]

He is claiming "irregularities," which he was not particularly interested in hearing about until he became affected by them.

"Our office and the Obama campaign have received reports of irregularities at various precincts around the state. For instance, some polling places in Minneapolis ran out of registration materials. Our team has been working on those issues for several hours already, and they will continue to do so this morning as the recount process begins."
http://www.alfranken.com/content/splash_recount

[MrSanFran]

I love Al, but you are right. He was for the war too, and was hesitant to pull out. 911 conspiracy talked he pooh poohed. I still hope he wins because I think he will be better for Minnesota and the country, and maybe he has learned a thing or two since he has been off the air.