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

[landoffools]

Meanwhile, Senator Coleman is undergoing "stress therapy" in Stall #3, in the men's room at the St. Paul Airport !

"Bone appetite " Norm !!!!!

[PSM42]

Gee. Tough crowd. Go Al.

[shivadas]

See ya Coleman!

[jackmayoff]

Folks there were 2.9 million votes for the MN Senate race. Now the difference is down to 221 votes and Coleman's attorney tried to put a halt on any further counting of absentee ballots. Prediction: after the recount Al Franken will win by nearly 500 votes.

[Vurz]

If this plays out like the 2004 Governor's election in Washington State; be prepared for drama. The Republican candidate will complain bitterly about everything, accuse all the poll workers of fraud, demand that election officials step down. Screams of "voter fraud" and all that.

But take heart, the Democratic candidate won it by 138 votes or so. This year she was re-elected by a big enough majority that there is no question of a recount.

And the Republican? Well, his party picked the most conservative judge in the most conservative county in Washington State, who ruled that the only signs of voter fraud were on the Republican side and upheld the election.

[SwingingFromCenter]

Yeah, ole Dino got the tar knocked out of him this time around.

[max]

ALLLLLLLLLLL THE SENATOR

[sophiemn]

I'll bet the whole world a beer that if the recount flips this to Franken, Coleman will pay for a second recount.

[indypete]

No takers!

[S1m0n]

After Bush v Gore, Coleman's attempt to claim the benefit of any doubt will fail miserably. We're going to count every damn vote, and if coleman's still a senator at the end of it, that'll be the people's will. Until then, norm, get out of the damn way.

[ThinkForYourself2]

If you believe that there is no such thing as voter fraud then watch this video. Bush should have never been our president and it's time to stop using Ralph Nader and Third Parties as a scapegoat for the 2000 and 2004 elections and start looking at the actual cause.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzBI33kOiKc

"The right of voting for representatives is the primary right by which other rights are protected. To take away this right is to reduce a man to slavery, for slavery consists in being subject to the will of another, and he that has not a vote in the election of representatives is in this case." Thomas Paine

[violimo]

Something doesn't smell right. Why is Coleman going to great lengths to stop votes. In other countries that's a federal offence. I've been following Al's campaign for months. it's like being in a dentist waiting room. Let me out!

[SanFran1]

Conceed Al. The 32 votes won't help you.

[strandwolf]

Concede, SanFran.

[alguien]

surrender dorothy!

[Larkinvos]

Hey, SanFran1!
Learn how to spell.

[indypete]

Child left behind.

[mphalen]

They haven't begun the recount yet. These votes are just votes that haven't been counted yet. They found 100 votes for Al because some idiot poll worker put down 24 votes for Al when the actual count was 124. The boob omitted the 1. Maybe it was intentional or maybe the guy was just a boob. Odds are there may be many more "omissions" such as this. You would be a fool to concede any close race with a repub.

[MicrowavableJohnnyCakes]

Do the math. 32 votes is more than ten percent of the difference and could bring it down to less than two hundred. Yeah, Al should soooo give up when he gets closer and closer before the actual recount starts. That Guy Smiley wanna-be Norm Coleman is in trouble and he knows. The number of undervotes is the writing on the wall.

[jbeach]

Norm, you're not fooling anyone.

[pizzmoe]

Gee, I wonder why Coleman wants to block vote counting, the recount, etc.
We're rooting for you, Al !

[Marcozi]

The recount starts November 18th. Results in December. Franken Senator in January.

I've also wondered why Norm, who is so concerned about healing and unity, doesn't just concede. They're in a statistical tie anyway.

Do it for the children, Norm.

[PepeLepew]

What's happening with Alaska? I haven't heard a thing in ages. I just keep hearing about tens of thousands of missing ballots or uncounted ballots.
I understand Georgia's going to a run-off. More chances for Chambliss to put his foot in his mouth!

[Hopeington]

www.huffingtonpost.com/shannyn-moore/stolen-election-in-alaska_b_141704.html
Check this post!

[LondonTownNY]

Norm Coleman is the symbol of Neoconservative manipulation of the voting process in our Democracy, a guy who only became a Senator because certain forces insured that Paul Wellstone would not be alive on Election Day. The recount must be done and GOP Vote Scamming must be exposed. Norm Coleman is a symbol of the corruption of the integrity of the voting process in our Democracy.

[LondonTownNY]

Some day Norm Coleman and the dark forces in our country who took from us Senator Paul Wellstone will have to answer for their crimes against this country. A beginning will be to elevate Al Franken and remove Norm Coleman from a position he did not earn rightfully.

[cagney57]

Go to:

www.adn.com
That is the Alaska newspaper.­.they talk about Stevens and Begich off and on and are awaiting the outcome.

[PepeLepew]

Yayyy! Go Al, go!
It always amazes me how Repugnicans always seem to *not* want people's votes to count. That's "real Americans" for you.