Coleman Contemplates Losing: I'll Do Something Else

Addressing reporters for the first time since the recount election began, Senator Norm Coleman seemed to hint that he is bracing himself for the possibility of losing his seat.

"I'm not really agonizing about the outcome," said the Minnesota Republican. "Life goes on, regardless of what your job is. I certainly love what I do. If I can keep doing it, I'll be thrilled, and if not, I'm sure I'll do something else."

The remarks, delivered to a local Fox affiliate, were preceded by a declaration from the Senator that he was confident he will ultimately win his election against challenger Al Franken. Hours later, however, the state's canvassing board closed one of Coleman's few remaining paths to victory, dismissing the Senator's attempt to re-argue 16 disputed ballots.

Currently, the Minnesota Republican finds himself trailing Franken by a reported 48 votes out of 2.9 million cast on Election Day. In order to reverse the tide, Coleman's campaign is launching a campaign against over two remaining piles of votes. There are roughly 34 ballots that they contest contain clerical errors. More significantly, they have alleged that 130 or so ballots were counted twice. There is little evidence of the latter.

On Election Day, some voters had to use a second ballot after the first one could not be properly scanned through machines. But during the recount process the total numbers of votes in each county lined up with the number cast on November 4 -- suggesting that nothing was counted twice. The state Supreme Court will decide on this matter on Tuesday. Shortly after the New Year it will also rule on what to do with the approximately 1,600 wrongfully rejected absentee ballots that, if included, would likely benefit Franken.

"I feel fairly confident," Coleman told the local Fox affiliate. "The numbers look good to us. Certainly there's uncertainty. I'm not worried about it. I've done everything I can do."

Comments

[OhComeOnNow]

If not doing time in jail - perhaps moving back to the East and cease sullying our political process.

[majorteddy]

He'll do something else-----like 5 to 10 in the federal penitentiary.

[macohmz]

He can become a lobbyist and continue helping the banking industry put an end to American society.

[Graywolf48]

Ummm, like maybe go to jail, Norm?

[trollsbwild]

Any bets on when charges will be formally brought up on Coleman? My guess is sometime next month.
Meanwhile, has a decision been made on the 1600 additional ballots that were never counted due to clerical error? It was supposed to be ruled on today.

[Barbyrah]

What went before the MN Supreme Court today had nothing to do with the absentee ballots question; as I posted earlier, that issue was already decided by the Supreme Court last week (Friday). Today's Supreme Court question dealt with the possibility of some ballots being counted twice. Coleman camp believes some ballots that needed to have duplicates made of them (because they couldn't be read by the machine) were counted twice due to factors too complicated to explain here. Bottom line: It's conjecture, with no proof. The Supreme Court will probably come out with a ruling on this by tomorrow afternoon. And...just know...the­y're contesting over 100 - many favoring Franken. (If they're tossed out, Coleman goes in the lead.)
As for the absentee ballots - please read my earlier post. But again, that was already ruled on.

[rblackbird]

Thank you for your informative posts.

[trollsbwild]

Thx.

[RJII]

looks like he done packed up his cicklets.

[Donnat]

You'll do time, that's what you'll do!

[jeffp26]

We can make room for Coleman here at Rikers Island.

[LeeCalif]

OK then ! That's just what we wanted to hear !!!

[nellie]

Well, he'll have to do something else, won't he?

[scooperss]

Serve time somewhere you mean? Goody!

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Use car salesmen.

[OhComeOnNow]

That's an insult to used car salespeople everywhere!!

[iver]

Fox is always looking for a new government expert. They hired Karl Rove. Why can't Norm be one too?

[BPCentrisAmerican]

How many slots are there to go arround, times are tight.

[Nick127]

First he should get head reduction surgery. That is one big noggin that guy has.

[liseworks]

Maybe Palin's witchdoctor can help - I hear he shrinks heads too ..... ; ))

[CR46]

Now, now get your facts straight, Palin does not have a witch doctor, she has a witch hunter. lol !!!

[jse17]

We can only wonder at the hours and human effort placed into an attempt by Norman and his cronies to "honestly" STEAL Al’s victory. The pain now in place likely is unimaginable especially at the holiday season.

[tcuoohjohn]

The most amusing thing to me about the Franken- Coleman Flap is conservatives are forced to vigorously support Coleman, a man whom they have consistently lambasted as a weak willed Republican RINO ( Republican In Name Only) and perhaps a closet liberal. It occurs to me that had the GOP specifically, and conservatives in general supported Coleman more aggressively earlier on he wouldn't be facing defeat now.

In a sense the people who defeated Coleman were not Franken and the Democrats but conservatives and Republicans themselves. Conservatives turned their rhetorical blowtorches on Colemen for years and now he is paying the price at the polls.