Coleman And Franken Make A Deal

Minnesota Public Radio reports that Sen. Norm Coleman and challenger Al Franken have struck a deal on disputed absentee ballots in their recount.

The plan they've submitted, which must be reviewed by the Minnesota Supreme Court, would count rejected absentees only if both sides agree they were wrongly cast aside.

The proposal draws out the process past the high court's end-of-the-year deadline. It could leave Minnesota without a decision on who won the race until after the new class of Senators is sworn in on Jan. 6.

Ritchie said concluding the work in time for the new session of Congress is not something he's at all concerned about.

"We've been really clear in saying our top priority is accuracy and transparency and the timing thing is just not our issue," [Secretary of State Mark] Ritchie said. "I want to put an underline, we don't care as long as it's accurate and we've done it in an accurate and transparent way. We don't care when it's done."

Coleman, meanwhile, lost a bid to have 16 discarded challenges reconsidered. His only current hope seems to lie in dubious legal maneuvers, such as using the Election Day results over the recount results in 25 specific precincts.

UPDATE: The Minnesota Supreme Court has granted a request from the Franken and Coleman campaigns to approve a framework for counting wrongly-rejected absentee ballots.

Comments

[markproulx]

Coleman is a snake.

[ThunderclapNewman]

Stop dwelling on his good qualities.

[Big0725]

Snakes have always gotten a bad rap.

[FZliveson]

It's a NON ISSUE
The pendelum is swinging left at supersonic speed.
More fiat currency is going to be printed (even more dolled out electronically)
The debt's goin' up and the house is comin down.
The two dufuses in Minnesota are like a soggy paper umbrella in the bottom of
an already-drunk "Dumb and Rummy" (diet coke and rum)
Do you have some food and cash stored for what's coming?
Don't be entertained by losers. Cover your backside, please.

[Evelyn]

hahahahaha. The right has destroyed the economy and now you're worried about what the left might do? hahahaha Too late, dude. The debt has already been piled to the sky, mainly for an illegal war and occupation, plus the enabling the theft of trillions by the financial industry. Cover your ass, indeed, but remember who got you here.

[FZliveson]

Evelyn: Look...Fei­nstein and Boxer did as much to get us here as the Repugnants. This is not about laughing at other people and partisan politics. You say the economy is "destroyed" well you have only seen the tip of the iceburg and the annointed one, will have very little ability to make changes. So be smug and polarized as much as you like. My message was to prepare for what's coming. Remembering who got us here?? With the exception of Ron Paul and Denis Kucinich, the whole lot was greedy and acting independent of what we the people wanted....­especially Duncy Pillosee

[iver]

Wow, I know the economy is bad and going to get worse, but apocalyptic? Maybe if you had a nice rum nog by the fire, you would feel better. Merry Christmas to you, from Minnesota.

[FZliveson]

Iver: YES! I have the rum and the fire...off to the store to get the nog!
You are a genius! Why aren't you in Washington?
I sent $25 from CA to Tinklenber­g...too bad Michelle won again.
I could use the $25 for necessities. Anyway CA supports MN and
visa-versa. Merry Christmas back to you and yours.

[realitycheck7]

minnesota makes florida look smart

[AlohaMark2]

Your comment is way off base. So what if they are taking their time and actually counting the votes? What a novel idea-counting every vote. Do you even remember what happened in Florida? I think not based on your comment.

To summarize:

you: smart = subvert the election, dumb= count every vote

me: you = bush

[realitycheck7]

you = need to lighten up

[Big0725]

As a lifelong resident of Florida I would have to say ..........­.... uh, not so fast!

We screwed up the 2000 election so badly we've changed or voting machines twice in 8 years.

[cheferic]

the candidates themselves shouldn't be allowed to choose which votes are counted or not -that is for elected an appointed officials to do and they are not either in the case of their own race -that's like letting the horses decide which photo finish to use.

[k6007]

That's how dems and reps get together and 'deal' is right into the doghouse.
Al's learning fast!

[AlohaMark2]

IMO the candidates are agreeing to agree now to prevent future legal action. This way the one elected won't have to defend the decision in court. If so it could ultimately save time.

[Fez]

It's about time for a Sven and Ollie joke... Sven and Ollie are sitting on a two-seat outhouse, doncha know, when Sven stands up and a dollar falls out of his pocket and down the hole. Sven gets a foul look on his face, reaches into his wallet, pulls out a $20 bill and drops it down the hole. Ollie says, "Sven what are ya tinkin? Ya yust dropped a $20 bill down there." Sven turns to Ollie and says, "Ya didn't tink I was going down dare for a lousy dollar bill now didja?"

[jan4insight]

LOL!

[arspar183]

hardy har har
but not bad actually

[sloreader]

LOL. Love that Norwegian hard head humor.

[Angele]

Hardeharhar! thanks for the laugh :-)

[Mildmannered]

did you mean Bush and Cheney?

[kevenseven]

engineerndng writes:

Seems like the last 2 years were really the worst(incompetence in government). I forget, which party has been running the house and senate since then???????

Posted 01:01 PM on 12/24/2008
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­--------

Oh? When was it that the American people were bamboozled about the threat of Saddam and an unnecessary war was launched??????????

Or, for that matter, when was it that Bush ignored, refused to read, in fact, a DPB that told hims that bin Laden was going to attack America with airplanes??????????

[Grunty1]

engineerndng has an overly high opinion of Democrats in my opinion. He thinks that they can roll back 12 years of disastrous policy in 2 years with only a 50/50 split and a selfish frat boy as a president.

They are obviously better than Republicans, but they aren't superhuman.

[nellie]

Or, for that matter, when American citizens were drowning by the hundreds on the flooded streets of New Orleans??????????

engineerndng has a note pad with talking points on it. Typing them out doesn't require much critical thinking. Or honesty.

[amorosotom]

I agree this last congress was terrible. Lack the courage to impeach both Bush and Cheney for war crimes. And then the trial for crimes agains humanity. They should have been tried and convicted by now and their ashes thrown in the ocean, a la Eichmann. Instead both are looking forward to a pleasant retirement as they rewrite history. Yup, this congress was terrible.

[ThunderclapNewman]

The Congress does not have the power to try and convict people for such crimes.

Impeachment is a parliamentary procedure with no criminal penalties.
The only penalty after a successful impeachment and trial is removal from office.

[Perryof1963]

amorosotom--- You might tally how much your savings/re­tirement/m­ortgages have cost you during this period.

kevenseven- good point... we lost bin laden, and mistakenly invaded Iraq thinking it was Saddam that we needed to destroy. He was a part of the 9/11 event and we were aware, but blacking out intellliegence. I'm so happy that Saddam was "tried" in his country...­. had he been brought to the USA to stand trial, he'd have had to address the murder of 5,000+ US civilians. My thought, death penalty once is ENOUGH!

[Big0725]

Not too familiar with the Constitution, are ya?

[curiousasheck]

I can just see it. Christmas 09.

Coleman and Franken thriller. Coleman finds 3 votes to take lead.

[FormerReaganite]

A senator's term is what, six years? It will be a shame if a full six years
expires and neither candidate has won yet. Better luck next time...

[Grunty1]

Sounds more like a horror movie.

[Big0725]

Why does this need to be done right now? The Democrats have a strong enough majority right now to do just about anything they want to in the Senate. One vote isn't going to make a difference. Let the folks in Minnesota do what they need to do.

[rich misty]

Any deal with any Republican­... Is a bad deal for America

[iver]

Yes, the GOP's new slogan is the "Raw Deal" and we don't care if anything is fair anymore, just put us back in power.

[radiclib]

.
.
It would be great to see and hear Franken interviewed on Fox News.
He's smart enough to deconstruct the false premise and bias in their questions.
And he's smarter and funnier than any of them.
Let's hope he wins.
.
.

[SignWave]

" And he's smarter and funnier than any of them."

... and gosh darn it. People like him!

[BushBites]

I wouldn't do that, Al.

The only reason Coleman would make a deal is because he thinks that's his only chance to win.

[woodsba]

If Minnesota used Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) this would have been over long ago.

[Grunty1]

Instant Runoffs are being held back because it would allow third parties a much higher chance to win without the worry of throwing away a vote. Republicans especially would never win an election again.

[nellie]

I think there's as much opposition to IRV from Democrats, especially where the Green Party is strong.

[ObjectiveRealist]

But would that help the votes to be counted accurately?

[Grunty1]

Since they are being counted accurately, why is there help needed? It hasn't been perfect, but this recount has been by and large above the board.

[nellie]

It would have allocated the votes that went to the third candidate—a fairly substantial percentage. Those votes probably would have decided the election.

[kevenseven]

No, it would not have. Do you have any idea what you are talking about?

[nellie]

Agreed. That should be the next movement in election reform.

[kevenseven]

Nellie, how would IRV have changed anything?

You gotta agree to a vote total before you can decide who won, regardless of IRV.

[kevenseven]

IRV looks good here because the third party candidate drew so many votes.

Of course, under IRV, he might well have won.

[maxfax]

Does Franken believe that he can make a deal with the devil and it will come out fair?

[nellie]

That was my thought. Perhaps he thinks—like many Dems do—that their opponents are fair minded. Why anyone would think that is beyond me. But it seems this same mistake is made over and over.

[amorosotom]

So right you are. The Republicans know they are working at an advantage. They instinctively know that the Democrats believe in playing the game fair and the Republicans believe god wants them to win even if they have to cheat. They have no moral compass, only the belief that hereitcs have no rights and the Dems are heretics.

[Microstation7]

Either way. I would be embarrassed to be from Minn.
This vote is going to the courts.

[SnapShots]

Embarassed? Why, would I care about what you think?

[GOPApostate]

You haven't been paying attention. It's been in the courts all along. Go find a friend.

[sloreader]

Why stop there? Republicans have so many reasons to be embarrassed now that the last 8 years worth of chickens have come home to roost. Heckuva job. Really!

[engineerndng]

Seems like the last 2 years were really the worst. I forget, which party has been running the house and senate since then???????

[nellie]

After this, I'd be proud to be from MN. A state that actually cares enough about election integrity to do whatever it takes to count the votes. More states should operate this way.

[tjallen1961]

I'm from Minnesota and I'm not embarrassed in the least....w­e count the votes here. There is a paper ballot that can be examined and counted. It seems like they will wrap this up and a winner will be declared (hopefully Franken!). Maybe the decision will not to everyone's liking, but it will be worked out. I realize the righties is used to stealing elections and they are frustrated it's not working this time. On the positive side for Norm, unemployment will give him time to work on his legal defense.

In hindsight, I'm glad I worked so hard for Al during the election..­..I'm sure some of the 47 he leads buy were from folks I convinced to vote for him. This is a lesson that every vote counts!

[ObjectiveRealist]

This seems pretty final.
[
The plan they've submitted, which must be reviewed by the Minnesota Supreme Court, would count rejected absentees only if both sides agree they were wrongly cast aside.
]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but these are the only ballots still in question. So, whoever is in the lead [Franken] simply doesn't accept any of the rejected absentees, and keeps his current lead. I think we're done, here.

[Rumplestiltskin]

That might be a permissable strategy if he wanted to win without regard for honesty, and have it known.

[ObjectiveRealist]

(1) It worked for the unimpeached current President and Vice President in their 2000 appointment.
(2) Those ballots have already been rejected once. Franken would just be agreeing with the previous judgment of the responsible party.
(3) If I loan you a magnet, do you think you could learn to detect irony?

[cyrano1]

You're using logic here. Whenever has that been a criteria?

[ObjectiveRealist]

[
You're using logic here. Whenever has that been a criteria?
]
Maybe it isn't required, but I enjoy it.

PS
1 criterion
2 or more criteria

[Grunty1]

True, but I don't see Franken doing that.
He has been pushing for these to be counted even after he got the lead.

[vegnation]

It was the Franken camp arguing to let the wrongly rejected absentee ballots be counted in the first place--apparently both sides assume that the majority these ballots will be in Franken's favor. My interpretation is that Coleman has basically conceded this aspect of the recount, and is focusing on legal appeals to prevent the recount from being certified.

[jnratliff]

You will have to admit that this deal is much better then letting the supremes get involved.
I mean look how well it turned out for America and Iraq after that decision. God lets pray we never see a decision like that again!