Minnesota Paper That Endorsed Coleman Scoffs At Re-Do Election

A Minnesota newspaper that endorsed Norm Coleman for Senate is calling on state officials to ignore the former Senator's call to overturn the election results on the basis of objectionable tallies.

New Ulm Journal editorialized on Thursday that, absent "proof of voter fraud or systemic unfairness," the court system in Minnesota "should ignore the call to overturn the election."

In penning the piece, the paper -- which supported the former Senator during the campaign -- became one of a series of news outlets to weigh in critically on Coleman's late-in-the-recount plea. WCCO's Esme Murphy declared that "there is no smoking gun to show that Coleman was robbed." Lori Sturdevant of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, wrote that Coleman's "suggestion that 'the court is going to have to reflect'" on an election do-over, is just another of his "many legally fanciful ideas." And the Minneapolis City Pages ran the headline: "Coleman suggests an election redo, state cringes."

The growing frustration is owed to a variety of factors. For starters, voters aren't being properly or proportionately represented in Washington D.C. And the lack of a U.S. Senator -- regardless of political party -- has drawn the concern of a host of officials. More technically, the recount process in Minnesota has, despite its flaws, been remarkably comprehensive -- a level of detail likely to be unmatched in any re-do election.

"The whole process -- now absurdly lengthy -- was designed to assure accuracy in the tally," said Tom Gerety, a legal professor at New York University and former president of Trinity and Amherst College. "We all know that there is inevitable imprecision; but this is about as precise as it gets and all the statistics in the world can't argue with a certified margin of even one vote."

In strict legal terms, Coleman's options are limited. As noted in the Minnesota Post: Minnesota law contains no provision for a do-over election, hence, "a law on do-overs would either have to be enacted by the Legislature, or be created on the fly, by a judge (or group of judges)." The former Senator's venues for appeal are either to the three-judge panel overseeing the recount, the Minnesota Supreme Court; or the U.S. Supreme Court.

If all that fails, the issue could end up in the hands of the United States Senate, which could, with 41 filibustering Republicans, refuse to seat Al Franken under the current election results. This happened once before, in 1974. The Senate, after failing to settle on which candidate to seat, instructed New Hampshire to run a revote, which the state courts agreed to do. The precedent, nevertheless, does not bode well for Coleman. The margin of victory in that election, between Republican Louis Wyman and Democrat John Durkin, was as close as two votes. Durkin ended up winning the redo election.

Comments

[iver]

How about Amy Klobuchar having Al Franken at her side to represent all of Minnesota. We deserve both of our senators. We deserve in these critical times two full votes for Minnesota. We deserve a democracy where election results are honored not subverted by GOP operatives in our state. We need this recount to be over and move on.

[benzden]

They should both be forced to compete on the next America's Funniest Comedian - let the first one to drop out drop out of the senate seat race, too.

[madisonhack]

This isn't funny. The GOP is using legal manuvering in Minnesota to affect the entire U.S. Senate. Franken will certainly prevail in this, and then the GOP will whine (they're good at that) that their views aren't being considered in Congress. I say, steam roll them - they're irrelevant.

[RickCoMatic]

Coleman's Case is now in a persistent vegetative state and should be removed from the GOP Money Supply keeping the matter alive.
Coleman and his Team of Lawyers are behind by over 225 points with less than a few minutes to play. But, they still huddle, run a play and call time-out, before the road crowd, to make them wait until the clock runs out before the game is officially over. Why? Why keep running the ball out of bounds to stop the clock. rather than letting the other team take possession and have this contest come to an end? What is bedrock motivating factor for holding the ball and stopping the clock? Answer: Politics and Revenge. My guess is that it started-out with revenge outweighing politics; but after the Inauguration of President Obama, politics became far more important. The Senate Republican's NEEDIND Coleman to deploy any means to keep the vacant Minn. Senate Seat from the Democrats. But, the truth is that the GOP does NOT want Al Franken to become a Senator. They shudder at the thought. The Coleman Camp has Rested its Case. They are not out of time-outs. The Buzzer will sound on this one real soon. But, Coleman is supercharged with rage and funded with the deep pockets of the Republican Senatorial Committee. He's likely to want to play another game. He should pack it in. The "Spread" is over 200; and could be closer to 240 by game time.

[WmC]

". . . persistent vegetative state"? Very good RickCo

[ccairnes]

Coleman clearly cares nothing about the people of Minnesota.

[TJane]

Give it up Norm! it's over and you lost. No amount of stalling and legal maneuvering will change the outcome.

[StellaRay]

Coleman might have been able to salvage a political future out of his loss, after all it was a close one. Instead he slapped his palm into the hand of the devil. The GOP fawns over him with money to keep this trial going for one reason and one reason only---to keep Franken out of the Senate as long as possible.

But Franken will be seated, and all those of us who have followed the trial closely know this is true. Then the GOP will run from Coleman faster than they run to Rush. They have destroyed his political career in this state for their own needs and Coleman rode arrogantly on the wings of his own demise. Couldn't happen to a more deserving guy.

So for all you spitting venom Coleman's way, save it. He's a dead man walking.

[slarabee]

My venom is reserved for the GOP who used this sham as a means to delay seating Franken.

[rich misty]

Republicans are showing their strategy consists of using the courts, or outright subverting the law, in order to bypass American democracy.

[ohyes]

Coleman you are a sore loser, go away.

[Lochmon]

I would like to compliment Al Franken on the dignity with which he has carried himself throughout this lengthy process.

After all, remaining quiet does not come easily to this guy. ; )

(BTW, he's my choice for who ought to debate Limbaugh. Wouldn't that be fun?)

[schatsie]

Oh my gosh, he would clean Rush's clock!!! His debate with Coulter was one of the most marvelous debates I have ever heard!

[Lochmon]

Oooh! I didn't know there had been one! Is it online, do you have a link?

[Yves Papa]

There should be a time limit for this to end. Perhaps this should be added to the state's constitution. For the same reason they have seated the President in 2000.

This can be appealed as much as they want, but after a certain date, say the start of the Congress session, the senator got to be certified and seated.

A do-over vote is ridiculous. It's unfair for the others states who have voted all in the same time.

[ericj73]

As much as I want to see Franken seated, this isn't an issue that has anything to do with any state other than Minnesota. It's their senate representation that is the victim of all of this.

There is no federal requirement that each state has two seated Senators at any given time. There have been many times in history when some states have gone years without one of their senators.

Each state is allowed two senate seats. It is the state's responsibility to elect/appoint senators to those seats. This is Minnesota's election process in its entirety, with all contingencies in play. To say it's unfair to other states is fallacious as no other state's senate representation is impacted by this.

[madisonhack]

True enough, but you imply that the U.S. Senate can function perfectly fine without all 100 senators and I don't think that is the case. I mean, that's the point of the GOP pouring money into the Coleman challenge, isn't it?

[slarabee]

This ceased being about Norm Coleman 2 months ago. This is about the GOP working to keep Al Franken from being seated as a Senator. This will all be over soon.

[LeLoup]

Will we see the end of this saga before 2012?
Enough already!

[Zen0469]

Psssssssssstttt Norm. Get out of town while you still can. You are a jerk.

GOOD BYE. GO BACK TO NY WHERE YOU CAME FROM AND STAY THERE.

[kellygrrrl]

Normie is the last desperate hope for the GOP to block that 59th Dem Senator.
You can bet they are pouring millions into his legal fund, as well as keeping him amped up on the CrazeeJuice

[michiganms]

Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes and two cess pools : Coleman and Bachmann. What a disadvantage to a beautiful state.

[BobDobbs757]

It keeps going going and going.. its the kicking and screaming GOP.