Monthly Archive for January, 2009

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Can We Seat Someone #2: Ellison Calls for Franken to be Seated; “Minnesota Deserves Two Senators”

by Matt Martin | 35 Comments

keith_ellisonI couldn’t agree more with Congressman Ellison’s statements today.  These are dire times, Congress is about to spend billions (if not trillions) of dollars, Minnesota’s budget is deep in red, and we’re going to go into it all with only one Senator. We have certified election results and if Coleman’s legal challenge succeeds Franken can be recalled, but isn’t this the time to watch out for Minnesota’s interests instead of political interests? Here is what Congressman Ellison has to say (emphasis mine):

“We are in a recession; unemployment is pushing 9%; we’re embroiled in two wars; in the midst of a housing and financial crisis – and we have one Senator voting for us! Minnesotans are being short-changed by politics that were decided on November 4th.

The State Canvassing Board certified Al Franken’s 225 vote win after the most transparent and thorough recount process the country has witnessed. The Governor and the Secretary of State need to sign the certificate that allows Senator Franken to vote for Minnesotans.

Former Senator Coleman can continue his legal right to contest the election in the courts ‘til the cows come home – but not at Minnesotans’ expense.

This should not be about politics; it should be about giving Minnesotans their rightful second Senator so that he can vote on issues that will get this country moving again.

It would be unconscionable if any of President-elect Obama’s proposals to get this country moving again fell one vote short in the Senate – the one vote missing from Minnesota!

Sign the State Canvassing Board’s certificate and give us our second Senator!”

January 13, 2009, 6:51 pm | Category: MN 2008: Senate |

Senate Republican Leadership Plan For Senator Franken

by Aaron Landry | 1 Comment

It’s serious when the U.S. Senate starts planning their ratios around Franken being seated. From the registration-required Congressional Quarterly’s CQ Today: (Jan. 13, 2009 – Updated 2:07 p.m.)

The major sticking point of the lengthy and sometimes difficult ratio
negotiations — whether to count the still-unresolved Minnesota Senate
election as a Democratic pickup — appears to have been resolved in
Democrats’ favor.

Stabenow said the ratios she disclosed Tuesday assume Democrats will
enjoy an effective 59-41 edge in the Senate as a whole, a margin the
party would achieve only if they win Minnesota.

Democrats pushed for ratios that assume that Democrat Al Franken won
the Minnesota election, a concession Republicans until now were
unwilling to make. Franken led former GOP Sen. Norm Coleman by 225
votes after an exhaustive recount, the state Canvassing Board
announced last week.

At least when it comes to actual business opposed to political games in the Senate regarding the outcome of the Minnesota election, Seante Republicans and Democrats are being realistic.

January 13, 2009, 5:19 pm | Category: MN 2008: Senate | Tags: , .

Can We Seat Someone Please?

by Matt Martin | 15 Comments

barkleyWith Ritchie and Pawlenty refusing to sign a certificate of election for Franken’s win per the canvassing board’s official election results, Minnesota is left with one lonely Senator in Washington D.C. … am I the only one a bit perturbed by this? Where are the screams of taxation without representation people?

With the Obama administration about to take control of the reins, the American people are about to witness, by all accounts, a veritable tsunami of legislation attempting to tackle the escalating economic woes of our nation.  And you better bet that there will be an equally sized tsunami of spending accompanying all that freshly inked law — spending of the likes this country has never before seen.

Now, debate if you will the merits of this impending wave of federal spending or the plans underlying them, but I think we can all agree on one thing: Minnesota should be part of the debate.  And right now, our voice is halved. Halved at a time where our own state’s budgetary deficit has been reported to be around 15% of our entire budget and may in fact be closer to 20%… no matter how much fluff you think there is in our State’s budget, no one’s going to find $5.3 Billion (or more) without imposing some serious blood-letting.

So, try as we may to do the Minnesotan thing and take care of ourselves, there is no doubt that we, like so many states, are going to be deeply affected by the spending decisions made at the federal level.  Billions of dollars of spending is going to be doled out one way or the other, and it is the duty of our Senators (and Representatives) to fight to make sure Minnesota gets it’s fair share.  But instead we’re going into the legislative Superbowl of the century with only half an offense.

I think that seating Franken is the wise thing to do in these circumstances; after all, if Coleman’s challenge succeeds (God forbid), Franken will be recalled even if he’s seated.  But, stepping back to reality, it’s apparent that that’s just not happening.  Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I think the Governor should appoint an interim Senator until this is all sorted out (and who knows how long that will take).  Ideally, it should be a bipartisan, or nonpartisan, candidate — a third party, if you will…  Anyone know what Dean Barkley’s doing for the next couple months?

He does have experience with this whole interim Senator thing…

January 13, 2009, 10:07 am | Category: MN 2008: Senate and White House '08 |

Only 1 More Week…

by Matt Martin | 3 Comments

This almost makes me nostalgic… almost.

January 12, 2009, 9:39 pm | Category: White House '08 | Tags: .

I Love The Smell Of Republican Infighting In The Morning #2

by Zack Stephenson | 30 Comments

This morning, I linked to a post written by Joe Repya, a prominent Republican activist and former candidate for MN GOP Chair, slamming Republican operative Michael Brodkorb.  Repya had published the post on his personal blog, The Eagle’s Nest.  Shortly after I published my post, Repya emailed me alleging that his post, which he had cross posted at True North, had been taken down by the site’s administrator without his knowledge or permission:

I have found out that my post was taken down by the site administrator at True North after numerous calls/messages from Michael Brodkorb.

I asked the administrators of True North about Repya’s allegations.  Here is their reply:

Mr. Brodkorb had nothing to do with our decision. No one had contact with Brodkorb on this subject or on this post. We as the editors of TrueNorth felt it was not the type of post we think True North is here for. It is rare that we pull any posts down, but from time to time some posts happen to be put up on TN that are better suited on an individual’s blog, not on a website with such a large and variety of contributors who may or may not agree.

I also asked Michael Brodkorb about Repya’s allegations:

I didn’t have anything to do with the post being removed from True North and the independent statement from the site’s administrators verify that.

January 12, 2009, 5:29 pm | Category: Misc. Local Politics | Tags: , .

DFL To File FEC Complaint Against Coleman

by Zack Stephenson | 3 Comments

Its kind of a busy day…

Today, Monday, January 12, at 3:15 p.m. in Room 125 of the State Capitol, Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez will hold a press conference to brief reporters on an FEC complaint that the Party has filed today. The complaint alleges fundraising illegalities by former U.S. Senator Norm Coleman’s recount committee.

Developing…

January 12, 2009, 12:37 pm | Category: MN 2008: Senate | Tags: .

PIM: Ritchie is “Politician of the Year”

by Zack Stephenson | 4 Comments

Sarah Janecek is no fan of Al Franken, a fact that makes it all the more remarkable that her publication, Politics in Minnesota, just named Secretary of State Mark Ritchie “Politician of the Year.”  Check out what PIM had to say about Ritchie:


Ritchie has done an extraordinary job running the U.S. Senate recount. Sure, there are bones to be picked about what the State Canvassing Board did. Bones that will be now be picked, in a court of law. But the administrative process Ritchie ran was the process we have on the books, the process that had to be followed. Those were long, long canvassing board meetings that Ritchie ran and as chair, he made the motion on each ballot. Lost on many was how meticulously and consistently Ritchie made the motions. He offered the same motion on each ballot, but then, if that motion was rejected, offered the follow-up motion that made sense given the discussion that had just occurred on that particular ballot. A methodical, consistent process. For most Minnesotans who tuned in for part or all of the recount, Ritchie was the face of it.

Ritchie also became a terrific spokesperson for our process. If he said it once, he said it a million times, Minnesota’s election system has been “under the microscope.” At every juncture in the process since the election, Ritchie has held “press availabilities” almost ad nauseum. At every one of those press conferences and in every media appearance we saw or heard, Ritchie spoke to the process, not to the party. He made Minnesota proud in national media…

…We dare anyone to find one public statement made by Ritchie during the recount that was partisan in favor of Franken. It cannot be done, because Ritchie didn’t do it, and we — and many others — were carefully looking for one. Our historically partisan Democrat Secretary of State proved to be a nonpartisan statesman.

Republicans have been trying to smear Mark Ritchie from the first day of the recount. Fortunately, polls released last week show that their efforts have been unsuccessful. Mark Ritchie is a true public servant who has done a terrific job during this recount process.

January 12, 2009, 11:57 am | Category: MN 2008: Senate | Tags: .

Nobody Stole Anything

by Zack Stephenson | 12 Comments

Two polls out last week show that a majority of Minnesotans think the recount process was fair to both Al Franken and Norm Coleman.  Still, some on the right are absolutely intent on undermining Minnesota’s election process and the legitimacy of the Senate election by claiming that the Franken, assisted by Mark Ritchie and the Canvassing Board, stole the election.  This is a preposterous claim devoid of any supporting evidence.  But that didn’t stop Michael Brodkorb from going on Fox News last week and calling the recount a “sham.”

Over the weekend, the Pioneer Press specifically debunked this emerging right-wing myth in a Q and A piece on the recount:

Q So Coleman had a lead. There was a recount. And now Franken has a lead. Did Franken or the Democrats steal this election?

A No. Although some partisans have thrown around the idea that someone is trying to steal the election, the vast majority of the recount was done in the open by local election officials.

Many of the major issues in the race were decided unanimously by the state canvassing board. The board is made up of two state Supreme Court justices, both appointed by Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty; two Ramsey County judges, one appointed by former Independence Party Gov. Jesse Ventura and the other widely believed to be a Democrat but completely inactive in politics for decades; and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, a Democrat.

At the Coleman campaign’s request, the Minnesota Supreme Court also weighed in on the recount several times. The court made its decisions without the two Pawlenty-appointed justices on the canvassing board but still had a majority of Republican-appointed justices.

We can’t let partisan warriors on the right destroy Minnesota’s reputation of superb elections (high turnout, fair process, etc…) just because they don’t like who won.

January 12, 2009, 10:54 am | Category: MN 2008: Senate | Tags: , .

I Love The Smell Of Republican Infighting In The Morning

by Zack Stephenson | 13 Comments

What a pleasant way to start your day:

Frankly, I’m no fan of this guy and Michael Brodkorb’s effort to run for MN GOP Deputy is laughable.

Brodkorb is perhaps one of the most angry, abrasive, and divisive individuals in Minnesota’s political process. His thuggish and bullying behavior has caused many GOP grassroots activists in Eagan to be so turned off by his antics that they lost interest in participating in the political process. Eagan is now a solid DFL stronghold. He is one of the reasons that the MN GOP has lost so much ground the last three elections.

The current MN GOP Deputy, Dorothy Fleming is a far better candidate and a uniter not divider.

That’s Joe Repya, prominent Republican activist and past (and perhaps future) candidate for MN GOP Chair, discussing Michael Brodkorb, proprietor of Minnesota Democrats Exposed and Communications Director for the Senate Republican Caucus. It would seem that some among the GOP’s activist base are not too pleased with Michael’s scorched earth tactics.

Of course, Repya’s feud with Brodkorb is nothing new. Brodkorb managed Ron Carey’s re-election campaign for party chair two years ago. Repya was Carey’s opponent. What is new, however, is this blog: (which I hadn’t discovered until I read Repya’s post) Dump Brodkorb. Its apparently an effort to prevent Michael from being elected MN GOP Deputy Chair. One would think that Repya would be sympathetic with this blog, but Joe smells foul play:

As of this morning no one has stepped forward to admit ownership of the web site.

This has led many of us to deduce that the owner of the web site might actually be Michael Brodkorb.

Why? It fits his pattern of despicable political shenanigans. Set up a web site against himself, so he can play the victim card and say that mystical forces or his political enemies are trying to keep him from office because they fear his effectiveness.

Dump Brodkorb has no real content yet, but I’ve added it my to my RSS and I’m looking forward to see what they come up with.

UPDATE: I wrote above that Repya might be a future candidate for MN GOP Chair.  Well, Repya just announced that he will not run and will instead support former Senator Rod Grams for the position.  I don’t think that the GOP will elect Grams Chair.  There is just no way that the DFL could be that lucky.

January 12, 2009, 8:39 am | Category: Misc. Local Politics | Tags: , , .

Minnesotans Think Recount Was Fair, Want Coleman To Concede — Part II

by Aaron Landry | 2 Comments

New Research 2000 poll:

Do you favor or oppose Norm Coleman’s legal challenge to Al Franken’s victory? 
FAVOR: 34% 
OPPOSE: 47% 
NOT SURE: 19%

[…]

Which statement best reflects your point of view? The recount process has been… 
…fair to both Norm Coleman and Al Franken: 63% 
…mostly unfair to Norm Coleman: 17% 
…mostly unfair to Al Franken: 12% 
NOT SURE: 8% 
(Questions rotated)

Youch. I strongly believe that the longer Coleman drags this process on, the worse his future will be. Full breakdown at Daily Kos.

January 10, 2009, 5:52 pm | Category: MN 2008: Senate | Tags: , .

Minnesotans Think Recount Was Fair, Want Coleman To Concede

by Zack Stephenson | 42 Comments

Minnesotans agree with Norm Coleman, its time for “the healing process to begin.” Its just too bad Norm doesn’t agree with Norm anymore.

KSTP sponsored a SurveyUSA poll that found that 56% of Minnesotans, a solid majority, think that the recount was fair to both candidates.

Perhaps as a result of that impression, 49% of Minnesotans disagree with Norm’s decision to contest the election and 44%  - both pluralities - think that he should concede.

As I predicted, public support for Norm Coleman collapsed when he decided to embrace hypocrisy and take this election into court.

SurveyUSA hasn’t released their write up or the poll’s crosstabs yet.  We’ll link to it as soon as they do.

January 8, 2009, 11:36 pm | Category: MN 2008: Senate | Tags: .

Mayor Coleman To Run For Re-Election

by Zack Stephenson | 29 Comments

At an event at the Crown Plaza today, Chris Coleman announced that he’ll seek another term as Mayor of St. Paul.  The Mayor, who won in a landslide four years ago, also rolled out a (very) long list of endorsements.  The full list and his prepared remarks are available after the jump…

More »

January 7, 2009, 9:56 pm | Category: Misc. Local Politics | Tags: .

Mark Ritchie: Recounts are for the loser to understand they lost

by Aaron Landry | 6 Comments

A little blast from the past (well, November 5, 2008): at a press conference, Mark Ritchie reminds us that “…recounts are for really the loser to understand and see and then believe that they in fact did not win the election and for their supporters to come to the same conclusion.”

The recount will help Team Coleman “…to understand and see and then believe that they in fact did not win the election…”

[Hat Tip to Michael B. Brodkorb]

January 7, 2009, 3:30 pm | Category: MN 2008: Senate | Tags: , , .

Public Support For Coleman Wavers

by Zack Stephenson | 4 Comments

There is no new polling data, but there is anecdotal evidence supporting my prediction that Norm’s support among the general public would evaporate if he chose to go to court:

Some voters said flatly that they believed Mr. Coleman should withdraw. “As of right now, I’d say he should step aside,” said Brian Kelley, an engineer who works in St. Paul and voted for Mr. Coleman… …Other residents worry that Minnesota is being left in the lurch, and that having a senator — even maybe one you did not vote for — would be better than continuing uncertainty. “I just think it’s time to move on. We’ve got a lot of important things to take care of in this session right now, so we should get somebody in there so they can represent Minnesota,” said Laura Winge, a creative director for the State Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Coleman, of course, is in an especially weak position because he called for Franken to concede just days after the election. Pressing on to court makes him a HUGE hypocrite. As time goes on, and it becomes more and more apparent that Norm is going to lose, I think the pressure on Coleman to concede will grow and grow.

January 7, 2009, 12:40 pm | Category: MN 2008: Senate | Tags: , .

Eric Black: “It’s unlikely Coleman will win in court”

by Aaron Landry | 0 Comments

MinnPost’s Eric Black goes through Team Coleman’s court filing and breaks down Coleman’s chances. If Coleman even wins some of his arguments, it’s close to impossible he will gain a lead. In fact, it is possible that if Coleman wins some of his arguments it will actually increase Franken’s margin. From the piece:

Most of the issues are familiar, and either the Canvassing Board or the Supreme Court has already considered them. Take the 133 missing Minneapolis ballots that the Canvassing Board decided to count. This is one where the Canvassing Board actually took evidence, received an opinion from the attorney general, consulted the law books and allowed the two campaigns to make arguments. Four of the five canvassers are judges. The decision was unanimous. What are the odds the next judges who consider the same matter will see it differently? (And if they do, bear in mind, it won’t lop 133 ballots off Franken’s margin, only 46, which was Coleman’s net advantage from that batch of ballots, as counted on Election Night before they went missing.)

Read the whole piece at MinnPost.

January 7, 2009, 11:58 am | Category: MN 2008: Senate | Tags: , .