PIM: Ritchie is “Politician of the Year”

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.