Democrat Al Franken’s lead in Minnesota’s long-disputed Senate race increased to 312 votes Tuesday, making it mathematically impossible for Norm Coleman to win his state trial challenging the election outcome.
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The court still has to resolve whether some ballots were double-counted, as alleged by Coleman, and the handling of ballots that went missing.But those questions affect fewer than 300 ballots — too few to wipe out Franken’s lead, even if the judges rule in Coleman’s favor.
Of course, Coleman can still appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court. But so far, he’s lost nearly every single challenge he’s made during the recount. Even when he has succeeded in getting more ballots counted, they tend to work in Franken’s favor, as was the case for the 350 ballots counted yesterday. All of this begs the quesion: Is the damage to his career worth dragging this out any longer?
Is the damage to his career worth dragging this out any longer?
Colman’s political career is over, and he knows it. He is now on a childish vendetta against the good people of Minnesota. He doesn’t care about anything other than sticking it to the people who voted against him. What he doesn’t get (or is in deep denial about) is that it hurts his supporters just as much.
Beautifully stated, eloquent. As Norm’s exit should have been. It WOULD have been the greatest respect he could have shown his supporters.
We felt crushed when Gore walked away, but he walked away with dignity and held his head high. Didn’t anyone learn ANYTHING? Our recount was something to be proud of. I wish I could say the same thing for our GOP controlled former Senator.
I’m not a big Coleman fan. But this is about more than just the Minnesota election now. It is about control of the U.S. Senate. He is getting support from the higher ups. Elections do matter and the integrity of this election has come into question. Regardless of who wins, how many doubts do people have now about casting an absentee ballot or about their ballot getting “lost” somewhere. I’m glad if nothing else we got to pull back the cover on the election process. Maybe Mark Ritchie will do the right thing and make some reforms.
Reforms have already been proposed by Mark. That being said, this is indeed about the Minnesota election….not about control of the senate. Well, to rightwing douchebag idealogues it might be about control of the senate, but to us Minnesotans, it’s about respecting the most fair and open election system in the United States.
Of course it is. :>)
I think one of MR’s proposals is “vote early and vote often” used in other states around the country. By the way, do you know if he’d require any ID or can you just walk up and say, “vote please”?
It is about control of the U.S. Senate
Patently false. 60 is the magic number, not 59, bright gal.
the integrity of this election has come into question
Only in the republican fantasy-world. Come back to the real world, if you can overcome your deep denial.
Of course it’s about control of the senate. Stop blowing smoke. When we have a few Republicans in sheep’s clothing (for example, Spector, Snow, & Collins) that vote on their ability to keep their jobs, it is obvious that every last vote counts.
C”Rush” I agree,
There is no room for moderates in the Republican party, because it is controlled by dittoheads such as yourself.
I can only imagine the tactics you wackos would use if the outcome of this election were to actually tip the balance.
A few that come to mind:
- Faux News spewing seditious entreaties to its minions, leading to
- Assassinations
- Armed revolt (treason)
And for what? BECAUSE THEY’RE SORE LOSERS!!!!!
CMan,
Who is blowing smoke and what fact are you attempting to refute with that accusation? Would you prefer that all votes are straight party line all the time? If this becomes standard practice for all Senators then Pete is right; the election of Franken would not lead to Democrats controlling the Senate. Your inability to see things in anything but the most starkly divided way discredits what you say.
If the Republican viewpoint as you express it is always correct and the Democratic viewpoint as you perceive it is always wrong then you would only have to make your feelings known once.
Similarly, if we demand that our Senators only vote party line all the time we don’t need them there, we would already know the tally.
I don’t know if you are blowing smoke or not CMan but it does seem that your comments are almost universally negative and without substance. It would be nice to hear something from you that is original and demonstrates even a small amount of objectivity.
Norm Coleman has traveled down the low moral road. Plain and simple.
His reputation, what’s left of it, will not only damage his wife children; but those with whom he has connections. His political career is over at this juncture should all further decisions favor Al Franken.
After the recount revealed the actual numbers… this became about Republican anger at Minnesota voters. It became a cult of personality as Norm Coleman, an opportunistic RINO if there ever was one, became the symbol of Republicans in the throws of loser agony. If they can’t be happy then no one should be happy especially Minnesota.
After the recount the Republicans went angry and have all but destroyed themselves in Minnesota. Just wait and watch as Tim Pawlenty has to decide if he is going to throw his political ambitions away. He will if he gets in bed with Norm Coleman and the Republican National Moneybags holding Minnesota hostage to their anger. He could keep some dignity by signing the certificate after the Minnesota Supreme Court refuses the case and set up his claim to be bipartisan and moderate. I hope Tim listens to the Republican moneychangers and follows Norm into political obscurity.
Just think that if Norm had actually done his job as Senator instead of being a Bush/Cheney buttboy he would have been re-elected handily. If he had actually investigated waste and corruption in Iraq as well as war profiteering, he could have followed in the footsteps of Harry Truman… but NO, Norm had to short term everything and bow to Bush/Cheney. One path lead to the Whitehouse and the other path lead to the outhouse. Norm was not smart enough to figure out that Minnesotans expect people to do their damn jobs.
The thing is, this is the best thing Coleman can do for his career; at this point it would be stupid for him to stop.
There is no risk for him to damage his statewide political career any more, since it is over. Done. He is finished in MN. Lose to a wrestler, barely beat a dead guy in a GOP landslide year, lose to a comedian, come on.
On the other hand, fighting to the bitter end is making him a hero with national Republicans. His career now is in GOP fundraising, party organization, talk radio/TV, etc. If he doesn’t keep fighting and just lets Franken be seated, that evaporates. There is no personal incentive for him to be conciliatory, and there is nothing in the history of Norm Coleman that should make anyone believe that he would ever do anything but what is best for him personally.
It will be interesting to see how Pawlenty reacts. Coleman’s scorched earth path means Pawlenty has to cut him loose to have any chance of remaining viable in MN, but that would come at the cost of Pawlenty’s own national ambitions. If he does go all in with the national GOP for a Pres./VP run, there’s not much of a downside since he wouldn’t likely have a shot at carrying MN anyway.
A previous poster stated: “Maybe Mark Ritchie will do the right thing and make some reforms”. Election reform needs to come from the legislature. Sec of State Ricthie can, and has, offer recommendations. Many have been outlined on this and other sites. Some are good, some, well…..
Either way, the legislature needs to address this. If not this session, in the next, before the 2010 elections. Considering the budget situation, the inertia for election reforms might not come this year.
2 cents: I remind myself Coleman would not have been elected had Wellstone been in the race. That “coincidental” tragedy (along with the fact that a dozen or so Dem congresspeople have died to the 1 Republican in sm plane crashes or other “accidents”) and the media negative spin on Wellstone’s public memorial (which was announced to be televised nationally <48 hours before and too late to review the speeches) both culminated very well for Coleman. And he probably owes some people besides his sugar daddy.