Coleman appeals Senate race at Minn. high court

[GooeyGUI]

Text

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) ? Republican Norm Coleman asked the Minnesota Supreme Court on Thursday to order the counting of at least 1,359 additional ballots and possibly thousands more in his U.S. Senate race or go so far as to throw out the election entirely.

In filing a brief to the court, Coleman said counties didn't follow the same standard for determining how absentee ballots were accepted or rejected. He is seeking to overcome Democrat Al Franken's lead of 312 votes after a recount and a trial.

The brief focused mainly on uncounted absentee ballots, arguing that the "overwhelming evidence of disparate treatment cannot be ignored ? no matter how expedient it may be to do precisely that."

Coleman offered options for the court to consider, including reducing each candidate's total in places where absentee votes were improperly allowed or throwing out the entire election.

"Minnesota law may not authorize this Court to require a new election, but neither does it require the Court to certify a winner if the record does not admit of one," his lawyers wrote.

One of them, Ben Ginsberg, told reporters that wasn't the preferred outcome.

Coleman also asked the court to revisit what he described as counting irregularities that pumped up Franken's totals in Minneapolis during the recount.

He previously sought to add more ballots after a recount gave Franken the lead and a trial court agreed to let 351 ballots in. But more of those went to Franken than to Coleman.

Coleman's hope is that more ballots from heavily Republican areas will make it into the count. Justices will hear the case June 1, but no deadline for a decision has been set. The loser could attempt to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court or ask the Senate itself to intervene.

Franken has until mid-May to file his brief and then Coleman has more time to respond. A Franken spokesman said he had no immediate comment.

The Senate race in Minnesota has dragged on for five months.

Americans United for Change, a left-leaning group, began airing television ads on cable urging Gov. Tim Pawlenty to issue an election certificate once the Supreme Court makes a decision. Pawlenty has said he would wait for direction from the court.

Coleman is doing a disservice to his state and country at this point.

Give up Coleman!

http://despair.com/giveup.html

 

[IronWing]

This is what the legal system is for; let it run its course. The voters can judge the two candidates in the next election.

 

[theeedude]

It wouldn't need to go through the legal system if Coleman just accepted reality. He's doing political damage to himself going forward. Plus MN is one Senator short at a time when some pretty important issues that effect it are being decided.

 

[Thump553]

Originally posted by: senseamp
It wouldn't need to go through the legal system if Coleman just accepted reality. He's doing political damage to himself going forward. Plus MN is one Senator short at a time when some pretty important issues that effect it are being decided.

Don't kid yourself-Coleman is doing this for the party. By prolonging this as long as possible he prevents the 60th Democrat from being seated.

I wonder how much $$ the national GOP has poured into this stalling effort so far.

 

[BoberFett]

What a douchebag. He needs to stop. I don't like Franken, but then I never liked Carpetbaggin' Coleman either.

 

[DainBramaged]

Originally posted by: senseamp
It wouldn't need to go through the legal system if Coleman just accepted reality. He's doing political damage to himself going forward. Plus MN is one Senator short at a time when some pretty important issues that effect it are being decided.

I'm sure he would say that this is the very reason he is doing it. So that he can help decide these issues.

 

[bozack]

Originally posted by: ironwing
This is what the legal system is for; let it run its course. The voters can judge the two candidates in the next election.

 

[sportage]

He's trying to be a good republican <clicks heels>
Heil Rush! Heil Rush! Heil Rush! Heil Rush!
(stealing the MN senate is my last territorial demand) <clicks heels>

 

[fskimospy]

While I'm pretty sure Coleman has realized that he has nearly zero chance of winning, it's up to the courts to tell him to shut up and take his medicine. Sure I wish he would stop, but it's his right to keep going as long as the courts will hear him. I'm sure the fact that it helps the Republicans strategically is not lost on him either.

 

[n yusef]

There is a margin of error in any polling system. This election (and many past elections) is within that margin of error. To say with certainty, that one party won over the other is to fail statistics.

This appeals process reminds me of the practice in sports where only the calls in the last two minutes are reviewed; the refs can suck for the preceding forty-six minutes, but there isn't the time or money to scrutinize every call.

 

[fskimospy]

Originally posted by: n yusef
There is a margin of error in any polling system. This election (and many past elections) is within that margin of error. To say with certainty, that one party won over the other is to fail statistics.

This appeals process reminds me of the practice in sports where only the calls in the last two minutes are reviewed; the refs can suck for the preceding forty-six minutes, but there isn't the time or money to scrutinize every call.

I don't think anyone is saying who is going to win or lose off the polling data anymore, it's about the number of contested ballots that courts are likely to allow combined with Franken's lead.

 

[n yusef]

Originally posted by: eskimospy

Originally posted by: n yusef
There is a margin of error in any polling system. This election (and many past elections) is within that margin of error. To say with certainty, that one party won over the other is to fail statistics.

This appeals process reminds me of the practice in sports where only the calls in the last two minutes are reviewed; the refs can suck for the preceding forty-six minutes, but there isn't the time or money to scrutinize every call.

I don't think anyone is saying who is going to win or lose off the polling data anymore, it's about the number of contested ballots that courts are likely to allow combined with Franken's lead.

Sorry, I mis-typed. I meant voting system, not polls. What I mean is that we are fools to think that humans can count votes precisely.

 

[fskimospy]

Originally posted by: n yusef

Originally posted by: eskimospy

Originally posted by: n yusef
There is a margin of error in any polling system. This election (and many past elections) is within that margin of error. To say with certainty, that one party won over the other is to fail statistics.

This appeals process reminds me of the practice in sports where only the calls in the last two minutes are reviewed; the refs can suck for the preceding forty-six minutes, but there isn't the time or money to scrutinize every call.

I don't think anyone is saying who is going to win or lose off the polling data anymore, it's about the number of contested ballots that courts are likely to allow combined with Franken's lead.

Sorry, I mis-typed. I meant voting system, not polls. What I mean is that we are fools to think that humans can count votes precisely.

Well we don't really think that though, there's a reasonable degree of acknowledged error present in our voting system, but we get it as close as we can. In the end, someone has to win and so we take our best guess.

 

[GooeyGUI]

I guess it can't be looked at in another way. There was a third party candidate that took 17% of the vote. Just prior to the election they were polling people about who they'd vote for if their third party candidate was no longer in the race, it was running two to one in Franken's favor.

It seems that this is the only thing that kept the race as close as it turned out.

 

[miketheidiot]

franken should just ask for a revote, i doubt he would lose

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: GooeyGUI

Coleman is doing a disservice to his state and country at this point.

Give up Coleman!

He's doing a service for the Republican party, who is paying the legal bills for him, to prevent democracy and deny the rightfully elected majority the 60 votes they earned.

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
franken should just ask for a revote, i doubt he would lose

There is no legal basis for one as far as I'm aware.

 

[miketheidiot]

Originally posted by: Craig234

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
franken should just ask for a revote, i doubt he would lose

There is no legal basis for one as far as I'm aware.

probably not

 

[lupi]

Originally posted by: senseamp
It wouldn't need to go through the legal system if Coleman just accepted reality. He's doing political damage to himself going forward. Plus MN is one Senator short at a time when some pretty important issues that effect it are being decided.

Yeah, I'm sure you have the same thoughts after florida.


Besides, I'd like to see a list of these important things Minnesota is losing out on; with all this national legislation being passed with virtually no republican votes this must be a crucial matter.

 

[cubby1223]

Originally posted by: GooeyGUI
Coleman is doing a disservice to his state and country at this point.

Give up Coleman!

It is a disservice to his state and country to ensure that all votes are counted uniformly across all districts of a state election

Originally posted by: GooeyGUI
I guess it can't be looked at in another way. There was a third party candidate that took 17% of the vote. Just prior to the election they were polling people about who they'd vote for if their third party candidate was no longer in the race, it was running two to one in Franken's favor.

It seems that this is the only thing that kept the race as close as it turned out.

I fully support runoff elections, which eliminates this ill-effect of 3rd party candidates.

Originally posted by: lupi
Besides, I'd like to see a list of these important things Minnesota is losing out on; with all this national legislation being passed with virtually no republican votes this must be a crucial matter.

Bingo

 

[cubby1223]

Originally posted by: Craig234
He's doing a service for the Republican party, who is paying the legal bills for him, to prevent democracy and deny the rightfully elected majority the 60 votes they earned.

:laugh:

You really are something

You just said it is the duty of elected officials to always vote in line with the party leader's position.

Your stance prevents democracy more than Coleman's stance. Is there any wonder why we call you a partisan hack? :laugh:

Hell, if you want to get down to the base definition of "Democracy" Colman's challenges can be viewed as ensuring there is a free electoral system.

 

[Lemon law]

Despite the fact ole cubby1223 supports runoff election when its benefits the GOP, its a sorry cubby, the Minnesota constitution has nothing in about using runoff elections to settle disputed elections. Cubby must have Minnesota confused with Georgia, a state whose constitution does require runoff elections to settle elections where no candidate gets 50% of the vote.

As for the Coleman appeal, I for one say its good that Coleman did not use the last two weeks of the deadline to stall it out even longer , meaning the sooner that the Minnesota Supreme Court rules, the sooner that step in the disputed election is settled. I fully expect Coleman to wait as long as possible to appeal the US Supreme Court also, but if I am right in guessing both courts will rule against Coleman, ole Norm Coleman will really screw the pooch if he tries anymore full court stalls.

After all, the last time Coleman got his way, the Franken lead increased and now Coleman is clutching at straws.

 

[Moonbeam]

Coleman's ego is probably terribly hurt that he's going to lose to a comedian. Now he wants to be the bigger joke.

 

[GooeyGUI]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Coleman's ego is probably terribly hurt that he's going to lose to a comedian. Now he wants to be the bigger joke.

That may be true, but don't sell Franken short. He does have a degree from Harvard and he did host Air America for a long time.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Originally posted by: GooeyGUI

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Coleman's ego is probably terribly hurt that he's going to lose to a comedian. Now he wants to be the bigger joke.

That may be true, but don't sell Franken short. He does have a degree from Harvard and he did host Air America for a long time.

If we are going to judge Franken by the success of Air America we are in big trouble.