IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: COLEMAN ATTORNEY ADMITS TRUTH BEHIND STRATEGY OF UNDERMINING RECOUNT
The Pioneer Press reported on the Coleman campaign’s explanation for their repeated attempts to undermine the recount: “Fritz Knaak, lead Coleman recount attorney, said the rules of the recount, which the campaign had agreed to, aren’t playing out the way the campaign expected.”
http://www.twincities.com/politics/ci_11346295

REPUBLICAN SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE: RECOUNT HANDLED “CAREFULLY”
Forum Communications reports: “The state Canvassing Board has carefully handled its duties in the U.S. Senate recount, a board member and Minnesota’s top judge said. Supreme Court Chief Justice Eric Magnuson, who sits on the board responsible for declaring an election winner, said regardless of the outcome, citizens and the candidates – Sen. Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken – need to be assured ‘that everything’s been looked at and looked at carefully’ by the five-member board. Magnuson was satisfied that occurred, particularly during the board’s inspection of nearly 1,500 votes that the campaigns challenged during the statewide recount. ‘It’s apparent that everybody’s worked really hard on this and if there were any nits to be picked, they’ve been picked,’ he said.”
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/108647/

FRANKEN HOLDING 49 VOTE LEAD
This week, the state canvassing board unanimously approved a spreadsheet reflecting the final disposition of nearly 3 million votes cast in the U.S. Senate race. With all challenges reviewed and all ballots allocated, Al Franken leads Norm Coleman by 49 votes. A winner is expected to be declared next week after improperly rejected absentee ballots have been included in the count.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gMpTmr96V5hKIfyHT4Av4jsVQgrQD95DCH680

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/36877849.html

YET AGAIN, COLEMAN GOES TO COURT TO STOP COUNTING OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS, DERAIL THE RECOUNT
The Coleman campaign on Wednesday sought to stop the ongoing process in which improperly rejected absentee ballots are reviewed, with Coleman attorney Tony Trimble claiming in a letter that the process “will yield an invalid and unreliable election result.” This was a reaction to the Canvassing Board announcing last week that Al Franken, after completing the challenged ballots review, was ahead of Norm Coleman by 49 votes. The Coleman campaign reacted by trying to cast doubt on the outcome of this election by diverting attention to the courts and away from the counting of ballots. Their previous attempts to stop the counting of ballots were rebuffed by the State Canvassing Board and the Minnesota Supreme Court – and we believe this one will be as well. Minnesotans are ready to move forward and recognize a winner in this race.

MSNBC ANALYSIS: 83% OF NEW COLEMAN ABSENTEES BALLOTS FROM PRECINCTS HE WON ON NOV 4TH
A First Read analysis of the rejected absentee ballots from Hennepin County that the Norm Coleman campaign wants added to a state review found that 83% of them were from areas of the county that Coleman won in November. Democrat Al Franken won the county by 14 percentage points, 50%-36%.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/01/02/1730014.aspx

LOCAL TV COVERS COLEMAN CAMP REJECTING BALLOT FROM ELECTION JUDGE… WHO VOTED FOR COLEMAN
Late last week representatives for Senator Coleman blocked a ballot from Duluth election judge Shirley Graham – whose husband and ballot witness used to work for the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office. Graham revealed to the Star Tribune that she in fact voted for Norm Coleman and is featured in a local news television broadcast: http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/local/36952899.html.

KEY POINTS

• We are nearly at the end of what has been a long but fair recount process. Each step has been conducted carefully and in full view of the public, and we have seen public servants from the state canvassing board down to local elections officials perform a great deal of good work under significant pressure. And, at the end of that process, we believe that Al Franken will hold a lead over Norm Coleman, and will be declared the winner of the election.
• Claims by the Coleman campaign that some ballots have been counted twice are not supported by any evidence. The Coleman campaign efforts to obstruct and delay the process are merely attempts to start the recount over from scratch, a process which could drag on for months. However, there is no reason to believe that a re-recount would yield any different result.
• The Coleman campaign has already said that, when it is officially declared to have lost the election, it will file an election contest, seeking to have the result overturned in court. That is their legal right. But the millions of dollars a lawsuit would cost won’t change the result. Meanwhile, if declared the winner and seated by the U.S. Senate, Al Franken will go to work in Washington on behalf of the people of Minnesota.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 2nd, 2009 at 5:18 pm and is filed under Press Releases. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.