Posted on 12/05/2008 11:42:47 AM PST by lewisglad
Four votes.
That's how many votes the Franken campaign just said they're leading Norm Coleman by, with the hand recount now officially finished.
In other words, with every single precinct in Minnesota now done counting (except for the one where they're still searching for the missing votes), the Franken campaign is claiming the lead.
An extremely slim lead, but a lead nonetheless.
"We are not declaring victory -- we are moving into the next stage of the process," said Franken's lead recount lawyer Marc Elias, in a press briefing going on now with reporters.
"But we are going into that ahead by four votes."
At the end of this hand count, it's worth restating a few necessary caveats.
The Franken camp's methodology involves taking down the opinions of the local election officials regarding the challenged ballots, and assuming that the local referees' calls will be upheld by the state canvassing board.
As such, we are dependent on the Franken camp's numbers and assumptions.
The state canvassing board are going to be the ones who truly decide this race, as they rule on each challenge one by one. The Franken camp thinks this process will end with them ahead by four votes, or possibly even more, but clearly there is plenty of potential variation left.
Late Update: Just to be clear, the Franken camp is also assuming that those missing ballots in Minneapolis, which give Al an edge of 46 votes, will be found. And as we reported earlier, the votes could potentially be credited back into the totals even if they aren't recovered.
Does this include the overseas military ballots that were discovered?
Thieves and brigands!
Is this a joke?
Odd boy will win, then quit counting. Ain’t it beautiful.
How can anyone have one ounce of respect for these crooks. They have no shame.
That's what its all about, stealing the election in the US Senate
Talking points can say anything.
I don’t think those were looked at yet.
This one will be decided by double, maybe even single digits. Closest senate race in history?
Relax....if Franken says he is ahead by four votes, then surely he is losing. The only person who says he is ahead is Franken. EVERY other source gives Coleman a lead of about 250 votes, which is more than eh started the recount with.
Looks like it’s over for Coleman if this is the case.
Start practicing “Senator Franken.” The Dems steal another one.
IF THEY ARE MISSING, HOW DO THEY KNOW THIS???????????............
This smells like Washington 2004.
How do you count votes that you don't have ballots for. The recount is supposed to eliminate errors from the initial count. Why assume that the original count was the correct one? (Obviously because it means more votes for little Al)
” ... the pushiest, most aggressive, most unscrupulous
person who has ever sought public office, Al Franken.”
September 16, 1975
Closest Election in Senate History
John Durkin (D-NH)
The closest election in Senate history was decided on September 16, 1975. The 1974 New Hampshire race for an open seat pitted Republican Louis Wyman against Democrat John Durkin.
Although Wyman enjoyed a lead during the campaign, the Watergate scandals and the August 1974 resignation of President Richard Nixon made it a tough year to run as a Republican. On election day, Wyman barely won with a margin of just 355 votes.
Durkin immediately demanded a recount. That recount shifted the victory to Durkin—but by only 10 votes. Reluctantly, the Republican governor awarded Durkin a provisional certificate of election.
Now, it was Wyman’s turn to demand a recount. The state ballot commission tabulated the ballots in dispute and ruled that Republican Wyman had won—but by just two votes. The governor cancelled Durkin’s certificate and awarded a new credential to Wyman.
As a last option, Durkin petitioned the Senate—with its 60-vote Democratic majority—to review the case. On January 13, 1975, the day before the new Congress convened, the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration tried unsuccessfully to resolve the matter. Composed of five Democrats and three Republicans, the Rules Committee deadlocked four-to-four on a proposal to seat Wyman pending further review. Alabama Democrat James Allen voted with the Republicans on grounds that Wyman had presented proper credentials.
The full Senate took up the case on January 14, with Wyman and Durkin seated at separate tables at the rear of the chamber. Soon, the matter returned to the Rules Committee, which created a special staff panel to examine 3,500 questionable ballots that had been shipped to Washington.
Following this review, the Rules Committee sent 35 disputed points to the full Senate, which spent the next six weeks debating the issue and took an unprecedented six cloture votes, but resolved only one of the 35 points in dispute. Facing this deadlock, Durkin agreed to Wyman’s proposal for a new election. The Senate declared the seat vacant and the governor appointed former Senator Norris Cotton to hold the seat for six weeks until the September 16 balloting.
A record-breaking turnout gave the election to Durkin by a 27,000-vote margin. The real winners, however, may have been the Senate’s Republicans—for years a dispirited minority. This contest unified their ranks and, as some believed, gave them invaluable tactical experience in dealing with an overwhelming Democratic majority
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Closest_election_in_Senate_history.htm
Except for 133 missing ballots from Minneapolis, the recounting of ballots from the U.S. Senate race is over, and, according to the Star Tribune’s tabulations, Republican Sen. Norm Coleman has a 238-vote advantage over Democrat Al Franken, with thousands of ballot challenges pending. When the recount began, Coleman held a 215-vote edge. At 11:29 this morning, Wright County maintenance worker Allen Buskey pushed a cart with 10 boxes of ballots into Room 217 at the county government center in Buffalo and locked up the last of the 2.9 million ballots recounted since Nov. 19.
The Franken camp is full of it! As of this morning Foxnews said that the officl count of the state is 200+ in favor of Colman. The Franken camp is making stuff up again.
“Looks like it’s over for Coleman if this is the case.
Start practicing “Senator Franken.” The Dems steal another one.”
Oh BIOYA.
It’s hard to know who or what to believe with all of the conflicting claims. The US Senate may have to figure all of this out and decide the winner...
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