Posted on 04/13/2009 4:37:37 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
Over five months after the election, a three-judge panel has declared Democrat Al Franken the winner of the Minnesota U.S. Senate race.
The judges issued their final ruling late Monday, stating "Franken received the highest number of lawfully cast ballots in the Nov. 4, 2008 general election."
They also have determined that Franken is entitled to receive the certificate of election.
Last week, Republican Norm Coleman suffered a blow after a few hundred previously rejected absentee ballots were opened and counted at the tail end of Coleman's lawsuit contesting his loss in a statewide recount. They broke almost 2-to-1 for Franken to pad his lead to 312.
Outside the courtroom, Coleman attorney Ben Ginsberg minimized the new margin because his side was certain to appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
"What happened today in the sphere of this election is really inconsequential," he said. "There's a much larger universe of ballots that should be opened."
Ginsberg said he hopes the high court would reinstate as many as 4,800 absentee ballots rejected by local officials.
Top Franken attorney Marc Elias said he doubted an appeal would change things.
"The problem that former Senator Coleman has is he lost fair and square," Elias said. "He lost because more people voted for Al Franken than voted for Norm Coleman. No amount of lawyering or sophisticated legal arguments is going to change that."
Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, a Democrat, said he would welcome an appeal, saying he thinks the state's highest court could provide closure.
The appeal must come within 10 days after the final order from the three-judge panel that presided over the seven-week trial.
Dean Barkley and Jesse Ventura.....
“Selected, not elected!” “WAAAH”
This is a sure sign of the end times (says I, only half tongue in cheek)
I had at first thought that the East and West Coasts had all the idiots running this country but now with Zero and the Pornman in power there are midwest states looking for Socialism as well.
We here in Texas may have to think about exercising our option to secede and leave the rest of the country to see how frivolous they can make it.
The last guns Obama and Pelosi will take from US citizens will be Texans who have chilled to room temperature with their trigger fingers wielded onto their guns....
I am going to avoid anything that has Minnesota on it like the plague.
You’re right ... but what I was trying to say is that I think the MN Sup Ct is the end of the judicial course. Don’t think it goes to SCOTUS.
The MN Sup Ct told MN Secy of State to issue the certificate that Franken won .. Coleman apparently can appeal but good luck with that.
Don’t know that a GOP filibuster makes much sense once Coleman has run his course in the courts and the certification is issued. MN will just have to live with Franken as its senator.
Franken cheated his way to victory, just like the woman in Washington State. He was WAY behind in the balloting, but he just kept counting, and counting, and COUNTING...till finally, he came out ahead!
Exactly. No one likes it, but it's REALITY.
Your post should be keyed into the paint on the vehicles of some of the crybabies on this site.
Then maybe they'd get it.
Maybe.
Same lawyers, too.....
Exactly. Tactically it was a good move win or lose.
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They sorted out the election results which is their job. What are they supposed to do?
Now that’s funny!
Wow. The senate now blows. Truly.
Romney has been bankroling Coleman’s defense fund with his FReeandstrongamerica.pac. (He also helped bankroll Tedisco’s race) Everyone knows Coleman won. Everyone also knows the Rats will probably steal this. Even though it may be a losing battle in the end (barring a miracle and the MN supreme court overturning) it is important that Coleman, Romney and others still fight it. Basically as long as it is in the court system Franken can’t take his stolen seat. In the meantime he hasn’t been able to join in some of the ridiculous votes which have passed by close margins in the senate.
We want to play by the rules, while they just want to win. So far, they have the better strategy.
Thank you!
It’s about time.
Same way Obama got elected...
Republicans being middle of the road and not delivering a cogent message or response to anything the dems stated.
Franken may be the 60th vote to break filibusters on card check, cap and trade, and amnesty. That’s no joke.
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