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.
One of the gus on the Powerline blog wrote (a few weeks back) that he didn’t think that this race was stolen. The guys from Powerline are level-headed and conservative.
Powerline says that Coleman was poorly served by his attorneys, Fritz Knaak (former state senator) and Tony Trimble (former state GOP chair). The post-election legal effort was sub-par.
But all that aside, Coleman’s re-election campaign was terribly run and very unfocused. I’m not even gonna get into the “Coleman lost because he wasn’t a conservative” issue.
Coleman lost because he was an invisible Seantor for the last six years.
Coleman lost because he was perceived as an elbow-rubbing, back-slapping, behind the scenes Senator.
Coleman lost because he had nothing to run on other than the general theme of “Hey, vote for me! I’m not Al Franken”.
Coleman lost because he appeared vascillating and watery on most issues.
I really hope that Coleman will not run for Governor next year - that is, if Pawlenty doesn’t run again. Coleman has embarrassed himself and the state GOP.
God help Minnesota! I am SO sorry. I have been following this
and was hoping that the judges would actually judge fairly.
Should have known better. They are part of the problem.
God have mercy on our country!!! What is going on here??? The inmates literally have taken over the asylum senate & congress. Rat bastard frikkin corrupt POS Franken, including Soros's lackey Minn SOS Mark Ritchie who allowed the ballot inconsistencies to happen. I think I am going to throw up now!!!
I might add that Coleman was elected at a time when the GOP brand and Bush’s approval ratings were high. Then Coleman had to run for re-election when ratings for Bush and the GOP were in the dumpster.
Mexesota has got its Very Own Democrat Tax Cheat Senator!
Perfect analogy, Jenny!
If we and America have any luck left, a new T. Jefferson will show up in the nick of time. MAYBE Wednesday!!!!!
FU MN
My heart aches for my country.
Attending a tax revolt tea party April 15 would be a good start. Maybe we can start a spark.
We all need to attend tea parties. Conservatives have to become more visible and outspoken.
yup. Minnesota sux!
Sick!
Ok, so we can officially say he was “selected not elected” as they did with Bush? Only this time a court really did pick the candidate. Does Coleman have any options left?
I plan to be at the Tea Party at the Oceanside Pier on the 15th!
“The Liberals/Socialists/Communists (inside and outside of the Democratic Party) will NEVER allow there to be a free and fair election!”
Don’t get too depressed. Don’t forget that Ronald Reagan was elected twice, and so was George Bush, once in a very close election. We just have to get out there and win by more than a couple of hundred votes.
I think this is a good thing. Franken and insane behavior will do alot of damage to Democrats. It’ll give the Republicans plenty of ammo for 2010.
Nail.
Head.
“You can always count on the third Party loons faciliating a Democrat win.”
You can always count on weak RINO candidates to facilitate a Democrat win. We are sick of voting for the lesser of two evils.
I knew who you meant but couldn’t believe Napolitano said Coleman would continue to hold the seat while this drags on in the courts. It’s currently unoccupied, which the judge should know, and Harry Reid emphatically said it will remain so until the courts resolve the matter.
Minnesotans will have to account for this stooge for years to come. Pitiful.
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