A Message From Norm Coleman's Campaign (We're Gonna Contest This!)

Norm Coleman's Relection Campaign | 1/05/09 | Team Coleman

[MplsSteve]

Dear Supporter,

As you may have read or heard by now, today the Minnesota State Canvassing Board met and made their determination in the U.S. Senate Recount, effectively proving that the only declaration coming today is one of an inaccurate count.

There are a number of problems with the total certified today, including double counted votes, over 650 potentially wrongly rejected absentee votes, resulting in the disenfranchising of Minnesota voters and jeopardizing the integrity of Minnesota's election system.

Harry Reid and national Democrats have now publicly said they will try to seat Al Franken tomorrow when the 111th Congress convenes and new members are sworn in. This action, the very first action of the 111th Congress and the new Democrat leadership that campaigned on a theme of bipartisanship, will result in an historic political power play done at the behest of Al Franken. Minnesotans have the right to elect their own elected officials, just like every other state in the country, and this stunning move by Al Franken and Harry Reid strips Minnesotans of that right.

Please click here to help us continue to fight to ensure that every valid vote counts.

Coleman for Senate counsel Tony Trimble made the following statement this afternoon, raising the serious concerns our campaign has raised consistently during the recount process, and signaling our intent to file an election contest within the next 24 hours:

The actions today by the Canvassing Board are but the first step in what, unfortunately, will now have to be a longer process. This process isn't at the end; it is now just at the beginning.

We will contest the results of the Canvassing Board -- otherwise, literally millions of Minnesotans will be disenfranchised.

While we appreciate the effort of this board to do the work, the reality is that any certification of vote totals at this point is only preliminary. As this Canvassing Board has recognized, there still exist serious problems with inconsistencies in the administrative recount, and therefore in the validity and reliability of the numbers certified today.

There can be no count that is accurate or valid when 654 potentially valid absentee votes remain disenfranchised and when some votes are counted twice - leading to a violation of one of the most sacred principles of our constitution - "One person, One vote."

And, there can be no justification to report out a total when 133 votes were included in a count where there are not ballots to support them. Or when a batch of votes were not counted on Election Night, but were miraculously "found" during the recount and included.

If the Canvassing Board had resolved all these issues, then the process might be completed. But the Board has deferred the resolution of those issues for the contest phase provided for in Minnesota law.

Since the process is far from complete, there can be no confidence in the current results of the United States Senate Recount, and we will file a contest within the next 24 hours to promptly correct those problems and inaccuracies. The Supreme Court ruling today also emphasizes that that's what we must do to provide an accurate count for this election.

Senator Coleman is adamant that we not wait a moment longer than necessary to ensure that the election be completed with accuracy and validity - and most importantly, without disenfranchising Minnesota voters or having a cloud remain over the results.

The utter lack of uniformity in the treatment of rejected absentee ballots, resulting in the disenfranchising of voters, is perhaps the most troublesome aspect of the recount.

Similar ballots were treated differently by different counties. This creates an Equal Protection violation that fatally taints any result that includes these ballots.

This was precisely what the Minnesota Supreme Court order said to avoid.

Unfortunately, with this announcement today, numerous Minnesotans will be wrongly disenfranchised because their votes are not counted. Mr. Franken and his campaign for purely political reasons no longer want to "count all the votes".

And, it is with great disappointment that we've seen senior members of the Secretary of State's Office contributing to the process being broken.

When senior members of the Secretary of State's office, charged with ensuring a fair and balanced process, engage in acts which undermine that neutrality, all of us must be concerned.

The fact is the Canvassing Board's current totals are invalid and unreliable because:

· Original and duplicate ballots have been double counted - even members of the Canvassing Board acknowledge this is a serious issue, yet nothing was resolved - instead, double counted votes were simply added to their recount totals.

· Newly discovered ballots, which appeared for the first time during the recount and are included in the Canvassing Board totals without proper reconciliation to the number of voters signed into the precincts on Election Day.

· Missing ballots supposedly tallied on election night that could not be found during the recount process are included in the Canvassing Board count contrary to Minnesota precedent.

· And again, an inconsistent treatment of challenged ballots - an inconsistent treatment of wrongfully rejected absentee ballots - and an inconsistent treatment of the campaign by the very office charged with coordinating this recount simply results in a process that is broken.

The recount was supposed to be a recount - fair and reasoned - and one that would retain the credibility of the outcome of this election.

However, it ceased being that the day that duplicate ballots and "missing ballots" were included in the count, and simply became more and more broken each and every day.

We had hoped that the board would refrain from reporting out with unanimity a recount total today. Since that did not happen, we will file an election contest within the next 24 hours.

It will be based upon the issues I have outlined, as well as the lack of inclusion of 654 additional ballots that we believe should be a part of this recount and the very serious issue of included double counted votes that disenfranchises Minnesotans.

Our goal and obligation should be to get an accurate and valid vote as quickly as possible, and that is our reason for acting with urgency. Minnesotans ought to be able to expect that an accurate and valid recount would have ensured two United States Senators from Minnesota tomorrow. However, because the process is broken that will not happen.

We strongly believe that every valid vote must be counted. We have called for that principle to be the basis of this entire recount process, and we will not stop now. We firmly believe that once that happens, just like on election night, Norm Coleman will have the most votes in this close race, and be re-elected to the United States Senate. We know- all too well- that it has been a long road, and we value your friendship, advice and support throughout the campaign and recount.

We need your continued help as we move forward with an election contest to ensure the sanctity of Minnesota's election process. Please click here to continue supporting our efforts, and to help us maintain a strong, knowledgeable and skilled team carrying this effort forward.

[dbz77]

Where are the protestors?

Remember that many of the sodomites managed to take time off from sticking their penises into the recta of other men to protest the passage of Proposition 8.

[dbz77]

Ditto. Coleman should take it to the Supreme Court. I didn't realize the people of Minnesota were so brain dead as to elect Franken. Even several liberals spoke out against him.

Who were these liberals?

[worst-case scenario]

Actually a cry for cash.

I would have appreciated it if Coleman had written just to inform me about his plans, because I got this email as well. I am sick of these “Conservative” standard-bearers asking me to finance them - every time I login to email I get another three or four begging letters.

Hey, Norm Coleman, Richard Viguerie, Dick Morris, and all the rest - just put a little button that takes a generous person to the pledging page. Sometimes these letters asking for money in the heart of your important news get a bit manipulative.

It’s not like we will ever get a final breakdown of how much money is raised this way, or how it will be spent. How much needs to be raised? It’s not explained.

Yeah yeah scold me with info about how the Rats do it too, first and moreso. I’m just always tired of having a Republican put the touch on me. It’s like the party is becoming the broke cousin you avoid at a family party.

[CindyDawg]

How about we don’t put anyone in this seat until the next up for election cycle?

[Hoodat]

There's the money quote.....

Exactly. The Supreme Court has already ruled on this in Bush v. Gore, 2000. The vote then was 7-2.

[Cheerio]

Take it to court, the Supreme Court and use the same arguments that the GWB’s lawyers used in Bush v. Gore.

All sounds good, but I personally do not think the SCOTUS is ever going to go up against the zer0bama admin or his cohorts in the Congress. We are going to be wandering in the dark for a long time. We need to be vigilant against the RATS trying to sneak something through during the dead of night with regards to 2nd Amendment and Illegal Alien amnesty.

[Hildy]

EVERYONE should email the RNC and say NO CASH unless two things happen..1) you fight this Minnesota crap to the death.a d 2) GET BUSH TO PARDON THOSE BORDER OFFICERS. PERIOD.

[BillyBoy]

>> A rhino bites the dust. Isn’t that what people here want? <<

Norm Coleman is a RINO only in the eyes of the purists here who are of the "anyone who doesn't agree with me 100% of the time is scum" mindset. Norm Coleman may not be as conservative as I am, but he is probably 10X more conservative than ACTUAL RINOs like Mark Kirk & Linc Chafee. If freepers refuse to look at the issues and can't tell the difference between Coleman and marxist, Obama-loving, pro-abortion surrender monkey's like Chafee, that's their problem. According to them, probably every Republican is a "RINO" except themselves.

[TheBattman]

Isn’t this where the 2nd amendment kicks in?

Aren’t we being ruled by a Tyranny?

While you are correct, our forefathers who had the wisdom to include the 2nd Amendment for just this sort of tyranny, they never envisioned a country made up of so many pansy, apathetic, whimpy, sheep. Our forefathers were carved out of much more solid rock than today's sheep.

Ladies and Gentlemen - let us say goodbye to Lady Liberty... and a great country that the US USE to be.

I think we are in a race to see if we can out Socialize, and out dictatorship the Europeans that our forefathers fought so hard to break away from.

[MamaLucci]

Well, we certainly agree on the incompetence and
complicity on the Republican side. I couldn't have ever
dreamt that I would be more disappointed and
disillusioned by the Bush administration than I ever was by the Clinton Crime Syndicate.........
I didn't vote for, or expect any better from, Clinton.
My only beef with your comments was that they skated
perilously close to sounding like an endorsement
of the sleazy and outright criminal tactics of the democrats.
I've always believed that when trying to slay the Monster,
it's important not to become the Monster.
FRegards.

[TheBattman]

We are going to be wandering in the dark for a long time.

My personal belief is that the odds are better that Christ will return before there is another "Conservative" majority in congress... and probably even a "Republican" majority (that includes RINOs).

For all of you who have not made a decision to be a follower of Jesus Christ, you might make that your #1 priority. In fact, If I were you - I would drop everything I was doing, and get down on my knees and pray to God to save your soul and to be your Lord and Savior.

And no - I am not trying to be funny.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Pawlenty is a joke. Another get-along-to-go along Republican.

Expect Coleman to concede shortly "it's time for Minnesotans to move on in the spirit of bipartisanship blah blah blah..." Coleman deserves to lose his seat didn't even put a fight.

[stylin19a]

I’m guessing that’s where it’s going and that’s the precedent that will be cited

[Cheerio]

My personal belief is that the odds are better that Christ will return before there is another "Conservative" majority in congress... and probably even a "Republican" majority (that includes RINOs).

I couldn't agree with you more. I prayed that the GOP would keep the WH and/or take back one of the chambers of the Congress. God has a reason for allowing this Nov 08 election result, but we are just not ready to be shown HIS REASON WHY. I don't really believe the zer0bama is the Anti Christ because the anti Christ would not speak like he does without his security blanket of the teleprompter, but I do believe he is doing the work of the dark side.

[RepublitarianRoger2]

Points taken, and I agree to an extent, but usually the RINO isn't as liberal as the out-and-out liberal. Usually.

And Franken is an especially egregious liberal democrat...alien from the planet Moronicon...total dips&^%#. So yeah, I'd still take the RINO over THAT, er, thing.

[Cheerio]

Coleman deserves to lose his seat didn't even put a fight.

It seems the entire GOP will not put up a fight on the same level as the RATS. The GOP is always about playing above the fray and crossing the aisle to get to that great bipartisanship they love so much. Do you remember McLame criticizing one of the state GOP chairs for putting up an ad that used Hussein's middle name (or something similar)?

[Kenny]

Right on!

Everyone complains that these politicians are too weak, they don’t fight and therefore can’t win. I say the people also need to stand up and fight for what they believe in. There are some areas where we can’t (Obama has hypnotized the masses) but we should all be behind Coleman on this whether he is doing everything we’d like or not.

[nobama999]

This is great news.

What are the realistic chances that we can still win this one?

[GVnana]

Finally. The Coleman camp speaks!

[Old Sarge]

We are going to be wandering in the dark for a long time.