I can't seem to find much news on what's going on with Al Franken. Can someone clue me in? Is there going to be a recount? a run-off?

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Franken sees boost in nail-biter election « - Blogs from CNN.com (http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/09/ruling-helps-franken-in-tight-minnesota-senate-race/)


November 9, 2008
Franken sees boost in nail-biter election
Posted: 10:00 AM ET

From CNN All Platform Journalist Chris Welch

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) — In a move that could be seen as a benefit to Democrat Al Franken, a Minnesota judge Saturday denied a request from incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman's campaign to block certain uncounted absentee ballots from being counted in a race separated by–at latest tally–just over 200 votes in Coleman's favor.

That slim margin has narrowed since the first tallies earlier in the week. In total, almost 3 million ballots were cast.

According to the court request, the Coleman campaign sought an "emergency temporary injunction" preventing election officials from unsealing, opening, or tallying any absentee ballots that were not inside an official ballot box by midnight election night.

Specifically, the Coleman team was looking to block 32 uncounted ballots from the city of Minneapolis, according to the campaign in the request. They say they were notified late Friday night that these ballots were to be counted the next day.

In a statement, Coleman recount attorney Fritz Knaak said the purpose of the request "was to secure those ballots until we could receive some kind of testimonial assurance, some proof, that they hadn’t been tampered with, that they had been secured and that there will be no question in the mind of the electorate that there had been any wrong doing."

Ramsey County District Court Judge Kathleen Gearin turned down the request "for lack of jurisdiction."

Franken spokesman Andy Barr called it a "sneak attack" on the part of the opposing campaign because he says no one in the Democrat's campaign found out about the motion until an hour before the court hearing on Saturday.

"They are, to us, pretty clearly trying to do whatever they can to cast doubt on this extremely routine process of canvassing and checking the tabulations and trying to freeze the votes where they were election night where coleman had a [greater] lead," Barr told CNN.

Minnesota law mandates a recount when election results are this close.

My understanding is that the mandatory recount will start around November 18 and take a few days to complete.

Between now and then counts are double-checked and stuff like absentee ballots that weren't counted are added to the count (which is apparently what Coleman's lawsuit was about.) That's why the number has changed from Coleman by 700 or so down to Coleman by 200 before they even get into the recount. They expect to have that finalized within 2 weeks of election day and start the recount.

What's funny about this is that Coleman has claimed that a recount shouldn't be done because the $90,000 price for it is too costly for Minnesota. I think it's be hilarious if after they finish all the double-checking of figures, Franken pulls ahead in the count. Will Coleman still want to spare the state the cost of a recount? Heh.

I think it's hiliarious that 1.5 million people from Minnesota would actually vote for a raging douche-bag like Al Franken.

WTF is going on in the land of 10,000 lakes!

I think it's hiliarious that 1.5 million people from Minnesota would actually vote for a raging douche-bag like Al Franken.

WTF is going on in the land of 10,000 lakes!

Hey, it's the same state that made Jesse Ventura its governor.

I think it's hiliarious that 1.5 million people from Minnesota would actually vote for a raging douche-bag like Al Franken.

WTF is going on in the land of 10,000 lakes!

perhaps it says something about the douchebag quotient of coleman that Franken could seem to be a better choice?

perhaps it says something about the douchebag quotient of coleman that Franken could seem to be a better choice?

That's what I was thinking. It was a really bitter campaign and both candidates are pretty unpopular after all the mudslinging from what I've read.

It seems strange to me that Al Franken would WANT to be a Senator. I don't picture that going well.

Al Franken rules, hopefully the recount goes his way. I wonder if it would have been so close if Barkley weren't in the race.

I used to work in the elections department for the Secretary of State in Minnesota. Do you have any idea how happy I am not to be there right now? A statewide recount is pretty much the ultimate nightmare scenario.

On election night, one of the commentators on CNN, noting how unusual this election year was, said something to the effect that "the people of Minnesota may have just elected a lunatic to the United States Senate".

I think it's hiliarious that 1.5 million people from Minnesota would actually vote for a raging douche-bag like Al Franken.

WTF is going on in the land of 10,000 lakes!

Because he's Good Enough, Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People like Him!

On election night, one of the commentators on CNN, noting how unusual this election year was, said something to the effect that "the people of Minnesota may have just elected a lunatic to the United States Senate".

Now the hard part is figuring out which candidate he was referring to ;)

SI

Barkley seemed like a pretty cool guy. I really like what he had to say in the debates. I wouldn't have minded if he won.

However, while I agree that Franken can be a jerk, that's certainly true of Coleman, too. I mean, does anyone think he's sincere about trying to save Minnesota the cost of a recount?

Hey, it's the same state that made Jesse Ventura its governor.

wow... good point :)

freaking Canadian's are weird =P

The United States Senate has had, has and will always have more than its share of douchbags.

I really do hope Coleman can pull this one out. It'd be nice to have more moderate Republicans keep their seat in the Senate that aren't just from the Northeast.

On election night, one of the commentators on CNN, noting how unusual this election year was, said something to the effect that "the people of Minnesota may have just elected a lunatic to the United States Senate".

Not sure if it was the same commentator or not, but one of their Republican strategists said something similar-like how much trouble the Republican party is in if that lunatic wins the election. Funniest moment of the night for me.

I really do hope Coleman can pull this one out. It'd be nice to have more moderate Republicans keep their seat in the Senate that aren't just from the Northeast.

If Coleman wins he's going to have to get through a pretty ugly corruption investigation.

That sounds like the assignment you give to the reporter that you don't like: Go to Minnesota in winter and watch people count 3 million pieces of paper by hand.