Does Coleman Still Have A Chance In Minnesota?

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Election 2008

(CBS/AP)

Conventional wisdom has lately coalesced around the notion that Al Franken, who currently holds a 225-vote lead in the seemingly never-ending Minnesota Senate recount, will eventually be sworn in as the state's newest senator.

But a three-judge panel's decision today suggests that Republican incumbent Norm Coleman may not be finished just yet.

The panel found that nearly 4,800 rejected absentee ballots may be reconsidered in the recount trial, the Star-Tribune reports.

This is not a total victory for Coleman – he had hoped to have 11,000 rejected absentee ballots reconsidered. But it is far more than the 650 ballots Franken's team wanted to looked at again.

"The 4,800 ballots on which evidence could be taken would appear to be enough to put the ultimate outcome in doubt," writes the Trib.

Coleman's team hailed the decision as a victory for the state's voters.

"This is a victory for thousands of Minnesotans whose rejected absentee ballots will now be properly reviewed in this election," said legal spokesman Ben Ginsberg.

"We've continually called for every valid vote to be counted, and counted only once," he continued. "This is a strong step in the right direction, and we applaud the decision of the court today. It is our fervent hope that the Franken campaign will finally cease their efforts to stop every valid vote from being counted."

Before the recount, when he held a slim lead, Coleman called on Franken to drop out of the race.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by ausus-2009 February 4, 2009 10:03 PM EST: If the Minnesota people now conducting the recount had been active in 2000, Gore might have carried all 50 states.; Reply to this comment


by uisignorant February 4, 2009 2:55 PM EST: That is not what is reported by any source.

"The Miami Herald and USA Today conducted a comprehensive review of 64,248 "undercounted" ballots in Florida''s 67 counties that ended last month.

Their count showed that Bush''s razor-thin margin of 537 votes -- certified in December by the Florida Secretary of State''s office -- would have tripled to 1,665 votes if counted according to standards advocated by his Democratic rival, former Vice President Al Gore. "
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/04/04/florida.recount.01/

Posted by pdchapin at 08:57 AM
Actually, a Florida newspaper paid for a full state recount and found that Gore had won. Ironically, however, the margin was in counties that Gore didn''''t ask to have recounted. In other words, even if he had won the court case, it wouldn''''t have helped.; Reply to this comment


by prohb February 4, 2009 12:32 PM EST: The Repubs always say they hate lawyers. Yet just like in 2000...when it comes to stealing elections.....the Repubs turn to expensive lawyers who are better at playing the game than the Democratic ones. I guess they only don''t like them when they don''t support their patisan cause of big money, anti-environment, etc.; Reply to this comment


by bear-2009 February 4, 2009 12:09 PM EST: Coleman and the Repigs need to move on! Eventually, Franken will be sworn in.; Reply to this comment


by pdchapin February 4, 2009 11:57 AM EST: How stupid can one be?
This has been settled time after time. No matter which way they counted the votes, GORE LOST FL.

Posted by uisignorant at 08:10 AM : Feb 04, 2009

Actually, a Florida newspaper paid for a full state recount and found that Gore had won. Ironically, however, the margin was in counties that Gore didn''t ask to have recounted. In other words, even if he had won the court case, it wouldn''t have helped.

Practically, there were enough problems in the state - illegal ballot design, erroneous calling of the state while some polls were still open, etc - that who "really" won the state in a moral sense is unknowable. The problem is best illustrated by the fact that Republicans illegally altered absentee ballot applications so that they were acceptable to country clerks. The action was illegal but the voters had a legitimate right to vote so in the "really" won discussion should these votes be counted or not?; Reply to this comment


by antoniof123 February 4, 2009 11:45 AM EST: Coleman is trying to make browine points with the RNC by keeping a Democrat out so they need less votes to fillibuster.

But like one poster said most of absentee votes Franken is ahead. So like the GOP will then say that the votes shouldn''t be counted. Maybe it is time to just say no more recounting.; Reply to this comment


by uisignorant February 4, 2009 11:12 AM EST: tbbaot,

Sorry I posted to the wrong comment. Should have been the previous one.

abbe91 at 05:51 AM; Reply to this comment


by uisignorant February 4, 2009 11:10 AM EST: How stupid can one be?
This has been settled time after time. No matter which way they counted the votes, GORE LOST FL.
Quit being stupid, and get your head out of MOVEON.ORGs @$$.

It looks like Minnesoduh has replaced Floriduh as the state for voter stupidity.

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Posted by tbbaot at 06:08 AM; Reply to this comment


by bks59 February 4, 2009 11:01 AM EST: sen coleman was my senator, i live in MN. from Nov 5 to Jan 5 when the vote was certified, coleman had every opportunity to request file, etc. to have questionable absentee ballots counted, this was not pursued, in fact he fought to keep the ballots out of the count. Because MN uses easy to read paper ballots, every ballot cast can be reviewed. coleman''s actions are a disservice to the people of MN, the people that 6 years ago elected him to office, to serve the people of MN. But now his actions are to hinder, prevent MN''s citezens of representation in the US senate.; Reply to this comment


by mediawatch50 February 4, 2009 10:00 AM EST: The wingnuttery here is, as usual, completely delusional. No surprise, considering where they get their "facts" from.

The more absentee votes that are counted, the larger Franken''s lead will become. Franken led all absentee votes by 3 percent, and he led the rejected/later counted ballots by over 10 percent. Coleman is done. This is all just a delaying tactic by the RNC at this point.; Reply to this comment