Coleman Lawyer: He Started It!
You might be forgiven for thinking the Minnesota trial is quite simply insane.
Earlier today Franken lawyer David Lillehaug was cross-examining Pamela Fuller, the election official for Republican-friendly Olmsted County, attempting to show how lost ballots in a Rochester precinct had resulted in a net minus-two for Al Franken in the recount.
Then Coleman lawyer Joe Friedberg got back up to demonstrate how the math really shows that Coleman lost a net-one vote here.
Lillehaug objected. To which Friedberg snapped back: "I believe he started this, your honor!" Lillehaug was overruled, and Friedberg continued.
He started it!
Advertisement
Josh
Elana
Matt
Eric
It's not April Fool's Day yet is it? This is for real? So what did the judges have to say? How about, "Just because your friend jumps over a cliff, does that mean you will too?"
February 19, 2009 2:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
And Nah Ne Nah Nah an' I can hold my breath till I turn blue. So there!
Sorry but I just couldn't stop myself. It's just too ripe.
February 19, 2009 3:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
In this one case Friedberg was on point. The basis of Lillehaug's objection was "relevance". Friedberg's retort of "he started it" was shorthand for "I am just following up on a line of questioning that was opened by opposing counsel, which I am certainly entitled to do. If it was not relevant, then opposing counsel should not have started asking about it in the first place." The presiding judge overruled Lillehaug's objection and allowed Friedberg to continue, showing that "he started it" was in fact a perfectly valid rebuttal to Lillehaug's "relevance" objection.
February 19, 2009 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. It might have sounded better if Friedberg had said, "He opened the door, your honor." But that's essentially what he was saying.
February 19, 2009 4:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
But of course Coleman started it by challenging the validity of the election recount by claiming it is necessary to examine every ballot that was already examined multiple times. He has the right to exahaust all avenues of appeal but it still remains that he started it.
February 19, 2009 4:38 PM | Reply | Permalink