Minnesota Dem Chairman: Coleman's Talk About Do-Over Election "Shameless Scheme"
Brian Melendez, the state Democratic chairman in Minnesota, just gave TPM this statement in response to Norm Coleman's comments that a do-over election could be necessary:
Former Senator Coleman's sudden interest in a "do-over" election is astonishing both for its ignorance of the law and for its ignorance of political reality -- or at least his feigned ignorance. First, the people of Minnesota went to the polls in November and elected a new United States senator; it's bad enough that Norm Coleman has been aggressively trying to disenfranchise so many of them throughout the recount and now during his election-contest trial, but now he wants to disenfranchise all of them.
Norm Coleman is a lawyer and he knows better. I hope that Governor Pawlenty will quickly disown Coleman's shameless scheme for a back-door appointment that will get him back the seat that he couldn't hold on to in a free and fair election.
Coleman has every right under the law to contest his recount loss, but he and his spinmeisters need to show some respect to Minnesotans' intelligence by acknowledging the fairness of our justice system and not fabricating scenarios that disregard Minnesota law.
Advertisement
Josh
Elana
Matt
Eric
Desperation is the word you're looking for.
February 26, 2009 5:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
It appears that Norm Coleman can only get into the Senate under exigent circumstances.
He became a senator only because his opponent, Sen. Paul Wellstone, was killed in a plane crash. Now, he wants to invalidate wholesale those Minnesota voters who cast their ballots for Al Franken.
Minnesota truly deserves better than the likes of this oily bird.
February 26, 2009 6:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder, if a new election were held, how many of Coleman's original backers would vote for him again? I realize this forum leans to the left, so I don't expect to see much support for him here. But have any polls been done in Minnesota lately to see how much support the candidates currently have?
February 26, 2009 6:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't know of any scientific measurement. A newspaper story onFeb. 12 quoted political science professors Paula O'Loughlin and Larry Jacobs, two local media sources, to the effect that "it's not doing either person any good." Jacobs referenced the Washington state governor's race where Gregoire "was plagued by a negative image that followed her into office."
My own unscientific survey, consisting of asking both friends and strangers what they think, indicates that lines of support are pretty rigid. This election was as polarized as it gets . . . and the third-party voters feel vindicated. Coleman's 43% is never going to budge. So the Barkley voters hold the key to political ascendancy---if Franken can win their trust, (provided also he wins the court contest!), then he should do OK. If not, he is in for 1 term.
February 26, 2009 7:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Frankly, Scarlett, I don't give a damn."
February 26, 2009 9:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tlees2, I hereby award you the Dayly Knightly award for line of the day at TPMC given to all of you from all of me!!! Great line.
February 26, 2009 9:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
We'll have a do-over. It's called 2014. Good luck in the caucuses, Norm.
February 26, 2009 10:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
What an absolute cad,Minnesota has to be angry with Coleman's game!!
February 26, 2009 11:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Republican pukes just never quit trying to steal and cheat their way to power. It is worth remembering this everytime you hear the word bipartisan. What it means is the world is slipping a little closer to hell and you have to pull with all your might to get it moving the other way. Just like the stimulus bill, sure the repugs have ideas too ..... bad ideas ... self serving ideas .... the same ideas that caused the problems in the first place. Give them an inch, and they will take a mile. Everytime!
February 27, 2009 1:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree totally. I just wanted to say that, paradoxically, their activists use the same rhetoric as yours. They like to say that Democrats only get seats by stealing elections. They got themselves worked up in Clinton's day that he had somehow "stolen" the White House from them. How did he steal it then? They never explained, and they may have been too angry to talk about it. They say the world is going to hell each day, that Democrats offer only bad ideas, ones that that caused problem in the first place, and each time you give the fiendish Democrats an inch, they take a mile.
February 27, 2009 9:54 AM | Reply | Permalink