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DNC Chair Kaine Blasts Coleman For Suggesting Election Be Thrown Out
The new suggestion by the Coleman legal team, that the whole election could be thrown out, has now attracted condemnation from yet another Democratic leader. Here's the new statement from DNC chairman Tim Kaine:
"The people of Minnesota have spoken. It's time for Norm Coleman to accept the voters' decision, do what is best for his state and country and stop standing in the way of a Senator being seated. The stakes for our country are too high right now to suggest that the results of a democratic election, exhaustive recount, and legal proceedings be thrown out just because Norm Coleman doesn't like the results."
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Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
Maybe it's just me, but the Dems speaking up on this need to get the point out that there is no provision in Minnesota law for holding a second election. They ought to be pounding into the public that Quimby is asking the court to step entirely outside the law on this.
March 3, 2009 9:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
i have no idea why they don't repeat that ad nauseum, and why they haven't generally been more upfront about pointing out the nonsense that coleman has been pulling. i'm glad kaine's putting out a statement now, but nothing the democrats have said on this issue so far (and they've said far too little) has been particularly strong. the way the story of this recount has been told, has largely pretended that everything coleman is doing is perfectly reasonable and with noble intention, when that is so obviously untrue.
March 3, 2009 11:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
In all seriousness, I think a number of the national Dems may well not be that into the nature of MN election law. They may simply not know.
Remember, election laws vary from state to state. Some require runoffs for non-majority plurality wins, here a one vote win suffices - as long as it's certified. And that's the other rub - Franken can't be seated until he gets his ticket, which can't happen, under MN law, until this moronic "contest" of Quimby's is resolved. And the Senate, to change that and seat him provisionally, needs a 2/3 vote supermajority. That isn't going to happen. So we're in this sort of limbo for the moment while Norman and his bankrollers play their stalling game.
The Dems simply don't have the vision on this one to see that the PR battle matters. It's been a downfall of liberalism in general, and very irritating, since being right is not enough. Winning counts.
March 4, 2009 2:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
i'm surprised we're not hearing more from the dem side. really.
think of how the republicans handled florida 2000.
i'm not saying we should storm the courtroom, but how about a press release from the party establishment?
but it's nice to see tim kaine could stop baiting limbaugh long enough to do his job.
March 3, 2009 11:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tim Kane must actually think Coleman cares about his state or country. He doesn’t, like all republicans he cares about being a republican over being an American
March 3, 2009 11:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well maybe they could be doing a better job of it but I for one am thrilled that some Dems in congress are finally speaking up and showing some support and outrage on this to the American people. It's comin' down to the wire and we know these guys aren't used to turning on a dime so they need to start working up a head of steam. Hoorah and more power to 'em!
March 4, 2009 4:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
OT, but I wonder where that big cut on Norm's forehead (on the front page picture) came from? It's not there in the earlier pics on TPM.
March 4, 2009 9:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe Laurie finally decided to hit back.
March 4, 2009 10:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Choked on a pretzel.
Republicans tend to do that during recounts.
March 4, 2009 5:55 PM | Reply | Permalink