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Coleman Camp Announces Appeal; National Dems Call For Franken To Be Seated
The Coleman campaign released this statement after the election court ruled that Al Franken won the election, making it clear that they're appealing:
COLEMAN CAMPAIGN TO APPEAL, VOWS TO LEAVE NO VOTER BEHIND
Statement from Ben Ginsberg, legal spokesman for the Coleman for Senate campaign:
"More than 4,400 Minnesotans remain wrongly disenfranchised by this court's order. The court's ruling tonight is consistent with how they've ruled throughout this case but inconsistent with the Minnesota tradition of enfranchising voters. This order ignores the reality of what happened in the counties and cities on Election Day in terms of counting the votes. By its own terms, the court has included votes it has found to be 'illegal' in the contest to remain included in the final counts from Election Day, and equal protection and due process concerns have been ignored. For these reasons, we must appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court so that no voter is left behind."
Meanwhile, the DSCC put out this statement that Franken should be allowed to get to work:
DSCC STATEMENT ON COURT UPHOLDING AL FRANKEN'S 2008 SENATE VICTORY
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released the following statement:
"The people of Minnesota have many reasons to be proud tonight, not the least of which is knowing they have one of the best election systems in the entire country. A thorough election contest upheld the result of a meticulous recount. Al Franken won the election, Al Franken won the recount, Al Franken won the contest, and now Al Franken should be allowed to get to work for the people of Minnesota."
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Josh
Matt
Eric
The Coleman camp announced the intent to appeal before the court case was even finished. The question is when-- will they stretch out the ten day deadline or not? Since this is all about delay at this point, the most important thing is how much delay they are able to pull off.
Did they actually file the appeal? Or just release a press release talking about an appeal?
April 13, 2009 10:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!! FOR HILLARY!!!
!!!HILLMENTUM™!!!!
April 13, 2009 11:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Leave no voter behind huh? More like, keep that dam democrat out of congress!!!!!
Iam so sick of this crap, he won so freaking seat him already.
April 14, 2009 12:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hrm, I don't care for the vagueness of Menendez's statement (or perhaps its inaccuracy.) I'm all for seeing Franken seated, but he didn't win the election night count, which is what the DSCC statement implies.
April 14, 2009 1:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
His wording is a little confusing there but he's not claiming that Franken won the pre-recount election. When he says "election contest" he means the court battle.
So in that terminology the sequence of events is Election, Recount, Election Contest (in court). So he says that the contest upheld the recount, and doesn't go back all the way to election night.
Took me a minute to decode that, but I guess 'court battle' isn't politically correct so "contest" is the best that can be done.
April 14, 2009 2:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
I understood the election contest to mean the trial that just ended. What I didn't care for, and again, it could simply be poorly said, is the portion that reads, "Al Franken won the election, Al Franken won the recount, Al Franken won the contest."
He separately mentions the contest and recount clearly, but only says election. Now he could have been referring to the overall process as an election, in the sense that once Franken is seated he will have been elected to office. But with the chronological order of the process and the fact that an election actually did occur first, I still say that the statement, as written, implies that Franken won election night.
April 15, 2009 9:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
As a Minnesotan, I can say that this ruling is pretty determinative. An appeal will be seen as desperation. We, here in Minnesota, believe in the process, and fairness, but now? It is just delay by Coleman.
April 14, 2009 2:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. I'm almost hoping the republican's overplay their hand now.
Up to this point, Minnesotans have been willing to let the process play out. But if Coleman attempts to take this further he will have to dispute the(so far)unanimous decisions of the state courts. He will also have to challenge the fairness of a recount process that was painstakingly thorough and open. That's not going to play well AT ALL in a state that prides itself on good government.
Another thing that will play poorly is if the national GOP starts challenging the fairness or validity of our elections. If Minnesotans start seeing a certain boneheaded senator from Texas telling us how to conduct our affairs, I predict a strong anti-GOP backlash that will further diminish the GOP in the state.
I think we are on the cusp of a sea change in public sentiment. Even the Star Tribune, which endorsed Coleman, today ran an editorial that it was time for him to give it up. So please, republicans. By all means bring it on.
April 14, 2009 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink