Thursday, December 4, 2008

Minnesota recount ends tomorrow. Will Franken accept the outcome with grace?

Here's a good rundown of the current situation in the Minnesota Senate recount from Minneapolis attorney, Scott W. Johnson, in a blog on the National Review Online:

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NTY0MjgwYmVlZjE3YzMzZDFlMTAzMDk0ZmIyOTI4OWQ=

The mandatory recount has proceeded by hand throughout Minnesota on a precinct-by-precinct basis in a mostly orderly fashion for the past three weeks, with results reported each day to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office. The recount will come to an end tomorrow, with some 6,000 challenged ballots – roughly half challenged by each side — to be considered by the five-member canvassing board called under state law to preside over the recount.

According to news organizations comparing the reported recount results to the originally certified tally, as of last night Coleman’s margin over Franken had expanded to 316 votes (excluding the approximately 6,000 challenged ballots).

...Franken isn’t talking or acting like a winner. As I wrote on Power Line this week, I conclude that Franken anticipates losing the recount. Franken has already resorted to litigation over rejected absentee ballots and threatened further litigation over the rejection of certain absentee ballots. He has met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on the subject and won Reid’s expression of concern implicitly raising the threat that the Senate Democratic majority may overturn the result reached in Minnesota if the rejected absentee ballots in issue aren’t counted. Al Franken hasn’t been funny in a very long time, but that is really unfunny.

2 comments:

matthew archbold said...

I fear that the recount will continue until Franken wins.

Jay said...

Matthew-
I fear you might be right, but I keep hearing about Minnesota's unblemished history of clean elections. Let's hope they keep it that way.

By the way, I really enjoy your blog. It's a minimum twice per day stop for me. Got any tips for a fledgling blogger like me?