Today because I'm still tired of the Senate recount drama despite time off for Thanksgiving and because the campaigns (both of them) seem to use any media they perceived as favorable for their press releases. I'm just giving you what the campaigns say in their own words. Coleman's update came first so he goes first:
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: Mark Drake, Communications Director
RE: Coleman for Senate Recount Update – December 1, 2008
Welcome back to the Great Minnesota Recount after a brief but much needed break.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Franken campaign crossed a troubling line when they signaled that they intend to take their battle to overturn Senator Coleman’s victory to the courts and the U.S. Senate when the recount is completed and shows that Senator Coleman was re-elected.
It’s even more troubling now that Senator Majority Leader Reid has signaled his support for Franken’s unprecedented effort to overturn the will of Minnesota voters by having the U.S. Senate decide who won the election – even if Minnesotans already made that decision for themselves. Minnesotans, regardless of who they supported in this election, will not support such strong-arm tactics that are clearly not the Minnesota way.
While the counting may have been placed on hold this weekend, analysis of the recount was not. The Sunday Star Tribune featured a study of Mr. Franken’s chances and independently determined that Franken faces long odds of seeing Senator Coleman’s victory overturned through the recount process.
And, one of the most respected, independent election officials in the state, Joe Mansky, had this to say:
"Based upon the kinds of challenges I've been looking at in the last two weeks, I think that's just not going to happen," said Joe Mansky, Ramsey County elections manager.
This explains – but does not make right – the Franken campaign’s announcement that they intend to take this to the US Senate.
With more than 86% of ballots counted, things may slow down a bit this week, but one thing has become abundantly clear: the Franken campaign intends to drag this process out until they can change the outcome and force an Al Franken win, even if it means overturning the will and intent of Minnesotan voters.
And now to Franken's press release:
COUNTIES REVEAL: MORE THAN 9,000 ABSENTEE BALLOTS REJECTEDFranken Campaign Calls On Remaining Counties To Produce Data |
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| SAINT PAUL [12/01/08] - The Al Franken for Senate campaign today announced that it had received lists of rejected absentee ballots from all but nine counties in Minnesota. In the counties that have provided this data, more than 9,000 absentee ballots were rejected. Just nine counties - Carlton, Dakota, Freeborn, Kanabec, Mower, Saint Louis, Sherburne, Stearns, and Wright - have not provided this data. It is the Franken campaign's understanding that much of this data will be available later today - and it is the Franken campaign's commitment that it will take every step available to obtain data from counties that refuse to provide it. The Franken campaign notes that it has received some partial data from Kanabec County, as well as some data from the city of Duluth. Communications Director Andy Barr: "We thank Minnesota's hard-working elections officials for their dedication and their cooperation. Although we believe that the majority of these 9,000 rejected absentee ballots were properly rejected, it is clear that among them are the improperly discounted ballots of Minnesotans who did everything right. There are legal votes here that have not been counted. In addition, we are renewing our request for this public data from the counties that have so far failed to provide it. We will take every step available to us to find out if absentee ballots were improperly rejected and ensure that those votes are counted." Lead recount attorney Marc Elias: "No recount should be considered accurate, or even complete, until all the ballots are counted. That includes improperly rejected absentee ballots. And it includes those ballots currently missing from locations around the state. A recount that fails to include every ballot legally cast by a Minnesotan is, by definition, incomplete and inaccurate. The question is: Will Norm Coleman choose to argue that, in fact, Minnesotans' legally cast votes should not be counted?" Last week, members of the state canvassing board affirmed the Franken campaign's argument that improper rejection of absentee ballots amounts to the disenfranchisement of Minnesotans. Today, the Franken campaign renewed its commitment to preventing such disenfranchisement. |