Coleman wants to remove ballots already counted

[Bjorn Against]

Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune

Coleman wants to remove ballots already counted
But Secretary of State's office has already begun removing identifying information
By PAT DOYLE and KEVIN [e-mail]

Last update: February 20, 2009 - 12:24 PM


Norm Coleman's lawyers this morning set the stage for challenging absentee ballots that were counted by the state Canvassing Board and helped give Al Franken a 225-vote lead.

Reversing their earlier stance, Coleman's lawyers have asked the three-judge panel hearing the Senate election trial to block the Secretary of State from redacting information that would allow votes already tallied to be removed from the count. That information links absentee ballot return envelopes with the ballots that voters cast.

Coleman's lawyers say about 100 of 933 absentee ballots originally rejected by counties but later counted by the canvassing board are now illegal under a ruling by the panel last week.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/39913652.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUs

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Just when you thought he couldn't sink any lower...

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. I'm waiting for him to petition the court with

"Just give me the damned election already, or I will hold my breath!"

[No Elephants]

24. I'd call that bluff in a New York heartbeat.

[NOW tense]

2. Put an end to this.

All the GOP is doing is holding it in court so that Sen. elect Franken won't be seated.

[thereismore]

3. There has got to be a way to come up with Coleman burner with +1 vote. Then, seat the winner! nt

[BattyDem]

4. In other words ...

Coleman is asking once again for the courts to change the rules for one reason: he didn't win.

At what point do the courts, the state legislature or the election board FINALLY step up and say, "Look Norm, you lost! While you may have had legitimate reasons for questioning the ballot count in the beginning of this process, those issues have since been resolved and it seems like your only basis for a challenge at this point is that you don't like the outcome. Sorry, but that's not good enough. Now get your ass out of here!"

[No Elephants]

25. I hereby nominate you to decide this and all further appeals and

issues raised by Norm Coleman.

[Highway61]

5. Can you believe this shit is still going on?

Enough already!

[fascisthunter]

6. well... criminal minds are usually a bit touched

their insistance of everything going the way they want it...

[last_texas_dem]

7. Coleman is blatantly doing what the Repugs falsely accused Al Gore of doing:

Attempting to change the rules until the count comes up with numbers he likes. Is there any end to this?

[FiveGoodMen]

18. That's the standard repuke MO

If you want to know what they're up to, just listen to what they're accusing others of doing.

[aquart]

22. Always.

[liberal N proud]

8. Democracy is not being served here

The people of Minnesota should be screaming mad at this grand standing from this thug. He is holding their representation hostage.

[onehandle]

9. This is all about weakening Senator-Elect Franken and President Obama.

Nothing more.

[bdamomma]

10. Coleman is a real jerk, it is the Minnesota constituents who are on the losing end of this whole

situation, thus having only Senator representing them.

[dflprincess]

26. As I've said many times lately,

we've only had one senator representing us since Wellstone died. Coleman was wholly owned subsidiary of Bushco.

[Frustratedlady]

11. I thought he was under investigation for $75K misused on his kitchen?

Did they drop that? He needs something to do with his...well, I was going to say mind, but that wouldn't fit...then, I was going to say hands, but I knew I'd get a bunch of suggestions, so I'll just say to keep him busy.

[florida08]

12. this has gone on way to long

allowing this is ridiculous. Aren't there time limits?

[shraby]

13. At what point does it become a frivolous waste

of the court's time?

[Binka]

About Three Months Ago n/t

[FSogol]

14. About 1 month ago. n/t

[Old Codger]

16. you have to remember

The judges on that court were appointed by a republican.....They are going to do their best to give it to him... There is something seriously wrong with their absentee ballot system there, I know of one person who voted , she did it right but her ballot was rejected, they tell you it was rejected but not why. It is one coleman is trying to get back in but I know for a fact it was for Franken.

[dpbrown]

19. The Three Judge Panel has one judge appointed by each major party in Minnesota

One judge was appointed by a Republican, one by a Democrat, and one by the Independence Party Governor.

[Old Codger]

23. I thought

It was the one that had all repug judges on it.... my bad

[wellstone dem]

15. give Amy Klobuchar two votes, and shut this down.

Just an idea....

[radfringe]

17. RE: Just when you thought he couldn't sink any lower...

of course he can sink lower - the repubs specializing in finding new lows

[Bjorn Against]

27. Good point, they do seem to be experts at being able to prove that they can always do worse.

[emlev]

20. Time for direct approach: "Coleman wants only votes for him counted"

It's not much more subtle than that, is it?

[Wizard777]

21. This is ridiculous. Just have the Senate decide it.

[Hansel]

28. It's long past time for this panel to start warning Coleman about

making ridiculous and frivolous arguments. They need to let them know in open court that they are aware of statements made by Cornyn and other U.S. Senators and the GOP about holding MN hostage and warn him that this will not be tolerated in their courtroom. It's time for the panel to put their "foot" down and begin warning his attorneys that they will no longer tolerate frivolous arguments. Then start following these warnings up with contempt of court citations.

Coleman has no reasonable way of winning this, and it would seem that these judges would be long past sick of being used as pawns to prevent Franken from being seated. Coleman is making a mockery of the court and Minnesota. The judges need to start doing what's best for this state and end this circus. NOW!

Unfortunately, we can be as mad as we want, but there is really nothing we can do about it. The judges are not swayed by protests. It's far past time, however, for the MN legislature to enact an instant or some other form of runoff law so this idiocy doesn't happen again.

[struggle4progress]

29. Coleman Lawyer: Maybe The Franken-Voter Was Mentally Disabled?

By Eric Kleefeld - February 20, 2009, 4:14PM

... In court just now, lead Franken lawyer Marc Elias went over a rejected ballot envelope for which he said a power of attorney had been granted by a disabled voter, to allow a family member to fill it out. The issue was that the mark made to authorize the family member was not a signature or a conventional "X", but was instead an amorphous scribble. Elias and Goodhue County elections official Carolyn Holmsted spent some time hashing it out.

Then Friedberg took issue with this whole idea of the power of attorney to fill out a ballot, which is a specifically allowed clause in Minnesota law for disabled voters.

"And normally, people give powers of attorney because they're incompetent, mentally disabled," Friedberg began, before he was interrupted by a very loud objection from the Franken side ...

He then rephrased: "To be more specific, John Clarence Albert can't give his decision-making process in relation to who to vote for to anybody else, can he?" This, too, met a successful objection ...

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/02/coleman-lawyer-maybe-the-franken-voter-was-mentally-disabled.php

[Bjorn Against]

32. Wow, they really do find new ways to sink even lower don't they?

[struggle4progress]

30. Coleman wants ability to revisit ballots already counted; Franken cries foul

By Jason Hoppin
[e-mail]
Posted: 02/20/2009 12:01:00 AM CST

... Finished up its fourth week, the trial started with a new twist — Coleman's lawyers sought to prevent removing identifying information from 933 absentee ballots that provided a substantial portion of Democrat Franken's 225-vote recount victory.

It's a sign that Coleman, who has twice agree to count those ballots — one during the recount and once during the trial — may now want to revisit them. In a filing with the court, Coleman said some of those 933 ballots fall into categories of ballots the three-judge panel hearing the case recently said it would not include in the vote totals ...

Those 933 ballots represent the last votes added during the recount to the 2.9 million cast in the race. After counting them, state elections officials had marked each ballot with identifying information so that it could be matched with its original absentee ballot envelope, which contains identifying voter information.

That was a sensitive issue for elections officials, who are adamant about protecting voter privacy. When lawyers for Franken and Coleman agreed on Feb. 3 that they would not dispute those ballots, the Secretary of State's office was ordered to remove those markings ...

http://www.twincities.com/news/ci_11749054?source=rss

[struggle4progress]

31. Franken side opposes Coleman injunction attempt and seeks sanctions

Coleman-Franken trial: In no uncertain terms, Franken side opposes Coleman injunction attempt and seeks sanctions
By Jay Weiner | Published Fri, Feb 20 2009 12:46 pm

... It all stems from this morning's filing by Coleman lawyers of a motion seeking a temporary injunction.

In a document, Franken lawyer David Lillehaug wrote: "Having stipulated that the 933 ballots were properly counted, they cannot urge now — in this case or any other — that those ballots were not properly counted ... In the middle of an extraordinarily important, historic, expedited proceeding, has burdened the Court with a motion that seeks to abrogate a solemn stipulation and an order of this very Court. This is a direct attack on the integrity of the Court and the entire judicial process" ...

http://www.minnpost.com/politicalagenda/2009/02/20/6868/coleman-franken_trial_in_no_uncertain_terms_franken_side_opposes_coleman_injunction_attempt_and_seeks_sanctions

[and-justice-for-all]

33. What a dumbass...nt