Franken Camp Calls For Investigation Of Missing Ballots

[babylonsister]

Sam Stein
Franken Camp Calls For Investigation Of Missing Ballots

November 24, 2008 05:06 PM


Al Franken's Senate campaign called on the Minnesota Secretary of State to launch a comprehensive investigation into the possibility of missing ballots in the state's recount election.

In a conference call with reporters on Monday, aides to the Democratic challenger said that they were growing increasingly concerned with news reports that ballots from Election Day -- which by state law must be recounted -- have gone missing.

"The number of votes counted on November 4th," said spokesman Andy Barr, "exceeds the number of ballots produced for consideration during the recount."

Marc Elias, Franken's chief lawyer, said that the campaign was not alleging foul play, noting that many of these missing ballots could be the product of administrative oversight or simple misplacement. But, with the election margin down to double digits (according to the Franken campaign's internal numbers, which they would not detail) he added that every single vote was of the utmost importance.

"{Missing ballots} should be a serious matter for cause and concern. That is why today we are calling on the Secretary of State to launch an investigation to find these ballots and make sure they are counted... to immediately instruct local elected officials to redouble their efforts to find all missing ballots," said Elias. "We know this is a close election... in an election this close we cannot let any lawful vote go uncounted."

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/24/franken-camp-calls-for-in_n_146140.html

[upi402]

1. k/r n/t

[midnight]

2. Oops!

[autorank]

3. Good for Franken. I hope we have the first Senator to know for real how much the system sucks

The Secretary of State in MN seems pretty reasonable and intelligent. That's Franken's good fortune.

Franken picked up a lot of votes but it's back and forth now with 23% of the votes remaining.

We'll see how they handle the challenges - both candidates have about 1,300 challenges but we don't know how each side is approaching it. I'm inclined to think Coleman's challenges reflect his sketchy behavior in which case, that's where it will be decided.

Something wild could happen, like a stash of ballots somewhere, just lost or someone coming forward to talk about real fraud with supporting evidence.

200 votes dividing them - so Franken needs 2001.

The Star Trbune coverage is terrific.

http://ww2.startribune.com/news/metro/elections/returns/2008/recount/msenci.html

[Hekate]

4. Here's a Democrat who will not go down without a fight. I am so proud of Al Franken.

:toast:

Hekate

[Incitatus]

5. now he cares

Better late than never, I guess.

[judasdisney]

6. Franken banned any talk of 'electoral fraud conspiracies' from his radio show after 11/4/04

I love karma.

[Hekate]

7. Sounds like he didn't want the distraction of the appearance of tin-foil hattery

But he surely acts as though he knows exactly what's going on in reality. One does not exclude the other, does it?

Hekate

[judasdisney]

8. The "appearance of tin-foil hattery" is a canard, rejected by the likes of Howard Dean & RFK Jr.

"Tin-foil hattery" is exactly a right-wing frame that you either shrink from defensively or confront and diminish.

Howard Dean & RFK Jr. (among other non-Clintonites & non-DLCers) didn't buy into the right-wing frame and showed the way.

As an aside, on the topic of "conspiracy" in general, what are Watergate, Iran-Contra, Enron, BCCI, Tyco, the Valerie Plame outing, the forged uranium documents, and a million similar other historical incidents?

Those who don't believe in conspiracies simply don't believe in history.

Al Franken gets what he deserves. Either you stand up and bear witness against election fraud, or you hide like a coward.