2008 Senate

Why Norm Coleman Could Not Steal Minnesota

Bob Fertik — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:13:35 -0400

Josh Marshall covers the posterior-covering post-mortem on Norm Coleman's recount loss to Al Franken.

As one GOP operative told The Hill, "They allowed the legal proceedings to define the media environment."

But Josh reminds us that Coleman did define the media environment for the first month.

But for the first month or so after the November election hardly anyone gave Franken any hope of winning. And all the all-knowing editorial commentary was pushing for him to get out. But Coleman's boffo media environment started to buckle as the recount started to show that he'd probably lost. Admittedly, a hard set of facts for a well manicured media environment, such as Coleman's, to overcome.

This is where a comparison to Florida 2000 is instructive: in 2000, the Busheviks created a media environment in which a recount was simply unacceptable. First, they attacked any voter who got confused by the butterfly ballot as too stupid to deserve to have their vote counted. Then they attacked Al Gore as a Sore Loser. Then they attacked any sensible effort to analyze hanging chads as irrational (even though Bush's own Texas law specified how many of the 4 corners had to be broken in order to count as a vote). Then they resorted to brute force to shut down the Miami-Dade recount.

In other words, they did everything possible - in the media, in the courts, and in the streets - to prevent any count of the 175,000 ballots that were rejected by machines. And while they created a recount delay, they screamed that any delay in declaring Bush the winner would create an unacceptable national crisis. And the media hyped the Bushevik narrative morning, noon, and night.

In Minnesota, Norm Coleman could not manufacture a bogus national crisis. Everyone understood a recount would take time, and Coleman's ping-pong arguments in court just made it take longer. And as Josh points out, the actual recount results eclipsed the spin, although it took a lot of progressive blogging to bring the results to the fore.

In 2000, Democrats.com and our heroic allies tried to force Florida to count all the votes, but the netroots were in its infancy and we didn't have Blogs. If only we had succeeded in forcing Florida to count all the votes, the past 8 years would not have been a catastrophe that will take a generation to fix - if we can fix it at all.

Al Franken Wins Recount

Bob Fertik — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:57:30 -0400

Minnesota finally completed the recount and Al Franken officially beat Norm Coleman by 312 votes out of nearly 3 million. So what's next? Norm Coleman will appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court, which will uphold the meticulous work of the 3-judge panel. Then Coleman will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, citing the outrageous decision in Bush v. Gore as precedent, even though the Supreme Court declared Bush v. Gore should never be used as a precedent.

As Ernest A. Canning reports for BradBlog:

Referencing Florida 2000's controversial U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Bush v. Gore, Ginsberg contended Coleman was denied equal protection.

As both the Franken legal team, and the three-judge panel, observed, Ginsberg's equal protection argument is fatally flawed. For starters, there is a serious issue of waiver. Coleman did not challenge the lawfulness of the previously counted absentee ballots either during the post-election hand-count or in his notice of contest.

The three-judge panel observed [PDF] that Bush v Gore was based on questions arising under "Florida's basic command…to consider the 'intent of the voter.' The United States Supreme Court found that while this principle was 'unobjectionable as an abstract proposition…the problem inheres in the absence of specific standards to insure its equal application.'" Minnesota's objective standards for opening and counting absentee are specific, clear and unmistakable.

Franken's legal team argued [PDF] that imperfect application of these clearly delineated standards by local election officials does not "constitute a constitutional violation. Not only would this result in an untenable rule that would make democratic and federalist government impossible; it finds no support in the case law. Rather, courts have consistently refused to find constitutional violations due to errors or inconsistencies, where clear state standards exist."

Update 1: Ed Kilgore thinks the lesson progressives learned from the Stolen Election of 2000 was to copy Republican legal and p/r tactics. Wrong! We learned the need to work diligently within the legal system to make sure every vote is cast and counted. We know we could never get away with Republican fraud tactics because Republicans control the media, which lets them scream fraud at us ("ACORN") when they're the ones committing it!

Congratulations Senator Franken

Bob Fertik — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:39:42 -0500

The Senate now has its first Mick Jagger impersonator!

Franken Victory Proves GOP Bipartisanship is Date Rape

Bob Fertik — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:12:49 -0500

On Saturday, Minnesota counted more than 950 previously unopened absentee ballots and Al Franken added 176 votes to his lead, which is now 225.

With no more votes to count, will Republican Norm Coleman concede defeat? Of course not! Even though he hates trial lawyers, he will pay every one he can find to file every possible lawsuit until he finds an "activist judge" who is willing to overturn the will of the people.

OK, so Norm Coleman is a super-sore loser. But what about Republican leaders in Washington who demanded "bipartisanship" from President-elect Obama and the Democratic Congress? Will they demonstrate "bipartisanship" by recognizing Al Franken as the Senator chosen by the people of Minnesota?

Of course not! Senate Republicans plan to filibuster Franken's swearing-in.

As former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) famously said, "Bipartisanship is another name for date rape."

Mark Begich Beats Ted Stevens

Bob Fertik — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:02:01 -0500

MSNBC has called it:

WASHINGTON - Convicted Sen. Ted Stevens lost his re-election bid to Democrat Mark Begich after the last large batch of votes was counted Tuesday.

The longest-serving Republican in the history of the Senate trailed Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich by 3,724 votes after Tuesday's count.

That's an insurmountable lead with only about 2,500 overseas ballots left to be counted.

Jon Stewart did a great segment explaining why it took so long to count Alaska's votes, even though its population is tiny.

Congratulations Senator Mark Begich!!

Auto Industry Bailout

music8200 — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:54:07 -0500

Congress will take up the Auto Industry Bailout when they re-convene this week. There is no better time than this moment to PUSH for concessions from the Auto Industry. Time is short. Democrat.com, can you help us act NOW? Here's a copy of a letter I just mailed to Speaker Pelosi: Dear Madam Speaker,

Please make the FLEXFUEL component a MANDATORY requirement for any Auto Industry bailout.
IT ONLY COSTS $100 to install this component on a vehicle during the manufacturing process. The only EPA approved retrofit costs $1300. All cars sold in Brazil are flexfuel ready. All cars that GM sells in Brazil are flexfuel compatible. There is no excuse and there should be no delay in making all cars sold in America flexfuel capable.
THIS IS THE QUICKEST CHEAPEST EASIEST WAY to make rapid reductions in our foreign oil imports.
If ALL cars sold in the US were Flexfuel compatible, alternative fuel manufacturers would gear up without the need for incentives because they would know they have a market for their fuel products.
THEN please help remove the $0.54 a gallon tariff on imported ethanol. That would allow foreign ethanol products to compete in the American market. The American consumer would benefit. We could even lift the economies of Third World Countries by contracting them to grow switchgrass or sugarcane for ethanol fuel.
Ultimately, let's provide incentives for the production of flexfuel plug-in hybrids. These cars would get 500 MILES ON A GALLON OF GASOLINE! We would never need OPEC oil ever again! Perhaps no imported oil at all.
PLEASE PLEASE make the flexfuel component a MANDATORY part of any Automobile Industry Bailout.
If you want good references on this topic, read the testimony of Anne Korin (of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security) before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs of May 22, 2008:http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/kor052208.htm(see in particular the section entitled "17x17")
read R. James Woolsey (former director of the CIA) and Anne Korin's article in the National Review:http://energy.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OTlmMjFjYWRjOWI3ZGI0MzUxZDJjYTBlMmUzOTc2Mzc=
or watch Anne Korin's lecture on CSPAN:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MVwL2PcCG8(highly recommended)
watch Robert Zubrin's FEW Keynote Address:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0O2YZwSkgM
Thank you and your staff for your time and attention,Scott Lawrence

Fun Thoughts: Messin' With Republicans

dlindorff — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:55:55 -0400

By Dave Lindorff

A week out from Election Day, with the polls looking pretty good for Barack Obama's election, especially in the Electoral College, focus is shifting to the Senate, where Democrats would need to pick up 10 seats in order to be able to both prevent Republican obstruction via filibuster, and send Connecticut's turncoat Sen. Joe Lieberman into well-deserved oblivion.

Getting to a 10-seat gain may look like long odds, but it occurs to me that this really doesn't matter. In fact, a President Obama could have fun picking off a couple of Republican senators from states that have Democratic governors, by naming them to posts in his administration, thereby simultaneously demonstrating a bi-partisan approach to governance while ensuring solid Democratic control of both houses of Congress. And he could do this without having to name out-of-synch conservatives to any position.

For example, Obama could invite either Sen. Susan Collins or Olympia Snowe, both Republican senators in Maine, to serve in some capacity in the cabinet--perhaps in the role of EPA Administrator or Secretary of the Interior, or as Secretary of Health and Welfare or of Education. Either one would be hard put to turn down that offer, and if accepted, Maine's Democratic governor, John Baldacci, would get to name a replacement, who would be a Democrat.

Oregon Republican Senator Gordon Smith is in a tight race for re-election in that liberal state. If he succeeds in returning to office, Obama could offer him a cabinet post, too--perhaps Secretary of Commerce. Smith has been campaigning almost as an ally of Obama in his effort to defeat Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley, so he'd be an easy fit, and that would give Oregon's Democratic governor, Ted Kulongoski, the chance to name a Democratic replacement--probably Merkley. So everybody (except Senate Republicans) wins!

If still another Democratic Senate seat were needed to hit the magic number of 60 in the next Senate, Obama could find a job for Tennessee's Lamar Alexander, or even Pennsylvania's senior senator Arlen Specter.

Republicans, of course, would be livid if their numbers were pared in this way, but that would be fun to watch. All the named Republican senators above are relatively liberal and have suffered at the hands of their party's conservative majority. Most would probably jump at the chance of a cabinet post.

So if Obama wins next Tuesday, but Democrats fall short in the Senate, look for some entertainment in the coming few months.

________________

DAVE LINDORFF is a Philadelphia-based journalist and columnist. His latest book is "The Case for Impeachment" (St. Martin's Press, 2006 and now available in paperback edition). His work is available at www.thiscantbehappening.net

DEMS UNITE!

redhed67 — Wed, 28 May 2008 07:18:17 -0400

Well, as we all know, election season is once again upon us. Our choices are, as always, a great source of controversy and strife among the American people. This is understandable as not every candidate fits our ideals of the perfect President.

However, I've noticed some very disturbing trends among voters and, most glaringly, the Democrats. Frankly, it's appalling. I can't get through a blog or a chat room without seeing Democrats at each other's throats, each bashing the views and private lives of one another's pick as the Dem candidate.

You know what, people?? Knock it off. I'm not particularly wild about Hillary nor Obama either, to be honest... but all have a common goal here. That goal is to do everything we can to keep the GOP out of the White House.

Haven't the GOP done enough damage already? For the past 7 years, we've been subjected to two recessions, the invasion of a sovereign country with no violent designs on us, over 935 lies from this administration ABOUT IRAQ ALONE, and the blatant trampling of our civil rights such as our privacy with the warrantless surveillance and with free speech with arrests of peacful protestors and even people whose only "crime" was merely wearing an anti-war or anti-Bush T-shirt.

John McCain has stated that he plans on continuing our occupation of Iraq. He has also stated that he not only wants us to stay in Iraq for 100 years, but is already planning on attacking Iran, as he so playfully reiterated in his rousing rendition of the Beach Boys song "Barbara Ann" titled "Bomb Bomb Iran."

Obama and Hillary's ideas are really not so different from one another. They have similiar ideas on health care, Iraq, national security in general, etc. There are subtle nuances that make their plans slightly different but when it comes down to it, one is really just as good as the other.

It's bothersome that people are saying things like "Hillary is a warmonger"... or "Obama is a Muslim sympathizer." These same lines that Rightwingers were using against the two of them just a few short months ago and the Dems were scolding them for, the Dems are now using. I, personally, never chose a particular party with which to label myself. I consider myself an Independent even though I never formally even declared myself as such... and this is why. Both sides seem to go off the deep end when elections come up and I am so disappointed that Dems have allowed themselved to stoop to the level of "The Righties."

I don't like any party spreading lies and innuendo about any candidate, whether he or she be Republican or Democrat. It's juvenile and ignorant. I don't approve of McCain's policies but I'm not going to perpetuate the rumor that he committed treason while in the service. I have no proof that he did. On the same token, I won't perpetuate the rumor that Barack Obama is a Muslim terrorist sympathizer. We have more than ample evidence that he is not.

Let's think about that particular rumor for a moment. George W. Bush has been more in the pocket of Muslim terrorist sympathizers than anyone else. Despite the fact that the Saudis not only have an appalling track record on human rights but they're also funding terrorists and helping to fund the insurgency which is killing our soldiers... Bush calls them "friend." Not only that but he's also given them weapons which are in turn being used against our troops in Iraq.

Same with Pakistan who has openly harbored Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden for a couple of decades. Then there's Uzbekistan, a nation with a record of committing unspeakable atrocities against its citizens...again, Bush calls them "friend."

So to say anything about Obama is not only stupid but incredibly hypocritical if you're Bush supporter. If you're a Dem, it's insincere and ridiculous. We need to pull together in these elections this year and vote for whomever the Dem nominee turns out to be, even if we have to hold out collective noses to do it. I know I will. If a GOP president gets in again, I would hate to look back and know that my missing vote helped to get him in.

So come on... remember that common goal we have to do something good for this country and keep the GOP out.

VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE!!!
_________________
Don't blame this mess on me... I'm an Independent!

Speak Live Tonight With Brad Friedman

davidswanson — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:20:41 -0400

By David Swanson

Tonight, Wednesday, May 7, from 8-9 p.m. ET, I'll have the pleasure of interviewing, with your help, the single most serious, dedicated, and inspiring journalist focused on the integrity of our elections in the United States today, Brad Friedman, the creator of http://www.BradBlog.com

Go to: http://thepeoplespeakradio.net to learn more. Go to http://www.thepeoplespeakradio.net/listen-live to listen live. You'll find instructions there to enter a paltalk chat room where you can post questions. You can also phone in and ask Brad your questions on the air. Call in tollfree from anywhere in the United States or Canada at 888-228-4494 or anywhere else in the world at 877-489-6350. Following the show, the audio file will be posted at http://www.thepeoplespeakradio.net/audio/2008 and you can find there now the recordings of numerous shows with amazing guests.

OR-Sen: Steve Novick releases funny new campaign ad

amgS93 — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:37:09 -0500

Steve has launched his first campaign ad, produced by Eichenbaum & Associates (think Russ Feingold's campaign):

Note: Edited by Moderator to remove request for donations.