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Will Georgia Vote Reverberate in Minnesota?

December 03, 2008 10:41 AM

ABC News’ Rick Klein Reports: Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss’ resounding reelection win in Tuesday’s run-off election forecloses any chance Senate Democrats had of reaching the magical number of 60 members of their caucus.

And it may have an additional impact: The fact that 60 is now off the table might sap enthusiasm and momentum for an extended legal battle for the would-be 59th Democratic seat -- where Democrat Al Franken is locked in a recount with Republican Sen. Norm Coleman.

What’s the connection? First -- it’s important to consider that recounts are fought in the legal realm as well as the public sphere. The possibility of Minnesota providing the magical Six-Oh to Democrats would have kept intense national attention on the race, and would have virtually guaranteed pressure from liberal activists to keep the fight alive to the end.

Second -- the Franken campaign has strongly signaled that, if it isn’t satisfied with the outcome of ballot challenges Minnesota courtrooms, its case could be taken to the Senate itself to decide. The Constitution provides that the House and Senate serve as “judge of qualifications and elections of its members.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has hinted that he’s willing to have the Senate intervene, if Democrats maintain questions about the integrity of the vote.

But would Reid want to take such a politically explosive step if it wouldn’t even bring him 60 votes? Particularly when Republicans will control at least 41 votes in the new Senate -- enough to filibuster any such move, and effectively kill it?

Some Republicans, at least, think not.

“Saxby's re-election ends the 2008 Election for all intents and purposes,” Republican strategist Vin Weber, a former House member from Minnesota, e-mails The Note. “By Friday, with Norm Coleman having won the Minnesota recount, the enthusiasm for overturning the results of an election will deflate rapidly. The Franken Campaign’s hopes that Minnesota would be the ‘60th’ seat are no longer relevant, and I suspect that moderate Democratic voices in the Senate will begin pouring cold water on the Franken-Reid effort to drag this matter onto the floor of the United State's Senate.”

In any event, the Minnesota battle is not over yet: As of Tuesday, with more than 6,000 ballots having been challenged, Coleman’s lead stood at 303 votes, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

In a bright spot for Franken’s hopes, the newspaper reports, the secretary of state’s office Tuesday “asked local election officials to examine an estimated 12,000 rejected absentee ballots and determine whether their rejection fell under one of four reasons for rejection defined in state law.”

Franken strategist Eric Schultz tells ABC that the campaign’s energies are focused on counting the votes -- not the possibility of Senate intervention.

“One thing we've never been concerned about is a lack of interest in this race, but for right now we're exclusively focused on making sure all Minnesotans who cast votes, get those votes counted,” Schutz said.

December 3, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (155)

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“One thing we've never been concerned about is a lack of interest in this race, but for right now we're exclusively focused on making sure all Minnesotans who cast votes, get those votes counted,” Schutz said.

Except of course for the votes that he's challenged that are clearly for his boss Franken's opponent. No one is stupid enough to believe that he actually want's every vote counted. Why? Because he already lost once. He should just come out and say he wants every vote counted that isn't for Coleman.

Posted by: mike troxel | Dec 3, 2008 10:59:47 AM

Sorry Stewart Smally. Looks like your 15 minutes is up.

Posted by: Ksera | Dec 3, 2008 11:01:29 AM

If Vin Weber and other Republican apologists think it is that easy for Liberals to give up we are in for a long 2 and 4 year period.

The Libs don't need 60; they can always pick of a few GOPers; McCain, Voinovich, Snow, to name a few.

Posted by: mouthpiece | Dec 3, 2008 11:01:37 AM

Listen here Stuart Smalley, you aren't good enough, smart enough and people don't like you. So stop being an a$$ a concede with a little bit of dignity. It would be a first for your party.

Posted by: willy the impeached | Dec 3, 2008 11:07:10 AM

Al Franken is a hater. Its time America puts all haters away in oblivion and never give any of them power.

Posted by: AL | Dec 3, 2008 11:09:18 AM

franken is not a comedian, he is a joke -
big difference.

Posted by: Brian Thrasher | Dec 3, 2008 11:10:19 AM

Franken beats a dead horse that Reid rides into the ground.

Posted by: Rick | Dec 3, 2008 11:12:02 AM

Stuart Smalley is an idiot. How can you say you'll bring it to the Senate? Here's what he's thinking: "If I don't like the results we'll count 'em again.". What a freak. Take the beatign you clown. You're a half assed comedian and not even close to being a politician. Go home and cry to your mother.

Posted by: Mark | Dec 3, 2008 11:12:56 AM

The revival of the GOP will come from the young principled conservatives in the House, led by Eric Cantor (who will have to go around and through the go-along-to-get-along John Boehner like Newt Giongrich did with inept minority leader Bob Michel in 1994). In the meantime, let's hope that Mitch McConnell can hold the line in the Senate to filibuster and save the country from socialized medicine and other radical leftist legislation, like Bob Dole did in 1993-94.

Posted by: Publius | Dec 3, 2008 11:13:33 AM

"we're exclusively focused on making sure all Minnesotans who cast votes, get those votes counted."

No, we do NOT want to make sure that ALL Minnesotans who voted have their votes counted! Not every Minnesotan who voted was legally eligible to vote, and not every person voted in a manner according to law.

Yes, we DO want to make sure that all Minnesotans who LAWFULLY voted have their votes counted. But considering that Franken is willing to ignore the will of the people of MN by having himself installed by Reid into that seat, it's safe to assume that he doesn't care HOW the people of MN voted.

By any means necessary...right?

Posted by: Crush Liberalism | Dec 3, 2008 11:15:50 AM

Apparently it's one of those "truisms" destined to remain a fact about democrats, that is, what they cannot win at the ballot box they obtain through the courts. Franken is by all accounts getting some encouragement from the Dem Leader of the Senate who is happy he won't have to "smell the tourists anymore" That says alot about dems! Why would anyone vote dem, and why would anyone admit to being one?

Posted by: WallyG | Dec 3, 2008 11:17:01 AM

How any republican can manage to do anything but blame themselves for the sad state of this country is C-R-A-Z-A-Z-Y!

Posted by: HooHa Daddy | Dec 3, 2008 11:18:45 AM

Let's try and remember who the real criminal is here: Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie. He's done everything in his power to steal the election for Franken.

Posted by: Ryan | Dec 3, 2008 11:20:20 AM

The Democrats are trying to STEAL this election from Coleman.........

Just like they "tried" stealing the Florida contest in 2000.

Dems...... Always want the power but no responsibility.

Just look at how this 110th Do Nothing Democrat Congress has run the economy for the past two years........

The Commander-in-Chief, Bush has done an outstanding job fixing the situation in Iraq and we had only 1 US death in Afganistan in November

Of course the liberal fascists that generate and bring us our daily propaganda in our MSM wolfpack press aren't going to put it that way.

Posted by: perceptions | Dec 3, 2008 11:20:41 AM

Why would anyone vote dem you ask? HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA! Cuz the GOP accidently the whole mofuggem economy thats be why!

Posted by: HooHa Daddy | Dec 3, 2008 11:20:42 AM

How many times does Norm need to win? He won on election night, then he won the audit, now he wins the recount. Is three times not enough?

Pack your carpet bag Al, and use that plane ticket back to NY... the one you already have you have in your briefcase...

Posted by: Mikey | Dec 3, 2008 11:22:51 AM

The dems are only doing what Jebster did for his brother in Florida way back in 2000 before the GOP wrecked the whole world. Wooo- one death in afghanistan... that's all we need to care about huh. Never mind the cost we all are going to have to pay for that figure. JeeesUS!

Posted by: HooHa Daddy | Dec 3, 2008 11:22:59 AM

Can you imagine if this situation had happened in a "red" state? Reid, et el, would have gone ballistic!
I sincerely hope that election officials are learning from all of this BS. How can a couple of counties continue to "find" votes? And no one really condemns it?

Posted by: DBZ | Dec 3, 2008 11:23:37 AM

The Messiah and his disciples in the house & senate may be counting on ruling Congress by picking off a few RINOs. But, this game works both ways...

Enough of the Dems ran as false conservatives that the Pelosi-Reid KoolAde may not sell in their states & districts.

Barack Obama Superstar should keep in mind that better men than him have been done in by their closest friends for thirty pieces of silver and a kiss. The people want miracles, and will turn on him quickly if those miracles are not delivered.

Posted by: xdream | Dec 3, 2008 11:27:38 AM

Franken is like most liberal democrats
just keep counting and counting maybe
we can wear them out. Give it a rest Al
you lost, get lost.

Posted by: greyfox | Dec 3, 2008 11:29:43 AM

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