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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 (154)

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At the same time, the pressure will be off the courts who may be swayed by being the folks who granted the Dems their 60th seat. Now that it is impossible to reach 60, the courts may be more apt to count the previously disallowed absentee ballots...and let these ballots get counted. Hopefully things are handled fairly and expeditiously. Good luck Minnesotans.

Posted by: Patrick Kennedy | Dec 3, 2008 11:32:20 AM

republicans = bush, mccain, palin chambliss, o'connell, rommney, etc time for all of them to do something else. they represent old politics and old ways of thinking - it is a new day and time to repair the terrible damage the republicans have inflicted upon this country. It is over for republicans!

Posted by: cjr | Dec 3, 2008 11:35:19 AM

The race is really close. Both candidates have every right to make sure all the votes are counted. They both have a right to review ballots that were cast aside. We need to keep cool heads so that the election isn't in doubt like the Florida 2000 situation.

Posted by: Dennis | Dec 3, 2008 11:37:08 AM

Franken needs to contact his buddies at SNL to see if they want to recyle his one-note schtick. If not, maybe he should try Boston Legal to see if they would give him a shot. If all else fails, maybe he should write another hateful book of lies so the NY Times can erronously claim it to be a best seller.

Posted by: Joe | Dec 3, 2008 11:37:26 AM

Perhaps Reid will not like the "smell" of Franken amd drop this very partisan battle and get on with what is good for America instead of what is good for the dummy Reid and the joke Franken.

Posted by: Moderate in CA | Dec 3, 2008 11:38:07 AM

Al Franken is a freaken hot headed jerk this man doesnt not have the mentally, wisdom, morality, or smarts to be a Senator, do what you do best be the clown and make us laugh

Posted by: soxs | Dec 3, 2008 11:40:58 AM

This whole system has went out rageous since the Kenya half breed American has step in and called himself " a natural born citizen" for the job compared to Joe Bidens claim to be in the same process in a job requirement. How aweful....

Posted by: nosamak | Dec 3, 2008 11:43:49 AM

whatever....
Franken is a joke & Coleman is a fraud so what
Chambliss (sit down) thinks he won a general election. "this is first election of 2010"
NOT....it's next to last senate decision in '08

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

Franken is a sick pervert. He is part of a party that is the master at stealing elections. The dozens of voting machines thrown in Lake Michigan in the 1960 election which gave Illinois to Kennedy, the rediculous charges of racism and criminal activity in Florida in 2000, and now this. Franken is horrible. I wish nothing but the worst for him in his life. He is truly sick.

Posted by: mm | Dec 3, 2008 11:45:52 AM

Get ready for Chicago style politics...

So your brother's bound & gagged and we've chained him to a chair, won't you please come to Chicago just to sing...

We can change the world... It's starting...

Posted by: xdream | Dec 3, 2008 11:46:31 AM

Bush is gone. Obama is president. It's time for an era of reconciliation because the people's business and the people's money need to be cared for. The Michael Moore,Donald Rimsfeld,Cindy Sheehan,Al Franken era needs to be over.

Posted by: Jacknyc | Dec 3, 2008 11:46:53 AM

Who held both houses of congress for the last two years of Bush's term?

Posted by: danjonglee | Dec 3, 2008 11:48:48 AM

the demms will keep counting (and ahem...finding votes) until the have one more than the Republicans...

Posted by: Gram | Dec 3, 2008 11:50:53 AM

There once was a Democrat named Al who lost a close election but tried to steal it by changing the rules after the election was over. In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court stopped a corrupt and partisan Florida Supreme Court from stealing the election for Al Gore by totally disregarding the state's election laws. Let's see if the Minnesota courts will be more honest and prevent Al 2008 from stealing this election. And then let's see if Harry "the American people stink" Reid steals the election for Al 2008 anyway.

Posted by: Publius | Dec 3, 2008 11:51:05 AM

Even before I found out that Franken was a spiteful troll, I knew he was an unfunny moron.

Posted by: chuck | Dec 3, 2008 11:51:57 AM

It has no bearing on Minnesota at all. The South is the only area of the country that voted more Republican in the presidential election this year. Virginia and North Carolina have been somewhat transformed with "newer" economies, so they don't fit in with the older South. This is the area where Palin resonated more than anywhere--running ahead even of white Appalachia.

So was it a surprise that Georgia went Republican--especially with a small turnout--? Absolutely not. So goes Georgia, so goes the nation? No, actually.

Posted by: mary | Dec 3, 2008 11:56:25 AM

60 votes? are you kidding? Harry and the Hypocrites will now change the filibuster rule to only need 55.

Nuclear Option? What Nuclear Option? The MSM will spin it as a brilliant new Senate manuever.

Who cares about Al now anywya?

Posted by: swift boater | Dec 3, 2008 11:56:30 AM

60 votes? are you kidding? Harry and the Hypocrites will now change the filibuster rule to only need 55.

Nuclear Option? What Nuclear Option? The MSM will spin it as a brilliant new Senate manuever.

Who cares about Al now anywya?

Posted by: swift boater | Dec 3, 2008 11:56:32 AM

Minnesotans should be embarrassed that Franken is even in a runoff. Obviously, you guys would vote for anyone with a pulse. Pro wrestlers, comedians, retards, etc. LOL.

Franken happens to be both a bad comedian and a retard. Good combination.

Has the frigid cold frozen your pea brains? Have all been hit in the head with hockey pucks?

Of course, I am speaking only to Franken supporters.

I think Minnesota is on their way to becoming Michigan. Good luck with that.

Posted by: Don | Dec 3, 2008 11:58:30 AM

I don't get it I can cast my lottery ballot 2 times a week for 51.99 weeks a year with an optical scanner without ever there being a error or recount. Although the vote never goes my way!!!

Posted by: markg | Dec 3, 2008 12:00:02 PM

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