Posted on 11/28/2008 6:26:06 PM PST by newbie2008
ST. PAUL - Hours after the Franken campaign failed to convince the Minnesota State Canvassing Board to intervene on its behalf, Senate President Harry Reid (D-Nev) supported Franken's attorney's statement that they are prepared to take the Minnesota election to the U.S. Senate for a decision.
According to comments published by Talking Points Memo, Franken's lead recount attorney, Marc Elias, said:
"There are a number of ways this can happen, whether it is at the county level, before the state canvassing board, before the courts of Minnesota, or before the United States Senate, we do not know," said Elias -- but they will see to it that every vote is counted."
Later Wednesday afternoon, Reid opened the door for Senate intervention into the Minnesota election processing, saying: "Today's decision by the Minnesota Canvassing Board not to count certain absentee ballots is cause for great concern." Reid made the statement in a release from his official U.S. Senate office.
Coleman Campaign Manager Cullen Sheehan responded:
"This is a stunning admission by the Franken campaign that they are willing to take this process away from Minnesotans if they fail to win the recount. It is even more stunning that the Democratic Senate leader would inject himself into the Minnesota election process. This says that Franken is fully prepared and armed to take this matter to the United States Senate and that the Senate will be receptive - even if Franken fails to succeed in winning the recount. This is a troubling new development. We call upon Al Franken to personally disavow his attorney's comments, and to commit to Minnesotans that he will not allow this election to be overturned by the leadership of the Democratic Senate. Al Franken owes it to the people of this state to reject any and all efforts to stop a Minnesota Senator from being sworn in on January 6th if Norm Coleman continues to be shown to have won this election after the recount."
Franken needs to stop being a whiny crybaby and give it up. He lost! He needs to sign himself in to the Algore Kerry Sore Loser Rehab Center for Dumbass Politicians for a few months. He’ll be okay.
Well, first of all, the People of MN should examine their recall procedures, secondly, where did Reid or the US Senate acquire the Authority to examine MN ballots?
Send in the clowns. There’ve got to be clowns. Also a$$holes. Is this a great country, or what?
Reid figures he will just make up the law as he needs. After all, Nobama is president already, isn’t he?
They’re Democrats, they make the rules up as they go, and spineless rinos like McCain back them up all the way.
Each house of Congress is the final judge of who is qualified to be a member of that house.
I believe the Constitution says that each House is the judge of elections concerning their offices. In the end, they can be the court of last resort.
I don’t think Harry would be able to pull this off until the 111th Congress is seated in early January.
Coleman needs to declare victory and sit down in the seat in January.
Either that or call for a new election in MN to settle the issue fair and square.
If the DFL can’t steal it fair and square, Harry Reid will. Bastard.
Democrat Bullying. Shoving their excessive weight around in the Minnesota Political Playground will gain the Democrats one “H” of a backlash. They need to consider if Al Franken is worth it.
They owe all Minnesotans’ a tremendous apology.
“”Franken needs to stop being a whiny crybaby and give it up. He lost! He needs to sign himself in to the Algore Kerry Sore Loser Rehab Center for Dumbass Politicians for a few months. He’ll be okay.””
This is SO not funny. In the current climate of this country, he very well be the next senator, despite what’s right (i.e., election results!)
Pray to God that fairness will prevail - this seat is the next closest to the Dems’ magic 60 - and the Senate/Reid intervening is not only disgraceful, but evidence of the Left’s single-minded determination to gain total control of our country - combine that with the (Left) media and courts, it may very well be allowed to (unconstitutionally) happen.
steal it fair and square?
The Dims will find a way to steal this election yet.
“Qualified” but not involved in vote counting and submitted and disqualified ballots, that is purely a function of the State of MN and it’s election laws.
Now I do think a situation can occur when Coleman and Frankin both arrive at the Senate, and there has to be a ruling from the Chair are something similar to decide who is to be seated.
I sent a donation to Norm Coleman before the election, and today I got a phone call from someone asking for another donation to help him fight Franken. I don’t know how they got my phone number—someone must have looked it up.
I had to say that I can’t afford to give any more at this point. The caller was very persistent and I finally had to just hang up on her. Too bad, but things are getting tight and I can’t afford it.
“”Coleman needs to declare victory and sit down in the seat in January. Either that or call for a new election in MN to settle the issue fair and square.”
Yes, I so agree - WHY is it that repubs are so meek and “nice” while dems are so aggressive and vocal??? Coleman needs to seize and declare it as you said.
How can a man of Franken's ilk - no experience in government AT ANY FORM whether it be city council, mayor, school board, state rep, US rep, anything - be so arrogant that he can run for one of the highest jobs in the state - US SENATOR - with NO experience whatsoever?
How can this be?
Yes. Where does Reid or the Senate get this awesome authority? In writing somewhere? Or is this a preview of the dictatorship we’re now living under? - I mean, not that Reid or the Senate have any sort of conflict of interest or anything.
I don’t beleive that the constitution allows the Senat to decide Senate races. Only the state gets to do that.
The question is whether each house of Congress has the right to interfere with an election and its decided winner, or whether they are limited to accepting or keeping the candidate/incumbent who has been elected/reelected.
The Democrats kept Gary Studds after revelations about his homosexual activities with a page (reelected 5 times afterwards); kept Barney Frank for allowing homosexual activities in his house; kept impeached judge Alcee Hastings as a member of Congress; kept indicted & reelected Rep. William Jefferson despite the serious charges against him - the indictments spell it all out); kept Sen. Ted Kennedy after his lying and coverup of Chappaquidick and the negligent death of Mary Jo Kopechne; have kept and promoted Soviet-aligned communists in Congress such as George Crockett Jr and John Conyers Jr; kept secrets leakers Rep. Michael Harrington and Rep. Robert Drinan, Sen. Rockefeller and Leahy; and possible illegal contacts between Sen. Ted Kennedy and the KGB/CPSU (ala Paul Kengor’s revelations/documents). Therefore, why should Reid not interference in a Senatorial election though he may have no standing to do so.
The Democrats have no regard for the law, for the public, or for the concept of honest politics.
Just as you can trust a communist to be a communist, you can trust a Democrat to be a Democract, or am I being redundant?
-PJ
You nailed it exactly right!
Political coup by Harry Reid.
If the state declares Coleman the winner, Reid cannot declare Franken the winner; Reid can only refuse to seat Coleman.
If that were to happen, I guess it would go back to the state, where the governor would appoint someone.
-PJ
Americans hate losers, but sore losers are reviled.
ABSOFUKINGLUTLEY!!!
That's the strategy Coleman should take, if he wins the recount.
Then, REFUSE to leave the Senate and challenge Dingy Harry to try and forcibly remove him.
Even the Lame Stream Media could not avoid covering that fiasco.
By the way, does anyone know if its a simple majority, or 2/3 vote requirement and does a filibuster rule?
looks like frankenstein thinks he has a right to win,
whether the voters agree or not.
You’re wrong. The House declared a Democrat the winner in an Indiana House race back in the 80s even though Indiana had declared the Republican the winner by a handful of votes. There is no formal appeal for this as each house of Congress has the final say on its membership. It’s just a matter of how much bad PR they are willing to take. Granted how few recall that Indiana theft, not to mention that Washington state rewarded the theft of their Governorship with reelection Reid may judge he can get away with such a coup.
It's simple majority, although I don't know whether it can be filibustered.
Article 1; Sec. 5, US Constitution:
Section 5. Each House shall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members, and a majority of each shall constitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the attendance of absent members, in such manner, and under such penalties as each House may provide.
Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member.
Each House shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such parts as may in their judgment require secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the members of either House on any question shall, at the desire of one fifth of those present, be entered on the journal.
Neither House, during the session of Congress, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
This is just another reason to repeal the 17th amendment and let the state legislatures send the Senator of their choice to Washington.
-PJ
Doesn’t Reid actually mean, “we are prepared to steal the election right in the open through the Democrat Senate?”
Do we even have a constitution any more?
What needs to be enacted is a provision in campaign law that a candidate must meet a 51 percent threshold or there will be a mandatory run off election.
Ballot counts this close should be considered a tie requiring a run off election.
We can probably be sure that McNutjob, Linsey Graham and Olympia Snow, among others, are more than prepared to collaborate - I mean cooperate - with Reid and the Dems.
Exactly, as if boxes of ballots, EVERY BALLOT cast in MN will arrive at the Senate chambers, along with a Rep for the MN Board of Canvassing to explain MN election law for the counting of ballots..
Bush v Gore, you cannot treat ballots differently, to do so violates the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause, each Ballot will have to be recounted and even then, it must be done under MN Law...that doesn’t seem probable...
What a load of crap.
This is the price you pay when the majority of voters are idiots, illegals, and welfare recipients. Better get used to it, they’re the majority now and for years and years to come.
Ahh...but here is the rub on that, the 1th amendment:
“The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.
When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of each State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
This ame...”
Senators have to be directly elected by the people of the state they represent, and it lists the qualifications needed for a Senator, Reid will have a tough time declaring a winner when the 17th amendment states they must be directly elected by the people of the State..
We can probably be sure that McNutjob, Linsey Graham and Olympia Snow, among others, are more than prepared to collaborate - I mean cooperate - with Reid and the Dems.
What a load of crap.”
Can I QUOTE you if this ever goes to the Senate???????
There isn’t a position too obsequious McNutjob wouldn’t assume to please the Media and his buddies across the Isle.
If by some Miracle, McNutjob HAD won the election, it would have been thanks to Sarah Palin, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter et al and not to his own efforts. As it is, not even their exceptional efforts could salvage the campaign of this political mediocrity.
bttt
There isn’t a position too obsequious McNutjob wouldn’t assume to please the Media and his buddies across the Isle.
If by some Miracle, McNutjob HAD won the election, it would have been thanks to Sarah Palin, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter et al and not to his own efforts. As it is, not even their exceptional efforts could salvage the campaign of this political mediocrity.
Yeah you can quote me, your remark was a bunch of crap.
Neither McCain, Grahm or any Republican would validate Harry Reid voting Franken to the Senate if he doesn't win the vote in Minn.
Taking cheap shots like that only makes you look very very very foolish.
This is the correct operative provision of the constitution. Each house can decide “contests” over who is entitled to sit. If you look at any book of congressional biographies, you will see, over the 2 centuries, dozens of cases of “x contested the election of y, and after the house decided in his favor, was seated.” Or, X was elected, and though the seat was contested by Y, the Senate Seated X.”
Sorry, that’s the way it is set up. For example, in 2006, there was a lot of fuss over Flordia 13, and the D attempted to contest the elction of the R because of (false) charges of failed voting machines. The House seated the R, despite a D majority.
Let us agree, however, that we can give much derision and contempt for those who support the inexperienced, the retarded, and the mental cases who run....and who have support ONLY because their supporters value their vote and not their intelligence, competence, or wisdom.
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