Coleman camp: Franken at (MN) Supreme Court like bank robber asking for receipt

The Minnesota Independent ^ | January 13, 2009 | Chris Steller

[flattorney]

Al Franken filed a petition with the Minnesota Supreme Court … that’s a bit like a bank robber stopping on his way out the door to ask the teller for a receipt.” That’s how an e-mail appeal for funds from the campaign of former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman described today’s legal move by the Al Franken campaign that asked the state’s high court to order the governor to issue an election certificate. In another response, Coleman attorney Fritz Knaak told reporters that Franken has gone beyond the “epitome of arrogance … [by] asking to go above the laws of our state … [in a] desperate move … to take this out of the hands of the law here and not to have to go to trial against our election contest.”

Read Knaak’s full statement and the entire e-mail after the jump.

Here is the full statement Coleman attorney Fritz Knaak gave to reporters late this afternoon (go to MPR’s Polinaut blog to hear the rest of the nine-minute phone-in press conference):

We thought that we’d seen the epitome of arrogance yesterday, but today Al Franken has topped even himself. In the wake of the immediate denial of yesterday’s publicity stunt, calling on the governor and the Secretary of State to issue Franken a certificate — he didn’t win then and he hasn’t won now — today he’s asking to go above the laws of our state with his latest move. Al Franken knows he can’t win in court abiding by the rules of Minnesota elections. So he’s coming up with every desperate move he can — and his Washington legal team as well — to take this out of the hands of the law here and not to have to go to trial against our election contest. Franken knows the case made in our election contest is strong. Double-counted votes, newly discovered ballots, missing ballots, and inconsistent standards regarding rejected absentee ballots are serious issues that will get their day in court. Al Franken wants his Democratic supporters in the U.S. Senate to seat him in a blatant political power play. The people of Minnesota and the votes cast by 3 million Minnesotans in this election deserve better than that. Minnesotans cast their votes. And when this election contest phase is complete, we have every hope and expectation they can be confident in the result as they send Sen. Norm Coleman back to work for them.

And here is the text of an e-mail that went out early this evening:

From: Team Coleman
Date: Tue, Jan 13, 2009
Subject: Breaking News

Dear Friend,

After weeks of running roughshod over the constitution [sic] and denying the most basic of protections to voters, yesterday Al Franken asked the state of Minnesota to certify him as the winner of the election for U.S. Senate — even though state law expressly prohibits it until the contest is resolved! And when both Governor Pawlenty and the Democrat Secretary of State immediately turned down his request, Franken filed a petition with the Minnesota Supreme Court!

If you ask me, that’s a bit like a bank robber stopping on his way out the door to ask the teller for a receipt.

Nonetheless, the outcome of our contest is far from over, and we won’t rest until every vote has been counted fairly and honestly.  As it stands right now, more than 25 precincts have had more ballots cast than they have voters! And thousands of likely votes for Norm have been challenged and thrown out at the urging of Franken’s legal team!!

Click here now to help us prevent more legal shenanigans by Franken and his army of lawyers. Your immediate contribution of $20, $25, $35, $50, $100 or more will help us stop their mischievous actions and protect the sanctity of your vote.

Thanks for all you’ve done for Norm — and will hopefully continue to do for him — as we wage this battle to prevent Al Franken from ignoring the will of Minnesotans and the laws of the state.

Sincerely,

Cullen Sheehan, Campaign Manager

P.S.    Please don’t set this e-mail aside with the best of intentions. Help us stop Al Franken from denying Minnesotans a fair election!

Paid for by Coleman for Senate ‘08
www.ColemanforSenate.com

Contributions to Coleman for Senate 08 are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. Contributions from corporations, foreign nationals and federal government contractors are prohibited. Not printed at government expense. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in an election cycle.

[flattorney]

~ Minnesota U.S. Senate Election Fiasco ~
FR Keywords: Norm Coleman(R) | Al Franken(D) | Franken: SorosBoy | Porn-O-Rama! | Endorsed by Al “Globull Fraud” Gore
Coleman-GOP Election Recount Legal Action(s) | MN Sec. of State Mark "Commie Soros Puppet" Ritchie
"The Dirt": Arianna Huffington was Franken's Secret Video Sex 'Ho - Post 2

01.12.09: Video: The O'Reilly Factor: Hollywood-Soros-Franken, + Can Coleman Still Win?
01.09.09: Why George Soros wants Norm Coleman out of the Senate (“The Dirt”, A Must Read)
01.09.09: GOP Former MN SOS(99-07) Mary Kiffmeyer slams Coleman-Franken U.S. Senate Recount
01.09.09: Send in the Clown (Al “SorosBoy” Franken)
01.08.09: The Stealing the (MN U.S. Senate) Election Project + Latest Coleman News & FlAttorney's Comments

MAR

[Kent C]

A few weeks ago, Jason Lewis, sitting in for Rush, was discussing the situation and he said (paraphrasing) ‘for the real conspiracy minded’ ...that having two Supremes on the recount for Coleman was a ploy by Franken to later take it to the Mn. SC and have those two recuse themselves from any judgment there.

Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.....

[mkjessup]

Say what they will about Coleman, but he’s been right on one issue, and that is the persistent corruption in the U.N., and he never hesitated to give both barrels to Mr. Koffee (the former U.N. Thief-in-Charge, Kofi Annan).

Contrast that with what ‘Senator Al Franken’ would do about U.N. corruption, I can hear him now:

“U.N. corruption? What we need are foolproof UNICEF coin containers to eliminate the possibility of the money collected each Halloween being diverted for unauthorized purposes, that’s all.”

[smokingfrog]

It's a shame that so many Americans are seemingly blind to the fact that they're being played for suckers.

[XenaLee]

No. It’s a shame that so many Americans ARE suckers! And it’s a shame that their stupidity is going to drag us down right along with them.

[Tzimisce]

...is there any living, conscious person who doesn’t think that Franken’s victory is suspicious? I doubt even this “unbiased, non partisan” court thinks so....

[LeonardFMason]

“....25 precints had more ballots cast than voters....” Until this travesty is addressed in elections it is hardly worth getting involved. Should Conservatives everywhere start filing lawsuit after lawsuit in the courts? It is what liberals do. Tie up the courts. Publicize the lawsuits. Something needs to be done.

[XenaLee]

When our side starts routinely doing what their side does re: protests (kinda like we did in Florida in 2000 when Albert was trying to steal the election) then maybe we might start winning again. But I don’t see that happening. We’ve become too complacent and apathetic (apparently). That, plus the fact that their side has all the positive media coverage (propaganda). Our only hope is that the DemocRats/The One screw up so badly that even the idiots that voted for Zero are fed up and want to change BACK from the “change they got”.

[Irish Eyes]

Our only hope is that the DemocRats/The One screw up so badly that even the idiots that voted for Zero are fed up and want to change BACK from the “change they got”.

I am afraid that will never happen.

[bushfamfan]

Coleman should NEVER concede. Even if Franken is seated Coleman should always point out that this seat was stolen and taken though fraudulent and corrupt means. This cannot be accepted anymore and the Republican acceptability of this Demonrat tactic has led to the disaster we are in today with those thugs in control and the certainty of mock ‘elections’. I am furious and we need to get active like the Demonrat group protests and means.

[TitansAFC]

For all of the crap we give Republicans for not fighting - we owe Norm Coleman a debt of gratitude. For once, the Republican is going to stand strong and fight until there is absolutely no breath left in him and no possible other route down which to travel.

I'm going to send all I can, and continue to give kudos to Norm Coleman for being the first Republican in my memory to fight until the bitter end.

[GVnana]

Nice line by Sheehan. Glad to see Coleman is staying on this.

[Caleb1411]

[Caleb1411]

The Minnesota Recount was Unconstitutional, a WSJ editorial, is something by which you might be edified. Minnesota's hearing the plaintive bellowing of a lot of gored oxen these days, virtually all of them liberals.