Don't Be Surprised About A Legal Challenge In Minnesota (Vanity)

Myself ^ | November 6, 2002 | GreatOne

[GreatOne]

Looking at MN Secretary of State Office website, I see that the late Paul Wellstone has garnered 11,766 at this point, easily enough to make up the difference between Sen. Coleman and Still-A-Loser Mondale. Expect litigation, here, folks.

[GreatOne]

Even though it was reported widely here that many people voted for Wellstone out of grief, expect the DemoRats to try to pony up some lame attempt to steal this seat.

[laconic]

Coleman won by over 40,000 votes and the 11,000 voted for a man other than Mondale. I don't see any legal basis, although that wouldn't stop them from trying.

[Mike Darancette]

Coleman is over 57,000 votes ahead, 12,000 votes won't do it.

[ClearCase_guy]

Litigation may well occur. But this would go all the way up to the US Supremes if necessary and there is no way that a major party candidate can combine his own votes with another candidate's. If the Dems wanted Wellstone's votes to count, they should have left him on the ticket and told Mondale to take a hike. They didn't do that. So Mondale gets the Mondale votes and the Dems lose out on the Wellstone votes. It's quite simple.

[sauropod]

No doubt about that.

It was delicious to watch McAuliffe have to put on a game face last night.

It was more delicious to watch Carville admit that even he couldn't spin this one. 'Pod

[Snuffington]

I see that the late Paul Wellstone has garnered 11,766 at this point, easily enough to make up the difference between Sen. Coleman and Still-A-Loser Mondale.

Current counts have Coleman up by over 50,000. His lead seems to be growing as the final precincts report in.

[dwilli]

There is no way on earth a vote for Paul Wellstone can be credited to Walter Mondale. The votes can be deemed null and void and that could be a constitutional infringement but in that case the voters would be required to vote again. That would break the law on when a senatorial vote has to be held.

[aristeides]

Bring it on, losers! If the trial lawyers do this service for the RATs, can you say "tort reform"?

[jimtorr]

The demwits already tried that last week, and the MN Supremes said "no way, Sven".

[Congressman Billybob]

The case would be pitched out on its ear in a New York minute. The first reason is the obvious one -- even if the "Wellstone" votes were counted as Mondale votes, Mondale still loses. The second reason is the Minnesota Supreme Court, like the one in Hawaii, has already laid down a marker that it will obey Minnesota law, rather than rewrite it.

Following the MN law, the SC ruled last Friday that all "Wellstone" absentee voters had two choices to "correct" their ballots. They could request a new absentee ballot, or they could vote in person which would vitiate any absentee ballots they had previously cast.

Therefore, no one was "disenfrancised." Any voter who ignored both options and allowed a "Wellstone" vote to stand, simply decided under MN law not to cast a ballot between Coleman and Mondale. So, if the court ever addressed the merits, rather than simply ruling on the numbers as being too few to make a difference, Mondale still loses.

God only knows what the New Jersey Supreme Court would do with this case, But it is in Minnesota, where the judges have already demonstrated their obedience to the law and to their oaths of office.

The question raised in this thread is less then a tempest in a teapot. It is a non-existent tempest in a non-existent teapot.

Congressman Billybob

On American Politics

Click for "to Restore Trust in America"

[FreeTally]

Nah, this was already settled before the election. The dufuses may try, but no suit will be heard. The State Supreme Court ruled according to the law already. There was no other possible remedy other than what is prescribed by the law.

The margin appears to be too wide anyway.

[Lurking2Long]

Is Mondale still going to speak at 9:00?

[Illbay]

"Another Vanity on Vanities" by Jim Robinson

"Please help us improve the news to noise ratio - post your rant as a reply rather than a vanity post" by Jim Robinson

"Vanity: Please help prevent the vanity explosion" by Jim Robinson

[Jonah Hex]

I posted the same proposition last night. Like you, I can easily see a Dem lawsuit happening.

[Elle Bee]

Have You Registered to Sue? The Floridification of American politics ~ John Fund

.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I think that's what the Minnesota Supreme Court was saying when it ruled absentee Wellstone voters could get another ballot. Minnesotans who left their Wellstone vote as is apparently didn't want to vote for Fritz.

[Lurking2Long]

Is Mondale's mother still alive?

If so, ask her to go wake up little Walter so he can give his concession speech!

[LoneGOPinCT]

Is Mondale's mother still alive?

She'd have to be about 273 years old. Assuming she started having kids when she was young.

[GreatOne]

The question raised in this thread is less then a tempest in a teapot. It is a non-existent tempest in a non-existent teapot.

I obviously hope you are right. When I initially posted this, the difference between the two was under 10,000 votes. All night long the local reporters would question every DemoRat about filing a lawsuit, so perhaps I was being a wee bit jumpy.

BTW, loved your speech at the recent rally - God bless you and all that you do.

[GreatOne]

I was expecting to see that from you, and, just so you know, I considered before posting. But since at the time of posting the vote was very close, I thought it was definitely newsworthy. Sorry to have made your list.