Recount Roundup: The final stretch?

By Paul Schmelzer
Monday, December 01, 2008 at 10:39 am

After taking a Thanksgiving break, the Minnesota recount is back, with about 14 counties to go and 10 percent of ballots still to be counted. With Friday’s final-count deadline looming, here’s a recap of recent news: Tough math for Franken, Palin v. Ludicris, and another 599 looks at screwy ballots.

Challenging Math: The Strib reports that a win by Al Franken will be something of a long shot: He’ll have to win “6 percent of his challenges of Coleman votes even if Coleman fails to succeed on any of his challenges.” Ramsey County election manager Joe Mansky says historical trends show that’d be difficult. “Franken’s best [and perhaps his only] chance will be in court, not with the recount,” he added.

While Norm Coleman’s campaign puts the gap between the candidates at 282 votes, Team Franken sticks with a lower figure: just 73 votes.

Ballot Challenge: We’ve said it before, the best way to grasp what election officials are up against is to look at the disputed ballots themselves. The Strib kindly offers 599 for your consideration. (h/t Braublog)

Sen. Franken (or Coleman), you’re late for work: Sharon Schmickle writes an important piece at MinnPost today about the possibility of Minnesota’s Senate race not being decided by the time Barack Obama is sworn in as president. Obama is predicted to make his first executive act the signing of economic-recovery legislation, and to make that happen Democrats are already negotiating with colleagues and drafting legislation (Schmickle says Wisconsin Rep. Dave Obey is working on the jobs-creation component now). So even if a victor is declared by Dec. 19, which is hugely unlikely, the winner will already be late for work. Schmickle says some Republicans, alarmed by the financial crisis, will likely cross the aisle to support the Democrats’ package (not without a fight, though), but a Sen. Franken or a Sen. Coleman in Minnesota could make a huge difference.

Palin and Ludicris campaigning: OK, it has little do to with the Minnesota recount — except that it involves another yet-to-be-resolved Senate race that could help give Democrats a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate: Ahead tomorrow’s run-off, Sarah Palin is heading to Georgia today to campaign on behalf of incumbent Sen. Saxby Chambliss. The big gun Democrat Jim Martin is calling in? Rapper Ludicris.

Comments

1 Comment

jacksmith
Comment posted December 1, 2008 @ 3:15 pm

WE HAVE MORE TO DO:

Democrat Jim Martin is in a runoff against Bush Republican Saxby Chambliss for the Senate seat from Georgia. Bush’s Saxby Chambliss voted against spending a few measly dollars to provide health care coverage for Georgia, and Americas needy children. But he supported wasting hundreds of billions of your dollars, and the life BLOOD of Americas finest on an unnecessary war in Iraq.

At a time when 47 million of you have no health insurance coverage, and over 100 million of you with insurance are just one major illness away from complete financial destruction. Bush and Saxby Chambliss voted to make the heart break of bankruptcy relief even harder for all of you to use.

You see, Bush and Saxby Chambliss, and his family don’t have to worry about their health care coverage. They have the finest health care coverage your tax money can buy for them. Courtesy of you. The American Tax payer. In fact, no one but the super rich can afford the health care coverage you the tax payer provide for Saxby Chambliss, and his family for FREE! with your tax dollars.

He supposedly works for you. But he doesn’t think you and your family should have access to the type of taxpayer supported FREE health care that you provide for him, and his loved ones for FREE!. Doesn’t that just make you BURRING MAD!

Vote for JIM MARTIN for US senator from Georgia. Vote for JIM Martin who will be on your side. Vote for JIM MARTIN who will work with President Obama and a majority congress for you. Vote for JIM MARTIN most of all for your-self, your family’s, friends, and loved ones. Vote for JIM MARTIN for a better America, and a better World.

Don’t let Saxby Chambliss make a chump out of you by tricking you into voting against your own best interest. Saxby chambliss is NOT! on your side. He’s not one of you. He is on George Bush’s side. And we all know what a catastrophe the Bush Chambliss administration has been the past 8 years.

Contact all your family and friends and do every thing you can to see to it that JIM MARTIN and GEORGIANS! take that senate seat back for Georgia, and America. No matter where you live in America. This is important to you. President Obama will need all the help, and power you can give him to try and fix this catastrophic mess that the Corrupt Bush Chambliss administration has created.

As I said before you will have to vote in overwhelming numbers to overcome the Bush Chambliss “Let Them Eat Cake” vote fraud machine. Vote early if you can. Then help everyone you can get to the polls and vote for JIM MARTIN. You and your loved ones don’t have to be Saxby Chambliss’s victims anymore.