Sen.-elect Al Franken (D-MN) will be sworn into his new position on Tuesday, July 7, CNN reports.
Fun fact: This means Franken will be sworn in exactly six months plus one day after when he would have been sworn in along with all the other folks elected to the Senate in 2008, if not for the legal battle that kept his super-narrow election victory in limbo.
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Showing posts with label Al Franken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Al Franken. Show all posts
Judges Show Coleman Mercy, Reverse Ruling To Strike Key Witness
By Eric Kleefeld - February 26, 2009, 11:16AM
The Minnesota election court just decided to cut Norm Coleman a serious break, reversing their decision yesterday to strike the testimony of a key witness in Coleman's attempt to prove double-counting of votes, after the Coleman camp failed to share evidence with the Franken side.
The court's memorandum explains why they took this severe step to begin with -- Coleman's repeated failures in the past to fully share evidence in a timely manner:
The Court recognizes that striking testimony is a severe sanction but notes that this trial has been underway for five weeks and that the parties have been repeatedly instructed of the need to supplement discovery responses. The Court believes this sanction was within its discretion in light of Contestants' repeated failures to adhere to their discovery obligations under the Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure.
Read on...
Dateline 2012: Franken inches closer to being seated as Senator. Coleman vows to fight on. Tom
The Minnesota election court just decided to cut Norm Coleman a serious break, reversing their decision yesterday to strike the testimony of a key witness in Coleman's attempt to prove double-counting of votes, after the Coleman camp failed to share evidence with the Franken side.
The court's memorandum explains why they took this severe step to begin with -- Coleman's repeated failures in the past to fully share evidence in a timely manner:
The Court recognizes that striking testimony is a severe sanction but notes that this trial has been underway for five weeks and that the parties have been repeatedly instructed of the need to supplement discovery responses. The Court believes this sanction was within its discretion in light of Contestants' repeated failures to adhere to their discovery obligations under the Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure.
Read on...
Dateline 2012: Franken inches closer to being seated as Senator. Coleman vows to fight on. Tom
The Big Lie on Franken
CommentBy John Nichols
January 7, 2009
There is no one Republicans were more determined to keep out of the Senate than comedian Al Franken. It wasn't just that Franken had ridiculed their misrule over the past eight years with a stack of bestselling books and a three-year stint on Air America radio. GOP bosses who listened to what Franken was saying as he challenged Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman came to recognize that while the Saturday Night Live alum knew how to get a laugh, he was also a policy wonk with a "great communicator" flair for getting to the heart of economic matters. Ultimately, it was that skill that allowed Franken--a smart critic of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's initial schemes for bailing out Wall Street--to overcome the brutal assault from Coleman and his corporate cronies.
And overcome it he has. After one of the longest Senate recount fights in recent history, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party contender for the seat once held by his friend Paul Wellstone was certified January 5 by the state canvassing board as the winner--by 225 votes. That's something of a landslide in a contest that saw the margin between Franken and Coleman fall to single digits at points during the two-month review of 3 million ballots. But the fact that Franken has prevailed won't stop the cruder players in a down-on-its-luck Senate Republican caucus and their media mouthpieces from trying to deny Minnesota the senator it has chosen.
Read on...
Should be interesting when Franken is finally seated. Tom
January 7, 2009
There is no one Republicans were more determined to keep out of the Senate than comedian Al Franken. It wasn't just that Franken had ridiculed their misrule over the past eight years with a stack of bestselling books and a three-year stint on Air America radio. GOP bosses who listened to what Franken was saying as he challenged Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman came to recognize that while the Saturday Night Live alum knew how to get a laugh, he was also a policy wonk with a "great communicator" flair for getting to the heart of economic matters. Ultimately, it was that skill that allowed Franken--a smart critic of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's initial schemes for bailing out Wall Street--to overcome the brutal assault from Coleman and his corporate cronies.
And overcome it he has. After one of the longest Senate recount fights in recent history, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party contender for the seat once held by his friend Paul Wellstone was certified January 5 by the state canvassing board as the winner--by 225 votes. That's something of a landslide in a contest that saw the margin between Franken and Coleman fall to single digits at points during the two-month review of 3 million ballots. But the fact that Franken has prevailed won't stop the cruder players in a down-on-its-luck Senate Republican caucus and their media mouthpieces from trying to deny Minnesota the senator it has chosen.
Read on...
Should be interesting when Franken is finally seated. Tom
Coleman: I'm Going To Court
By Eric Kleefeld - January 6, 2009, 4:01PM
Norm Coleman has made it official: He is filing a lawsuit to challenge the election result in Minnesota, which he does not believe to be a valid count -- and he is making clear that for the sake of democracy, Al Franken should not be seated in the Senate.
Coleman went through the list of things his campaign says went wrong: For example, that absentee ballots for Al Franken were counted twice, and that there were no uniform standards in reviewing rejected absentee ballots.
Read on...
Sore loser. Tom
Norm Coleman has made it official: He is filing a lawsuit to challenge the election result in Minnesota, which he does not believe to be a valid count -- and he is making clear that for the sake of democracy, Al Franken should not be seated in the Senate.
Coleman went through the list of things his campaign says went wrong: For example, that absentee ballots for Al Franken were counted twice, and that there were no uniform standards in reviewing rejected absentee ballots.
Read on...
Sore loser. Tom
Minnesota Senate Recount: Pendulum Swings to Franken
by Mike Kaszuba and Curt Brown
The U.S. Senate recount took two abrupt turns Tuesday, both boosting the prospects of DFLer Al Franken.
Al Franken, above, is closing in on Norm Coleman in a Minnesota Senate recount. (AP Photo)Franken unexpectedly picked up 37 votes due to a combined machine malfunction and human error on Election Day that left 171 Maplewood ballots safe, secure but uncounted until Tuesday's final day of recounting in Ramsey County. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie's office immediately asked county officials to explain what had happened, and U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman's campaign said it sent its own experts to Ramsey County to review the situation and said it was "skeptical about [the ballots'] sudden appearance."
Read on...
I've been following the Franken recount fairly closely and in spite of this story I"m not sure Franken will prevail. Could a simple recount be any more complicated? Its crazy. Tom
The U.S. Senate recount took two abrupt turns Tuesday, both boosting the prospects of DFLer Al Franken.
Al Franken, above, is closing in on Norm Coleman in a Minnesota Senate recount. (AP Photo)Franken unexpectedly picked up 37 votes due to a combined machine malfunction and human error on Election Day that left 171 Maplewood ballots safe, secure but uncounted until Tuesday's final day of recounting in Ramsey County. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie's office immediately asked county officials to explain what had happened, and U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman's campaign said it sent its own experts to Ramsey County to review the situation and said it was "skeptical about [the ballots'] sudden appearance."
Read on...
I've been following the Franken recount fairly closely and in spite of this story I"m not sure Franken will prevail. Could a simple recount be any more complicated? Its crazy. Tom
Faced With Setback, Franken Camp Vows To Fight On
By Eric Kleefeld - November 26, 2008, 2:36PM
The Franken camp, faced with a big setback today, is regrouping for the moment but vowing to fight on -- and may even contest the election result in court or the United States Senate itself later on.
The Franken campaign just held a briefing with reporters to respond to the news that the state canvassing board turned down their request to re-examine absentee ballots that may have been wrongly thrown out, and they announced they're not appealing the decision for now.
"We are not going to appeal today's decision. We believe it is important, as I have said over and over again, that this process be permitted to play out in an orderly fashion," said lead Franken recount lawyer Marc Elias.
Read on...
Franken's chances seem to be dwindling. Tom
The Franken camp, faced with a big setback today, is regrouping for the moment but vowing to fight on -- and may even contest the election result in court or the United States Senate itself later on.
The Franken campaign just held a briefing with reporters to respond to the news that the state canvassing board turned down their request to re-examine absentee ballots that may have been wrongly thrown out, and they announced they're not appealing the decision for now.
"We are not going to appeal today's decision. We believe it is important, as I have said over and over again, that this process be permitted to play out in an orderly fashion," said lead Franken recount lawyer Marc Elias.
Read on...
Franken's chances seem to be dwindling. Tom
Minnesota Senate Recount
Challenged ballots: You be the judge
by Than Tibbetts, Minnesota Public RadioNovember 20, 2008
Representatives from the campaigns of Sen. Norm Coleman and Al Franken have been challenging ballots across the state.
It's your turn to play election judge. Tell us how you would rule in the case of these challenged ballots. Use this Minnesota state statute as your guide.
DAY 2 BALLOTS
Ballot #1: The Autograph
The Franken campaign challenged this ballot, arguing the voter left an identifying mark on the ballot. Minnesota law states: "If a ballot is marked by distinguishing characteristics in a manner making it evident that the voter intended to identify the ballot, the entire ballot is defective." (Caroline Yang for MPR)
Read on...
Go the to the article and check images of some of the actual ballots. When the recount began Franken trailed by more than 200 votes. As of this morning after 46% of the votes have been recounted Franken has closed the gap to 136 votes. If the rate of change continues for the final 54% of the votes, Franken will be very close. Tom
by Than Tibbetts, Minnesota Public RadioNovember 20, 2008
Representatives from the campaigns of Sen. Norm Coleman and Al Franken have been challenging ballots across the state.
It's your turn to play election judge. Tell us how you would rule in the case of these challenged ballots. Use this Minnesota state statute as your guide.
DAY 2 BALLOTS
Ballot #1: The Autograph
The Franken campaign challenged this ballot, arguing the voter left an identifying mark on the ballot. Minnesota law states: "If a ballot is marked by distinguishing characteristics in a manner making it evident that the voter intended to identify the ballot, the entire ballot is defective." (Caroline Yang for MPR)
Read on...
Go the to the article and check images of some of the actual ballots. When the recount began Franken trailed by more than 200 votes. As of this morning after 46% of the votes have been recounted Franken has closed the gap to 136 votes. If the rate of change continues for the final 54% of the votes, Franken will be very close. Tom
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