Franken wins by +312 votes.
We wait for the final galosh to drop, yust past the Orange fold...
TODAY is DAY 4 since the Election Contest Court (ECC) handed down its decision in Coleman v. Franken. Coleman has 6 days left to file an appeal with the MN Supreme Court or the decision becomes final.
The Soap Opera
SOOooooo, like sands through the hourglass so are the days of Norm's lives........ um, could we get a little input here from the legal profession? Coleman has 10 days to file-- not the whole barrel of briefs and lutefisk, but apparently a Notice of Filing/Appeal-- something like that term, right? OK, 2 mechanical questions:
1. Does this mean filing with the Supreme Court (like the clerk of court's office?) ONLY, or also filing with the opposing party by serving them notice as well? Is there a stack of these forms at the clerk's window, so, say, Coleman lawyer Fritz Knaak (a name from the past!) goes by and says, "Hey Sven? Let me have a number 203B with a side order of 319 WITH the glossy white & gold seal, not the purple one because we're out of Lent now?" And Sven Svenson says, "Ya sure, you betcha dar Fritz. Yust put down your $500 bond and yew can haff 'em." How does that work, exactly?
2. Is our timing correct? The Election Contest Court twittered the press/public famously at 5:59:59pm on Monday, April 13. The decision was dated the 13th but with no time of day stamp. Did the clock start ticking at straight up 6:00:00pm on the 13th in 24 hour increments, so that the last possible second to file timely without the ECC decision turning into Norm's personal pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26) is 5:59:59pm on April 23? OR did the clock start ticking on Tuesday the 14th when the courts opened for business at, say, 9:00am? If the last day is indeed the 23rd and the clerk rolls down the steel window cover and snaps the padlock shut at 4:00 or 4:30pm does that mean the hammer has fallen?
Inquiring minds who are planning the MN REVERSE replay of the infamous "Brooks Brothers" Miami riot want to know. Just exactly WHEN should the troops be in place to swing into the "Sting" line at the clerk's window immediately ahead of Doyle Lonnegan/the Coleman crew to shut them out of the action at Paul Newman's place down the alley? Or if its Ben Ginsberg leading the bad guys we want to know when Theoden's riders need to appear and blacken the ridge with mounted warriors? (Ginsberg will say to Trimble, Friedberg & others, "Form ranks you maggots! Pikes in front! Archers in the second row!" And we will fear no darkness; spears will be shaken and shields will be shattered but we will call down "death" on the enemies of democracy, ride for ruin and the world's ending shouting "Forth Eorlingas!!")
Spring is here and DeNial is rising--- old Egyptian proverb?
Oh, and that shout of "Forth Erolingas" will be in a reality-based kind of way. Yesterday PPP released a poll of Minnesotans that showed people wanting Norm to call it quits by 63%-37%, which is dang lopsided. (BTW also reported Obama's approval in the 60s.)
In that 37% that are in the 5-3 minority are the "real american/true believers/ utterly self-righteous"--- Bachmannites, Kline-dinks, minions of MNGOP chief Ron Carey and the common clay of the new West.... you know...."Morans!" Scientific polling from a firm with a good track record that conflicts with their own opinions MUST have something wrong with them.
According to Ryan Flynn at MN Democrats Exposed, PPP's poll is "bogus and misleading", PPP president Dean Debnam is a Democrat, has contributed to the NC "Democrat" party, and his wife has run for local office as a Democrat. (All of which proves.....?) In Oct. of '08 he had the gall to point out the NC governor's race is "neck and neck" and will continue to seesaw up to election day. This stunning news is a result of PPP controversial polling methods that involve cost cutting measures for the company.....
Yeah, well even at MN Democrats Exposed the commenters take Flynn apart. If you want to:
http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed...
Denial flows, but money flows like the Nile
Yeesh, linking to those guys sure leaves my hands gummy on the keyboard. Well, some left over lye & water from the first soak of the lutefisk should take it right off...... yep.
Cynthia Dizikes of the MN Post (both a MUCH nicer person and site to link to) scanned over the Fed. Election Commission financial filings for Coleman & Franken that were published this week. Not only have Cronyn & McConnell chipped in for Norm but Coleman has support in the Senate from Georgia to Idaho.
Franken has his own geography working for him from Nevada to Massachusetts and stops in between. AND, just to put the Reichwing's teeth on edge, Hollywood has also been dropping dollars in Franken's microphone bucket from Jane Curtin to John Grisham.
More fun stuff here:http://www.minnpost.com/...
A little chippy on the soccer pitch
Chris Steller at Minnesota Independent gets off a rather edgy piece for the land of Minnesota Nice. After Coleman met with the St. Paul Pioneer Press editorial board Steller quotes him as saying "We may never know" who won the Senate race--- which is infuriating!
NORM--who is that "WE" you are referring to? Damn near all of us in reality land KNOW who won. The ECC knows who won and took 68 closely reasoned pages to tell you in excruciating detail who won. A minimum of 63% of Minnesotans know who won. Editorial boards around the state know who won. "What you mean "we" Kimosabe?"
In the same piece Steller quotes gawker.com, apparently a New York City edgy website (which is thereby several parsecs of magnitude edgier than what we hear in MN). They take a Manhattan swipe (and that is SOME roundhouse right youse guys!) at Governor Pawlenty, calling him an "amiable prick." I know, I know. Midtown Manhattan that could be taken as a term of affection or as a description of a surly Nathan's hotdog pushcart vendor but out here thats a pretty heavy shot.
More here:http://minnesotaindependent.com/...
Friday Morning Minnesota Media
Kevin Diaz of the Star Trib is up with an expanded version of MN Post's listing of donors to both campaigns in the last quarter. (Let it be noted that Coleman reports cash on hand on 3/31 of $469K, having spent well over $3 million during the those 90 days.) More names of corporations and individuals including---GASP!---- confirmation that Al Franken got $10k from George Soros. (Every Reichvinger's suspicion confirmed! Dang disclosure laws! And by the way...... George? I've made the front page twice in this series. I'm not subject to political limits like the rest of the VLWC in public office but I have to say those 2 100K Swiss Franc checks haven't been delivered yet. Could you check into it with your people? Thanks! WineRev.)
http://www.startribune.com/...
Having met with the Pioneer Press editors Wednesday (where Norm Coleman stated "we can never know who won"), Norm continued his personal charm offensive by meeting with the Star Trib board. (Obviously he's trying to offset the impact of the Albert Lea Tribune, Worthington Daily Globe and Hooterville World Guardian coming out against him carrying on the fight.)
He thinks "the law is on our side"--- which is actually the dawning of reality since this implicitly acknowledges THE FACTS are no where to be found near his side of this galaxy!
Also:
"I don't spend 30 seconds worrying about my political future," he said. "I don't define myself by the office that I hold. ... If it weren't to continue, that would be fine, too. I'm not looking for another office."
Norm, I got your 30 seconds beat cold.
Also:
He said that he expects an appeal to be filed early next week, well within the 10 days that state law gives him. Joe Friedberg, the noted defense lawyer who led his legal team during the trial, will argue the case before the state Supreme Court, Coleman said.
Despite this I will continue the countdown clock at the head of these diaries. And Friedberg to argue the case before the Supreme Court, eh? OK, I started this diary asking for input from the legal eagles here. Lets close the same way.
How good a move is this, people (assuming its true)? Joe Friedberg in front of 5 razor-sharp judges who can fire questions at will? 19000 pages of transcripts to keep straight?
What's your take? Mine is this is enough to get Norm's synagogue to go Catholic and take on the name of St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes, but thats just me.
Staying within Talmud: to ask Joe Friedberg! to plead this case in front of the MN Supreme Court with your political life hanging in the balance....oy vey! It is written for the feast of Purim (Book of Esther) one rabbi invited another rabbi in town to the party. It was a rip-roaring affair and somewhere in the night the visiting rabbi was killed. The next morning the host rabbi found the body and was stricken with grief (and a massive hangover). He prayed that his friend be resurrected from the dead.... and he was, and went on with his life.
The next year when Purim came around again the same rabbi invited his friend AGAIN to come for a party. The other rabbi politely declined this time with the words, "A miracle doesn't happen every time."
The wine sale is on big time down at the shop but I've got the late shift this morning so I can stay & chat a bit with you. Hoep this will hold you with the latest from yust southeast of Lake Wobegon.
Shalom.