Sunday, January 4, 2009

Panel to declare Franken winner of Senate race

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- A state election board on Monday will announce Democrat Al Franken has defeated Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race, state officials told CNN Sunday.

The canvassing board on Monday will say a recount determined Franken won by 225 votes, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie told CNN.

However, Coleman's campaign, which contends the recount should have included about 650 absentee ballots it says were improperly rejected in the initial count, has indicated it will challenge the certification.

Coleman campaign manager Cullen Sheehan said his team believes the recount process was broken and that "the numbers being reported will not be accurate or valid."

"The effort by the Franken campaign, supported by the secretary of state, to exclude improperly rejected absentee ballots is indefensible and disenfranchises hundreds of Minnesota voters," Sheehan said.

After the results are certified, Coleman's campaign will have seven days to file a challenge.

The initial count from the November 4 election put Coleman, a first-term senator, 215 votes ahead of Franken -- known for his stint on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" and as a former talk-show host on progressive radio network Air America.

CNN


I'm glad they finally straightened that mess out. Norm will repeal the ruling, I'm sure, but I don't think anything will come of it. Al Franken is on his way to the senate. Good luck to him. Now the Democrats are one seat short of having a filibuster and veto overriding majority. I am sure they can pick up one liberal Republican to help pass their agenda. And likewise, they have the moderate and conservative Democrats to worry about as well. Having a huge majority does not guarantee success on the senate floor.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It takes 60 votes to end a filibuster in the Senate, but it takes 67 to override a presidential veto.