More Franken Shenanigans
I just got an update from a loyal LFR reader who’s working at a recount center in a Twin Cities suburb. This person just told me that Team Franken is challenging ballots that have write-in candidates written in other races. Team Franken is allegedly arguing that write-in candidates elsewhere calls into question the voter’s intent on the Senate race.
I just returned from the Stearns County recount. During the brief time I was there, things seemed pretty calm. One theory given for yesterday’s challenges from Team Franken was that it subtracts votes from Sen. Coleman’s totals, which make things look artificially better at the end of the day. Team Franken knows that the Canvassing Board will ultimately restore those votes for Sen. Coleman but it creates the appearance of momentum for Team Franken.
Michael says that Coleman Campaign Manager Cullen Sheehan is holding a news conference literally as we speak. When that finishes, I’ll update this post to include Mr. Sheehan’s statements and/or press release.
This is just Team Franken’s most recent attempt to steal this election.
Having participated in 2 separate recount sessions, I can confidently tell people that the administrative side of the recount was professional in both instances. The people who’ve sorted through and counted the ballots are polite and professional. The Franken volunteers that I’ve dealt with have been cordial, too.
The thing that I’ll be watching for when the recount is finished is how many votes the Canvassing Board will restore. I suspect that it’ll be substantial.
UPDATE: Here’s the Coleman campaign’s official statement on Team Franken’s challenge strategy:
New Franken Strategy to Sow Confusion over Recount Numbers Appears in Meeker County Challenges
Saint Paul—Coleman For Senate Campaign Manager Cullen Sheehan today brought attention to an apparent new Franken strategy to ramp up the number of frivolous challenges made by their campaign. Results from Meeker County yesterday show that the Franken campaign challenged 51 ballots, while the Coleman campaign challenged 7.
Stated Sheehan: “In the past 24 hours we’ve noticed a shift in the number of ballots Franken is challenging; in Meeker County alone Franken challenged 51 Coleman ballots and Coleman challenged 7 Franken ballots, a difference of 44.
“Now, 49 counties have completed their recounts and presuming most challenged ballots are tossed out, we will either gain votes or it will simply be a wash-unless, of course, these are the 49 counties the Franken Campaign has accused of failing to do their jobs.
“The Franken campaign understands that it’s in their interest to challenge more ballots.. So every ballot they challenge is one less vote for Coleman and vice versa.
“Put more directly, the Franken campaign understands that with the Eagle Machine precincts done and a lot of St. Louis, St. Paul and Minneapolis already counted, the only way they can continue to show that the number is dropping is to challenge more ballots frivolously- and Meeker County yesterday was a perfect example of that.
“We expect to see a massive effort in the days ahead by the Franken Campaign to up the ante of challenged ballots. While they will tell you out of one side of their mouth their concerns about frivolous ballots, out of the other side they will be saying ‘challenge’ to any and all Coleman ballots they believe they need to disrupt a true and accurate reporting of these numbers.”
This isn’t surprising. In fact, it’s quite predictable. It’s Team Franken doing whatever they think is necessary to win.
My guess is that Team Franken understands that they won’t make up the 215 votes they trailed Sen. Coleman by entering the recount. I’m betting that they’re now trying to argue that Harry Reid should seat him because the process was tainted or something like that.
The Canvassing Board should be deeply offensed by that tactic, if that’s how this plays out.
Technorati Tags: recount, Al Franken, Norm Coleman, Challenges, Canvassing Board, Election Officials, Election 2008
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog