Truthdig - Ear to the Ground - Franken Could Still Have the Last Laugh

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Franken Could Still Have the Last Laugh

publicradio.org

Al Franken said his campaign was looking into reports of irregularities in Minneapolis, where he said some voters had trouble registering.

A razor-thin margin in the contest for a Minnesota Senate seat between comedian Al Franken, the Democrat, and Republican incumbent Norm Coleman will trigger an automatic recount that is likely to stretch into December.

The Star Tribune:

Republican Norm Coleman finished ahead of Democrat Al Franken in one of Minnesota’s tightest Senate elections ever, but the margin was so slim it triggered an automatic recount.

Of nearly 2.9 million ballots cast, Coleman led Franken by 727 votes in unofficial returns from the Minnesota secretary of state. Coleman had 1,211,628 votes, or 42.03 percent; Franken had 1,210,901 votes, or 42.01 percent.

Dean Barkley of the Independence Party was third with 15 percent.

The margin was well within a threshold set by state law for an automatic recount that could drag into December. Franken had the option of waiving the recount, but he said he wouldn’t.

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By Rustyhank, November 6, 2008 at 2:20 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

In any close contest where there is suspicion of iregularity or outright illegal influence at the polls, a recount is imperative. Go for it Al, this is no laughing matter.

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By huey islo, November 6, 2008 at 1:51 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

if it weren’t so painfully ironic, a repulican of any stripe calling al franken a crackpot would be laughable.

the bean counting deadbeats evolved to become the murdering thieves, the grand oil party privateers that have left this imperium in financial and moral ruin.

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By Lomster, November 6, 2008 at 12:37 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Allegations have surfaced of voter irregularities involving a paid staffer of Sen. Norm Coleman, and the ramifications could have a profound effect on the outcome of Coleman’s race against Al Franken.
http://wcco.com/election/voter.irregularities.allegations.2.857437.html

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By Maani, November 5, 2008 at 8:51 pm #

I agree, sort of. What is amazing is that, even if he ultimately loses, Franken did as well as he did. Bravo.

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By punjifightstick, November 5, 2008 at 7:24 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I loved Coleman’s advice to Franken: if he were in Franken’s place, he’d concede for the good of the electorate… not that Coleman’s telling him what to do, of course.

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By Blackspeare, November 5, 2008 at 6:16 pm #

I like the comment by a GOP consultant who said that if a crack-pot like Franken can beat a popular Republican senator like Coleman then the GOP is certainly in a lot of trouble!

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