Republicans get really nervous as Al Franken pulls into the lead
By David Neiwert Saturday Dec 20, 2008 6:00am
Republicans are getting very nervous about Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman's re-election chances, now that the lowly, humiliating, obviously undeserving comedian [/wingnutspeak] Al Franken has pulled into the lead in their recount, according to the Star-Tribune, which puts Franken's lead at "about 250".
Sam Stein reports that analyses now project that Franken will win when the dust settles:
As it stands now, it seems likely that Franken will end this process with a lead wider than even his campaign expected. Earlier projections, from the Associated Press, Star Tribune and Franken himself, suggested that Coleman would lose the race by roughly 20 votes or less. And this tally doesn't even take into consideration the legal and political battle being waged over wrongfully rejected absentee ballots, which the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled, on Thursday, should be counted.
That decision, another loss for the Coleman campaign, could mean even more votes flowing into Franken's tally, though the Court also stressed that the state and both campaigns come up with a uniform standard for identifying these absentee ballots before they are counted.
I wonder how those Senate Democrats who were telling some talking heads anonymously last month that they might be relieved not to have "that comedian" in the Senate are feeling. Poor babies.
The best part of all this is that Franken's election will absolutely drive the wingnuts batty. This will make for some good high comedy in the weeks and months to come, no doubt.
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Hell, they had a bonehead wrestler-Governor (Jesse Ventura) in Minn-i-soo-taa, I don't think a comedian could be worse than any neocon on Earth.
A progressive democrat is what's needed after 8 years of brickheaded Bush chasing arabs all over the World and blowing every nickel on his 'base's' well being.
Having read a couple of Franken's books, he is hardly "just" a comedian. He knows his stuff and he is on the right side of this fight for the soul of our country.
... was to speak truth to power. Al Franken will be a breath of liberal fresh air in the Senate. Go Al!
I think Franken will figure out a way to call other senators on their lies, right there on the senate floor. They're not supposed to address another senator directly, or mention their name either, IIRC, but he'll figure a way to get the point accross.
In committee he'll be like the turd in the swimming pool.
I can't wait to see him in action.
We can only hope that he'll do just that -- call them on their hypocrisy (especially the D's -- anyone can call out an R)
Don'tcha mean a Baby Ruth?
I'm loving it!
What I'm waiting to see is Bill'O-job's head explode when Franken wins this thing!
I'm not so sure I can stand the bawling and deeper delusions that'll come out of FOX Noise so maybe I'll cancel my satellite dish.
He's just going to call him Senator Smiley.
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Well one can hope, can't one? or is it "May one?"
"One may hope, may one not?"
I sure hope so. Limp Noodle Reid can't court Lieberman if Franken gives us the needed 60 votes. Does anyone know the total with Franken?
Think the total is 59, with Franken and Lieberman. 58 without Franken, if I recall correctly.
Should be interesting to have a guy who had to fight like this for his seat, to oppose republican filibusters. Admittedly it is Reids call, I think, but some fireworks should ensue.
Obama's gutting the senate with his cabinet picks.
He's got Clinton and Salazar. Who else? (besides himself and Biden of course).
I sure wish we could reach 60! Then, Adios Joementum, you douchebag.
To get to 60.
They don't need Lieberman.
Lieberman obviously has major control at the highest levels of the U.S. government, which is why he is where he is today, in spite of acting like, and supporting a Republican for POTUS and a completely incompetent idiot as a potential POTUS.
Something stinks so badly here.
They treat him like he's the Queen of England.
He ain't all that.
I'm not sure what you're talking about -- Franken makes it 59 - and the 59 includes LIEberman.
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There are too many blue dogs to count on 60 being a magic number. Honestly, we need better dems, not just more dems. Look at the two dems who consistently voted against dem initiatives. 60 is hardly a bullet proof number...it just sounds good.
And I wish they would stop referring to Lieberman as a dem. He is not and has not been since he won last. He is a gooper hiding in independent cloth.
There are too many blue dogs to count on 60 being a magic number. Honestly, we need better dems, not just more dems. Look at the two dems who consistently voted against dem initiatives. 60 is hardly a bullet proof number...it just sounds good.
And I wish they would stop referring to Lieberman as a dem. He is not and has not been since he won last. He is a gooper hiding in independent cloth.
59
Yes - it's 59.
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will be livid!
Because he IS a big fat idiot.
Because it's a big fat lying idiot
Al has been working for this a long time and he will be a fine Senator.
Someday, hopefully soon, more people will accept the fact that aspiring to be a "fine senator" is more about ego than anything else.... idolizing these cartoon characters is a waste of time and energy. Ignore them and maybe they will go away. Liberals and conservatives CAN get along, as long you accept the fact that personality traits trump all ideology.
Love it. Al, make sure you menace Cheney when he swears you in. Hand him your first proposed legislation. Sending him and Caligutard off to The Hague to be convicted of crimes against humanity.
Franken needs to be put in charge of the reinstatement of the "Fairness Doctrine" committee!
I can just see him now, cross-examining the fascist's on Fucks News about thier propaganda and misinformation!
That would be freaking hilarious! Poor poor neocons, karma is such a bitch.
That will be a great day!
..for reelecting Bachman.
This country needs more Senators like Al Franken.
Senator Al Franken....has a nice ring to it. XD
It's not Senate (or other) repukes Franken's going to drive insane.
It's all the worthless Senate Dems. He'll humiliate and destroy them.
Go Al.
senate seat when there is a special election. That's the IL pattern. IL not Chicago. When there is a huge scandal we tend to elect someone from the other party. George Ryan almost destroyed the state repub party. That's how alan keyes ended up running against Obama and ultimately that's how we got ourselves President Obama! Chicago is always a blue city. IL is not always a blue state. blago may very well destroy much of the IL dem party.
I'd love to see Al Franken in the senate. I think ultimately we are gonna have 58 seats. I hope Obama will have the intelligence and wisdom to convince some republicans to save our nation.
that Blago's gonna roll over, he is hangin on to power quite tenaciously.
The cost will be $50 mil and my state is having budget problems as it is. There ain't no way they're gonna cough up any cash for a special election when another one is already scheduled for just a few months from now.
Don't count on it. The RNC agenda is obstruct, attack and destroy. The collapse of the casino economy is, for them, an opportunity to nuke the unions and reduce the country to a desperate wasteland of nearly free skilled labor that can be engaged on a day basis when needed at 3rd World Rates. Labor Pool America. That and the disbandment of social security. They'll be working hard to loot that fund to bankruptcy and introduce legislation to kill SS or just toss it to Wall Street to churn it to extinction.
"I hope Obama will have the intelligence and wisdom to convince some republicans to save our nation."
for Stewart Smiley to berate his fellow senators when they go all "family values" and shit.
I think they did count the votes for Franken from "Lizard People, Flying Spaghetti Monster, and the one that said "Franken stin".
There are some interesting folks here in Minnesota.
The Lizard People ballot was counted as an overvote.
You can watch the counting and the press conferences at www.theuptake.org - they've been streaming it live & archiving the video on their site as well as on YouTube. I urge everyone to check them out and donate some $$$ if you can spare it. They're doing fantastic & important work at a fraction of the budget of most mainstream outlets, with mostly volunteers and donated equipment.
TheUptake were the ones who first recorded the violence of police against protesters at the RNC in Minnesota. They were the first to interview the elderly woman who called Obama an Arab at that McCain rally where he took the mic away from her. They did a great story on the McCain campaign in Florida using paid day laborers for GOTV, but calling them volunteers.
No, I don't work for them. :) I just think that they're doing great work.
...I moseyed on over to RedState to be entertained by their screeching denunciations and wailing and gnashing of teeth over what is obviously the greatest case of election theft since...well, since some other Democrat won a close race. But the wingers have a special loathing for Franken, so I expected more than just routing wingnuttery. After all, he called their deity "A Big Fat Idiot," didn't he? To my surprise (utter disbelief is more like it), there was not a word about the Minnesota race in any of the more recent threads.
I guess they're too busy screeching denunciations of Bush's bail-out for the UAW. Yep, Bush is bailing out the UAW, not the auto companies, just the union. I guess that's because Bush is such a great friend to unions in general and the UAW specifically.
One can only hope that if Franken does finally squeak by and win this election that RedState will not disappoint. There's something supremely entertaining when the neo-fascists go nuts over alleged voter fraud. I'll be curious to see if someone manages to work both the Marxist Obama and ACORN into the same sentence for being the driving forces behind Franken's theft.
Well, in Wingnuttiaville counting all the votes is voter fraud.
and is indicative of no support for Coleman outside the greater Minnesota sphere of Bush apologia manifesting as support for Coleman. (I cannot stomach conservative blogs, even at a glance) Seems that entire party is teetering on the verge of collapse, and you have to admit, having Franken put the finishing touches on the election(s) of 2008 would be fitting in ways too numerous to mention
Those Redstaters will be back at Franken once they circle jerk themselves over the outrage of bailing out the unions. To be fair, they hated the financial bailout, too, but this one has them bleeding from the red meat. It doesn't matter, that site is a joke.
If you go to little green snotballs, they are actually much more level headed bunch (not that I appreciate their ideology, but the guy who runs is seems much more rational than that idiot Erick, married to Monica Goodling, guy. He and his little click are truly a crazed crew.)
Wolf Blitzer declares "What a mess up there!"
No, no, Wolfie. This is what "every vote counts" means. Although I'm pulling for Franken, even if Coleman should win, it will show that the voters of Minnesota and the nation that THE PEOPLE know how count ballots the right way, and we dont need the Supreme Court to change that.
If Coleman loses this thing outright it might save the GOP the embarrassment of having ANOTHER sitting senator indicted for bribery...
Who knows what's gonna happen with the Coleman investigation, but it ain't looking good.
and it's a shame we won't get to follow the Ted Stevens 2 trial. Coleman must have been studying from the master. I am sure the GOP will love that he is gone.
The Senate Dems who said they'd be relieved if he lost were, I think, expressing their hope that they wouldn't have a solid, even fillibuster-proof majority and therefore no excuse for "losing" to Republicans. Those guys are just as much the servants of the super wealthy as the Republicans.
I agree.
Reid and Pelosi are going to have conniption fits if they don't have the filibuster as their main excuse for failure. They might have to whisper into Liebermann's ear a few times to ensure complete failure is attained.
Well, Pelosi doesn't have that as a crutch, but Reid needs someone to lend him a spine. If Reid had 62 or 63 Democratic (or Democratic caucussing members), I'm not sure he would be able to stop a filibuster even then.
We need new leadership. Quickly.
I don't necessarily think they are dumb, but there isn't a gram of testosterone between them.
That is a wonderfull suggestion. War crimes could be included.
...it will drive them batty for 6 years to come, especially Bill O'Reilly, who will have Franken in the senate and Olbermann on air driving him insane. And it couldn't have happened to a better guy.
call him "Senator Franken" or will he use his witty (for Billy) code name Stuart Smalley?
Oh, how casually the media misrepresents things. At the very end of the clip, Blitzer adds, "What a mess [out there]." I've been involved with the recount as an observer, and now am watching the rest of the play-by-play. It has been anything but a "mess." It has followed a clear protocol, allowing for both campaigns to weigh in when they deem it necessary. While the Coleman campaign has dragged out the process, the MN Supreme Court has responded promptly to their petitions and hasn't allowed Coleman to slow it down any further than he can within the scope of the prescribed process.
Personnally, I'm extremely proud of Al Franken, and how he has conducted himself and his campaign throughout this phase as well as before the election. He will absolutely shine as our Senator!
I've been watching the state canvassing board live on TheUptake.org. Minnesotans should be very proud of their elections process - it's a model that the rest of the country should be following.
Democracy is messy and emotional & even, sometimes, chaotic. Unfortunately, we've been so brainwashed into wanting rigid structure that we forget that fairness demands something other than inflexibility. Imagine if Florida had simply been allowed to count the votes in 2000?
Secretary of State Ritchie and the rest of the board have done a fantastic job of ensuring the process is both fair & transparent. I hope Minnesotans nominate SoS Ritchie to replace Pawlenty as Governor - imagine what a change that would be!
I LOVE Al Franken and his "take no shit / laugh 'em off" attitude towards the wingnuts!
I was worried he wasn't going to make it!
Get ready to hear all the BULLSHIT about how he stole the election - simply because he asked for a recount, demanded all legitimate ballots be counted, and LEGITIMATELY ended up on top!
It is so true that Minnesota is a fine example of what can and should happen in elections nationwide.
To those who doubt Franken will make a great Senator because he is a comedian, get lost! You act as though the only people we should have representing us is another from the batch of corrupt dingbats we currently have, or is it that you believe only attorneys and doctors should be elected? That in a nutshell is what is wrong with the country ... we don't have enough diversity in our elected offices. The common man SHOULD be respresented, and I admire someone who has the speaking skills, timing, and intelligence to get on stage and tell a great joke! Besides that, Franken is extremely intelligent, progressive, and dedicated. He will do a much better job than Norm Coleman has done, and will represent US, not the break the unions, support the corporation scumbags you prefer!
I can hardly wait to see the snears, the gnashing of teeth, and the anger that will be exhibited by wingnuttia when Franken is confirmed. That alone is going to be something that will warm my heart.
Point well made. Franken is an intelligent guy, far more so than Inhofe, Kyl or Cornyn (the albatross we're stuck with in TX, thanks to all the idiots here.)
And at least Franken's honest, unlike Lieberass. (or, for that matter,
Stevens, er....Coleman.Bachmann and King (R-IA) who are both absolute loons.
Al Franken is a serious, and seriously funny guy.
And he knows both politics and the issues facing us all.
I'd love to see him in the Senate, cutting through the crap with rapacious wit. America needs more Al Frankens in leadership! It might even get some people to watch CSPAN. (Not me, though - I'll wait for his next book....)
MalcolmMacDonald
PS: My family has been here since before the revolution. Plus, Scots don't like England either. Double-plus: I'm part Native-American. So screw you NeoCons! We be jivin' on your collective ass!
republicans on Franken
...And doggoneit they don't like him!
I'm of Scottish decent, and some of my ancestors were royally appointed governors all over the British Empire.
Of course I'm also related to George Washington through his wife Martha, Henry Clay and William Seward.
It was a real loss when Al left Air America. You could always count on him to let those on the right dig their own graves by letting them speak for themselves and then countering point-by-point with facts and details. I miss that type of substance and hope he brings it to the Senate
Al's show was very funny and very informative as well. I like Thom Hartmann's show a lot (although I can only listen online) but he's generally more serious. Al's a smart, informed, guy who should do well in the Senate.
they think its a mockery
we really need new blood running this party
franken is informed on the issues and will work hard for the people of minnesota
and it will be great when el druggo, hannity and loofa boy's heads all explode when they are all forced to say....senator franken
I can't think of a better place for a comedian than in the senate.
Go Franken!!
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With Franken the projected winner - the re-Thugs will take their fight to Illinois and try to force a special election.
Unprecedented and unnecessary - not to mention the state couldn't possibly afford it. We need the LT. Governor to step in and do it. God I hope Blogo goes soon - He says he's not going to make the appointment- and that's good - we don't WANT him to make it because any candidate would have to turn the position down. Blogo also says he's not going anywhere. That leaves the state of Illinois in a state of Limbo with an empty senate seat - we can't have that.
That's where this could get ugly in a hurry.
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need to get over themselves. Franken went to Harvard. He can hold his own fuck heads. (obviously!)
As a person from Minnesota all i can say is the day wont come soon enough when we can say Former Sen. Norm.
This guy is probably going to go down in Minnesota History as one
of the worst Do-Nothing Political Figures EVER.
I always saw him as very weak when it came to Political office.
He had no chance against Wellstone that is until he died in a so-
called plane accident and Coleman won by Default.
I guess you're not paying enough aattention to Hannity on the radio. It's the CENSORSHIP Doctrine now!
Speaking of Hannity... I would LOVE to see Franken cross examining Hannity in committee hearings regarding his CONSISTANT LIES and MISREPRESENTATIONS which he broadcasts over publicly owned airwaves... under a federal broadcast license!
Hannity is TERRIFIED of a new Fairness Doctrine. He talks about it all the time. It would be SWEET JUSTICE to see Franken involved in that.
Mr. Franken I hope you win. Please do not FLY to D.C. take the train AMTRAK, do not Drive either. The Democrats and AIR PLANES are just plane BAD LUCK, driving is not wise either. I hope YOU THE BEST MR. Franken.
Sonny Bono
Gopher
Conan the Barbarian
Bedtime for Bonzo Reagan
Wrestler Jesse Ventura
Dirty Harry
These are some celebrities with whom the GOP and libertarian wacks had no problem running for and obtaining office.
For those of you younguns who don't know who Sonny Bono was - he's the one on the left in this photo.
http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2008/stylewa...
I just read this great blog on the humor site freedomhaters.org about Al Franken versus Ann Coulter.
At one time they were head-to-head political rivals, now Franken has got his place in Senate and Ann Coulter is banned from NBC. You should see the Coulter videos of her lowest moments.
Check it out here:
http://freedomhaters.org/content/franken-vers...
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