Down the ballot: Challenge to Prop. 8
Posted: Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:17 AM by Mark Murray
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Congress
CALIFORNIA: A challenge to California's Prop. 8 gay-marriage ban will be heard by the state Supreme Court early next year. Could gay marriage end up making its way to the Supreme Court?
GEORGIA: "Former President Bill Clinton on Wednesday appealed to Georgians to send Democrat Jim Martin to Washington arguing the state's hotly contested Senate runoff must provide a 'bridge not a firewall' to the progress promised by President-elect Barack Obama," the AP reports. "'The hopes of America are riding with Georgia,' Clinton told a rally at Clark Atlanta University, a historically black college. Democrats are within two seats of a 60-vote majority that would give Obama a stronger hand in Washington and Georgia is one of two unresolved Senate races. Martin is locked in a tight Dec. 2 runoff against Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss. 'Martin is the bridge, Chambliss is the firewall,' Clinton said. 'Don't let Georgia put a firewall up in front of the bridge.'"
Hours before Clinton stumped for Martin, “Chambliss was praised and endorsed by the executive vice-president of the National Rifle Association. Wayne LaPierre said in Atlanta that Chambliss is needed back in the Senate to protect gun rights. ‘We’re going to have some real battles in Washington,’ LaPierre said, who added that Obama will ‘break his promise’ to protect gun rights.”
ILLINOIS: Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois says that she's "certainly on that list" of possible replacements for Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat. The Illinois lawmaker noted her recent "long conversation" about the post with state Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whom she said plans to name Obama's replacement during the last two weeks of the year.
MINNESOTA: The Coleman-Franken recount began yesterday. “By day's end, with about 18 percent of the vote recounted, Coleman continued to lead Franken -- but by only 174 votes, notably narrower than the unofficial gap of 215 votes at which the recount had begun. Franken's gain owed much to a swing of 23 votes in the Democratic stronghold of St. Louis County -- the result of faintly marked ballots and older optical scanners that failed to read the marks. The figures represent a Star Tribune compilation of recount data reported to the secretary of state and gathered by the Star Tribune.”
“Campaign monitors from both sides had challenged a total of 269 votes statewide, with Coleman observers disputing 146 ballots while the Franken camp challenged 123. If that pace continues, challenged votes could wind up being a major factor in a race where the margin is down to hundreths of a percentage point. Challenged votes will be set aside until mid-December, when a five-member state Canvassing Board will review them individually.”
By the way, this is fantastic: Minnesota Public Radio is posting some of the ballots being challenged... Some incredible examples.
“A Minnesota judge has granted a request by Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken for the release of information on voters whose absentee ballots were rejected. Ramsey County Judge Dale Lindman directed the county to produce the data by the close of business Wednesday. It complied."
NEW YORK: Andrew Cuomo is the overwhelming choice of New Yorkers to replace Clinton in the Senate if she's tapped to be Secretary of State, according to a Marist poll. Cuomo, whose father was a popular governor of the state and is currently attorney general, was the pick of 43% of people in the poll. "Reps. Nydia Velazquez of Brooklyn and Nita Lowey of Westchester were backed by just 5 percent of voters each."
