Franken wants Coleman to pay

Posted: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:00 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
In the recount we all love to hate, Democrat Al Franken wants Republican Norm Coleman to pay the costs of the seven-week, three-judge trial if Coleman ultimately loses.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune: "Democrat Al Franken wants the judges who heard the U.S. Senate trial to force Norm Coleman to pay court costs and some opposing lawyers' fees -- a potentially expensive bill -- if the Republican loses his bid to overturn the results of the recount. ... Franken's document asks that Coleman pay the costs of the seven-week trial. And in seeking attorneys' fees for Franken lawyers... ."

This is Franken, in part, trying to put pressure on Coleman who, at this point, has to be operating on limited resources.

It also comes in the wake of revelations that a list of Coleman donors' names and credit card numbers showed up on another Web site.

"Coleman accused political opponents of hacking into his campaign website to discourage prospective donors from financing the long, expensive recount process. Several Web operators, however, said they believe the campaign mistakenly left the website open for several hours in late January," the Star-Tribune writes.

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Comments

Have we reached the point where we really don't need Senators anymore?

Crassley Gregson, Iowa (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:08 PM)

Sounds fair to me. This is pretty standard stuff. There are lots of situations whereby bringing a frivolous court case backfires and the plaintiff is required to pay for the legal fees of the defendant. This is a court case that Norm Coleman has launched on his own and if he loses (and he will), he should have to pay for it.

And that whole BS about someone hacking his website is a joke. If you hire bootleg IT techs to handle your website, you can't complain when they don't encrypt the information or assign the right url to sensitive information.

Brian Crooks, Naperville, IL (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:08 PM)

HEY !!

What weeb site did the Dumb*ss Coleman contributors land on ?

Just 'idle curiosity'
Maybe I can get some new shoes .... ;-D

How do Minnesotans feel about Norm Coleman keeping them from having TWO Senators ?
How's Norm's popularity holding out ??

Coleman is A SORE LOSER

Coleman is a LOSER !!

Back to working at the car wash, Norm !!

MSierra, SF (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:09 PM)

'...they believe the campaign mistakenly left the website open for several hours in late January," the Star-Tribune writes.
...'

They got some real 'Rocket Scientists' working for Norm Coleman's campaign

His original victory came after the Democratic Senator died in a plane crash

Otherwise, Norm Coleman would have had NO CHANCE to be ELECTED !!

Back to the Rescue Mission, Norm !!

MSierra, SF (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:12 PM)

Only seems fair to me! And how can people contribute to his legal fees? If they do so, can't the IRS tax it as income?

pat huntington ny (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:20 PM)

Whomever loses this race should have to pay for the winner's legal bills. I am betting that Coleman will soon declare bankruptcy.

paul (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:33 PM)

Franken's behavior is befitting of the liberal jerk that he is. None of the liberals have an honest bone in their pathetic bodies.That includes Obama who is the biggest liar of all!!!!!

Irene Fiet Bend, Or. (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:36 PM)

Go Al! You'd be a breath of fresh air.
On another note, Morning Mika....I just read about some of the guests on your radio show with Doofus...I realize it's a haven for Right-Wing Nut Jobs, but what are you turning into? Please don't be a Blonde Bimbo like Coulter, Ingraham, Crowley, and the Fox News Bunnies. You're much better than that - don't stoop to their level! Your daddy must me rolling his eyes!

Michigan Sue (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:44 PM)

Why shouldn't Coleman pay for this expensive and wasteful use of MN scarce funds? He is NOT going to win, and the only purpose of dragging this on and on is to keep the Dems from a higher majority in Congress - not because he thinks he can win - only to keep MN from having its second Senator. A rather selfish point of view, and not really taking the people of MN to heart.

Kay P Tempe AZ (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:47 PM)

Bob Smith (earlier blog)

You wrote Obamanation.
Are you sure you didn't mean abomination?

Polythene Pam (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:51 PM)

Coleman's decision to take the results of the state-mandated recount to court should have a penalty associated with it, whether he prevails or not. People should have the right to take matters to court, but should be responsible for the costs of "unreasonable" lawsuits. The public test for what is unreasonable appears to be met in this case, since a recount was conducted in "good faith." The seemingly endless pursuit of additional legal reviews and lawsuits has crossed the line from "reasonable" to "spiteful."

Roy Chardon, Hollister California (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:52 PM)

How about Coleman just throwing in the towel, now

Ben Purser Royal Oak, MI (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:53 PM)

Franken's behavior is befitting of the liberal jerk that he is. None of the liberals have an honest bone in their pathetic bodies.
Irene Fiet Bend, Or.
=============
Unlike that religious right wing nut case, George Bush, you mean? Gee, Irene, get your head out of the sand and take a deep breathe. The country has moved way beyond you and your insane "conservative" rant.

Diane from Illinois (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:53 PM)

Franken's behavior is befitting of the liberal jerk that he is. None of the liberals have an honest bone in their pathetic bodies.That includes Obama who is the biggest liar of all!!!!!
Irene Fiet Bend, Or. (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:36 PM)

------------------------------------------------------
Irene,

Your generalizations and comments are off.

What if you had won an election and the loser dragged you through seven weeks of unneccesary litigation?

Would you wnat to pay for the baseless court case and defense costs?

I thought you guys were "conservative" with your money!

Ted, Mid Michigan (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:55 PM)

Al Franken would be abreath of fresh air? Since when does a pile of steaming dung smell like fresh air?

Of course being a liberal he mentioned nothing about paying for the costs himself if he loses. That of course will be the taxpayers responsibilty. What a buffoon Franken is.. The fact that he's hoping to scare Coleman off because of money should be proof enough to anyone that even He doesn't think he can win.... What an idiot

bpnes@budweiser.com (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:56 PM)

sounds very fair to me. otherwise he will go on for ever the only thing the G.O.P. understands is $$$$$$$

stan chicago (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:00 PM)

Crybaby Irene from Or is a typical repuglican who just wants to whine about having lost her way. You and those who think like you are the reason the Dems are winning every contest. Talk about pathetic...

Honesty First (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:08 PM)

Mika
Actually I thought you were pretty good last night covering for Chris Mathews - wondering why you aren't normally like this with Joe?? You should be - don't let the putz get you down - fight back for petes sake - your job is on the line!

SAM, USA (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:08 PM)

Makes complete sense. The Republicans seem to feel that the Minnesota election contest is not going to go their way and are talking about litigating this the Supreme court. The thinking is at best Coleman pulls out enough votes to overcome Franken's lead or at worst deny the seat to Franken which will hamper the Democrats agenda.

If they view Colemans case as viable they can pursue further legal challenges. If on the other hand its main purpose is to deny another Democratic vote then a financial penalty is in order.

BTW Because of previous posts I feel the need to say this to all the folks who continue to disparage Franken and his voters. Please spare me the personal attacks a lot of voted for Franken because he spent over a year canvassing the state articulating his support for a number of items importatant to the Democrats agenda.

Richard, Mn (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:09 PM)

Actually, I, am the biggest liar of all. Get your facts straight.

Dekon Kames (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:11 PM)

Franken's behavior is befitting of the liberal jerk that he is. None of the liberals have an honest bone in their pathetic bodies.That includes Obama who is the biggest liar of all!!!!!
Irene Fiet Bend, Or. (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:36 PM)
_________________________________________
You're not biased much, are you? It is a good thing that all republicans are honest and ethical. Otherwise you're statement might be considered to be simply another republican rant!

Chris - IL (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:17 PM)

Al Franken= United States Senator

Ryan Johnson, Maple Grove, MN (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:24 PM)

The reason that Franken is not offering to pay court costs if he loses... He didn't file the lawsuit, he is defending himself. Well, that and he's going to win.

Coleman dragged this through court for 7 weeks, didn't make a case and is planning to appeal. So yeah, he should definitely be forced to pay back the state of MN for the cost of the trial.

Sara, Green Bay, WI (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:29 PM)

I noticed Chucky T. earlier spouting out the Talking Points he got from Rick Santelli of CNBC. Come on Chucky T., don't stoop that low ever again.

Rick,Ky (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:30 PM)

Can We Say - Have Another Election Please!

Give me a freakin break here.

Solve it the easy way boys, this is not the sandbox.

Ed Crane, Middlebury, IN (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:36 PM)

LMBO at Irene's comment! Seems like we went through this in 2000, didn't we? Hmmm....sounds familiar...oh yeah...Bush v Gore. So its okay when its a Republican but not a Democrat? I don't get that logic or lack there of.

Suz In KS (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:40 PM)

Makes sense to me, the loser pays court costs and attorneys fees all the time. Especially in Hail Mary longshots like the Coleman case.

John B, Des Moines, IA (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:40 PM)

Stop whining you nasty little punks you. Don't you get it. We've been robbed and left out in the snow. Bama is our only shot. Yes we hear everyday that something else was stolen and that we were kicked in the head, but whining is not going to turn back time. Have faith in our President.

Pacheck, Huntington Beach, Ca.

Not until he goes after Franklin (FannieMae) Reigns, his buddy who took 10 million dollars in bonus money from the taxpayers!

Step up and get him Obama! Don't cover your bud!

Ed Crane, Middlebury, IN (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:40 PM)

So it's ok to "decide" after the fact what a voter's intent was on a ballot that is improperly marked and continue doing it over and over until you get the result you want - MN should just move to FL!

Jack, TX (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:43 PM)

Suggestion: Comment on matters of substance, stop calling people names, or categorizing them, or changing the subject. Notwithstanding that comment, one particularly annoying problem with TV "interviews" in general (but particularly conservatives) is the frequency with which the person being interviewed avoids questions by introducing one illogical diversion or another (e.g. ambiguity, begging the question, hasty generalization, red herring, faulty dilemma, numerous others, including my “favorite” Tu Quoque – you do it also). I've been trying to decide whether to recommend the GOP emblem be changed from an elephant to either a lemming (i.e. the notion they would run off a cliff together) or a duck (as in "duck" any question or issue). Are there other suggestions?

Roy Chardon, Hollister California (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:48 PM)

Can We Say - Have Another Election Please!

Give me a freakin break here.

Solve it the easy way boys, this is not the sandbox.
Ed Crane, Middlebury, IN (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:36 PM)

------------------------------------------

Ed, you seem to forget that Coleman called a new election too expensive to taxpayers in Minnesota in these economic hard times.

Of course, he was "winning" then.

Pete - Albany, NY (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 6:07 PM)

Norm Coleman epitomizes the term “sore loser”. What is going on in Minnesota is pure political theatrics that places GOP partisan politics ahead of democracy, thus denying Minnesota equal representation in the house of Senate. The clueless, rudderless, leaderless GOP will continue to drag this out in their fruitless endeavor to deny another senate seat to the obvious winner, DFL senator-elect Al Franken. The party of obstruction is still living in denial. They got their butts kicked in the last two elections for a good reason: They have fallen out of favor with the majority of the population. They need to suck it up, get over it, and stop their childish stupidity.

Lex, hollywood, ca (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 6:14 PM)

I tend to agree that Coleman should pay the court costs if he loses, and he will lose. He is the plaintif who has the burden of proof. He has not proven a thing.

eagle1776 (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 6:24 PM)

Rightwingers should stop all their clankin'
They've gotten a well deserved spankin'
The economy's impaled
The Conservatives have failed
That's why voters elected Al Franken

bronxite10 (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 6:26 PM)

Between Norm's ad nauseum court challenges and Michael Steele's office redecoration, the RNC is going to be applying for TARP money to run their 2010 campaigns.

Byron, Plattsburgh, NY (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 7:13 PM)

I've been trying to decide whether to recommend the GOP emblem be changed from an elephant to either a lemming (i.e. the notion they would run off a cliff together) or a duck (as in "duck" any question or issue). Are there other suggestions?
----Roy Chardon, Hollister California

Chickenhawk immediately comes to mind

nuanced (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 7:23 PM)

Can We Say - Have Another Election Please!

Give me a freakin break here.

Solve it the easy way boys, this is not the sandbox. Ed Crane, Middlebury, IN (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:36 PM)
----------------------------------------------------
Pffffft. They had an election. Coleman lost. You don't get a do over just because your side didn't win. This isn't 4th grade recess. As soon as the GOP figures that out, they might have a chance at... you know... winning an election.

John Doe, The Peanut Gallery (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 7:25 PM)

Irene Fiet from Bend, OR - everyone out there that read her statement - PLEASE - this is not representative of the people in the state of Oregon. We are much smarter (and more liberal) than this comment...Joyce from Oregon

Joyce Oregon (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 7:37 PM)

WANNABE SENATOR FRANKEN-STEIN.

WANNABE SENATOR FRANKEN-STEIN. (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 8:01 PM)

In a closely contested vote, Norm Coleman is taking the legal avenues available to him because he believes he has a case, not unlike Al Gore 8+ years ago.

Conversely, Al Franken is taking steps to solidify his current status and is smartly pressuring Coleman to bow in the face of increased public pressure by bringing up the taxpayer cost, which is the current 'hot topic'.

This isn't about money, Evil Republicans, or Wacky Democrats; this is about political and legal maneuvering. To accept it as anything else is playing into the hands of one side or the other.

Regardless of who wins, they have both reinforced my belief that, above all else, we must remember to trust politicians to be politicians.

Christian, Maine (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 8:20 PM)

Franken's behavior is befitting of the liberal jerk that he is. None of the liberals have an honest bone in their pathetic bodies.That includes Obama who is the biggest liar of all!!!!!
Irene Fiet Bend, Or. (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:36 PM)

Oh really? Please explain how that is or are you just plain hateful for no real reason?

moir (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 9:01 PM)

HELLO LIBERAL WEENIES. WHO ASKED FOR THE FIRST RECOUNT. DUH.

G.SLATE PALMBEACH GARDENS FL. (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 9:26 PM)

Hey, Thanks Sam! Lots of people want you to succeed, Mika! STAND UP TO THAT JERK FROM FLORIDA! Sometimes I think Chucky Tee seems he has to be anti-Obama for fear of being too Obama with his new book. But Wowee-Zowee! Did our Prez do us proud tonight in that town hall!!! Can you just IMAGINE Bush or McCain commanding an audience like he did....without teleprompters or smirks?

Michigan Sue for Mika's Pride (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 9:30 PM)

Does it not bother anyone here that someone illegaly posted somebody else creditcard acc. numbers?Does it not matters how Franken is elected,by Crime?

Anthony Zimmon San Marcos,California (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 10:24 PM)

Good Lord! Coleman ended election night with a lead of over 760 votes, and he won the machine recount.

Then they began trying to decipher "voter intent"--as always, the stupid, illiterate dregs who are incapable of filling out a ballot are dug up--mental giants who scribble "Frankenstein" on the ballot are counted for Franken, as are the others who can't fill out a ballot legibly.

Enough of this. If you can't clearly and legibly fill out a ballot, you're vote should be thrown out. Any moron who can't perform the simple task of pushing a button, stamping a card, or writing in a name does not deserve the right to vote.
Voting is a privilege, not a thing of convenience for imbeciles. Down with motor voter. Get your lazy asses to the polls! None of this voting by mail a month in advance simply for your convenience. Get your ass to the polls on election day; learn to write legibly; speak and write in English; treat the constitutional privilege of voting with the respect it warants!!!

Joe O. Clarksboro NJ (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 10:45 PM)

Frivolous lawsuit? Coleman was declared the winner after the initial election and during the recount somehow had a margain of victory of a few thousand go to a deficit of a few thousand. You seriously believe that a lawsuit to find out how that happened is frivolous?

Kevin Haessig, Winona, MN (Sent Thursday, March 19, 2009 12:18 AM)

Hmm - Minnesota Law requires that the loser pay court costs. (a bit of basic journalism would be nice here). In addition, Franken is requesting that Coleman pay some portion of his attorney fees, to be determined by the judges. The judges have already slapped the Coleman team with a stiff fine for a failure to disclose evidence, discovered during the testimony of Pamela Howell.

PJM (Sent Thursday, March 19, 2009 2:41 AM)

Can We Say - Have Another Election Please!

Give me a freakin break here.

Solve it the easy way boys, this is not the sandbox.
Ed Crane, Middlebury, IN (Sent Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:36 PM)

=============================

This is rich! Mr. Crane, railing /ranting/ screaming on for weeks and weeks now about wasted taxpayer money, wants the good people of MN to flip a multi-million dollar bill for an election that has already been held, won, recounted, won again, and litigated (and won again).

Mr. Crane, Get your principals in order, sir!

BTW: Have you blamed Obama for the gains in the market yet?

Ted, Mid Michigan. (Sent Thursday, March 19, 2009 8:59 AM)

When you are sanctioned for failure to disclose information to the court there must be consequences.

Dave, Texas (Sent Thursday, March 19, 2009 9:24 AM)

If the US Supreme Court overrules the result in Minnesota, it will be time to increase the size of the Supreme Court to include more justices that will not be tempted thwart the will people for political purposes. We have ample evidence over the last 8 years on the disaster this can cause. Yes the Congress has that power.

Rich, Pittsburgh, PA (Sent Thursday, March 19, 2009 9:49 AM)

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