Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Ty Grones, Mempnis — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:33:57 GMT

What, are kids from the Helen Keller Rehab School doing this recount? Step it up a notch Minnesota!

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Tom Mixx, SD CA — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:35:02 GMT

Damn, lost count. Now we have to start over. 1, 2, 3 . .

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Indie Woman in Denver — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:38:13 GMT

This is so ridiculous -- the election commission (or their reps present at the recount) should have the final say. Either campaign's "internal numbers" are highly suspect. Why is this so difficult? Are we hiring the terminally stupid to monitor the recounts, or is this just a case of each side putting out their spin on what's really going on?

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Beverly in Chicago — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:59:38 GMT

Confused? No but Sean Hannity is. A typical, stupid, idiot.
===============================
JimboBillyBob

If you’re read the post on Pakistan, it’s an example of Middle East Chaos. As you may or may not know, Sadeem Hussein had no affiliations with Bin Laden. In fact, Bin Laden didn't even like or consider Sadeem Hussein Muslim because Sadeem Hussein tortured and killed his own people.
With the Bushes’ ignoring Afghanistan and so eager to get oil, occupy, and build industrial complexes, Bush has emboldened jiharists around the ME and world.
Again how much money does the West have?

============================================
Tim, Bowie, MD

I was born in Wheeling and I cringe when I see the comments of people like JimboBillyBob. Beverly of Chicago is OK, so don't put her down. At least she knows what has happened over the past 8 years. Hard to avoid the lunacy of Dubya and his sidekick Dick, partcularly when we will spend several trillion to resurrect our economy from the damage they have done. Not to forget the 4,500 plus U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq and the tens of thousands who will be crippled for the rest of their lives.
============================================

Tim, Bowie, MD

JimboBillyBob probably is a cave.
====================================

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

KP, California — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:00:06 GMT

What a mess. I like Al Franken, but I think had the Dem Party in MN run a stronger candidate we wouldn't be here right now, we'd be at 59 instead!

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Ken, Boulder, CO — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:10:38 GMT

He's good enough, he smart enough, and doggone it, people like him.

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Jeremy Harris, Memphis, TN — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:15:02 GMT

In my opinion, both candidates need to step out of the way, and let the people doing the recount do their job. With all of this interference, it is costing the taxpayers more money to keep this political process going. Franken, Coleman, and all of their constituents, need to get out of the way, and let the results fall where they may.

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Debbi2 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:21:00 GMT

The good people of Minnesota have made a disastrous mistake by voting for Norm Coleman. He was connected "at the hip" to G.W. Bush. Al Franken probably is not the best Democrat in the state to be voted into the Senate,however, he is intelligent, willing to work for all citizens in the state, and certainly would not be a "rubber stamp" for anyone. Norm Coleman will be lost without having Cheney or Bush telling him what to say or how to vote. He will probably have to listen to Limbaugh daily for directions. Good luck there Minnesota.

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

John Doe — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:50:47 GMT

Patriotism must previal here. We need both parties to support the recount 100%, insist that only legitimately cast votes be counted, and that each and every such legitimately cast vote be counted. In that regard, how is an "improperly rejected" absentee ballot any different than an "improperly read" optically scanned ballot?

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Count the votes — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:52:12 GMT

You can take the "ballot challenge" on the Minneapolis Star Tribune website. Many of the challenges are a complete joke. On one challenge the Coleman representative admitted the basis of the challenger was "frivilous", in other words they didn't even pretend to have a valid challenge.

As of 2:48 CST Franken was behind by 305. Coleman had 3,078 challenges, and Franken 2,887. You can just deduct the 191 from the 305 and assume the difference is 114. Some of the ballots both Coleman and franken have challenged, and while most challenges are one candidate challenging a ballot in favor of his opponent, many challenges are the result of the local election board finding a ballot isn't valid (over vote, under vote, the voter made an "identifying mark" on the ballot)and the candidate who believes the ballot is in their favor has challenged the failure to count the vote for them.

Based upon the 599 ballots I reviewed in the challenge, and the results by counties (also listed on the stars website) I think Franken's representative is closer to the truth than Coleman. The first couple of days the campaigns weren't issuing an extrordinate number of baseless challenges. By then end of the 3rd day Franken had narrowed the gap to under a hundred, after that Coleman escalated his challenges and Franken followed suit.

In Ramsey county Coleman has challenged 211 ballots, but Franken has only lost 23 votes in that recount. A challenged ballot doesn't count in the candidates total. If all of Coleman's challenged ballots were challenging ballots in favor of Franken (which presumably the majority were) he would have gained 188 votes in that counties recount. If you go through each counties vote totals, it's hard to determine whose ahead, and there are still 3 counties to count, plus there's the issue of the valid absentee ballots that were improperly rejected (one county acknowledge an employee made a mistake and rejected a couple dozen valid ballots)

This race really is up in the air, but Coleman is probably winning the preception game. In the end hopefully it won't matter.

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

manraygun, la,ca — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:53:40 GMT

"The numbers can be dizzying, with accusations of perhaps frivolous challenges and potentially inflated numbers flying on both sides."

Excellent reporting. Keep up the good work, if you're not too dizzy from all those numbers.

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Recount — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:54:42 GMT

What, are kids from the Helen Keller Rehab School doing this recount? Step it up a notch Minnesota!
Ty Grones, Mempnis

That's rude and uncalled for. Go to the Minnesota Secretary of State or the Star Tribune pape, and you'll see that 3 counties haven't even started the recount. Minnesota is doing a complete hand recount, and doing it all publically. I doubt Tenn could do better.

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

andy safarik Hyannis NE — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:58:59 GMT

Look at original vote and then the number of votes that have been "found" for Franken. Compare this to the additional number of votes that then went to Obama and you've got....something that smells. Will the Democrats abandon all there ethics for one more Senate vote? Stay tune for the inciting confusion...er rather the exciting conclusion of "As Minnesota Turns"

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Free American Tehachapi Ca. — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:08:24 GMT

Franken?The democrats will let anyone run for office.What a joke!

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Brian, Cincinnati, OH — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:08:05 GMT

ALL states should have runoff rules for whenever candidates get less than 50% of the vote because of 3rd party candidates... period. This is the ONLY way to ensure the true will of the people is followed.

If Minn had this, this would be no problem. Clearly, more people in Minn wanted a conservative, given the conservative Ind that got so many votes. Franken should drop out just based on that.. if he was honest... LOL.

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Seattle Sue — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:07:25 GMT

Just so that all the legitimate ballots are counted and the man with the most vote wins.

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Wilson — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:28:22 GMT

In my opinion Franken should be disqualified just so the liberals can be filibustered at every turn and we can maintain our Christian society untill Sara Palin wins in 2012.

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Lana Riley, Lansdowne Pa — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:53:17 GMT

Has something been added to the water in MN,? Coleman never had the ability nor skill to replace Paul Wellstone which was loved by people all over the country. MN has been known for giving this country great people that fought for the little guy. No matter what happens most people will not believe Coleman won it fair and square. I am still hoping that Franken pulls it off and lets Coleman go back under his rock.

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Rock,Janesville,Wisconsin — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:09:33 GMT

The GOP/RNC is still going use their policially corrupt tactics of "deny-lie," and "attack-distract." They love causing disruptions at all electoral levels, and will continue to do so. The counting process will continue, until the GOP/RNC get their way politically. That is fact!

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Minnesota Recount OBserver, Northwoods Minnesota — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:11:32 GMT

If any of you had actually participated as an observer in the recount, as I did for 3 days as a non-partisan observer, you wouldn't be bashing the process. It is a very thorough examination of ballots right there in public. Yes, there are too many silly challenges coming from both sides. And yes, the counts from newspapers and the SOS don't match but, that's the problem with trying to read too much into too little information. I'm impressed by the process and how well the workers are doing their jobs. Please don't bash the people doing their jobs unless you've been there and been a part of the process.

Sorting through the Minn. Sen. weeds

Bailey Quarters, Mpls, MN — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:36:18 GMT

MN is one of the best states when it comes to elections. I know. I live here but have also lived and voted in CO and AZ. MN is the best of those three and we have the highest voter turnout in the country. If you look at some of the challenged ballots, you can see why the recount can be difficult. People circling their choice instead of filling in the bubble. Marking their selections with an X. Partially marking one candidate when you can tell they realized it was the wrong choice & then filled in their candidate's bubble completly or even writing on the ballot "candidate so & so." The Sec of State's office has to sort through each ballot for accuracy. Don't knock us. We are doing it accurately and fairly.