That’s not the Democratic Secretary of State Mark Ritchie I knew! From the WSJ:
You’d think Democrats would be content with last week’s electoral rout. But judging from the odd doings in Minnesota, some in their party wouldn’t mind adding to their jackpot by stealing a Senate seat for left-wing joker Al Franken.
When Minnesotans woke up last Wednesday, Republican Senator Norm Coleman led Mr. Franken by 725 votes. By that evening, he was ahead by only 477. As of yesterday, Mr. Coleman’s margin stood at 206. This lopsided bleeding of Republican votes is passing strange considering that the official recount hasn’t even begun.
The vanishing Coleman vote came during a week in which election officials are obliged to double-check their initial results. Minnesota is required to do these audits, and it isn’t unusual for officials to report that they transposed a number here or there. In a normal audit, these mistakes could be expected to cut both ways. Instead, nearly every “fix” has gone for Mr. Franken, in some cases under strange circumstances.
For example, there was Friday night’s announcement by Minneapolis’s director of elections that she’d forgotten to count 32 absentee ballots in her car. The Coleman campaign scrambled to get a county judge to halt the counting of these absentees, since it was impossible to prove their integrity 72 hours after the polls closed. The judge refused on grounds that she lacked jurisdiction.
Up in Two Harbors, another liberal outpost, Mr. Franken picked up an additional 246 votes. In Partridge Township, he racked up another 100. Election officials in both places claim they initially miscommunicated the numbers. Odd, because in the Two Harbors precinct, none of the other contests recorded any changes in their vote totals.
According to conservative statistician John Lott, Mr. Franken’s gains so far are 2.5 times the corrections made for Barack Obama in the state, and nearly three times the gains for Democrats across Minnesota Congressional races. Mr. Lott notes that Mr. Franken’s “new” votes equal more than all the changes for all the precincts in the entire state for the Presidential, Congressional and statehouse races combined (482 votes).This entire process is being overseen by Democratic Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, who isn’t exactly a nonpartisan observer. One of Mr. Ritchie’s financial supporters during his 2006 run for office was a 527 group called the Secretary of State Project, which was co-founded by James Rucker, who came from MoveOn.org. The group says it is devoted to putting Democrats in jobs where they can “protect elections.”
Mr. Ritchie is also an ally of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or Acorn, of fraudulent voter-registration fame. That relationship might explain why prior to the election Mr. Ritchie waved off evidence of thousands of irregularities on Minnesota voter rolls, claiming that accusations of fraud were nothing more than “desperateness” from Republicans.
Mr. Franken and fellow Democrats are already waging a full-scale public pressure campaign to help turn the recount their way. That includes a push to turn what should be a straightforward count of existing legal ballots into a complete do-over — mau-mauing election officials into accepting tossed ballots. […]
The Franken campaign has also been wrapping itself around Barack Obama’s popularity to increase its recount potential. Minnesota has a voter intent law, which means that election officials can take a second look at ambiguous ballots. Mr. Franken’s people are already arguing that a vote for Mr. Obama certainly indicated a vote for Mr. Franken. This can’t possibly be true, however, because nearly every campaign poll showed Mr. Franken lagging Mr. Obama by five to 15 percentage points — and on Election Day he trailed by 12.2%. Mr. Franken ran a nasty, polarizing campaign, and in any case he was part of a three-man contest.
The Coleman team is demanding the tapes from the voting machines on election night, and that’s the least Mr. Ritchie can do. The Secretary of State should also investigate miraculous discoveries like the “forgotten” 32 car ballots. He needs to show voters, the press and the Coleman team that he’s running a transparent process that focuses on previously counted votes, rather than changing the rules after the election is over.
With their party only three Senate seats from the 60 needed to break a filibuster (and two still not decided), Democrats have a political incentive to cut corners to steal a seat if they can get away with it. Mr. Franken and his left-wing allies also know that if Mr. Franken couldn’t win election in this fabulous Democratic year, then the not-so-funnyman never will. If Minnesota wants to retain its reputation as a state with clean elections, it needs to run an honest recount.
Unfortunately, many election watchers on the GOP side have proved perspicacious in their predictions that the Dems would try to “win” two contested elections in much the same way they won the Governorship of Washington several years back.
And the mere mention of ACORN has, cleverly and cynically, given the Franken team an opportunity to call for a complete election do over — this time, with (presumably) the strong personal backing of Barack Obama, who could appeal to Minnesota moderates to help him gather the tools necessary for change.
We already know that the FEC likely won’t audit Obama’s campaign — despite what are clear and intentional invitations to fraud (such as disabling credit verification). So why should we believe that a Democratic Secretary of State allied with ACORN has any reason at all to question the many worrisome statistical anomalies and “found ballots” that seem to be edging Franken close to victory?
If we lose the integrity of the voting system, we’ll likely see “reforms” of the kind McCain – Feingold offered under other related circumstances, reforms that weakened the First Amendment. One can only imagine what kinds of euphemistically titled voter reform measures a progressive base dedicated to keeping power would try to legislate — all based on the manufactured crisis of a broken voting system that they themselves, through organizations like ACORN, have worked to assure by creating doubt about the system’s integrity.
Beyond that, though, one wonders why the Dems aren’t howling about Franken’s laughable bona fides, particularly after they invested so much time trying to destroy Sarah Palin for her doublewide populism and banjo pickin’ gunpolitics.
Must be that Franken did a stint on Air America, and spent a lot of time in New York and LA, where the “proper” cultural prerequisites for high office are attained by way of passing quips with Ms Huffington and Mr Maher, or writing skits for Chevy Chase.
They need him to be point man on the new Fairness Doctrine
I think we need to be very careful before we cry “voter fraud.” Wouldn’t want people to call us deranged. No, we need to sit back and calmly wait and see how this unfolds…
Al Franken is a good man. We should treat him with respect his soon to be obtained office deserves. No need to go out full of FDS and make us all look bad.
Will cynn show up here to assuage all concerns about this attempted theft, and demonstrate beyond all doubt that non-progglodytes are merely excusing More Failed Bush Policies?
Cordially…
How do ballots end up in someone’s car in the first place?
On the plus side (for me, anyway) if Franken is declared the winner, I automatically no longer live in the most ridiculous state in the Union. California dreamin’ on such a Winter’s day…
(But, to be clear, if he and his cronies steal this, it would be bad.)
Oh they will Sean of that have no doubt, and it will be reported as “Franken wins recount”. All for the greater good don’t you see?
Probably would best for Coleman to select 20 of his voters out of a hat, and Franken select his 20 out of a at and have them play Red Rover to determine the winner.
h
The Banana Republic in the Mall of America has found absentee ballots in a beret box in the Che fall fashionista section of the store. Security cameras were not available for comment.
It’s so reassuring to know that the Chicago machine is going to be taking over ownership of the electoral process.
That’s how you get them from Kinko’s to the place where ballots are counted, silly.
As a resident of Minnesota, I apologize for this. I thought better of my fellow citizens here, and I guess that was misplaced. The fraud that is going on is so obvious.
The Fierce Douchebaggery of Now.
Ric –
I am sure Thor will be by to gloat about being beaten at our own game.
Minnesota is corrupt and Mark Ritchie is corrupt and the integrity of elections is no big deal to people like that. All you can do is say hey you corrupt Minnesota pieces of shit it sucks you want to drag everybody down with you. That and maybe not shop at Best Buy, which is a corrupt retail chain what makes fake web sites for display in their stores to screw their customers and what employs a bunch of corruption-tolerant Minnesota wankers. That’s all I got for you there.
This is how freedom dies.
Yes, Techie. A free press would come in handy at times like this but they only get the Star Tribune.
You know, Happy’s right. Now is the time for the press to stand up and prove that they aren’t biased.
Don’t hold your breathe Carin.
If Minnesota selects, not elects, Al Franken for the US Senate, we need to find out what we can do to call a Constitutional Convention to give Minnesota to the Canucks.
This is the most telling aspect of their blatant attempt at theft.
THe electorate’s to blame too, if they keep their heads down and whistle, as if they had nothing to do with it.
Integrity must be a lost cause in Minnesota.
They elected Jesse “The Body” Ventura, so Al Fucking Franken as Senator was a natural fit.
From Newsbusters:
Broadcast Blackout of Left’s ‘Fairness’ Doctrine Push
Why do the Scandi’s hate us so?
On the other hand, best fried eggs I’ve ever had I got in a diner in Minnesota. So there’s that.
Al Franken. I want not to hear about how “dumb” the Republicans are until I get a good explanation of why Al Franken should sit in the United States freakin’ Senate. Al Franken…?!?!
If an election is stolen in the forest, and the press refuses to report on it, does it make a sound?
Who’s the lying liar, again?
Just curious: does a fraudulently elected government have the right to demand we respect it any time they aren’t pointing guns? and how many of the military will follow the orders to point them?
You guys are mean.
[…] The election fraud continues unabated. […]
if someone points a gun at me/i will not put a daisy into their barrel
but dylan is from minn.- so that’s something
I will cancel my fly-fishing trip to MN if they do this. I may just because they are trying to do so.
As sad as this is, I hope no one is surprised that the Dims are stealing yet another election. This is old hat for that crew. Just ask about “Landslide Lyndon” Johnson or Jack Kennedy, just to name two well-known examples. And let’s not forget how hard they tried to steal the election for Algore in 2000.
Of course, given that this is also the state that elected Jesse Ventura governor, speaks volumes, too…
Coleman should keep his distance from wood chippers…if you know what I mean.
my favorite dem steal was for the guv’nor of [wash-oregon]
where all the precicnts reported/except kings[inner city] county
then the dems magically pulled the votes needed
and further proof that u need that repubs are pussywillows-
the republican rep conceded
the voters have spoken [twice] so i’ll go slink off…
all of my supporters?-well-we fought an honorable fight!
and these people want my vote? ha!
fight-bitches
I lost all respect for Minnesota when the Vikings moved indoors.
Bud Grant was a hardass.
Dude, can I borrow that one?
Before you get on my ass about Ventura, I’d have you look at what our other options were in that election: Diamond Norm Quimby and Skippy the Wonder Humphrey. Honestly, given those choices, I’d vote the same way again. Which is why I find it so surprising that Barkley didn’t win this time ’round.
And no matter how much you guys wanna bash my fair state, I’ll still be happy to buy you a beer next time you’re on a long layover at MSP.
I lost all respect for myself when I used the first pick in my fantasy league and picked Ladanian Tomlinson instead of Adrian Peterson. The FFL playoffs are now out of reach and all I can ask myself is “what the eff was I thinking?”
AP is God.
Frankenfraud continues: Protein Wisdom…
Frankenfraud continues: Protein Wisdom…
Squid and cranky-d – We still love ya’. But if AlfuckingFranken takes a seat in the US Senate, I will be trying to give Minnesota to the French Canadians, though the French ones might be scared that they might get all revolutionary on them.
>AP is God.
They should post that on a bus in D.C.
A lot of people here are armed, JD. Canada would be in for some trouble.
Quoth: Comment by Mr. Pink on 11/12 @ 12:15 pm #
“Al Franken is a good man. We should treat him with respect his soon to be obtained office deserves. No need to go out full of FDS and make us all look bad.”
Fixed it.
sarc tags, left off. damn.
cranky-d – I suspect the French Canadians would surrender rather speedily. The rest, just throw hockey pucks at them.
minnesota is west
i doubt the western canucks would want anything to do with them
except Vancouver- but thats coastal
fat-[head franken] and
skinny-[norm coleman]
had a race…up and down..
oh look-votes
found ’em in my pillowcase!
I will cancel my fly-fishing trip to MN if they do this.
Dude, that is kind of drastic, don’t you think? No matter how fucked up politics get, you should never let them interfere with good fishing.
I think of it as the separation of Wooly Bugger and State.
#27 Maj. John:
Just for creating Stuart Smalley Al Franken should spend the rest of his natural life on Wake Island polishing the plaques.
Actually, I have a sneaking suspicion we’ve all just voted our last free election.
Friend Patterico was just plain wrong. This is Republicans being “good sports” right into their own graves.
If we don’t fight the fraud, qwfwq may just be right. Imagine a Dem Senate, House, and a Dem President appointing bureaucrats and judges. Now imagine trying to investigate Dem fraud then when we can’t even do it now.
When does a government cease to be legitimate? That’s a serious question. I think we’re getting close.