The Al Franken Show Continues in Minnesota, Doggone It

It's amazing Senator Coleman wants Franken to just give it to him. I hope the GIs that appreciated Franken's work with the USO remembered him when they mailed in their absentee ballots!

Franken's relishin' Colemans's shinkin' lead? Yup,yup. You betcha.

You go, Al! Don't give up, don't back down. If Coleman has the votes, then he does, but MAKE THEM COUNT ALL THE VOTES first, and don't be buffaloed by the chump gambit: "it would be patriotic to concede". No, it wouldn't. Maybe they got Gore to buy that line, but if so we see the consequences.

I hope to see Al Franken in the U.S. Senate in 2009. He's smart enough. He's decent enough. And darn it, people like him.

why does this reporter callhim zany? I would say that is inappropriate as Al Franken as a senate campaigner has certainly not being that. He is a serious contender and hope he pulls this one out.

Minnesota does not need to re=elect a corrupt senator.

I wonder how many of Stewart Smalley's supporters would leave if they knew he didn't pay his taxes. To my knowledge he didn't ever address that problem during his campaign.

ramcam6..you are an out of date idiot. This is old news and the fact that you aren't "up on things" only means you are just reading from a paper they handed you with talking points. You're a moron..a GOP moron..which is a redundancy..and you deserve the ill fate due your stupidity. RIP, jerk!

Let all the votes be properly counted.
8 years ago, we saw what happened when you don't do that. No one wants to let a high office holder be denied the aura of legitimacy that a fair count provides.
Would Coleman have conceded already if HE were the one trailing by 230 votes prior to the recount?

Mary Ann,

Your cute little SNL snark references aside, Al Franken is getting closer and closer and forcing that slimeball Norm Coleman to scream the now all too familiar GOP lie VOTE FRAUD:

Norm Gettin' Squirrelly

Al Franken is still behind in Minnesota. But as they've been finalizing and rechecking votes (all before any formal recount), Norm Coleman's lead has gotten smaller and smaller and smaller. As of Friday evening the number separating the two was down to 221 votes -- well within the margin that recounts can sometimes overturn. (Indeed, Jon Chait notes that optical scan machines could produce non-trivial swings in the vote since votes that don't register on the optical scan machines often have evident voter intent on visual inspection.) But, now, as he sees his margin dwindle, Coleman is trying to play the 'vote fraud' card in a desperate attempt to retain his seat.

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Indications are that Huckabee may be getting ready to announce that he plans to run in 2012, according to HuckabeeShow.com http://www.huckabeeshow.com
They have a article there about Huckabees 2012 Campaign Website. Hopefully the GOP will wise up and get behind the only GOP contender that appeals to the working class. Huckabee is awesome. Came from Working Class Roots did a great Job in Arkensaw. I myself an independant couldnt see voting for any other GOP contender. Besides after watching the video Huckabee Hearts Obama on Youtube. Why would I want to vote anyother way.!!!
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Did it dawn on you dummies in Minnesta that all of the NEW votes found are for that idiot Franken? How can that be? Perhaps ACORN has been in your neighborhood.

hahahahahahahah Al Franken - So many of us here have gotten the biggest laugh from Minnesota. The fact that he is even in the running is hysterical..oh wait you guys also voted in Jessie Ventura and he really helped you out (laughing as I say it). God help you Minnesota and God help America if these are the kinds of people we are voting into our government...We are doomed for failure. Hahahahaha I still can't get over it "Al Franken"- you deserve what you get Minnesota!!

Al Franken has chosen to change his career. He graduiated from Harvard and like the majority of Americans got fed up and scared by the criminals who have been running the country the last eight years decided to run for a senate seat. To accuse hims of being like them is an insult to all of us Americans who love our country and want to make it safer and better. To give it up because the incumbent just tells ut to is an insult to the Constitution. Let the string run. The state will have the recount or maybe Senator Coleman will be overtaken before the vote count is finished and "graciously" concede himself and find another line of work. Let's let the vote work itself out.

Hey crupi313, what enlightened part of country are you from? Are you a mouth-breather? Franken is an intelligent and concerned american citizen who sees a broken system and hopes to improve it.

For one, ACORN's responsibility is not to verify whether the voter registrations are accurate or not - it is the State's Secretary of State that does that. Would anyone want a private organization decide what registrations are valid or not? I seem to remember back in 2004 an organization did that when they through out Democratic registrations they received (I'll have to double-check that, my memory can't always be trusted!).

It is shameful that the people ACORN hired would act fraudulently to get more money, but I guess it was something that could be foreseen. Still, ACORN's job was to get voter registrations - not validate them. They legally do not have that right nor do they practically have that ability.

I was born in Pine County, and am quite proud to have Al Franken as my Senator-Elect (given the recount votes necessary). He WAS a comedian, and a very good one, but his stuff usually had a political bent, he's an educated and literate man, well versed in government workings, and highly qualified for the job.

Why on earth should he concede when he's only a couple hundred votes away from the office? Just because the Repug incumbent says to? Coleman must be sweating in his boots being so close to LOSING his job! And from a novice politico like Al ! Why does HE not just concede?

I ALMOST wish I had moved to MINN just so i could vote for Al. What a great senator he'd make!! He's smart,funny,and has common sense.Something we haven't seen lately.

ramcam6: Your knowledge is obviously incomplete, to put it nicely. The fact of the matter is that Franken's accountant made several mistakes resulting in his overpaying state taxes to the states in which he lived (MN and NY) and underpaying state taxes in states in which he actually earned income (nearly every state in the Union). In aggregate, he actually payed more than he owed. Once these mistakes came to light (in March '08), he payed back taxes, plus interest and penalties, to the states where he had underpaid (many of which didn't realize he owed them money and which hadn't asked him for payments) and requested refunds from the states where he had overpaid. It also came to light, again because of accountant errors, around that time that he hadn't paid full Social Security taxes or Workman's Comp premiums for a couple of his employees. When this came to light, he immediately paid all back taxes and premiums in addition to a $25K fine. He then fired his accounting firm and hired a new one to do a full audit of all his personal and corporate finances. No subsequent errors surfaced. In their campaign ads, particularly during October (I live in MN, so I saw each and every one), the Coleman campaign and the RSCC made big hay out of this and, in true GOP/Rovian fashion, of course, left out the salient details where Franken actually did pay his taxes, etc. In other words, they lied about this, over and over and over and unapologetically. That Coleman can now, with a straight face, call for Franken to concede (Coleman's lead is now down to 206 votes) when there are potentially over 33,000 votes still in question exceeds only his claim he that pulled all his negative ads in chutzpah. The guy is shameless... and the last person I want representing me in Washington.

"bannelee" wishes he could have moved to MINN so he could have voted for Al. You and me both, brother, but I don't think any state has 2 bigger dunces in the Senate than mine, Kentucky: Bunning and the just re-elected McConnell. If Franken could pull off an upset, as I feel he will, then I will take it as a personal victory plus a big relief. Franken is smart, just cocky enough, loves his state, and is independent. And I sincerely feel he will do more for my state than anything our Dim Duo have done or will do.

shirl1: Here's how it works for us dummies in MN. Between election day and when the State Canvassing Board meets to certify the election (11/18 in this case), all 87 county canvassing boards audit their Election Day tallies. On Election Day (and with absentee ballots) we vote on paper ballots here (providing a certifiable paper trail) which are then run through optical scanners. The tallies from the optical scanners in each precinct are entered into the state's database towards the end of Election Day. The audit is to verify the accuracy of the tallies entered into the database. In this instance, both Coleman and Franken have gained and lost votes as the audit has progressed, primarily due to typographical errors (most of the tallies are entered into the database the evening of Election Day--after a long day, some humans get tired. This tends to happen in places other than MN, too, just so you know...). The end result (11/10 was the last day counties had to conclude their audit) was that Coleman's lead, which was 775 votes when the polls closed on 11/4, is now down to 206. Once the State Canvassing Board meets later this week to certify the election, they'll order a recount--MN law provides for a mandatory recount when the vote margin is less than 0.5%. The margin in this election is somewhere around 0.0001%. In addition, since optical scanners only read ballots that have the "bubbles" fully filled in, there are potentially over 6,000 ballots that may be mis-marked (the state's experience is that there are an average of around 2 ballots per 1000 that are mis-marked). So, for example, if someone put an "X" through the bubble rather than filling it in, the scanner wouldn't record a vote for that candidate. So far, as a result of the audit, they've also found nearly 10,000 ballots that recorded votes for President but not for US Senate and nearly 23,000 ballots that have no vote recorded for either President or US Senate. That raises the potential number of ballots that might be in question to over 33,000. MN law provides for a manual recount--humans look at each ballot cast--and, provided the voter's intent is clear regardless of how he or she filled out the ballot, that vote counts. Kind of thorough and forward looking, I'd say, especially for a bunch of dummies like us, you a**hole...

crupi313: If you knew anything at all about Al Franken, you'd know he has a math degree from Harvard. In 1996 (that's 12 years ago for you) he wrote his first book on public policy: "Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot (and Other Observations)". That has been followed by four other books on public policy and three years on the air discussing public policy three hours a day, five days a week on Air America Radio. He's been to Afghanistan and Iraq four times on USO tours. He has an incredible knowledge and grasp of many areas of public policy and has been one of the most effective progressive voices out there for more than a decade (a "decade" is a stretch of 10 years--the 12 years referenced above is more than that. Just thought you'd be interested in learning that...) He took on the divisive voices of the right wing well before anyone else did in public. Since 1996, he's challenged any of them to point out anything in any of his books that is incorrect or inaccurate. So far, nobody's been able to do so. Al is passionate, smart and unafraid to speak truth to power. And, above all, he speaks the truth, which is more than I can say about his opponent. As a Minnesotan, I'm very comfortable with the idea that Al Franken would represent me in Washington--we should have more like him.

I always thought of Minnesota as being a traditional Democratically run state that was economically liberal (pro labor union, and large on Federal farm subsidy like most Midwestern states) but very conservative on social issues. The people I have known from there were very much in that mold, religious coservatives on social issues, but moderate and practical on economic issues. Probably like the iconic Sen. Hubert Humphrey during my youth. Guess it has changed radically So what's with the two adminstrations of Jesse Ventura and now maybe Al Freaken? Has Hollywood moved to Minneapolis? Please explain. I don't know Coleman, but couldn't the Democrats find a better candidate than this TV jerk? And I thought California, where I lived30 years ago was ridiculous with Gov. Schwarzenneger and his Kennedy-relative spouse. Crazy. I think Television has ruined America. First the educational system and now the political system.

I just want to make one comment regarding Minnesota electing former entertainers to public office. Was it my imagination or did we not elect a Republican "actor" to the highest office in the land in 1980 and 1984? :^)

Yep - the 'great' Ronald Reagan. Bankrupt California before coming to Washington to run up the biggest federal deficit with one of the most corrupt administrations prior to the current one. Anyone remember Ed Mease? Ollie North? As we have witnessed with the recent election, and in fact several times over history, it's not the experience that determines a good leader, but his or her capacity ( read this as "intellect") to lead. The lack of experience thing doesn't fly with me , and apparently, nor did it fly with 54% of the rest of American voters on November 4th. Abraham Lincoln experience: zero. Harry Truman - experience: zero.

George W. Bush was a "C" student. How wonderful. His presidency should have given hope to slackers everywhere. See you in 4 years.

Gol darn it I thank it is a good idea to that Mike Huckabee run for prezident in 2012, he is the most smartest guy and defi,uh defin uh, surely unnerstands the common working peple wif eight grade educatins

Hang in there, Al! While Coleman may yet come in on top, you have showed everyone that you are a serious contender and I hope you win this fight. You have the brains and the chutzpa it takes to be an effective senator. I have enjoyed your humor and enjoyed listening to you read your book, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. I had to pull off to the side of the road, you had me laughing so hard. You have a serious side and a great analytical side, too. We could use you in Washington.

Just hope that Al knows that there are folks out here all over the country who are cheering him on. Not every Senator has to have been a lawyer. This is a well educated, brilliant man with a ton of common sense on top of that. I would be more than proud to have him as my Senator. I am blessed to have two great Senators here in Va., Mark Warner and Jim Webb, neither of whom made there way there as lawyers. It is time for Minn. to have another great Senator, as it had with Wellstone. Go AL............

An update on the counting. According to today's Minneapolis Star Ledger Its down to a 206 vote difference. Way too close to consider its all over.

Easy on Ed Meese. He was cleared of all charges.