2008 Congressional, Statehouse Races

[LowlyPion]

Recount, Day 5: Franken’s gains build, but so do challenges

By BOB VON STERNBERG, Star Tribune
Last update: November 24, 2008 - 9:21 PM
As the number of ballot challenges passed the 3,100 mark Monday, continuing to cloud the question of who’s picking up ground in the U.S. Senate recount, one thing is clear:

DFLer Al Franken has made a net gain on Republican Sen. Norm Coleman of 46 votes that are not tied to rulings still to come on ballots that both campaigns have challenged.

More than 78 percent of the votes had been recounted as of Monday night, and the gap stood at 210 in Coleman’s favor, including ballot challenges, according to a Star Tribune compilation of recount data reported to the secretary of state and gathered by the Star Tribune.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/34993619.html

 

[LowlyPion]

Board certifies results; Goode asks for recount
November 24, 2008 - 5:44pm
By LARRY O'DELL
Associated Press Writer

RICHMOND, Va. - Republican U.S. Rep. Virgil H. Goode said Monday that he will ask for a recount in his narrow loss to Democrat Tom Perriello. A one-seat partisan advantage in Virginia's congressional delegation is at stake.

Goode announced his plans shortly after the State Board of Elections certified Perriello as the winner by 745 votes out of more than 316,000 cast in the 5th District race. The margin of 0.24 percentage points entitles Goode to a recount at taxpayer expense.

"If it turns out he wins, I will congratulate him and wish him well," Goode said of Perriello, who already has attended orientation for new members of Congress and is forging ahead with transition plans.

"We don't believe there's any serious chance of the result changing," Perriello said.

http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=600&sid=1525375

This is the same guy that was complaining about Muslims in Congress.

A Bigot in Congress
One Muslim congressman is one too many for Virgil Goode.

Friday, December 22, 2006; Page A32

BIGOTRY COMES in various guises -- some coded, some closeted, some colossally stupid. The bigotry displayed recently by Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr., a Republican who represents a patch of south-central Virginia, falls squarely in the third category. Mr. Goode, evidently in a state of xenophobic delirium, went on a semi-public tirade against the looming peril and corrupting threat posed by Muslim immigration to the United States. "I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America," he wrote in a letter to constituents.

The inspiration for Mr. Goode's rant is Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat who last month became the first Muslim elected to Congress. Mr. Ellison, who was born in Detroit and converted to Islam in college, has decided to use the Koran during a ceremonial swearing-in, as is his constitutional right. This does not sit well with Mr. Goode, who, obnoxiously referring to his congressional colleague-to-be as "the Muslim Representative from Minnesota," warned ominously that current immigration policy would lead to an outbreak of elected Muslims in this country and unfettered use of the Koran.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/21/AR2006122101612.html

 

[LowlyPion]

Kaufman Picked by Governor to Fill Biden Senate Seat (Update3)

By Phil Milford

Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Ted Kaufman, a longtime aide to Vice President-elect Joe Biden, was chosen by Delaware’s governor today to fill Biden’s U.S. Senate seat for the next two years.

Governor Ruth Ann Minner, a Democrat, announced the choice of Kaufman at a news conference in Wilmington. Kaufman, 69, served as chief of Biden’s Senate staff for 19 years and is co- chairman of his transition team, according to the Web site of Duke University law school, where he teaches.

“I’m comfortable retiring in two years,” Kaufman said. Minner told reporters she wants “voters to decide” in 2010 who will serve the last four years of the term.

Biden’s seat will become open because he and Democratic President-elect Barack Obama defeated Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin in the Nov. 4 election. Obama resigned his U.S. Senate seat effective Nov. 16.

Minner said Biden wants to remain in the Senate until he is sworn in for his seventh term in January, and that Kaufman will take over sometime that month.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=akgp7x27hGcM&refer=home

 

[LowlyPion]

Chambliss/Martin Runoff Georgia:
http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/election_results/2008_1202/003.htm

 

[Gokul43201]

Looks like a thumpin' (so far, and I believe it will get a little closer with time), but that was kinda expected.

 

[Gokul43201]

Chambliss wins by a handy 15 point margin. So, even if Franken can pull off a win, the Dems will get only 59 seats in the Senate. I prefer 58, but not for reasons that have anything to do with Franken.

I'd like to see dem measures passed only if they are good enough to sway at least a couple of moderates in the GOP.

 

[chemisttree]

Looks like a thumpin' (so far, and I believe it will get a little closer with time), but that was kinda expected.

Kinda expected by whom?

 

[BobG]

Kinda expected by whom?

Even the former Democratic Senator endorsed the Republican Chambliss over the Democrat Martin. (http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/11/26/zell_miller_chambliss_senate.html )

Okay, that probably doesn't mean that much.



Georgia Senators are kind of interesting. One of Georgia's Senators had the distinction of being the last slave owner to serve in the Senate (actually a former owner by time she served). She was also the first female Senator in the US. She was also the oldest freshman Senator to enter the Senate (87-years-old). She also served the shortest amount of time as Senator (one day).

 

[Gokul43201]

Kinda expected by whom?

Most everyone, no?

Martin only got close the first time round, because:
i. There was a huge Dem turnout for the Presidential ticket (largely from early voting)
ii. Buckley took away over 3% of Chambliss' vote

In addition to these, the GOP had a strong argument based on the proximity of the Senate to a 60-seat Dem majority. That got the Republican vote out, while the Dems stayed home, satisfied with the gains made already.

 

[LowlyPion]

The laughable presumption is that some Sarah somebody would take credit in any way for his election. With the expected lower turnout without the historic aspect of the Presidential vote, I'd think that Chambliss would have had to do something really inappropriate to blow it.

Yet inappropriate is what he surely tried to do. Just checkout his groping his granddaughter at the end of this clip.:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_3T6q88QF4

 

[chemisttree]

Most everyone, no?

Martin only got close the first time round, because:
i. There was a huge Dem turnout for the Presidential ticket (largely from early voting)
ii. Buckley took away over 3% of Chambliss' vote

In addition to these, the GOP had a strong argument based on the proximity of the Senate to a 60-seat Dem majority. That got the Republican vote out, while the Dems stayed home, satisfied with the gains made already.

The polls did have Chambliss winning, but no thumpin'.

None of http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/latestpolls/senate.html".

I would have thought that the prospect of having a supermajority might have really motivated Dems to turn out. Apparently it didn't.

 

[Gokul43201]

I would have thought that the prospect of having a supermajority might have really motivated Dems to turn out. Apparently it didn't.

Nah! Even if they did feel strongly about that they'd still have needed MN to go their way. GA alone could not ensure a supermaj. But GA alone could (and did) prevent one.

 

[LowlyPion]

Coleman still holding a losing hand. Still blocking Franken certification with continuous motions.

http://www.startribune.com/politics...ArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUr

Why would the people of Minnesota ever vote for this weasel Coleman again after he has effectively devoted himself to scorching the earth, if he can't win?

 

[LowlyPion]

Minnesota Supreme Court declares Al Franken the winner.

 

[LowlyPion]

Here's a link to the story declaring Franken the winner, that has now become available:

(CNN) -- Minnesota's Supreme Court has dismissed former Sen. Norm Coleman's challenge to the state's November election results and declared Democratic challenger Al Franken the winner.
The unanimous opinion ruled that Franken "received the highest number of votes legally cast" and is entitled "to receive the certificate of election as United States senator from the state of Minnesota."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/30/franken.ruling/

Minnesota cheated out of a Senator for 6 months by the obstructionist Coleman. I can't imagine he will be elected to much of anything again in Minnesota. What a farce.

And the Republican efforts end in a fruitless result, and make them look silly and petulant ... again.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Finally! I don't recall any election running this long before.

 

[LowlyPion]

“I congratulate Al Franken” on his victory, Coleman said at a news conference outside his home in St. Paul. “Sure I wanted to win,” the Republican said, though he said further litigation would damage the state’s unity.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a_0vTv_Vz92c

The last shoe has finally dropped.

Apparently Coleman got the memo that the well was dry and there would be no more funds to pursue it to Federal Court even if he had the chutzpah to appeal this decision.

This must be the worst case of loser-itis ever.

Now it's time to get to work and get Jon Stuart elected to Congress.