BREAKING: Coleman Lawyer Declares Trial "A Legal Quagmire"

[babylonsister]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/02/breaking-coleman-lawyer-declares-trial-a-legal-quagmire.php

BREAKING: Coleman Lawyer Declares Trial "A Legal Quagmire"
By Eric Kleefeld - February 18, 2009, 5:17PM


Check out the response from Team Coleman to the election court having ruled against their request for reconsideration of the court's opinion to throw out about 1,000 ballots that Coleman wants counted: They're declaring that there are now serious legal problems in this election.

Coleman lawyer/spokesman Ben Ginsberg said in a statement to the Star Tribune that there is a "fatal inconsistency" in the counting of votes, and that the effect of the court's ruling "is a legal quagmire that makes ascertaining a final legitimate result to this election even more difficult."

The court's ruling are creating a legal quagmire? I've been keeping track of this disputed result since Election Night itself, longer than even Ginsberg has been on board with Coleman. Trust me, we were in that zone a while ago.

Also note that Ginsberg questioned the possibility of a "legitimate" result to this election. It's very clear at this point that Coleman is laying the groundwork for an appeal, should this court rule Franken the winner. And given some prior moments in this trial, we can't rule out the idea that Coleman might shoot for a do-over, by declaring the election unsolvable.


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http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/39780762.html?elr=KArks8c7PaP3E77K_3c::D3aDhUec7PaP3E77K_0c::D3aDhUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr

Tensions rise as judges reject Coleman request

[MrModerate]

1. I think Coleman wants to ensure that no one ever votes for a Republican . . .

in Minnesota ever again.

[FiveGoodMen]

6. If only it were that easy!

Michele Bachmann suggested that we basically re-institute the House Un-American Activities Committee (not by name, of course) and she easily won re-election.

We just aren't as smart as we thought we were up in this neck of the woods.

After all, if we didn't have dumb/evil voters here, then Mr. "99% better than Wellstone" would have lost big time and there'd be no court case.

[Hawkeye-X]

12. Go ahead with the HUAC..

You'll be the first one up, Michelle..

Trust me on this - the entire Republickian Party is totally Unamerican!

Hawkeye-X

[FiveGoodMen]

14. "the entire Republickian Party is totally Unamerican"

Couldn't agree more...

But so are an awful lot of American voters.

If Hannity or Limbaugh or Robertson or Dobson or the idiot in their local pulpit tell them to do un-American things, they are ready, willing, and able.

[MrModerate]

21. Amazing . . . I just saw a clip of her and she's just a slicker version of . . .

Ann Coulter. Just as much a sociopath, but much better spoken and less energetically nasty.

How do these people maintain their credibility when they lie so obviously and continuously? What do their constituents get that makes them vote for such untrustworthy people. The scary thing is I think the answer is: nothing! And still they vote . . .

[dflprincess]

25. She didn't win that easily

It was a three way race and she did get slightly less than 50% of the vote.

Not that she should have won at all.

[LakeSamish706]

2. I'm certain this would be allot different if Coleman were leading in this race! n/t

[FiveGoodMen]

7. It was!

After the first count gave Coleman such a narrow victory that a recount was legally mandated, Norm said that he would concede if he were in Franken's shoes.

But since he's just a motherfucking liar, he didn't do that when he wound up in exactly that position.

[elizfeelinggreat]

3. They should grow up already!

Thanks for the updates - imagine if everyone could afford these kind of legal shenanigans!

[spanone]

4. i thought the judge made declarations on pending cases???

[underpants]

5. "fatal inconsistency" from Ben Ginsberg you say?

this guy was the chief legal counsel to the Bush campaign AND the lawyer for the Swift Boat liars

when forced to choose (because this flagrant violation of election law just couldn't be enforced) he decided to go with..... the Swift Boat liars

[blue sky at night]

8. at the rate this thing is progressing.

they won't have to stage a do-over...it will be 2012 and perhaps that "election" will finally decide the issue, and never mind that folks in Minnesota don't have a Senator. Guess they are getting what they deserve.

[malaise]

9. Good fugging grief

Coleman lost - get over it. Go afuggingway Coleman.

[Mist]

10. "Coleman might shoot for a do-over, declaring the election

unsolvable." ?????????? Is Coleman in any position to "declare" anything? He's turned it over to the courts, and has to go
by what the court says. It ain't his call anymore, right?

[babylonsister]

15. They're going to try to have a re-do. From the second link-

Outside the courtroom, the Coleman campaign this afternoon stepped up its criticism of the panel.

"In denying the request to...reconsider, the court creates a real problem for itself and the reliability of these proceedings," Coleman lawyer Ben Ginsberg said in a statement issued by the campaign. "This fatal inconsistency serves to disenfranchise some voters while allowing others with the same ballots to have their votes counted."

"The net effect...is a legal quagmire that makes ascertaining a final legitmate result to this election even more difficult," Ginsberg said.



And the longer they can hold up Franken's confirmation, the better, so all the rethugs are on board with this.

[Hawkeye-X]

11. So here's a clue, Bad Teeth's lawyers.

Get out while it's still good to get out. Isn't Bad Teeth a lawyer or something? He can do this by his damn self.

Coleman is destined to lose anwyay, and will hear his whining from here to eternity.

Pawlenty needs to get Coleman under control - but Pawlenty isn't gonna do jackshit, because he'll look bad either way, so this is all on Pawlenty, Coleman and the rest of the Rethugs.

Hawkeye-X

[aquart]

13. Can the judges just call him a deliberately obstructive jackass?

Or is that bad form?

[gratuitous]

16. There's no downside for Norm

He can't lose any more than he's already lost, but as long as he can keep churning this quagmire, Minnesota is deprived of half its senatorial contingent. And losing seniority each day Franken isn't at least provisionally seated. I don't think the current Minnesota law envisioned a sore loser such as Norm Coleman, but the legislature should amend the law to allow for provisional certification and seating of an election winner while the court disputes drag on. As it is, there's no penalty or sanction for Coleman to keep this going as long as he possibly can.

And, while Franken waits to take his rightful place in the Senate, Coleman can keep hitting up his friends and benefactors for more money to keep things going. I wonder if folks would be so willing to monkey wrench the process and give Coleman more money if Franken was already in the Senate, participating in the process even in a provisional capacity. I'm guessing that they'd say, "Well, good luck with your fight Norm. But since your opponent is already seated, there's no reason for us to join you in tilting at these windmills."

[dflprincess]

26. Minnesota has been deprived of half its senatorial contingent.

since Wellstone died. Coleman was there to represent Bushco and only Bushco.

[hfojvt]

17. What is the endpoint of this?

When will it be settled or will there always be more appeals pending? How long before this panel rules finally?

[babylonsister]

19. The end game is to deny Franken the seat at all costs.

I wonder if the court is able to eventually say 'enough'?

[hfojvt]

20. but at some point, the panel makes a ruling and declares a winner

and then an appeal is denied and then it goes to SCOTUS or wherever. When is the panel going to make its ruling and how many more appeals are possible? It's coming up on 4 months since the election. Why is counting so hard?

[rucky]

18. Not Giggity!

[Cha]

22. I can't wait until that freakshow

is outta here.

[babylonsister]

23. Catch Maddow if you can; she's going to be talking about Franken

and Coleman.

:fistbump:

[Cha]

24. Thanks for the headsup..I don't get cable

news so I'll try to get it on youtube.
:fistbump: