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Minnesota Senate Race Not Over -- AP Retracts Projection Of Coleman Win
Could Al Franken still win in Minnesota, after all?
The Associated Press now retracted their projection that Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) defeated Al Franken, with the current vote tallies giving Coleman a lead of only 572 votes as the race goes to an automatic recount.
This line from the AP's report tells us what we're in for on this race: "Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said the recount won't begin until mid-November at the earliest and will probably stretch into December. It will involve local election officials from around the state."
The show isn't over for Al Franken in Minnesota -- at least, not yet.
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Time to start the criminal investigation of Coleman's sugar daddy money.
November 5, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Coleman's wife and her incurance company are going to be implicated in this when it unfolds, reminds me of a gold-country California Republican of recent vintage...Coleman would be smart to follow Doolittle's path to an indictment-free future by conceding this race now.
November 5, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm really curious to see the counts of all those absentee and provisional ballots cast. 500 out of 2.9 mil is the slimmest of margins.
November 5, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
In other news, several news organizations called Missouri for McCain. I'm not sure why if they can call MO now for McCain why they can't also call NC for Obama.
November 5, 2008 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
This might come across mean, but everyone raved about McCain's concession speech. I thought it was self-serving, and his audience booing summed it up.
I still think he is a schmuck.
November 5, 2008 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Agree. Way to stay classy, republicans.
November 5, 2008 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey - I agree.
Plus this too little too late shit gets me - he ran a stinking dirty campaign and one speech ain't going to take that away.
November 5, 2008 10:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely. I was put off by the many pundits and announcers, trying to be magnanimous, saying how gracious McCain was last night. Baloney. He ran a nasty campaign, squandering any claim he had to a reputation for character or principle, and these people think one speech wipes the slate clean. Not for me, 'sorry, my bad' doesn't cut it. I don't see way for him to restore his reputation. He's going to be a leader in the obstruct the Obama agenda for congressional Republicans. they should tread carefully. Just as the negative ads and poor results of the Republican/Bush agenda over the past 8 years have been repudiated, trying to be obstructionist will be treated the same way at the 2010 elections.
November 5, 2008 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Signing onto this one myself. He gets away with this Great Apologizer schtick every time. How very convenient for him. But not this time. Too little, too goddamn late. But it is SOOOOOO predictable that the Villagers eat it up like honey. Now they can love him again.
November 5, 2008 2:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Seconded. "You're on national TV, folks."
November 5, 2008 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
I totally agree.
McScum and Failin were actively inciting the mob and unleashing hatred for their political gain to the extent it's out of their control. And that showed last night -- he couldn't control his trolls. All of a sudden you ask your followers to be gracious and respectful and expect them to listen to you so that you can make yourself look nice? Are you f***ing kidding me?
One speech does not chance the fact he ran one of the sleaziest campaigns, and for me, he is not forgiven.
November 5, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think McShame's concession speech was really the opening salvo in a new campaign to reclaim his lost honor. For me, it's irretrievably gone, but I think that's what this was about as much as anything.
November 5, 2008 11:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, well, a few of them booed Palin too. The Republican Party is filled with cretins who live to hate.
November 5, 2008 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Last week or the week before I called Senator Reid's office and asked what action is being considered regarding Sen. McCain's behavior toward a fellow senator. I reminded the person how it is always, "…my good friend from across the aisle" or "My esteemed colleague…" or some other rhetoric intended to shield the antipathy one holds for the other. I asked if a line had not been crossed. I noted other instances of sanction or admonishment for "members" who trash fellow senators.
The response from the office was, "Nothing is being considered." Surprise! I was told the senator would be advised of my call. I asked that Mr. Leader be advised that WE believe it is unacceptable to refer to Mr. Obama as a "terrorist," etc. (Commie, Marxist and Socialist had yet to be applied.) We want action!
Sure, nothing will come of the cal. If there's nothing done about Stevens, Young or Joe, why should our nation's "Greatest Hero" be challenged for such un-American behavior?
November 5, 2008 11:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. It is beyond me what all the fawning over McCain;'s mechanical speech was about. I found it hypocritical,soulless and self serving. Come to think of it, a PERFECT fit and reflection of the man ,himself.
November 5, 2008 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
The speech itself was classy. Of course it does not make up for the classlessness of his campaign.
The booing crowd has to be expected when McSame treated BHO like excrement and failed to correct the audiences in his rallies yelling socialist, communist, kill him or whatever! This was the height of classlessness. Words matter!
November 5, 2008 12:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
I couldn't agree more. McCain's style is to swim in the cesspool and afterward, give a contrite speech to push the reset button. I for one will not forgive him for leaving this stain on our national honor.
November 5, 2008 12:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Didn't the crowd booing and heckling say it all about the Republican torch-and-pitch-fork carriers? And he accommodated them by letting them shove Palin down his throat as VP. Kind of makes you wonder who got one up on who in this one . . . Notice how poorly things have turned out for the "agents of intolerance" when McCain rolled over and let them do their worst. Unlike them, McCain comes out of this relatively well. Yep, it's back to the one of his 8-9 homes and to relatively centrist positions in the Senate. Or maybe a well-earned retirement. He has no worries. Life is good. The Republican party, on the other hand . . .
November 5, 2008 12:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
While I thought his concession speech was OK (I can't hep but think that if that side of McCain had been allowed to come through more during the campaign, it would have been a bit closer), what caught my ears was when he said, "I don't know what more we could have done." At that point, my wife shouted at the TV, "You could have not run a dirty campaign and not chosen that bimbo Palin." I couldn't agree more. After the convention, McCain ran a campaign that was so politically tone deaf that one has to question his mental faculties. Even when trying to soften his image, he tripped himself up. Remember the lady who approached him on stage, stating that she was afraid of Obama because he was an Arab? And McCain's response? "No, ma'am, he's a decent family man". Since when is being a decent family man the antithesis of being an Arab? Tone deaf.
November 5, 2008 12:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hi, I'm the Friendly John McCain. Please forget those racist attacks against the Terrorist-Socialist-Muslim Barrack Hussein Obama. I'm a good guy now.
November 5, 2008 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Georgia GOP Chairwoman Sue Everhart said Wednesday morning that she anticipated a runoff between Republican Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin for the U.S. Senate seat in Georgia.
Neither candidate had 50 percent of the vote.
THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!!
November 5, 2008 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hells yeah. Time to donate a few bucks and put the weight of Obama Nation behind Martin.
http://pufferfish.typepad.com/
November 5, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Amen.
November 5, 2008 11:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
FOR... wait... How do we do this now that
OBAMA IS PRESIDENT!!!
:-)
November 5, 2008 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Still waiting for him to close the deal....
November 5, 2008 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
Behind-the-scenes stories that reporters agreed to hold off until after the election - http://www.newsweek.com/id/167581
Chinese or Russian hacking of both campaign sites, Palin answering hotel room door in a towel (just out of the shower), Obama cussing, McCain holds fire, spending spree worse than reported, GOP feared Clinton on ticket...
November 5, 2008 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks Jonzey. Some great tidbits in there. If the info about Palin running up the clothing tab herself on wild spending sprees becomes widely reported she's gonna be toast a lot faster than I expected.
November 5, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, good stuff. Another tidbit:
She really was the reckless one, wasn't she?
November 5, 2008 11:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, Jonze...must've missed your post. I repeated the link down below.
November 5, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Jonze:
Great stuff. I used to write for Newsweek out of the LA bureau.
November 5, 2008 4:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well how happy is everybody?
I'm in shock - I'm beyond proud of us - the whole world knows that we turned out in record numbers to do the right thing!
We are instantly redeemed with most of the world - what a beautiful thing -
November 5, 2008 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Happy doesn't describe it. We went out and took our country back! An 8 year nightmare is over!
November 5, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Happy is far for me to describe this. I'm on heaven now. But, given the problems that the US and the world have, this won't last. Carpe diem!
There's still hope for Franken and Martin!
Alaska, what the fuck it's wrong with you? You reelected a 84 years old recently convicted felon. That pork had made a big clot in your common sense, isn't it?
November 5, 2008 11:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, the 8-yr nightmare is almost over; in that sense I'm happy. Being a part of history, obviously, feels good; somewhat similar to how I felt back in '85 when Gorbachev came to power.
However, pretty much everything breakable has been broken badly in this country; I don't envy Obama - or us - for the next four years. Here's hoping.
November 5, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm feeling fantastic! Terrorist fist-bumps all around!
Spent last night with the family, just the TV set & no computers. My kids got to watch Obama's speech and McCain's. The contrast in the crowds was... well, a contrast. This was a victory for so many people in so many ways, and hopefully a repudiation (for now) of the politics of sleaze and hate.
HISTORIC.
November 5, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Tena - I'm still in a daze. A happy, wonderful daze. I hardly even know what to say. I feel like I can breath again.
November 5, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
I am so happy that I think I was crying tears of joy in my sleep. The tears certainly started up again when I woke up this morning.
There are hard times and hard work to come. But this is a great day, a great new day.
November 5, 2008 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
I find myself still trying it out, just inside my head for now.
President Barack Obama.
First Lady Michelle Obama.
Vice President Joe Biden.
It still seems a bit imaginary.
November 5, 2008 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tena:
How's the Texas media covering this? I left when Clinton was still Prez and they were not kind to him.
November 5, 2008 4:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gaaaah! This race is driving me crazy. I can't believe it's this close. And Bachman!?!?! What the fuck, MN? Clearly large amount of voters cast theirs for Obama and Coleman and Obama and Bachman. I guess MN wants to look like a state of fuckin' religous nutjobs and sleazy frauds but still wants change too. That's Minnesota nice- nice and wishy washy. Nice with a touch of passive agression. So fucking annoyed at my state. Disappointed. Norm sleazed his way through the last 6 years and MN can be THIS close? Pathetic.
November 5, 2008 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Apparently, MN features a few rich Republican districts. Imagine that? The nerve. Guess it's not all Hubert Humphrey/Walter Mondale country.
November 5, 2008 1:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sarah loves to spend other people's money, and she spent way more than that reported $150,000 on clothes:
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/11/05/palin_shopping_spree_bigger_than_reported.html
November 5, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Treller trash.
November 5, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Can I just say - I knew it.
She went on a big fucking shopping spree coast to coast. And I could have told them that would happen - because I know what it's like when people live somewhere that doesn't have the expensive stores. She hit the lower 48 and went fucking nuts!
November 5, 2008 11:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, they are so desperately in need of some "glamor" in AK, as a great Alaskan woman once said . . . before laying out the red carpet for Target to build in her town. Am I too mean?
November 5, 2008 1:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
You should read the whole Newsweek article:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/167581/page/1
It's got some interesting tidbits about the campaign (not all about Palin): My favorite is Palin walking around in a towel in front in front of Schmidt and Salter.
November 5, 2008 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for the link.
Her in the towel follows - she's that type. She's all about how she can use her sexuality to get what she wants.
And of course she's sexually available and that's what she was saying walking around like that.
November 5, 2008 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. I also like the tidbit that she asked to speak during the concession speech. What an ego she has...I guess she's starting to believe everything that Lowry and Kristol are telling her.
November 5, 2008 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's a very good article - I'm of the school that has the motto: If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit over here by me.
I love that kind of gossip and that campaign was in far worse shape than I knew - McLame and Painful didn't even talk? She went off on her own much sooner than they admitted - right from the start, apparently.
And Michelle Obama's comment - after the threat level to Obama went way up in Sept and Oct, once Painful showed up and started whipping her rallies into a frenzy: Why would they to make people hate us? Just killed me.
November 5, 2008 11:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
Made me feel for the anxiety Michelle must have been feeling too.
I can't wait to read the whole article.
November 5, 2008 11:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Also the article further explains Cindy's pissy look when John was praising Palin in the concession speech. I bet that they feel that Palin completely destroyed their campaign.
Well, they picked her. It reminds me of that 'picking up a snake' saying. When asked why it bit me, the snake says: "You knew I was a snake when you picked me up."
They got what they ordered.
November 5, 2008 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm thinking about how they sent Cindy out with her to campaign - how demeaning is that for a VEEP candidate who happens to be a woman? McLame didn't campaign with her much at all after the first and instead Cindy went. That's really telling -
November 5, 2008 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Her behavior is kinda like LBJ's.
My guess is the opposite from yours -- a woman who cannot control her sexuality or is afraid of it or of men, would view a situation like that as one of vulnerability. A woman who is content and unafraid, may view her body as natural and if the men are aroused by her non-sexual actions --- well, that's their problem.
Rapists are known to judge the sexual inclinations of a woman by the amount of skin exposed while normal men respond to signs of sexual arousal such as pupil dilation.
November 5, 2008 11:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
I am proud to be a Newsweek alum!
November 5, 2008 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, if you read the Nov. 3 New Yorker article by Jane Mayer on Palin's selection process, you know that all the GOP ****s like Kristol and Barnes all had the hots for her. I have to think she knew this effect she had on GOP men... (cue up the Pretenders' "Brass in Pocket" ;-) ).
November 5, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's her bread and butter - of course she knows.
:)
November 5, 2008 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
I read over at HuffPo that Reid is already discussing with Lieberman what his role will be - he's stripping his committees.
LOL!
November 5, 2008 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
How about booting him out of the Democratic caucus? Is that too much to expect? Or is Reid focusing too much on the magic "60" number?
November 5, 2008 11:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
We aren't going to make 60. But we have a majority with or without traiterJoe. So that makes Joe not-so-important.
November 5, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Traitor Joe finally gets his due ... beautiful.
November 5, 2008 4:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I realize now how low I'd set the bar after the last eight years. I just wanted a Democrat-any Democrat with a pulse would've suited me. I got so much more...;)
Lets rebuild that Justice Dept....
November 5, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
O word!
I'll never get over what Bush did to the DOJ = my god! I cannot wait to see that cleaned up -
Arrrgh!
November 5, 2008 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
It would be easier to clean up the DOJ if the White House were not about to commence a two month long shredding party.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/frog_leg/2008/11/the-executive-office-anti-spol.php
November 5, 2008 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dude - Cheney has shredded everything he touched weekly for the whole time he's been in office. That shredder truck pulled up at the Veep's residence every weekend, I think.
Right now I don't care. I'm going to worry about it later - right now Bush and Cheney are hardly visible in my rearview mirror.
I'll get back to being outraged over them later.
Not today. We just fucking ground their faces in the dirt - the whole goddamn country just about.
November 5, 2008 11:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hell yeah!
It's funny the Repugs usually run on the "law and order" platform yet Obama's win is the single greatest victory for the rule law in the last 50 years. Like since the Voting Rights Act.
It's really too bad irony is wasted on them...
November 5, 2008 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Franken was a flawed candidate, I think Dems would have won the seat definitively if the ran a safer candidate in Minnesota. Franken could still win of course.
Bachman is in a ruby red district from what I can understand. She'll have a harder time in two years running against other Republicans.
November 5, 2008 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
there was no safer candidate with better name recongnition with better funding than franken. there was no better option in MN. Nelson-Pallmeyer? Pallmeyer would've never been this close. Coleman has appeal here. i don't why, but he does.
November 5, 2008 11:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with Jonze. After the Ventura debacle, I think it wasn't too hard to surmise that Minnesota would balk at another perceived celebrity candidate. I wish Chuck Schumer had tapped Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner to run against Coleman; once she'd introduced herself to the state it could have been a reply of Amy Klobuchar (former Hennepin County Attorney) kicking Mark "dragon slayer" Kennedy's ass from one end of the state to the other. Sigh. Hopefully she runs for Governor in 2 years and kicks Tim Pawlenty's ass from one end of the state to the other.
November 5, 2008 11:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
The problem "ain't" the Dems. It's fucking Repugs who vote for Obama because they can't stand Palin and then vote for a sleazy fraud like Coleman or a fundy whackjob like Bachman. If that seems like it doesn't make sense, well, it doesn't. Neither do Repugs. It's a conflict on interest. Basically, Minnesota Repugs are wishy washy and this is what we get because of it. Franken's celebrity had little to do with this. A nasty campaign on both sides did (aka votes for Barkley).
November 5, 2008 11:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
I hear you but I dunno. I know several women who were weirded out by some of Franken's famed writings. Respected MN politicians like Betty McCullum said as much. And I overheard a woman in the voting line ahead of me yesterday tell her friend "I don't know, there's something about Franken that creeps me out." C'est la vie.
November 5, 2008 12:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Furthermore, Susan Gaertner? I follow MN politics fairly closely and I've never heard of her. There's the problem with other candidates in MN this year. No one cared about them, nobody knew who they were, there was no excitement, no support, no money. Franken had all of those from the get go. Coleman is well-recognized in this state and was an incumbent with some appeal, though I can't begin to fathom what that is. Franken is our best shot. You want to blame Franken for this close race- fine. Any other candidate and it wouldn't have been this close. If we had a Mark Warner or a Paul Wellstone back, sure they probably could've succeeded this year. But we didn't. We had Franken and given the other options, among people who actually wanted to run, he was the best. Personally, I blame moronic Repugs who can vote for Obama and Coleman without batting an eye. If they could vote for Obama they should've voted against the asshole who was handpicked by Cheney. Clueless is what they are. Barkley didn't help either.
November 5, 2008 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
http://www.politicsinminnesota.com/politics-minnesota-weekly-report-vol-2-issue-29-01-10-2007
November 5, 2008 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think there will be other Republicans running against her. The moderate wing of the party, such as it was, is gone nationally and almost gone regionally in the Midwest. There are no Republican representatives in New England.
Let me say that again - No Republican representatives in New England.
Bachmann represents the fundie rump of the Republican party - the only ones left.
November 5, 2008 11:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Also, New Mexico amazingly has not one Republican in either the House or the Senate. That is freaking unbelievable.
November 5, 2008 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
So when are today's daily tracking polls coming out?
November 5, 2008 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
LOL! Three words I don't need to hear for a looong time!
November 5, 2008 11:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Where's Eric to tell us the race is tightening?
LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!
November 5, 2008 11:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
What would Eric concern trolling now?
November 5, 2008 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
What is Nate Silver going to be doing for the next couple of years?
November 5, 2008 11:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think he said he would make an announcement about that soon.
November 5, 2008 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
He still has his other gig as baseball guru.
November 5, 2008 11:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nate Silver is going to be on of the most sought after interviews for the next few weeks. He is a star now.
November 5, 2008 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
He deserves it.
November 5, 2008 11:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
No kidding... If Obama wasn't a shoe-in for Time Man of the Year, it would have to be Nate Silver for sure
November 5, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
You can pretty much blame the rich suburbs of Minneapolis for this. So a big fuck you to Edina and Eden Prairie for making this so close!!!
November 5, 2008 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yup yup. They're the people who look like McCain's crowd last night.
November 5, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
According to those in-the-know Rahm Emanuel has been offered the Chief-of-Staff position. He's torn between personal ambition (Leader of the House) and sense of duty (you don't turn down the President).
November 5, 2008 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think he will take it.
November 5, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Pretty funny. Aaron Sorkin based Josh Lyman on Rahm -- and at the end of Season 7, President Santos (based on Obama) made Josh his chief of staff.
And now the real life Josh will be chief of staff to the real life Santos. Too cool.
November 5, 2008 11:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
There is hope!
November 5, 2008 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
LOL, CNN just called IN for BO.
November 5, 2008 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes we can. Yes we did.
November 5, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yay for Indiana!!!!!!
November 5, 2008 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey - the more mandate the merrier!!
You rock, Indiana!
November 5, 2008 11:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Just waiting on NC now.
November 5, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Texas for Obama in 2012
November 5, 2008 11:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
:)
November 5, 2008 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Word.
November 5, 2008 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Texas, Missouri and Montana!
November 5, 2008 12:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Congratulations!
November 5, 2008 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
In the race who's name TPM dare not mention, Minnick is leading Sali 51 to 49 in Idaho's 1st with 99% reporting (that margin has been consistent all night) ... but it still hasn't been called yet.
I think we're gonna have a democrat from Idaho. But man I'm nervous. How long can this take?
November 5, 2008 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Okay, I'm crying again. I don't normally watch The View, but I decided to tune in to see how Elizabeth Hasselbeck is handling the loss and Sherri Shepard just lost it talking about Obama's win and her son......
November 5, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Joe the Lieberman just issued a statement (per MSNBC) congratulating Obama on his significant victory and says he hopes to work with Obama in the future for the security of the U.S.
November 5, 2008 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
OMG, I'd forgotten about him. Coming back with his tail between his legs, is he?
Throw him to the curb. Strip him of committee assignments. He's not welcome and he's not needed. Let him caucus with the Republicans, they can put him on committees with their slots.
Heh heh, they won't take him either, will they?
November 5, 2008 11:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Tricky Joe, already playing politics. Framing it as stripping him of his committees will be putting the country at risk. It's petty politics or the safety of the country...
November 5, 2008 11:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let him stay on the committees - as a member of the minority caucus. The republicans bought him, he's theirs.
November 5, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Piss off, Joe!!!!
November 5, 2008 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wooo hoo!!!!! The western half of Idaho is now BLUE!!!! Add another dem to the house majority!
Many thanks to KOS for being the only person in the nation to give the race any play at all!!!! Big "dammit" to Josh/Greg for refusing to even mention the race was in play - EVER.
Obama, Gregoire, Minnick ... The three races I was praying/working for - all wins! The only thing that would have been better is if Montana had gone for Obama!
What an awesome election night/next day.
November 5, 2008 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hmmmm .... wonder why this came out under the Lieberman comment? Damn early morning clickin.
Screw Lieberman BTW.
November 5, 2008 11:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
I may have to change my avatar! Traitor Joe needs a recall in CT. Kick him while he's down.
November 5, 2008 4:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
In the event the loonies in Alaska really have re-elected Stevens - does anyone know what happens under AK law if he's expelled from the Senate? Is his replacement appointed by Governor ~gulp~ Palin? Or is there a special election?
November 5, 2008 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Special election.
November 5, 2008 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Special election.
I had a related question though - can the Senate simply not seat him?
Article I Section 5:
It seems that Qualifications could include "not being a convicted felon".
November 5, 2008 11:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
In reply to bvd above...
November 5, 2008 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's illuminating that that Newsweek article confirms our worst fears about Palin's crowds - the threat level to Obama went through the roof in September and October.
I don't want any of the Palins to so much as set foot in the lower 48 ever again. She is one hateful bitch.
November 5, 2008 11:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
I sense that Newsweek article may only be the beginning of a torrent of revelation (heh) re: McFlalin'...?
November 5, 2008 11:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
O I know.
I'm drooling in anticipation. She's going to end up being one of the most disliked people the Repugs ever slapped their brand on, I predict.
November 5, 2008 11:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
To quote Airplane: "They knew what they were getting in to when they got on that plane. I say, let them crash."
November 5, 2008 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
And one more thing about that article
Obama is actually human which makes me love him so much more - he says "fucking"
God I love this man!!!!1
November 5, 2008 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh c'mon Tena, you wouldn't truly love him unless he said "Jesus tits!"
November 5, 2008 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
... or "Jesus Christ on Oyster Crackers!!" :-)
November 5, 2008 11:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Or Jesus fucking Mary and Joseph!
November 5, 2008 11:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Or "sweet baby Jeebus"
November 5, 2008 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
"But tits is such a friendly word. Sounds like a nickname. Hey Tits, how ya doin'?"
November 5, 2008 1:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Coleman was just on the air with his acceptance speech. Fucking asshole, it's a total tossup, and the recount can, and hopefully will change this race dramatically. Yet, he has the gall to go on the air and declare victory. I hope to hell that bites him in the ass.....
November 5, 2008 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did Coleman have a 'Mission Accomplished' banner behind him?
November 5, 2008 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
No shit. Maybe it should be a "Not Guilty" banner.
November 5, 2008 12:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Coleman must be quickly indicted.
November 5, 2008 12:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am happy to report from Oregon that Jeff Merkley appears to have unseated Gordon Smith. Smith still leads by 9,000 in the raw vote but several hundred thousand votes remain to be counted and the preponderance of them are from Merkley territory, including Multnomah County (Portland) where only 50% is in and Smith trails more than 2-1. For continuous updates go to http://www.oregonlive.com/special/index.ssf/2008/11/senate.html
November 5, 2008 1:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you guys are following the unresolved Senate races, check out my thread on the Oregon race:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/spectacle/2008/11/oregon-senate-seat----numbers.php#comments
November 5, 2008 2:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Coleman says "no" to a recount because "healing needs to begin". Fuck him! He runs the one of the nastiest campaigns this cycle and he says that healing should begin? Don't do it, Al- you deserve a recount. In the very least, it will stall Coleman until he's indicted, oh, and he will be. It's so close, there has to be a recount.
November 5, 2008 2:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is it Coleman's call whether there's a recount?
November 5, 2008 4:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Coleman is trying to use Bush's tactic from Florida 2000, where he declares victory and calls on his opponent to stop dragging things out. The idea was to set up a media narrative that Bush had won and Gore was trying to overturn Bush's victory, and this was why there was more pressure on Gore to stop dragging things out than on Bush to let the voted be counted. We have to act now to stop the media letting themselves be used the same way this time. Get on them about how Coleman spins this and how they fall for it.
November 5, 2008 8:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Minnesota here. Recount is automatic as it is within the percentage range requiring a recount.
Minnesota Public Radio just reported at the top of the hour that Coleman' lead is now below 400 votes. It was over 700 when he declared victory.
November 6, 2008 3:41 PM | Reply | Permalink