As you all no doubt have heard by now, the Canvassing Board has wrapped up its work by certifying the recount results showing Al Franken on top by 225 votes of more than 2.9 million cast. However, with the legal wrangling far from over, the board was careful to point out that it was not declaring Franken the winner, only certifying the numbers.
But, in a not so comic twist, Franken nonetheless made a public statement declaring himself the winner, stating at one point: “I want every Minnesotan to hear this: I work for you now.” Coleman’s lawyers didn’t waste a moment either, making clear their intention to battle on through litigation.
Meanwhile, the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal didn’t let its complete lack of knowledge of the inner workings of our fair state stop it from denouncing as “dubious” the prospective outcome of the race (not even waiting for an actual outcome) and from implying the fix may be in.
“Strange things keep happening in Minnesota, where the disputed recount in the Senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken may be nearing a dubious outcome. Thanks to the machinations of Democratic Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and a meek state Canvassing Board, Mr. Franken may emerge as an illegitimate victor,” the WSJ opines from its Manhattan perch.
Now had the WSJ deigned to ask anyone in the Land of 10,000 Lakes anything about the members of the Canvassing Board, it would have immediately been set straight on how laughable the assertion is that Chief Justice Eric Magnuson, Justice G. Barry Anderson, Judge Ed Cleary and Judge Kathleen Gearin are all weak-willed marionettes in the hands of master puppeteer Mark Ritchie. There’s a long line of lawyers who would line up to testify that “meek” is not an adjective that comes to mind for any of these judges. And as for Ritchie, while he seems an amiable enough fellow, I’m afraid he falls short of being any sort of Svengali capable of controlling the strong legal minds of the jurists on that board.
The Canvassing Board did what it was supposed to do. It carried out its job meticulously, efficiently and with admirable transparency. I’m not surprised, but can’t say I’m not disappointed that this intractable Senate race will apparently go on longer through the litigation process. But that’s not the fault of the Canvassing Board, which I think deserves our thanks for a job well done.
In any case, I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to the day when this all ends, and I can exclaim in Gerald Ford-like fashion, “Our long state nightmare is over.” But for now, hold on to your bed sheets — we’re heading to Elm Street.
Shame on the WSJ and the Franken campaign for jumping the gun and not making clear that there is a contest phase. They should also acknowledge that, as you put it, the “legal wrangling” is “far from over.” Cue Frank Stallone song.
Then there is this little quote from the post below:
Barring the intercession of the courts, it appears all but certain now that the state’s new U.S. senator will be Al Franken.
Hmm.
The last statement you reference refers to the (I think) self-evident fact that, if the currently certified recount numbers stand (i.e. are not changed as a result of the litigation process), Franken will come out on top and become the senator. But with Colemen’s lawyers announcing that they will pursue the litigation option (and assuming that Coleman follows through), the result is once again a matter of conjecture. The only real question here was whether Coleman would chose, similar to Nixon in the 1960 presidential election, to forgo the court option. It appears that will not be the case. Stay tuned.