Seattleites help al franken make gains in senate race

If successful, he'll be the first talk radio host in America elected to the US Senate -- also America's first (intentional) comedian in that exalted body.

And it's starting to look better for him in the tight, hard-fought Minnesota race.

Associated Press analysts expect the former Air America talk host to push ahead of Senator Norm Coleman this week after a pair of victories in the state canvasing board's handling of absentee ballots.

The New Republic:

According to this figure, Franken is leading Coleman by four votes. Press coverage has often failed to explain the methodology of Franken's number -- which, if accurately reported, would provide a much more clear window into the true state of the race. Of course, this assumed that Franken's campaign was reporting the number accurately. (The Coleman campaign disputed it, but suspiciously refused to provide its own number.) Now, finally, the Associated Press has examined the challenged ballots, and concluded:

    The AP also found that of the 3,500 challenged ballots that easily could be assigned, Franken netted 200 more votes than Coleman.

In other words, the Franken number is basically dead on: start with Coleman ahead by 192 votes, net 200 for Franken, and you've got Franken with a small single-digit (!) lead.

 Most observers agree, though: this won't be settled soon.

Local note: The Seattle P-I reports that former Washington Democratic Chair Paul Berendt who presided over the tight 2004 Gregoire-Rossi and lawyers from Perkins Coie, veterans of the Maria Cantwell and Chris Gregoire elections, are in the midst of the Minnesota' recount.

A Franken election will drive right-wing media boffo: O'Reilly, and Limbaugh have been the subjects of his books, and repeated mockery, and both despise him. Sean Hannity has called him "dangerous," and "a moral threat."

Comments

[AuthenticAndrew]

Myron "Dorothy" Monson is aparently dedicating entire shows to cRazY things that happened this year. You know why people listen to talk radio? Becuase they like discussions of current events. So, for a week, or two, or three, he is executing horrible radio by definition. Listening to people chat about something that happened eight months ago is the talk radio equal to being deprived of breathing air. It's like suffocating. Who said or did what today? Nobody knows!

[Harry]

In other words, Seattle sent over fraudulent ballots leftover from the Washington election.

[Gerald]

Sounds like Dino has been advising ol'Norm:

Coleman asks Court to stop counties from opening absentee ballots
by Mike Mulcahy, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — Republican Sen. Norm Coleman's campaign has asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to issue an order preventing county canvassing boards from opening and counting wrongly rejected absentee ballots.

The move comes as the Hennepin County Canvassing Board is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. today to begin looking at absentee ballots.

There is no word from the court yet as to whether it will act on the request.

The state canvassing board on Friday asked counties to include wrongly rejected absentee ballots in their recount totals.

Some counties are refusing, because they say the board lacks the authority to include the ballots. The Minnesota Secretary of State's office estimates there may be as many as 1,500 such ballots statewide. Two state supreme court justices are members of the state canvassing board.

[sparky]

Go Al!!

Holy crap the roads are bad...what a joke to have school today..2 hours late turned into three hours late by the time the buses arrived, we moved kids from the old part of the school that had no heat, and parents showed up. Kids could not go outside because it was too cold and it was chaos. Rinse, repeat tomorrow!

[sparky]

rozscat I hope you can post more before you have to take off again! Some of us would really be interested in hearing about your work and what the scientists are finding. The Luddites can go post on Sound Politics in the meantime.

[Coiler]

Sean Hannity quotes the 3 stages of radicalism as he sees it, first you are silly, then crazy and when that fails, 'dangerous'. I hope Franken wins--we don't need anymore republicans getting shoes thrown at them. Although I thought it was funny.

[chucks]

Come on Sparky, tuff it out. When you play hookey, it messes everything up for the parents.
A lot of people are afraid to give their bosses any hint of a reason to fire them. Not showing up to work is one of those reasons. Right now, a crap load of bosses are trying to pick who to cut.

[KS]

Here's a dissenting vote - I hope that Coleman edges out rat bastard Franken. If Franken wins it, he will have resorted to manipulating the results via the courts and will be similar to the jury that acquitted OJ Simpson - most knew that he did (cheated his way to victory) it, but that didn't affect their vote - you get the idea. If could win it honestly, then so be it, but that is above Franken's dignity. Coleman is clearly the lesser of two evils here.

It was seemingly fitting that Bush got the shoes thrown at him for all of the turmoil he has brought on in Iraq - although it is finally improving, but it has been forgotten by the news media because it is improving.

[KS]

Here's a dissenting vote - Coleman to edge out rat bastard Franken. If Franken could win fairly, so be it, but he is working overtime trying to manipulate the results by the courts and contesting illegal ballots. The Blagoyovich branch of the Chicago machine is probably helping him out and wouldn't be surprised if he has or resorts to bribes.

It was seemingly fitting that Bush got the shoes thrown at him for all of the turmoil in Iraq he has brought on. His reflexes were somehow good enough to duck out of the way - hmmm....

[KS]

inadvertent double post with some modifications - wasn't sure it was going to show up.

[Coiler]

Evidently it is improving when shoes go flying and one is willing to risk years in jail. I always thought Bush was living in the bizarro world where everything is the opposite of what it is

[Tommy008]

Andrew is spoton about Monson. I've been listening to Monson indulge himself for days now with his childish, puerile soundbite of the year awards. I thought it was something that would only take up one 3 hour show at most (it shouldn't have consumed more than one hour) but i was dismayed to hear him still chortling and carrying on today about who had made it into his "quarterfinals". This is an example of why I call Dori a small man. There are too many serious and important things going on right now in the world to have a silly,shallow buffoon waste this much valuable airtime on a major American radio station with his petty private projects.

[Ryder]

Its crazy enuff that most of Dori's callers are accidental listeners. Now I learn that there is nothing else for any of you to listen to on the radio except Dori. No wonder you're so angry. I would be too. What makes it all the worse is that apparently some of you not only do not have an "off" switch but you have nothing else to do except listen to radio between noon and 3 PM.

Go buy a CD player.

Or a tv.

Get a life.

Don't get me wrong. I too hate all those idiot sound bites being played over and over. It almost seems that Dori is flaunting us with them. Why? Well, because he has the #1 show on KIRO. He can do as he pleases.

But the day will come. Ratings will adjust. Listeners, even most of you, will come to realize that talk radio is a gigantic waste of time. You'll go work in the garden. Play with the young'uns. Stare at the wall. Then Dori will be shown the door. There'll be someone new to piss ya off.

Now, go make a snow man.

[AuthenticAndrew]

I have a rich and fulfilling life. I listen to many mediums throughout the day including mp3s, podcasts, AM & FM, cable news, XM radio, internet radio and phonograph. I listen to friends and enemies alike. I want to hear what they have to say and get all sides of every story. Just because I happen to hear Dorothy do an awful show once in a while doesn't mean I sit locked in a dark little room with a broken radio dial set to KIRO.
I would talk more about those other mediums if this weren't a radio blog. Welcome to the Common Sense of America.

Dori's month long year in review is the crowning display of arrogance because what he's tacitly declaring is that his best-of worst-of the year picks are the news, and that the real news he's ignoring is not as news worthy as whatever clever quip he made to some caller last May before hitting the dump button. It's very trivial content, it's bad radio.

[Tommy008]

this is a perfect topic for Michael to do one of his regular exposes and embarrassments of the little king, Dorothy "buffoon boy" Monson.

[PugetSound]

KS
Glad to see you back. I haven't seen you here or even at the other site.

[PugetSound]

Just perfect Joe Scarborough.
Go Joe Go.

sums up the media bias issue

[PugetSound]

Coils
You didn't just come back from a trip up in Wasilla did you?

Hope you avoided the video cameras.

[AuthenticAndrew]

Why didn't you investigate Obama you lazy asshole?

[PugetSound]

Tommy 008
Saw this article and thought of you. Per the Chicago Sun Times.

"Sun-Times: Obama's Senate Seat is a 'Black Senate Seat'

Betcha didn't know that the elected office of Senator of the United States of America was a color coded position? Apparently, Laura Washington of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks it is, anyway, because she is warning that Obama's "black Senate seat" will be lost because of this mess with Governor Rod Blagojevich getting arrested for trying to sell that "black seat" to the highest bidder.

In hers headlined "Black leaders see Senate seat being hijacked," Washington is ostensibly reporting on what black community leaders and politicos in Chicago are saying about who should be appointed to fill Obama's vacant seat. Still, Washington injected quite a lot of her own feelings into the tale of this gnashing of teeth and rending of cloth over the fate of that same seat to the effect that she endorses the idea that Obama's position in the Senate is officially a "black seat" and should stay that way.

Washington is worried most that if the seat is left to be filled by an actual vote of the people of Illinois, instead of an appointment by the governor, it will spell the end of the "black seat." At one point, Washington even claims that "white voters" are uninterested in why they might "deserve" a black senator and so cannot be counted on to vote black. That despite the fact that when Obama ran he was overwhelmingly elected by those same white voters -- not to mention that the other party also put up a black senate candidate to face him. Wouldn't it seem obvious that voting black is not much of a problem for white voters in Illinois?"

[PugetSound]

"Why didn't you investigate Obama you lazy asshole?

Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | December 16, 2008 at 06:58 AM"

Not too worry AA, now we got plenty of time to investigate away.
Another example of the media being in the tank for one candidate.
But hey, rest assured we now know that Sarah Palin gave birth to Twig, the daughter is pregnant by her teenage boyfriend, and her hubby's business partner did not have an affair with Sarah. (poor Sparky was so sure about that one)
Yep, all that time in Wasilla paid off for the American People.

And when it got a little too hot with Gov Blago and his connections, we have some a-hole fly up to Wasilla to put Palin's church to flames and some nimrod toss a shoe at Bush.
Good times for Olberman/Madcow/et al.

Ask yourself the Scarborough question. Swap out Obama for Sarah Palin and make it about Ted Steven's Senate Seat.
The media would be back up in Wasilla (population 10 thousand) ripping it wide open.
Why did the Trib threaten reveal the story early? Why not find out who was going to pay the booty for the Seat? Amazing. Fitz wanted to keep the investigation going to see who would bite. The Trib didn't want it to go further. They were gonna break the story. Fitz had to end the investigation early.
Hmmmm.

[KS]

Good one, Puts.

Morning Joe told it like it is; "the media relies on their instincts (tainted by their own biases) when it comes to investigating a story." The news tips and outcry from others are secondary. That is why the media does a half-assed job and are no better than tabloid writers and more explicitly are journalistic proctologists who mostly behave like the related part of the anatomy.

[AuthenticAndrew]

If it's true that the Obama is unvetted then conservatives should be happy. A corrupt and scandal ridden Dem president would do a lot to make Republicans look a little less worse - and it would put the nigras down once again. You should be drooling all over your grapefruit over this.

[Habu]

zero/biden(and franken once he completes the election theft) is like finding three hemorrhoids on your Christmas tree.

[PugetSound]

"If it's true that the Obama is unvetted then conservatives should be happy. A corrupt and scandal ridden Dem president would do a lot to make Republicans look a little less worse - and it would put the nigras down once again. You should be drooling all over your grapefruit over this.

Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | December 16, 2008 at 08:39 AM"

Nuanced argument there Andrew. If Obama is critiqued or questioned ergo you are a racist.
Newsflash: It's not racist to treat him the same as oh say Sarah Palin.
Unless of course you don't mind treating a woman different than a man. You must be drooling all over your grapefruit over that.
See how that crazy logic can get turned around so quickly.
Novel thought: Treat people the same. You'll be a better man for it Andrew.

[PugetSound]

oh yeah, hurry up and get my fries for me. I got things to do.

[AuthenticAndrew]

I never said criticism of Obama is racist. I'm saying conservatives are always racist, 365 days of the year.

[AuthenticAndrew]

Maybe you should lay off the fries you fat fuck.

[Nevets]

Puts, do you think that will become a trend. It reminds me of the joke Gov. Patterson used about Obama being elected.

"Once you have gone Black, You never go back."

[PugetSound]

"I never said criticism of Obama is racist. I'm saying conservatives are always racist, 365 days of the year.

Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | December 16, 2008 at 09:47 AM"

Maybe you should lay off the fries you fat fuck.

Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | December 16, 2008 at 10:11 AM

much more nuanced. careful, they'll take your name tag away from you. no wonder chucks kicked your ass.

[PugetSound]

nevets
why did the Trib curtail the investigation.
why did they not want to see who was going to pony up the dough?
what did they know and when did they know it?
man, the administration hasn't even started and already we have so many questions.

[Nevets]

Puts, theres two possible answers.

1. Obama got wind of the story and pressured the Tribune to run it to protect himself and those around him. Maybe the Feds can get him for obstruction if this is true. Like Scooter libby.

2. The Tribune was afraid the story would leak out and they would not get the story out first.

I will go with the first one.

On a side note, I see the Supreme Court is more worried about Smokers rights to sue than Voters rights to know if thier President is qualified.

[PugetSound]

Agreed.
Even if they got 'scooped' they had the comprehensive story being that they were the target.
I think the first possibility is more likely. Not so much Obama, but someone close.

I like those links.

[Gerald]

So much stupid in such a little space. You guys are something else.

[rozskat]

Gerald- They were abused children talking amongst themselves pretending to be significant.

[rozskat]

Sparky – Since we have 24/7 Internet on the ships I will be checking in often. This year will not be exciting as the years past. My only foreign trip this year will consist of an overnight stay in Saipan to meet the ship and sail back to Hawaii. I was to go to Guam and Saipan twice but changed the schedule to staying in Hawaii during January and February. Its OK as I’ve been to Guam when I was in the Navy. Earlier this year I had stops in Western and American Samoa as well as Jarvis, Midway and Palmyra Atolls and Kingman Reef as well. I am looking forward to next year, as we are to return to Samoa (my second home). It will be a coral reef mission and look forward to working with the French (I guess that makes me a traitor to some of the folks here). I already met several of them informally at a beach gathering when I was in Apia last September. They too are scientists except they (French) seem to get better support than ours do.

[Duffman]

I seriously doubt that.

[Nevets]

Roz, at least we dont have to make up lies to have people approve of us. Get that timeline straightened up yet.

[rozskat]

Steven- I detest anyone who calls me a liar. Just because I do not think like you or have the same outlook as you do does not make me a liar. I know my military timeline and if you cannot figure it out, do not blame me for your stupidity or the lack of logic to figure things out. But what am I to expect from someone who thinks only in absolute terms.

If you do not like what I post then ignore it! I do not need your approval for anything Steven. The burden of proof is in your court. In the end though, I will just tell you to stick it in your ass and it is none of your business!

[sparky]

wow, I want your job roz. Not that I would like being on a ship for a long time, but spending the winter in tropical climes.

I read the other day that a significant amount of the world's coral reefs have been destroyed. Keep us posted on what you find out, please.

[Gerald]

"..the big trouble with dumb bastards is that they are too dumb to believe there is such a thing as being smart." --Kurt Vonnegut (GreenDog)

[chucks]

rozskat
Frogs have served & bled with American service people many times. We flip them shit, they flip us shit. Like brothers, we fight like cats and dogs. Like brothers, we stand together when it matters.
My wife and I are going to try to swing a visit to American and Western Samoa next year along with New Zeland. My sister in law took my Grand Nephew to both Somoa's this past fall to meet his fathers side of his family. They had a great time. Various members of his family have offered places to stay so it might just be affordable.
Please report back on your researchers findings. Don't know about others, but I am open minded (except when it comes from algore the carbon credit salesman).

[chucks]

rozskat
Frogs have served & bled with American service people many times. We flip them shit, they flip us shit. Like brothers, we fight like cats and dogs. Like brothers, we stand together when it matters.
My wife and I are going to try to swing a visit to American and Western Samoa next year along with New Zeland. My sister in law took my Grand Nephew to both Somoa's this past fall to meet his fathers side of his family. They had a great time. Various members of his family have offered places to stay so it might just be affordable.
Please report back on your researchers findings. Don't know about others, but I am open minded (except when it comes from algore the carbon credit salesman).

[chucks]

oops :-]

[Habu]

The inbred is losing by 358 votes.

Say good night Al.

[Nevets]

No Roz, you dont need my approval. You need Sparkys and Joanies approval. And it looks like you got it, even with all the proof that I posted about your Military Service being a lie. They still buy into it.

You seem to be thier savior. They need you. I just hope you dont disappoint them.

[Tommy008]

Gerald comes out of nowhere,appearing in print here with cheapshots about us bloggers(at least those of us he disagrees with).wow what a bigshot. how about showing us how smart YOU are, big man,with some quality posts, instead of trying to puff out your sucken chest and inflate your three-inch pencil dick by putting us down.Your false sense of superiority is already getting old, Gerald. Assclown.

[joanie]

KS: he will have resorted to manipulating the results

Umm, also called counting all the votes?

Gerald, somehow I don't think you're going to take sputs up on his offer and stick around. But I hope you do, too.

This blog which has become a fool's burlesque is becoming tedious at best and a waste of time at worst.

[rozskat]

Talofa Chucks, I will not be a carbon salesman for Mr. Gore. Even Newsweek deemed that ridiculous. Nevertheless, you know already that I am a terrible salesman to begin with so do not worry about me trying to make an attempt.

I was in Samoa last September to bring my wife to America. I am struggling now trying to get her acclimated with the cold spell we are having. She touched her first snow last Saturday night. I have a photo of her doing that. You can tell she is a Polynesian with all the winter clothes and look at her feet, she is wearing flip-flops! She did experience some cold weather in New Zealand last August for ten days during their winter to get her immigration visa from the American Consulate. At that time she knew she was going home to Samoa so that did not affect her much as this cold spell. I told her if she decides to go back, I will follow her!

I know you and your wife will have a good time in American and Western Samoa as well as New Zealand. With all the contacts you have in Samoa, you and your wife should have no problems getting around. I took my son twice to Samoa last year to meet his stepmom and her family. He lived with us for five weeks in her village the first time. They made him an honorary talking chief when we went back for Christmas.

The US dollar still goes far in Western Samoa. In fact, Samoa is probably one of the few places where the dollar appreciated against the local currency. Last I checked it was almost three to one! When you and your wife get there, please enjoy a bottle of Vailima (local brew) for me. Visit to Samoa is an experience you and yours will never forget.

[rozskat]

I do spend much time on ships. However, this year is going to be different. My spouse has joined me here so I will be on normal rotation and spend less time at sea.
I do like being at sea as you are away from so-called civilization. In addition the pay is good so cannot complain about the quantity on the paycheck. If I took a shore job, it would be a big cut in pay. I tried office jobs but not adaptable to be an “office zombie.” I told Chucks a while back that I tried sales once that only resulted in good material for comedy.

As for coral reefs, they are dying at an alarming rate. Culprits include carbon monoxide, pollution, and increase of temperature in the oceans as well as the fishing industry through use of nets. There are still areas where reefs are in good health and most of the research we do is studying what keeps those going and applied to ones affected. Majority of the island nations in the South Pacific are dependent upon coral reefs for protection. There are concerns about the health of coral reefs there and the concern is justified. The village where I spend my away time in Western Samoa would be underwater if not for healthy coral reefs.

I did some snorkeling in Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands two years ago and enjoyed the 360-degree aquarium view of tropical fish and coral. Almost snorkeled in Kingman Reef but the boat broke down and it started to rain hard. A month after I got back, photos and an article on Kingman Reef was in National Geographic. I enjoyed snorkeling in the Galapagos but was disappointed that the water was not clear. Beaches were beautiful and empty. An occasional iguana would crawl by posing for pictures and small pools of tropical fish waiting for high tide to come in and take them back to sea. Temperatures were more than hot (relief compared to now). Lot of the problems in the Galapagos is attributed to the tourist industry. Two places I have not snorkeled were ironically Western Samoa and the other was Marquises Island in French Polynesia. In Marquises, I was more interested in tracing the footsteps of Herman Melville after reading his book Typee. A French tour guide who was married to a Marquisan helped me out with that. I would have like to have gone to Hiva Oa where Paul Gauguin spent some time and buried but only seen the island from the weather decks.

You could probably guess my favorite books are Michener’s Hawaii, Return to Paradise, Tales of the South Pacific, Rascals in Paradise and Melville’s Typee and Moby Dick (minus the whale killing details). It means more now since I have been to those places.

The village I spend part of the year was not too far from Matareva, where cranky American Mr. Morgan lived in Michener’s Return to Paradise. The movie was filmed there as well.