Blog
MoveOn.org Makes A Full-Court Press for Franken
A few hours before a three-judge panel ruled tonight that Al Franken narrowly prevailed in his Senate brawl over incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman, MoveOn.org sent out an email to supporters, reminding them of the political stakes riding on the now-vacant Minnesota seat. The subject line reads simply: Senator Franken.
Here it is:
Dear MoveOn member,
Norm Coleman knows Al Franken won.
The courts just finished counting and recounting all potential ballots, and the results are clear: Al Franken got more votes than Norm Coleman did. In fact, this last round of Coleman challenges actually widened Franken’s lead.1
But Coleman is betting on the fact that Al Franken doesn’t have the funds to keep fighting a long legal battle. So instead of conceding gracefully, Coleman plans to appeal this final ruling, and drag this case through the Minnesota Supreme Court for several more months.2
It’s cynical. It’s selfish. And it’s hurting Minnesotans—not to mention Obama’s ability to pass real health care reform, create millions of green jobs, and build a new-energy economy.
If Al Franken can show that he has the war chest to keep going, Coleman won’t be able to justify dragging this out longer. All of us need to pitch in and help send a strong message to Norm Coleman: Al Franken won this election, and we’re sticking by him until he’s seated in the U.S. Senate. Can you chip in $25 today?
[LINK REMOVED]
Everyone knows this story ends with Al Franken being seated as a U.S. senator.
The question is: Can Franken raise enough money now to prove that another court appeal is pointless? Or will they have to duke it out in court for months to prove that same point?
So far, Franken’s team has done a great job. For the last seven weeks, Coleman made every conceivable legal argument he could to bolster his case. They presented more than 20,000 pages of legal filings.
The outcome? Al Franken gained votes. He started with a 225-vote lead, and now is up by 312 votes.3
Republicans in Washington know Coleman’s not going to win on the merits. As one former Republican senator said, their attitude is, “We will continue to fund you, just to keep the Democrat out of the Senate.”4
They want Coleman to keep flogging this legal case, depriving Minnesota voters of their second senator for months or years more—and depriving Democrats of a 59th vote that they won fair and square.
The better equipped Franken’s lawyers are to fight, the more easily they’ll be able to defeat Coleman in court. Can you chip in $25 to help Al Franken finally become Senator Franken?
[LINK REMOVED]
And there’s another candidate who needs our help, too.
Democratic House candidate Scott Murphy—who President Obama called “the kind of partner I need in Washington”5—is entering a long recount battle of his own after the special election in New York’s 20th District.
That race is virtually tied, so Republicans are resorting to smearing Murphy any way they can. If he’s going to make it to D.C. to help Obama, he’s going to need real resources to defend himself and make sure every vote gets counted and recounted. If you can, please chip in to help Murphy at the same link above.
–Nita, Joan, Peter, Eli and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. “Absentees push Franken’s Senate lead to 312,” Associated Press, April 8, 2009, http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51304&id=15909-10523989-ns_l61x&t=5
2. “Coleman team vows to appeal tally,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, April 8, 2009, http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51310&id=15909-10523989-ns_l61x&t=6
3. “Absentees push Franken’s Senate lead to 312,” Associated Press, April 8, 2009, http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51304&id=15909-10523989-ns_l61x&t=8
4. “The Conservative Case Against Coleman,” The New Republic, April 8, 2009, http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51307&id=15909-10523989-ns_l61x&t=9
5. “New York congressional race tests Obama,” AFP, March 30, 2009 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51272&id=15909-10523989-ns_l61x&t=10
For more on Murphy’s recount battle, check out http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/ny-20/
Want to support our work? We’re entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. [LINK REMOVED]
