Esme's Blog: The Do-Over Recount?
On Monday, the Minnesota Supreme court will hear Tom Emmer's petition that all 4,130 precincts in the state need to reconcile the number of votes with the number of signature on their polling rosters.
Hennepin, Ramsey and Anoka Counties have fired back with petitions saying they followed an election rule that calls for the reconciliation to occur between the number of voters and the number of voter receipts. The counties argue this is the way the process has worked since 1982. An awful lot of people have been elected in Minnesota since 1982 and no one has complained about the process.
Then there is the specter of Tom Emmer, who has done nothing in the way of preparing for a transition to become Governor. He has held no interviews of potential staffers, and with the exception of a clandestine meeting with Governor Pawlenty, no meetings with state or legislative officials. After visiting family in Canada he is reportedly planning a hunting trip.
Tom Emmer is a smart man. Are these the actions of a man who really believes he is about to become Governor? And as petitions that have the potential to dramatically lengthen the recount are filed on his behalf, are these the actions of a man who really is "in charge" as he said he is?
And then there is the specter of 2008 lingering over this recount. GOP Chair Tony Sutton said the day after the election, "We are not going to get rolled again."
Is this supposed to be the do-over recount? The only problem with that is the 2008 recount was the longest, most thorough, exhaustive, transparent recount in modern US history. Three different panels unanimously agreed Al Franken was the winner. Six of the 12 judges involved in those panels were Republican appointees. Only two were Democratic appointees. The final panel was the Minn. Supreme Court, whose Chief Judge was Republican appointee Eric Magnuson. Magnuson is now one of Emmer's lead attorneys.
The recount is required by state law. Legal maneuvering to overturn nearly 30 years of state election practices is not. And the suggestion that the last recount was somehow unjust and should be a motive for pursuing extraordinary measures this time around is an insult to the thousands of people of all parties who worked tirelessly in 2008 to ensure a fair outcome.
Minnesota doesn't need a do-over recount. Minnesota needs a Governor.
