Puttin' on the Spread

The more ballots they count, the wider the winner's lead gets:

Democrat Al Franken today extended his lead over Republican Norm Coleman in Minnesota's U.S. Senate election, after the counting of about 350 formerly rejected absentee ballots this morning.

Franken captured 198 of the ballots, while Coleman took 111. The ballots added 87 votes to Franken’s recount lead, enlarging his margin over Coleman to 312.

Seems like Former Senator Coleman needs to up his dosage of DRAGRA. Or, since that isn't quite working, he may need to switch the DELAYUS, an every day supplement that is always ready when you are:

All around the world, politicians with electile dysfunction (ED) have taken 36-month DELAYUS as needed.

Today sore losers can be ready with another option, DELAYUS for daily news—a clinically proven low dose buzz that is talked every day. Talk to your spin doctor to see if a DELAYUS option is right for you

FIGHT, FIGHT on NORM, complete and total political impotence is a Supreme Court appeal away!!

Flash

RIP Morgan

Steve Cannon, the voice of 'CCO radio for many many years has succumbed to cancer.

WCCO says Cannon died Monday night after a five-month battle with cancer.

Cannon retired from WCCO in 1997, signing off after nearly 40 years on Minnesota airwaves. He worked for 13 years as a morning show host at KSTP-AM before joining rival WCCO in 1971.

Cannon dubbed himself "king of the kilohertz, prince of the airwaves." His show -- from "the basement studio" at WCCO -- featured Cannon bantering with his characters Ma Linger, Morgan Mundane and Backlash LaRue (pictured).

The Cannon Mess theme is here.

The Funerial March

Many other snippets at the Museum.

Moving Ballots

County registrars from across the state are collating ballots for delivery to St. Paul, today. Soon they will get another look, 4, even 5 maybe the 6th look in some cases. The STRIB has an interesting article and a family's ballot saga:

In February, Coleman's list of 3,687 rejected absentee ballots included both Stockes and Zirkle among 21 voters' ballots from Aitkin County that his campaign believed should have been counted. The former senator, behind in the recount, was working hard to get as many rejected absentee ballots counted as possible.

Then in early March, a Franken list suggested that Tim and Karen Stocke's ballots lacked evidence of being legally cast. As for Zirkle, the Franken list also noted there was no proof she was registered.

Zirkle was the only one of the three who made Coleman's final list of ballots that he hoped to have considered. And Tim Stocke was the only one to make Franken's final list.

And the kicker:

Amid all the complexities, one point can be missed: Just whom did the Stocke household vote for?

Three votes for Franken, Karen Stocke said. "We're all Democrats."

No matter what the dissenters say, this has been a thorough, fair, and painstaking process. The only thing I would change in statute, is that the Election Contest winner should receive an election certificate while the appeals continue. To make the state wait, regardless of who the victor is, seems so wrong.

Flash

Good Bye, Gene!

I am getting ready to leave for a funeral. Another neighborhood dad has passed!

Gene was one in a million! For those that recall the days of the Muscular Dystrophy carnivals, their house was the one that hosted it in our neighborhood. Consistently in the Top 10 money makers in the state, it was always the can't miss it event of the year. I recall one year they got Peter Lupus of Mission Impossible fame to attend.

Gene always had a wisecrack or a one liner to put a smile on your face. Today we say good bye, and many of those stories will be revisited.

Green Tea has more.

Thanks, Gene, I'll miss you!

Flash

New and Improved, DRAGRA

Taking a cue from this post, ~tilde, does what she does best:
The squint print is there, click to enlarge.

Senator Coleman's Dilemma

The former Senator must be weighing his choices as it relates to his political future. On one hand, he must remain true to his ideological piggy bank, ta assure he can pay off mounting legal debts. But on the other hand, a move beyond the election contest, especially if Al Franken increases his lead, could be political suicide.

With the Governor Pawlenty's decision on running for re-election still looming, you have to figure that the former Senator is considering that option. Taking this election fight to the next stage, one that would be even hard to overcome then the current election contest, will most certainly dilute the patience of the Minnesota electorate.

Diaz at the Strib discusses it:

And right now, the onus is on Coleman, the candidate whose prospects now appear dimmer. Since Franken was certified the recount leader in January, Coleman has been cast in the role of underdog.

"He's been faced with this dilemma at every single stage," Wolsborn said. "He has to think seriously about his professional goals. If he would like to run for governor, in case the governor wants to run for president, then there's a lot at stake in terms of his statewide appeal."

"At some point, if it looks like if all this is simply an effort to prevent the seating of Franken while important votes are up in the Senate, it could look like a denial of democracy," said Thomas Mann, a political analyst at the Brookings Institution in Washington. "It would certainly diminish Coleman's options for reentering public life."

Part of me thinks Coleman should fight for every last moment, further rendering himself politically impotent. Of course, I do have a heart, and hope that Senator Norm Coleman uses that bright and intelligent mind of his and recognizes that this was over several months ago, and maybe it is time to move on with his life, and his career.

Time will tell where his true loyalties lie. If it is with Minnesotans, this will be all over by the end of next wee.

Flash

UPDATE: Ollie writes with notification there is already a prescription for Sen Norm's political impotence, or more commonly known as Electile Dysfunction:

All around the world, politicians with electile dysfunction (ED) have taken 36-month DELAYUS as needed.

Today sore losers can be ready with another option, DELAYUS for daily news—a clinically proven low dose buzz that is talked every day. Talk to your spin doctor to see if a DELAYUS option is right for you.

UPDATE II: More from Ollie's Pharmaceuticals:

DRAGRA is an oral argument for electoral dysfunction (ED). It helps most politicians with ED take a lot of time to disprove their elections. That means they aren't able to overturn elections, just drag things out.

Losing an election is only half the story
Maintaining an election is just as important as losing one. DRAGRA can help with both. This can lead to a more satisfying court experience with your lawyers.

Who can take DRAGRA
DRAGRA has an established safety profile of over 10 years. It has been shown to work safely and effectively in politicians with ED. This includes:

* Republicans of all ages
* Republicans presidential candidates in Florida
* Norm Coleman

Find out if DRAGRA is right for you. Speak to your spin doctor. He can tell you if you have ED. And can recommend an effective treatment.

Who can't take DRAGRA
The citizens of Minnesota.

Non Fool

I am not the fool, no posting today

400 ballot Universe

theUptake is reporting that Election Contest panel has asked that 400 ballots be reviewd for potential counting. If ALL 400 are counted, Franken would need just 65 of them to retain his lead in the recount. Furthermore, and this is a crushing blow to Coleman:

The court denies double counting charges, allows the missing ballots in Minneapolis to be counted and only allows 400 absentee ballots to be counted. Franken has a 225 vote lead. Press conference at 4:30

Team Franken conference call LIVE at theUpdate, 4:30 Central!

Flash

Corporatism?!?

I didn't read much about the GM bailout, the demands being placed on them by the administration, specifically the stepping down of the CEO. But I DID read from many who seem appalled at the government meddling with private corporations.

Listen, folks, this is real simple. GM stopped being a private company the moment they came to Washington banging on our door asking for handouts. They don;t have to listen to a work, or follow a single guideline if they simply put their hand back in their pocked. But as long as 'WE' are going to invest in them to keep them afloat, well, we get a say in their management.

Can you imagine the outrage if the administration just handed over money without doing anything?!? This was a lose lose as the Right was going to pound on the President no matter what he did. The answer will be whether it works or not.

Flash

BasketBlogging v.2009; Final Four Set

Seven out of eight, three out of four:


OK, so Duke got bounced early, but that is bound to happen to at least on of your Final Four teams. But to all those folks who scoffed up my picks, and laughed at the fact I had Michigan State beating Louisville, HA . . ha . . ha . . HA!

In the Family Pool, the Lovely Mrs. Flash, Spartan fan that she is, went with UCONN beating Michigan State. The one son with a board has UNC winning it all. We are all still in it, and the Michigan State/UCONN game will be the key.

Spring Break this week, I don;t know if that mean more or less posting. Stay tuned!

Flash

Rick Nelson, Mentor

Rick Nelson, an integral part of the DFL party has passed of pancreatic cancer. I will share with you Rick Stafford's words as sent to me for all to see:

Tonight I received word that Rick Nelson passed away from pancreatic cancer at his home surrounded by his many loved ones. This is extremely disheartening news for me as I considered Rick a good friend and political peer.

Most will remember Rick for his very able talents chairing parts of our state conventions and other unit conventions and meetings. But what many within the DFL Party did not realize was the numerous important, but sometimes trivial roles that Rick undertook or played "behind the scenes". He did much without taking credit or tooting his own horn!!!!! He was our "free" employment lawyer and provided "focus" during times that required it but few were able to provide. He was the secretarial scribe for the State Constitution and Bylaws for a couple of decades--keeping track of the many changes this body always seemed to make in developing the biannual DFL Call, making the clerical changes to the document and adding a touch of the lawyer "grammar" when needed. Most important, Rick was a mentor.

And, he had quite the sense of humor - Scandinavian heritage intact! He and his wife, Kathy, always enjoyed entertaining and Rick looked forward every Christmas to the Holiday Party that they would host at their home.

Rick was never a delegate to a national convention, something he never really wanted and sought during the last couple of elections. It was great that Rick was able to be part of the Minnesota delegation, while not a delegate, at this very historic convention before the good Lord called upon him. I know he/she will put Rick to good use!

My hopes and prayers to the Nelson family during this difficult time.

Flash

Sidebar Houskeeping

I've been going through my blogroll to weed out the ones that are defunct and adding some that were conspicuously missing. Additions were from both sides of the aisle:

Newsiness
MNScaifeNet
theUptake

Local Lefties
Arm Chair Politics MN
Dusty Trice

Righty Tighties
Hot Air

I am looking for some local moderates out there. If you are out there drop me a note or let me know in the comments.

If you are stopping in and have a blog of your own, please make sure you have Centrisity listed in your roll or feeds.

Thanks folks, now go fill more sand bags.

Flash

Red River Disaster

Heard from Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND)

'ditches look like creeks. Creeks look like rivers. Rivers look like lakes.'

Simply awful. All my hopes to those weathering this unimaginable disaster.

You can help here:

Red Cross
WCCO Resource Links

Stock Up Before SCHIP hits

On April 1st, tobacco taxes go through the roof to fund SCHIP. No big deal as I quit the nails and don't have to deal with the 60 cent increase. However, I do like to enjoy a quality cigar now and then, and those are also facing a 2.3 times increase in tax as well.

Good news, large cigars will not have a stock tax imposed, so anything in the warehouse on April 1st will be exempt from this tax. This is not the case with smaller cigars and cigarettes. So you will see an immediate increase in those items on April 1st.

I don;t have a problem with the tax itself, but that doesn't mean I am not going to be trolling the online cigar shops for some good deals on premium cigars. I mostly deal in the generic and store brand items as I am not much of a connoisseur, yet. But a box of Punches or some Romeo y Julietas may be out there with my name on it.

Again, as a "Commie homo-loving sons of guns", this little gift to help the children isn't a big deal to me . . . but Il Duce' must be livid *grin*

Flash

Revitilization in Action

Tax breaks in the stimulus bill are taking effect:

Three top window manufacturers, including Andersen Windows of Bayport, Minn., have seen an uptick in business in recent weeks that they credit, at least in part, to a tax break for installing more energy-efficient windows that's part of the federal stimulus package.

For Andersen, that meant recalling 180 of the 560 workers it laid off in January.

When I did all my windows 6 years ago, there was no break. And the basement windows I did last fall probably fall outside the chronological window. But you can bet there are those on the bubble, people who can't afford to sell due to the depreciation of the housing market, who will be all over this form of relief/incentive, to improve their home. In the process, it is putting people back to work, creating even more stimulus.

Don't you love it when a plan comes together.

SoS Joan Grow on Election Contest

via PiPress:

Like every election, this one had a winner. True, the margin was close. But as Minnesota's secretary of state, I supervised dozens upon dozens of recounts. Most were incredibly close, sometimes with a single-digit margin. But someone always won and someone always lost. That's the way it is. We verify who won the best way we can, but it is never correct to suggest that no one did.

One candidate won this Senate race, too. Of course, many of us wish that he had won it by a larger margin, allowing him to get to work immediately.

But all of us should be glad that we live in a state that has established a fair, transparent and meticulous process for determining who won the race when the margin is so close that the returns on Election Night are inconclusive.

Read it all!

Where's the Love

When President Obama took office, and the disaster that was the Bush economy, the rabid Right, on day two, hung everything on his head. The talking point of the day, and still is, "its all yours baby, you broke it you fix it", etc.

When the stock market continued its decline, follow years of mismanagement by the GOP white House, and the control they wielded in congress for 6 of those years, it now became all the Democrats fault. Of course, the true leader that President Obama is, he will not be distracted by these parrots, he takes responsibility:

"Listen, I'll take responsibility. I'm the president," Obama said at a "town hall" meeting in Costa Mesa, California, where his bid to sell his economic revival policies was swamped by news coverage of the bonus fiasco for a fourth day.

"We didn't draft these contracts. We've got a lot on our plate -- but it is appropriate when you're in charge to make sure that stuff doesn't happen like this," he added, amid outrage across the United States.

"So we're going to do everything we can to fix it,"

And then he makes the decisions necessary to do just that:

The Treasury Department unveiled its long-awaited plan to remove many of the troubled assets from banks' books Monday, representing one of the biggest efforts by the U.S. government so far aimed at tackling the ongoing financial crisis.

And the market responded positively to this move by posting its largest gain ever:

investors went on a tear as the administration announced details of its new banking rescue plan, hoisting the markets as much as 7 percent in one of the biggest buying binges of the year.

Financial companies' values soared as Geithner spelled out how he planned to liberate banks from $500 billion to $1 trillion of troubled assets by setting up a public-private partnership.

The market will pull back a bit, today. Between profit takers and those awaiting word from the Federal Reserve hedging their portfolios. But at the wink of a down tick, the Rabid Right were shoving all that was wrong, and inherited, in the economy, in President Obama's face. Now that it is clear his decisions are moving us in the proper direction . . . where's the love . . . don't they want America to succeed and become strong again?

Oh wait, that's right?!? . . They don't!

Lady Gophers Succumb

The women met their match. After the Golden Gophers popped in the first goal, Mercyhurst proceeded with 5 unanswered through the 2nd period. Just a bit too much to overcome. Although, with 9 minutes remain in the game, the Gophers squad rattled off 3 quick goals, it still was one short.

With two Mercyhurst players in the penalty box and Gophers goalie Jenny Lura pulled for an extra skater, Monique Lamoureux scored at 18:43 of the third period to cut the Lakers' lead to 5-4.

In the final minute, with Lura still on the bench, both Emily West and Marvin were turned away by Pattenden on point-blank scoring opportunities. Mercyhurst finally cleared the puck with about 10 seconds to play, and the Lakers breathed a sigh of relief that could be heard back home in Erie, Pa.

Hard to say what happened, other than the starting goalie, Alyssa Grogan, had been battling food poisoning and was unable to return in the 2nd period. Back up goalie, Jenny Lura, allowed only one of the 5 Mercyhurst scores causing some to second guess the coaches' decision to stay the course at the beginning of the game knowing his net minder was ailing. But that is just armchair quarterbacking!

The Lovely Mrs. Flash and I are getting ready for a bike ride, first of the season. It will help me take my mind of that hockey game last night.

Flash

BasketBlogging v2009; The Picks

The perfect bracket picks are below (click to enlarge). Sorry, no homer pick with Wisconsin being the surprise of the opening weekend.

Inside the Board Room

Darkow: