Top-rated "progressive talker" Ed Schultz is concerned about possible improprieties in the Minnesota Senate recount.
At least he was a moment ago.
Almost certainly without intending to, the liberal radio host fueled at least one belly laugh among listeners while he took calls Wednesday.
Schultz talked about incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman's legal challenge to the questionable results of a recount that reversed his initial narrow victory and put Democratic challenger Al Franken, formerly of Air America Radio and "Saturday Night Live," barely ahead (click here for audio) --
SCHULTZ: A three-judge panel in Minnesota, US Senate election dispute, will allow electronic media coverage of the trial (laughs) Judges are hearing the first arguments tomorrow, excuse me, today when lawyers for Al Franken seek dismissal of the election challenge filed by Norm Coleman. They say, Norm, you don't have any material. What the hell you talking about? We've had the most open recount in the history of an American elections (sic) and he's still whining about it.
Stan in Minneapolis, you're on The Ed Schultz Show. Good to have you with us.
CALLER: Yeah, well being from Minneapolis area, I can comment on Norm Coleman's trial and in a lot of precincts there were actually more votes (inaudible) than were registered voters, Ed.
SCHULTZ: Say that again. There was somebody calling in on you. Say that again please.
CALLER: There were more votes cast that there were registered voters in Minnesota.
SCHULTZ: Well why didn't they find that out in the recount?
CALLER: They did. They know that.
SCHULTZ: OK, so Al is still in front.
What, you got a problem with voting fraud?
Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but it appears from Schultz's initial reaction to the caller -- "Well why didn't they find that out in the recount?" -- that he considers more votes cast than actual voters voting potentially troubling. All of a sentence later, and armed in the interim with an awareness this could be true, Schultz doesn't see it as a problem in the least. And what a coincidence, the candidate Schultz wants to win is the one on top.
Picture, if you will, Schultz as a lawyer defending an accused bank robber. The prosecutor points out that the defendant has much more money than he's ever earned and can't account for where it came from. Schultz's retort -- OK, so he's still wealthy.
It would be refreshing if Schultz or one of his cohorts so well acquainted with situational ethics described the Minnesota recount for what it is -- payback for alleged theft of the 2000 presidential election by way of Florida. Seen from this perspective, stealing a Senate seat constitutes petty theft.
And what if there were more votes than voters in Minnesota -- who are we to disenfranchise these non-voters?
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There must be some
January 22, 2009 - 23:38 ET by motherbeltMore votes than voters?
There must be some mistake...that can't be.
Harry Reid has said There's not a question in anyone's mind, an assertion by anyone, that there's been any fraud or wrongdoing in this election.
And yes, he was talking about Minnesota. Maybe a Minnesota in a galaxy far, far away....
I can attest...
January 23, 2009 - 18:52 ET by CobraMan"Maybe a Minnesota in a galaxy far, far away....
"
... that's it's a very COLD galaxy! Here's the forecast for Minneapolis, where I live:
Where's Global Warming when we need it?
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
OK, so he's still stupid..
January 23, 2009 - 00:08 ET by superconLefties love voter fraud.It's the only way they can win.
Why can't states run their elections as efficiently as they run their state lotteries...?I would bet that in a state lottery they have almost a perfect accuracy rate and they process a thousand times more transactions.
Try cashing in a ticket without ID or with some of the numbers missing.What would they do if they caught you with a phony ticket....?
Because with a name like Obama... you know it has to be good.
Schulz is a loon. I have
January 23, 2009 - 00:36 ET by thebutlerdiditSchulz is a loon. I have seen so many clips of his show, I wonder if he ever says anything that DOES make sense. I have to lean to the I doubt it side. As for Franken, it makes me angry, but those people in Minnesota are going to have to get out to vote, and shut down the weirdo machine up there. I assure you though, if they had a system like we have in GA, and had to do a re-election, then no way would Frankenstein won. He got this far, before the recounting with all the weird, wonky, and missing votes, because people voting for Obama voting straight Democrat tickets. They should make all the states have separate voting days for offices other than President. Then you would see how motivated people are to come out for offices other than Pres. I have worked polls for years, and most people are so dumb they don't even understand that they can vote for others in parties not in the Pres. of their choice's party. I have to explain over and over how to vote, and what specific offices even are. I know it makes people mad when I say this, but if you have ever seen it on a large scale, you would support having people take a basic knowledge test when voting. I don't see why it offends people so much. You have to take a test to drive a car, be a citizen, even shooting lessons in some states to get a gun license. Isn't our vote worth at least this much? If you just want to vote on things randomly, watch American Idol, for goodness sakes!
Bringing the government in to run Wall Street is like saying, "Dad burned the dinner, let's get the dog to cook." PJ O'Rourke
Don't knock it, tbdi....I
January 23, 2009 - 06:39 ET by motherbeltDon't knock it, tbdi....I honestly envision a day (I hope I'm gone by then) when ballots have pictures of the candidates on them, because illiterates shouldn't be discriminated against.
Loons
January 23, 2009 - 16:08 ET by nkviking75"Schulz is a loon."
As it happens, the Minnesota state bird is a loon. So Eddie fits right in.
Maybe Schultz figures Minnesotans with multiple personalities should get multiple votes.
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
Voter fraud is NOT the only
January 23, 2009 - 01:21 ET by mostlymoderateVoter fraud is NOT the only way lefties can win. They have race-baiting, victimization, made-up controversies like "global warming" and a desire to grant millions of illegals amnesty in return for lifetime voters that vote democratic. Plus, they cater to all the lazy people in the country that don't want to work very hard.
This is not voter fraud . . .
January 23, 2009 - 10:23 ET by CKA in Red State USAThis is political larceny of the highest order.
To call it fraud is to dilute what the Democrats, liberals and leftists are attempting to do in Minnesota.
Hmmm...something stinks here, fellas.
January 23, 2009 - 00:38 ET by dborschjr68Yes. There is something afoot in Minnesota. Yes, something indeed.
What could it be, what could it be? I suppose I shall have to wait to read what trustworthy news sources like the Washington Post have to say about this. I can trust them. They are nothing but unbiased and truly objective. Surely they can address this little blurb, or hiccup, in this election.
And to all you nasty Conservatives out there, don't you go a rainin' on Franken's parade, ya hear me!? He loves America, darn it, and you evil right-wing freaks are just mean, mean, mean! Franken won fair and square! He did, he did, he did!!
(Nothing says, "Dude, I'm tired", like unbridled sarcasm.)
"Liberate tutume ex inferis, liberal puppets." Me.
it's quite obvious
January 23, 2009 - 01:04 ET by goldboughSCHULTZ: Well why didn't they find that out in the recount?
CALLER: They did. They know that.
SCHULTZ: OK, so Al is still in front.
Al wasn't in front when the recount started. That's how he got in front! By making up votes!
If Al had been slightly ahead after the first vote count...
January 23, 2009 - 12:57 ET by R D Helm...then suddenly came up behind in a subsequent recount...
The dems, along with their MSM dog-washers, would have every hotel room within fifty square miles booked indefinitely.
There would be network and cable news broadcast trucks crammed bumper to bumper around four square blocks, and Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would be taking turns with a bullhorn out front, repeating ad nauseam some mindless, rhythmic slogan written by a second-grader.
Hell, they would probably pull Ted Koppel out of retirement, and have him in a nearby TV studio, beginning his broadcast each evening with, "Minnesota Held Hostage, Day X."
And Ed Shultz would be raising Hell.
-Dave
“Them that’s going get on the wagon. Them that ain’t get out of the way.” -While there is still time.
Payback?
January 23, 2009 - 02:19 ET by noaincThe 2000 election was simple; Bush had more votes and the "re count" was an attempt at fraud gone awry. Selected counties were re counted over and over, and certain counties, including military absentee ballots were thrown out. The outcome was the goal, not the legality of the means. Court action put a stop to the fraud.
Minnesota is the exact same scenario. Once Franken gained 225 votes (requiring more votes than voters to get there) the re count is ended and he is declared the winner. There are more pools of votes that could be re counted but the odds have been figured that Franken might well lose.
The 60 vote fillibuster proof senate was planned in advance, which included a sham, perjury filled soviet style show trial to damage Stevens to make way for the rear kissing Begich. Franken should be withdrawn.
I cannot help but fawn over
January 23, 2009 - 02:24 ET by MarsloI cannot help but fawn over his inescapable logic.
TAC -- For You
How to vote twice in Minnesota
January 23, 2009 - 11:40 ET by Robert S LaRuersl775
You go to City Hall before election day and vote early. On election day you go to your precinct and vote again because the voter registration shows you have not voted yet. You now have voted twice. You tell them if you had voted early how would they know? The person responsible for having you sign doesn't know. You ask someone else how they would know, another person supervising, how they would know. He says all early ballots will be there before they are through counting for the night. Sounds good in theory but next few days you find out about all sorts of irregularities have occurred. There are more votes than voters. No surprise to you.
This is first year Minnesota has had massive early voting. I do not believe they were able to control it. I think that there is reasonable doubt that cheating took place. In close election it matters. There should be a runoff vote. In a two person run off it will not be close.
They can recount forever but the system was flawed there will never be a fair result unless there is a run off.
Ohio
January 23, 2009 - 16:56 ET by NorthCoasterOhio has overlapping registration and early voting. There was attempted voter fraud perpetrated by residents of New York who came into the state and voted by saying that they intended to take up permanent residence. A few of these individuals were found out and removed from the voting roles after voting absentee ballots. There sould be a clear division of time between registration and voting, to allow the registration application to be approved. The so-called motor voter laws invite fraud by letting someone register very late in an election. Anyone planning to vote knows at least 30 days prior to voting that they plan to vote. Restricting registration so that it ends 30 days prior to when absentee voting starts is the only fair way to manage registration.
There must also be a quick way to compare names of early voters so the regular poll operators can check a list by alphabet and address.
This country lost the moral
January 24, 2009 - 04:50 ET by RR GOPThis country lost the moral high ground when it comes to scolding other countries about their fraudulent voting practices back in the days when Boss Tweed and his ilk were running things.
Even in John Wayne's movie The Alamo there was a joke in there about how a fellow Tennessean had paid a man to vote for Crockett's opponent.
Maybe this country's long been a sham and we shouldn't get too much in a lather about it. As the Emperor Jones pointed out, they won, and that's all that matters...the hell with everyone else and what they think. Actually, the Communists have been steadily winning for a good 150 years now and the good-natured belief of Conservatives in the ideals of our Country have actually worked against us.
One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.