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Ensign: Dems Would Pay "Heavy Political Price" If Franken Disputes Election in Senate
Sen. John Ensign, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a conference call that Senate Democrats were unlikely to take the political risk of contesting the Minnesota election results in the U.S. Senate.
"I think that the Democratic majority will not want to see this come to the Senate," Ensign said this afternoon. He added that, "there will be a heavy political price to pay" if they try to overturn the choice of Minnesota voters.
Ensign said he faced a similar decision in his 1998 Senate race, when he went through a recount but still trailed Harry Reid by about 400 votes. "I was in the exact same position that Al Franken is in today," Ensign said. He said he conceded the race without taking it to the courts or to the Senate even though there were irregularities in the election.
"It's pretty clear that Norm Coleman is going to win this race in the recount, just like he did on election day," Ensign said.
As for the Georgia race, based on tracking polling, Ensign said Republicans expected Saxby Chambliss to win by 5 to 6 percent. He also said Sarah Palin's appearance provided a late boost.
"She was able to get a lot of people excited, and make sure they were focused on the race," he said. Especially helpful, according to Ensign, was all the press attention generated by her celebrity, which helped remind voters who may not have been paying attention that there was a run-off today.
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Scy| 12.2.08 @ 5:12PM
lol No we won't.
ruth| 12.2.08 @ 5:38PM
It would be interesting to see just how far the democrats are willing to push their political dominance. They are so arrogant I think there is a good chance they'll try to steal Coleman's Senate seat.
MacGruber| 12.2.08 @ 6:57PM
Oh No! A heavy political price?! Lol, give me a break.
Acynic| 12.2.08 @ 7:36PM
The democrats never pay a hi political price for anything.
1. most people forget what transpired only a few weeks back.
2. the left wing, sycophantic propaganda arm of the demokratic party - the media - will NEVER bring up the topic
3. the inept, idiotic, play-nice republicans allow all democratic dirty tricks to go unanswered, thus aiding and abetting the left wing media.
Once again, republicans
ruth| 12.2.08 @ 8:25PM
Acynic: I don't think you sound cynical at all; sounds like truth to me, unfortunately.
Jim| 12.2.08 @ 8:41PM
You guys don't get it. In Minnesota, if the race is that close, then a recount occurs. It does not the will of Stuart Smalley, or Windbag Norm.
ruth| 12.2.08 @ 8:46PM
Jim, you don't get it! Democrats manipulate recounts all of the time. They just keep counting until the democrat wins. That's what happened with the governor's race in Washington.
sbark| 12.2.08 @ 10:32PM
From Packwood thru Foley to Stevens.....the GOP flushes their toilet as needed with few exceptions. The DNC celebrates their sewage...from G.Studds to Cold Cash Jefferson....to even thinking of putting the Loon Franken into office......At least they are consistent.....they recycle
ruth| 12.2.08 @ 11:55PM
The DNC recycles their own sewage while happily helping us flush ours. Nice.
Sandra| 12.3.08 @ 6:36AM
The fact of the matter is that the they got a good look at what a Senator Stuart Smally would be like and they decided to let it pass....rather than have this big giant putz in diapers as a senate colleague.
We have truly dumbed down our governement.
Jan| 12.3.08 @ 6:55AM
Jim doesn't get it. Coleman is about to win the recount. Franken wants to challenge the recount by getting the Senate involved to try to force Minnesota to count disqualified absentee ballots.
Bill| 12.3.08 @ 8:43AM
"Heavy price?" The Republicans have turned into such gutless politicians it's no wonder so many were turned out of office . How about some serious challangers for office? NY Gov? Senator? Find me a statesman among them.
JamesJ| 12.3.08 @ 9:23AM
Heavy price?? about $1.98
Frank Burns| 12.3.08 @ 9:26AM
The fact that Al Franken got even this close shows how inept the voters are - Al Franken???
How about Gene Gene The Dancing Machine, or The Unknown Comic for Senate - or president?
WendyG| 12.3.08 @ 10:05AM
Frank, we've seen the rise in the last ten years or so (and very much in the last three or four years) of the comic-pundit, the comedian-pol, the pundit-pol. In other words, folks with no political experience, expertise, knowledge, or credentials, running for office, penning op-eds at Huff Post, and being looked to as experts in domestic and foreign affairs. Saturday Night Live, David Letterman, Brad Pitt, Ron Howard, Bill Maher, Keith Olbermann (a former sports reporter!) - these entities suddenly are the event shapers, the all-knowing in regard to politics. Politics has become infected with the same superficial celebrity mentality as the rest of our culture.
So why not Al Franken for the Senate? Another punk comedian/clown who thinks he knows it all. There have certainly been comedians who were politically savvy. Lenny Bruce comes to mind. But Al Franken is no Lenny Bruce.
One lovely aspect of the GW Bush years, was how little the Bush's cared about schmoozing with Hollywood types. Refreshing.
MC| 12.3.08 @ 10:33AM
It was good for Palin to visit Ga to give Sen. Chambliss that last boost, I do believe people did in fact loose sight of the run off election. However, I don't necessarily believe those left wing illuminati people will actually try to steal the votes of the Senate run off election.
Larry Hughes| 12.3.08 @ 10:36AM
Ensign is mistaken when he says he was in the same position as Franken. Ensign would have needed the support of decent, self-respecting GOP senators to unhorse Reid in 1998, but Franken needs only the support of 51 Democrat
senators who have no decency, and they abound.
marvin destin| 12.3.08 @ 11:06AM
Chambliss wins a runoff by 14 points? See what happens when you eliminate ACORN or dont give them enough time.
Kentucky Girl| 12.3.08 @ 11:53AM
Yes very refreshing. Unless you are an Iraqi innocent civilian, a middle class person who has lost their job, or someone in Appalachia who doesn't want the top of the mountian above them permanently destroyed - forever - thanks the GW. A farce of a war, a corrupt administration. About as refreshing as a drink of mud. You poor, sad, fools, buying the massive con job of the last eight years, while the treasury was looted, now paying billions to Wall St. -- and still, you defend it. Incredible. Hard to admit you were had, isn't it.
ruth| 12.3.08 @ 12:00PM
Kentucky, I see a lot of democrat faces when 'looting the treasury' is being discussed. Democrats are all over this bailout. Please.
Mike| 12.3.08 @ 12:08PM
Kentucky: Yeah, you mean the innocent Iraqi civilian who can VOTE and doesn't have to worry about Saddam's thugs gang-raping his wife and daughters. Or the innocent Iraqi civilian who has just seen his publically elected government establish withdrawl dates for our military because his own police force and national guard is continuing to build on a country that now as the rule of law? *That* innocent Iraqi civilian? You must have stopped reading the NY Times in '06, your current-events knowledge is a tad spotty.
WendyG| 12.3.08 @ 12:15PM
>>>Yes very refreshing. Unless you are an Iraqi innocent civilian, a middle class person who has lost their job, or someone in Appalachia who doesn't want the top of the mountian above them permanently destroyed - forever - thanks the GW. A farce of a war, a corrupt administration. About as refreshing as a drink of mud.
Well Kentucky, Obama is keeping Bush's Sec. of Defense onboard, is amping up our military presence in Afghanistan, is in no hurry to bring our troops home from Iraq, is not going to tax Big Oil after all, will probably not implement tax hikes for anyone in the foreseeable future, and has stated that he considers marriage to be between a man and a woman.
So who has been had?? Perhaps all the lefties and libs who thought Obama would immediately institute a "progressive" agenda. No doubt he has sobered up a bit. Perhaps he understands he is a steward for our nation now, not a partisan Chicago community organizer.
Too bad you and your ilk are so bloody ungrateful to the President who has kept you safe since 9-11. No President is perfect, but without Bush's policies of the last 8 years what happened in India last week could very well have happened here.
Now it's Obama's turn to keep us safe. God willing he'll learn from his predecessor.
Colorado | 12.3.08 @ 12:19PM
Kentucky girl isn't very bright. She thinks she has been "had" by the Bush Administration. Wait until the Lord Messiah Obama and his administration get done with her. Did you know the Dems are trying to figure out how to confiscate OUR personal IRA/401K accounts/pensions to supplement the SS administration? But no worry they will pay you 3% interest a year for the use of their money!! Do you support this Kentuky girl? I am sure you will if THE Obama wants to do it -- It must be ok!!
Mitch| 12.3.08 @ 12:24PM
I was somewhat leery of Sarah coming down to Georgia. By what I sensed here in Alabama, the blacks *hate* Sarah Palin: They see her as Reagan in high heels. I was worried Sarah's campaining would spur a backlash Dem turnout. Glad my fears were unfounded.
Chris| 12.3.08 @ 12:51PM
The only people that are leery of Palin and what she represents are those that have no sense of work ethic, personal accountability, or any tidbit of personal responsiblity.
Nick in Virginia| 12.3.08 @ 2:53PM
If Chambliss had lost, and Franken meant seat #60, I think the Dems would have gone all out. But now, I don't think they will bother to stir up all that resentment because it won't do them any good (unless, of course, there is another Jim Jeffords floating around out there).
And since so many of the last few posts have bashed the intelligence-challenged Kentucky Girl, making some of the same points I was going to make (especially about Dems being in the middle of the "looting of the Treasury"), I won't bother.
dp| 12.3.08 @ 4:07PM
Hmm. Wasn't it George Bush who demanded a recount, and the Republicants who took it all the way to the supreme court to override the will of the people of Florida? Republicants who thwarted the election process in Ohio for a second Bush victory? And don't forget the Republicants who have been carrying on a systematic policy of caging in democratic strongholds. Let the man who has not sinned cast the first stone, whiners.
Frank Burns| 12.3.08 @ 4:25PM
Wendy, you got it! Clowns rule (however, if George Carlin, bless his soul, ever ran for office I'd probably vote for himl at least he had great command of the English language);
Americans live in TV Land, and the MSM knows it; Obama is American Idol; but nobody can stand on a pedestal forever, no matter how shiny.
My concern is not so much Obama, but the Termites he may appoint to eat the foundations of liberty away.
apollo| 12.3.08 @ 4:37PM
DP turn off survivor 32 and do some research.Ignorance abounds
jones| 12.3.08 @ 4:50PM
DP, get a few things right: Bush did not "steal the election" - it was GORE who tried multiple times, first thru the Democrat dominated FL State Senate (with his strongarm Bob Butterworth - remember him?) - he was rebuked 7/2 on the first Supreme go-round, then 5/4 on the second with a cute attempt to redefine voting procedures; the bottom line was simply this: you cannot redefine what constitutes a valid vote AFTER the votes have been cast - just what Franken's trying - further, Gore tried to not only change what constituted a valid vote, but to change the criteria: selective recounts in selective counties in ONE state for a NATIONAL election; clear enough? Or do you want another recount until you get what you want? Or should we have union thugs decide?
Eugen| 12.3.08 @ 5:43PM
In the modern era, Demo's have been stealing elections since J. Kennedy's time. They think that it is their right! It looks as though the left is already angry with Hussein, it looks like he's ready to screw them LOL
Charie| 12.5.08 @ 3:34PM
Boy, I can see Democrats really think they're entitled to their own facts.
Who do they think started this whole sub-prime meltdown? Try Jimmy Carter with CRA and advance to Bill Clinton where he bumped it up so anyone with a pair of shoelaces to put on the banker's deskfor collateral could get a home loan. How about the Dems in the House who put out the word to banks that they had better be giving out these loans to unqualified borrowers in the name of diversity. How about Barney Frank and Chris Dodd who kept insisting there was nothing wrong and the program should continue as it was. G. Bush tried to get them to slow this program down time after time and McCain actually gave a speech in the Senate trying to stop this program because he could see the meltdown coming. All to no avail.
All are entitled to their own opinions but not to their own facts.
John Emerson| 12.10.08 @ 7:40PM
A difference Ensign didn't mention is that the votes have not all been recounted yet in Minnesota. The margin is 200 right now and we don't know what the final margin will be. Furthermore, 200 out of 2.9 milion votes is a much, much smaller margin than 400 out of 416,000 votes.
No one has any evidence of cheating, either by Franken or by Coleman. (Neither Coleman nor Pawlenty claims that there's been cheating). People should have evidence before talking about a stolen election.
Everything's gone fairly smoothly so far. It's just a very close race. Both sides are fighting to the end, and that's as it should be.
People should chill until the recoutn is finished.
John Emerson| 12.10.08 @ 7:44PM
"It's pretty clear that Norm Coleman is going to win this race in the recount, just like he did on election day," Ensign said.
That's not clear at all.
Let me note that nobody on this thread seems to have any information whatsoever about what's actually been happening in Minnesota.
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