Franken Lawyer: We’re Still Working For Those Votes

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On a conference call just now with reporters, lead Franken lawyer Marc Elias declared that the campaign isn’t done yet with the voters whose ballots weren’t counted under the election court’s ruling today, which allowed two-dozen Franken backers’ previously-rejected votes in.

Elias explained that some of the petitioners will simply have to go back and provide further affidavits and information to the court, in order to demonstrate the validity of their case. “We think that all 61 of them should be counted,” said Elias. “We’re pleased that the court was as careful as it was in parsing through these voters one at a time.”

Elias also expressed some confidence that the world of ballots from Coleman will be shrinking, noting that ballots are being withdrawn at a faster clip as the court’s rulings serve as guideposts for where things will be going, and also that both sides have agreed to drop their complaints on behalf of absentee ballots that were rejected because they arrived by mail after the election.

Elias did have one regret, though, when a reporter asked if he would do anything differently. “Packed more winter clothes,” Elias said. “I didn’t expect to be in Minneapolis as long as when I first came out here. But no, I don’t think there’s anything else that I would have done differently.”

TPMDC also asked Elias for comment on Coleman lawyer Ben Ginsberg’s taunts that the stimulus bill passed without Al Franken’s presence despite Elias’ dire warnings of what the absence of a Senator was doing to the country.

“Well look, I don’t — Ben Ginsberg’s a very good lawyer, he’s been brought in to spin for the Coleman campaign and he’s very good at it,” Elias said. “So I have a lot of respect for his ability to turn a phrase and say things like that.”

The point here, Elias said, goes beyond a single example of a pending bill — Minnesota, he says, is opting out of the constitutional system of having two Senators: “My point was only that as the nation’s legislative agenda moves forward, there are going to be instances where very important, pressing business is done in the Senate, and the Senate needs a full complement of Senators.”

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