Minnesota Court to Norm Coleman: Go Pound Sand

February 19, 8:46 AMSouth St. Paul ExaminerRob Shirk

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The Minnesota senate trial

Landslide Norm Coleman's lawyer Ben Ginsberg's latest move was to petition the court to reconsider the  "Friday the 13th" category ruling.

(Coleman's) request to bring a motion to reconsider the Court's February 13, 2009 Order is DENIED --  ThreeJudgePanel

The Friday the 13th ruling narrowed the scope of the trial and eliminated 13 of 19 ballot categories that have been offered as evidence in this trial. "Poof", according to Marc Elias, Landslide Al Franken's lawyer. Gone. At least 1,000 potential absentee ballots proposed for inspection were swept away. By not reconsidering their decision, Ginsberg maintained that...

Regrettably, the court has stepped in some legal quicksand today -- Ben Ginsberg, Coleman attorney

The judges, writing that there was no "systemic" problem in the election, are telling Landslide Norm Coleman to go pound sand, they have no more use of his incessent ballot issues.

Ben Ginsberg, the master of spin, has emerged as Landslide Norm Coleman's maharishi. He is a veteran of the 2004 Swift Boat affair and the representation of George W. Bush in 2000 Bush v. Gore case. It is said he can spin so fast he leaves divots in the floor. He might levitate, according to Marc Elias.

Ginsberg claims that 100 of the 933 previously rejected absentee ballots opened and counted Jan. 3 by the State Canvassing Board would have been tossed out under the judges' Friday the 13th ruling.

The judges contradicted their own signed stipulation. You can't have it both ways, and you can't count illegal votes in a certified election....We want this process to be finished with credibility -- Ben Ginsberg, Norm Coleman attorney

Ginsberg also raised the issue of if witnesses of absentee ballot applicants who must be registered. Some counties cared. Others didn't. Let's say it all together, now. Equal Protection. It is their Kumbaya around the campfire every evening and they sing it at the end of every day before dinner.

As far as anyone can tell, Landslide Norn Coleman has not picked up one, single, vote, since the recount was certified back in early January. Ginsberg is zeroing in on the three judge panel. He is clearly aiming for an appeal, of some sort.

Their window is closing, and that universe is shrinking and they're looking to build a record for appeal … however non-meritorious that may be -- Marc Elias, Al Franken attorney

An appeal can go three ways: the United States Supremes, the Minnesota Supremes, ot the United States Senate.

Whatever they have in mind, this chapter of the process probably has to be over before the next stage. The Landslide Al Franken side submitted a memorandum Wednesday asking the three judges to rule proactively that Landslide Norm Coleman’s “equal protection claim is deficient as a matter of law.”

This space does not allow for detail, therefore please read  Pat Doyle of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Jay Weiner of MinnPost, and Rachel E. Stassen-Berger of Twin Cities.com, and Judah Freed, our National Political Issues Examiner.

To view the mayhem for yourself, click here for live streaming from court courtesy MinnPost and The UpTake. It is ungodly boring, though. Have a pillow handy.

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