Fox News' Barnes latest media figure to reference discredited Minnesota car ballot story
SUMMARY: On Fox News' The Beltway Boys, co-host Fred Barnes echoed the discredited rumor that ballots in the Minnesota Senate race were mishandled, stating: "We've seen, under some questionable circumstances, Franken gaining, you know, 32 ballots from the trunk of somebody's car that had been sitting there for a few days. I mean, I find that a bit suspicious." In fact, state officials have refuted rumors that the ballots were handled improperly, and a lawyer for Sen. Norm Coleman's campaign, who initially raised questions about those ballots, reportedly said afterward that he had been assured the ballots were not tampered with.
During the November 15 edition of Fox News' The Beltway Boys, while discussing the Minnesota Senate race, co-host Fred Barnes forwarded the discredited rumor that 32 ballots from Minneapolis were mishandled. Barnes said: "We've seen, under some questionable circumstances, [Democratic candidate Al] Franken gaining, you know, 32 ballots from the trunk of somebody's car that had been sitting there for a few days. I mean, I find that a bit suspicious." However, a lawyer for Sen. Norm Coleman's campaign, who initially raised questions about those ballots on November 8, reportedly said that same day that he had been assured the ballots were handled properly -- an assertion he reportedly repeated two days later. Indeed, on November 16, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) -- who initially forwarded the car ballot rumor himself -- said that "there's a news report in Minnesota that the ballot-in-the-trunk story has now been retracted, that it wasn't accurate."
Additionally, Barnes said that "what drives Republicans the most crazy is the guy in charge of the whole recount, and that's the Secretary of State Mark Ritchie [D] ... Republicans just regard it as someone who will do anything to get a Democrat elected, and that -- and that's Franken." However, Barnes did not acknowledge, as Media Matters for America has documented, that Pawlenty approved of the composition of the canvassing board Ritchie named to certify the vote and oversee the recount, or that a lawyer for Coleman's campaign reportedly said that the "state should feel good about who's on the panel."
As Media Matters noted, while Fritz Knaak, a lawyer for Coleman, reportedly said on November 8, "We were actually told [ballots] had been riding around in [Minneapolis director of elections Cynthia Reichert's] car for several days, which raised all kinds of integrity questions," The Associated Press reported that same day that Knaak "said a Minneapolis attorney reassured Coleman's campaign that no one but an elected official had access to the 32 ballots and there was no tampering." On November 10, Knaak further reportedly said of the purported incident, "It does not appear that there was any ballot-tampering, and that was our concern."
During the November 16 edition of Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday, Pawlenty stated:
PAWLENTY: There's a news report in Minnesota that the ballot-in-the-trunk story has now been retracted, that it wasn't accurate.
There are concerning patterns about the changes before the recount starting favoring Al Franken, and some concerns that were raised. But we have to be clear on this. As of this moment, there is no actual evidence of wrongdoing or fraud in the process. If there is, it'll get rooted out and identified aggressively.
Additionally, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported on November 15:
Earlier this week, Gov. Tim Pawlenty added fuel to the debate when he raised concerns of his own about ballot security, speaking on Fox News about an allegation, now documented as inaccurate, that a Minneapolis election official drove around with 32 absentee ballots in the trunk of her car.
Ritchie declined to be critical of Pawlenty, but said he sent a note to Pawlenty thanking him for his support for the overall integrity of the state's election process and providing him with his cell phone number if the governor had any further questions.
Asked if Pawlenty wanted to modify his comments, Pawlenty spokesman Brian McClung said: "Based on ballot security issues reported in news accounts, the governor expressed his concerns. He's glad some of these matters have been clarified."
As Media Matters has documented, in addition to Barnes, numerous media figures and outlets have advanced the discredited rumor that the ballots were mishandled, including The Wall Street Journal, NBC correspondent Lee Cowan, MSNBC host Chris Matthews, and Fox News hosts Sean Hannity, Brit Hume, and Bill O'Reilly.
From the November 15 edition of Fox News' The Beltway Boys:
JEFF BIRNBAUM (guest co-host): Down, Minnesota. The Senate race between incumbent Norm Coleman and funnyman Al Franken couldn't be closer -- enough to trigger an automatic recount. But that hasn't had -- kept either side from questioning the legitimacy of the outcome. It's really -- this is really no good for anybody, basically, this extended problem.
There are already new accusations, or renewed accusations, about Norm Coleman perhaps getting too close to a former fundraiser of his. Calls for investigations into whether money was channeled from the fundraiser's company to Norm Coleman and his wife -- charges that are -- are denied by the Colemans. But, nonetheless, this is getting very nasty, and a lot is at stake, of course, in the outcome. But if Norm -- if Coleman wins, it could really be a problem for him even if he does win.
BARNES: I'm not worried. I don't think those lawsuits are going to amount to much. But it's clear now who -- which of the parties, whether the Coleman campaign or the Franken campaign, thinks the process is working on their side. We've seen, under some questionable circumstances, Franken gaining, you know, 32 ballots from the trunk of somebody's car that had been sitting there for a few days. I mean, I find that a bit suspicious. And some other things, too, you know, where he gains. There are all these more Franken votes in certain districts, but no votes for other offices that weren't affected.
But what drives Republicans the most crazy is the guy in charge of the whole recount, and that's the Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, who's an ally of ACORN, and I don't need to describe them. And Republicans just regard it as someone who will do anything to get a Democrat elected, and that -- and that's Franken. I mean, every Republican I know thinks they're going to "discover" more ballots. And, of course, they'll favor Franken.
All right. Up, Howard Dean.
From the November 16 edition of Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday:
CHRIS WALLACE (host): All right, I want to ask you both about specific issues involving you.
Governor Pawlenty, you've got a dead-even Senate race in Minnesota. And we'll put up the results, which are really quite extraordinary, just a couple of hundred votes out of almost two and a half million.
There have been allegations from some Republicans that Democrats are trying to steal this election for Al Franken. Do you have full confidence in the secretary of state, who is a Democrat, and also in the canvassing board, to which -- a five-member board to which you appointed two members?
PAWLENTY: Chris, in Minnesota we have a history of clear, transparent, accurate, and fair and legal elections. That's going to happen again here.
The canvassing board is five people. They are invited by the secretary of state, not appointed by me. The governor doesn't have a role. But it's four judges -- all of which have good reputations -- and the secretary of state.
The canvassing board in the state of Minnesota will render a result. This process will be fair and appropriate. I can assure you of that.
WALLACE: Do you -- because there has been some talk in some Republican circles about ballots that were found in --
PAWLENTY: Sure.
WALLACE: -- people's trunks. I mean, is -- is there any sign that there has been any fraud? And two, if there is any fraud, will that be sorted out by the canvassing board?
PAWLENTY: There's a news report in Minnesota that the ballot-in-the-trunk story has now been retracted, that it wasn't accurate.
There are concerning patterns about the changes before the recount starting favoring Al Franken, and some concerns that were raised. But we have to be clear on this. As of this moment, there is no actual evidence of wrongdoing or fraud in the process. If there is, it'll get rooted out and identified aggressively.
But at the moment, there is no actual evidence of that occurring.
What exactly has been "discredited"?
There seems to be no denial that the ballots were indeed in a car. And no Republican has outright claimed there was "tampering."
The AP simply reports, "a Minneapolis attorney reassured Coleman's campaign that no one but an elected official had access to the 32 ballots and there was no tampering."
Officials say the ballots weren't "handled improperly" or "tampered with." But they were still in a car for a number of days?!
Gee, I feel much better now. </sarc>
But they were still in a car for a number of days?! - shoes89
No, they were not. That is the myth. Here is the story from the person in the best position to know. The ballots were properly handled at all times.
The myth started from a statement from an attorney from the Coleman camp. We can be generous here and assume that he may have heard something incorrectly. But the simple fact is ...
you are wrong. As usual.
The "person in the best position to know" is a blogger? C'mon ...
From the article:
And:
Gee, I'm really convinced now!
Are you that dumb or that dishonest? The person in the best position to know is Cindy Reichert, the election director who was accused of having ballots in her car for days. She denies it and there is ZERO evidence that she's not telling the truth.
OK, so were the ballots ever in a car? Yes. - cherry-picked by shoes from the article.
You left out the fact that the ballots were in a car only for transport from City Hall, where they are delivered by the postal service, to the proper precinct for counting. This is how thousands and thousands of ballots all over the country are handled by law!! To quote from the article, "Since the 'Star Trek' teleporter has not yet been invented, these ballots are driven to the polling places."
Why weren't the ballots counted until Saturday? If you had read the article you'd know. The precinct polling station was closed by the time they were delivered on election night so they were returned to city hall where they were stored in a secure room until they could be counted according to accepted electoral legal standards.
Get a grip and stop acting like an idiot.
Do you want to make a fool of yourself a little more?
Bloggers have claimed to have spoken to all sorts of people this election cycle - and it's turned out that they were never actually speaking to the person that they thought they were.
How about a mainstream media source with an actual quote from Reichert? I've yet to see one. All the stories I've found link to this lone blogger.
Not very convincing.
I've provided an article quoting from the central figure, and you're demanding further evidence? How about considering this fact: There is no evidence at all, none in existence, that the ballots were in any car for days. The original story, the source of the myth is entirely groundless. It has no support.
Go ahead, do some research. Try to find a source that will stand behind it. You will draw a complete blank. It was only spread because a Coleman campaign lawyer told the press that he had heard it. That lawyer no longer makes that claim, but it spread even without evidence.
How about it? I presented evidence, an interview with Reichert. Where is your evidence? I've made this challenge in a couple of forums before and no one has had any response. I don't mean weak evidence. They had no evidence they could produce to support the original.
I bet you fail as miserably as they did.
If anyone's story is groundless, it's yours. My sources are the Wall Street Journal and Fox News, which are far more reputable than "minnpost.com."
Even Reichert does not deny that the ballots were in the car. The only vehement denial is that there was not any "tampering."
If Reichert really wants to get the truth out there, she should make herself available to a reputable press agency, not just a blog.
Try again. Take a look at what the WSJ and Fox say. Show what they say about this mythological incident. Do they name anyone who actually says the ballots were in a car for days? No, they don't. Do they quote someone who saw the ballots? No, they don't. All they have are second and third hand rumors.
No one you can name saw ballots that had been in a car for days. No one you can name has spoken to anyone in a position to know that ballots have been left in a car for days.
We're talking very basic burden of proof here. Reichert doesn't have to prove she's innocent of anything because there is no EVIDENCE that she is guilty of anything.
Of course the ballots were in A car, but not Reichert's. How do you think ballots received at City Hall should be delivered to the polling places where they are to be counted? As Reichert said, that is the method used for many thousands of absentee ballots received all over the country.
The story is a myth. At the very least it's based on a misunderstanding. At it's worst, it could be an outright fabrication by the Coleman camp. What it is not is a fact.
How much more do you want to humiliate yourself?
If there are people that "buy" lies and you are a liar, then you better start lieing so you can get paid. barnes would be unemployed if he stopped lieing. This how faucks news competed with CNN for viewers. Faucks sells lies to the right.
Barnes sez: "..But what drives Republicans the most crazy is the guy in charge of the whole recount, and that's the Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, who's an ally of ACORN, and I don't need to describe them. And Republicans just regard it as someone who will do anything to get a Democrat elected..."
He gets in an ACORN reference for the trained seals in his audience, that's bonus points. He doesn't need to describe them, Fox has spent months creating an evil and imagined image of the group.
But the meat of his comment is that what drives Republicans crazy are things that they just have a feeling about after prolonged exposure to their own propaganda. Their insanity is self-inflicted, Freddy has made it clear.
I'm sure you'll get a comment following up yours from one of our local conservative posters with a very loud and exclaimed LOL shortly.
It's true. Republicans have these "feelings" that can't be substantiated at all with, you know, facts. The ACORN reference is especially good, I agree, extra points for throwing that in there. I'm sure that somehow they can "feel" like they can tie Ritchie to ACORN, even though he probably has no ties to them at all, must be because he's a Democrat. We all LOVE ACORN right?
Yes, we all LOVE ACORN!!!
I'd forgotten Captain Peter Peachfuzz. Everybodies favorite designated driver.
:)
Rocky greets prospective ovters. When they sign up, Bullwinkle puts the voter registrations in the picnic basket. Meanwhile, Boris and Natasha scheme to cage voters, and steal ballots, & Capt. Peachfuzz drives them all to the polls.
It's true. Republicans have these "feelings" that can't be substantiated at all with, you know, facts.
I was told that directly by a republican. He said he acknowledged my facts and agreed they were all true but said "I just believe differently".... Like BillJ-MN.
I'm not sure I understand your reference to me. Are you suggesting that I am disregarding the facts or are you acknowledging where I point out that the myth of the ballots found in a car lacks a factual basis?
I am deeply sorry for I had confused your two aliases. I was referring to shoes89. I haven't posted here much lately and see there are many new people (or aliases anyway). I also considered complementing your on your patience with his replies. Keep up the good work.
No problem. Thanks for the clarification.
I remind everyone that Bush once said that in order to get the propaganda to sink in as truth, you need to repeat it over and over until it finally does...
FoxNoise of course did/does not need reminding from Bush to know this... they were created in 1996 for just that reason... propagating the propaganda!
I'm right there with you. I will tune into Fox just to watch Billo's head explode when he has to say "Senator Franken."
32 ballots? "...I find that a bit suspicious."
I find it very, very suspicious.
But I didn't think that the claims of WMDs in Iraq were suspicious or the claim that a deregulated financial system would police itself was suspicious or that the government claimed they were only eavesdropping on suspected terrorists was suspicious or ignoring warnings that Bin Laden was determined to attack us was suspicious or that only Republican flunkies would be assigned to rebuild Iraq for untold billions of dollars was suspicious or that the administration was not torturing those in custody who were being tortured was suspicious.
But 32 ballots in the back of a Taurus, you bet I'm suspicious.
You're a "Big Picture" guy, WK. This carload-of-ballots-Gate has me putting my other front-burner issues aside (The suspicious death of Obama's elderly grandmother after an illness, and the proximity of rainbows to the ground)
Still hung up on the rainbows I see.
I thought it was settled scientifically when they stated that the sprinkler and the metallic salts were interacting with our water and air supply and with the police sirens.
Things like this didn't happen twenty years ago you know.
If being concerned about rainbows encroaching ever closer to earth is "hung up", then you can call me "hung-up".I will not be silenced, only momentarily distracted by the ballots in the car.
I believe Shoes98 is on the case too.
No! Wait! Newt said he ran as a Reaganite. I'm so confused. :)
I hope Newt runs like one with Montezuma's Revenge.
I'm pretty sure that in the strange nation of Great Britian, they have laws that limit what the so-called media can report on, when it comes to unresolved matters in the Courts: as anything they might report that is wrong or even just slanted, might somehow corrupt or affect the Judicial proceedings, and therefore maybe interfere with JUSTICE. Those laws are not considered to be censorship (although sometimes the word "gag" is used in reference to them), because they have the ultimate aim and ideal of JUSTICE as the reason for them.
Does the so-called cable media's fascination with the Minnesota U.S. Senate ballot count (and recount) contain anything wrong or even slanted so far? Is the media's reporting on the MN ballot count in any way affecting the people involved in that count, People in Minnesota? It is their ballot after all. The votes were cast by them. They are the ones to count and recount those votes. The U.S. Senator elected, is their Senator and theirs alone.
It's nobody outside of Minnesota's business, least of all the bad people at the rupert mordoch-owned thing called Fox News Channel (otherwise known as the broadcast media arm of the Republican National Committee).
We've seen it all before, eight years ago in Florida.
There's a rather high ideal, every bit as high as JUSTICE, at stake in Minnesota's ballot (which again, is their ballot and nobody elses). And it's not simply like an unresolved matter in the Courts, IT IS an unresolved matter for the Courts: Minnesota's Courts! (And not the SCOTUS, or any other Federal Court!)
Fox News Channel (and the Republican National Committee whose interests they serve) should mind their own freaking business, and leave the business of counting Minnesota's ballot to the people whose business that is: The People of Minnesota.
What, Florida 2000 taught us nothing?