Dick Morris claimed Franken is "stealing [the election] right in front of our eyes," echoed WSJ's claims of disputed ballots being counted twice
SUMMARY: On Hannity & Colmes, referring to the Minnesota Senate election, Dick Morris baselessly claimed that Al Franken and the Democrats are "stealing it right in front of our eyes" and asserted that both disputed ballots and their duplicates were counted, resulting in votes being counted "twice." Morris and Sean Hannity echoed claims in a Wall Street Journal editorial that alleged double counting of duplicate ballots during the recount. But the Journal simply asserted that there was double counting, echoing an accusation by Norm Coleman's campaign.
Hours after the Minnesota Canvassing Board certified the recount in the state's U.S. Senate race, showing Al Franken finishing 225 votes ahead of incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, syndicated columnist and Fox News contributor Dick Morris baselessly claimed of the election that Franken and the Democrats are "stealing it right in front of our eyes" and asserted that both disputed ballots and their duplicates were counted, resulting in votes being counted "twice." Discussing the race on the January 5 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, Morris and co-host Sean Hannity echoed claims made in a Wall Street Journal editorial that day, alleging double counting of duplicate ballots during the recount. As Media Matters for America noted, the editorial simply asserted that there was double counting, echoing an accusation by the Coleman campaign; it did not cite reporting to support its claim.
Morris and Hannity also echoed the Wall Street Journal editorial in claiming that "177 more ballots than people voted" were counted in Ramsey County. In fact, according to a December 14 article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, which cited a city clerk explaining human and technological errors in the voting process, a "machine jammed in Maplewood, resulting in 177 ballots going uncounted until the final day of the recount in Ramsey County."
Media Matters further documented radio host Rush Limbaugh and MSNBC host Joe Scarborough also echoing the Journal editorial's unsubstantiated claims during their January 5 broadcasts.
From the January 5 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes:
HANNITY: Here's what we have. We've got 25 precincts in Minnesota -- 25, ladies and gentlemen -- 25 where there were more, believe it or not, ballots than voters who signed in to vote. Now, we can take it a step further. Even the state Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson, on the canvassing board, said it's very likely that there was double counting. We've got one county -- ended up with 177 more ballots.
MORRIS: Yeah, Ramsey County -- 177 more ballots than people voted.
HANNITY: Yeah.
MORRIS: Duh.
HANNITY: So, how is it possible that they can come to this conclusion?
MORRIS: Well, what they did was that whenever there was a ballot that was in dispute, they copied it. But they forgot to put "duplicate" on it, so they not only counted the disputed ballot --
HANNITY: Twice.
MORRIS: -- they counted it twice.
HANNITY: Great for Franken. All right, do we have a problem with [Illinois Gov. Rod] Blagojevich choosing [Roland] Burris, considering --
MORRIS: No, but --
HANNITY: -- he hasn't been indicted?
MORRIS: -- but stay on Minnesota. There should be a special election.
HANNITY: You've got 30 seconds, so --
MORRIS: But stay on Minnesota. DickMorris.com, you can link to the law committee that is litigating this, and if we let them get away with the stuff they're pulling in Minnesota --
HANNITY: They're stealing this election.
MORRIS: They're stealing it right in front of our eyes.
HANNITY: Right in front of everybody's eyes.
MORRIS: And by the way, Minnesota law says you can't --
HANNITY: Could you imagine a --
MORRIS: You can't certify an election if the other party opposes it.
HANNITY: So they can't do it.
MORRIS: So a legal suit could stop this.
HANNITY: Well, it's supposed to happen tomorrow. Dick --
MORRIS: But, you know, we're not George Soros, so --
HANNITY: Congrats. Nineteen weeks in a row --
MORRIS: -- can't write a check.
HANNITY: -- for crying out loud, that book.
MORRIS: Thank you.
HANNITY: It just never goes away. Nineteen -- anyway, coming up next, Ann Coulter, brand-new book, just out today.
MORRIS: A great book.
HANNITY: She's under fire. She'll join us.
MORRIS: A great, great book, by the way.
Well Dick Morris has so much credibility it must be true.
And with his review of Ann's book here, "A great, great book, by the way", now I can buy it knowing it has Dick's ringing endorsement behind it. How can I go wrong?
I notice there's no mention of Alan Colmes in the transcript. I fear, sadly, he was sucked into the black hole created by the intellectual vacuity in the studio at the time, his limbs stretching longer and longer, the space between the molecules that made up his body growing exponentially as he neared the vortex positioned at the confluence of inane and stupid until, finally, he simply ceased to be.
RIP, Alan Colmes. RIP...
Neon, did you see Colbert & Colmes ?
I hadn't, but followed your link and enjoyed every minute of it.
Gosh, it was good seeing him back when he was living.
Yeah, Ramsey County -- 177 more ballots than people voted - Morris
How can we be sure that this discrepancy didn't help the Repubs, Dickiey boy?
"They're stealing the election right before our eyes!"
This is now the official meme for the trogs. It is the wordage that they will all use in complete uniformity and lockstep. We will hear it nonstop on Faux News, on wingnut talk radio, on CNN, on MSNBC, on ABC, in the Wall Street Journal, and on every other right wing talking points outlet. That it is demonstably untrue is irrelavant. It will be repeated and repeated until the dimmer members of our electorate accept it as Gospel.
Geobbels 101 in action.
that is not a very nice way to describe the religious right lunatic fringe!
They could branch out to, The Hannity and Morris Dancers.
eeeewe! ;)
I's quietly proud. ;)
I would rather they become the "hanging on a meat hook meat sock puppets" show
Not a bad combo. Hannity the liar and Morris the cheater on his wife. Yep, what a pair!!!!! But just watch them beat their chest for right wing family values. UPchuck, upchuck!!!!!
it qould be the hannity's dick show
It's possible for people to vote for candidates from both parties. I voted for a Republican for Governor, and for Obama for President.
Gore never took a lead because the recount was stopped. Bush didn't want the votes to be counted, because in the end Gore got more votes. If you want to talk about people in places of influence, you should bear in mind that Florida's Secretary of State worked for Bush.
I agree with BlagoTroll on 2 points:
-Democrats who didn't vote for Obama are idiots
-Al Franken 'stole' this election (when I say 'stole' I mean he got more votes than his opponenet, kind of like Obama 'stole' the election from McCain)
Thus proving the broken clock rule.
Recount(s), I don't recall even one for that race, but hey just point me to where I can get all edumacated about them. Ditto on MoveOn.Orgs mechanizations. Being a part of them, I recall no marching orders on who to send money to, to buy this election. What was the dollar per vote rate for the average Minnisotan? Did we dispirse the cash directly to the voters, a cash card, or in U.S.bonds?
That last was excellent wingnuttia. The suspicion is enough, Federal attorneys are standing by for your official complaint and evidence.
Niether obtuse nor ignorant, Far as I know the Supreme court said stop, they stopped.
By all means insult me again, It helps your case ever so much.
There are a few here who enjoy cruising the Conservative bloggosphere and reporting the insanity there. Myself I prefer Crooks and Liars, Firedoglake, rawstory, the daily howler, Glenn Greenwald, and Jesus General.
Yes, a new wor4d, wingnutua but a very good one. Thanks. Says it all about sore they win when they dfo not win. You know, the childish retort, someone stole my election. I have beena poll watcher in my earlier years and could refute the cvrap losers hand out about why they lost but alas, the problem was all theirs, they were duds for the position.
Yawn.
This is why Morris is The Dick.
I laughed at Goebbels remark. Morris always reminded me of Goering though - he looks like he's gonna have a heart attack any minute. All that hot air pressing against clogging arteries. Truly. I think he needs to take a long vacation
Dick Morris is neither a spin meister nor is he one to lie. He is a brilliant and seasoned journalist that cuts down to the marrow when it comes to exposing the truth of a matter. I respect his cander as well as his courage. For one thing, Al Franken is not even qualified for a congressional seat. He's a comedian for crying out loud. And it is quite comical to watch people like Soros fight tooth and nail for a former SNL comedic writer. Hasn't Franken learned by now that no one takes him seriously, failing miserably as a radio talk show host?
let me ask you a civics question. hat are the cosntitutional requirements to be a Senator ?
Franken went to Harvard and hardly failed at anything. Reagan hawked Chesterfields, for chrissake. Minn should ask why thet election was so close in the first place. That's how I reconicled the Bush election in Florida...and then you move on. Dick's health worries me.