News Roundup for 7/15/10

How can we miss you when you won't go away?

-Headline of the day-
"Right Wing Howls: Felons Put Franken Over The Top! (Nope)"

You probably remember how Al Franken's Minnesota Senate race against Norm Coleman would not end! I think it began in 1920 and then Franken was declared the winner like last week. I may be a little hazy on the details, but that's the general idea. I probably blacked a lot of it out as a psychological defense against PTSD. It was just way too close.

How close? By the time they counted and recounted and recounted and recounted, Franken won by 312 votes -- out of 2.9 million cast. So that close. And Republican efforts to win that election apparently still will not end! Only beer can save my sanity now.

A rightwing group who call themselves "Minnesota Majority" wants you to know they really are the majority because AL FRANKEN STOLE THE ELECTION!

See, it works this way: Al Franken won by 312 votes, 480 felons voted illegally, and those felons voted for Franken, because Republicans are Boy Scouts who never break the law. It's in the Bible. Look it up.

But there's a little problem here (in addition to the statistical sorcery that would have felons voting in ways that are different from everyone else): the number of felons was not 480. The Coleman campaign was trying to throw out even votes with scribbles and smiley faces on them, so it's not so surprising that they were pretty successful in weeding out all the felons. Officials looked at MM's list and concluded it was BS.

"We received about 480 names from Minnesota Majority," said Ramsey County's lead prosecutor Phil Carruthers, "About 270 were clearly inaccurate and were rejected right from the get-go." So, just to be clear, 480 - 270 = 210. If every single felon voted for Franken, it still wouldn't make enough of a difference. And that's just counting the ones that were discounted right away -- there's no reason to believe the rest of the list isn't as lousy.

Sorry Norm Coleman, you still lose. (Talking Points Memo)


-Cartoon time with Mark Fiore-
Hey kids, Little Green Man is back! And he wants to know what we watch on the teevee machine!


Click for animation

I guess what we don't watch says a lot more about us than what we do... (MarkFiore.com)


-Bonus HotD-
"Rand Paul on upcoming election: War in Afghanistan 'is really a complete non-issue.'"

Anyone else starting to get the idea that Randy's just dumb? (Think Progress)