Franken Loses Appeal on Absentee Ballots

Al Franken lost a key appeal yesterday when the canvassing board ruled 5-0 that the thousands of rejected absentee ballots did not have to reexamined. However, the ruling is not the end of the case. The board probably didn't have the authority to order a reexamination in the first place. Franken has not yet said what he will do. Some of the counties may be willing to reexamine the rejected absentee ballots on their own. Franken could also go to court on this. Here is a good recap of where we are now in the Senate race recount.

Goode Files for a Recount in VA-05

Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA) has filed for a recount in his close loss to Tom Perriello (D). The margin was only 745 votes. The recount is complicated by the fact that much of the district uses touch screen machines but parts use paper ballots. The recount could take weeks.

Why Waxman Won

Last week Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) unseated Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) as chairman of the powerful House energy committee. The two men couldn't be more different and represent very different ends of the automobile spectrum. Dingell strongly represents the producers in Michigan; Waxman represents the consumers, in Southern California. Harold Meyerson has an interesting piece on the two men and the consequences of this upset.

Dow Jones Rises for Fourth Straight Day

The Dow Jones index rose again yesterday for the fourth straight day--something it hasn't done since last Spring--signaling that Wall St. expects the Obama administration to tackle the economy quickly. His newly announced econmic team has not been popular with the left wing of the Democratic Party, but otherwise has been well received. The Dow closed at 8727 yesterday.

Rangel Inquiry to be Finished before Congress Reconvenes in January

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that the ethics inquiry into the financial doings of Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) will be finished before the new House meets on Jan. 5. After the defeat of Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) last week, Rangell could be the next domino to fall, even without an ethics probe. If the ethics committee finds that Rangel did anything wrong, the possibility of a challenge to his leadership will increase greatly.

If you like this Website, tell your friends. You can also share by clicking this button