Franken Lawyer Gets Coleman Witness to Concede Having Bad Evidence

[kpete]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Franken Lawyer Gets Coleman Witness to Concede Having Bad Evidence
By Eric Kleefeld - January 26, 2009, 4:03PM

The Minnesota election trial just had a truly brutal moment, one that could undermine the credibility of Norm Coleman's whole case.

The Coleman campaign summoned political director Kristen Fuzer up to the stand to testify to the provenance of the photocopies of rejected absentee ballots that they've submitted in their efforts to get those ballots counted. You may recall that the Franken campaign last week pointed to some apparent alterations in the photocopied envelopes.

Coleman lawyer Joe Friedberg briefly interviewed Fuzer. Then it was Franken lawyer Marc Elias' turn.

Elias showed Fuzer a side-by-side comparison of an unaltered copy of one envelope and the version in the Coleman camp's filing, with the latter missing the section where the local official described why it was rejected. Fuzer said it looked like a photocopying problem -- as Coleman lawyer James Langdon said last week

Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/01/franken-lawyer-gets-coleman-witness-to-concede-key-point.php

[Bleacher Creature]

1. This is unbearable. Can we please seat him now?

The only silver lining to this is that the rest of the country now gets to see how truly vile Norm Coleman is (even though I'm not from MN, I've been following this idiot ever since he won the seat on the heels of the faux outrage over Sen. Wellstone's funeral).

[DFW]

2. "You, madam, are no Katherine Harris"

Fuzer shouldn't sweat it. That is not a swipe, and she probably even looks human, too.

[Hokie]

3. I watched part of this cross examination on TheUptake

Yes, it was brutal. Fuzer (great name) was a surprise witness. I think Coleman's team was trying to sneak her through and Franken's side was having none of it. The guy who opened for Franken was great also.

[pacalo]

4. Is a video available anywhere?

I like the part of the TPM article that mentioned how she nervously looked toward Coleman's defense table.

This trial is only highlighting what a complete crooked jerk Coleman is.

[TheEuclideanOne]

5. Yeah ..... I need to see that video

It just sounds like such beautiful thing. From what I can understand, even the lawyer was not able to make a convincing case that they were all photocopying errors. In fact, from my understanding of photocopiers, it is possible for them to add something if maybe something happened to be on the glass when you are copying. However, I can't really think about how they could take away a part of a document..... over and over and over again. :) Having somebody like Franken publicizing this is going to be fun to see. :)

[Hokie]

20. The Uptake has everything archived

http://theuptake.org/

It may take a day or so to get Day 1 posted on the archive.

[truthisfreedom]

6. Coleman's toast now. There's no way they're going to get away with this. The judges are totally

irritated at this point. Bum evidence? They were going to fake their way through the trial?

What a piece of work Coleman is. He's toast. Never get elected again. What a fake.

[Caretha]

15. Fake ...not so much

Fuckin' criminal, yeah, to the nth degree.

[jimlup]

7. I'll always believe that the seat was stolen back in 2002

I'll always suspect Rovian linked black-ops took down Wellstone's plane in 2002.

Coleman is the idiot who then got the seat. The Repukes are still trying to cheat because that is all they really know. Only now it is harder for them because they have lost their position of power.

[L. Coyote]

13. With the corrupt, pay-to-play funding from Bajaguas funneled by Rove, the Big Oil lubrication,

I could go on, you know the list ...
Somebody take the fork out already. Tat has got to hurt! :rofl: Give him his CBC tee-shirt and send him home.

[myrna minx]

8. May I please have a seated Senator now? n/t

[Piewhacket]

9. fabricating evidence is just soooooo tacky..

Coleman, coleman, coleman.... enjoying your swim in the sewer, are ye?

[L. Coyote]

14. Yeah, as crass as stealing elections, I think.

[buckrogers1965]

10. Seriously?

Their defense is that the photocopier didn't copy a rectangular section of the document, probably repeatably? Are they kidding?

How is this not obstruction of justice?

They had no reason to photocopy the document if it wasn't missing this section.

How stupid do they think people are?

[Zhade]

11. As stupid as republicans?

NT!

[peacetalksforall]

12. There was blog live coverage on -

www.theuptake.org

I think you can see it. I didn't get to hear/watch all and it was long -

But listen to Franken's lawyer Hamilton - opening remarks - calm organized confident professional.

And watch Fuzer for arrogance and the way she kept looking at the Colemen group - Coleman, himself, with lawyers. You can't see the lawyers because the camera is focused on her, but it makes you wonder whether they are shaking their head as if to say oh no and holding their forehead at what she said.

This is costing a fortune and they want 16,000 already counted absentee ballots to be recounted - recounted by the judges is the way I understood the wording of Coleman's opening lawyer.

There were side by side photo copies of ballots that had notes added or clipped away from one set. Can't call them photo copies - no one could call it except Norm Coleman.\

Later, I saw Ben Ginzburg there and I choked. What an arrogant press interview he gave - what a snot.

What was fun - is the speculation about Coleman. He's out of a job. He got a new job. His new job allows him to sit in the courtroom at his own trial.

There is nothing classy about that man. And maybe nothing honest.

Can you imagine how badly the Republicans want him - little errand and tax boys who doesn't seem to mind being a laughing stock character in the R Party.

[Piewhacket]

16. we need video of that ass whuppin for the record... just in case

we need to remind any repukes who one, and why.

[BanTheGOP]

17. FEDERAL PRISON TIME!!

These charges unquestionably show a preponderance of evidence that Coleman was trying to doctor official voting records. Frankly, I'm not just happy at seeing Coleman lose this case. I DEMAND that Franken file charges with the the AG to arrest, investigate, convict, and incarcerate Coleman for his blatant manipulation of official votes.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

18. Hallelujah!

at last!

[struggle4progress]

19. Senate recount trial: Copies of ballots don't cut it

Photocopies of absentee ballots offered by Coleman's lawyers caused confusion; judges want to see originals.
By PAT DOYLE and MARK BRUNSWICK, Star Tribune staff writers
Last update: January 26, 2009 - 11:11 PM

... The trouble came over testimony that workers for Republican Norm Coleman's campaign had marked or obscured copies of some absentee ballot envelopes offered as evidence. The acknowledgment provoked confusion and prompted the judges to demand the original documents.

On that note, the first day of the trial abruptly halted, leaving the second's agenda something of a mystery.

That turn promised to prolong a trial that Coleman lawyer Joe Friedberg predicted in his opening statement would be "extremely tedious" and involve the examination of 5,000 ballots, one at a time ...

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/38344479.html?elr=KArksc8P:Pc:UHDaaDyiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

[davidpdx]

21. The whole thing reeks of a circus sideshow gone bad

Coleman is so desperate it is just pitiful.

[snooper2]

22. Probably the most important story of the day

nt