On O'Reilly, Morris baselessly claimed Franken is "cheating"
SUMMARY: Dick Morris baselessly claimed that Al Franken is "cheating" in the Minnesota Senate race, that "Minnesota's doing it for him," and that "[t]his is outright larceny" and "a total theft." As evidence, Morris again repeated the debunked claim that in Minnesota, "[t]here's a county where there are 177 more votes than there are voters."
During the January 7 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, syndicated columnist and Fox News contributor Dick Morris baselessly claimed that Al Franken is "cheating" in the Minnesota Senate race, that "Minnesota's doing it for him," and that "[t]his is outright larceny. It's a total theft." Morris made the comments while discussing the Minnesota Canvassing Board's certification of the recount, which shows that Franken finished with 225 votes more than incumbent Republican Norm Coleman. As evidence, Morris again made the debunked claim that in Minnesota, "[t]here's a county where there are 177 more votes than there are voters."
As Media Matters for America noted, Morris made the same claim -- which echoes an assertion in a January 5 Wall Street Journal editorial -- during the January 5 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes. After co-host Sean Hannity said of the recount, "We've got one county -- ended up with 177 more ballots," Morris added: "Yeah, Ramsey County -- 177 more ballots than people voted." In fact, according to a December 14 article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, which cited election officials 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 7 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:
O'REILLY: Al Franken -- you think he's cheating?
MORRIS: Franken.
O'REILLY: Think he's cheating?
MORRIS: Yeah, I think there's funny business -- funny business going on in Franken's thing. Sure, he's cheating, and sure that Minnesota's doing it for him. I mean, there's no question that there's cheating going on. There's a county where there are 177 more votes than there are voters. There are 25 precincts where more votes are counted than people voted.
The question is, which votes were counted, and which ones were right, and which ones were wrong? But obviously there are hundreds of illegal ballots in there. And the Democratic Party is riding roughshod over the state of Minnesota. And the National Republican Lawyers Guild -- you can go to dickmorris.com, and there's a link, give them money, because they don't have George Soros behind them -- they are litigating it, and this has to stop. This is outright larceny. This is just a total theft.
O'REILLY: Are you -- are you willing to go -- are you willing to go so far --
MORRIS: How can you have 177 more votes than you have voters?
O'REILLY: Are you willing to go so far as to say that you believe Coleman won the election?
MORRIS: I think obviously he won the election. He got 225 more votes, and the re-canvass and the recount has done nothing but obscure that reality by double counting phony votes. You know, there was one vote that was for Franken, and they crossed out Franken and wrote Frankenstein, and they counted it as a Franken vote?
O'REILLY: All right. I don't know what's going to happen out there. I don't like the whole situation. I don't trust the secretary of state.
I think Morris lays out very clearly how American democracy and jurisprudence cannot be preserved by using democracy and jurisprudence.
But Bruce, how can that be when Dicky says Franken is cheating? And the state of Minnesota is cheating? Or is it the Democratic Party running roughshod over the state of Minnesota that's cheating? Gosh, your response sounds so reasonable, but Dicky has some really solid culprits there. He makes such a compelling case. ;-)
JJ, if I'm not mistaken, Bruce is calling Dick Morris a liar. Just another ad hominem attack on a conservative.
You're way off Colonel. Morris is a far left loon. He worked for Bill Clinton.
I was wondering how Morris was going to bring Clinton into this. I now see you're a dick morris surrogate. ;)
Colonel, you really should consult your dictionary. Pointing out that Dick Morris's accusation is false and, thus, he is lying (i.e., making a false statement with the intent to deceive) and, therefore, qualifies as a liar (i.e., one who tells lies) is NOT an ad hominem attack. Answering Morris's "argument" rather than attacking his character (or lack thereof) appeals to one's intellect or reason and not to one's prejudices, emotions, or special interests. On the other hand, referring to Morris's "character (or lack thereof)" IS an ad hominem attack.
Oops, sorry Linus, forgot my sarcasm tags. I was just goofing on some of the posters here who misinterpret "ad hominem" to mean any criticism of their comments, or accurate but unflattering descriptions of them based on their comments.
The Democratic Party does dominate Minnesota politics. DFLers control the Senate 46-21 and the House 87-47. The Republican Governor is the only thing holding the state together. :-)
"The Republican Governor is the only thing holding the state together. :-)"
Brilliant, Bruce;
Now excuse me while I wipe the coffee off my monitor.
Since I don't live in Minnesota and have no desire to freeze my buns off, I really haven't the right to comment on that state's politics. But your hilarious statement, "The Republican Governor is the only thing holding the sate together", just made me do the same thing Conchobhar did: spit my coffee all over my keyboard. I guess you would agree that our Republican President was the "only thing holding the country together". Ooops, I just poured pancake syrup down my pants.
Ever notice liars' constant use of words like "obviously" and "absolutely"? If they really believe their lies, then it's not lying, is it? Criticizing folks like Dickie and Billy is like criticizing a cheetah for killing an antelope. It's their nature.
That's one of my favorite wingnut techniques, Maddog. Morris says "no question" there's cheating, and "obviously" Coleman won the election. These are both opinions, possibly outright lies, but these words and phrases convince the gullible that they're facts, a sort of code that tells the audience "No need to think or question- I'm an authority figure, and I'm saving you the trouble".
Just as on the other thread, Brit Hume says there's no debate about the FDR/Depression subject.
The funny part is that this seeps into the brains of some of the wingnutty posters here. I've called some of the trolls on it many times, I think it's the more suggestible ones like Proudconservative, Rinohunter and AA who like to preface their crazy statements with "We all know..." or "There's no denying...", thinking they're making up for a lack of substance or a convincing argument by just saying that the stuff is true..
These are both opinions, possibly outright lies, but these words and phrases convince the gullible that they're facts, a sort of code that tells the audience "No need to think or question- I'm an authority figure, and I'm saving you the trouble".
That's why John Dean named his book "Conservative Without Conscience". These autoritarian follwers don't need to either reason or introspect when an authority figure tells them what to believe and gives them their bogus talking points. That they actually repeat, without a shred of moral cognition, these things spewed by Fox News and the like, is it's own form of pathology. It's sickening. But these people like O'Lielly and Morris know their audience well.
That's why I get such a laugh out of the ones who whine when they get ridiculed here, crying that nobody's engaging in a serious discussion with them. For the true wingnut, a fair discussion seems to involve spotting them 4 or 5 BS talking points.
If all of you moranic libtards weren't so interested in calling people petty names and bleating out silly bumper sticker slogans while simultaneously tongue kissing Pelosi and Reid and stroking the Obamessiah maybe we could have some serious discussion! Why do you idiots have to be such petty children all the time?!?!??!
How'd I do there? I'd use more caps lock but I don't want it to look too good.
Pretty nice, Moonbat. A couple of random "LOL!"s wouldn't have been a bad touch.
Well juliajayne and the Col., at least some people have the experience of dealing with "celebrity trolls" like Hume and Morris. Even the body language is calculated to instill confidence in their idiotic lies. Donald Rumsfeld had that down, PAT. His calm, measured, and o-so-logical delivery just said, "Oh, you poor people. You just don't have a clue about the expertise I have."
John Dean's book is a must-read. So is Robert Altemeyer's excellent exposure of the "Authoritarian Specter", written in 1996.
I just want to see Dick Cheney arrested for War Crimes. The man is a criminal.
Maybe he could swear in Franken from the Hague...
He should swear him in on Comedy Central, because Franken is a complete joke.
He's not, but even if he were that would STILL be an improvement over Coleman.
No, there aren't more votes than voters.
What actually happened is that "A machine jammed in Maplewood, resulting in 177 ballots going uncounted until the final day of the recount in Ramsey County."
Dick Morris is a liar.
What about his next claim?
There are 25 precincts where more votes are counted than people voted.
Is that true, or more likely he is just "gilding the lily" with another lie?
I asked: Is that true, or more likely he is just "gilding the lily" with another lie?
Thanks to Pete's exellent link below I learn that Morris is simply repeating the unsubstantiated claim made in the WSJ editorial.
Should you take the time to read the WSJ's editorial, be sure not to miss what a judge who serves on the Minnesota State Canvassing Board had to say about it.
Nate Silver also did a paragraph by paragraph analysis.
" And the National Republican Lawyers Guild -- you can go to dickmorris.com, and there's a link, give them money,"
I am going out on a limb on this but I am guessing Dicky is a paid consultant to this group.
Hey Dick...
I hear Ann Coulter just got a pedicure. Call her!
You tease!
How exactly is Franken cheating? He doesn't control the recount. Neither does Coleman. If I remember right Coleman challenged many more ballots than Franken.
I think Coleman is cheating.
I think Morris is cheating.
On his taxes and his wife.
Morris is scum.
How does Morris know that Franken is cheating?
Is Morris there counting votes?
Need to have hard facts before Morris can claim anyone is cheating.
How does Morris know that Franken is cheating?
he does not know, he just hates Franken
Is Morris there counting votes?
No he is counting girlfriends
Need to have hard facts before Morris can claim anyone is cheating.
Sorry, Morris does not believe in facts.
I wonder if you had the same attitude about the Florida recounts in 2000? Seems to me we've heard for 8 years how that election was stolen. it's different this time guess? LOL
Yes, the facts, circumstances and processes are all different. Is that so hard for you to understand? Or is the superficial all you can see.
Ah, welcome, Miss Dee. How was the afternoon shuttle from Planet Wingnut?
Those recounts were stopped by judicial action. The MN recounts have been completed. Other than that both scenarios involve recounts, you might notice a difference between them.
Did you notice Missdee's use of the closing "LOL"? That's how you do it, Moonbat, wrap up the stoopid with some unexplained laughter.
Isn't inappropriate laughter a sign of something? Some sort of Tourette's like thing? Hmm, that would only work for actual laughter. What would explain the compulsion to let other people know that you are laughing inappropriately by typing it out?
Would the lol go here then? Or do I need to make some sort of serious sounding non sequitor then use it?
Yeah well what about Chappaquidick? LOL!!!
I am happy to report that after reading posts by you and the Colonel, I did LOL in my actual physical body.
Funny how all through this recount, the people who are most wildly gesticulating, and getting crazy about it, are again, republicans (just like the faux "protests" in 2000 in Florida, which were mostly staffed by Republican congressional staffers).
What is it with republicans and NOT wanting to count ALL of the votes? Franken, for his part, I think, has really stayed above the fray. He is letting the process take its course, and if the outcome were the other way around, I think if he knew for sure that he lost, he'd concede.
So, what else is new? To be ignorant is not a sin, but to willfully ignore the facts and present that ignorance as fact IS. Hiding behind the first amendment is pretty cowardly, if you ask me. The free exchange of ideas is the foundation of our democracy, but lying rots that foundation.
Here are the facts for Ramsey Maplewood Precinct 6 where they are saying there were 177 more votes than voters.
See the Coleman Contest Filing PDF (page 125)
http://www.mncourts.gov/Documents/0/Public/Other/2008 Elections/Notice_of_Contest.pdf
I have also copied the relevant page as an image.
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/3929/maplewoodp6od1.jpg
There were no 177 extra votes, only 4 (1564 versus 1560) and that is considered normal.
ALERT......... ALERT......
There's a toe-sucking prositute on the loose over at the FoxNoise studio's.....
He is considered armed with an idiots mind and dangerous with a taste for sucking on your toes...
If you see him..... run far, far away.... and keep your shoes on!
It seems he has an accomplice who talks dirty on the phone to female producers and writes books for kids....
If you see this guy.... keep your girlfriends, wives, and daughters very far away... and don't let your kids either read his books or have them read to the kids.... for fear that his 'pipe' might get up......
www.dickmorris.com
=================
www.iamadick.com
Fixed.
The Dick said it, so it's the truth!!!!!!!!
I ordinarily give even people who cheat on their wives a pass since it is none of my business. But when Morris's wife was fighting for her life, he caroused around with a repeating DESPICABLE habit. This guys really stupid statement about Minnisota Politics just forces me to remind everyone that he is NOT fit to be an arbiter of morality and in fact, his behavior in the past makes it clear on moral matters, he just needs to shut his big mouth. For him to intrude into this discussion is good for a big giggle but nothing else. I presume he thinks that anyone will be impressed by his comments. If he thought at all, he would know his past behavior shows that no one cares about his opinion. His behavior was so bad that he is not to be trusted on moral issues. GET A GRIP, dICK!
Don't think he can get a grip, which is why the toe thing.
As the lead article in Salon said today, "PUT UP OR SHUT UP!"