About The Book

Title: Recounting Minnesota: Blogging the Al Franken Election Saga
Author: Carl Eeman
Genre: Current Events, American Politics
Publication: August 2009
ISBN: 978-0-9824337-1-3
Price: $16.95

Setting: Minnesota

Characters: Two senatorial candidates, thirteen judges, a swarm of lawyers, countless journalists, and a blogger called WineRev.

Story: The 2008 US Senate Race between Dean Barkley, Norm Coleman, and Al Franken ended with the closest margin of victory in a statewide race since 1962. The morning after the election, incumbent Norm Coleman claimed victory.

During the day, his margin shrank from over 700 to 215, but he urged Al Franken to “step back” and concede. Instead, Franken exercised his right to call for a recount.

Both sides carefully watched over the recount and between them challenged over 6,000
ballots. They sent teams of lawyers to examine over 11,000 absentee ballots that had been rejected by election officials across the state. A 5-member state canvassing board eventually ruled over 1300 challenged ballots in or out, leading to a 49 ballot lead for Franken. And under a Supreme Court ruling, both sides agreed that 954 absentee ballots had been wrongfully rejected and should instead be counted. This increased Franken’s lead to 225.

In early January, Coleman exercised his right to trial in an Election Contest Court. A 3-judge panel heard Coleman’s case for the next 5 weeks, and Franken’s case for 2 weeks more. In mid-April, the court ordered another 351 ballots counted, then soon declared Franken the certified winner. Coleman appealed the Contest Court decision and the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled at the end of June in Franken’s favor. He was sworn in July 7th as Senator.

Day by day, blog entry by blog entry, Carl Eeman chronicled the Recount. He was informative and wacky, yet, as one fan put it, “always factual. It’s just with Carl you never knew WHAT facts, from lutefisk to Francis Marion, he would bring to bear. Wildly entertaining and highly informative.”

As Daily Kos publisher Markos Moulitsas says, “Within these pages, you’ll come to understand how a community, with WineRev leading the way, educated itself on the complex saga  of the fiercely fought Minnesota Senate seat while, at the same time, clearly having a blast.”

ISBN: 978-0-9824337-1-3 $16.95

From yust southeast of Lake Woebegon…

November 2008: With the US Senate race in Minnesota too close to call, incumbent Norm Coleman says, "If you ask me what I would do, I would step back." Challenger Al Franken tells the press he supports a recount. A quiet blogger named WineRev writes a diary at DailyKos.

Six months later: Coleman has not yet stepped back. Franken has not been seated. WineRev is still writing.

Eight months later: Finally, Senator Al Franken is sworn in, and WineRev has finally stopped writing.

Recounting Minnesota is a thoroughly entertaining, often irreverent, and always informative view of the 2008 Minnesota Senate recount, complete with reader comments and a timeline of this unexpected saga.