By James Richardson at RedState.com

After being dealt a serious blow today by the Minnesota state Canvassing board, who, much to the ire of Team Franken, refused to re-examine rejected absentee ballots, Al Franken’s band of merry men were forced to regroup, but vowed to continue their fight in a press conference.

According to Marc Elias, Franken’s lead recount attorney, the protracted legal battle for Norm Coleman’s senate seat will indefinitely continue. Elias, whose comments were first reported by Talking Points Memo’s Eric Kleefeld, signaled their readiness to take their fight to, of all places, the United States Senate:

There are a number of ways this can happen, whether it is at the county level, before the state canvassing board, before the courts of Minnesota, or before the United States Senate, we do not know," said Elias -- but they will see to it that every vote is counted.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid echoed Elias’ sentiments – a stark reversal of opinion from his own 1988 recount – in a statement today from his US Senate office, saying “Today's decision by the Minnesota Canvassing Board not to count certain absentee ballots is cause for great concern.”

Reid’s politically motivated endorsement of Franken’s intentions point to the possibility that senior Democrats, if called upon, would support the Franken campaign’s move to hijack the recount process and move for Senate intervention.

Of course, Reid knows a thing or two about recounts and possible senate intervention, though he opposed both in 1988 after being declared the winner in Nevada’s 2^nd closest election to date. Reid characterized recounts as both a waste of time and money. "If they [now-Senator John Ensign] want a recount, more power to them. It won't change the vote,” he said in an interview with the AP. Adding, “It's a big waste of money.” Isn’t it amazing what 20 years can do?

Despite Reid’s flawed (and ever-changing) interpretation, recounts are not partisan tools to bolster majorities. If the Democratic leadership holds dear the sanctity of the electoral process, they would do well to not inject partisanship in a non-partisan process.

"The recount process in Minnesota is being handled by Minnesotans, not D.C. politicians," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. “Neutrality and distance from the Minnesota recount is particularly important for Senators on the Senate Rules Committee who would need to remain neutral if the election results are considered by the committee.”

*****

Al Franken: A LOSER

Mr Franken, you lost the election, but it was close.

Mr Franken, you are losing the recount, but the recount is not finished.

Mr Franken, you lost your attempt to change the election law, after the election - the rejected absentee ballots.

Mr Franken, a word of advice, quit being a CRYBABY. 

Senator Reid, you need to stay out of this election, which is being fairly and legally counted. Your threat to have the US Senate overturn the will of the people and the legal process, if carried out, will cause numerous Democrats to lose in 2010, because 'we the people' will have our way.

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