The Minnesota Supreme Court

While we wait for The Glorious First of June, the date on which oral arguments will be held before the Minnesota Supreme Court in RE: the Norm Coleman appeal of the Election Contest Court’s ruling that Al Franken won last November’s Senate election, I thought I’d take a little time to talk about Twitter.

I myself don’t Twitter, largely because I don’t have the need to do so or the ego to compel me to do so in the absence of a need.  But I have nothing against those who do if they do it right — and the fine folks of The UpTake, and their friends (such as Rachel Stassen-Berger, aka "Political Animal", the Pioneer Press’ political blogger), do it right.   Here’s a sample of Twitterings from their liveblog dedicated to the election contest:

2:15	theuptake:  Coleman #mncontest brief claims lower court "changed the rules of the game" (this is a game???)

2:16	theuptake:  Note to Coleman on the #mncontest brief – Court did not change the rules, it followed the rules.

2:18	theuptake:  Coleman suggested remedy in #mncontest: Count more votes, even if they are "illegal". Or subtract proportion of counted "illegal" votes

2:22	theuptake:  Coleman wants MN Sup Ct. to remand #mncontest to lower ct. to open and count any of 4,400 absentee votes that meet "substantial compliance"

2:23	theuptake:  Coleman #mncontest brief asks MN Sup. Ct to uncount missing ballots from Minneapolis. So much for enfranchising more voters!

11:44

Mike McIntee:  June 1 is the date for oral arguments.

2:56	Mike McIntee:  Just waiting for June 1

1:13	polanimal:  Just stumbled across — lovely photos by Owen Franken — Al Franken’s brother http://bit.ly/18TdoV #mncontest

I learned a lot more about the ins and outs of the Franken-Coleman contretemps from The UpTake’s liveblog than from any other single source.  They are simply indispensable.