Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Minnesota and Iran

The radio and TV news broadcasts, newspapers, newsmagazines, and other media are full of stories about the disputed Iranian election. Mahmoud Ahmedinejad (known jocularly here as "I'm a dinner jacket") says he won. Mir Hossein Moussavi says he won. Legions of bearded and beturbaned 7th-century clerics support Ahmedinejad. Tens of thousands of people in the streets support Moussavi.

Who won?

According to CNN, the US and Canada are "keeping a close eye on the election" and monitoring the ongoing crisis for reports of voting irregularities.

Happily, that could never happen here.

Except in Minnesota, where incumbent Norm Coleman is still fighting challenger Al Franken for every single vote from an election that took place last November. I wonder if the Canadian government is concerned, or if the Iranian government has sent a scowling ayatollah to observe the case as it slogs its way through the courts?

Oh, well ... at least Minnesotans aren't contesting the election by burning cars in the streets, looting stores, and fighting with police. They're doing it the American way - the 21st-century equivalent of trial by ordeal, in which the champion lawyers of each side hammer each other endlessly with facts (if the facts are on their side) or the letter of the law (if the facts are not on their side).

In the end, Minnesota will finally have two senators and a bunch of lawyers will buy new yachts and summer homes. Either Al Franken or Norm Coleman will be the winner, and the people of Minnesota will remain the losers, having been deprived of representation while venal political parties and greedy lawyers dragged the electoral decision out long past the point where the debate made sense.

Who knows? Maybe the Iranians are on to something.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

7 comments:

The Mistress of the Dark said...

Someone needs to hit Norm with an anvil.

Amanda said...

I don't know why but the word "beturbaned" has me giggling today.

bandit said...

Intersting comparison. I'm glad there is no voter fraud in this country....Just ask ACORN. Was it Mayor Daly of Chicago that said,"vote early and vote often?"

Amanda, L like "I'm a dinner jacket."

Mike said...

I think I'll go set a car on fire. Just to get in the spirit of things. NO WAIT! Then everyone will think St. Louis won some sort of sports contest.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the plug and credit, on behalf of all anonymous commenters. From now on, I shall sign myself, "Eminence Grise."

If I were an oil baron, I would make sure that one of my products was called "Eminence Grease." This is just to satisfy the undying punster in us both.
PS: A very disturbing and serious voter fraud issue in the USA is the invalidating of thousands of absentee ballots. The vast majority of absentee ballots are sent in by US military personnel. These people are risking their lives for our right to vote, and crooked politicians are stealing their right to vote.

Bilbo, I'll send you another post via high side, which you will enjoy.

signed,

le eminence grise

Leslie David said...

I hope Al Franken wins.

Mrs. Geezerette said...

More is going on in Iran right now than the rest of the world is being allowed to see.

A revolution is underway and the powers that be in Iran are attempting to keep it a secret.