Franken pushes for lawsuit's dismissal

MINNEAPOLIS, March 5 (UPI) -- Democrat Al Franken asked Thursday that the election challenge filed in court by Republican Norm Coleman in the Minnesota Senate race be dismissed.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that the Franken camp told a three-judge panel that at least vast portions of Coleman's challenge should be tossed.

"(Coleman's attorneys) have failed to demonstrate a right relief for any of their claims. This court should dismiss this action and grant judgment for (Franken) on all of the claims, or, in the alternative, on some portion of (Coleman's) claims," Franken's legal team said.

In January, Coleman sued to overturn Franken's 225-vote lead in the Senate race.

Franken's attorneys told the court Coleman had listed less than 1,200 absentee ballots that should be

counted, after various subtractions, and failed to provide "documentation or testimony to prove that many of these ballots were validly cast."