After the Minnesota Canvassing Board certified the recount in the state's U.S. Senate race, showing Al Franken finishing 225 votes ahead of incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, the January 5 edition of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight baselessly included Franken in a segment on, in host Lou Dobbs' words, “Democratic Party scandals and downright bad behavior.” During both Dobbs' teaser for and introduction of a report by CNN correspondent Casey Wian, CNN ran on-screen text reading “Dems Behaving Badly” over video footage that included Franken. Later, during the portion of Wian's report on the Minnesota recount, on-screen text read, “Dems behaving badly: Democrats rocked by party scandals.”
DOBBS: With only 15 days remaining before the presidential inauguration, the Obama transition team is being distracted by a number of serious issues, being forced to deal with Democratic Party scandals and downright bad behavior. The scandals have forced a Cabinet nominee to step down and tainted the nomination of a new senator from Illinois. Casey Wian has our report.
[...]
WIAN: [Roland] Burris says the Lord has ordained his selection. A less lofty authority, Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, has now declared fellow Democrat and former Saturday Night Live cast member Al Franken as the winner of that state's Senate race.
RITCHIE: We will declare the results of the November 4th election.
WIAN: On election night, Franken trailed incumbent Republican Norm Coleman by 215 votes. After weeks of counting, recounting, and according to the Coleman campaign, double counting, Franken now has a 225-vote lead.
[...]
WIAN: All of this makes Democratic strategist and CNN contributor James Carville seem prophetic. On Friday, he wrote that, quote, “Political scandals happen in clusters,” and he expects plenty involving Democrats this year -- Lou.
DOBBS: He exempted, however, we should point out, the president-elect from that, correct?
WIAN: Absolutely, and you know, people who study the issue of ethics in government we spoke with today said that they don't expect any of these scandals, at least so far, to impact President-elect Obama's ability to govern, but they certainly are disturbing.
DOBBS: And unfortunately seem like a continuation of what the Democrats were just -- was it just a little over two years ago? -- calling the Republican culture of corruption. Thank you very much, Casey Wian.
