There was no noticeable partisan division among the board. I reject any imputation of misconduct to the board such as is implicit in the Journal editorial. Whatever inconsistencies the board committed in ruling on challenged ballots and other issues do not result from partisan mischief.

This isn’t to say that Johnson thinks Al Franken’s win was legitimate: He attacks Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie for “collusion” with Franken and recommends that incumbent former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) hire a “new quarterback” who is tougher than his current team (which includes President George. W. Bush’s 2000 Florida recount lawyer Ben Ginsburg) to fight back.

But if the Journal is wrong about “partisan misconduct,” that takes oomph out of the argument that the Minnesota Supreme Court needs to intervene for a new recount. The idea that Minnesota Democrats stole the election is what Coleman and the conservative media are trying to push here, not the idea that the canvassing board made a few decisions that broke Franken’s way.