Minnesota Recount Almost Over -- But Coleman Could Keep A Franken Win Bottled Up For Weeks

[DogPoundPup]

Source: TPM Election Central

Al Franken could be declared the winner of the Minnesota recount as soon as Monday, but due to the peculiarities of Minnesota election law, Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) could keep the seat bottled up in the courts for weeks or even months before a decisive resolution to the race, making it harder for the Democratic majority in the Senate to seat Franken on even a provisional basis.

Assuming Franken emerges as the recount winner at Monday's meeting of the state canvassing board, what happens next?

The Coleman campaign has publicly guaranteed that they will file an election contest, challenging the result in court. That would be a key development because Minnesota law actually prevents the issuing of a certificate of election to the winner until a contest proceeding is settled (unlike other states that will certify a win, and then allow the loser to pursue legal challenges if they want).

The bottom line here is that even if Coleman ultimately loses the recount plus the formal court contest, he could be able to drag out the seating of Franken for quite some time, well beyond next week's swearing of the 111th Congress.

Read more: http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/12...

[elocs]

1. If Coleman goes to court he will most likely end his political career in MN.

Otherwise, he did receive a lot of votes in this election and does have a chance at some other position another day.

[olddad56]

32. he has nothing to lose, his career is over anyway.

[elocs]

33. You mean like when Nixon declared we would not have Nixon to kick around anymore?

After that, who would have ever thought he would be elected president?

[opihimoimoi]

2. There is something about SORE LOSERS...they reveal themselves sho nuff

[merwin]

9. Dino Rossi did the same thing in WA

When he lost by < 200 votes in a recount that he was initially ahead in. Dragged it out in courts, while at the beginning telling Christine Gregoire to just concede.

[ogneopasno]

3. But but but but! But! When Coleman thought he was the winner, he said Franken should just graciously

concede for the good of the state and not draw things out with a big ol' recount! Could it really be he feels otherwise now that it looks like he's going to be losing? NO SHIT?

[Deja Q]

4. Is this the same Coleman who said not to bother recounting in the first place due to costs?

[minnesota_liberal]

19. Yes, but under completely different circumstances!

Coleman was the apparent winner at that stage.

You can't expect a weasel like Coleman to apply the same reason when it means he's going to have to look for a new job.

I also like the Coleman campaign's duplicity in criticizing Franken for being more interested in filing lawsuits than in couting votes and then filing their own lawsuit the very next day. (Of course, when Coleman does it, the medial call it a 'petition' instead of a 'lawsuit')

[madrchsod]

5. if coleman does this there will be two open democratic senate seats

obama will not be able to pass anything unless he promises enough republicans the moon for their votes.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

25. Sadly, you are right ...

... because neither Reid nor Polosi will ever actually force Repubs in the Senate or House to actually carry through on votes, which would expose those Repubs to the media and their constituents for what they really are.

So, a handful of Repubs will simply *threaten* to filabuster a vote and Reid and Polosi will talk about keeping their powder dry but certainly won't force a vote and nothing will ever get to Obama ... because Reid and Polosi will not force Repubs to actually vote. And the lobbyists win. And the corporations win. And Cheney/Rove/Bush/Reagan/Bush/etc. continue to win. And about 300 million of us in the country lose.

A lack of a filabuster-proof majority in the Senate is not the problem. Democratic leadership in the Senate and House is the problem.

[Old Codger]

30. Absolutely N/T

[Stellabella]

6. Gee, shouldn't little Normie concede for the GOOD OF THE STATE?

Like he wanted Senator Franken to do on election night?

[defendandprotect]

7. Considering the Bush "win," Franken has a landslide . .. !!!

[calimary]

8. Hey, let's give coleman the first Sore Loserman Award of the new year!

I already did (kind of):

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[LaPera]

10. Al Franken is OUR Democratic US Senator from Minnesota!

CHEERS!

W
In so much as we can't let the Republicans who will try and change that, as they did with Paul Wellstone of MN...Let's hope Democrat Franken for even a fraction of a moment has the progressive ideology as Wellstone gave us - and the balls to to the wall and would always go against the grain, as our Senator the great Democrat Paul Wellstone always had before he was assassinated!

The republicans have always killed our best (as well as the ones who can testify against them, the "Bush Crime Family" of course it's true!

20 more days of Bush's (and republicans) sick, lying, hateful, greedy, ideology & agenda Bush's administration has left.

[cstanleytech]

11. Dont suppose anyone here has been able to find any quotes from

Coleman in regards to the whole Gore vs Bush thing when Gore tried to appeal to the courts, if there is anything at all along the lines of Coleman saying Gore was wrong to pursue it then maybe its time to dust such quotes off and use them now against Coleman himself.

[Lasher]

12. Certificate? We don't need no stinkin' certificate!

As I have pointed out before, there is a strong precedent in the 2006 special election to fill Duke Cunningham's seat in the House of Representatives. Speaker Dennis Hastert rushed to swear in Republican Brian Bilbary 17 days before the election results had been certified. This effectively nullified subsequent Democratic legal challenges seeking a hand recount, and seeking to invalidate the election due to irregularities.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0608/S00316.htm

What happens next after Monday's meeting of the state canvassing board? Franken gets sworn in on Tuesday.

[safeinOhio]

13. Will Coleman get to keep his seat

when the new congress is seated if not settled by then?

[Robbien]

16. No, the seat will be empty

If Coleman was ahead in the vote count the GOPers would probably try and seat him even though the State hasn't certified the vote. But since Franken is ahead, the seat will remain empty awaiting State certification.

[LynneSin]

18. That'll make Minnesota voters happy - having one voice in the Senate

not like anything important is going to be discussed these first couple of months

[truthisfreedom]

14. coleman is a litigation-happy drunk-on-power turncoat bastard.

I hope he dies in a puddle of his own puke.

[MinneapolisMatt]

15. I love you.

[LynneSin]

17. Maybe Norm should save his pennies for his upcoming legal defense......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_Coleman#Deep_Marine_T...

In late October, 2008, Coleman was listed as a beneficiary of ethically-suspect activity in a lawsuit filed in Texas by Paul McKim, CEO of Deep Marine Technologies (DMT) against Nasser Kazeminy. Kazeminy is a longtime supporter of Coleman and owner of a controlling share of DMT. <71>. The petition alleges that Kazeminy used DMT to funnel $75,000 or more to Coleman's wife Laurie through her employer, Hays Companies, in order to enrich Senator Coleman. Exhibits filed with the petition show what appear to be multiple Hays invoices for services to DMT in amounts of $25,000 each. McKim states that Kazeminy threatened to fire McKim if he did not go along with the scheme. McKim's petition covers several issues, of which the Coleman matter is only one. Neither Coleman nor his wife are named as defendants in the suit.<72>

On Friday, October 31, a related suit was filed in Delaware Chancery Court by minority shareholders in DMT. The Delaware suit also alleges that DMT was used as a conduit for unearned funds to Laurie Coleman through Hays Companies, at the behest of Kazeminy. As in the Texas case, the Colemans are not named as defendants. <73>

Coleman responded with a campaign ad in which he denied the allegations and blamed them on his opponent in the 2008 senate race, Democrat Al Franken. <74>

[formercia]

28. This is what the fight is all about

Normie knows he's dead meat if he doesn't get the Senate seat.

...and what about using his campaign contributions for legal fees. Big bills a comin' Normie.

[cyclezealot]

20. Cornyn Indicates Senate GOP Will Resist Seating Al Franken

An important twist not to be overlooked... Don't let them get away with stealing us of a duly elected senator.
....?
&&

It now looks like the Senate GOP could end up trying to block the seating of Al Franken, assuming he is declared the winner next week in the Minnesota recount. NRSC chairman John Cornyn put out a statement accusing the Franken campaign of falsely declaring victory, and denouncing the idea of provisionally seating him while the expected legal dispute of the election is resolved:

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/12...

[Mnpaul]

29. Cornyn falsely accused Franken of saying that

That is not what he said.

[Piewhacket]

21. Coleman is Republiscum. GO AL !!!

[Broadslidin]

22. Thank You Mr. Coleman..! Your example of a "never give up" spirit might awaken a few Docile Dems..

Never allowing your dreams to die...
'pots of corporate gold', Cayman Island private accounts...

No Checks Accepted....

[NewJeffCT]

23. Didn't Coleman said he wouldn't contest the results if he was behind?

you know, right after the race was over and he had the initial pre-recount lead?

[machI]

24. It is now apparent that Al Franken is the winner. Coleman should concede and go SFU

[lenegal]

26. Coleman is a rat bastard sore loser.

Mr. Coleman, the world does not revolve around your corrupt ass. We need Franken in the Senate. Get over it, you sore loser.

[Danascot]

27. "Get over it."

Yet another GOP adage that applies here.

[Oddball]

31. We'll fight the long fight on this....

as long as it takes. Look for Coleman to use every trick in the book. Franken will counter each one and fight for this, no matter how long it takes.

[totodeinhere]

34. "Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) threatened Friday to filibuster any attempt to seat ...

Democratic Minnesota Senate candidate Al Franken next week.

http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/cornyn-promises-filibu...