Franken Is No Longer "Leading"-- He Won

Al Franken is as entitled to a seat and a vote in the U.S. Senate as either Mike Johanns (R-NE) or Jim Risch (R-ID), the only two Republican freshmen. It's been obvious for months that Coleman's RNC-financed frivolous law suits and challengers were just about preventing Franken from taking his seat, not about really contesting the election. The best explanation for what the Republican Party is doing was blurted out by Michele Bachmann supporter Jim Bendtsen from Anoka County just north of Minneapolis. He told USAToday that "he's willing to forgo a senator if it means slowing President Obama's agenda. 'I'm in favor of keeping Franken out of office as long as possible,' he says. 'The more votes Obama has at the federal level, the more damage I think he's going to do to America.'" That is the definition of unadulterated Republican obstructionism as preached by the slobbering three-headed god, Rush-Ann-Glenn they've all sold their souls to.

After a trial spanning nearly three months, Norm Coleman’s attempt to reverse Al Franken’s lead in the recount of the U.S. Senate election was soundly rejected today by a three-judge panel that dismissed the Republican’s lawsuit.

The judges swept away Coleman’s argument that the election and its aftermath were fraught with systemic errors that made the results invalid.

“The overwhelming weight of the evidence indicates that the Nov. 4, 2008, election was conducted fairly, impartially and accurately,” the panel said in its unanimous decision.

In rejecting Coleman’s arguments, the panel said the Republican essentially asked it to ignore Minnesota election requirements and adopt a more lenient standard allowing illegal absentee ballots to be counted.

The panel also rejected Coleman’s comparison of Senate election problems to those in the 2000 presidential race in Florida.

Unlike Florida, Minnesota has statewide standards for absentee voting that are “uniform and explicit and apply in every county and city,” the panel wrote.

It's simple; the court has ruled Franken won the most votes which, in a democracy, means he won the election. The airtight 68 page opinion is adamant that the election was fair, that it did not violate the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution and that each county's adopted ballot counting rules was proper and in accordance with state and federal laws. It's is almost shocking at how completely it slaps down Coleman's spurious claims. The judges have declared that Franken is entitled to a certificate of election.

Coleman and the GOP want to protract this as long as they can, just to make it more difficult for Obama to overcome GOP de facto filibusters on his entire agenda. He has already announced he will appeal to the state Supreme Court. Governor Tim Pawlenty has vowed to allow Minnesota to go without a second senator for as long as the Republican Party is willing to finance challenges and lawsuits. It's clear that Minnesota voters should start a recall of Pawlenty.

After a statewide recount and seven-week trial, Franken stands 312 votes ahead. Franken actually gained more votes from the election challenge than Coleman, the candidate who brought it.

The state law Coleman sued under merely required three judges to determine who got the most votes and is therefore entitled to an election certificate. That critical certificate is on hold pending appeal, and GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty has hedged when asked if he'll deliver it after the state courts are done reviewing the case.

"The overwhelming weight of the evidence indicates that the November 4, 2008 election was conducted fairly, impartially, and accurately," the judges wrote in their unanimous opinion. "There is no evidence of a systematic problem of disenfranchisement in the state's election system, including in its absentee-balloting procedures."

Even the Republican Party propagandist embedded on MSNBC, former right-wing congressman Joe Scarborough, is telling Coleman that he lost and it's time to give up the shameful obstructionism: "Norm... you lost... It's over Norm? OK? It's over."

Wednesday's Minnesota Independent has some bad news for Coleman: most voters think he should concede. And Pawlenty better be careful; 59% of Minnesota voters say he should sign Franken’s election certificate.

UPDATE: And I Hope The GOP Isn't Planning The Same Strategy Of Disruption For Tedisco

As the counting of paper ballots continues in NY-20, Scott Murphy continues to expand his lead. The crazed and desperate Tedisco, who was forced out of his local GOP leadership job, has even challenged the absentee ballot of NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, whose elevation to the Senate is what opened the seat he and Murphy have been vying for. Gillbrand and Murphy, unlike Tedisco, live in the district.