Breaking news: Minnesota Supreme Court says unanimously, it's "Senator Al Franken." AND NOW: Coleman concedes, Pawlenty will sign!
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FINAL UPDATE: Coleman concedes! Pawlenty says he'll sign!
From USA Today:
ORIGINAL REPORT
Republican Norm Coleman is addressing supporters in St. Paul following a Minnesota Supreme Court decision today that found Democrat Al Franken has won the election. The USA TODAY story is here.
"I join all Minnesotans in congratulating our newest United States senator, Al Franken," Coleman said. "I have never believed that my service is irreplaceable. We have reached the point where further litigation damages the unity of our state, which is also fundamental. In these tough times, we all need to focus on the future. And the future today is we have a new United States senator."
Update 4:28 p.m. ET: Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has released a statement announcing that he will sign the election certificate, which clears the way for Franken to be seated in the Senate. "In light of [the] decision and Senator Coleman’s announcement that he will not be pursuing an appeal, I will be signing the election certificate today as directed by the court and applicable law." Earlier, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Franken could be seated as early as next week.
ORIGINAL REPORT
[1st UPDATE below: statement from Sen. Harry Reid]
The Associated Press reports:
Minn. rules for Franken in Senate fight
By BRIAN BAKST
The Associated Press
Tuesday, June 30, 2009; 2:18 PM
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Supreme Court has ordered that Democrat Al Franken be certified as the winner of the state's long-running Senate race.
The high court rejected a legal challenge from Republican Norm Coleman, whose options for regaining the Senate seat are dwindling.
Justices said Franken is entitled to the election certificate he needs to assume office. With Franken and the usual backing of two independents, Democrats will have a big enough majority to overcome Republican filibuster.
Coleman hasn't ruled out seeking federal court intervention.
Unfortunately, the ruling doesn't seem to include the death penalty for Norm Coleman -- and Sen. John Cornyn and the rest of his election-stealing supporters -- for kidnapping the U.S. electoral system. Now the ball is in Governor Pawlenty's court, and he has indicated that he might actually be prepared to do his job certifying the election.
By the way, the ruling unanimously rejected outright all of Coleman's claims, and that's with the two justices who had participated in the recount commission not participating. -- Ken
UPDATE: SENATE MAJORITY LEADER HARRY
REID HAS ISSUED THIS STATEMENT --
I congratulate Senator-elect Al Franken, the next Senator from the state of Minnesota.
The people of Minnesota will now finally get the brilliant and hardworking new senator they elected in November and the full representation they deserve. After all the votes have been counted and recounted, the Minnesota Supreme Court has made the final determination that Minnesotans have chosen Al Franken to help their state and our country get back on track.
The Senate looks forward to welcoming Senator-elect Franken as soon as possible. He will play a crucial role as we work to strengthen our economy, ensure all Americans can access and afford quality health care, make our country more energy independent, confirm the President’s outstanding nominee to the Supreme Court, and tackle the many other challenges we face.
I once again encourage Governor Pawlenty to respect the votes of his constituents and the decisions of his state’s highest court. He should put politics aside, follow his state’s laws and finally sign the certificate that will bring this episode to an end.
UPDATE: SENATE MAJORITY LEADER HARRY
REID HAS ISSUED THIS STATEMENT --
I congratulate Senator-elect Al Franken, the next Senator from the state of Minnesota.
The people of Minnesota will now finally get the brilliant and hardworking new senator they elected in November and the full representation they deserve. After all the votes have been counted and recounted, the Minnesota Supreme Court has made the final determination that Minnesotans have chosen Al Franken to help their state and our country get back on track.
The Senate looks forward to welcoming Senator-elect Franken as soon as possible. He will play a crucial role as we work to strengthen our economy, ensure all Americans can access and afford quality health care, make our country more energy independent, confirm the President’s outstanding nominee to the Supreme Court, and tackle the many other challenges we face.
I once again encourage Governor Pawlenty to respect the votes of his constituents and the decisions of his state’s highest court. He should put politics aside, follow his state’s laws and finally sign the certificate that will bring this episode to an end.
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Labels: Al Franken, Harry Reid, Minnesota, Norm Coleman, Tim Pawlenty
posted by KenInNY @ 11:30 AM
11 comments
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11 Comments:
Harry Reid is a spineless wuss who let Norm Coleman push him around for eight months. I'll believe that Pawlenty certifies this result when I see it.
I hear you, Jill! I'm waiting to see that signed election certificate too!
But we're a big step closer -- and now it's put-up-or-shut-up time for the governor.
Ken
How convenient of Minnesota and the court to declare Franken the winner. This vulgar, low-life wannabe comedian will make it to D.C. just in time for the Senate's summer session of screwing the American people. Al Franken has failed at everything he has ever done...comedy, television, radio, so you can expect similar results during his time "legislating," if that's what you want to call it. Looks like the cowardly lion Harry Reid pulled some strings to get this completed so he can get his 60 votes and prevent the Republicans from a filibuster on health care reform and whatever garbage Congress wants to ram down our throats. On top of that, Judge Sotomayor will get confirmed in a heartbeat. Unbelievable. Wake up people!! Can't you see what is happening here? I guess it is true, America as a whole is stupid.
aLet the American people gaze upon the face of the New Democrat Party: Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, John Murtha, Harry Ried, and Al Franken, and by auxilliary membership Mahmoud Ahmedinezad and Hugo Chavez!
Never mind it was once the party of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Harry S. Truman, and Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
Harry the Paper Tiger? Ken, do you by any chance remember a wonderful WC Fields film called The Bank Dick, in which one running gag is a bank president offering "a hearty handshake" that looks like a flabby side of beef? I've always thought that Harry must shake hands like that. He has the moral density of a rubber skeleton. I don't expect him to be replaced anytime soon, of course, not with the Dems divided between progressives and Stealth Republicans. He really fits the bill. Not it only remains to be seen where Franken will vote.
Well, that, and how long it will be before Feinstein gets barred from San Francisco.
Why, of course I remember THE BANK DICK, B. I'll have to think about the connection to our Harry, though. The basic misanthrophy of your standard Fields character seems to me an odd fit. Why, our Harry would give you the shirt off his back. (And why not? He's arranged a steady supply of new shirts.)
There's no question, though, that a new level of pressure has been added to the senator's job description -- he's going to have to come up with new and better excuses for not being able to shut down threatened filibusters. I'm going to try to craft a paragraph on the subject for tomorrow.
Ken
As if the democrats already didn't have free Rain on Washington.
Feral!
Glad to see you are still around!
Are you and Grandpa Fred going to make another run for the white house in 2012? Gruesome....
I could see how YOU might judge Franken's successful careers from your LOSERS' perspective:)
Thanks, Bil.
Considering the fairly riotous success Al Franken has had as a standup, a comedy writer, a TV personality, an author, and (yes) a lefty radio-TV commentator, I would be thrilled to have attained in all of my endeavors put together the "failure" he's achieved in any one of his. But then, I don't suppose Al needs me to defend him against crazy people.
It's a happy day, I tell you, and everyone who's in touch with Al seems agreed that quietly, behind the scenes, he's been working pretty hard to assemble a staff and be up to speed to slide into his Senate committee assignments and the rest of his workload.
Ken
"The basic misanthrophy of your standard Fields character seems to me an odd fit."
Ken, it's just the bank president's "hearty handshake" in that one particular film that comes to mind when I think of Reid: the flabbiest, slimiest handshake in existence. Reid to me personifies this handshake in the Senate. I have literally heard him talk admirably tough on many occasions, but in each instance he's backed off and run the other way when push came to shove. His words will be used against him by his from-the-right opponents in the election. His actions will be used against him by progressives. I could only wish that a good primary challenger would appear, but the national Dems seem to be engaging in their time-honored practice of sitting with their thumbs in their collective asses, hoping for the best. Should probably rename themselves the Mr. Micawber Club. They're always know there's something just around the next corner.
Just another nail in Amerika's coffin. How sad..the Democrats are in control and we're losing the battle. Thanks to Ensign and Sanford the Republicans have egg on their face and we now have to look at the stupid comedian, Franken. Great going guys.
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