How Will Kirsten Gillibrand Feel About The Al Franken Scalp On Her Belt If Michele Bachmann Wins His Senate Seat?

You remember Michele Bachmann, right? She founded the congressional Tea Party caucus and is married to a bizarre closet case who used to advertise in gay magazines and in 2012 became-- along with Michele-- citizens of Switzerland. She was a crackpot Minnesota congresswoman from 2007 until she was forced to retire in 2014 rather than face trials for numerous campaign finance violations, for bribing Iowa State Senator Kent Sorenson to support her in the presidential caucuses and for stealing a homeschool e-mail list. When she was finally driven from office, she was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, the FEC, the Iowa Senate Ethics Committee, the Urbandale Police Department and the FBI. She was told if she didn’t retire from Congress, she could be spending years behind bars.

Last week during an interview with disgraced televangelist far right and really, really crazier than ever Jim Bakker, she announced that she is considering running for the U.S. Senate seat Gillibrand forced Franken to resign from... but offered one caveat-- she’s waiting for God to tell her what to do before making a final decision. Currently she serves on the Trumpanzee evangelical advisory board and has publicly avowed that Señor T is now a “committed believer” of Jesus Christ and a “man of faith” who has “asked God for help and wisdom.” Just watch that video up top. And thank Kirsten Gillibrand that this monstrosity is back in the public sphere.

The Republican favored to run at this point isn't Bachmann but former senator and current lobbyist Norm Coleman, who Al Franken narrowly defeated in 2008. Coleman was a conservative Democrat (anti-Choice, anti-union... the same kind of turgid garbage the DCCC always loves) but joined the GOP in 1996. I wonder which one Gillibrand would prefer, a former Brooklynite (Coleman-- he went to the same elementary and high school as Bernie, Schumer and I did) or the woman in the race, Bachmann. Here's one of my favorite of many Bachmann memes. It's real... and, needless to say, Fox News was proud to run it:

UPDATE: Many Folks Are Pissed Off At Gillibrand And Her Opportunism

If Gillibrand thinks she can ride her maneuvers against Al Franken to the Democratic nomination, she and her consultants better think again. No one likes her hypocritical move and today Democratic super-donor Susie Tompkins Buell, a huge donor to Democratic women candidates, is reconsidering future contributions to politicians like Gillibrand.

Buell said she is weighing whether to continue her financial support after the calls for Franken's exit last month. The charge for his resignation— led by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and followed almost immediately by a string of statements from other prominent female Democratic senators— came on Dec. 6, before the conclusion of an official Senate Ethics Committee inquiry.

…In two interviews this week, Buell described the push for Franken’s departure as "unfair," "cavalier," and somewhat politically motivated — "a stampede," "like a rampage," she said, speaking in stark terms about senators she has backed for years, naming Gillibrand in particular.

"They need to know that some of their biggest supporters are questioning why they did that," Buell said. "We have to do things conscientiously and fairly. He didn't have the chance to defend himself."

The critique marks a somewhat significant departure for Buell, who is a mainstay in Democratic donor circles and has cultivated a reputation over the years as a fierce and vocal supporter of Democratic women.

…Since 1991, Buell has contributed to nearly every one of the 17 Democratic women currently serving in the Capitol's upper chamber, according to campaign filings. She has given the most to Gillibrand and her PAC, Off the Sidelines, a group dedicated to supporting other female candidates.

…"These are senators that almost unanimously said he should have his opportunity to explain himself with the Ethics Committee," she said. "Then, within hours of each other, they said he should resign. It was clearly, clearly highly organized.”

UPDATE: A Sign From God

Bachmann said she wanted a sign from God before making up her mind about whether or not to run for the Minnesota Senate seat. This week she got one:

Mr. Trumpy The Clown Goes To DC

After his DC meet'n'greet with Republican House members-- with, for some reason, Reince Priebus and Ivanka Trump in tow-- and where he was introduced by a poorly trained seal jonesin' for a fish Lawrence Kudlow, Raul Labrador (R-ID) told the press Trump "needs a number 2 guy that's solid behind the Constitution... someone like Ted Cruz." Paul Ryan said his Republicans were happy to have had a meeting with Trump and to hear his views, presumably including extolling the newly invented virtues of Saddam Hussein... to a roomful of Republican zombies who voted vigorously to attack Iraq and still defend that vote to this day.

Immediately after, Trump waddled over the the NRSC building and boasted how he is going to win Michigan, Oregon, Connecticut, California and New York, deep blue states where he is widely perceived as having no chance at all. (he also bragged he would win Illinois and Illinois' Republican senator, who detests him, remarked that "We haven’t seen a personality like his too much in the Midwest: Eastern, privileged, wealthy bully. Our bullies are made of better stuff in Illinois. We’re much more practical and polite.") Normally Republicans don't even waste their money in any of these states except, occasionally Michigan, where they are always disappointed. In 2012 Obama beat Romney, who grew up in Michigan and where his father was a popular governor, 2,561,911 (54%) to 2,112,673 (45%). Obama didn't just sweep Wayne County-- with 73%, by the way-- he took all the Detroit suburban counties to boot: Oakland (54%), Washtenaw (67%). Monroe (50%), Macomb (52%). Clinton is expected to do even better than Obama did in California, where Obama beat Romney 6,493,924 (59%) to 4,202,127 (38%), and in New York, where Obama beat him 3,875,826 (63%) to 2,226,637 (36%). What is especially worrying to many House Republicans is that Obama carried their districts in 2012 and Hillary seems to be ready to out-perform him, especially in districts like these:

• NY-01- Zeldin

• IA-01- Blum
• IL-10- Dold
• MI-02- open
• VA-02- open
• PA-07- Meehan
• MN-03- Paulsen
• FL-26- Curbelo
• NH-01- Guinta
• FL-27- Ros-Lehtinen
• FL-13- Jolly
• CA-10- Denham
• NY-02- King

• NY-03- MacArthur
• IA-03- Young
• NY-21- Stefanik
• IL-12- Bost
• CO-06- Coffman
• NY-19- open
• CA-21 Valadao
• NV-04- Hardy
• NY-24- Katko

These should be the first line of attack for an invigorated and competent DCCC. Pelosi's DCCC is neither and they've already scratched most of these races, some intentionally (like FL-27, NY-02 and PA-07) and some due to incompetent recruiting (like NY-01, IA-02, IL-10, NY-21 to name just a few). The Republicans must be thanking their lucky stars Pelosi is so senile and Israel and Wasserman Schultz are so corrupt.

The California Field Poll released Thursday showing Hillary trouncing Trumpy the Clown with an unprecedented 58-28% pointed out that Trumpy has virtually no cross-over appeal at all. If you're brain-washed by Hate Talk Radio and Fox, Trump's your guy. Normal people don't give him a second glance, not even the ones uncomfortable with her. She's beatiung him among men 53-24% and among women 62-24%. Democratic voters have no interest in him and his support among independents is "anemic, with no more than one in five backing his candidacy... Support for Trump is also unusually low among the state's ethnic voters. In a two-candidate field, Clinton is backed by 75% of the state's Latinos and 87% of its African Americans. By contrast, Trump draws the support of just 12% and 3% of these voters, respectively."

During the meeting at the NRSC-- boycotted by Rob Portman (R-OH), MarcoRubio (R-FL), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Mark Kirk (R-IL), John McCain (R-AZ) and Pat Toomey, all of whom are in tough reelection battles-- Trump got into a dust-up with Jeff Flake (R-AZ) over his attack on McCain.Trump warned him he would lose his re-election (which he doesn't have until 2018). Trump pointed out that he hasn't attacked Flake yet but threatened that he might soon begin doing so. Flake told reporters that he's not going to the Trump convention in Cleveland because he already has an appointment that week to mow his lawn. Trump also attacked Kirk for withdrawing his endorsement, although Kirk wasn't there. He bitched to McConnell that he "isn't feeling the love." McConnell told reporters that "We had a good meeting... very good attendance."

After the meeting over at the House , Rep. Charlie Dent (PA) told reporters, reality not withstanding, that there had been questions to Trump from Members about his comments on Hispanics and how he performs with them. Dent, stifling a giggle, told them that Trump said "Hispanics love me... We are dealing with a very unconventional candidate here who's made a number of incendiary comments." Another GOP congressman not impressed was Mark Sanford of South Carolina who described Trump as "loose and reckless on the facts."

Norm Coleman is no longer a senator. He went to my elementary school in Brooklyn, PS-197, but wound up in Minneapolis. Al Franken defeated him after one undistinguished term. He wasn't invited to Trump's meeting with senators, of course, but I can't imagine he would have gone, at least judging by the OpEd he wrote about Trump in March for the Star Tribune:

I won't vote for Donald Trump.

I won't vote for Donald Trump because of who he isn't.

He isn't a Republican. He isn't a conservative. He isn't a truth teller.

He's not a uniter. Donald Trump isn't the leader America needs after eight years of a president who deliberately divided us and fanned the flames of racial and socioeconomic strife-- and, by doing so, diminished America's standing in the world.

I also won't vote for Donald Trump because of who he is.

A bigot. A misogynist. A fraud. A bully.

Who Donald Trump is should have been at the core of his campaign for president of the United States.

Instead, what Trump wanted us to believe is a marketing package that has been sold to the American people.

He is accused of stealing $40 million from thousands of fellow Americans through a phony "college"-- promising opportunity to achieve the American Dream. He has left in his wake failed enterprises such as Trump Airlines, Trump Mortgage and Trump Vodka. His multiple corporate bankruptcies have left scores of "little guys"-- suppliers-- with unpaid bills. He is not to be trusted with billions of dollars from the hardworking labor of millions of other fellow Americans.

When a man mocks the disabled, dismisses the valor and honor of America's veterans, such as Sen. John McCain, and defames the last Republican commander-in-chief, he is not to be trusted to lead our nation's military in times of peace or war.

There is a coarseness to Trump that degrades the political discourse, such as when he calls women "fat pigs" or attacks a female reporter by a not-so-subtle reference to her menstrual cycle.

And any man who declines to renounce the affections of the KKK and David Duke should not be trusted to lead America. Ever.

We have been deceived by a con artist. A fraud wrapped in the veneer of being a businessman, who has slapped a slogan on a baseball cap and is closer to being president of the United States than any bigot, misogynist, fraud and bully in modern American history.

Republican leaders are to blame. Of this there is no doubt. Republicans like me and others who could not believe or comprehend that anyone would take Donald Trump seriously.

Republicans like me and others who did not understand just how angry, bitter, frustrated and anxious millions of Americans are about the future of our nation and their own economic and personal safety.

Americans are hungry for a strong leader. And yes, Trump projects strength. But his embrace of Putin, his lauding the butchery of Tiananmen Square, and the praise he evokes from French fascist Jean-Marie Le Pen-- the founder of France's National Front-- and American fascist David Duke, signal a strength that is inconsistent with American ideals of justice and liberty.

...It is said that our leaders are a reflection of who we are.

If we believe that, then people like Donald Trump will fall.

If not, then people like Donald Trump will rise up, and like every fascist before them, will lead a nation to its doom.

America is a great nation. We were a great nation long before Donald Trump sold us on a slogan-- and we can be a great nation without Trump's false promises built on a legacy of fiction.

Keep America great.

Fire Donald Trump.

Minnesota, one of the most literate and well-educated states in the country, was the state where Trump performed most poorly. The Republican caucuses face Trump just 24,018 votes (21.3%). He was badly beaten by Rubio and Cruz. Rubio won 5 congressional districts (and 17 delegates) and Cruz won 3 congressional districts and 13 delegates. Trump lost everywhere and wound up with 8 delegates. Not surprisingly, Trump's worst performance was in the Twin Cities, where he only won 15.6% of Republican voters. He did nearly as badly in the 2 districts that encompass the Minneapolis suburbs.

Again... The Democrats Have No Chance To Take Back The House, Not Even If Trump Is The Presidential Nominee

I knew one-term Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman at PS-197 in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. Bernie had already moved on to Madison High School-- where we both went-- by the time we arrived at 197. He was a dweeb from a weird family of social climbers in an almost all Jewish neighborhood. His family switched to Episcopalian or Anglican or something like that. In later life, I've been told, he went back to his original Jewish faith. This week, Coleman, who was defeated by standup comedian Al Franken in 2008 when he ran for reelection, told NY Times reporter Alexander Burns that "If it were me and I were running, and Trump were going to be at the top of the ticket, I would disavow him."

Monday, Upstate New York Congressman Richard Hanna did just that. In fact, Hanna said he wouldn't vote for either Trump or Cruz if either is the GOP nominee. Easy for him, though; he's retiring from Congress in January. He told his constituents that he wants "a president that my children can look up to, and this campaign is beneath the dignity of the American people. Our unwillingness to push back when we hear remarks that are callous, intolerant and bigoted is hurting our party. It’s hurting our country.

"Before Trump had even declared he was going to run, it looked like the GOP was likely to lose the Senate anyone, just based on the fact that so many Republicans in blue and purple states looked vulnerable and few Democrats did. And the House looked safe for the Republicans; it still does-- primarily because if a corrupt, incompetent and totally debilitated DCCC.

The Democrats look like they have good shots to take back Senate seats in Wisconsin, Illinois, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Florida and Ohio and possibly North Carolina, Iowa and Missouri, while protecting their own vulnerabilities in Nevada and Colorado. If there were a wave election, something a Trump nomination could precipitate, Republicans could even lose Arkansas, Kentucky, Indiana and Arizona, which would mean that the Democrats's Senate majority would be protected from the expected reversal of fortunes in 2018 when the shoe is on the other foot when vulnerable Democratic seats in North Dakota, Virginia, Montana, Indiana, West Virginia Missouri and Florida are up and where Republicans could very well target Ohio, Wisconsin and New Jersey (the corruption scarred Menendez). In 2018 the only contest the Republicans would have to watch out for is in Nevada. The rest of their seats are all safe. But, big wins in 2016 would be a useful cushion.

The House would be within reach if a competent DCCC existed but there is no such thing and never will be while Pelosi is Democratic Leader. The one we have now will be lucky to not lose seats, let along make up a massive 30-seat deficit. Their usual ideologically-driven sub-par recruiting is worse than usual, with winnable district after winnable district being given up without a fight-- political malfeasance from California to New York and all places in between. So, yes, Trump makes it harder for Republicans down the ticket to win but it doesn't matter when the Democrats either have no candidate, a really bad candidate or are refusing to support good candidates who aren't DCCC zombies. So, as Burns pointed out, "While Mr. Trump would most likely draw throngs of white, working-class voters in Democratic-leaning states like Michigan and Ohio, he would also drive away women, nonwhites and voters with college degrees in conservative-leaning states like Georgia and North Carolina." The DCCC has weak no candidates in either Georgia or North Carolina to take any advantage of that. And even if their were opportunities in Ohio and Michigan, the DCCC had an extraordinarily batch of weak candidates if districts that would need great candidates to be competitive.

Democrats see Mr. Trump as increasing their chances, especially in diverse and fast-growing states like Arizona and Virginia, where the party often struggles to turn out Hispanic voters who can help its candidates. And the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is mounting a late push to stretch the political map by recruiting candidates in as many as 10 conservative-leaning House districts, in states like Florida and Kansas, where analysts believe Mr. Trump will harm Republicans.

The Democratic committee, eager to cut into the Republicans’ majority, has begun a large data project to model both support for and opposition to Mr. Trump. Meredith Kelly, a spokeswoman for the committee, confirmed that its data team was studying which of Mr. Trump’s ideas and comments would be most offensive to key voting blocs, and how best to project those themes in congressional races.

The theory is valid but DCCC candidates in those states-- Arizona, Virginia, Florida and Kansas-- are, for the most part, ghastly and where there is a decent candidate here and there, the DCCC is actively working to sabotage him or her in order to put in a candidate more amenable to the corruption and conservatism party leaders like Hoyer, Crowley, Luján, Clyburn and Wassermann Schultz thrive on. Candidates the DCCC is not supporting includes 17 of the 18 outstanding progressives on this list:

Breaking news: Minnesota Supreme Court says unanimously, it's "Senator Al Franken." AND NOW: Coleman concedes, Pawlenty will sign!

FINAL UPDATE: Coleman concedes! Pawlenty says he'll sign!

From USA Today:

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.

#

Republicans Have Been Very Successful In Minnesota Senate Contest

Oh, there was never any chance they would be able to re-seat Norm Coleman; he did, after all, lose the election and get fewer votes than Al Franken. But that wasn't really the GOP objective. Half the people who vote for John Cornyn and Mitch McConnell may be part of what Charles Pierce refers to in his new book, Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free, but neither of the two congressmen, malevolent as they are, is stupid. They funded a series of frivolous, pesky lawsuits for Coleman, not to get him into the Senate, only to keep Franken out for as long as they could. And it's worked for nearly half a year.

Since January, when the Coleman strategy of keeping Franken from taking his seat emerged-- and Harry Supermouse Reid's boast that he would be seated by the first of April turned into an April Fool's joke-- Franken hasn't been able to vote on any of the crucial issues in the change agenda that Minnesotans were pumpin' for when they cast their ballots for him and for Obama. Worse yet, the Democratic caucus has been at the mercy of a couple of right-wing Democrats who conspire daily with the GOP to water down every reform Obama attempts. Without Franken joining the family-friendly Senate Democrats, the caucus has been stuck catering to the corporate-friendly shitheads like Max Baucus, Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln and, now, Arlen Specter.

This morning Michael Falcone writes at Politico that the GOP game plan has finally run its course. Law experts all agree that Coleman has no chance of prevailing and that Franken will be ordered seated by the state Supreme Court, which was astounded that Coleman came before them with his spurious assertions and, after almost 8 months, no evidence whatsoever-- none.

“Each of the five justices asked some questions that seemed to home in on the absence of evidence," said [Peter] Knapp, an expert on the Minnesota Supreme Court who has kept a close eye on the case. "And when each of the five are asking those questions, that’s significant.”

...At one point on Monday, Associate Justice Christopher Dietzen, who was appointed to the court last year by Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, complained to Friedberg that he was offering “no concrete evidence” to back up his theories.

Pawlenty has all but declared that he'll be spending the next three and a half years running for the Republican presidential nomination. He's giving up the Minnesota governor's mansion-- likely to a Democrat-- and will concentrate on burnishing his image as someone who can appeal to Pierce's Idiot America, the only path to the GOP nomination now (which is probably also a path to sure defeat in a general election). Pawlenty wants to get the Franken thing out of the way as soon as possible now; he's already announced that if the Supreme Court tells him to sign the election certification that will allow Franken to take his seta, he'll do so. That isn't something that will go over well with the base and Pawlenty is working overtime to make sure the Republican Party opinion leaders-- Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, the Cheney family, Savage, Coulter-- realize he's one of them. In a speech to the College Republican National Committee Friday night, Pawlenty was playing the "socialism" card and characterizing the Obama administration as a “tyranny” responsible for “nationalizing” the mortgage, banking and automobile industries. And then he coughed up the ultimate offering to the GOP Hate-Talkers:

“The only thing growing faster than the federal government’s deficit is Chris Matthews’ man-crush on Barack Obama."

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.

So Who Is On The Minnesota Supreme Court?

A few days ago Senate Guru tried figuring out how the Minnesota Supreme Court might rule in the next phase of the frivolous law suit defeated Republican Norm Coleman is likely to pursue against victor Al Franken. First of all Chief Justice Eric Magnuson and Justice G. Barry Anderson have recused themselves from any appeal because they both served on the statewide Canvassing Board earlier in the post-election process. Each was an appointee of a Republican governor. So the appeal would be decided on by Justices Alan C. Page, Paul H. Anderson, Helen M. Meyer, Lorie Skjerven Gildea, and Christopher  Dietzen. Senate Guru think Dietzen has the clearest partisan background. He was appointed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty, apparently as a favor after Dietzen served as an attorney for Pawlenty's 2002 gubernatorial campaign.

I checked the Open Secrets record and noticed that Dietzen has donated thousands of dollars to Republican candidates-- including to Norm Coleman and the RNC, which is helping to finance the law suits against Franken. Shouldn't he recuse himself too?

Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea was also appointed by Pawlenty. More interestingly, her husband, Andy, is a Republican Party employee and a well-known right-wing partisan operative. He also donated exclusively to GOP candidates, particularly to far right extremist John Kline.

Paul Anderson is also a Republican and was appointed by a Republican governor. Helen Meyer was appointed by Jesse Ventura and her donations were all to Democrats, especially to progressive icon Paul Wellstone. The fifth Justice, Alan Page wasn't appointed but elected, although, as Senate Guru points out, he's a probably Democrat. He hasn't made any campaign contributions.

The farce continues-- which is all the Republicans care about in the end. Meanwhile, on Friday, in a related matter, the Texas trial of one of Coleman's cronies and illegal campaign contributors, Nasser Kazeminy, was put on hold for another month.

Time For Norm Coleman To Throw In The Towel, Take 23

Who's the bigger sore loser?

As of yesterday the official number of votes by which Al Franken is now leading sore loser Norm Coleman in the "election" to Minnesota's second Senate seat has risen to 312. That's right, after months of fighting and millions of dollars wasted in Coleman's frivolous law suit, he managed to gain 111 votes-- while Franken gained 198 votes, a net positive of 87 for Franken.

Of course none of this matters one bit to the Republican obstructionists behind Coleman's battle-- primarily McConnell, Kyl and Cornyn. They know that Coleman has no chance to win. They just want to delay-- for as long as possible-- Franken being seated. And there are plenty of grassroots Republicans-- those without functioning brains beyond being able to repeat what they hear from Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly and the other GOP strategists. Take Michele Bachmann supporter Jim Bendtsen in Anoka County, just north of the Twin Cities. Bendtsen, 54, was quoted in USAToday yesterday regurgitating just what he hears from Limbaugh. He says "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.'"

And for all those who would prefer to see America fail than watch Obama succeed, that kind of talk is pretty standard. Yesterday Franken's attorney explained that it's all over for Coleman but Republican obstructionists don't care about Coleman or Minnesota-- just advancing their cause: obstruction. These are the people who really believe in "4 more years."

“I think we are done,” Franken attorney Marc Elias told reporters after the counting. “It’s no more complicated than this … More Minnesotans voted for Al Franken than for Norm Coleman.”

Asked about Coleman’s pledge to battle on, Elias said, “I don’t think there is much of a case on appeal, candidly.”

Even Republican-oriented newspapers and far right extremists are starting to give up on Coleman's counterproductive tactics. Ramesh Ponnuru in the National Review: "I think it's time for him to give up this fight." Today however, eyes shift east as official absentee vote counting gets under way in the contested election for Congress in NY-20. It's all tied-up now but Nate Silver says the trend is Murphy's friend in this case. He explains that there seems "to be a relatively higher proportion of absentee ballots returned in counties where Murphy performed well on election night. For example, Columbia County, where Murphy won 56.3 percent of the of the vote last week, accounted for 9.8 percent of ballots on election night, but accounts for 15.3 percent of absentees. Conversely, Saratoga County, which is a Tedisco stronghold, represented 36 percent of ballots on election night but only 27.2 percent of absentees."


UPDATE: GOP Still Obstructing Minnesota Senate Resolution

Today's NY Times mentions, despite partisan fanatics like Mr. Bendtsen, that Minnesota really does need two senators, just like everyone else.

“I keep hoping that it will end,” Ms. Klobuchar, a Democrat elected in 2006 to her first term, said this week, adding that her biggest concern is a doubling of requests from ordinary constituents in need of help-- with a missing Social Security check, say, a stalled adoption in Guatemala, or a tangled problem with veterans’ benefits.

“The system,” she said, “was set up for two senators for a reason.”

...A political scientist at the University of Minnesota, Lawrence R. Jacobs, said that given the deluge of requests for help from those losing jobs, homes, everything, Ms. Klobuchar was “a little like the Dutch boy trying to plug the dike.”

The Senate Today: Specter, Bunning, Coleman Share Desperation

Hand jive from the walking dead

There were no votes in the Senate today. But there were plenty of fireworks. The biggest news of all was Arlen Specter's (R-PA) declaration of war against organized labor (and honor). In 2007 Specter was the only Republican to vote against the Republican filibuster against Employee Free Choice. It didn't do any good because the Democrats only mustered 51 votes, instead of the 60 needed. But one of those votes they needed was the then hospitalized Tim Johnson, a working family supporter from South Dakota who is now ready to vote for Employee Free Choice. And 7 anti-working family Republicans have been replaced by pro-working family Democrats. Instead of Wayne Allard, Colorado elected Mark Udall; Norm Coleman was defeated in Minnesota, although more on that below; Liddy Dole was ousted by Kay Hagan in North Carolina; instead of reactionary Pete Domenici New Mexico has Tom Udall; Oregonians replaced violently anti-labor Gordon Smith with ultra-pro-workers Jeff Merkley; I don't remember if Ted Stevens is in prison or not yet but Mark Begich is the new senator from Alaska; New Hampshire dumped Chamber of Commerce shill John Sununu for Jeanne Shaheen; and Mark Warner replaced John Warner in Virginia.

The math says that if Ted Kennedy is healthy enough to vote and Al Franken gets seated and all the Democrats-- including Evan Bayh's anti-Obama bloc-- all continue to back the bill (even WalMart's cowardly Democrats, Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor), then Employee Free Choice passes if Specter sticks to his guns. With today's craven and cowardly announcement by Specter, more worried about his primary challenger from the fringes of the Republican right than about his own dignity or, more important, Pennsylvania working families, the Democrats will either have to put off the vote until after the 2010 election or persuade either Olympia Snowe (R-ME) or retiring George Voinovich (R-OH), neither of whom is a union-hater, to switch their votes.

Actually, there is another possibility-- however implausible. Everyone in Washington-- and Lexington-- knows there's no love lost between vulnerable Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning and Kentucky's other Republican senator, Miss McConnell, and that Bunning has been threatening to retire and let Democratic Governor, Steve Beshear, replace him with a Democrat-- the 60th vote. According to today's Lousiville Courier-Journal that scenario may actually be moving along. Bunning went nuts today (again), complaining that McConnell is sabotaging his efforts to raise money for his re-election battle and recruiting primary opponents to run against him.

U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning accused Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell again today of trying to derail his fundraising efforts, this time by trying to raise money for his own campaign account just as Bunning is gearing up his own efforts for his race next year.

...Bunning said his decision on whether to stay in the race will probably made in the next three months.

After earlier setting a goal of raising $2 million by the end of June, Bunning has since scaled that back, saying that McConnell and Sen. John Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, have harmed his fundraising efforts.

The third piece of this puzzle is the Republican Party conspiracy to keep Al Franken from taking his Senate seat. They've helped finance idiotic challenges and a frivolous lawsuit by loser Norm Coleman and today Coleman says he'll appeal all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Coleman and the GOP know he has no chance to win but they just want to delay Franken's seating, in no small part because of Employee Free Choice.

Yep, keeping workers from forming unions is that important to the big money behind the Grand Obstructionist Part. Here's the press release from AFL-CIO President John Sweeney:

Today’s announcement by Sen. Specter-- a sponsor of the original Employee Free Choice Act who voted for cloture in 2007-- is frankly a disappointment and a rebuke to working people, to his own constituents in Pennsylvania and working families around the country.

The fact is the Employee Free Choice Act has more support than ever-- large majorities in both houses of Congress, the President and Vice President, 73 percent of the public. We will continue to work with
Democrats and a number of Republicans to create commonsense solutions to the decades of corporate power. 

We do not plan to let a hardball campaign from Big Business derail the Employee Free Choice Act or the dreams of workers.      

There are deep flaws in our labor laws, as Sen. Specter acknowledged today. The freedom to join together and bargain with employers for fair wages and better benefits is critical to rebuilding our middle class-- and now is exactly the time to do it, as we begin to revive our economy in a way that works for everyone. In the coming weeks, we will be escalating our campaign and finding the best ways forward to a balanced, strong economy.

 
Andy Stern, president of the SEIU, had a similar statement today:

In the middle of this economic crisis, passing the Employee Free Choice Act is exactly the right thing to do to give workers the chance to level the playing field. Majority Leader Reid said today, and as even Sen. Specter acknowledges, we need strong labor reform. Now more than ever, America's workers need a choice, free from intimidation and harassment, to bargain for job security, better wages and health care. Our President, Vice President and majorities in both houses of Congress share this goal, and we will not stop in our efforts to achieve it.

In an essay Senator Specter recently wrote for the Harvard Law Review, he states that for people like himself, "finding a practical solution is more important than political posturing." That's why we're dismayed by those who say they support the democratic process, yet refuse to allow meaningful debate and a democratic vote on critical legislation like the Employee Free Choice Act.

It's simple: If you support democracy, you should support the right to debate legislation that could improve the lives of millions of working Americans, pump $49 billion into the economy at a time when we desperately need it, and that's supported by the vast majority of the public.

UPDATE: BURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

And did we mention (this week) that North Carolina reactionary Republican and obstructionist fanatic Richard Burr is toast? Last week we reported on how unpopular he is in the state and too far down in the polls to recover in time for the 2010 midterms. A new poll today, shows the likely Democratic nominee, Attorney General Roy Cooper, beating him 41-38%.

Miss McConnell Wants More Delay In Minnesota-- Will He Ask Coleman To Appeal To The UN Next?

McConnell knows he can deliver China's vote for sure

The Republicans know as well as anyone that Al Franken won the Minnesota Senate seat. But the national party-- not caring a hoot about Minnesota or Minnesotans, of course-- has an agenda that precludes allowing Franken to be seated. And smack darn in the middle of that agenda is their rabid hysteria about working people being able to form unions to negotiate with business interests. Al Franken is a supporter of the Employee Free Choice Act. His would be the 60th vote that would shut down the Republican obstructionist filibuster.

The 7-week trial for Coleman's frivolous lawsuit against Franken just ended and now the two parties will present their one-hour long closing arguments (today) and the judges will rule... soon. Miss McConnell isn't interested in what the judges have to say, since they are likely to rule against Coleman.

Instead he just wants to protract the process as long as possible to keep Franken from voting-- for Employee Free Choice and for other parts of Obama's agenda to rebuild the middle class which Republicans see-- and rightly so-- as the death-knell for their party's status as a viable, national political entity. McConnell is urging Coleman to appeal all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court so that it drags on for months more.

McConnell said he would urge Coleman to take his legal fight to the federal courts, which could delay the outcome of the Minnesota Senate race for several more months.

“I don’t know when this ends,” said McConnell. “It seems endless at the moment.”

If the battle went all the way to the Supreme Court, the result could be a long delay.

Democratic leaders have said they expect the Minnesota Supreme Court to declare Franken, the Democratic challenger, the victor by the end of April.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), the former chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told reporters earlier in the week that they are very optimistic about the prospect of Franken soon joining the Senate.

It's not likely any federal court will take this "case," regardless of all the wishful thinking and huffing and puffing Miss McConnell wants to do. Besides which, the Minnesota Supreme Court has already ruled that once the state courts have finished with the case, the governor and secretary of state have no choice but to sign the certification of election. I guess McConnell could inspire Gov. Tim Pawlenty to stage a protest action since his approval ratings are now so low that almost nothing could get them lower.

Infact, McConnell's approval ratings aren't exactly something to write home about either. Even Republican voters rate Miss McConnell a disaster. A recent poll shows that only 40% of Republicans have a favorable impression of him-- 5% better than Boehner, but nothing like Democratic leaders in Congress, who are viewed positively by a majority of Democrats.

Norm Coleman Lost... So He And Steele Are Demanding A New Election

When Coleman's not happy with something, he demands changes-- and how is an election any different from plastic surgery?

If you've been following Norm Coleman's desperate bid to hold onto the Minnesota Senate seat he lost in November, you had to have guessed that ultimately all his maneuvering and stalling and challenges and law suits would lead to one thing: asking for a new election. His legal team-- financed by a national Republican Party determined to obstruct everything President Obama tries to accomplish-- has always hinted that if things didn't go Coleman's way, it meant that the system wasn't fair and that they would demand a new election. And that's where his attorney took it on Monday, demanding that the court not declare "a winner," meaning Franken, who clearly won.

I know it's hard to imagine where he found the time, but after grandstanding all week about how he and not Limbaugh is in charge of the Republican party-- and then grovelling at Limbaugh's feet and kissing his pilonidal cyst when the drug addled Limbaugh told America what a sad and pathetic joke Steele is-- the RNC's featherweight chairman inserted himself into Minnesota's judicial process by demanding that "we’ve got to stop liberal Democrat comedian Al Franken from stealing Norm Coleman’s U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota." Every time Coleman demands more batches of questionable ballots be counted, Franken's margin of victory-- now 261 from 225-- grows.

When Will Norm Coleman And Tim Pawlenty Allow Minnesota To Have The Same Representation In Washington As Every Other State?

No shame, no dignity, no sense of duty to Minnesota

After Norm Coleman was defeated by Al Franken in November he lost his Senate office and his right to vote, of course. The 3-way race was very close, Franken barely ahead (by 225 votes), 1,212,431 to Coleman's 1,212,206. The third party candidate had 437,404 votes (15%). As a point of reference, Minnesota voters picked Obama over McCain, 1,573,354 (54%) to 1,275,409 (44%). The 5 Democratic congressional incumbents won re-electon by huge margins-- between 63%-72%-- and 3 red seats were all competitive, Michele Bachmann hanging on with only 46%.

Since then, Coleman has suffered an uninterrupted series of setbacks as he has tried to overturn the election results through the courts. His strategy is basically to challenge every ballot that wasn't cast for him. His latest setback came today as the 3-judge court shot down his latest shenanigan for stealing the election.

In rebuffing Coleman, the panel noted that he and Franken had agreed three weeks ago to allow the secretary of state to redact information identifying 933 absentee ballots approved by the state Canvassing Board on Jan. 5. Both campaigns had accepted those ballots, but Coleman last week said about 100 are invalid under the panel's recent rulings.

The judges said the secretary of state had already begun the process of redacting the information, using a black marker to obliterate identifying numbers. Deputy Secretary of State Jim Gelbmann said about half were redacted before he halted the process Friday when Coleman sought a temporary injunction.

Coleman argued that he would be irreparably harmed without the injunction because the panel would be unable to determine which ballot was illegally cast without the identifying marks.
"The court does not accept this argument," the panel wrote. It cited, in part, "the fundamental right to secrecy of a voter's ballot"

Coleman is suing Franken for beating him. And he's being cheered on by Obstructionist Republicans in Washington who know full well that Franken won and will eventually be seated; they just don't want him voting for Obama's programs for as long as this can be drawn out. That's almost understandable from the perspective of neo-Confederate fanatics and extremists like Jim DeMint, David Diapers Vitter, John Cornyn, Tom Coburn, Richard Burr, Jim Bunning and that lot. But Tim Pawlenty? He's in cahoots with a bad bunch who couldn't care less if Minnesota has representation in the Senate or not. Pawlenty should know better. In fact, national Republicans have agreed to fund an appeal process that could prevent Franken-- if Pawlenty participates in the plot-- from taking his seat for years! As Joe Sudbay pointed out at AmericaBlog Monday, Coleman can't win; all he can do is drag his feet and keep Franken from being seated. And he can do that for as long as Pawlenty puts his party before his state and before his country. I thought the Republican Party opposed frivolous lawsuits? It's a shame no one starts a recall petition against Pawlenty.

Even if Dems own up to the IL Senate mess, there's really not much they can do about it, unlike Republicans, who could end the MN mess anytime

Can anyone get Illinois Sen. Roland Burris to quit? Well, can anyone get the GOP legal thug patrol to allow Minnesota's Al Franken to take his Senate seat?

by Ken

"Roland Burris, resign."

That's the headline on the editorial in today's Chicago Tribune, which begins:

The benefit of the doubt had already been stretched thin and taut by the time Roland Burris offered his third version of the events leading to his appointment to the U.S. Senate. It finally snapped like a rubber band, popping him on that long Pinocchio nose of his, when he came out with version four.

Let's see if we have it right: Burris had zero contact with any of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's cronies about his interest in the Senate seat being vacated by President Barack Obama—unless you count that conversation with former chief of staff Lon Monk, and, on further reflection, the ones with insiders John Harris, Doug Scofield and John Wyma and, oh yeah, the governor's brother and fundraising chief, Robert Blagojevich. But Burris didn't raise a single dollar for the now ex-governor as a result of those contacts because that could be construed as a quid pro quo and besides, everyone he asked refused to donate.

[and so on and so on and so on]

There's been a lot of finger-pointing as to who could have done what to avoid this mess, and I guess it's true that the Illinois state legislature could have moved faster on impeachment, trying to reserve the Senate appointment to Gov.-to-be Pat Quinn, but could they have prevented Gov. Rod Blagojevich from making an appointment? And maybe Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats could have delayed seating Burris long enough for, well, something to happen.

The Trib editorial reproaches the legislature for not at least scheduling a special election. ("If they had done that, voters today might be weighing the lost credibility of candidate Burris, instead of expressing their disgust with Sen. Burris.") But in the end there wasn't much anyone could have done, given one reality beyond anyone else's control: Governor Blagojevich's startling insistence on hanging tough, metaphorically chaining himself to the governor's chair until the guards finally came and chucked him out of the statehouse.

I've got this bad feeling that the new round of speculation regarding Senator Burris's continued tenure is going to be similarly fruitless; he doesn't show any sign of being prepared to go quietly. And here the end game is foggier, with nothing comparable to Blagojevich's impeachment in prospect. Speculation now focuses on the possibility that "Prosecutor Pat" Fitzgerald may have some disclosures to disclose, presumably from his taped collection of the Best of Blago, which may unjam the logjam.

Democrats have to own up to their mess, but they're isn't much they can do beyond trying to help Senator Burris see that ultimately he's doomed. This is in marked contrast to the situation in Minnesota, where Republican officials know they've lost but clearly have any intention of giving up on their naked power play. They all know that former Sen. Norm Coleman isn't returning to he Senate except perhaps as a visitor. But if that "R" vote is lost, they clearly do have the power to prevent it from turning "D" anytime in the immediate future.

When it was Coleman who appeared to have a minuscule lead in the 2008 election vote-counting, the senator couldn't have been clearer or more vocal about what came next: The only honorable course was for Democrat Al Franken to concede. Then the Minnesota elections people did a heroic job of establishing as good a vote count as they're going to get, and while it obviously was close, it went the other way, and Coleman developed amnesia with regard to those pretty principles of his. (Well, the now-former senator has always had a shaky relationship with principle. He'll be a Democrat or a Republican, a liberal or a conservative, whatever serves his immediate interest.)

Buttressed by the whole League of GOP Thugs (Hon. John Cornyn, Your NRSC Thugmaster), Coleman and his enforcers have made it clear that they will do whatever they have to do, whatever it costs, to prevent Franken from taking the seat to which he was elected, however narrowly, for as long as they can. "It's what we do," I'm sure the Republithugs are thinking. "We're the Party of No."


UPDATE: PLAY "SEAT THE SENATOR!" ON BUZZFLASH

While visiting Bluestem Prairie for our next Minnesota-related post, we found a heads-up on BuzzFlash's "Seat the Senator!" contest, in which all you have to do is guess correctly the date on which Al Franken takes the oath of office in the Senate. You simply leave your guess in a comment on Meg's post updating the Minnesota election mess, using your BuzzFlash username (if you're not already signed up, sign-up is free), by 11:59 p.m. CT, Feb. 28, 2009.

The Gopher State-appropriate prize is the Coen Brothers Movie Collection, "which includes five DVDs of the Minnesotan sibling duo's critically-acclaimed films: Fargo, Barton Fink, Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, and Blood Simple."

#

Senate Republicans Admit The Obvious: Franken Is The Senator From Minnesota

Partisan Republican obstructionists are still doing all they can to prevent Al Franken from taking his seat in the Senate-- even if it costs Minnesota much needed representation in Washington, and even if most Minnesotans think Coleman should forget about his ambitions and graciously accept the reality of defeat. Coleman is determined to drag out the process for as long as he can and thereby prevent Al Franken from taking his seat-- and Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty is going along with the charade. Franken is asking the state Supreme Court to intervene on his behalf.

The inability to seat Franken has caused a major problem in the Senate in terms of committee assignments. The ratio between the two parties on committees is determined by the overall number of seats each party holds in the Senate. Until yesterday, the Republican leadership refused to accept that Coleman had lost. Yesterday McConnell threw in the towel, agreeing to the reality of a 59- 41 split and giving the Democrats a 3 seat advantage on each committee.

Those Unresolved Senate Seats

Four Senate Democrats are moving up in the DC pecking order-- Barack Obama (IL), the new President, Joe Biden (DE), the new Vice President, Hillary Clinton (NY), the new Secretary of State, and Ken Salazar (CO), the new Secretary of the Interior-- the most unscheduled openings since 9 senators died during Eisenhower's first term. And then there's the still not 100% resolved Minnesota race.

Ex-Senator Norm Coleman was narrowly defeated by Democrat Al Franken (by 225 votes out of over 2,900,000 cast). After endless counting and recounting, Coleman is dissatisfied with the outcome and is now suing to try to overturn his defeat. Minnesota politicians across the political spectrum are urging Coleman to give it up and think of the state instead of himself for a change.

Former Republican Gov. Arne Carlson said today that Norm Coleman should consider bowing out of the U.S. Senate election dispute.

"I don't think it's winnable," said Carlson, who served from 1991-99.

He said a court fight by Coleman contesting a recount that favors Democrat Al Franken could hurt the Republican's image.

"I think there will be a tremendous amount of public anger, I think it will hurt his reputation," Carlson said. "I think he's got to get on with his life. .. At some point you've got to recognize, it is over."

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter's fast decision to appoint Michael Bennet, although not without disagreement, was smart in terms of getting it over and done with, with the least drawn out public agony. By the time observers started pointing out that Bennet's approach is more right-wing and reactionary than a Democrat's should be-- or that America needs at this time, the nomination was a fait accompli.

The Delaware situation may be the next smoothest but even that one is odd. Our new egomaniac VP, was intent on being sworn in as a senator for the 7th time. That means his appointed successor (and chief of staff), Ted Kaufman, will have less seniority than freshmen senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mark Begich (D-AK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the Udall cousins (D-NM and D-CO), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Kay Hagan (D-NC), Mike Johanns (R-NE) and James Risch (R-ID).

After weeks of speculation, Biden's office announced Tuesday that he would resign from the seat Jan. 15, five days before he takes the oath of office as vice president. His former chief of staff, Ted Kaufman, will be appointed to serve in Biden's seat until a 2010 special election.

Biden chose to extend his Senate service even after President-elect Barack Obama resigned from his Senate seat shortly after the election. His friends said taking his final Senate oath was important to him.

"He wants to be able to tell his grandchildren he did it," said Mark Gitenstein, a Biden adviser who previously served on his Senate staff. "I just know that he feels it's important. He's told me that. I've been in meetings where he said, 'I really want to do this one last time.' "

Kaufman, 69, is widely considered a placeholder for Biden's son Beau (in the 2010 special election) who couldn't take the job just now because he's serving in Iraq.

In New York, Governor Paterson has seemed far more interested in finding a good, balanced running mate for his own 2010 re-election than for the best person to represent New York in the Senate. If he wanted to put the best person in the Senate he would have decided on Rep. Jerrold Nadler and that would have been that. Instead, he decided to play the role of ringmaster in a creepy circus. He dredged up the extremely unaccomplished (but certainly "nice" enough) Caroline Kennedy, although there has been so much opposition inside political circles that the nomination seems to be slowing down a bit. Apparently only the children of political dynasties are eligible.

Of course, the most dysfunctional situation of all is in Illinois, where a corrupt Gov. Blagojevich tried selling the seat and-- after being arrested-- suddenly decided to make a really good appointment. Jane Hamsher, in explaining why she'd love to play poker with Harry Reid, explains how Reid has shown anyone who's still wondering why he's just not the right person to serve as Senate Majority Leader. It now looks like Reid is backing away from his embarrassing position against seating Roland Burris. At least he knows where he stands on convicted felon Ted Stevens. Rachel Maddow on all this: video.

No wonder both Jeb Bush (R-FL) and Chris Matthews (D-PA) have taken themselves out of contention for 2010 Senate races!


UPDATE: KIT BOND (R-MO) WON'T SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2010

Missouri's senior senator, the very conservative Kit Bond, announced this morning that he won't be seeking re-election. He served in the Senate since 1986 (after two terms as Missouri's governor) and has generally been a complete tool for Big Business and is "credited" with pushing Bush's unconstitutional and highly controversial FISA and torture legislation through the Senate. He's generally considered an asshole on both sides of the aisle. Secretary of State, Robin Carnahan and Congressman Russ Carnahan are both interested in running. Bond joins Sam Brownback (R-KS), Mel Martinez (R-FL) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) in announcing early retirement plans-- and dooming the GOP to another disastrous cycle, especially if Voinovich (R-OH) follows suit.