Breaking: Minnesota Supreme Court rules for Al Franken.
Kari Chisholm
Just a few minutes ago, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Al Franken should be certified and sworn in as the new junior Senator for Minnesota.
The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday 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 filibusters.
Coleman hasn't ruled out seeking federal court intervention. ...
Coleman's campaign didn't immediately return a call for comment. Nor did Gov. Tim Pawlenty, whose signature is required on the election certificate Franken needs to be seated.
Pawlenty, a Republican, has said he would sign the certificate if ordered to do so by the court. The court's ruling stopped short of explicitly ordering the governor to sign the document, saying only that Franken was "entitled" to it.
A Coleman press conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. Pacific. A Franken press conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Pacific.
Update, 1:05 p.m.: Coleman says he'll accept the loss, and decline to appeal it further.
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Jun 30, '09
The other three horsemen of the apocalypse should be along any time now.
Jun 30, '09
Just what we need... another comedian in the Senate. Al should feel right at home.
12:18 p.m.
Jun 30, '09
Coleman better be delivering a concession speech.
Jun 30, '09
The Minnesota race makes the perfect vignette for politics since 2001. A complete joke.
Besides proportional representation, either go back to appointing Senators, or make all 100 "at large". All politics, like this, is still local. Only, it isn't.
Jun 30, '09
Anyone who complains about Franken now is nothing more than a spoiled, 6-year-old crybaby who didn't get their way.
As they have been telling us for many years - just live with it. Just take your toys,go home, and sulk in your own corner until you decide you can play nice with the rest of the human world.
Jun 30, '09
Congratulations, Senator Franken.
About time.
12:58 p.m.
Jun 30, '09
I really don't read that the court said he SHOULD be certified, only that he's ENTITLED to be certified. That's an out Pawlenty may hang on to, but lately he's sounded somewhat resigned to things, and the NRSC/RNC may pull the plug on their precious resources, of which they've already blown about a million on Norm.
T-Paw was hoping to be boxed in; now it looks like he has an actual decision to make.
1:11 p.m.
Jun 30, '09
Coleman concedes! Coleman concedes!
That oughta do it...
Jun 30, '09
It's OVER.
The Full Figured Women's Choir is in full Wagner mode.
Jun 30, '09
Pat Paulson should be smiling down upon us from heaven today.
The Dem supermajority in the Senate would be exciting except that, based upon various recent comments re: health care and environmental issues, about six of our "Democratic Party" brothers appear to be traitors to the progressive cause.
Time will tell on this one, but congrats to Senator Franken in any event.
Jun 30, '09
What kind of people are these Minnesotans that half of them would support a jerk like Norm Coleman? Now the question is, "Will Franken represent the people who supported him or will he join the oligarchy's support team?"
Jun 30, '09
Pat Paulson? At some point I should share my Pat Paulson story in which I was onstage with him and he was making fun of me in front of hundreds of people. It was a real honor.
But the person I'm thinking of today is Paul Wellstone. I always thought he was assassinated, and this helps recover from the damage. Senator Al Franken. That works for me.
But, Al, please don't get on any small planes. Google what happened to Michael Connell, the Republican IT guy who was set to testify about 2004 election rigging in Ohio before his plane dropped from the sky. Or revisit Paul Wellstone's death.
1:38 p.m.
Jun 30, '09
"What kind of people are these Minnesotans that half of them would support a jerk like Norm Coleman?"
Don't forget the third party candidate. Coleman only got 42%.
Jun 30, '09
Bill Bodden writes: "What kind of people are these Minnesotans that half of them would support a jerk like Norm Coleman?"
To be fair, not half but closer to 42%. The Independence Party candidate, Dean Barkley (who held the seat previously--he was appointed by Gov. Ventura to hold this seat for the final weeks of Wellstone's term), scooped up 15% of the vote.
And remember, this is the state that gave us Michele Bachman....
Jun 30, '09
"And remember, this is the state that gave us Michele Bachman...."
...and Jesse Ventura.
Jun 30, '09
This is great news but I'll wait and see. After all, while I was marching in the streets against the illegal, immoral invasion of an innocent country, Franken was on the air going along with bush.
Jun 30, '09
What kind of people are these Minnesotans that half of them would support a jerk like Norm Coleman?
see Smith, Gordon
2:33 p.m.
Jun 30, '09
I feel compelled to defend my motherland.
What kind of people are these Minnesotans that half of them would support a jerk like Norm Coleman?
Coleman only got elected because of the DFL (MN's democratic party) response to Wellstone's death, which was partially the politicization of his memorial service and mostly because they picked Walter Mondale as Wellstone's replacement.
And to be fair, a higher percentage of Oregonians voted for Kevin Mannix for Governor than Minnesotans voted for Norm Coleman this year.
And remember, this is the state that gave us Michele Bachman....
...and Jesse Ventura.
No the 6th district gave us Michele Bachmann. The state of Minnesota gave us Paul Wellstone. I suspect that Jesse Ventura would have been just as successful in many other states. He ran a brilliant campaign against weak opponents. And there are worse politicians in the world, he was a bad governor but he did offer to waterboard Dick Cheney.
I'm glad this day has finally come. If there was only one Democratic seat in all of the Senate I'd want it to be Paul Wellstone's old seat.
Jun 30, '09
Backbeat, I was a fan of the Al Franken show almost from the beginning. He did those USO shows in Iraq every December.
But where exactly did you get the idea that "
Jun 30, '09
Woops! Hit Post by mistake, I guess!
Where did you get the idea that "Franken was on the air going along with bush."?
Exactly when did he say that? Could you possibly be confusing him with fellow Minnesotan Tom Friendman?
Jun 30, '09
""What kind of people are these Minnesotans that half of them would support a jerk like Norm Coleman?"
Don't forget the third party candidate. Coleman only got 42%."
I appreciate the corrections. I tend to be intemperate when people like Coleman come to mind. On the other hand, he did (sort of) give some of us a delightful moment when he got skewered at a senate hearing by George Galloway of the British Respect Party over the Iraq war.
Jun 30, '09
If you need more on Al Franken's views start with,
"Lies (And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them): A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right".
Jun 30, '09
It's about time. U know there will never be cohesion in Congress, nor should there be. But the public option for health care looks more promising now. I really don't understand why the R's oppose a Medicare like option. Anyone on Medicare will tell you they need a supplement to avoid the 20% co-pay. Now, that's just what medicare doesn't cover after adjusting the medical bill. Of course the private insurance supplement premium is often 2-3 times more expensive per month than the Medicare premium which is $96.00 per mo.. Plus, being private insurance, the premiums escalate annually. They really ought to just let it pass and keep creaming the public on supplemental premiums. Maybe Al can shepherd an amendment to cap supplements? Now that would be hilarious.
Jun 30, '09
Awesome - Democrats now have complete and total control! Let's re-adjust the tax brackets back to pre-Regan era levels and get Single Payer healthcare going. I'd also like to see one more stimulus package before years end, and removal of tax-exempt status for churches.
Jun 30, '09
"What kind of people are these Minnesotans that half of them would support a jerk like Norm Coleman?"
THe same kind who suport a TV comedian who can't get a gig doing that.
Jun 30, '09
Don’t underestimate the ability of the Lizard People to petition the US Supreme Court. They will have their say! runescape money
Jun 30, '09
Posted by: Bill McDonald | Jun 30, 2009 3:19:19 PM
If you need more on Al Franken's views start with,
"Lies (And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them): A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right".
Excellent book!
For all the commentary about the SNL years, he's a true native of Minnesota, and dedicated to substance, as those who listened to his radio show know. Sure there were some gimmicks, but who on radio doesn't do that.
To understand one of the factors behind his determination to run for US Senate, read the chapter in that book on the Paul Wellstone funeral.
Perhaps it is because I am the grandchild of a politician, or that I attended the Wayne Morse and Bob Straub memorial services and saw the McCall service on TV.
I strongly believe that the content of the memorial service should be determined by the family (and friends if they so choose) and NOT by pundits or members of a political party.
There were right wingers who claimed that the eulogies should have been scrutinized beforehand. (When Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan died, were they saying Democrats should have had approval rights on the eulogies?)
I saw some of the eulogies from the Wellstone funeral on TV . I remember one from his friend Tom Harkin. I've known people who worked for or otherwise knew Tom Harkin, and if he had died in that plane crash instead, I'm sure Paul Wellstone would have done the same sort of eulogy. And it wasn't just Paul Wellstone who died, it was also his wife, the pilot, and some others.
Reading that account, one should be grateful of how much has changed. McCain and Obama were more respectful to each other than Bush and Cheney were to their opponents. And on the night of Sine Die, we saw evidence of how much the political climate has changed in Oregon: Ted Ferrioli saying he and Richard Devlin (fellow caucus leaders) probably had more in common than many people realized; Bruce Hanna speaking of how he and the Majority Leader had traveled on the Ways and Means tour and when they came through Roseburg, his wife invited Rep. Nolan to stay the night with them. "You should try it sometime--spending time outside of the capitol building with a member of the other party and learning more about them".
The Franken-Coleman mood today was much more 2 valiant warriors with shared experience ( like GHW Bush and Bill Clinton after they both left office). Nice to see such adult behavior.
Jun 30, '09
The sole issue that was decided by the MN Supreme Court was which candidate had the most votes. The Coleman legal team had an epic fail at laying out sufficient evidence to overcome Franken's 312 vote lead. The ruling was based on evidence and the court found that Coleman's equal protection claims were not substantive. Ergo, no basis for Coleman to move his case into Federal court.
BTW, Pawlenty will likely sign the Cert. of Election this evening and Franken will take his seat as MN's Junior Senator when Congress reconvenes next week.
Jun 30, '09
"Awesome - Democrats now have complete and total control!"
The Democrats are not in control. They are first of all beholden to their campaign donors who own them, especially the bankers and the insurance companies right now. Then you have a split in the Democratic Party in the senate with Russ Feingold and Dick Durbin in the center (and Jeff Merkley for the time being), maybe a little to the left. Then the rest are split between right of center and farther right of center, with the latter more like Republicans.
Jun 30, '09
Eric Parker says: Anyone who complains about Franken now is nothing more than a spoiled, 6-year-old crybaby who didn't get their way.
As they have been telling us for many years - just live with it. Just take your toys,go home, and sulk in your own corner until you decide you can play nice with the rest of the human world.
Eric, you mean we can't piss and moan 24/7 for 12 years (2 terms - assuming he gets re-elected) about how Franken was 'selected', not elected - stole his re-election - and otherwise berate virtually everything Franken does during his time in office?
A bit hypocritical of you, I'd say...
Jul 1, '09
I can't wait to see how Senator Franken rises to the occasion here. This is a very intelligent person in addition to the major league comedy chops. One of his books casually dropped in that he got a perfect 800 on his SATs in Math. We could use someone who understands numbers in Washington right now. I also love his sense of humor and that does count. Once when he was performing for US troops in Iraq he started out by saying, "Anybody here from out of town?" 6 words in and he had them roaring. Franken is brilliant and he's a man of character. This is a great day for America.
Jul 1, '09
This is a very intelligent person in addition to the major league comedy chops.
Yea, putting leeches on his face during an SNL sketch was “major league” all right. Took a real comedic Einstein to come up with that one.
His future as a comedian lies before him in the Senate. The biggest joke is the one he put over on the voters of Minnesota who never imagined their protest vote against Coleman might actually win.
Send in the clowns.
8:17 a.m.
Jul 1, '09
KJ writes: The sole issue that was decided by the MN Supreme Court was which candidate had the most votes.
This is not accurate--the SC did not pass a judgment on the vote total.
The key issue was whether absentee ballots are subject to strict vs. substantial administrative treatment.
They decided "strict" which is interesting for people here to consider--the Court asserted in essence that absentee balloting is a "right not a privilege" (that is a direct quote from the decision) and therefore local jurisdictions can exercise "strict" adherence to the letter of the law when processing the ballot envelopes.
This means that if your signature or the witness's is blurred or if you failed to check an appropriate box, the election official can refuse to open your envelope.
There was also a due process claim that was pretty quickly dismissed.
The whole decision is only 15 or so pages long. It was a slam dunk for the Franken team.
Jul 1, '09
Buckman Res, Once again you underestimate Al Franken. See, putting leeches on his face during an SNL skit wasn't comedy - it was to prepare him for the lobbyists in Washington.
Jul 1, '09
"The Democrats are not in control. They are first of all beholden to their campaign donors who own them, especially the bankers and the insurance companies right now."
There are smart ways to raise money and regulate the market, but Wall Street is working to kill any meaningful financial reform by Dean Baker
Jul 1, '09
It has been drawn to my attention that Al Franken supported the war in Iraq. He now admits he was wrong, but I certainly was disappointed when I checked that out. I was also not satisfied with his explanation that he believed Colin Powell and W. The correct information was there to be had by anyone who wanted to look. Plus, the judgement part was key. The Republicans were quick to focus on the bad intelligence excuse to divert us from the lies, but the focus should have also been on the wisdom of doing it. Then somewhere along the line we should have pondered the morality. The Doctrine of Preemptive Strikes is a crime.
I am no longer such a big fan of Al Franken, but I remain a fan. The war in Iraq was one of the defining calls of our time and he made a wretched, horrible call. I thought he was smarter than that.
Jul 4, '09
Posted by: Bill McDonald | Jul 1, 2009 11:01:17 PM
It has been drawn to my attention that Al Franken supported the war in Iraq. He now admits he was wrong, but I certainly was disappointed when I checked that out. I was also not satisfied with his explanation that he believed Colin Powell and W.
But, that's why you're a Democrat! The only plausible explanation for a vote with Powell and W would be that they believed the intel? Can't consider that the system is rotten to the core and that they are bought and paid for by the same people as the Republicans?
I thought he was smarter than that. That must be it.
I feel like Wittgenstein, faced with the cocky student that couldn't imagine how ancients thought the sun revolved around the earth. Exasperated, Wittgenstein remarked, "Yeah, imagine what that would have looked like!" So, if my contention where true, "imagine what that would look like". To put a finer point on it, how would it look different?
It's poly sci, so a little sci, please. Specifically, Occam's Razor. "One must not multiply entities, without necessity". Why should I add terms to the equation like intelligence and real world judgment, when the one factor model accounts for the variance? But of course you know this. That's why you elected someone different. Someone whose current Iraq timetable is identical to the one McCain proposed in June, 2008.
The Republicans were quick to focus on the bad intelligence The Republicans focus, exploit, live off of and cultivate bad intelligence. The voters'.