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You are here: Home / Politics / Shailagh, Shailagh, don’t dream it’s over

Shailagh, Shailagh, don’t dream it’s over

by | 141 Comments

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It looks like there won’t be a revote in Minnesota — the Minnesota Supreme Court just ruled in favor of Franken according to CNN and WaPo.

Updates as they come in….

Update. Here’s a full report on the decision from TPM. Pawlenty is a on record saying he won’t delay if the court rules in favor of Franken. We’ll see if he sticks to that.

Update update. Just to be clear:

Justices said Franken is entitled to the election certificate he needs to assume office.

Reader Interactions

141Comments

  1. 1.

    Incertus

    Now all the eyes turn to Pawlenty…who does he piss off? His state or the batshit wing of the Republican party? I’m betting on the former.

  2. 2.

    Punchy

    $100K question–does this ruling ORDER Pawlenty to sign, gently instruct him to, or merely advise him to?

  3. 3.

    Cain

    So.. how will that affect the public option health care bill? We got one more now on our side. I hope that means that we have a better chance at it.

    cain

  4. 4.

    GReynoldsCT00

    Guess they heard John grumbling the other day…about time this was over (hopefully)

  5. 5.

    Morbo

    The Minnesota Supreme Court. Don’t everyone act all surprised when the party of states’ rights makes a federal case out of this one.

  7. 7.

    Napoleon

    So who will be the first wingnut to say that the MNSC really ruled unanimously for Coleman?

  8. 8.

    Bulworth

    Actually, I assume this means our Very Serious Beltway Media will shrug its collective shoulders and pontificate on how–because despite the ruling, not everyone in Minnesota agrees on it–The Supreme Court should now be required to hear the matter…

  9. 9.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    Okay so majority-maschmority, there’s a lot that’s been debunked about how clear-cut or useful that is or isn’t, but the great part about this is that the Republicans could have had all of the bad news in one big wallop back in November and be seven months away from it already, and now because of all the shenanigans, they have to get a big demoralizing symbolic defeat now, just when they’re having fantasies about rebuilding strength.

  10. 10.

    Common Sense

    OT, but I just don’t understand the venom over Cap and Trade. Isn’t this a pretty weak way to bring American Industry under the government’s thumb? Aren’t there a lot more effective and direct methods?

  12. 12.

    Steve V

    Cool, now Coleman can get on with his federal lawsuit, which outta take another nine months or so.

  14. 14.

    Zifnab

    We’ll see if the sticks to that how long he can stall before he’s force to formally reneg.

    Fix’d.

    $5 says he’ll at least throw up the “But we have to see what the Federal Courts think first!” argument. Franken isn’t going to get his Senate seat so long as a Republican sits in his way.

  15. 15.

    chuck

    A court order compelling Pawlenty to sign would be a Writ of Mandamus, something the Minn SC would be unlikely to add considering Pawlenty isn’t a named party to the case. Now if he drags his feet, they can fast-track that writ pretty quick.

    Pawlenty isn’t the one who was dragging this out — he didn’t have any authority to sign while the results were still being contested. The ball is squarely in Coleman’s court now, and I only give it about 50/50 whether he appeals to the US Supreme Court or not.

  18. 18.

    MikeJ

    For all of the foregoing reasons, we affirm the decision of the trial court that Al Franken received the highest number of votes legally cast and is entitled under Minn. Stat. § 204C.40 (2008) to receive the certificate of election as United States Senator from the State of Minnesota.

  19. 19.

    MattF

    I assume now the wingers will claim that ‘entitlement’ doesn’t mean that Pawlenty has to actually do anything. Counting down… three…, two…, one…,

  21. 21.

    Dennis-SGMM

    Coleman will take this to the federal courts for three reasons:
    1) He’s a dick.
    2) The GOP will insist that he fight on because if there are sixty Democrats in the Senate then the country is as good as gone to the Muslimocommies.
    3) He’s a dick.

  22. 22.

    gex

    This is good timing all around. Mr. Coleman has a date with the FBI, I think. Best that this issue be tidied up so he can focus his efforts there.

  23. 23.

    JK

    I want to celebrate Al Franken’s win in the Minnesota Supreme Court, but what makes anyone think that Norm Coleman won’t take this case to the US Supreme Court?

    Does anyone actually believe that Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn are telling Norm Coleman to concede defeat?

  24. 24.

    Cyrus

    @Dennis-SGMM:

    The GOP will insist that he fight on because if there are sixty Democrats in the Senate then the country is as good as gone

    Oh, if only they were telling the truth about this, but they aren’t. So sad.

  25. 25.

    MikeJ

    This is good timing all around. Mr. Coleman has a date with the FBI

    At least we know he’ll be well dressed for it.

  28. 28.

    Dork

    Reid has already said he’s swearing in Franken based on the results of the MNSC, not a federal appeal. Now, since Reid has the backbone of an ameoba, I’ll assume he’s full of shit. But he did say it, and now has to force the issue is Pawlenty refuses to fold.

  29. 29.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    Gov. Tim Pawlenty had indicated as late as Monday that he was willing to certify Mr. Franken as the winner once the state’s highest court decided the recount and Mr. Coleman’s battle.

  30. 30.

    JenJen

    Let The Al Franken Decade Begin!!

    Love this quote from DSCC Chair Robert Menendez:

    “We’ve always said that Norm Coleman deserved his day in court, and he got eight months. Now we expect Governor Pawlenty to do the right thing, follow the law, and sign the election certificate.”

  31. 31.

    kay

    I’m waiting for Norm Coleman’s concession speech. I may have to check back later, I realize that.

  34. 34.

    ricky

    Has Bachmann weighed in on this yet? This may be the first step on the slippery road to Japanese reinternment.

  35. 35.

    peach flavored shampoo

    Why does the f’in media keep acting as if we’ve reached Teh Majik Sixtee, when the Dems never vote en bloc and almost always compromise on everything anyways?

    This “60th vote!” shit is inane and pedantic.

  36. 36.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    @Dork: The best of both worlds would be Franken being sworn in and serving in the Senate while Coleman takes it to the federal court and spends years looking like an ass while Franken looks like a Senator.

    Assuming that Coleman doesn’t win in the end, of course. Given this decision that seems fairly likely.

  38. 38.

    Tonal Crow

    @Punchy:

    $100K question—does this ruling ORDER Pawlenty to sign, gently instruct him to, or merely advise him to?

    The court did not order him to do so, as he was not a party to the suit. However, it affirmed the lower court’s finding that Franken was entitled to the certificate of election under Minn. Code 204C.40. That section says, in pertinent part, “…[T]he secretary of state shall prepare a certificate for every state and federal candidate declared elected…. In an election for United States senator, the governor shall prepare an original certificate of election, countersigned by the secretary of state, and deliver it to the secretary of the United States Senate….” (emphasis added). The statute is mandatory, though the governor could wait to be sued for mandamus to enforce it. If he pulls a Bachmann on this, he can kiss his chances at the Presidency goodbye (though his chances for the GOP nomination would improve).

  41. 41.

    JK

    The Minnesota Supreme Court says that Franken is entitled to an election certificate, but there is no direct order to the state’s governor to sign one. We’ll see what the governor does, if Coleman does not concede, as he well may at this point. If not, the opinion is not final until the period for rehearing ends (see the final footnote of the opinion). That’s a ten day period, enough time to file an emergency stay application in the U.S. Supreme Court. It would go to Justice Alito, now circuit justice for the Eighth Circuit.

    h/t http://electionlawblog.org/archives/014011.html

  42. 42.

    JK

    @Bill E Pilgrim:

    The Best of Both Worlds…

    Would be Norm Coleman delvering his concession speech at the exact same time that Mark Sanford is delivering his resignation speech.

  44. 44.

    LD50

    The cool thing is, that as absurdly close as this was, I’d bet anything that Franken wins reelection easily in 2016. The GOP ain’t getting either of the Minnesota seats back anytime in the foreseeable future.

  45. 45.

    Punchy

    The statute is mandatory, though the governor could wait to be sued for mandamus to enforce it.

    You lawyer-types with your legalese and intermittent in situ and often ab initio latin phraseology is sooooo teh hawt….

  47. 47.

    Tonal Crow

    @LD50:

    The cool thing is, that as absurdly close as this was, I’d bet anything that Franken wins reelection easily in 2016. The GOP ain’t getting either of the Minnesota seats back anytime in the foreseeable future.

    That would be 2014. Alas, Franken (and we) won’t get credit for the time Coleman stole.

  49. 49.

    kay

    Time’s up! He’s had an hour to rehang the red white and blue bunting and assemble the volunteers behind him, and give that gracious concession speech, and I don’t have all day.

    Now he’s officially a sore loser. No one can say I didn’t give him a chance to do the right thing.

  50. 50.

    Fraud Guy

    Interesting; I just checked at MSNBC.com, and there is no story there yet, even on their politics page, 39 minutes after you posted this.

    Celebrity dies, or gets found out in compromising situation, 5 minutes, tops. Long, drawn out political fight is over, “yawn”

  51. 51.

    GReynoldsCT00

    Interesting; I just checked at MSNBC.com, and there is no story there yet, even on their politics page, 39 minutes after you posted this.

    I noticed the same thing on CNN, Michael Jackson still the top story there

  52. 52.

    JK

    @LD50:

    I applaud your optimism, but I think you’re making a real leap of faith.

    I don’t think Coleman, McConnell, and Cornyn ever thought they could beat Franken in the courts. These court battles were part of a deliberate plan to question the legitimacy of Franken. I’m glad Franken appears to be on the verge of finally winning, but I think this knock down drawn out fight serves the interests of Republicans because many Coleman supporters and probably some independents will continue to view Franken as illegitimate.

  53. 53.

    geg6

    I am just taking a little time here to indulge in picturing Rushbo’s head exploding as this hit.

    He’ll have the spittle going, the fat jiggling, and jowls quivering for month and years over this. And Al will be sitting in the Senate chamber reading into the record “Rush Limbaugh is Still a Big Fat Idiot Commemoration Day.”

    I really hope he does that, BTW.

  54. 54.

    gex

    @GReynoldsCT00: They serve their masters well, don’t they? From what I hear about the difference in the various international versions of CNN versus the American version, this seems to be either pretty deliberate or a terrible reflection on what Americans want in their news.

  55. 55.

    Demo Woman

    @Napoleon: You are assuming they know the definition of unanimously. It’s apparent that they don’t.

    So who will be the first wingnut to say that the MNSC really ruled unanimously for Coleman?

  56. 56.

    cleek

    I knew Senate terms are 6 years, why does my math suck so bad?

    it is a sign that you may be harboring latent Republicanism.

  57. 57.

    Death By Mosquito Truck

    because many Coleman supporters and probably some independents will continue to view Franken as illegitimate.

    I refuse to recognize any non-norweigan senator from Minnesota.

  58. 58.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    Has anybody checked the airports?

    Any international flights returning from Appalachia that Coleman might be on?

  59. 59.

    MikeJ

    Commenter at tpm sez Norm’s got a presser at 3pm local. Central TZ? So a little over 45 minutes.

    Added on edit: Franken presser at 4:15.

  60. 60.

    oh really

    How long will it be before the Winger’s begin reporting that the UNANIMOUS decision means that Franken won a narrow decision by a deeply divided court?

    I can hardly wait. This could be the excuse the Wingers have been waiting for to begin the armed revolution they so deeply desire.

    Clearly, it’s time for the SCOTUS to step in and in a unanimous 5-4 decision declare Coleman the winner. How else can they save the country from Al Franken?

  61. 61.

    chuck

    They’ve already done the damage to Franken: all the committees have been filled, and as seniority rules go, he’s even more junior than Roland Burris. His fellow Dems will be treating him like a towel boy til next year.

  63. 63.

    JenJen

    Norm Coleman to speak at 4:00 pm ET, to offer gracious concession announce his intention to appeal the decision to SCOTUS. (just guessing!)

    Senator Al Franken to speak at 5:30 pm ET.

  64. 64.

    JK

    @GReynoldsCT00:

    I noticed the same thing on CNN, Michael Jackson still the top story there

    Fuck CNN. Last night the first 20 minutes of AC360 were devoted to Michael Jackson, while the first 20 minutes of Greta Van Susteren’s show were devoted to Obama’s economic policies. Imagine, Fox News doing hard news while CNN was doing tabloid trash. Of course, Greta was completely unfair and unbalanced in the way she discussed Obama’s policies. Before Anderson Cooper went all Michael Jackson on his audience, Larry King announced he’d be covering the aftermath of Jackson’s death all this week.

    Jackson’s initial death was noteworthy, but this continuing focus on the story is bullshit and CNN has become a fucking laughing stock.

  65. 65.

    Tonal Crow

    There’s nothing on “HumanEvents” about this yet. Does anyone know what the ‘tards at RS say?

  66. 66.

    Tsulagi

    The over/under of Coleman not going federal court? I’m guessing he will. He’s got nothing better to do and could probably live on wingnut welfare during the process.

  67. 67.

    The Other Steve

    Hey hey-ey, goodbye
    Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
    Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
    Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye

  69. 69.

    Froley

    My bet is here’s what will happen:

    1) Pawlenty will stall this afternoon by saying his office needs time to review the ruling.

    2) By tomorrow morning (more likely this evening) Coleman will have filed a petition for stay in federal court.

    3) Pawlenty will say he can’t sign the certification because there’s a potential stay, ongoing litigation, blah blah blah.

    He’s already indicated #3. Pawlenty quoted in the Star-Tribune: “Well, a federal court could stay or put a limit on or stop the effect of the state court ruling …. If they chose, if they do that, I would certainly follow their direction. But if that doesn’t happen promptly or drags out for any period of time, then we need to move ahead with signing this, particularly if I’m ordered to do that by the state court.”

    “Any period of time” = 12 months minimum.

  71. 71.

    MikeJ

    If we were taking actual bets I’d be contrarian and bet that Coleman will concede at his press conference, and then Pawlenty signs tomorrow. Next Tuesday, Senator Franken will be sworn in.

  72. 72.

    asiangrrlMN

    I want to say something eloquent, but, alas, I don’t have it in me. So:

    @gex:

    This is good timing all around. Mr. Coleman has a date with the FBI, I think. Best that this issue be tidied up so he can focus his efforts there.

    Bwahahahahaha! Buh-bye, Normie!

    I think he’ll go all the way to the SCOTUS with this. What the hell does he have to lose now? As for Pawlenty, he will do whatever he deems is in the best political interest of himself.

    Oh, and because this might be the last chance I get to say this:

    FREE AL FRANKEN!

    Oh, and to paraphrase our esteem host, if I see a Coleman supporter whining about the injustice of this all, I will punch him in the neck (in my mind). That is all.

  73. 73.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    Nah, Coleman concedes. I’ll go out on a limb.

    “While the election was stolen and illegitimate, out of the goodness of my heart I’ll let my opponent steal it, because blah blah blah”

    He’d just look like a fool at this point to go on, I mean even to the point where he knows it now, too many even Republicans have said it wouldn’t be good.

  74. 74.

    Bulworth

    Waiting for Michelle Bachman to claim that, like the Constitutionally mandated Census, seating Franken would be akin to constructing all those prison-trailer things Glenn Beck’s always talking about. Or something.

  75. 75.

    Tsulagi

    Does anyone know what the ‘tards at RS say?

    Just checked, nothing yet. Predictably a little slow. Likely the directors’ brain trust waiting on Rush’s word before going with their collective wisdom it was ACORN and Ayers pulling strings.

  76. 76.

    mai naem

    But there’s so many ways here to go for Coleman. There’s the where’s his birth certificate. There’s the he doesn’t fit the residency requirements. There’s always the age question because Al’s looks only 22. There’s the traffic ticket he got when he was 17 that makes him ineligible for the Senate.

    All kidding aside I can’t wait to see BillO’s head explode tonight and I can’t wait to listen to Prairie Home Companion this w/e. I’m sure Garrison Keillor will have some skit set up for this. Something he’s probably been working on for several months.

  77. 77.

    Tonal Crow

    On the election certificate issue, the Senate can seat Franken even if Pawlenty refuses to issue the certificate. Art.I s.5 cl.1: “Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections…of its own members.” Of course, you can depend on Reid to preemptively roll over for the GOP, so that’s unlikely to happen.

  78. 78.

    GReynoldsCT00

    Fuck CNN. Last night the first 20 minutes of AC360 were devoted to Michael Jackson, while the first 20 minutes of Greta Van Susteren’s show were devoted to Obama’s economic policies. Imagine, Fox News doing hard news while CNN was doing tabloid trash. Of course, Greta was completely unfair and unbalanced in the way she discussed Obama’s policies. Before Anderson Cooper went all Michael Jackson on his audience, Larry King announced he’d be covering the aftermath of Jackson’s death all this week.

    That’s why we congregate here at BJ for news… I give up on the MSM

  79. 79.

    The Cat Who Would Be Tunch

    @JK:

    Jackson’s initial death was noteworthy, but this continuing focus on the story is bullshit and CNN has become continues to be a fucking laughing stock.

    There we go.

  80. 80.

    JK

    @Froley:

    Good analysis. I’d bet you’re correct on points 1 and 3. On point 2, I think Coleman will wait until the last possible minute to file a petition for stay in federal court.

    Do you think Mark Sanford can avoid resigning if this drip, drip, drip of more details continues to emerge?

    Who do you like in the Men’s and Women’s Singles Finals at Wimbledon?

  82. 82.

    Charon

    @mai naem:

    All kidding aside I can’t wait to see BillO’s head explode tonight

    See, I think he goes the opposite direction. This isn’t a time for BillO to explode, it’s a time for him to be petty. O’Reilly will completely ignore Franken, and if at some point in the future he absolutely has to cover MN’s new senator, he’ll refuse to refer to Franken by his title.

  83. 83.

    LD50

    If we were taking actual bets I’d be contrarian and bet that Coleman will concede at his press conference, and then Pawlenty signs tomorrow. Next Tuesday, Senator Franken will be sworn in.

    Unless the RNC is actually paying Norm a nice salary for this, I can’t imagine why he would want to waste another year or two of his life with this, only to have the SCOTUS either confirm what the MN courts said, or, more likely, to refuse to hear it. As slimy as Norm is, I suspect he knows he’s firmly back in the private sector now.

  85. 85.

    LD50

    You can be sure that there’s some fevered phone calls going on between Pawlenty and Coleman this afternoon. Neither man will be having a good day.

  86. 86.

    Punchy

    How do we know this ruling from the MNSC is the legitimate version? Has anyone seen the original version? Can the state of Hawaii comment on this?

  87. 87.

    David Hunt

    And Al will be sitting in the Senate chamber reading into the record “Rush Limbaugh is Still a Big Fat Idiot Commemoration Day.”

    Nah, that would be an insult to the majesty of the Senate. OTOH, if he ever has to perform an actual filibuster, he can read from his book to eat up time.

    I almost didn’t post this as it seemed unlikely in the the extreme that he’d ever have to stand up and actually filibuster as opposed just announcing the intention that Senators normally do today. Then I remembered: He’s a Democrat. Harry Reid occasionally forgets all the leeway that he gives Republican Senators regarding anonymous holds and intent to filibuster and actually makes Democrats stand up and talk. See: Dodd (D-CN).

  88. 88.

    gex

    @JK: I’m pulling for Fed. There’s a part of me that really wants him to break the Grand Slam record, because I have watched tennis through his entire career. I think it will be cool to be able to say that I saw his career when he’s done and a few crops of up and comers have come and gone.

    On the other side I’m pulling for Venus. I don’t mean to be a front-runner, but I likes who I likes.

  89. 89.

    ninerdave

    @DougJ:

    Nothing yet. [At RS regarding Franken’s win]

    But there is a rousing memorial to Billy Mays comparing his death to the death of capitalism and rise of Socialism under Obama!!

  91. 91.

    gex

    @Punchy: And was that the real Alan Page or did they substitute some other Purple People Eater? We can’t close this chapter until the truth has been revealed.

  92. 92.

    cleek

    yeah, CNN.com sucks. MSNBC com is much better, IMO. there’s not a single MJ story on their front page now – except the Entertainment section. where every story is about MJ. but at least they’re corralled into a little box!

  94. 94.

    grimc

    @LD50:

    The more Coleman does to keep Franken out of the Senate, the bigger the sweetheart lobbying job he’ll get from GOP sugar daddies.

  95. 95.

    geg6

    @LD50:

    You can be sure that there’s some fevered phone calls going on between Pawlenty and Coleman this afternoon. Neither man will be having a good day.

    Gawd, wouldn’t you love to be one of the fed eavesdroppers on that call?

    However, I would just like to say that I can’t think of two people who deserve such a day more.

  96. 96.

    JK

    @GReynoldsCT00: @The Cat Who Would Be Tunch:

    If Gandhi were still alive, and someone asked him “What do you think of 24 hour all-news cable networks”, I bet he’d say “It would be a good idea”

    Given the pathetic quality on display at CNN, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC most of the time, that’s how I feel. I like Olbermann and Madow most of the time, but how the hell can you promote yourself as a 24 hour news network when you continue to air those fucking true crime documentraies (Lockup, To Catch a Predator, etc) on weekends?

  97. 97.

    chopper

    @LD50:

    i guess this whole thing decides for pawlenty how he’s going to run in ’12. if he helps coleman fight he can say goodbye to the middle, if he doesn’t he can say goodbye to the right.

  98. 98.

    Charon

    @LD50:

    What’s missing from your analysis is the FBI. Under every recent president except W., federal law enforcement has stayed away from suspects during elections and their court battles in order not to taint the democratic process. Since Norm is no longer in a position to do active harm, I’ll bet that Norm’s indictment will wait until after his current legal battles are finished. Staying out of jail for as long as possible is a pretty strong inducement to continue doing bat-shit crazy things.

  99. 99.

    Evinfuilt

    An early peak at Colemans speech.

    Norm Coleman: today a tragedy occurred… i of course speak of Michael Jackson, he’s still dead. Al Franken has given up hope that MJ will return, I have not. Therefor I will go to the supreme court to have them declare Michael Jackson still alive, and me Senator, good day to you all

  100. 100.

    Froley

    How do we know this ruling from the MNSC is the legitimate version? Has anyone seen the original version?

    One of the articles said the opinion was “unsigned”. You know that’s going to be fodder for the wingnuts although it’s probably standard practice (and has no bearing on legitimacy). And even though the ruling is unanimous, at least one of them will say “how do we know which justices agreed with it?”

  101. 101.

    Legalize

    Coleman will conceed, thereby getting Pawlenty off the hook. Losing isn’t bad as far as the GOP is concerned because they still get to play the poor oppressed victim forced to admit an interloper into the Senate. They will whine about the trifecta of illegitimacy: Sonya, Barack and Al.

  102. 102.

    scav

    Personally, I think Sanford is going for an insanity defense on the grounds that he really thinks he’s King David. I mean the asking his wife to meet the love of his life, plus all the other near-misses (sic.). He’s clearly starved for attention. This isn’s so much a drip drip drip as it’s a self-inflicted percolator, a all-out French-Press release on his part.

  103. 103.

    MikeJ

    One of the articles said the opinion was “unsigned”.

    There’s nothing the least bit unusual about per curiam opinions. Bush v Gore was one.

  104. 104.

    Zifnab

    @JK:

    Jackson’s initial death was noteworthy, but this continuing focus on the story is bullshit and CNN has become a fucking laughing stock.

    They’ve also been leading in ratings against rival MSNBC and gaining on FOX. Why E! doesn’t have it’s own damn channel, I’ll never know.

  105. 105.

    Comrade Stuck

    @Charon:

    he’ll refuse to refer to Franken by his title.

    I haven’t heard BillO call Franken by his real name since the bogus lawsuit days that Fox News was forced to eat in a tasty Crow Pie. It’s always Stuart Smalley this or that. If anything, BO will call him Senator Smalley, which is kind of catchy when you think abut it.

  106. 106.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    @JK:

    Jackson’s initial death was noteworthy,

    but his subsequent ones were of somewhat less interest, though the “news” media and his estate agreed that they were good for business.

  107. 107.

    gex

    @scav:

    all-out French-Press release

    Now *there’s* a turn of phrase! You’ve got basketball, coffee, and media terminology all blended together. I like.

  108. 108.

    REN

    My favorite Norm Coleman moments of all time, came when he was questioning Scottish Member of Parliment George Galloway about his supposed role in a bribery scandal in the oil for food program in Iraq.

    Galloway said to Norm ” I know that standards have slipped recently in Washington,but for a lawyer, you’re remarkably cavalier in any idea of justice.”

    Galloway later said, ” To be lectured by you on a lack of moral character, is like being told to sit up straight by the hunchback of Notre Dame.

    Norm’s face was classic. It’s the kind of look I would expect from someone who had a grizzly bear by the tail and was wondering how long he could hold on.

    If you haven’t seen this before, this testimony is a must see. And as we can all see, Norm’s standards of justice haven’t changed in the intervening years.

  110. 110.

    Froley

    There’s nothing the least bit unusual about per curiam opinions.

    Agreed, but that’s not going to stop the wingnuts from claiming there’s something wrong.

    If Coleman does concede I think I’ll have to DVR it. Play it when I’m feeling down.

  111. 111.

    geg6

    Maybe it’s the eternal optimist in me, but I think Pawlenty will sign. And perhaps, for the first time in his life, Coleman will show some class.

    They’re about to make a liar out of me, so let’s watch.

  117. 117.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    Edit: Never mind.

    Party like it’s nineteen-ninety-november-fourth, children. At least for a day.

  118. 118.

    JenJen

    It only took eight months!!

    Woohooo!! Congratulations, Senator Franken! And T-Paw sure did dodge a bullet, didn’t he?

  119. 119.

    oh really

    RedState’s initial response is out — it’s just an acknowledgment of the decision.

    I guess we’ll have to wait for the comments to get the usual Winger insanity.

  120. 120.

    jake 4 that 1

    Next up: fReichtards explain that 1. Coleman is the much better man for conceding. 2. Franken would have never done the same thing in his shoes because he’s a DemoncRAT. 3. Coleman wouldn’t have had to concede if DemoncRAT Franken had been a much better man and conceded first, but of course he didn’t because he’s a mean nasty DemoncRAT.

  121. 121.

    Punchy

    Que the wingnuts screaming about Liberal Pawlenty and death threats and email campaigns and teabagging protests and boycotts of the use of “eh?” in sentences.

  122. 122.

    JK

    Norm Coleman concedes. It must have broken CNN’s heart to break away from wall to wall Michael Jackson coverage but real news disrupted their plans.

    Not to worry, Coleman story was a blip on the radar screen, now it’s back to Michael Jackson’s will.

    Wow. CNN dodged a bullet there. God forbid real news should derail their dogged efforts to follow the Michael Jackson story until our Sun goes nova.

  123. 123.

    Nellcote

    Nice CYA concession by Colman. Generous of Colman to give a shout out to Sen. Klobuchar and her staff.

  125. 125.

    gex

    @Punchy: Not to mention that Coleman conceded because he used to be a Democrat, and that sort of surrender-monkey doesn’t change or something to that effect.

  126. 126.

    The Cat Who Would Be Tunch

    @JK:

    The funny thing is just across the pond, you get CNN International which is actually pretty decent (or it was when I last used to watch it regularly). I thought the stories were always pretty substantive and varied, as opposed to the same inane stories repeated ad nauseum. How CNN International and CNN Headlines are produced by the same corporation is just beyond me.

    Anyways, as for the Franken, it’ll be interesting to see how he votes, especially on really stick issues (I’m thinking on the likes of the FISA bill here).

  127. 127.

    Beej

    Why in the blinking hell are we stuck with this “60 vote majority” thing anyway? For 200+ years a simple majority was good enough, and it seemed to work out pretty well. Notice that since this 60 vote thing came along, Congress has looked twice as bad as they did before. Of course looking like a bunch of asses has never before stopped them. I don’t know why I think it should now.

  128. 128.

    Stacy

    The comments on the Star Tribune article about the ruling are hilarious.

    Right off the bat, we are warned by a right-winger that the angry leftists are now going to show up “frothing” at the mouth (because I guess that’s what they do when their guy wins?), which is then followed by a multitude of pissed off right wingers calling Minnesotans idiots.

    I then learned that Minnesota is now totally like Iran.

    And I also learned that we have to be careful, because unlike our other, classier political representatives, like Michelle Bachmann, Frankin will embarrass Minnesota’s political tradition every time he opens his mouth.

    But I think my favorite comment (aside from the guy lamenting that now “evil” is now unchecked in Minnesota, because when I think Stuart Smalley, I totally think of teh eeeeviiilllll) is the person that warns all of us that they will no longer be identifying as Minnesotan now that Frankin has won. Oh noes! How horrible for our state that they won’t associate their wing-nutty ass with us!

  129. 129.

    Geeno

    My favorite Norm Coleman moments of all time, came when he was questioning Scottish Member of Parliment George Galloway …

    That whole thing was beautious. They take this guy from the House of Commons where they play full-contact legislation without pads, and they think they’re going to make HIM look bad. Someone desperately needed to be fired for coming up with that idea. I never laughed so hard watching CSPAN before.

  130. 130.

    oh really

    EXTRA!!!

    Michele Bachmann announces that she will refuse to fill out her census form TWICE in protest over the grave injustice the Ayatollahs on the MN Supreme Court have inflicted on the free people of her state today.

    Bachmann warned that installing Franken in the US Senate puts the last piece of the puzzle in place. It is now just a matter of days before Imam Obama starts rounding up Republicans and putting them in detention camps.

    Further, Bachmann is calling on all Iranians to support Minnesotans in their struggle for freedom. After all, said Bachmann, when the Iranians needed her support, she held her breath and turned green.

  131. 131.

    JK

    @oh really:

    I want Michelle Bachmann to submit herself to a competency hearing. The more she talks, the more it appears that she’s mentally unfit to hold public office.

  132. 132.

    LD50

    I predict our Michele is setting herself up to run against Franken in 2014.

    Well. Provided she doesn’t take the VP slot under Palin in ’12.

  133. 133.

    LD50

    when the Iranians needed her support, she held her breath and turned green.

    Well, that *is* kind of what Sully did.

    (ducks)

  135. 135.

    gex

    @LD50: Oh my God, that would be delightful. Can you imagine the ads of her crazy Iran talk, the international currency drivel, the internment camps, etc. all showing up on attack ads?

  136. 136.

    oh really

    JK. Full disclosure. I made all that up.

    I don’t know if you believed those phony statements, but my point was that nothing I wrote could be considered in any way inconsistent with her everyday ravings. People like Bachmann make satire virtually impossible.

    I made a similar point to yours the other day to a friend — Bachmann has to be careful. If she ends up in court as a result of refusing to fill out her census questionnaire, she has to remain absolutely silent lest the judge realize she is totally insane and in all likelihood a danger to herself and others.

    I could see involuntary commitment resulting.

    LD50

    Well. Provided she doesn’t take the VP slot under Palin in ‘12.

    Thanks a lot. I think I’m going into cardiac arrest. Compared with a Palin/Bachmann ticket, word that Jupiter is going to collide with Earth in twenty minutes would qualify as good news.

  137. 137.

    oh really

    Latest from RedState (and this is real):

    And the fact that the election was blatantly stolen, then upheld by an insane set of rulings, is just salt in the wounds.

    Gee, and I thought I read somewhere that Pawlenty said there was no evidence of illegality or tampering.

    I guess that kind of makes Pawlenty just another Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist-Maoist-Muslim-terrorist Nazi tool of Kenyan president Barack Obama (who is controlled by ACORN).

  138. 138.

    LD50

    I think this knock down drawn out fight serves the interests of Republicans because many Coleman supporters and probably some independents will continue to view Franken as illegitimate.

    That and 50 cents will enable the wingnuts to use a payphone.

  139. 139.

    REN

    @ geeno

    Remarkable how more of that didn’t make it into the MSM wasn’t it. Way too embarrassing to GWBs administration. Liberal media indeed. Loved it when he called Christopher Hitchens a drink soaked trotskyite. Coffee through the nose on to my keyboard that one.

  141. 141.

    pseudonymous in nc

    Someone desperately needed to be fired for coming up with that idea. I never laughed so hard watching CSPAN before.

    Galloway’s a flashy, grandstanding, showboating MP with a big ego (see: Celebrity Big Brother) and a habit of settling things in libel court. But yes, he came to DC with gloves off, Coleman didn’t know what hit him (nor did Levin, who took his share of verbal blows) and it was one of those few moments of relief during a very shitty political period.

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