Looks official to me:
The Minnesota Board of Canvassers certified Democrat Al Franken as winner of the state’s Senate race, but incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman’s attorneys have vowed to challenge the decision.
After two months of political and legal wrangling by both campaigns since Election Day, the board officially recognized Franken as the victor, marking the latest in a number of dramatic turns of events that have characterized the state’s Senate election.
The board certified Franken’s 225-vote lead over Coleman, moving the Democrat one step closer to unseating the first-term lawmaker. That tally includes both the hand recount of votes throughout the state, as well as hundreds of absentee ballots that had previously been disqualified for no stated, legal reason.
True to form, the GOP is pissed. CNN is reporting that the Governor refuses to sign the certification, and John Cornyn is promising a filibuster in order to stymie the seating of Franken. One last gasp from the whinging, wheezing GOP- a fitting tribute to the end of a disastrous eight years that began in the electoral chaos of Florida. They don’t like the results, so they will do what they can to get their way.
But don’t worry. In a few years, when the tables are turned, John Yoo will be around to provide the legal reasoning for the seating of a Republican in the exact same situation, the NY Times will give him premier space to spread the message, and Cornyn will forget all about his noble stand in this little Franken unpleasantness. That is just how they roll.
And let me just add- given how difficult it is to unseat an incumbent Senator, and given that Coleman lost to an SNL actor/writer in a three-way race, it gives you an idea how much he must suck. A smart person would just go away and lead a quiet life, given that repudiation.
*** Update ***
I stand corrected:
To be fair to Gov. Timmy, he’s not refusing to sign the certification. Under Minnesota law, there’s a 7-day wait period between certification and signing the certification so that challengers have time to file a challenge. This is part of the system that’s been so horrible and anti-Norm that we’ve been counting ballots live on the internet, where everyone can see ‘em.
I blame CNN. I will beat Wolf Blitzer with a transcript of his lies.