The drawn-out saga of Minnesota’s 2008 senatorial election appears at last to be coming to a close. Or is it?
After recounts and lawsuits galore, the Minnesota State Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that Alan Stuart Franken is the winner of the hotly-disputed race.
Regrettably, the court stopped short of directly ordering Governor Tim Pawlenty to issue a certificate of election – which leaves an opening for an appeal to the US Supreme Court, the acceptance or refusal of which would fall under the purview of Bush appointee Justice Samuel Alito.
I truly hope that having now been ruled the winner by the state’s highest court, Franken can be allowed to do the job which has been waiting for EIGHT MONTHS. I would want someone finally doing that job even if Franken were not a Democrat.
That said, that 60th vote does make the victory a little sweeter.
Edit to above: Coleman has in fact conceded, and the state of Minnesota has the second Senator to which it is constitutionally entitled. Congratulations to Al Franken on what he must hope will be the biggest fight of his political career.
I keep wondering what the benefits of sending this to the Supreme Court would be.
It would look very bad for T-Paw if he backs off from following the MN Supreme Court . It certainly wouldn’t help him with his potential presidential big.
Norm Coleman has already become the buck of late show comedians, which is not a good state to be in…
Would the Supreme Court overrule Franken after Bush v. Gore? Hasn’t the precedent already been set here?
I honestly don’t see it…
Also, that picture of Franken scares me.
@simgod
Indeed, the picture is somewhat terrifying.
The MNSC ruling held that Bush v. Gore did not constitute a precedent for this, but I suppose it no longer matters. Coleman conceded.
Honestly, I think this had less to do with Coleman than with the GOP trying to block that 60-vote majority from coming to pass. As such, the USSC filing would have been a further delay.
But now – and especially with Pawlenty’s decision not to seek re-election (likely focused on ’12) – Coleman could potentially run for governor instead, likely a far more attractive option to him personally than continued legal wrangling.
Senator… Franken? I knew it was coming – and it’s welcomed – but it still sounds odd out loud, doesn’t it?
Well, if anything can be said about Minnesota, it’s that it has it’s own brand of politics. All my relatives are from there, via Sweden and Luxembourg.
@f.B
It really does. But then, Minnesota also elected a pro wrestler as governor. I think that perhaps Minnesotans understand better than most that it doesn’t necessarily matter where someone’s journey has taken them so long as it has brought them to the right place to do the job.
I’d rather have a comedian who ‘gets it’ than a lifelong lawyer who doesn’t.
@jammer5
A state that can put both the great (and sadly passed) Paul Wellstone and the lamentable Michele Bachmann into office truly does have its own brand of politics.