Downballot: Franken wins, again
Posted: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 9:09 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
States, Democrats, Republicans
“A Minnesota court confirmed Monday that Democrat Al Franken won the most votes in his 2008 Senate race against Republican Norm Coleman, who immediately announced plans to appeal the decision,” the AP says. “Coleman has 10 days to appeal to the state Supreme Court. Once the petition is filed, it could further delay the seating of Minnesota's second senator for weeks.”
The Star Tribune: “After a trial spanning nearly three months, the judicial panel dismissed Coleman's central 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. The panel concluded that Franken, a DFLer, ‘received the highest number of votes legally cast’ in the election. Franken emerged from the trial with a 312-vote lead, the court ruled, and ‘is therefore entitled to receive the certificate of election.’”
Franken issued this statement last night: "I am honored and humbled by this close victory, and I'm looking forward to getting to work as soon as possible… I want to say a word to those on both sides of the aisle who have followed every twist and turn of the recount and contest, whether it was on the Uptake's live blog or a discussion with friends in a coffee shop, whether it was with patience or frustration: Let's not forget why this election mattered. Let's commit ourselves with the same energy and passion to addressing the challenges we face, improving the lives of our neighbors, and building a better future for Minnesota.”
Replied Coleman attorney Ben Ginsberg: "More than 4,400 Minnesotans remain wrongly disenfranchised by this court's order. The court's ruling tonight is consistent with how they've ruled throughout this case but inconsistent with the Minnesota tradition of enfranchising voters… For these reasons, we must appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court so that no voter is left behind."
In an interview with a local TV station, Coleman himself didn’t rule out an appeal even to the U.S. Supreme Court, or perhaps a run for governor in 2010 if he ultimately loses. "My fight ends when the ballots are counted," Coleman said.
The Star Tribune adds, however: “[E]xperts who read the panel's 68-page ruling say it effectively attacks some of the very arguments that Coleman would use on appeal.”
More from the Pioneer Press: "[A]fter a seven-week trial, 1,717 exhibits, 142 witnesses and 19,181 pages of pleadings, motions and briefs, the trial court left little doubt about its decision. Point by point, the judges dissected Coleman's case in their … decision Monday. Point by point, they dismissed it."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he won't press for Franken to be seated now. BUT if Coleman loses his state Supreme Court appeal, then "we look forward to a prompt decision from that court so that Gov. Pawlenty can issue an election certificate and we can finally bring an end to an episode that has left the people of Minnesota without full representation for too long and has cost taxpayers too much money,” he said.
And then there's this... "One of the state Supreme Court justices who could rule on Norm Coleman's appeal contributed $500 to his two Senate campaigns before the justice joined the bench, and another gave $1,000 to Coleman's 2002 Senate opponent when she was still working as a lawyer."
