Conservatives Preparing For Coleman Defeat

As the window closes on Norm Coleman's chances for retaining his seat in the Senate, some conservatives are beginning to envision life without the Minnesota Republican.

In a filing on the conservative website, NewsMax.com, author David A. Patten looked at the numbers and saw in them a Coleman-less Senate.

The counting of improperly rejected absentee ballots will probably increase Democratic challenger Al Franken's lead over incumbent GOP Sen. Norm Coleman according to a new analysis of voting trends, effectively relegating Coleman to filing lawsuits considered unlikely to reverse the outcome of the election.

Others on the right are not ready to accept defeat. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair John Cornyn released a statement on Tuesday indicating that some GOP senators would resist seating Franken before the courts have their say, even if the Democratic challenger is declared the winner of the recount. "I expect the Senate would have a problem seating a candidate who has not duly won an election," Cornyn claimed.

In private, meanwhile, GOP officials have begun to contemplate Al Franken -- whose lead stands at a scant 50 votes and with largely favorable absentee ballots left to count -- ending up in Washington D.C.

By and large, such discussion has not surfaced in public. Coleman's hopes hinge on uncovering enough wrongfully rejected absentee ballots to overcome his current deficit but also the possibility of legally challenging the results.

And yet, it is not difficult to imagine how some in the GOP could rationalize a Coleman defeat. Weeks before the actual election, NBC's Chuck Todd reported about anxiety among Democrats over a possible Franken win -- over the potential fodder it would give Republican opponents and the possibility that it would persuade other celebrity candidates to make their own runs for elected office.

But the shoe also fits on the other foot. Coleman is mired in ethics scandals surrounding his alleged failure to report $75,000 in payments his family received from a prominent GOP financier and close friend. The FBI is reportedly investigating the matter and it stands to reason that the Senate Ethics Committee will follow suit. The last thing Republicans in the Senate want is a corruption controversy hounding one of its members, especially after the party's image suffered terribly from such matters in '06 and '08.

Comments

[NoSillyName]

How can they refuse him and say that he "has not duly won an election"? If the votes are in his favor, he won. duh.

Unlike, say, GWB.

[GuyPere]

There is nothing Republicans hate more then when all the votes are counted.

[Mover]

Yes, Conservatives don't like it when the same votes are counted twice.

[BonoVox]

Who are the Democrats fearing Franken winning? Who are these weenies? And after the other side elected a B-movie actor for President, an action hero for California's governor and Sonny Bono for the House some unnamed Democrats think Al Franken's victory is what now requires a closing of the barn door on celebrity candidates? We're about to win. That's a good thing.

[apoliticalchick]

Thanks Al, we've been counting on you!
http://democralypsenow.blogspot.com/2008/11/sen-stevens-fall-from-grace-opens-door.html

[bikercrd]

We Did It! For Paul...

[jsshrh]

http://wcco.com/local/senate.ballots.count.2.899328.html

Norms not gonna go w/o out a fight. Hopefully he won't run for Governor.

[AZ AF VET]

Normie, why the long face? Just because your political career is over? Just think, your prison career is just to start!

[Marlys]

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FINAL COUNT IS NOW IN!

AL FRANKEN WON BY 220 VOTES!

Finally we get the Bush rubber stamp OUT!

Coleman can file all the lawsuits he wants HE LOST!

THE BEST MAN WON!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!

[AZ AF VET]

A landslide victory!

[LeeCalif]

DIng a ling a ling !!!!!!

Coalman's term expired noon today ( Saturday).

[zoraksferal]

Yes, with court battles still to come and more ballots left to be counted. People are getting way too ahead of themselves. This battle will not be ending anytime soon, although I must admit, as a staunch conservative, "we" are now preparing for a lose. And similar to Gore fighting desperately to win, we will fight on.

[Steph 66]

Well, if Coleman does get in, he may be forced to resign on the ethics violations So maybe it would be better if Coleman just fades into the sunset, so that if he is convicted, there will be less press coverage.

As a Minnesotan, I would rather not have all the negative press here.

[Mover]

That's a new one.

What ethics violations?

Oh, sorry. I forgot where I am. He's a registered Republican, so we know he's done many things wrong.

[mirza]

Good riddance!

[Donns]

Will this election be finished in time for the next one?

[snoopbuzz]

Did they ever find the Lake Wobegon ballots?

[gastoys]

How can there be any credibility on who really won the election. IMO - rerun the election using only computers to count the winner with no recount and let the best man win. I don't like neither one, but someone has to represent the people and their votes.

[JayeSF]

There IS a recount system in place...it's what we are seeing. It's not fast, and it's up and down...but it wouldn't be this messy if lil' normie started acting like an adult who respects the law, as opposed to a little baby gop'er who will do absolutely anything to forestall or deny a true tally.

It's been ugly (thanks to lil' normie) but it's almost done and things have turned Franken's way. He has done an upstanding job in adhering to the letter and spirit of the recount...and the Law (something lil' normie never much cared about, obviously).

[condew]

It must be very frustrating, gastoy, not to be able to use rigged computers to steal the election.

[funnyguy]

The article fails to explain how the GOP would prevent Franken from getting seated.

[diogeron]

Actually, I think it is John Cornyn who failed to explain how the GOP would prevent Franken from getting seated. All the author did was quote him.

Insofar as "gastoys" post, why bother to hold an election and count the votes if every time there is a razor thin margin, you decide it's too tough to pick a winner and call another election?

[JayeSF]

Precisely.

[meemu]

I would like to know how they would be able to stop Franken from being seated, once the vote is confirmed? Or is that just more republican bull.....

[Mover]

It's called a filibuster, buster. :)