Franken: Senate "Going To Try" To Seat Him

WASHINGTON — It's no joke: Senate Democrats are moving toward letting comedian Al Franken join the chamber while Republican Norm Coleman's election lawsuit is pending.

"We're going to try to seat Al Franken," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters on Wednesday, a few hours before he posed with Franken for photos just off the Senate floor. "There's not a question in anyone's mind, an assertion by anyone, that there's been any fraud or wrongdoing in this election."

Coleman's lawyers are challenging the results of the election and the re-count in a trial set to begin in state district court on Monday. A three-judge panel that will hear the case is considering Franken's argument to dismiss it altogether.

Franken finished the re-count ahead by 225 votes. But Coleman's campaign said it will push for a review of all 12,000 absentee ballots that were not counted in the race. Coleman's attorneys said the new proposal could bring as many as 7,000 ballots to the race.

Reid did not say when Franken would be seated provisionally, but he said the two were meeting to hash out the agenda and Franken's committee assignments.

Not so fast, said Republicans.

"If Al Franken truly believes he won this election, he should respect the laws of his state and allow this legal review to be completed," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Luke Friedrich, spokesman for Coleman, said Reid and Franken would "ignore the will of Minnesota voters" if they try to seat Franken before the election is fully resolved. "Maybe Al Franken and Harry Reid should spend a little time reminding each other how they used to want every vote counted," Friedrich said.

Comments

[2008CaliforniaFan]

Email or call MoveOn . org

After reading about the Coleman TV ads on the other thread I just emailed Moveon . org.
I asked why they didn't link the most recent scandal with Steele and Coleman together with the same style of ads that Coleman is using against Franken

MoveOn and the DNC need to take out Coleman so the GOP Governor would have to vette Franken.
President Obama needs Franken's vote'.... Now.

[neutral1]

Seat Al now. We need his cynical sarcastic wit to solve our nations problems.

[SOLERSO68]

The days of smoke and mirrors are numbered repubs....get your last cheap shots in, but keep mind its coming the other way now.

[blastit]

Seat Al Franken why wait they should seat him now

[motoGpifupleez]

Cornyn calling for someone to "respect election laws".
A Republican calling for election laws to be honored?
Excuse me while I spend the rest of the day laughing.

[BrighterStar]

And this comming from the same people who claimed Bush was abusing power? Funny.

[peterpolitics]

All of the "issues" raised by Coleman are barred under Minn. Law from being determined by the Minnesota Court (minn. stat. 209.12) and must be referred to the US Senate which has exclusive jurisdiction under the USConstitution. Who's ignoring state law? I suggest it is Coleman and that Al Franken should be immediately seated by the Senate, provisionally, pending the outcome of any contest by Coleman IN THE SENATE.

[HLL]

After a painstaking (and expensive) recounting of the votes, Mr. Franken won. Mr. Coleman has already taken another job. Enough lawsuits. I hope the court dismisses Coleman's case so the new Senator from Minnesota can be seated already, thus allowing the Senate to tend to the business of re-building America.

[BrighterStar]

There were serious problems with the recount process. There is little doubt that Coleman should get several more votes. The only question is if it will be enough. Ending the court process will only ensure that the election was not fairly decided.

[StephCaster]

Simple untrue. One of the fairness, most open and transparent, and well run recount in the USA ever. 100% Republican sour grapes.

If you want to see a corrupt or incompetent recount process, see Ohio 2004 and NH primary 2008, respectively. The recount process in FL in 2000, while rife with various problems, was still fundamentally sound -- but halted midway by the Supreme Court in order to prevent Al Gore from becoming President.

[VikingQuest]

Sure would be nice if Franken won before he became above the law.

[peterpolitics]

This is State law all you wingnuts are ignoring (e.g., Sen Cornyn). jurisdiction of the Minnesota Supreme Court is limited:
209.12 CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE.
When a contest relates to the office of senator or a member of the house of representatives
of the United States, the only question to be decided by the court is which party to the contest
received the highest number of votes legally cast at the election and is therefore entitled to
receive the certificate of election. The judge trying the proceedings shall make findings of fact
and conclusions of law upon that question. Evidence on any other points specified in the notice
of contest, including but not limited to the question of the right of any person to nomination or
office on the ground of deliberate, serious, and material violation of the provisions of the
Minnesota election law, must be taken and preserved by the judge trying the contest, or by some
person appointed by the judge for that purpose; but the judge shall make no findings or
conclusion on those points.
After the time for appeal has expired, or in case of an appeal, after the final judicial
determination of the contest, upon application of either party to the contest, the court
administrator of the district court shall promptly certify and forward the files and records of the
proceedings, with all the evidence taken, to the presiding officer of the senate or the house of
representatives of the United States.

[IDIOTA]

Fascinating.

[ddanimal]

Haha. Its funny to see Republicans clamoring to have"every vote counter", even ones that are not legally admissable by Minnesota law. They conveniently leave that part out.

[BrighterStar]

There were some absentee ballots that had clerical errors. In Franken leaning areas they were counted and in Coleman leaning areas ballots with the same error were not counted. This is where Franken gets most of his lead. It seems to me that ballots should be treated the same in all parts of the state. But Franken is blocking counting these votes.

[Incumbent]

What wingnut website did you get these talking points from? In actuality BOTH campaigns agreed in advance how to handle the ballots and which would be counted and which would not. But as soon as Coleman lost, suddenly he's not happy with the methods they BOTH already agreed on.

[AnnfromCA]

Reid is ignoring MN state law. This was resolved last week, and he brings it up again?

Good gravy....he's really on a roll.

[Incumbent]

"Luke Friedrich, spokesman for Coleman, said Reid and Franken would "ignore the will of Minnesota voters" if they try to seat Franken before the election is fully resolved."

Um, might the TRUE will of Minnesota voters be to have full representation in the Senate for the next 2 months while substantial decisions are being made regarding the economy and international relations? I mean, for all the cries about Roland Burris needing to be seated immediately so that Illinois was fully represented, there doesn't seem to be much concern about Minnesota's Senate representation being down 50%.

[amadorjon]

go al...a fresh voice and an actual liberal in the senate, instead of these watered down millionares... I see him doing great things,

[Sundialsvc4]

I've said it before and I'll say it again ... when you're looking at a difference of "a few hundred votes" in a slate of "millions of votes cast," you're talking about a tiny fraction of one-percent. In other words, "a dead heat."

The people of that State deserve their representation in the Senate ... right now, because "the Senate is in session now."

The Legislature of the State is going to have to vote to decide which of these two will represent the State in the United States Senate. One person is going to be very happy and another is going to be very pissed, but the important consideration now is, "the matter must be CLOSED."

Any system of tabulation can be expected to have some degree of error. That's unavoidable. At this point, money is being thrown away, and the people of the State are being denied their representation.