GOP Strategist: Coleman Risking Long-Term Damage

Norm Coleman is risking long-term damage to his reputation and any chance of running for office down the road if he keeps prolonging the Minnesota recount, a high-ranking Republican strategist warned on Wednesday.

Long-time GOP consultant Craig Shirley, CEO of Shirley & Banister Public Affairs, said that he supports and expects the former Minnesota Senator to appeal a recent three-judge-panel decision declaring Al Franken the recipient of the most votes in the Senate election.

"At this point, he might as well play the hand he's been dealt," said Shirley. "He has nothing to lose."

Beyond that, Shirley added, Coleman is playing with fire and putting his legacy and future on the line. "If this goes much farther, he will lose whatever goodwill he has remaining with the voters of Minnesota and he can kiss a political comeback goodbye. There is a fine line between toughness and obstinacy."

The remarks are some of the most sober yet on Coleman's options from within the GOP. On Wednesday, The Hill newspaper quoted an anonymous Republican campaign operative saying of the St. Paul Republican: "He's cooked ... At this point, continuing to carry on only damages his brand for future bids for office."

Not everyone in the GOP, naturally, feels this way. The NRSC and RNC, after a small delay, both produced public statements cheering along Coleman's decision to keep all political and legal options open. John McLaughlin, another long-time Republican consultant and principle at McLaughlin & Associates, said he should keep fighting.

"I don't think there will be long-term damage made," he said, of appealing the decision all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. "Because, first of all, it has been so long, there have been times when Coleman has been ahead and Franken has been ahead. Franken exhausted his appeals and Coleman will be given the support to do so to ... But because [Coleman] has to raise money and pay those legal bills, when it gets to that point that it doesn't look worth it ... that's when the party will pull the plug."

Of course, the real arbiter of how much good will Coleman has left comes from the voters in Minnesota. And on this front, the former Senator seems to be on his last legs. A Public Policy Polling survey released on Wednesday showed that, by a two-to-one margin, Minnesotans believed that Coleman should concede the Senate race.

"63% think that Norm Coleman should concede," the study finds. "59% think [Gov.] Tim Pawlenty should certify Al Franken as the winner of the election."

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Comments

[RickCoMatic]

12:13 AM on 05/07/2009

Continuing with Appeal and further litigating two unanimous defeats in the Lower Courts to the Minnesota Supreme Court solidifies everyone's suspicions Coleman's whole case is nothing but a long Con and a Bad Faith Conspiracy perpetuate­d by a bunch of close-knit co-conspir­ators who have parlayed a sore losers hate motivated denial of electoral due process into a flagrant assault on what is good with our Democracy.
Lies, doctored evidence, withheld evidence, witnesses forgetting what to say, a witness admitting her collusion, incriminat­ing emails demonstrat­ing she would lie, the facts he said he prove in Court not introduced­, other arguments claiming foul play or vote counting errors claimed to have occurred not proved or substantia­ted in any way, shape or form (other than carelessly done photo-shop­ped make-belie­ves) is the Case presented for review to the Minnesota Supreme Court. And, ... Legions of Citizens denied their Constituti­onal Rights and rendered disenfranc­hised by the Lower Court. Oh, the Humanity!
The Facts: Every single VOTE --> NOT

[elyely]

08:50 AM on 04/18/2009

when did the US became the Philippine­s?

[RLaitres]

10:10 PM on 04/16/2009

Having lived in Minnesota for 26 years I know that they normally have a great deal of patience and are quite tolerant. But, as is usually the case for such individual­s, "Don't push them beyond the point of tolerance.

It is a "good thing" that Mr. Coleman is not overly concerned about his future as I suspect that he has none, at least in Minnesota.

[roshni]

07:27 PM on 04/16/2009

I hope the damage extends to Pawlenty and the rest of the GOP too.

[hollybork]

06:27 PM on 04/16/2009

Coleman is a fine representa­tive of his party. Let it hereafter be called the "me first, the people last" party. Morally bankrupt, they can do nothing other than carry on with their obfuscatin­g of truth, whining about losing the election, and wrecking havoc on the Senate. This is not the people's business, this is self business.

[eptfan]

05:26 PM on 04/16/2009

Frankly, in the larger scheme of things Coleman's political future is of little consequenc­e; even he recognizes that. yet he persists in actions that harm the republic. His and our real concern should be with the future of our democracy. Elections are supposed to be decided by the people not the Courts. This law suit posturing as an election reminds us that the worst thing about Bush v. Gore was not the ultimate outcome, however bad for the country and the world. The worse thing is the judicializ­ation of the politics - in the nature of things there will always be disputes about electoral outcomes. But people have to believe in the basic integrity of the system or government­al legitimacy is damaged, even lost. Since as the founders well knew, all government rests on opinion, such lose of faith can be fatal to a form of government­. Coleman should be concede and be recognized as a democratic hero...

[katlade]

05:04 PM on 04/16/2009

He should have never been senator anyway. Wellstone would have won re-electio­n if he wouldn't have died in that plane "accident"­.

[AirForce Vet]

11:51 AM on 04/16/2009

It was stated that Coleman may damage himself if continues his fight. Well, News Flash, the man is already damaged. I believe in fighting for what is right, but when it is for the wrong reasons, no. Next time around Minnesotan­s please get rid of the so-called governor Pawlenty or should I say Plenty, because he is Plenty of hot air. Congrats on your new senator, Al Franken.

[LeftisBetter]

11:23 AM on 04/16/2009

Where were those percentage­s on election night? Seat Senator Franken already!!

[take10]

11:16 AM on 04/16/2009

Don't forget Pawlenty! He is the king of pay to play at this point. He is subverting the peoples will for no other reason than acquiring campaign payments from the republican money machine. You can bet that when faced with the possibilit­y of going to jail, Mrs. Coleman will sing like a operatic bird! I am surprised that she has hung around this long.

There are so many sinister efforts underway by the rethugs, that it is impossible for them to focus on the peoples real problems. There is no solid leadership­. They are presently operating under mob rules. If we can't get over the election of an African American who these people claim is a Muslim, how can we expect Arab Muslim nations to believe that we care so much for their well being. The treatment that President Obama is receiving from these racist, bigots isn't presenting a shinning example to the rest of the world that we are so democratic and non-discri­minating. Transferri­ng our ideals to other nations will be irreparabl­y harmed by the insane display of racial hatred emanating from the GOP.

[Vyvjala]

10:24 AM on 04/16/2009

Give it up coleman, you could do a sequel to the movie, "The Mask," without makeup.

[anney]

09:18 AM on 04/16/2009

Why does Coleman have to concede? The courts have already ruled that he lost the election. Franken should formally declare victory to end the farce and head off to Washington and let Coleman flounder around all he wants.

And what "future" does Coleman risk damaging? Seems to me he cut his own throat months ago.

[TrooAmerican]

08:43 AM on 04/16/2009

Long term damage? I dont understand why this criminal and his criminal wife are not in jail yet for all the under the table contibutio­ns he got funneled to him through his wife's gift of a job, from his buddies from texas GOP

[lcdbsez]

07:56 AM on 04/16/2009

Hmmmmm . . . sounds like the weepublica­ns are trying to back away from throwing any more money at a lost cause . . . maybe they're starting to smell what's coming . . . ????

Seems Normie's been having an affair (is it over?) with one of David Drier's (R-CA) gay staffers, and Mrs. C. is filing for divorce (or, getting ready to -- once this is over -- or she's got enuf "contribut­ion" money for her settlement­, maybe?) . . .

And, Tim Pawlenty is in a tricky situation b/c of it . . . gee, this is getting interestin­g.

[bblueskye]

06:56 AM on 04/16/2009

I think if the dirt would have been out sooner on Coleman, Franken wouldn't be in this position. A lot of Coleman's luck came from absentee ballots, and it got intense a few weeks before the election to where people wanted him out after they voted for him.

[MNTom]

07:29 AM on 04/16/2009

So True.