Thursday, April 2, 2009

Governor Tim Pawlenty needs to certify Al Franken as Minnesota's next senator

...and Norm Coleman? He needs to CONCEDE. IT.IS.OVER.

The legal fight between Al Franken and Norm Coleman is headed to the desk of Gov. Tim Pawlenty — a no-win predicament for a Minnesota Republican with his eye on a White House run in 2012.

Franken won big Tuesday when a three-judge panel allowed the review of no more than 400 absentee ballots in a race he currently leads by 225 votes. Coleman’s camp says an appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court is coming; once that’s done, the dispute lands in Pawlenty’s lap.

If Franken’s ahead at that point, Pawlenty will have a choice: sign the election certificate that will allow Democrats to seat Franken in the Senate or play to the Republicans whose support he’d need in 2012 by withholding the certificate while Coleman challenges the election in the federal court system.

Will Pawlenty play politics here? Will he let this drag out? The vote total has NOT CHANGED, we are 4 months past the election in November. It is time for partisian politics to be put aside and time for Governor Pawlenty to do what the people of Minnesota voted him to do, govern and govern fairly.

Norm Coleman it is over. To even attempt to run this and keep this going to the Supreme Court is ridiculous. Again, the vote total has not moved and it is not in your favor. The Minnesota Supreme Court judges who is overseeing this is one democrat, one republican and one independent. If your own man is voting against you, your case is OVER.
Democrats accuse Coleman, Cornyn and other Republicans of stalling — denying Minnesotans their second senator so as to deny Democrats their 59th vote in the Senate.

Several Democratic aides and senators said Wednesday that Senate Democrats would probably try to seat Franken if he gets an election certificate even if Coleman seemed likely to keep pursuing his challenges. But the aides and senators said that, without a certificate, Democrats are unlikely to try to seat Franken since the GOP would probably attempt to filibuster such a move.

That leaves Pawlenty in the hot seat — and whatever he decides could have implications in 2010 and 2012. Up for a third term next year, Pawlenty risks angering Minnesota Democrats and independents if he refuses to sign an election document for Franken — and a loss if he runs in the governor’s race would imperil a presidential run in 2012. But if he signs the certificate and Coleman seeks a federal appeal, he risks infuriating conservatives who despise Franken — and thereby imperiling his chances in the Republican presidential primary.

Again, Governor Pawlenty, DO THE RIGHT THING. Sign Al Franken's certificate so he can be seated in the senate and this travesty is OVER.

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