Senator Al Franken SNAPS OFF on Senator John Thune about LYING on the health care facts (Video)

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Tim Pawlenty all for "litmus tests" to be a conservative (Video)

I saw this on morning joe. Governor Tim Pawlenty has joined the Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck fraction of the Republican Party, he is a straight up "teabagger". Listen to what he says of Olympia Snowe or does NOT say.

Read more, here.

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In case you missed it: President Obama's Town Hall Meeting in Minneapolis, MN on health care reform (Video and Transcript)

The President takes his case for reform from the heart of Washington out on the road to Minneapolis, MN, where an enthusiastic crowd shows a snapshot of the hunger all over the country. September 12, 2009. Transcript youtube



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Senator Al Franken questions Judge Sonia Sotomayor (Video)

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Al Franken sworn in as U.S. Senator from Minnesota (Video)

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) has now been sworn into office as the junior Senator from Minnesota, six months and one day after his term would have otherwise begun if not for the super-close election and resulting litigation that kept his victory bottled up.

The former Saturday Night Live performer, author, radio host and Democratic activist, was administered the oath of office by Vice President Joe Biden, and was accompanied by his senior Senator from Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar, and former Vice President Walter Mondale.

After Biden said, "Congratulations, Senator," a raucous round of applause broke out in the chamber -- even from the folks on the Republican side of the aisle who showed up. Sen. Franken then hugged many of his new colleagues.

Franken will have a busy time ahead of him -- with seats on the Health and Judiciary committees, he'll be working on both health care reform and the Supreme Court confirmation process for Sonia Sotomayor.

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Al Rodgers Pictures



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Senator Elect Al Franken presser with Majority Leader Harry Reid (Video)

Senator Elect Al Franken will be SENATOR AL FRANKEN, TOMORROW. WORD.



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Al Franken's Victory Speech, Accepting the Minnesota U.S. Senate Seat (Video)

Coleman Concedes

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Norm Coleman Concedes to Al Franken (Video)

ABOUT TIME....takes money to keep a battle going...

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Minnesota Supreme Court Declares Al Franken the Winnner of the U.S. Senate Race

THIS WAS BY A UNANIMOUS DECISION

Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) said he will sign the certificate if the MN Supreme Court's decision for Franken, and the Secretary of the State of Minnesota is on record to sign the certificate.

Norm Coleman's only option is to take this to federal court and at this point, "GOOD LUCK WITH THAT ONE." It takes money for court battles, do the Republican Party want to spend their money on this? I don't think so.

It is over for Coleman, who should have conceded MONTHS ago.

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday declared Democrat Al Franken the winner of a tight U.S. Senate race over Republican Norm Coleman, which should give Democrats the 60-seat majority they need to overcome procedural obstacles and push through their agenda.

Coleman has said in published reports he is unlikely to appeal the state court's decision to the federal courts. Under state law, the court's decision gives Franken the right to occupy the seat, which has been up for grabs since last November's election.

Minnesota Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty has said he will certify the election winner based on what the state court decides.

If the decision holds up, Democrats will control 60 of the 100 Senate seats -- enough to overcome Republican procedural roadblocks in a clear boost to President Barack Obama's agenda.

Democrats hold a solid majority in the U.S. House.

One thing that sticks out is that the Minnesota Supreme Court orders that the Franken be certified the winner. That means not too much wiggle room for Coleman, AT ALL.

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that Democrat Al Franken be certified as the winner of the state's long-running Senate race, paving the way for a resolution in the seven-month fight over the seat.

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MSNBC

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Governor Pawlenty WILL sign the certification from Minnesota Supreme Court

Remember, Pawlenty is not running for re-election, but IS running for the Republican nomination for 2012.

Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) said Sunday he has no plans for further delay in certifying the results of the state's disputed U.S. Senate election so that Republican Norm Coleman can pursue a federal court challenge.

Pawlenty told CNN that he would abide by whatever ruling the Minnesota Supreme Court makes in the contest, where Democrat Al Franken appears to have an upper hand.

"I'm prepared to sign [the certification] as soon as they give the green light," Pawlenty said. “I’m not going to defy an order of the Minnesota Supreme Court. That would be a dereliction of my duty."

Pawlenty said he had no plans to slow up the process to allow federal litigation to play out, but would abide by any federal court stay Coleman might obtain. "If that doesn’t happen promptly or it drags out for any period of time, then we need to move ahead,” Pawlenty said.

It is over for Norm Coleman.

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This does not sound like Norm Coleman is going to "stand down" when the verdict comes in from the Minnesota State Supreme Court

Well, it does not.

Former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) spoke to the Minnesota state Republican convention this past weekend -- explaining that his disputed Senate race is not just about him, but the issues that matter to the country.

Norm broke the ice with a joke. "People ask, how are you doing -- you know, the race, it never ends," he said. "And I tell them I've been counting and recounting my blessings since November."

He got serious, too:

"But winning isn't about me. You know, it's not about me or even us as Republicans. It really is about this country. And about the future of the country," said Coleman. "The one vote in the United States Senate, the one vote is a difference between possibly people losing the right to a secret ballot in a union election, or not ... One vote, one vote between the potentiality of a slippery slide into the path of government-controlled health care. If I am in the U.S. Senate, we're not gonna have a government-controlled health care. It's not gonna happen."

TPM

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Norm Coleman owes Al Franken around 95K

That's it right.

Around $95,000. Says a three judge panel. It does not get any easier for the soon to be, ex Senator of Minnesota.

A three-judge panel today required Republican Norm Coleman to pay Democrat Al Franken $94,783 to cover court costs in the seven-week U.S. Senate trial.

The ruling, by the panel that heard the trial, approves an administrative decision last month by the Ramsey County clerk's office. Franken's team had sought $161,510, but a deputy county clerk rejected a request that Coleman pay Franken for his cost of obtaining public records that made up many of the exhibits in the trial and some other expenses.

Also not included are $16,000 in attorneys fees that Franken wants Coleman to pay for sanctions the panel imposed after Coleman's lawyers failed to disclose information about Republican election judge Pamela Howell before her testimony.

Coleman will also have to pay interest on the $94,783 until the debt is paid. read more here.....

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Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) will not seek re-election in 2010

Well, one can only imagine what he will do when the Coleman/Franken verdict is in from the Minnesota Supreme Court. That verdict is speculated to come by the end of June, or sooner.

One can only imagine that he is gearing up for a 2012 Presidential run, so to keep those real hard core conservatives happy, don't be surprise if he does not sign the certificate needed to seat Al Franken, if Franken prevails from the Minnesota Supreme Court verdict.

"Pawlenty's decision not to run for governor could be a lead-up to a decision to run for President," said Jacobs. "And Pawlenty's decision to run for President makes it more likely, not less, that he will support Coleman's efforts to appeal to the federal courts when he loses in the Minnesota Supreme Court. So I think the bottom line here is, Gov. Pawlenty's political agenda may end up driving how he handles the Senate recount."

Politics, ain't is grand.

Republican Tim Pawlenty said on Tuesday he would not seek a third term as Minnesota's governor but deflected questions about whether he would run for U.S. president in 2012.

"I'm not ruling anything in or out," the 48-year-old Pawlenty told reporters in Minnesota, adding he planned to offer his party new ideas.

"I have 19 months left in my term -- this is not a wake," Pawlenty said, joking that he planned to tend to his lawn.

A lawyer and state legislator elected governor in 2002 and re-elected four years later, Pawlenty was an early supporter of Republican presidential nominee John McCain and was considered a potential running mate for the Arizona senator.

McCain, who went on to lose the 2008 election to Democrat Barack Obama, instead chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin who, along with Republicans Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, are considered potential presidential candidates in 2012.

"I think we need new ideas and new faces in the party. It's something I'm going to do as a volunteer," Pawlenty said. "We have to be a party of addition not subtraction, and I think I can help with that effort." read more here....

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Pressure escalating in Minnesota, "SEAT FRANKEN"

Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) has an uphill battle. He is between a rock and a hard place. How?

He is a glowing new or semi-new face in the Republican Party. He has pressure from his party to keep his boot on Franken's neck and not sign the certificate to seat him in the senate. This pressure from the GOP will continue, even if the Minnesota Supreme Court sides with Franken on the win for the senate seat against Norm Coleman.

If Pawlenty does not sign the certificate, he is playing politics, clear and simple. He is going against the will of the people in his state and he is allowing this to drag on. If Pawlenty does this, bad move.

We all know that Al Franken won this seat, in a mandatory recount because the vote total was too close. During the recount and every court appeal, Franken has come out ahead and he is stil 300+ votes to the north. It is over for Coleman.

And Coleman? The polls are out and the people of Minnesota want this over with and Coleman to concede. If Coleman does not, he can forget any other political aspirations in Minnesota. He will be forever remembered as the grumpy, sourpuss, sore loser who dragged a senate race to the courts, knowing he did not have the votes and knowing he LOST.

So, what will Pawlenty do? I hope the right thing.

DNC Chairman Tim Kaine penned a letter to Tim Pawlenty on Tuesday, asking the Minnesota Governor to persuade Norm Coleman to concede and, short of that, sign the certification of Al Franken's election once the state's Supreme Court makes its final ruling.

The letter is the latest in a growing effort to ramp up the pressure on the governor - and Republican Party as a whole - to seat Franken, as the Minnesota Senate race drags on more than six months since the actual election. In his note, Kaine claims it is "all but indisputable" that Franken won the election and urges Pawlenty to "use [his] influence to bring this process to an end by asking Norm Coleman to allow his neighbors and yours, their full representation in Congress."

"However," Kaine adds, "if Mr. Coleman refuses to concede and this case is heard and decided by the Minnesota State Supreme Court, I urge you to commit to signing an election certificate for the rightful winner as soon as the Court issues a ruling in this case. To allow this to process to continue into the federal courts for no other reason than to deny for as long as possible the seating of another Democratic Senator would make what has been a bad situation for Minnesotans even worse. I urge you to do everything within your power and influence to bring this process to an end." read more here....

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Jesse Venture on Larry King, "...waterboarding is torture...Coleman is a hypocrite..." (Video)

Ventura is a former Navy Seal, he should know.

[Water-boarding] is torture... It's drowning. It gives you the complete sensation that you are drowning. It is no good, because you -- I'll put it to you this way, you give me a water board, Dick Cheney and one hour, and I'll have him confess to the Sharon Tate murders.

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Soon to be Senator Al Franken from Minnesota meets with the Vice President at the White House

Soon Al Franken will be U.S. Senator Al Franken from Minnesota, in the meantime the Vice President is keeping him abreast to what is happening in Washington, D.C.


Vice President Joe Biden meets with Al Franken in the Vice President's West Wing office in Washington DC, Wednesday, May 6, 2009.

Vice President Biden's Statement:

"The election process and recount in Minnesota have lived up to the state's reputation for organization, transparency, and bipartisanship. The officials have been meticulous and every ruling has been unanimous.

"While Senator Amy Klobuchar is one of the hardest working members of the United States Senate, Minnesotans deserve their full representation.

"Once the Minnesota Supreme Court has issued its final ruling in this case, the President and I look forward to working with Mr. Franken on building an economy for the 21st century."

From the Franken Campaign:

"I deeply appreciate the administration's ongoing support and the opportunity to meet with Vice President Biden today. Minnesotans are eager to see Congress make progress on the administration's agenda - and I'm eager to do my part in that effort. From investments in alternative energy to the expansion of high-speed rail to the Twin Cities, we have a lot to do to help Minnesota's working families, and I was pleased to discuss these important issues with the Vice President."

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Soon-to-be-Senator Al Franken is hiring staff

Good news. Because when this mess is over, he is the junior senator from Minnesota. Last hurdle the Minnesota Supreme Court and a note, Franken has won all challenges thus far and is still leading with a 300+ vote count over Norm Coleman.

Senator-elect Al Franken today announced that Drew Littman, a longtime Capitol Hill veteran, has agreed to serve as his Washington-based chief of staff.

Littman, who has advised many Senators-elect, including Franken, on the transition process, was most recently the head of his own consulting practice, Littman Associates, and an adjunct professor at American University. He began his career on Capitol Hill twenty years ago as a policy aide for then-Rep. Barbara Boxer, and has since served as a subcommittee staff director and a Senate Policy Director.

Al Franken:

"With Drew leading our team, I know that my office will be able to uphold the Minnesota tradition of excellent and responsive constituent service. With his years of experience and his expertise in helping new Senators hit the ground running, Drew has become a trusted advisor and a valuable resource as I prepare to take office. I will continue to count on him as I work with Senators from both parties and the rest of our state's fantastic delegation to serve the people of Minnesota, make progress on President Obama's agenda, and move our country forward."

Coleman has left a very sour taste with Minnesotans, he has lost, won't concede and quite frankly is just an embarrassment.

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morning joe to Norm Coleman, "It's Over, Norm. It's Over." (Video)

Norm Coleman, the panel has spoken. The Minnesota Supreme Court will speak as the panel. What is next? Supreme Court? But Norm, the votes ARE NOT IN YOUR FAVOR!!! I know you hate losing to a former satirist, comedian, but it is what it is. IT IS OVER. CONCEDE



And I don't quote morning joke much, but hey, he is right on this one.

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Norm Coleman Case Dismissed.

Al Franken will be the NEXT senator from the great State of Minnesota.

Coleman does not have many options left and again, when you don't have the vote total in your favor, not much you can do.

After a trial spanning nearly three months, Norm Coleman’s attempt to reverse Al Franken’s lead in the recount of the U.S. Senate election was soundly rejected today by a three-judge panel that dismissed the Republican’s lawsuit.

The judges swept away Coleman’s 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.

In rejecting Coleman’s arguments, the panel said the Republican essentially asked it to ignore Minnesota election requirements and adopt a more lenient standard allowing illegal absentee ballots to be counted.

The panel also rejected Coleman’s comparison of Senate election problems to those in the 2000 presidential race in Florida.

Unlike Florida, Minnesota has statewide standards for absentee voting that are “uniform and explicit and apply in every county and city,” the panel wrote.

What next? Franken likely seated by May or June the latest. Coleman will appeal, but it will be swept quickly away finally by the Minnesota Supreme Court. By this time, Franken will be seated in the senate, remember the senate is not the courts. The only stinker is what Governor Pawlenty will do. If he has any aspirations for a higher office, he needs to accept the decision, sign the certificate along with the Secretary of State, and MOVE ON.

h/t Daily Kos

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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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