Capitol View: June 30, 2009 Archive

MN Supremes: Franken won

Posted at 1:07 PM on June 30, 2009 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Democrat Al Franken won more votes than Republican Norm Coleman.

Here's the opinion.

Update: The Minnesota Supreme Court is not ordering Gov. Pawlenty to issue the election certificate. The court said: "Al Franken received the highest number of votes legally cast and is entitled to receive the certificate of election."

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Reid's statement on Franken

Posted at 1:36 PM on June 30, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid released this statement congratulating Al Franken:

"I congratulate Senator-elect Al Franken, the next Senator from the state of Minnesota. "The people of Minnesota will now finally get the brilliant and hardworking new senator they elected in November and the full representation they deserve. After all the votes have been counted and recounted, the Minnesota Supreme Court has made the final determination that Minnesotans have chosen Al Franken to help their state and our country get back on track. "The Senate looks forward to welcoming Senator-elect Franken as soon as possible. He will play a crucial role as we work to strengthen our economy, ensure all Americans can access and afford quality health care, make our country more energy independent, confirm the President's outstanding nominee to the Supreme Court, and tackle the many other challenges we face. "I once again encourage Governor Pawlenty to respect the votes of his constituents and the decisions of his state's highest court. He should put politics aside, follow his state's laws and finally sign the certificate that will bring this episode to an end."

Listen to Coleman and Franken comments live on MPR

Posted at 1:54 PM on June 30, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Republican Norm Coleman will be making a statement on the long-running U.S. Senate race at 3pm. Democrat Al Franken will make a statement at 3:30. MPR News will air their comments live.

What others are saying about the Supreme Court ruling

Posted at 2:27 PM on June 30, 2009 by Anna Weggel

Since winning the initial recount, Franken has started hiring staff for a Senate office. -CNN

There was significant pressure on Mr. Coleman not to appeal to the federal courts. -The Wall Street Journal

Further control of the senate would give Barack Obama, the US president, increased power to advance his legislative agenda. -Al Jazeera

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has said he will certify Franken's seating without disputing the decision. -Chicago Tribune

Republican leaders have softened their support for Coleman over the last several weeks. -CQ

Who would have thought that something bizarre would happen when Al Franken ran for public office? -Talking Points Memo

Legal experts say the Minnesota Supreme Court did not order the Governor to sign the certificate and there is a rehearing period of 10 days. -New York Times

The earliest Franken would be seated is next week. -Huffington Post

Franken could help the Democrats stop Republican delaying tactics. -BBC

The ruling comes at a crucial time in Washington. -LA Times

Coleman has said he would abide by the decision of the Minnesota supreme court. -Guardian

The ruling did not directly address Pawlenty's role. -Star Tribune

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has left some wiggle room as to whether he would sign an election certificate for Franken once the Supreme Court has decided the case. -Pioneer Press

Coleman's options for regaining the Senate seat are dwindling. -Washington Post

Coleman will likely get strong support from national Republicans to continue pursuing the case through federal courts. -Politico

DFL and GOP statements

Posted at 2:49 PM on June 30, 2009 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

The DFL released this statement on the MN Supreme Court ruling declaring Al Franken the winner of the U.S. Senate race:

"We offer our heartfelt congratulations once again to Senator-elect Franken, his wife Franni and their family. Throughout this long process, Minnesotans have seen what kind of senator Al Franken will be: determined, patient, thoughtful and ready to work for our state. Now it is time for the senator-elect to be seated so that Minnesota is once again fully represented in the United States Senate.

"The Supreme Court's ruling also proves that Minnesotans can take pride in our election process. The close vote, the long recount and the ensuing election contest may have confounded other states. But Minnesota has shown the nation that our system is meticulous, transparent and fair.

"Minnesotans have shown great patience since Election Night. Now that the Supreme Court has finally decided the winner, and unanimously resolved all the pending issues, we must unite as a community behind our new junior senator and move forward together for the good of Minnesota.

"We trust that Senator-elect Franken will be seated without delay, and look forward to working closely with him as he finally joins Senator Klobuchar and President Obama in Washington to advance a progressive, common-sense agenda for Minnesota."

-30-

The MN GOP released this statement:

"Today's ruling wrongly disenfranchised thousands of Minnesotans who deserve to have their votes counted. Alongside Senator Coleman, the Republican Party of Minnesota has fought to make sure every vote counts and all voters are treated fairly and uniformly. As we move forward, our deeply flawed election system must be dramatically improved to ensure our state's elections are fair, accurate and reliable."

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Coleman congratulates Franken, concedes

Posted at 3:03 PM on June 30, 2009 by Anna Weggel

In a press conference at 3 p.m. today, Norm Coleman conceded the U.S. Senate race to Al Franken. He said this is a time for Minnesota to come together and the bottom line is the appeals and ballot counts are now history. The Supreme Court of Minnesota has spoken, he said, and it's time to look forward, not backward.

Coleman said he hasn't made a decision about the future yet but he wants to put closure on this election. "We'll talk about the future in short order," he said. He thought he had a better case, he said, but the Court has spoken and he feels at peace.

Pawlenty to sign election certificate

Posted at 3:54 PM on June 30, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Gov. Pawlenty released this statement saying he intends to sign the election certificate declaring Democrat Al Franken the winner of the 2008 U.S. Senate race. Here's the statement:

"The Minnesota Supreme Court has today addressed the issues surrounding the accuracy and integrity of our election system during the 2008 U.S. Senate race in Minnesota. In light of that decision and Senator Coleman's announcement that he will not be pursuing an appeal, I will be signing the election certificate today as directed by the court and applicable law.

"I would like to thank Senator Coleman for his service. As state solicitor general, Mayor of Saint Paul and United States Senator, he has been an extraordinary leader and public servant for Minnesota.

"I also want to congratulate Al Franken and wish him well as he serves the people of Minnesota."

--30--

Coleman's concession

Posted at 4:01 PM on June 30, 2009 by Tom Scheck

GOP Sen. Norm Coleman addressed reporters this afternoon. He conceded the race. Here's the video of his opening statement.

Norm Coleman concedes Minnesota's 2008 U.S. Senate race. from tommy scheck on Vimeo.

You can listen to Norm Coleman's full statement (including questions from reporters) here:

Listen

DFL to rally for Franken on Wednesday

Posted at 4:50 PM on June 30, 2009 by Tim Pugmire

The Minnesota DFL Party has announced plans to hold a victory rally for
Senator-elect Al Franken.

The event is planned for noon Wednesday on the upper mall of the State Capitol. The speakers will include Franken, his wife Franni and state DFL Chairman Brian Melendez.

UPDATE: The DFL says Sen. Amy Klobuchar will also speak at the rally.

Franken declares victory

Posted at 5:39 PM on June 30, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Democrat Al Franken addressed reporters and supporters outside of his home in Minneapolis. I posted video of his opening statement. You can listen to the entire news conference (with reporter questions) below.

Al Franken wins Minnesota's Senate race. from tommy scheck on Vimeo.

Here's the audio:

Listen

Election certificate signed

Posted at 6:59 PM on June 30, 2009 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)

Minnesota's Senate race is now over.

Gov. Pawlenty and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie both signed the election certificate declaring Democrat Al Franken the winner in Minnesota's long-running U.S. Senate race. Pawlenty signed the document at 6:15. Ritchie signed it about twenty minutes ago.

Pawlenty's spokesman detailed the next step in the process:

"The certificate and cover letter will be faxed to the Secretary of the United State Senate this evening and the original will be sent overnight and hand-delivered to the Secretary of the United States Senate tomorrow."

Franken said earlier today that he thought he would be sworn in sometime next week.

A spokesman for Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Franken will be sworn in early next week.

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