Franken Makes Case To Let Senate Decide

[struggle4progress]

Source: CQ

Jan. 22, 2009 – 6:12 a.m.
By Emily Cadei, CQ Staff

... Attorneys for Franken argued that a state court should dismiss the lawsuit filed by Republican Norm Coleman because the three-judge panel designated to hear the case lacks jurisdiction for Coleman’s type of complaint.

The proper venue, Franken’s attorneys argued, is the U.S. Senate, which has the power to judge the election of its members ...

... Harry Reid , D-Nev., met with Franken for about 30 minutes in his office Wednesday evening.

“The race in Minnesota is over,” Reid said .... “There’s no way, mathematically, the election results are going to change” ...

Read more: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003014318

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Franken Meets With Reid As Coleman Clears Senate Office
Kris Alingod - AHN Contributor
... Reid issued a statement before the private meeting saying, "Al Franken will soon be the next Senator from the great state of Minnesota... It is important that we start talking about the issues important to the people of Minnesota so their new Senator can hit the ground running - including our economic recovery plan to create jobs and cut taxes for middle-class families, and on which committees Mr. Franken can best serve his constituents and the country" ... http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7013799856

Coleman: Anyone but Franken probably wins outright
By PATRICK CONDON Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press - Thursday, January 22, 2009
ST. PAUL, Minn.
Norm Coleman says he thinks any Democratic opponent other than Al Franken probably would have beaten him outright on Election Day ... http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D95SFCP83

CQ TODAY PRINT EDITION – CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS
Jan. 21, 2009 – 9:55 p.m.
Senate Backs Three-Seat Democratic Advantage on Most Committees
By Bart Jansen, CQ Staff
The Senate unanimously approved two resolutions Wednesday that ratified a three-seat advantage for Democrats on most committees while keeping open several slots awaiting the resolution of the contested Minnesota race ... http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=1&docID=news-000003014384

Minn. judges allow cameras in court for Senate battle
Advocates of allowing cameras in Minnesota courtrooms won a notable battle this week, when a three-judge panel presiding over the disputed U.S. Senate election there approved electronic media coverage of the case proceedings. A television camera, a still photographer and an audio recorder were to be allowed into the state Supreme Court chambers on Wednesday for pre-trial arguments between attorneys for Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman, The Associated Press reported. Their footage was to be pooled for other news organizations, and that setup was to continue as the case moves along ... http://www.rcfp.org/newsitems/index.php?i=9911

[WhiteTara]

1. sounds like soon there will be a new junior

senator from Minnesota.

[BootinUp]

3. He will make a fantastic Senator I believe. nt

[w4rma]

7. Franken is already my favorite Senator. (nt)

[Quiz Master]

12. And also....

...the the funniest.

[crikkett]

13. ...that's a matter of taste.

But he's sure getting hit in the face with a big wallop of Karma after so many years of pooh-poohing the possibility of election fraud in '00 and '04.

I'm proud of him. Nobody but Franken would have fought so hard. He's doing well.

[pleah]

2. K&R

[Omaha Steve]

4. Does Franken have enough in the kitty to keep his legal bills paid?

I don't want him to run out.

Still known as Omaha Steve :-)

[BootinUp]

5. lol, still known as (SKA), lol.

If Franken needs money, I am confident people that can will help him out.

[merwin]

9. Between SNL, books, and his appearances, he's got plenty of money.

I wouldn't worry about his cash flow :)

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

14. I still get constant calls and e-mails asking for donations

I continued to give up through last month, but I can't give no more. I love Franken and want him in the Senate but, y'know, election season is over. Hungry people need food, homeless people need shelter, families need help.

[LaPera]

6. Franken will be senator...man do the republicans hate that, including

Limbaugh: Franken wrote a best selling book about the pigman, "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot".

O'Reilly: Franken kicked his ass in a debate and exposed O'Reilly's lies that he won awards on television (Peabody).

Coulter: Franken in a debate with Coulter exposed all the lies she made up in Coulter's goofy books.

Hannity: Franken has trashed him in the past and loves to trash him now.

Republican politicians: They despise democratic Franken and the fact that Franken was so relentless on many of them during his stint on AAR.

The republicans are more that pissed that Franken will be a senator and are purposely making Franken wait....Coleman already has another job...republicans become very vindictive when facts about them are exposed....they are vindictive under any circumstances.

Anyway, Coleman only became senator after BushCo killed off the great Paul Wellstone, since Wellstones death gave the republicans the majority they wanted & needed in the senator, plus itgot rid of the only senator (Wellstone) who was going to stand up against Bush's illegal Iraqi invasion and finally, by killing Wellstone if put the fear in other Dem senators that they better shut up and go along with BushCo, and they all did....So fuck Coleman and the republicans!

[merwin]

8. The only reason it was so close was because of the third party.

Without that, Franken would have won by a landslide.

[JDPriestly]

10. Franken should win this. It's a matter of jurisdiction, IMO.

If the Constitution specifically gives the Senate the jurisdiction to judge elections for the Senate (and it does), then, it would seem to me, that the Court would not have any jurisdiction.

[wmbrew0206]

11. The US Supreme Court does have jurisdiction and you can bet Coleman

is counting on those 5 republican nominees to come through for him ala 2000.

Looking a Reid track record, I doubt he'll be up for a tangle with the USSC about any decision they hand down.