"How is the Franken campaign responding to the lawsuit from Norm Coleman...?"

[ProSense]

Franken's Lawyer Ridicules "Former Senator Coleman"

By Eric Kleefeld - January 6, 2009, 5:55PM

How is the Franken campaign responding to the lawsuit from Norm Coleman, contesting the results of the Senate recount, which could bottle this up for months? In a briefing just now with reporters, lead Franken lawyer Marc Elias approached it with a very calm and sober demeanor -- and ridiculed Coleman to no end.

"We are on the precipice, I suppose, of the next phase here," Elias said, "which is where the Coleman campaign takes a very big rock, and pushes it up a very steep hill."

What exactly is Coleman's legal complaint disputing about the recount, you might ask? Everything we've heard before, Elias said, with a couple new twists.

<...>

But don't expect Franken to be sworn in by the Senate any time soon. Elias said the decision to seat Franken is constitutionally the prerogative of the Senate -- implying that as a trial lawyer it's beyond his area.

One very important thing to note is that Elias repeatedly referred to Coleman as "former Senator Coleman" -- a reference to Coleman's term having expired this past Saturday -- a rhetorical point we'll probably be hearing more of in the weeks and months that this thing takes.

"But you shouldn't confuse the fact that the courts should remain open to hear those claims, with the question of whether or not those claims have any merit," Elias said. "And in this case, former Senator Coleman's claims don't have any merit."

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. And this would be the same Norm Coleman who insisted that Franken concede on Nov. 5,

even though state law required a recount -- you know, to save the good people of Minnesota all that expense and uncertainty? That Norm Coleman?

But that's Norm for you. It's always been about him and his ambition. He was a sleazy dick even when he was a Democrat, back when he was Mayor of St. Paul. He left the party when they wouldn't back him for a Senate run in the mid '90s; it had nothing to do with principles; he has none. And ever since he switched parties he's been the willing butt-boy for every powerful Republican who could advance his career, and he doesn't care jack-shit about his state or his constituents.

I hope his endless lawsuits earn him the undying loathing of the entire state. (Funny thing is, the Minnesota Supreme Court has consistently ruled against him on his recount challenges so far, and not one of the seven justices was appointed by a Democratic governor.)

Fuck you, Norm. Sideways.

[Cha]

2. Rec'd~ I like hearing

from the reality base.