The Minnesota bloggers over at Power Line remind everyone [1] that the Senate race in their state is not over in spite of the fact that Franken was “declared [2]” the winner yesterday, and argue pursuasively that Norm Coleman has legitimate legal challenges [3] that need to be resolved. Even the liberal Star Tribune [4] supports Coleman’s legal challenges in the interest that every vote is counted.
Unsurprisingly, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid disagrees and believes [5] that Coleman should throw in the towel. For whatever you feel about Coleman, and I know there are a lot of conservatives out there who aren’t crazy about him, the embarassment alone of having Al “I like try to physically intimidate people I disagree with [6]” Franken sitting in the US Senate is worth Coleman’s continued persistence, if nothing else. I know Minnesotans are known for sending off the wall figures to serve in government (former pro-wrestler/governor Jesse Ventura comes to mind), but I hope this time around that doesn’t happen.
And just how the hell did they get to this point in the first place? Yeah, I know Coleman’s a weak candidate, but to be neck and neck with Franken? Once upon a time I figured he’d never be popular enough to be appointed dog catcher, much less come thisclose to winning a US Senate seat. Seriously. Is this another example of the ignorance [7] of a certain segment of the American populace or do you think most Minnesotans knew exactly what they were doing when they voted for him?
Related/Flashback:
- 10/16/08 – Al Franken gets in Norm Coleman’s face post-debate [8]