Norm Coleman is a sore loser. Why won't the press say so, cont'd
April 14, 2009 10:47 am ET by Eric Boehlert
Leave it to Politico to completely botch things up.
Yesterday, a three-judge panel in Minnesota officially declared Al Franken the winner in the U.S. Senate race between him and incumbent Norm Coleman, who's currently in month number five of his election appeals. Coleman's now going to appeal the judges' ruling to the Minnesota Supreme Court, and if he loses there, he might take his case to federal court, which could drag things out through for much of the year.
OK, that's the background. Here's Politico's priceless write-up [emphasis added]:
Even as the two sides were awaiting Monday's ruling, they were engaged in a message war - with Franken's allies amping up the pressure on Coleman to quit and Republicans blaming Franken for dragging out the process.
So not only won't Politico finally come out and call Norm Coleman a sore loser for adopting his rope-a-dope legal strategy, but Politico conveyor belts the GOP claim that it's Franken who's dragging the proceedings out.
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Franken has drug out the process. I mean, none of this would have happened if Al Franken would have stayed out of politics. Norm Coleman would be the sitting Senator if Al Franken would have just said, "yeah, I know I got more votes but I dont want to drag out this process so I concede victory to Norm Coleman". Politico is the epicenter of lame-o's with Jonathan Martin as the grand wizzard.
Al Franken may be a comedian, but he won this one fair-and-square, so why in the world would you say that his response should have been "Yeah, I know I got more votes, but I don't want to drag this out ,etc" ?
If Franken hadn't had major philosophical differences with Coleman, why would he have invested all the time, money, and stress to challenge the guy in the first place ?
Isn't saying the ultimate winner of an election was "dragging out the process", a little like saying the cart pushes the horse?
As far as the first runner-up in this election, Mister Congeniality and former U.S. Senator Norm Coleman, as far he as he goes, he has every right to pursue the matter as far as he likes, right through the Minnesota Judicial system, right up to the State Supreme Court: and once that Court issues an Opinion, then it's all over, the Secretary of State Certifies the election, and Mr. Franken goes to Washington... there is no higher Court in this matter, than the Minnesota State Supreme Court, because this election involves the People of Minnesota, and no one else: the U.S. Senator from Minnesota is their representative, chosen by them and them alone... and the process of that choice, involves only Minnesotans, and in particular, Minnesotans who are and can be held accountable by the People of Minnesota (namely, their State Officials and all the members of their State Judicial system, the State Supreme Court included): there is no Federal Jurisdiction here, because the U.S. Senator involved is neither elected by anyone outside of Minnesota, nor does he serve anyone outside that State... it's a matter purely and exclusively of by and for, the People of Minnesota.
If there's been any problem up to now in Minnesota, it's been the time they've taken to complete the recount process, and to exhaust all Appeals: but that is not so much taking time, as allowing it... allowing it to those who Petition the Court and make the Appeals... and that's been Mr. Coleman: he's the one who's been allowed all of this time... he's the one "dragging out the process" (every bit as much as the horse pulls the cart).
He should be happy with being first runner-up... he should be content with the consolation of being Mister Congeniality
How much is Coleman costing the taxpayers of Minnesota by his refusal to accept reality?
He took his case to court, and lost. Dude, give it up already. Minnesotans deserve better.
<politico defense>Hey, the GOP said it, we just report it!</politico defense>