GOP dead set against 59th Dem

[CatWoman]

Having just seen what President Barack Obama can do with 58 Democrats in the Senate, Republicans are more determined than ever to keep him from getting a 59th.

Especially if the 59th is Al Franken.

Franken, the former comedian, leads Republican Norm Coleman by 225 votes in a “Groundhog Day” of an election that dawned more than three months ago and shows no signs of ending soon.

Which is exactly how Senate Republicans want it. The National Republican Senatorial Committee held a ritzy fundraiser for Coleman in Washington this week, helping him raise the money he needs to keep his legal challenges alive through a trial and then a lengthy legal process if he loses.

How long should Coleman hold out?

“However long it takes,” says Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who chairs the NRSC.

“I encourage him to see it through the end,” Cornyn said Thursday. “He feels like he owes it to the voters of Minnesota and his colleagues here. He realizes how important retaining that seat is to us.”

The Democrats know how important the seat is — and they accuse the GOP of prolonging Coleman’s legal fight just to keep it empty.

“It’s clear that national Republicans see the vacancy in Minnesota as one of the few arrows in their quiver to obstruct Democrats in the Senate from getting real change passed,” said Eric Schultz, spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

With 58 Democrats in the Senate — technically 56, plus Independents Joe Lieberman and Bernie Sanders — Obama was able to push through a $787 billion economic recovery plan by picking up just three Republican votes: Sens. Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe and Arlen Specter. With Ted Kennedy unable to vote because of his health issues, he needed all three of them.

If Franken becomes the 59th senator to caucus with the Democrats, the GOP knows that Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will be able to railroad legislation through the Senate by picking off a single Republican moderate.

So while Coleman’s gone — having neither won nor lost yet, he can’t return to his old seat and has been booted from his Capitol Hill office — his friends in the party are doing everything they can to keep him in the game. At this week’s NRSC fundraiser, PAC hosts paid $5,000 each; individual hosts had to pony up $2,300 apiece, and attendees paid between $500 and $1,000 to attend.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18832.html

[Hawkeye-X]

1. GOP are obstructionist and they are giving examples after examples of WHAT not to do..

Off to finish building the computer desk.

[Me.]

2. They Don't Have A Say About It

The court battles will end at some point and Franken will be declared the winner so they can whine and bitch all they want but at the end of the day their only real option is to lump it. And every day Cornyn is going to have to sit there and watch Franken come in and take his seat.

[Bluzmann57]

3. More proof that the GOP hates America

The people of Minnesota are represented by only one Senator at this time, and that could shortchange them sometime down the road. Maybe (god forbid) another bridge collapse because Minnesota couldn't get funding to upgrade an existing bridge, or maybe no funding for school upgrades. Who knows? If I was a Minnesotan, I think I'd be p.oed by only having one Senator. Besides, it makes the state lopok bad. Of course, to those of us who have brains and use them, it makes coleman look worse. C'mon Normie, just concede and let Minnesota have two Senators like every other state.

[Dollface]

4. They should be afraid of Al and not just for his vote. He is a brilliant satirist aiming at them.

[Bicoastal]

5. A more accurate description would simply consist of the title's first two words.

[KingFlorez]

6. Two words for Coleman: Let go

Of course, Coleman doesn't have the dignity or class to do this, so I expect this to go on even longer.

[liberal N proud]

7. GOP is against truth, justice and democracy

[firedupdem]

8. At what point will this thing just be done! Every time I hear Coleman

loses in court he goes back for more! Ridiculous!

[stray cat]

9. Dead set against people electing their own representative?

[CatWoman]

10. the thing is, even "if" Coleman perserveres in this fight

another court battle is looming for him for corruption charges.

Loser thy name is GOP.

[southerncrone]

11. Hey, back up a minute. They were dead set against the FIRST Democratic Senator.

Don't you realize that we have NO RIGHT to exist! Let alone take part in the running of the country.:sarcasm:

[tridim]

12. Minnesotans need to get up off their asses and demand their Senator be seated.

Coleman is going to stall forever unless someone starts screaming.

[Number23]

21. I'm screaming now!!

AAAIIIIIGGGHHH!!!

When the HELL is the Minn election going to OFFICIALLY be over??? :banghead:

[question everything]

13. Local pundits, thought, say that Coleman is already working on Plan B

replacing Pawlenty as governor.

This is what he wanted in the first time, but Rove "convinced" him to run against Wellstone.

[LittleWoman]

14. Rove leaned on Pawlenty

to stay out of the Senate race so there would not be a hard fought contest on the Republican side. As some of you may know Minnesota is a caucus state and the endorsement of candidates comes at the state convention. In addition there is a primary in the early fall--September I believe--so if there is any contest for the nomination it can get really messy! Not as big a mess as Coleman I grant you. Every time I think of Coleman in Wellstone's seat my blood just boils--I will go to my grave convinced that his death was no accident.

For the life of me I do not understand why Pawlenty continues to associate with the Republicans. Everyone thought that he would be Mcain's running mate until the very last minute. Who would want to be passed over for Palin? Given that all my Minnesota contacts are DFL'ers I cannot think of anyone who would support Coleman for governor--he already lost to Ventura once! I expect a large number of people want Normie to just get out of the state and never return.

[Jack Rabbit]

15. Keep Minnesota short one Senator

And these guys wonder why they're losing elections.

[Still Sensible]

16. Are Minnesotans Getting Upset Over This?

What are they saying? As an outsider looking at this from afar, I just assumed that the Franken and Barkley votes were largely a thumbs-down referendum on Norm Coleman. Isn't it fair to say that if there were a runoff Franken would get more of that independent vote than Coleman?

If that is the case, how upset are Minnesotans getting over this?

[Cha]

23. I have a friend who just moved to Minneapolis

and I don't know where she works but she emailed me that she waited on Al Franken, the other week and they talked about the recount(didn't say what he said.)..but, she said he looked "tired".

It's going to be so beautiful when Al Franken's in the Senate.

The gopers are already agents from Hell..they're so fucking impotent by now.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

17. For Minnesota DUers:

How is this playing out in Minnesota- in terms of how people feel about the recount? Do most people seem to be more sympathetic to Franken or Coleman? Or are they just waiting to see what happens? :shrug:

P.S. Maybe we should send a delegation of DUers to the courthouse where Coleman's legal challenges are being heard and start pounding on the doors demanding an end to the recount. THAT sort of thing always seems to work. ;-)

[TripleKatPad]

18. What if the situation was reversed?

I can only imagine how the thugs would be overcome with the vapors, rending their corsets and bellowing with indignation were the shoe on the other foot. And the MSM would carry their water and bully the Dem into submission. Hang in there, Al.

[Vektor]

19. You have got to be kidding me.

They live in a fantasy world, and their hypocrisy is astounding.

What they hell have they got left to cling to? FRANKEN WON.

If I were a judge right about now, I'd be pretty goddamn sick of Coleman wasting the courts' time like this. What joke.

[book_worm]

20. How long will the state of MN allow this seat to be vacant?

[Cha]

22. Two words...

GO FRANKEN!

[Spirochete]

24. I liked your title...

well, the first two words of it, anyway

[vaberella]

25. This shows how much the GOP hates their constituents. Fuck them!!