Ted Stevens gets Standing Ovation on Senate Floor; Franken doesn't even get to stand on the floor

[itsrobert]

Who has the majority again?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. It has nothing to do with who is in the majority.

Franken can't be seated as long as there's a pending court challenge. Coleman will eventually lose, but the law says what it says. Democrats follow the law, I hope.

[itsrobert]

3. So, all I had to do is file a court challenge and Bush would of been blocked

the last eight years?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. No.

My reference is to Minnesota state law on contested elections. That is what governs the procedure for certifying and seating a senator from Minnesota. Nothing to do with federal presidential elections.

[provis99]

6. when Franken is certified, court challenges can't stop him being seated

otherwise, no US Senator would ever get seated, because litigation never ends.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. It doesn't work that way.

On January 5, the Minnesota State Canvassing Board certified the recounted vote totals, showing Franken ahead by 225 votes. But Franken will not be officially certified the winner by the Secretary of State and the Governor if Coleman contests the election before January 12 (and Coleman just did that). In other words, the vote has been certified by the Canvassing Board, but Franken's election has not been certified because Coleman has contested the election.

[backscatter712]

9. Landrieu was seated during her court battle.

Yes, Virginia, the Senate can choose to provisionally seat a Senator while waiting for a court battle to work through the courts. And they did exactly that with Mary Landrieu (and this was when the Rethugs were the majority party.)

The only reason why Reid didn't was because those same Rethugs that seated Landrieu decided to throw a hissy-fit for purely partisan reasons, and Reid's too much of a pussy to stand up to them.

[AlinPA]

11. I don't see how we can get much to happen in the Senate without a leader. All the republicans

need to do is threaten a filibuster or look over their glasses at Reid and he will fold. It is not very promising.

[Pirate Smile]

2. Franken is going to be a Senator and will spend a lot of time on the Senate floor.

Al Franken - "What to do we want? Patience. When do we want it? Now."

[AlinPA]

5. Any idea how long the lawsuit by Coleman will last? Months, years?

[Pirate Smile]

8. I think it will be relatively quickly. Al's attorney has been kicking Norm's attorney's ass all

over the place during this entire episode. They also have reasons to require that the courts expedite any reviews. Coleman is going to lose. I don't think the courts will have a lot of patience for Normie's crap.

[peacetalksforall]

7. Remember when we learned that the Alaska House and Senate gave himt

a standing ovation? We ridiculed them. Couldn't believe it.

Binding ties within and between U.S. Senators is much stronger that their desire to represent us.

2009 - the Century that started out with untold rewards to criminals.

What would have happened if he had been aquitted - would they have raised him on their shoulders and drunk the night away?

[itsrobert]

12. Wow, Rachel just showed Ted Stevens getting his standing ovation

Great minds think alike!