Pressure Mounts On Pawlenty To Seat Franken

[babylonsister]

Sam Stein

Kaine, Klobuchar, Mondale Up Pressure On Pawlenty To Seat Franken

First Posted: 05-20-09 01:00 AM | Updated: 05-20-09 08:03 AM


DNC Chairman Tim Kaine penned a letter to Tim Pawlenty on Tuesday, asking the Minnesota Governor to persuade Norm Coleman to concede and, short of that, sign the certification of Al Franken's election once the state's Supreme Court makes its final ruling.

The letter is the latest in a growing effort to ramp up the pressure on the governor - and Republican Party as a whole - to seat Franken, as the Minnesota Senate race drags on more than six months since the actual election. In his note, Kaine claims it is "all but indisputable" that Franken won the election and urges Pawlenty to "use {his} influence to bring this process to an end by asking Norm Coleman to allow his neighbors and yours, their full representation in Congress."

"However," Kaine adds, "if Mr. Coleman refuses to concede and this case is heard and decided by the Minnesota State Supreme Court, I urge you to commit to signing an election certificate for the rightful winner as soon as the Court issues a ruling in this case. To allow this to process to continue into the federal courts for no other reason than to deny for as long as possible the seating of another Democratic Senator would make what has been a bad situation for Minnesotans even worse. I urge you to do everything within your power and influence to bring this process to an end."

The political demands for Pawlenty to intervene in Minnesota's lengthy recount process have, indeed, been mounting. As Kaine notes in his letter, two-thirds of Minnesotans now "believe it's time for {Coleman} to concede." The governor himself, meanwhile, is facing new polls showing that 55 percent of his constituents disapprove of his job performance. And while officials inside the state generally believe these numbers to be a bit overstated, the highest Democrats in Minnesota are in agreement that if the Supreme Court declines Coleman's appeal in the next few weeks, Pawlenty is in a tight bind.

"I would hope and believe that if the Supreme Court orders him to sign the certificate than he will sign it," said Senator Amy Klobuchar, in an interview with the Huffington Post. "He is a lawyer and lawyers usually follow court orders... However, the spin about political pressure is a bit overblown."

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/20/kaine-klobuchar-mondale-u_n_205571.html

[enough]

1. Is there some tactical reason why the Democrats have been so passive about this?

Or am I misunderstanding the situation? I keep thinking of the nasty racket the Republicans would be if the situation were reversed.

[NV Whino]

2. I would like to think

that they are allowing Pawlenty to cook his own goose. Normy, too for that matter.

[global1]

4. I Agree - When Franken Is Finally Seated Both Coleman And Pawlenty......

are damaged goods in MN and Pawlenty is diminished countrywide.

[babylonsister]

5. I think they're waiting for the MN SC to make a determination. nt

[Occam Bandage]

10. Because MN law requires that Franken not be seated until the MN Supreme Court decides. nt

[dysfunctional press]

3. if the Supreme Court orders him to sign the certificate THAN he will sign it,"???

doesn't the huffington post employ any proofreaders?

[babylonsister]

6. That's your comment about this story?

I don't expect anyone to be perfect, and that includes the huffpo.

[dysfunctional press]

8. if somone is in the journalism business- they should have a solid grasp of the language.

but then again- this IS the us of a...where dumbed-down is pretty much a badge of honor.

[alfredo]

7. No, he won't.

He will wait for Franken to sue to make him sign then Polenta stall and appeal all the way to the supreme court.

[Still Sensible]

9. Agreed. It is clear to me that a decision was made

by Pawlenty's people that he needs to be able to say he did everything he could to keep Franken out of the Senate. He wants to use this to solidify his right wing creds IMO.

[alfredo]

11. I guess he thinks he doesn't need to win his state.