I'm not a huge fan of Citizen Al; he's frequently been a pompous, rude ass to people I know. But anything that jams one more nail into the coffin of the supposed Republican "permanent majority" is cause for celebration.

Bill O, Mr. Beck, TrAnn Coulter, Sean H. and Rush "Oxycontin Blossom" Limbaugh, you may commence foaming about the oral cavity.

he was good enough, he was smart enough, and doggone it, people like him!

Please, Salon readers, write Governor Tim Pawlenty and tell him to certify Al Franken's election. The problems that the nation is facing are too great, and we need all 100 Senators doing the people's business.

If you're so inclined, please also write Harry Reid and tell him how important it is that the Democrats seat Al Franken.

Paul Wellstone would not want his Senate seat to be vacant in these troubled times.

Joan, I hope you're right that we only have about 10 days, but I fear it will be more like months. Although Coleman undoubtedly knows that his chances of winning are essentially nil at this point, he has also indicated that he's willing (probably at the behest of the Republican leadership a.k.a. John Cornyn) to appeal not only to the Minnesota State Supreme Court, but also to the Federal Court, should that fail. In addition, even when Coleman loses in the State Supreme Court, Pawlenty has indicated he may not issue a certificate to Franken while Coleman is pursuing his Federal appeal (see Rachel Maddow's excellent interview with Pawlenty from last week http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/rachel-maddow-asks-tim-pawlenty-if-hell-sign).

I have no doubt that when all is said and done Franken will be seated in the Senate, but the time frame is still in serious doubt. The only good thing about Coleman's stalling tactic is that it is earning him and the Republican party lots of ill will in Minnesota, which will likely carry over to at least 2010.

If Pawlenty doesn't sign the papers soon, I hope the fine people of Minnesota take action to impeach the governor for failure to uphold the constitution.

This is deplorable. If the Democrats were doing this, the FAUX people would be on a 24/7 red alert.

The reich wingers still don't get why we refuse to vote for them. They are just the bullies we all have known all our lives.

And I thought Pawlenty, for a Republican, might have had promise. Fat chance, the Republicans always prove me wrong.

It seems that Norm Coleman will wait 9 days 23 1/2 hours before filing his appeal in order to keep Franken out of his legally elected seat as long as possible. Coleman would do well to learn a lesson from Al Gore. Of course, at this point, no one expects Coleman to do the right thing for his State and Country.

Billmon: "I've suspected for some time that conservatives would eventually have serious reservations about where [Coleman] and his mouthpieces are trying to take them. Maybe it's finally dawning on some of them that making a federal case out this election contest risks a long-term disaster for the GOP -- one that would completely outweigh the short-term benefits of depriving the Democrats of their 59th vote."

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/4/8/717967/-Scalias-Nightmare

Actually applying Bush v. Gore to the election system would kill the GOP off for good. And here Coleman is trying to do just that...

Thanks everyone, a lot to think about: But am I crazy to begin to wonder whether there are any Republicans who feel guilty about this and know it's over, and who might begin to move Coleman that way? Do any Republicans realize our economy could collapse, and between Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Somali pirates, Israel/Palestine...we really need a lot of help, and it might make sense to declare this conflict over? Democrats have done that before (in my opinion, Al Gore did, but that may be a little shrill on my part.) The complete hard line the GOP is taking on every single thing -- Coleman, stimulus, "Obama won't stop the Pirates!" TARP, budget -- is actually kind of alarming to someone who periodically gets jittery and centrist, when I think that might help.

Imagine if the Democrats had said, on Sept. 12, 2001: This president is weakened! He's to blame for what just happened; our comeback is all about painting him as responsible for this. We ain't backing him on anything; he's a one-term loser.

Can you imagine? That's what Republicans are doing on every front to Obama. They will be sorry, but they're not sorry yet. Let's work on that.

Wonderful news! Of course Coleman's lawyer says they are going to appeal, they want to salvage the final scrap of tattered dignity they have... Of course, when the MNSC upholds the ruling, they lose that scrap, too...

...how positively apoplectic Senator Al Franken will make the right-wing media pundits. Could there be any sweeter comeupance for Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly?

Now I see why the Republicans were so frantic to disenfranchise those absentee voters. I don't know where this is going, but it's a dirty shame that it's Mid April and there's no one seated.

Gore might have won Florida by 312 votes, if he had persisted. Back then, we did not imagine how disastrous the Republicans would be. Now we know.

We simply cannot compare pre-W-Bush America, or traditional America with what the Republicans have created, what the Republicans are doing now. So, Joan, your question about 2001 just no longer computes.

The Republican movers and shakers hate our freedom; they hate our intelligence, sense of humor, open minds. And they love torture. We need to resist them. No going back to any sort of rational, polite politics.

I was born and raised in Minnesota. I currently live in Washington state, with a lot of other former Minnesotans.I had read Al Franken's books before I supported his run for elective office. I get peeved when I read taunts that he is a comedian, as if that would preclude him from a political career. Those in the know, realize how brillant he is as a writer, and how dedicated he is to keeping the principles of America at it's best alive. I have kept up as a financial supporter through election day to the present. I'm optimistic that He will be in the Senate soon.