A step-by-step forecast: Franken will likely be seated by May or June

[kpete]

Source: MinnPost

A step-by-step forecast: Franken will likely be seated by May or June

By Eric Black | Published Mon, Apr 13 2009 10:14 am

We, the denizens of Franken-Coleman Recountland, are back in a holding pattern, although this one could be over any minute.

Any day now -- personally I'm thinking it will be tomorrow, but don't rule out later today -- TheThreeJudges will issue an order ending the current chapter known as the Contest Trial. We, the recount-obsessed, all seem to think we know what the order will say. I agree with the conventional wisdom on that one, that the ruling will be favorable to Al Franken. This will be an important step, and the odds continue to favor the eventual seating of Franken in the Senate as they have ever since he took the lead during the State Canvassing Board phase.

Those who are impatient and anxious for that day may be frustrated to contemplate the number of potential steps still remaining and the number of opportunities for delay or a sudden reversal of fortune. They are all longshots, but numerous.

One thing you really should know, but it's hard to learn because so much of the commentary seems to want to lead us to another conclusion: The likeliest outcome -- no matter whether Team Coleman takes their case to the U.S. Supreme Court and/or tries to get a fresh start in federal district court -- is that Franken will be seated in the Senate in roughly May or June.

Read more: http://www.minnpost.com/ericblackblog/2009/04/13/8005/a_step-by-step_forecast_franken_will_likely_be_seated_by_may_or_june

[gratuitous]

1. May or June? Of what year?

I know, cynical of me to think that the courts aren't going to cut this bad faith silliness short anytime soon. Or that Mr. Coleman is going to stop being a sore loser. Or that his Republican sugar daddies are going to turn off the money flow. There's no downside to continuing the fight for Coleman. It's not like he's going to be held liable for Franken's legal fees. And as long as he refuses to lose and keeps a court challenge going by whatever means necessary, Minnesota will continue to deprive itself of half its Senate delegation.

[glinda]

2. I agree. I just heard TPaw on MPR and again on the topic of the election he

definitely sounded that he would not let this election end if in any way it would allow Franken to be seated in so many words.

[bluestateguy]

3. Back in December I was predicting February

So one will forgive me for being skeptical.

[fasttense]

4. He'll be seated May, June, July, August, September or October.

But for sure he'll be seated by November, maybe December. But for certain by January of next year he'll be seated.

Amazing, a man wins election as state Senator and the Senate is too scared of the minority party to seat him. Yet when the same minority party is in the majority, they never held up seating a winning party member no matter if the votes were finished being counted or not. What a silly little game.

The man won. Seat him and be done with this ridiculous dance through the courts.

[L. Coyote]

5. The Mark Twain quote about investing in the stock market ".... or one of the other months"

[AndyTiedye]

6. Because the Repiggies Stacked the Courts

They can drag this out as long as they like, and there is not much we can do about it.
The courts will help them drag it out, or worse.

They are looking for another "Bush v. Gore" and they may very well get one.
The Supreme Court is even more stacked in their favor than it was in 2000,
and the lower courts have been packed with bushbots.

Coleman's bid is alive because the Supreme Court can bring it back from the dead.

[AZ Criminal JD]

7. Reid is not afraid of the minority party

The not-so-secret in DC is that Reid and most of the Democratic senators don't like Franken and are not going to go out of their way to seat him. Eventually he will be seated but they are content to wait for the process to work itself out no matter how long it takes.

[fasttense]

16. Why don't they like Al?

Just wondering.

[Demeter]

18. He's Good Enough, Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Him!

Name a Congressman of either party that can make the same claim!


Envy, my friend. Pure, pea-green envy.

[d_b]

23. troof

it's time for the Dems to bring the fucking hammer down. If the pubes wanna war over this, give it to them.

[monmouth]

8. It bothers me that one of the judges contributed to Norm's campaign.

Shouldn't he have recused himself???

[ginnyinWI]

9. Al's gonna walk into the Senate and say:

"Sorry I'm a little late--" :)

[RogueBandit]

12. Humor

Maybe the reason the Dems aren't in a hurry to seat him is that people will want to hear him speak on the floor. CSPAN's coverage on days Franken would be speaking will be well watched and often repeated.

Heaven forbid anyone care to watch what those goofs say on the floor.

John

[No Elephants]

10. Take up a collection to send Reid to the Emerald City so that Reid can ask the Wizard for courage.

[tooeyeten]

11. outrageous

If the Democrats held up the election back in 2000 this way, there would have been an all out civil war!

Dumbazzes.

[Orsino]

13. And the GOP wins...

...by having stalled another Democratic seat for four or more months.

[elocs]

14. I'll say what I have said about this from the beginning:

If this situation were the other way around and Franken were behind by 300 votes we would be screaming bloody murder for him to fight for the Senate seat as long and as hard as he could because we would have been sure it was stolen. That's the way it works and when it works how we like it we think it is great and when it doesn't it sucks.

Also, I would love to see more people post who actually live in MN and know about how things are there and are familiar with their judges. The MN Supreme Court has a good reputation for being fair and nonpartisan, a concept which seems to be beyond the grasp of so many. Also, the 3 judge panel who has heard this case consists of a Democrat, a Republican, and an independent and all of their rulings have been unanimous. So if a Republican judge is always going to side with Coleman in this case why weren't there 2-1 rulings? There are Republican judges who actually decide cases upon their judicial merit and not on a partisan basis although it is much more fun to paint them all as evil Republican tools.

[Demeter]

20. ONLY If There Were Evidence of Fraud

[elocs]

21. The tiniest bit of suspected fraud is all it would take.

If it were that close with Coleman winning, evidence or not, the consensus here would be that there was fraud.

[Occam Bandage]

15. "Just heard on Air America that Al Franken...will probably be seated in April"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5198022

"So, 85% chance Franken gets seated in March or April. Then the argument to the USSC will be a sideshow which will fizzle out."
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/03/franken-camp-our-case-wont-take-nearly-as-long-as-colemans-did.php

"It doesn't matter, the canvassing board will certify the results next week. My guess is Coleman will challenge and take it to court, probably to SCOTUS, and Franken will be seated in February. "
http://community.comcast.net/comcastportal/board/message?board.id=news&thread.id=325233

"As recently as last week, Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York and Mr. Reid indicated that they hoped Mr. Franken could be seated in April. "
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/06/court-rules-frankens-not-entitled-to-election-certificate/

"It appears "Senator Franken" could be seated in January, February, or even March."
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2009/01/senator-franken-getting-closer

I'll believe "Franken will be seated in month X" when Franken's sitting in his damn seat.

[Demeter]

17. Just in Time for a Vacation

Road trip!

[McCamy Taylor]

19. They have delayed work on the Employee Free Choice Act while waiting for Franken.

This has probably added to the right wing's obsession with Coleman (no Franken equals no EFCA in their minds).

They had better get to work on it ASAP after he arrives.

[Optical.Catalyst]

22. Al Franken won the election. Al should be seated right now

Welcome the next Junior Senator from the state of Minnesota:

The Honorable Al Franken.

[annabanana]

24. Well, Minnesota's Supreme Court has ruled that Al got the most votes. . .n/t