Now that the Senate has agreed to seat Roland Burris, all that remains is for Al Franken to prevail in court over the idiotic Norm Coleman. At that point, the Democrats will have 59 seats (57, plus Bernie Sanders and Joe Lieberman).
What I don’t understand is why Norm Coleman is being a brat about Franken’s victory. He’s not going to win in court and he’s just causing mischief. Is he delusional or just petulant? Or is there some key reason to delay Franken?
58 seats, don’t count on Joe.
TRUE. Don’t count on a few Dems, actually.
Here’s what Nate Silver had to say about Coleman’s mitives last week:
Plus Norm Coleman is a world class Asshole.
You sure got that right. Coleman is a disgrace to Minnesota, the United States, the human race. GOOD RIDDANCE!
He was a Democrat when he ran for Mayor, then switched. Turncoats make my blood boil. He is also a corrupt weasel, and he will be in jail for accepting bribes soon.
I suspect the possibility of jail might be why he’s fighting this so hard. It’s a lot easier to collect money for your legal defense fund if you call it a “re-election warchest”.
He is the most terrible of opponents – he likes putting his thumb in their eye. He revels in it. He writes books where he calls them idiots.
So, they don’t like Al.
But for me, he’s the Champ.
Are the two mutually exclusive??
On a related topic – 2010 could easily be the year we have 60+ seats in the Senate without having to consider Lieberman.
Won’t THAT be a great day?!?
He’s playing this out for the right wing think tanks and speaking opportunities that are going to be paying for his life from here on out. It’s about future income from non elected work. Being a martyr who fought to the last pays a lot better than being a reasonable soul.
With both Burris and Franken unseated, i.e. with only 98 seated Senators, Democrats only need 59 votes, not 60, for cloture against a filibuster.
But with Burris seated, but Franken unseated, i.e. with 99 seated Senators, Democrats again need 60 votes for cloture, but are down one potential cloture vote.
Dunno if Republican money-men would be talked into funding Coleman’s legal challenge simply to keep one Democratic cloture vote out of the Senate (especially when a Senator Franken could be used, however hamhandedly, for GOP fundraising). But it’s as good a theory as any.
Though, never bet against Norm Coleman’s own egomania, I guess.
At the end of one of Franken’s books he sort of has a fantasy about running for Senate. In the few days between seating the new Senate and swearing in the new president, he suggests he would anty up a proposal to impeach Bush just to set the record straight.
Now, when I read it I never thought it would happen…Franken winning that is. Now that it seems he has one, who is to say he wouldn’t actually make an attempt? Not that Coleman cares…I think he is just trying to save his job.