Minnesota Senate Mess Could Get New Influx Of Money -- And Appeals
The two Senate campaigns in Minnesota -- if they can be called campaigns almost five months after the election -- may very well have struck gold all over again, thanks to a new FEC advisory opinion from yesterday.
The opinion will allow donors who want to help Franken and Coleman to donate up to $30,400 to special recount funds -- even if they'd already maxed out to the regular party committees or to Franken and Coleman's regular campaign funds.
So if Norm Coleman or Al Franken suddenly needed a half-million dollars, for example, all it would take is less than 20 super-wealthy individuals, willing to max out for the cause -- not too shabby.
Professor David Schultz of Hamline University explained to TPM that this can allow Coleman to take in amounts of money he simply couldn't get before. "If the ruling had gone the other way he would have had to go out and find a bunch of new donors," Schultz explained. "With this ruling, he at least the opportunity to go back and tap his previous donors."
That said, Schultz still sees this as a very tough road ahead, albeit one that has been made a bit easier. "I think it becomes a cost-benefit analysis for the Republicans," said Schultz. "Do they want to keep Franken out of office as long as possible, or do they want to go to donors and say: Democrats stole this election, help us prepare for 2010."
For his part, Norm Coleman seems to be raring to go for an appeal, telling reporters in Washington today that he isn't ruling out anything. "I'm not anticipating, you know, at this point being across the street," said Coleman, referring to a particular building -- the Supreme Court. "For certain, I want to make sure that equal justice under law is applied, we'll see how that plays out in Minnesota."
When asked for comment, Franken spokesperson Jess McIntosh told TPM: "while the judges are still deliberating over Coleman's last lawsuit, I think it's probably inappropriate to speculate on his next."
Josh
Elana
Matt
Eric
I can't believe this thing is still going on.
March 24, 2009 5:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
The theory/hope on the left in Minnesota is the judges have let Coleman drag things out so he can't use a refusal to hear evidence as grounds for an appeal. There's no evidence he didn't get to show, no witness he didn't get to call, no argument he didn't get to make. Probably the judges knew Coleman was going for an appeal instead of a win once the decisions started going against him, and they wanted as definitive a decision as possible. Of course, we don't actually know what they're thinking. So far they're in their second week of deliberation, and the losing candidate has the right to appeal to the state supreme court.
Plus of course they likely will have more absentee ballots counted, so those have to be processed very carefully. Though the process has been long and no one will dissuade the GOP tinfoil hat brigade, I think the Minnesota's process will stand up to all reasonable scrutiny.
March 24, 2009 6:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wait. Doesn't the President appoint those to the FEC? Are those still Bush holdovers?
March 24, 2009 5:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
As crazy as this may sound, perhaps we must consider that this decision by the FEC was not entirely motivated by partisan intentions?
Or maybe Obama just wants to bleed Republican donors on a Quixotic mission.
March 24, 2009 9:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, that's what I was thinking. It probably depends on the language in the laws that the FEC enforces.
March 25, 2009 1:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
The FEC is a bipartisan commission. It is made up of an equal number of republicans and democrats.
But let's not forget that this decision benefits Al Franken as well, despite the implications of Eric's article. If Franken needs some money, he can now get it.
I don't see anything wrong with the FEC's decision.
March 25, 2009 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
This Coleman scam is just a way to drag down the Senate and hold up Obama's plans.
Can't the people of Minnesota spare us this total waste of time and pressure the loser to stop this? I find it a bit cowardly that everyone just sits on their hands.
March 24, 2009 6:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
What are you doing, sitting on your ass blogging?
March 24, 2009 9:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
The same question could be asked of you, could it not, Mr. Troll?
March 25, 2009 12:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Coleman is on a mission . . . After six years of doing absolutely nothing, he has dicovered that living on government dole is is a sweet job and is fighting tooth and nail to keep Franken from tasting that sweet cash cow.
March 25, 2009 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
58 vs 59 doesn't really matter the way Reid runs the Senate. I've lost interest in this story for the short term for that reason, but having Franken seated in 2010-2014 could be a bigger deal. So let Coleman drag this out as long as he wants, it will only be six more months tops.
Just make sure he wins.
March 24, 2009 6:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
True. 58/59 is really a crock with the likes of Bayh, McCaskill and Nelson in the Democratic caucus. Reid is a very weak leader and the caucus does not know the meaning of vote discipline. Reids little band of legislators act like they miss being the minority.
March 25, 2009 8:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sooth.
March 25, 2009 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just don't believe the court is going to hand this to Franken. They would have done it by now. I think the election is either going to be negated or stolen.
March 24, 2009 10:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
psych,
I'm with you, this stinks. I believe I read a while back that the 3 judges hearing this case are all Republicans. This makes me feel uneasy.
The Supremes put Bush in office, why not a lowly Senator getting the same treatment?
March 25, 2009 7:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
No. Three justices . . . three different party relationships.
Go back six to eight weeks in Eric's/TPM's coverage, you can read all about it.
March 25, 2009 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
It can't be negated and the current justices would have a lot of explaining to do if Coleman succeeds by citing specific legal precedence they used to arrive at their decision.
March 25, 2009 7:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sounds like a bad investment idea for the Coleman folks...
March 24, 2009 11:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Alright. Now I'm blaming Reid and Franken. It has been five frikking months. It is time to shame the SOB loudly and in public and repeatedly.
March 24, 2009 11:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dude, it's been in the hands of the state court system ... they have jurisdiction, not Reid or the Senate. Reid has gotta let the state legal system work its way thru their voting laws before he can pull out his orange crate and start raising hell.
March 25, 2009 7:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe now that the Republicans have 40 votes for an EFCA filibuster, they can let Senator-elect Franken take his seat.
March 25, 2009 12:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
What I don't get is that the MSC had already ruled that the Senate is capable of seating Franken any time they wish WITHOUT Minnesota certification.
So WTF is preventing the Senate from seating Franken? Certainly not anything with regards to Minnesota.
March 25, 2009 1:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Remember Burris from Illinois ? - the governor handpicked him to take Obama's Senate seat. Before he could be seated, Reid determined he had to be certified by the state so as not to stir a ruckus with the repuglicans. It's now a precedent that repuglican's will insist that Franken have as a way to stimey any attempts of the Democrats getting that seat filled.
March 25, 2009 7:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Reid is a MORmON. He was expecting to "lead" a Senate on behalf of fellow magic underwear man Willard "I like to catch"er's Mitt Romney. He has no intention of allowing godless progressive legislation to pass through the Senate. Reid could have a Senate count of 66 and still soil the magic diapers at the threat of a filibuster.
March 25, 2009 6:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
The quality of your post is only out-done by your name. My hat is off to you dear sir.
March 25, 2009 10:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
"58 vs 59 doesn't really matter."
Wouldn't Joe Biden make it 60? I remember the few times Cheney had to come out of his undisclosed location to make sure the Repugs got their 51 votes. Now it takes 60. I don't understand why everybody doesn't see them for the evil they are.
March 25, 2009 8:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Biden only gets to vote if it is a tie (50-50), as I was so unfortunately reminded of last night, watching Frontline about the national debt and had to look at Disk Cheney's smirk as he cast the deciding vote on Medicare Part D.
March 25, 2009 9:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
What the hell is wrong with MN? Is the justice system being runned by Judge Wopner? This thing should have been over already!
March 25, 2009 10:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't the Minnesota Supreme Court the last resort? Isn't this a state decision and not the Federal Governments? It seems unlikely the whole court would overturn a decision of three Mn. Supreme Court judges made up to be as even as possible. And for the SCOTUS to even take an appeal would seem pretty strange. Especially after 2000. And the Senate is the last arbiter. If they approve seating whomever is selected. All appeals will only be stalling tactics. If the Mn. SC rules in Franken's favor he will get certificated and the seat. If Coleman gets it I doubt the Democrats will seat him and it will continue.
March 25, 2009 10:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
I believe the three justices listening to the case are made up of an R, D and Indi (Ventura hold-over).
If I were a D organization or a non-profit I would be running ads on TV or the paper just replaying what former Sen Coleman's response was when he was leading the race and Franken was awaiting the final tally. "Sen Norm Coleman declares Victory and AL Franken should concede"
Plus this poll was done way back in January and I would bet the political winds have tipped even further towards Franken for the simple fact that people of MN are without one of their Senators. I would be uneasy if it happened to be my states situation but then again I live in Texas where we have the wonderful Sen Cornyn (total Bush II hack) and Sen Hutchinson (who will hopefully unseat current Gov Perry as the leader of the GOP).
March 25, 2009 11:50 AM | Reply | Permalink