Americans United Ad In Minnesota Targets Pawlenty, On Certifying Franken
Americans United For Change has just come out with this TV ad, calling upon Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) to resist pressure from his national party, and certify Al Franken as the winner of the Senate race after Franken presumably wins against Norm Coleman's appeal at the state Supreme Court:
"The Republican Campaign Chairman, Texas Senator Cornyn, said Norm Coleman's court challenges could take 'years' to resolve," the announcer says, accompanied by a fuzzy shot of Cornyn in a cowboy hat. "Now Governor Pawlenty has a choice. Will he act in the best interest of Minnesota, or his own national political ambitions?"
The ad will air on cable TV in the Twin Cities and Rochester media markets. The oral arguments at the Minnesota Supreme Court won't happen until a month from now, so there's plenty of time for people to argue about what should happen after a court decision that may be widely expected, but hasn't actually happened yet.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Nothing ot see here. Move along...
When they rule, the MN Supremes will order that Franken be certified. Will Pawlenty comply? Of course he will. He has no choice.
Unless, that is, a federal court orders a delay. In that case, too, Pawlenty would have no choice.
It'll be up to the courts: the MN Supremes and whichever SCrOTUS justice is in charge of MN. (AIUI, state supreme court decisions can be appealed only to the US Supreme Court. Lower federal courts will not get involved.)
April 30, 2009 12:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope you are correct, but that's hardly certain. It's always judicially prudent for a court to limit its orders to the narrow question before it. The narrow question before the MNSCT at this time is whether the panel's decision should be affirmed or reversed and remanded. The question of whether the Governor should be ordered to issue a certificate will not be properly before the MNSCT until the Governor has failed to due so. Consequently, if I were advising the MNSCT, I would recommend against ordering the Governor to certify Franken when the Court decides the appeal. As a Democrat, though, I hope the MNSCT heeds advice different than what I would give.
April 30, 2009 12:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wouldn't be so sure. Throughout the process, the supreme court has tried to be less than definitive. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the final ruling is murky, ordering neither a certificate nor a delay until there's time for a federal suit.
April 30, 2009 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm torn. I don't want a third Pawlenty term, and I remember what happened the last time a Minnesota governor played around with a senate seat. It ended his political career. I'm tempted to encourage Pawlenty to refuse to sign, just in hopes he ends his own electoral hopes.
Pure speculation, but this might be a sign of whether he intends to run for a third term, or go right for the presidency. If he runs again, refusing to sign would be suicidal, but would make the GOP base happy.
April 30, 2009 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Will he act in the best interest of Minnesota, or his own national political ambitions?"
that's too funny.
April 30, 2009 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just remember that at the point where the MN Supremes declare it over, if Pawlenty or a Federal court try to gum-up the works, despite all their rhetoric about respect for issuance of the election certificate, the United States Senate (Harry the Conqueror, himself, that is) can just seat Senator Franken and be done with it.
Before you say that the R's would pull a stunt, just remember: there is no sympathy for them. Not in this political climate.
Harry could do it, almost as a way to say, "Try and stop me". And you know what? I doubt they could. Especially if he played a W-like game of "chicken" with them and just held out and allowed the gears of government to grind to a halt, until a few R's caved.
And they would. The pressure on them to re-start the business of the Senate, knowing that inevitably, Franken's getting seated anyway, would be huge.
Of course, this assumes gonads, on the part of Harry Reid. Which really wouldn't be so difficult, as technically, it would be the Republicans who would be stopping the gears, not Harry.
Anyone for a 10% Republican approval rating?
April 30, 2009 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I heard Pawlenty say on the radio that this would be over when decided by the Minnesota Supreme Court. And he would follow the law. You people are paranoid.
And BTW, this isn't so much about forcing Pawlenty to do anything as it is about taking political advantage of the situation and associate Pawlenty and Republicans with this VERY unpopular delay.
April 30, 2009 3:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
And that would be unreasonable...to associate Pawlenty and republicans with this VERY unpopular delay...why? They ARE responsible for this very unpopular delay. Did you see what happened in New York? The person who got elected, actually got sworn in! Imagine that.
April 30, 2009 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Your headline is misleading, since "Americans United" has long referred to Americans United for the Separation of Church & State. That's a great organization, and it's not helpful to confuse matters like this. IMHO, we shouldn't muddy such a respected "brand."
May 1, 2009 11:14 AM | Reply | Permalink