Pawlenty to DNC chief: Butt out of Senate race

[question everything]

By BOB VON STERNBERG, Star Tribune

May 22, 2009

Gov. Tim Pawlenty has this piece of advice for Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine: Butt out of Minnesota's U.S. Senate race. In a letter, Pawlenty has pointedly rebuffed Kaine's request this week that he prod fellow Republican Norm Coleman to abandon his fight to regain the state's vacant Senate seat. For either Coleman or Democrat Al Franken to be seated, Pawlenty must sign an election certificate. In his letter, Pawlenty replied: "Some of your Democratic colleagues and members of the media have inaccurately stated that an election certification is being withheld," Pawlenty wrote. "That is not the case,"

In his most extensive comments to date on his thinking about the contest, Pawlenty was replying to Kaine's request, which reads, in part:

"No one will deny that the race was incredibly close -- but after an official recount, an extensive legal process, and a clear and definitive ruling by the three-judge panel, it is all but indisputable that Democrat Al Franken won and will be the next senator from Minnesota. "I urge you to use your influence to bring this process to an end by asking Norm Coleman to allow his neighbors and yours, their full representation in Congress."

Coleman and other Republicans have suggested he might take his election challenge into the federal courts if the Minnesota Supreme Court upholds a three-judge panel that ruled Franken the victor by 312 votes. Pawlenty has repeatedly hedged on whether he will issue an election certificate immediately after the Supreme Court rules. Replying to the request by Kaine, who is also Virginia's governor, that he sign a certificate as soon as the court acts, Pawlenty wrote:

"As a fellow Governor and attorney, I am sure you can appreciate that such commitment would be premature. The Minnesota Supreme Court might remand the case to the three-judge panel and ask them to consider various issues that were raised in the election contest. Under such a circumstance, Minnesota law would prohibit the issuance of an election certificate, as the state court process would still be on going."

(snip)

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/45660867.html

[4lbs]

1. Response should be: "Sure, just certify the results and I'll butt out of Minnesota's Senate race."

n/t

[dflprincess]

4. At this point Pawlenty can't certify the results

State law prohibits a certificate being issued as long as the election is being contested in state courts. However, it is possible that the State Supreme Court will order a cerfiticate be issued even if it is just a provisional one.

[Hawkeye-X]

6. Well, then there needs to be a brand new legislation...

that forces Pawlenty or any future Governor to certify provisionally until all counts are complete.

Hawkeye-X

[dflprincess]

7. There were several election reforms passed by the legislature

in the session that just ended (I don't believe your suggestion was one of them), most dealt with making voting easier and Timmy the Tool vetoed them all.

[DJ13]

2. The state should start getting only half the Federal money they expect

until they have full Senatorial representation.

I bet Pawlenty would push Coleman if that were to happen.

[LiberalFighter]

10. To be fair. They should only receive 75%

2 Senators cover the whole state. - 50%
The Representatives as a whole cover the whole state. - 50%

So half of 50% is 25% loss.

[rwheeler31]

3. Pawlenty is so ugly he will not do the right thing.

He is so sad I wonder what happened to him.

[Hawkeye-X]

5. Earth to Pawlenty - DO YOUR FUCKING JOB.

And certify the winner, which is clearly Al Franken.

Stalling it is only going to make your party extremely endangered for the next 100 generations.

[Arkana]

8. Certify Franken, and we will, Mr. Pawlenty.

[EquallyExhausted]

9. I'm sure he told the RNC the exact same thing

:eyes:

[LiberalFighter]

11. I'm reading that Pawlenty is encouraging the Minnesota SC to remand.

If the Minnesota SC does remand the citizens should all cluck everytime they see one of those chicken shits.