I just talked to Dirk Van Dongen, the president of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, and a key fundraiser for former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) in the extended legal battle that conclusion today. Van Dongen praised Coleman’s “guts” for seeing through the state legal process and said he had “no regrets” about his fundraising.

“Every Senate seat is important,” said Van Dongen. “When you think of the amount of money involved in the recount and the subsequent proceedings — whatever it was, $2 million, $3 million, $4 million — that’s the smallest amount you’ll see spent on a Senate seat anywhere in the country, in any state.”

Van Dongen would have been ready to raise funds for more Coleman challenges — “I think there would have been a broad base of support” — but he supported the decision. “It’s his decision to make. From our perspective it’s a loss to the U.S. Senate and a loss to the free enterprise cause, and I hope to see him in public life again.”

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