Elections 2008

In response to our earlier post indicating that Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) might harbor questions about President Obama’s citizenship, McHenry spokesman Brock McCleary sends over clarification: There are no doubts. McHenry is no birther.

Or not.
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) just shot out a statement declaring that he has “absolutely no reason to question President Obama’s citizenship.”
I anticipate that as a legal matter the courts will continue to come to the same conclusion.
But he also leaves a bit of room for doubt, adding that his view is based only on [...]

Al Franken, soon to be the junior senator from Minnesota, is no stranger to controversy after spending the last eight months fighting Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) over the results of last November’s election. But if Franken thinks he’ll find things any more restful in Washington, he should think again.
That’s because the soon-to-be-sworn-in freshman is slated [...]

This statement was just released by Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele:
“I am deeply disappointed in the decision made by the state Supreme Court, and I share the frustration of Minnesota’s voters. At the core of our democracy lies two concrete principles: No valid vote should go uncounted and all votes should be treated equally. [...]

It’s worth considering what Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) have said about the possibility of today decision by the Minnesota Supreme Court. Back in March, Pawlenty speculated that Coleman might exhaust his appeals by autumn, suggesting a Supreme Court challenge. Cornyn said last week that he would support Coleman if he [...]

Just now, following a defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Supreme Court, former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) officially conceded the 2008 Senate race and congratulated victor Al Franken. Pending certification of the election by Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty — and there is no longer any reason not to certify it — it’s finally over.
For [...]

It’s only a few minutes old, this news that the Minnesota Supreme Court, at long last, has ruled Al Franken the winner of last November’s Senate election. But Democratic leaders in Washington are already celebrating.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) just issued a statement calling on Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) “to respect the votes [...]

TPM’s Eric Kleefeld reports that the Minnesota Supreme Court has unanimously ruled in favor of Democrat Al Franken in his Senate election contest with former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), reaffirming a previous decision by a lower court.
UPDATE: The decision is here (pdf). The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Franken is “entitled … to receive the [...]

These musings from Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) don’t seem to add much to the status of the Minnesota Senate race.
I’m prepared to sign [the certification] as soon as they give the green light. I’m not going to defy an order of the Minnesota Supreme Court. That would be a dereliction of my duty.
But what’s the [...]

At a luncheon at the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s headquarters near Capitol Hill (organized by the Heritage Foundation), I asked Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) if there was a Republican game plan ready when the Minnesota Supreme Court makes its ruling in the contested 2008 Minnesota Senate race — if, as many expect, it decides that [...]