2008

In the opening pages of “Going Rogue,” Sarah Palin tells an anecdote about the Alaska State Fair that took me aback. Here’s the story:
Ahead, on my right, I saw the Alaska Right to Life (RTL) booth, where a poster caught my eye, taking my breath away. It featured the sweetest baby girl swathed in pink, [...]

I’ve been re-reading “Clash of Dynasties,” the twelfth chapter of Dan Balz and Haynes Johnson’s campaign history “The Battle for America,” which is all about the negotiations between Kennedy and the leading candidates for the 2008 Democratic nomination — negotiations that ended in Kennedy’s pivotal endorsement of Barack Obama, without which it’s hard to imagine [...]

Eight months ago, on Election Day 2008, two members of the fringe “New Black Panther Party” stood outside of a Philadelphia polling place. They wore quasi-military garb and waved nightsticks, then they were shooed away by cops. A lawsuit was brought against them, and President Obama’s Justice Department later dismissed it. But Rep. Frank Wolf [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

In April, The Minnesota Independent reported that state Supreme Court Justice Christopher Dietzen, an appointee of Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) had made two donations to former Sen. Norm Coleman’s (R-Minn.) 2008 campaign. Dietzen did not recuse himself from the case. Instead, Dietzen said this to Coleman’s lawyers during Monday’s hearing on the Senate race:
You’re offering [...]