MN SEN: NRSC Leaving It Up To "People Of Minnesota"
Is Sen. John Cornyn's NRSC backing off a prior view that GOPer Norm Coleman should take his legal battle to the federal courts?
Cornyn (R-TX) has said that Coleman, who is trailing Dem Al Franken in the MN Senate contest now under consideration by the MN Supreme Court, has cause to mount a federal challenge that could take "years" to resolve. He has also suggested that if a federal lawsuit is required to determine the winner of the '08 contest "then so be it."
His spokesman yesterday seemed to walk back the group's support.
"The situation out there is entirely up to the people in Minnesota," said Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the NRSC, in an e-mail to On Call.
CQ, meanwhile, reported yesterday that Cornyn the decision about how long to trudge on belongs to Coleman. "I think it's entirely up to him," Cornyn said. "Frankly, I've been amazed that Sen. Coleman's been willing to persevere as long as he has, and I'm proud of him for doing that. I think we will support him until he decides to hang it up one way or another."
It wasn't long ago, though, that GOP politicians in Washington suggested Coleman's appeal efforts should last as long as necessary. Dems view the maneuvering as a tactic to stall the certification and seating of Franken, who would be their 60th vote and provide a filibuster-proof majority to his party. Republicans say they simply want every vote counted.
Here is Sen. Lindsey Graham in March: "From what I can tell, there are legal issues well worth taking up in the [Supreme] Court. I think the whole Bush v. Gore -- using the same standards to count votes is a big issue."
Sen. John Thune (R-SD) in April: "The question is, 'Should every Minnesotan's vote count?' And there are are lots of votes out there that weren't counted, so the process ought to be played out until it's concluded. He should be able to exercise his options... There's a pretty good rationale for taking it to the U.S. Supreme Court."
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), also in March: "The state court is not the final word on that, because the question in federal court is whether the guarantee of equal protection under laws in the U.S. Constitution has been violated by an inconsistent policy with regard to counting ballots. Politico reported that Sessions said he "absolutely" would encourage Coleman to take his fight to federal court if he loses.
And Cornyn, too, in March: "The Supreme Court in 2000 said in Bush v. Gore that there is an equal protection element of making sure there is a uniform standard by which votes are counted or not counted, and I think that's a very serious concern in this instance. I'm not making any predictions, but I wouldn't be surprised" if it ended up in federal court.
And there were other pledges that Coleman should fight on as long as he'd like, waging an expensive battle -- the NRSC recently pledged $750K -- to convince the courts that the ballots weren't counted uniformly on a county-by-county basis.
It's up to the people of MN doesn't exactly sound like 'This is the next Bush v. Gore.' So do the latest remarks reflect a shift in tone or resignation that the end is near?
Walsh says no. "Sen Cornyn's position throughout this process has been consistent," he told On Call. "He supports Senator Coleman in whatever he chooses to do."
(JENNIFER SKALKA)