Coleman Now Seeks Total Recount

(NEWSER) - The Minnesota recount trial is finally out of the lawyers’ hands, with both sides claiming certain victory, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Now the judges will weigh evidence provided by Norm Coleman’s and Al Franken’s teams and decide exactly which votes to count. “It’s more likely than not,” a Coleman lawyer said, that 1,360 rejected ballots are actually valid. More»

Election may result in court battle

(NEWSER) - Norm Coleman lost a key court battle today in the endless Minnesota recount, Politico reports. The decision virtually ensures that his race with Al Franken will be contested in the courts after the Senate convenes Jan. 6. Coleman sought to have a state panel hold off certifying the final vote tally until charges of double-counting are resolved. Minnesota's Supreme Court denied his request but said Coleman could take up the matter in litigation later. More»

Senator-elect stresses loyalty to state, downplays Dem. supermajority

(NEWSER) - Al Franken said he was “thrilled and honored by the faith Minnesotans placed in me” after the state Supreme Court declared him the winner of the Senate recount, CNN reports. "I'm so excited to finally be able to get to work " said Franken, who added that he got a "very gracious" phone call from Norm Coleman. In his news conference, Franken struck a cordial tone, saying he would stand on principle when necessary but would be willing to "compromise" for the good of constituents. More»

Republican pushes for mid-May appearance in Minn.'s high court

(NEWSER) - Lawyers for Republican Norm Coleman want more time to prepare arguments for their appeal to Minnesota’s top court in the fight over last November's election, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. The attorneys’ timeline, presented today, would put off oral arguments until mid-May; attorneys for Democrat Al Franken, declared the winner by a lower court; wants arguments the first week of May. More»

Former senator 'not ruling out' state, federal appeals

(NEWSER) - Norm Coleman is leaving himself the option of taking the case of Minnesota’s disputed Senate election all the way to the US Supreme Court, Politico reports. The Republican is not “at this point” expecting to go that far—after all, that’d be after the Minnesota Supreme Court and federal appellate courts—but said today he’s “not ruling out anything.” More»