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Franken’s win: An opportunity for Republicans to move toward 2010

Posted by TONY CAMPBELL, Columnist in At TMV, Politics.
Apr 14th, 2009 | Comments

Senate Republicans today find themselves at the precipice of political relevance with the unanimous decision of the three judge panel in Minnesota to rule the Franken – Coleman election in favor of the Democrat, Al Franken.

The bottom line is that neither the MN State Supreme Court nor the U.S. Supreme Court are going to override this decision. The NRSC (National Republican Senatorial Committee) has a decision to make… do you continue to place valuable resources on a seat that will not change the balance of power in this Congress or do you make pro-active plans to win seats in 2010?

According to the Cook Political Report, Republicans currently hold more toss up seats than Democrats including FL, KY, MN, NH, and OH. All of these states excluding KY have senators who have announced that they will not run for re-election. IF the Democrats keep their seats and pick up one or two of the seats in play, they will have over 60 votes and be able to invoke Rule 22 (Cloture) to end debate on any issue on the floor of the Senate.

My two cents: Let Coleman go and focus on the big picture. If Democrats are able to stop filibusters with the cloture rule, the 112th Congress is going to be a long two years of Republicans speaking loudly but having a very little stick.

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gadfly

If Democrats are able to stop filibusters with the cloture rule, the 112th Congress is going to be a long two years of Republicans speaking loudly but having a very little stick.

And when the Democrats do get a 60-vote majority, I wonder if TMV writers will still find ways to blame every bad thing exclusively on Republicans?

I predict yes.

DaGoat

I say they should just confirm the guy. From the GOP's standpoint I think Franken will eventually alienate voters, may as well let him get started ASAP.

superdestroyer

Since the Democrats now have 60 seats in the Senate, the Republican Party is not officially irrelevant to politics. Maybe instead of having five Sarah Palin posts every day, the progressive and leftist blogs have sweat off writing about tea parties and Sarah Palin and start discussing how the U.S. can create jobs, maintain open borders while lowering carbon emissions and closing down what is left of industrial production in the U.S.

A case will will soon be in front of the Supreme Court about affirmative Action and racial set asides. The Obama Administration will be supporting the position that governments can have separate and unequal standards based upon race. That Supreme Court case is 100 times more important that anything that Sarah Palin will be doing for the next twenty years but my guess is that those of the left will refuse to write about it.

Rambie

DaGoat "I say they should just confirm the guy. From the GOP's standpoint I think Franken will eventually alienate voters, may as well let him get started ASAP."

Agreed with that!

Gadfly, you're so funny and may even of had a point if the Republicans didn't spend 80% of President Bush's term blaming the Democrats. Stone, meet glass house.

Mike_P

"If Democrats are able to stop filibusters with the cloture rule, the 112th Congress is going to be a long two years of Republicans speaking loudly but having a very little stick."

Little sticks, yes - but huge teabags!

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