I’ve been picking up word that Republicans on the Hill genuinely think Norm Coleman is going to get the results of the November elections tossed and have a revote. And if not genuinely, that they’ve all convinced themselves to say they believe it. As I told one friend who passed word on to me about this, the Coleman people must be smoking some powerful weed. Because nothing that has happened in the trial gives the remotest indication that anything like that will happen. Indeed, there’s simply no basis in Minnesota law for throwing out the results of an election. To be clear, I think it’s highly unlikely that the Court will come down with a judgment that will make it possible to Coleman to reclaim his seat. There’s just no indication of that. But while that’s very unlikely, actually throwing out the results entirely isn’t even on the menu of options the judges have before them.
Now, here’s one thing to consider. Are the Republicans trying to lay the groundwork for filibustering any effort to seat Franken, even after the state of Minnesota tells Norm it’s over and he has to go home? Keep an eye out for it.