Secrets of the City

So St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman has declared that he won’t be running for governor. As the Minnesota Independent points out, Coleman’s reasoning may accidentally have created an awkward situation for Rybak, who has strongly indicated that he may run.

In what looks to have been a final extended finger to the citizen media site The Uptake, a Coleman staffer ejected the Uptake Noah Kunin from the the press conference at which he conceded to Franken. Brauer reports, with some sharp words for Coleman: “I didn’t instantly recognize him — he was emotional,” Kunin says of Erickson. “He said something about my cutesy homemade press pass. The one I was wearing was issued by the Minnesota Capitol. It says PRESS in big black letters. It’s also a magnetic key card that lets me get into the Capitol after it closes to the public. I also had a red name tag badge specific to the Capitol press corps, issued by the Sergeant at Arms.”

The Minnesota Supreme Court has affirmed that Al Franken is entitled to receive the election certificate. (PDF of ruling)

I haven’t posted this yet, even though it’s a few days old: In an order issued just a short while ago, the Minnesota election court has now commanded Norm Coleman to pay Al Franken $94,783.15 in itemized costs from the trial.

Or, as Gawker puts it: Norm Coleman Owes Al Franken A Lot of Money

The Mn Supremes look at Coleman’s case in the Franken v. Coleman senate race. Uptake offers a live video feed, while MPR offers live updates. As of this moment, the judges do not seem very sympathtic to the case.

FiveThirtyEight asks if Coleman is getting his money worth in the recount. He breaks down the numbers. It’s sort of pricey.

Gawker sums of the facts: Al Franken won a key ruling from a three-judge panel in Minnesota, confining the election recount there to 400 absentee ballots and thus probably protecting Franken’s 225-vote lead.

Coleman’s staff is saying they have “no choice” but to go to the Supreme Court, but, of course, he has a choice — he could bow out. So why is nobody calling Coleman a sore loser?

In the meanwhile, on last night’s Letterman, Bill O’Reilly asserted that there had been fraud in this election and that we should just have a do-over. Is that was Coleman is hoping for? Is there any chance at all the Supreme Court will overturn the rulings of the lower courts? And, if not, is Coleman just being obsctructionist?

Via Strib: Texas Sen. John Cornyn is threatening “World War III” if Democrats try to seat Al Franken in the Senate before Norm Coleman can pursue his case through the federal courts.

Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, acknowledges that a federal challenge to November’s elections could take “years” to resolve. But he’s adamant that Coleman deserves that chance — even if it means Minnesota is short a senator for the duration.

So what’s fair? Coleman having another day in court while Minnesota goes one Senator short for years? And is threatening war, even metaphorically, really useful rhetoric?

As though the recount wasn’t enough to make Norm Coleman’s head throb, now no less than the New Republic compares Coleman and Blagojevich, saying the senator has gotten a free pass on accusations of impropriety. Ouch. (Via.)

[Update: At the end of the day's counting, most have Franken up by about 250. The rest is pretty much in the hands of the courts. Update 2: Not a local source, but Five Thirty Eight has the best summary of the current situation.] As of 10:16 a.m., the Strib has him up by 80, but the counting continues and some withdrawn challenges have yet to be re-included.  The MPR Newscut blog and the Uptake have live-updating flash widget blogs from inside the recount room.  The Uptake also has live video with a running +/- vote tally.