I don't know who's advising him or what he's thinking, but I have no idea why Al Franken has basically disapperared since the senate election and ceded the air to Norm Coleman.
The conservative media--which Franken skewered in his books--are getting back at him by constantly espousing the view that he is somehow "stealing" the election.
Norm Coleman goes on Fox News and conservative radio electioneering for himself--and facing intervierwers who fight even harder for him than he does for himself.
http://mediamatters.org/...
The mainstream media don't seem interested in the contest, so there's no counter to what the conservatives are spinning.
The funny thing is that this is a perfect opportunity for Al to appear statesmanlike.
I'd advise him to grant interviews to all media and use the time to thank the Minnesota election board and trial court for doing such a competent, complete and professional job in counting the ballots and adudicating the disputes in this tight contest and to say how he looks forward to complying with the decision of the court--whatever it is--and hopes that the people will unify behind the new senator.
That's it. He doesn't even have to argue that he's the winner.
When the decision comes down, Franken can then start asserting his right to the seat.
Instead, Franken seems to be allowing the Coleman forces to create the impression that the outcome is illegitimate.
I don't know if Franken saw this senate seat as a one-term thing before returning to the entertainment world or if he meant to make it a career, but I think that by not offering up any resistance to the Republican spin, he's hurting his effectiveness and his chances of being re-elected in 2014.