Some day, we will see a statement like this from Norm Coleman:
"It became clear that the numbers were not going our way and that the time had come to step aside and ensure that the next congressman be seated as quickly as possible," Tedisco said in a statement. "In the interest of the citizens of the 20th Congressional District and our nation, I wish Scott the very best."
Obviously, when Coleman eventually says "the time has come" that will be as much an under-statement as drinking 2-year-old milk and asserting, "This tastes a bit funny."
The question is not if -- but when -- Coleman will concede. And this week's news out of Minnesota makes clear that there is an increasing role for regular citizens to play if we want to speed up the timeline of the seating of Senator Franken:
Minnesotans won’t know who their second U.S. senator will be until at least June. On Friday, the state Supreme Court set June 1 as the date for oral arguments in Republican Norm Coleman’s appeal of the recent election trial that concluded with Democrat Al Franken on top by 312 votes.
...Coleman’s Republican allies in Congress have urged him to take his fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary. He hasn’t ruled out that option.
This last paragraph is precisely why the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (which I co-founded) and Howard Dean's Democracy for America recently kicked off the "Dollar a Day to Make Norm Go Away" campaign - where people give href=" for every day Norm refuses to concede, to help progressive challengers defeat Republican members of Congress in 2010.
Norm Coleman's obstinance in the last week has already raised $ 35,500 to help progressives -- and the number grows by the day.
And we need to keep it growing. Because if we don't reverse the incentives for Norm's DC funders, they could easily bankroll court challenges through June, July, August, and beyond. Eventually, Franken could be seated just as Obama's honeymoon ends and election season (when less is likely to be done) begins. We need Franken's bold progressive voice in the Senate now.
So, are you willing to join thousands of others to help make that happen?
If so, take out a href=" bill and sign up here.