Take It to the Supreme Court: GOP to Coleman

Could Bush v. Gore save the Minnesota Republican?

By Gabriel Winant, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 17, 2009 9:38 AM CDT

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Take It to the Supreme Court: GOP to Coleman — Members of the Supreme Court sit for a group portrait at the Supreme Court in Washington in this March 3, 2006 file photo. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

There’s only one thing you need to know about the Minnesota Senate race: It will never end. Norm Coleman, waiting on a state court to rule on his challenge to Al Franken’s 225-vote lead, is being urged by top Republicans to take his case all the way to the Supreme Court, Politico reports. And they're pointing to some notable case history: Bush v. Gore.

Republicans say that the equal protection principle in Bush v. Gore invalidates Minnesota’s nonstandardized absentee ballot-counting methods. “Using the same standards to count votes is a big issue," says Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. Democrats scoff at this; Sen. Harry Reid says Coleman will “never ever” be a senator again. Politico notes that an appeal might also damage Coleman’s reputation among Minnesota votes, hampering a future campaign.
(More Norm Coleman stories.)

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