Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl warned Democrats this morning not to seat Al Franken until the election contest in Minnesota is completed. After detailing a lengthy list of alleged irregularities in the U.S. Senate contest and statewide recount, Kyl stated that the final result may not be known for more than a month.

“It is not for us to pre-judge the result at this time,” Kyl said in an eight-minute speech from the Senate floor. “Unfortunately the Majority Leader and his staff have publicly stated they would try to seat Al Franken while the contest is still proceeding.”

The Arizona senator also expressed concerns about the integrity of the ongoing election contest. “I certainly hope that this phase will not fall prey to inconsistencies and problems that have led some experts and newspaper editorials to claim that the election process needs to be fundamentally reformed,” he said. “If it is done in the proper way, and with due care for the evidence that is presented, then hopefully everyone will be satisfied with the result and willing to abide by that result.”

Not surprisingly, Kyl also expressed faith that Coleman will ultimately be determined the winner. “We are certainly hopeful that our former colleague … will resume his seat,” he said. “But that is for the process in Minnesota to determine, not for that to be determined in some arbitrary way here in the United States Senate.”

(h/t Politico.)