Senate spat: Franken brief due today, GOP raises recount funds for Coleman

The latest in the spat over Minnesota’s U.S. Senate seat: Al Franken is due to file his reply to Norm Coleman’s election-contest appeal at the state Supreme Court today. Senate GOP leaders raised money at a Washington, D.C., steakhouse for Norm Coleman — under new, higher gift limits. And on YouTube, a frog channels Coleman covering Billy Joel.

Franken’s brief will ask the high court to tell Gov. Tim Pawlenty he must issue an election certificate once the case clears the state’s judicial system, Polinaut predicts. Coleman filed his brief last week and must respond to Franken’s reply by Friday. Oral arguments are set for June 1.

Meanwhile, in Washington last week, the U.S. Senate’s Republican leaders hosted a dinner to raise funds for Coleman’ legal gambit. The event, at Bobby Van’s Grill, benefited the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) recount fund.

(Bobby Van’s is the kind of place, apparently, where you might see Commerce Secretary Gary Locke at a table with Forest Whitaker, the movie star who also attended the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday night.)

Raising money for the Senate rivals got easier after the Federal Election Commission decided that the national parties could set up recount funds independent of their existing accounts and the candidates’ own accounts. That allows eager donors to spread more of their wealth among several accounts.

Watch the dollar limits lift in the fine print from a series of invites.

Nov. 18, 2008:

Feb. 11, 2009:

May 6, 2009:

Finally, here’s a new YouTube video with a Kermit-like frog puppet singing a Norm Coleman version of Billy Joel’s “My Life.” (Joel performed the song in its original version with Elton John at the Xcel Center in St. Paul last week — fan video here).