RNC’s Steele on whether Coleman should concede: ‘Hell no!’

(WDCpix)

Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele has Norm Coleman’s back. When asked by Hotline On Call recently whether he thinks Coleman should concede the U.S. Senate contest, Steele’s response was emphatic: “No, hell no.”

The RNC chairman went on to vow to take the fight to the federal courts if necessary. “Whatever the outcome, it’s going to get bumped to the next level,” he told a Hotline reporter after Saturday night’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner. “This does not end until there’s a final ruling that speaks to whether or not those votes that have not been counted should be counted. And Norm Coleman will not, will not jump out of this race before that.”

It’s merely the latest indication that the Republican leadership in Washington will do whatever it takes to keep Al Franken from being seated — and therefore give President Obama a veto-proof majority in the Senate — for as long as possible.

***UPDATE***

The Democratic National Committee issued a statement in response to Steele’s comments:

“Michael Steele’s comments this weekend regarding the Minnesota Senate election have completely erased any thought that Norm Coleman’s continued legal fight is about anything more than pure politics,” said DNC spokesman Frank Benenati. “If there was anyone left who actually believed that Norm Coleman, Tim Pawlenty, and the national Republicans actually cared about the true winner of this race rather than obstructing the seating of another Democratic Senator, Michael Steele’s comments this weekend should have disabused them of that notion.”