Where did you get this? Even Colemans’s sharp legal team never made this claim (read their briefs). Coleman received 1,212,206 votes, Franken received 1,212,431 votes (after the recount)plus minor candidate votes of 437404 for Barkley, 13916 for Aldrich, 8905 for Neimackl, and 2340 write-in vote for a total of 2,887,202 votes cast (source for minor candidates -the Minnesota state canvassing board). Total registered Minnesota voters as of 10/27/08? 3,199,134. (source, Minnesota secretary of state). Those numbers indicate that there were 311,932 MORE eligible voters than votes cast.

Is Kline proposing a 2010 Senate in which he would be the Republican nominee ?

Look at the numbers, Coleman did not lose by 312 votes … he lost by 63,209 .. as that many McCain voters decided that Coleman did not represent their views.

Compare Kline and Coleman. Coleman was Minnesota’s leading user of earmarks; something that Kline wants ended. Coleman supported SCHIP while Kline opposed it. Coleman opposed drilling in ANWR which Kline supported. There are others (climate change, fuel efficiency, immigration), but remember the last critical vote before the election was TARP (or the bank bailout) – Coleman voted for it; Kline opposed it. Too many people have forgotten why Coleman lost.

The GOP is happy that Minnesota does not have a second Senator … a RINO that might break along the lines of Snowe, Collins, etc is not what they want … but John Kline is the loyal soldier that they would welcome with open arms.

1. The Minnesota Supreme court rules that the laws of Minnesota re the election and recount process have been followed (none of this judicial activism and meddling into issues of US constitutional law such as the equal treatment clause -the proper forum for that, after all, is in the Federal courts).

2. The court further rules that under Minnesota law, that the govenor’s duty is to issue an election certificate for the recount winner

3. The Senate, under it’s constitutional powers to determine the qualifications of its members, duly deliberates and determines the person to be seated as the second Senator from Minnesota (based on tradition and perhaps even taking into account the various twists and turns of the Minnesota election process).

4. Minnesota gets its second Senator!

This scenario is all above board and in strict adherance to Minnesota law and the constitution (as to opposed “making law” and having the Governor appoint the Senator). The other issues such as uncertainty in the minds of the people as to “who really won” are a bit of a stretch. The electoral college, not the popular vote count, determines the President. Has there really been a question in the minds of most Americans about the legitmacy of our recent minority popular vote (less than 50% of total votes cast)presidents (Trumen, Kennedy, Nixon, 1st term Bush) who were elected by a majority of the electoral college.
vote?

I think not.