Magnuson, Schumer, Cornyn

Here are three quotes from the last 24 hours on the Minnesota recount between Al Franken and former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman:

“Everything’s been looked at and looked at carefully,” is how Minnesota Supreme Court Justice and State Canvassing Board Member Eric Magnuson sees it, according to a news report this morning. “If there were any nits to be picked, they’ve been picked.”

“It is now clear that Al Franken won the election. The Canvassing Board will meet tomorrow to wrap up its work and certify him the winner,” U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, former chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a statement Sunday. “With the Senate set to begin meeting on Tuesday to address the important issues facing the nation, it is crucial that Minnesota’s seat not remain empty.”

“Senator Schumer will likely play a key role in determining who ultimately assumes this Senate seat,” responded U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “Pre-judging the outcome while litigation is still pending calls into question his ability to impartially preside over this matter when it comes before the Committee, as it most certainly will.”

Cornyn elaborated on his position and the likelihood of a filibuster over seating Franken this morning on CNN’s “American Morning.” Excerpts after the jump. Here are excerpts from Cornyn’s Monday appearance on CNN’s “American Morning” program:

CNN: So you’re saying that the legal avenues for Norm Coleman have not been exhausted. You don’t want Al — Al Franken to be seated, or anyone to be seated, until all the legal challenges in Minnesota are up?

CORNYN: That’s correct. And the — and the the rules to the Senate — Rule Two of the rules of the Senate require an election certificate. In Minnesota, that has to be signed by both the secretary of state and the governor, and it can’t be issued before seven days have expired after the canvassing board’s decision. So we’re getting closer to a resolution but we’re not there yet. …

CNN: Are you guys going to filibuster?

CORNYN: Well, in filibuster, of course, in the Senate means unless you can get 60 votes to proceed, then — then you don’t. We continue debating it. And I think that is the likelihood here if the Democrats try to ignore the Senate Rule Two and Minnesota law and try to short-circuit this process.

Rollins’ use of the phrase “dead Indians” is disturbing — especially coming amid what one blog says were “lusty laughs” during some playful patter at the end of a segment titled “America Divided” that co-anchor Kiran Chetry had kicked off with a replay of Bachmann’s calling the country’s first major-party African-American presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, ”anti-American.”

In the most charitable light, Rollins seems to be asserting that through fraudulent means, Native Americans in northern Minnesota who were ineligible to cast ballots — possibly because they were actually deceased? — threw the election and denied Reagan a 50-state sweep.

It’s not the first time Rollins has nursed that particular surface wound to his professional campaign manager’s pride. On Nov. 14, 2000, in the midst of the Bush-Gore presidential election recount mess, he told CNN’s Larry King, “I’ve had many people second-guess campaigns that I’ve run, including why did I lose Minnesota when I was running Ronald Reagan’s campaign in 1984?” Right-wing blogs say Reagan himself pined for a recount, but the Minnesota secretary of state’s office tells Minnesota Independent that no recount took place in the state’s 1984 presidential election, which Mondale won by an actual count of “about 3,700 votes out of 2,000,000 cast.” 

Here’s an excerpt from CNN’s transcript of today’s “American Morning” show:

CHETRY: Is Pennsylvania, even though it looks right now to appear to be leaning toward Obama still up for grabs because of some of the comments that have been made?

ROLLINS: Well, I’m not saying it’s up for grabs, it’s always been a very competitive and a very hard state for Republicans to win. Even in Reagan’s campaign that I ran 24 years ago, it was the last state to come into the line. So it’s a competitive state. 13 points, 14 points is a pretty darn good lead. And if I was Obama, i would go back one more time. I would do what the governor wants.

CHETRY: All right. Ed Rollins, always good to have you with us.

ROLLINS: My pleasure.

CHETRY: Thanks.

ROLLINS: Thank you very much.

ROBERTS: How did you screw up in Minnesota? 

ROLLINS: They voted a lot of dead Indians along the border. 1620 votes, I’m not bitter.

ROBERTS: Ed, thanks.

ROLLINS: Thank you.