Are Democrats trying to extort a concession from Coleman?

Norm Coleman’s vow to pursue legal remedies to the post-Election Night reversal of his win in Minnesota’s Senate race apparently has some Democrats desperate.  In fact, that they’ve begun issuing threats to Coleman that he might face a kangaroo court or two if he dares to show his face in the Senate again.  Politico reports on the DSCC’s charge to extort a concession out of Coleman:

Even if Norm Coleman pulls off a long-shot legal victory in the extended Minnesota Senate race, Democrats are vowing to make him wish that he hadn’t.

Separate and apart from the ongoing legal dispute over November’s election, the Minnesota Republican faces several unresolved investigations: a reported FBI probe into his dealings with Nasser Kazeminy, a friend and benefactor; a potential Senate Ethics Committee inquiry into his Capitol Hill living arrangements; a federal elections investigation into his use of campaign donations for legal expenses; and a possible state probe into his campaign’s handling of donors’ financial information on its website.

Apart from the donor information, which happened during the recount, all of these are old smears that Al Franken tried launching at Coleman during the campaign.  The reference to “living arrangements” is especially rich for Democrats, given Rahm Emanuel’s free rent in DC from a Democratic pollster and lobbyist.  The Kazeminy issue has been investigated without any credible allegations of impropriety.  It’s old news, and even the donor information issue springs from people stealing info from his site, and not the other way around.

Plus, let’s remember who’s making these threats:

J.B. Poersch, executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, says he plans to make Coleman’s problems an issue against Republican incumbents in next year’s midterm elections.

“These are really serious ethical issues, and the longer Republicans entangle themselves with someone like Coleman, the more damage he does to them,” Poersch told POLITICO. “We’re going to bring them up anyway, but they would be better off if he was out of the Senate.”

Well, before we tackle the ethics of Norm Coleman, what about getting an ethics investigation into Chuck Schumer?  He chaired the DSCC when it “acquired” Michael Steele’s credit report and tried to use it against him in Maryland’s Senate election in 2006.  Uncle Chuck has yet to answer for this violation of law as well as ethics to the Senate’s panel.  The DSCC has to be the very last body in Washington to call for an ethics probe on anyone.

And once we get beyond Uncle Chucky, maybe we can talk about Roland Burris.  Where’s the Ethics Committee probe into his perjurious statements to the Illinois legislature and the lies he told about his connections to the now-indicted Rod Blagojevich?  Will the Democrats want to push an ethics probe while a man who may have bought his seat through corruption sits in the chamber unencumbered? After that, we can move to the lower chamber, where Democratic Party leader Nancy Pelosi keeps blocking an ethics probe into how PMA bought earmarks for its clients by paying off Democrats like John Murtha, Pete Visclosky, and a host of others. While we’re at it, we can take another look at ACORN and its connections to Obama’s presidential campaign — and maybe Franken’s, too.

Bring it on, dolts.

What does this really tell us?  If they were confident Franken would prevail on appeal, they wouldn’t bother bringing any of this up.  They’re pressuring Coleman to quit, and doing so in the most ham-handed way possible.  That demonstrates a lack of confidence in the final result — and given the way Minnesota botched the recount and admitted hundreds of ballots that later were ruled invalid, they have reason to be nervous about an equal-protection argument in federal court.

Previous Minnesota Recount posts:

• Minnesota Recount: Coleman takes a big hit
• Coleman lawyer: I’m done
• Minnesota Recount: Coleman donors hacked? Update: Confirmed
• Minnesota Recount: Court tells Franken no to temporary certification
• Minnesota Recount: Reid still not going to seat Franken until certified
• Minnesota Recount exclusive: Not so fast on the do-over
• Coleman: Let’s do it over
• Minnesota Recount: A do-over?
• Minnesota Recount: The mess of Friday’s election contest decision
• Minnesota Recount: Court limits absentee-ballot categories
• Minnesota Recount: Conversation with Norm Coleman, plus video
• Reid: On second thought, we’ll wait for Minnesota
• Minnesota Recount: An inside look at Team Franken tactics
• Video: Coleman and his “Kafka”-esque position
• Minnesota Recount: Just what we need — more ballots
• Minnesota Recount: Coleman conference call
• Minnesota Recount: Court gives Coleman hope
• Minnesota Recount: The election challenge explained
• Franken loses in court, full contest to be heard
• Was the Minnesota Recount unconstitutional?
• Minnesota Recount: Coleman files election contest
• Audio: Minnesota Recount, Bill Bennett, and yours truly
• Angry clown certified as winner in Minnesota Senate race
• Minnesota Recount: Board prepared to declare Franken the winner; Update: Alert the media
• Minnesota Recount: Absentee ballots opened today
• Minnesota Recount: Happy New Year!
• Minnesota Recount: Taking longer than expected
• Franken projects: I’ll win by 35-50 votes
• Coleman’s lead over Franken now down to … two votes
• Minnesota Recount: Consistency is the hobgoblin of Canvassing Boards
• Minnesota Recount: Canvassing board “recommends” absentee-ballot review
• Pawlenty to Reid: Butt out
• Minnesota Recount: Unanswered questions
• Minnesota Recount: Anything you can do, I can do better
• Minnesota Recount: Missing ballots will stay missing
• Minnesota Recount: Counting’s done … almost
• Minnesota Recount: Duplicate ballots hit Franken
• Minnesota Recount: How to Stuff a Ballot Box, and other developments
• Minnesota Recount: Another 171 ballots suddenly appear
• Minnesota Recount: Franken retreats on challenges
• Minnesota Recount: Looking grim for Franken
• Minnesota Recount: Franken’s Sore Loser Strategy
• Minnesota Recount: Good news/bad news
• Minnesota Recount: Coleman holding onto lead, 78% recounted
• Finally: Guy who wrote in “Lizard People” on Coleman-Franken ballot comes forward
• Even more disputed Coleman-Franken ballots!
• Minnesota Recount: Soros and Silence
• Minnesota Recount: Team Franken glad their supporters are uneducated?
• Minnesota Recount: Coleman victory certified today, recount tomorrow
• Minnesota Recount: Lying Liars edition
• Minnesota Recount: The myth of the “undervote”
• Minnesota Recount update: Canvassing board selected, Ritchie slams Coleman; Update: Alert the media
• Minnesota Recount: Hennepin County knew of machine failure 11 days out
• Video: Pawlenty on the recount
• Lott: Minnesota could be the new Washington
• Minnesota Recount: Getting around the safeguards
• How does a Minnesota recount work?
• Minnesota Senate: Recount assured; Update: 726-vote victory for Coleman

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