UNANIMOUS!

Congratulations to Senator Allen Franken on his hard fought victory! My best to Senator Norm Coleman on his future endeavors.

In the ruling:

"Affirmed," wrote the Supreme Court, unanimously rejecting Republican Norm Coleman's claims that inconsistent practices by local elections officials and wrong decisions by a lower court had denied him victory.

"Al Franken received the highest number of votes legally cast and is entitled [under Minnesota law] to receive the certificate of election as United States Senator from the State of Minnesota," the court wrote.

But the court did not grant Franken's bid to make its ruling effective immediately, possibly leaving a window for an appeal by Coleman before Gov. Tim Pawlenty is required to issue an election certificate.

"The bottom line is that the Court says that Franken is entitled to an election certificate, but there is no direct order to the state's governor to sign one," said Loyola Law School professor Richard Hasen, who has followed the case closely. "We'll see what the governor does, if Coleman does not concede, as he well may at this point."

I am somewhat disappointed the court didn't go further and order the Governor to sign the election certificate immediately, but it does put him in a precarious position. With an unanimous decision from a Right leaning court it is doubtful that anything will change at this point.

I suspect there will be a bunch of constituents knocking on his office door tomorrow.

Flash

UPDATE: Senator Coleman takes the high road and concedes, making it moot whether the court order the certificate to be signed or not. With no further roadblock in the way, look for Governor Pawlenty to sign off soon after his return for DC and the seating of Seantor Franken next week when the US Senate return from recess.

CNN has more:

The court's unanimous, unsigned opinion declared that Franken "received the highest number of votes legally cast" and is entitled "to receive the certificate of election as United States senator from the state of Minnesota."

"I just congratulated Al Franken on his victory," Coleman said in a press conference with reporters. "I told him it's the best job he'll ever have representing Minnesota in the United States Senate. The Supreme Court has spoken, I will respect its decision, and abide by its results," Coleman also said.