Schumer: Senate should seat Franken

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said Sunday the Senate should seat Democrat Al Franken to succeed Republican Norm Coleman, whose Senate term expired Saturday.

Schumer, who chaired the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee until just after the November election, said in a statement that Franken has won the recount in Minnesota, Politico reported Sunday.

The recount ended Saturday with Franken leading Coleman by 225 votes. The unofficial result came after the Secretary of State's Office counted 933 absentee ballots.

"With the Minnesota recount complete, it is now clear that Al Franken won the election," Schumer said. "The Canvassing Board will meet (Monday) to wrap up its work and certify him the winner, and while there are still possible legal issues that will run their course, there is no longer any doubt who will be the next Senator from Minnesota."

The Coleman campaign has filed a lawsuit in the Minnesota Supreme Court seeking to have more than 600 absentee ballots counted. The campaign contends those ballots were unfairly rejected by elections officials.

Coleman aides have suggested the campaign will contest the election result in court, claiming that some ballots were unfairly counted twice during the recount. Any official certification of a winner would be delayed while such lawsuits work their way through the court system.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has said Republicans in the Senate will block attempts to seat Franken until a winner has been officially declared.

Schumer said Sunday it was "crucial" that the Minnesota seat be filled, given that the Senate is "set to begin meeting on Tuesday to address the important issues facing the nation."