It’s 2009, not 1809 folks.

As I write this, the state of Minnesota has one senator. The other 49 states have two each.

 

At issue is the highly contested race between former Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Democratic Challenger Al Franken. (Yes, the one from Saturday Night Live.) Franken won, but his margin of victory was so slim that an automatic recount kicked in, and the Democratic process got kicked out.

 

With Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania switching from Republican to Democrat, a Franken win would give the Democrats a 60 vote supermajority in the Senate, which means the Republicans couldn’t hold up legislation through filibuster.

 

This is either good news or bad news depending on your party affiliation. What’s sad is that the election was held last November, 2008. Now it’s May, 2009. Since then there have been recounts, recounts of recounts and more court battles than I can count.

 

Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas is now talking about taking this to the United States Supreme Court should the Minnesota Supreme Court decide against Coleman. That would mean the people of Minnesota would be underrepresented for a full election cycle.

 

Shameful, and not what the people who founded this country had in mind back in 1776.

 

The people of Minnesota deserve better. So does the nation. It’s amazing in this digital age that so many states haven’t figured out something as simple as counting votes. Years after the debacle in Florida, lessons still haven’t been learned.

 

People elect their representatives to government, not lawyers and courts.

 

Millions of dollars have been spent, political bad will grows each day and the last thing anyone involved in all this cares about is what’s best for the country. Not the least of which being fair and equal representation.

 

Each state is supposed to have two senators. That includes Minnesota.

 

There has to be a better way. There must be a better way, and the folks in charge better find it—and soon.

 

-John

John W. Scherer

John is CEO & Founder of Video Professor, Inc.

You can reach him at ceo@videoprofessor.com.