Federal Appeal Is 'Entirely' Coleman's Decision, Cornyn Says of Minn. Race
By Kathleen Hunter, CQ Staff
The head of the Senate GOP's campaign committee said Wednesday that he would not press Republican Norm Coleman to mount an appeal in the federal court system if the Minnesota Supreme Court rules that Democrat Al Franken won their Senate race.
"I think it's entirely up to him," said John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "Frankly, I've been amazed that Sen. Coleman's been willing to persevere as long as he has, and I'm proud of him for doing that. I think we will support him until he decides to hang it up one way or another."
Cornyn said Wednesday that he was "not in the position to predict what Sen. Coleman will do because he's undecided" but that the NRSC would continue to support Coleman as long as he wishes to continue his legal challenge.
"His hope is that he's the winner in the Minnesota Supreme Court . . . so I don't know what happens after that," Cornyn said. The court heard oral arguments in the case June 1.
Cornyn, a former Texas supreme court justice, previously said that he hoped Coleman would take his case to the federal court system if Minnesota's high court ruled against him. Cornyn suggested that the case raises an equal protection issue that could be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. The argument is that Minnesota's ballot counting process is flawed.
In March, Cornyn expressed concern that Coleman would "run out of gas too soon," saying that his case raises "an important constitutional issue." Earlier in the year, Cornyn said returning Coleman to office was a top GOP priority.
That's the same John Cornyn who 
