Minnesota and Iran

The radio and TV news broadcasts, newspapers, newsmagazines, and other media are full of stories about the disputed Iranian election. Mahmoud Ahmedinejad (known jocularly here as "I'm a dinner jacket") says he won. Mir Hossein Moussavi says he won. Legions of bearded and beturbaned 7th-century clerics support Ahmedinejad. Tens of thousands of people in the streets support Moussavi.

Who won?

According to CNN, the US and Canada are "keeping a close eye on the election" and monitoring the ongoing crisis for reports of voting irregularities.

Happily, that could never happen here.

Except in Minnesota, where incumbent Norm Coleman is still fighting challenger Al Franken for every single vote from an election that took place last November. I wonder if the Canadian government is concerned, or if the Iranian government has sent a scowling ayatollah to observe the case as it slogs its way through the courts?

Oh, well ... at least Minnesotans aren't contesting the election by burning cars in the streets, looting stores, and fighting with police. They're doing it the American way - the 21st-century equivalent of trial by ordeal, in which the champion lawyers of each side hammer each other endlessly with facts (if the facts are on their side) or the letter of the law (if the facts are not on their side).

In the end, Minnesota will finally have two senators and a bunch of lawyers will buy new yachts and summer homes. Either Al Franken or Norm Coleman will be the winner, and the people of Minnesota will remain the losers, having been deprived of representation while venal political parties and greedy lawyers dragged the electoral decision out long past the point where the debate made sense.

Who knows? Maybe the Iranians are on to something.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo