Politico is reporting that Norm Coleman has conceded the Minnesota Senate race to Al Franken.

"[W]e affirm the decision of the trial court that Al Franken received the highest number of votes legally cast and is entitled under Minn. 32 Stat. § 204C.40 (2008) to receive the certificate of election as United States Senator from the State of Minnesota," a unanimous Minnesota Supreme Court just ruled. The decision, coming approximately 9000 years after the Senate election, gives loser Norm Coleman only one more whack at the result-an appeal in federal court. No word yet from the Coleman camp on whether he will seek federal relief, but we expect to hear something once his Republican puppetmasters decide how much longer they're willing to forestall the inevitable in an attempt to prevent a Democratic supermajority in the Senate. READ MORE

A thought on the Specter switch: If you're Norm Coleman, wouldn't you be begging Susan Collins or Olympia Snowe to follow Arlen into the Democratic caucus right now? I mean, you want to run for Minnesota governor but you look like a jackass for dragging out the Senate recount. Unfortunately, with that one seat being the only thing keeping the Dems from a filibuster-proof majority, the National Republican Committee has your balls in a vise tightened all the way to the busting point. Snowe seems more amenable to a switch than Collins, but, if you're Norm, you should be pleading with both of the Maine senators, in the whiniest, most pathetic voice possible. It's really your only hope at this point.

64% of Minnesota voters want Norm Coleman to concede to Al Franken in that state's astoundingly protracted Senate race, according to a Star Tribune poll. The Coleman campaign immediately vowed to appeal the survey all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.