“”When are Republicans going to give up the ghost on this?” MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough asked this morning in the wake of a special three-judge Minnesota panel ruling that Democrat Al Franken has won the most votes in his 2008 Senate race against Republican Norm Coleman.

“Seriously. Norm, I like you,” Scarborough said. “[But] you lost…okay? Can we seat a senator so Amy [Klobuchar] doesn’t have to do the job of two Senators? It is seriously not fair to constituents in Minnesota to drag this out any longer. It’s over, Norm…okay? It’s over.”

Today’s ruling “is not expected to be the final word in the case,” the AP has reported, “because Coleman previously announced plans to appeal to the State Supreme Court. He has10 days to do so. That appeal could mean a delay of several more weeks in seating Minnesota’s second senator.

“After a statewide recount and a seven-week trial, Franken is 312 votes ahead. He gained more votes from the election challenge than Coleman, the candidate who filed it.

“The state law Coleman sued under merely required three judges to determine who got the most votes and is therefore entitled to an election certificate. That certificate is being held up pending appeal.”