File this one under &uot;are they serious?&uot;

An election violation complaint against Sen. Mark Dayton by Minnesota Republicans alleges that the senator should have registered to vote as a homeless person because he had recently moved out of his Minnesota house and had not moved into a new residence yet when Election Day rolled around. Dayton says he followed a legal opinion based on a past case that affirmed the right of people in federal service outside the state to vote in their former home precinct.

Yet, the GOP, apparently digging for ways to take potshots at Dayton, is still bringing this election-fraud complaint. Cases like these, based on such a foolish premise and designed so obviously as a political ploy, are an insult not only to Dayton but also to Minnesotans who might be expected to believe the complaint has any legitimacy.

The timing is also a little suspicious; is this an attempt to take some of the spotlight off the charges surrounding Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s connections with questionable telecom companies?

Dayton did his homework before voting. Maybe the next time a political party is searching for ways to humiliate an opponent, they’ll also do their homework and make sure they actually have a case first.