Republican Norm Coleman is defending the planned appeal of his Senate election lawsuit to the Minnesota Supreme Court, even if it means the state is short a U.S. senator for several more weeks.

"We need it to get over, but I tell folks this is not fast-food justice," Coleman said while on talk radio with Fargo, N.D.-based host Scott Hennen. "We need to make sure that all votes that should be counted are counted."

The former senator trails Democrat Al Franken by 312 votes after another batch of previously rejected absentee ballots was counted this week. Three judges presiding over Coleman's election lawsuit could issue their final verdict at any time, starting a 10-day clock for an appeal.

"I'm confident because the votes that are out there are votes that will turn a tide here," Coleman said. "There's no question about that. They come from mostly Republican areas because the votes from the Democrat areas have already been counted."

Meanwhile, leaders of the state Democratic and Republican parties held dueling news conferences Thursday over the drawn-out election battle.

DFL Chairman Brian Melendez unveiled a new website aimed at Coleman's battled called GiveItUpNorm.com.

Coleman still maintained his ground and stated unequal treatment of absentee ballots is worthy of appellate court review. He said he expects the next step to extend into mid-May. In the meantime, Minnesota's only senator is Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a DFLer.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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