A serious Franken vows to work hard in U.S. Senate
Former comedian Al Franken on Monday made it clear in his first appearance in the U.S. Capitol as senator-elect that he had not come to entertain.
Franken did not crack a single joke, nor did he take a single question as he spoke briefly to reporters outside the Senate chamber. Instead he vowed to work hard and tried to downplay expectations now that his election has clinched a super-majority of 60 for President Obama’s Democrats in the Senate.
“A lot has been made of this number 60. The number I’m focused on is the number two. I — I see myself as the second senator from the state of Minnesota,” Franken said. (The other Minnesota senator is Amy Klobuchar).
Franken said voters expected him to work on the economy, energy, education and health care issues. “I am going to work day and night to make sure that our kids have a great future and that America’s best days lay ahead,” he said.
Majority Leader Harry Reid welcomed Franken to the chamber with a pledge that Democrats would not use their expanded numbers to “ram” legislation through the Senate despite a full plate of proposals on healthcare and climate change.
On the other hand, Reid said he hoped Republicans would stop being “the party of no” — a favorite moniker Democrats use for Republican resistance to dramatic changes that Obama’s party is trying to push through Congress.
Franken was declared the winner of a Senate seat in Minnesota last Tuesday after one of the longest Senate races ever, as the Minnesota Supreme Court rejected former Senator and Republican Norm Coleman’s legal arguments that an earlier recount was unfair.
The First Draft: Is Al Franken “Stuart Smalley”?
Plenty of current and former U.S. senators had memorable professions before they got to Washington: country fiddler (Robert Byrd of West Virginia), astronaut (John Glenn of Ohio), jewelry-maker (Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado). But none were dogged by a satirical persona, as is already happening to newly-confirmed Democratic Senator-elect Al Franken of Minnesota.
Franken, formerly a comedian and writer for “Saturday Night Live,” created the character Stuart Smalley, a cardigan-wearing self-help guru, often pictured gazing lovingly into a mirror and intoning, “I’m going to do a terrific show today! And I’m gonna help people! Because I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and, doggonit, people like me!”
Stuart showed up in many Web headlines noting Franken’s victory in the Minnesota senate race over Republican Norm Coleman, especially those with a conservative bent.
“No Joke! Stuart Smalley Headed to Senate” — www.thefoxnation.com
“Stuart Smalley Goes To Washington! Al Franken Gives Dems Super-Majority” — www.werushdaily.com
“Covering Al Franken: Stuart Smalley Saves The Senate! Commentary: Can Journalists Look Past The Goofy Persona Of The Politician?” — www.cbsnews.com
So we ask you: Is there any way Franken can shed the ghost of Smalley? Does he need to?
Stewart Smalley, by the way, was a character who was very important to the recovery community at the time. In AA, we passed his book around and had a good laugh at ourselves. I too have been mistaken for my fictional characters, and the mistake is laughable to anyone who knows anything.
The First Draft: Recess!
There’s a real school’s-out feeling around Washington today. Congress left town last week after the House voted for bill to curb climate change, and most lawmakers won’t be back until after the July 4 holiday weekend. The Supreme Court issues its last rulings of the term, with a full sheaf of decisions expected — but then the justices will be gone for the summer.
President Barack Obama’s hosting Colombian President Alvaro Uribe at the White House, with a joint appearance in the afternoon. In addition to a full plate of U.S.-Colombian issues, the two leaders could address last weekend’s military coup in Honduras. Obama has already called for peaceful resolution of “tensions and disputes” but he may have more to say.
Later in the day, Obama celebrates the accomplishments of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans at a White House reception. This community has criticized the president for what they see as foot-dragging on repealing the Defense of Marriage Act — which defines marriage as between one man and one woman and says states need not recognize gay marriages performed in another state — and the U.S. military’s Don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy.
On Capitol Hill, even though most members of Congress are back home, there’s one decision most will be interested in — a possible ruling by the Minnesota Supreme Court on just who has won a hotly contested Senate seat: Republican Norm Coleman or Democrat Al Franken. If Franken is declared the winner, it would give Democrats a 60-vote majority, which means Republicans can’t delay legislation with a jaw-fest called a filibuster.
Outside Washington, questions still swirl around the death of Michael Jackson, with lawyers, doctors, relatives and others opining on morning television about the circumstances of the pop star’s demise, and the fate of his three children.
There was plenty of attention focused on an expected day of reckoning set for a New York City courtroom, too: the sentencing of Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff. Legal experts suggest he’ll get a virtual life term.
Photo credit: Reuters/Jim Young. A cyclist rides past magnolias in bloom on Capitol Hill, March 3, 2009
Actually, while it is possible that the Minnesota Supreme Court can rule that Franken won, they CANNOT rule that Norm Coleman won. The best that Coleman can hope for is that the Supreme Court will send it back to have additional votes counted. Even then, he probably would only have a 50-50 chance of prevailing.
Specter gains chairmanship, loses potential foe
Senator Arlen Specter, who has had some rocky times since switching from the Republican to Democratic party last week, had a really good day on Thursday.
Specter gained some power — the chairmanship of a Senate subcommittee — and lost a potential and powerful reelection foe, former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge.
“After careful consideration and many conversations with friends and family and the leadership of my party, I have decided not to seek the Republican nomination for Senate,” Ridge said in a statement.
Earlier on Thursday, Senate Democrats, who had stripped Specter of committee seniority this week, turned around and gave him the chairmanship of a Judiciary subcommittee on crime and drugs.
“I want Senator Specter to feel welcome in our caucus,” said Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin, the Democrat who surrendered the chairmanship to make way for Specter.
“It is something I’d like to do,” Specter said.
Specter riled members of both parties last week in becoming the chamber’s newest Democrat.
Senator Arlen Specter will need to convince Democrats that he jumped ship mainly out of real conviction and not for convenience. If he does that convincingly, there is a bright future for him. More and more Republicans are disillusioned with the GOP and may jolly well decide to switch allegiance. The Democrats will have to be prudent before accepting Republicans into their rank and file: their credentials and intentions will have to be vetted very closely. President Obama has shown smart leadership and Republicans are beginning to realise that their political party is like a rudderless ship. Obama is calling all the shots as America grows from strength to strength.
Minnesota Democrat Franken calls on Biden
Democrat Al Franken went to Washington on Wednesday — but not to to claim the Minnesota Senate seat Republican incumbent Norm Coleman lost in the November election. Franken, a comic turned politician, called on Vice President Joe Biden at the White House to talk about policy issues and the still-unresolved Minnesota contest he hopes will end with a win for the Democrats.
“Minnesotans are eager to see Congress make progress on the administration’s agenda and I’m eager to do my part in that effort,” Franken said after his meeting with Biden.
He’s going to have to wait a while. A state court ruled last month that Franken should be certified the winner of the Minnesota Senate race. But it’s far from over. The widely anticipated ruling merely signaled the end of another round in a long-running battle. Coleman’s legal challenge continues — and he has said he may take his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
For more Reuters political news, click here.
File photograph of Franken, Eric Miller/Reuters
This one is easy. Just recount every single vote, even the contested ones which are driving the court battle right now.
That will solve any legitimate and ongoing legal concerns.
Otherwise, the correct course of action is taking place right now.
Whoever runs in Minnesota stays in Minnesota?
Nearly five months after the 2008 election, there’s no sign that either Norm Coleman or Al Franken will definitively be declared the winner in the race for one of Minnesota’s U.S. Senate seats, allowing him to spend the next six years in Washington.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told Reuters in an interview that it could be many months before all legal challenges are exhausted. “I don’t think we’re going to see the end to this matter any time soon,” McConnell said.
For those who have forgotten about this cliff-hanger: Coleman, the Democrat-turned-Republican first-term senator running for reelection, lagged behind Democratic comedian-author-Franken by only 225 votes after a recount of nearly 2.4 million ballots cast for the two.
Legal challenges followed and the two candidates are awaiting a ruling any day now by a three-judge panel in Minnesota.
But McConnell said that won’t be the end of it. He said Coleman is likely to employ a Bush v. Gore argument and try to convince the courts that there needs to be a uniform standard of counting ballots throughout the state.
It “will be litigated out not only in state court but potentially in federal court as well,” McConnell predicted.
Asked whether he was concerned that Minnesota is going so long without a full team in the U.S. Senate, McConnell replied, “Yeah, it’s a shame.”
The reason no one says anything about Coleman being a “sore loser” is because he hasn’t lost this election.
Just recount all the votes again, as they did multiple times in Washington state in the 2004 governors race. Both Franken and Coleman should be equally open to this, so this race can come to a democratic end. After all, it is the right thing to do.
Eric. In your post you were trying to divert this issue. Stay on task.
Let the full recount begin.
Coleman, senator in limbo, visits old stomping ground
Republican Norm Coleman, who is in a court battle against comedian and Democrat Al Franken over who won the Minnesota Senate seat in November’s election, decided to visit his old stomping ground on Tuesday, dropping by the weekly Republican policy luncheon.
A mere 25 steps or so from the Senate floor, Coleman entered the luncheon with the new head of the Republican National Committee Michael Steele and told reporters he was just popping in to catch up with his brethren.
“Everyone understands how important this race is, how important this seat is. Folks have been supportive and are still engaged,” Coleman told reporters before the lunch. ”We were ahead on election night, ahead when the recount began and I expect that when all is said and done.”
If Franken prevails, Democrats would then have a 59-41 majority in the Senate, one vote shy of the 60-vote minimum needed to overcome procedural hurdles in the chamber.
Franken, a comedian who gained prominence from his appearances on the satiric Saturday Night Live television show, was declared the winner by a 225-vote margin by Minnesota state officials in early January.
However, Coleman has challenged the outcome in court, arguing in part that some votes were counted twice. He said his side of the case will be finished later this week and while Franken’s presentation could take a couple of weeks, Coleman said he thought it could be shorter.
Coleman declined to rule out further legal challenges if he did not win the current court case.
Coleman finds temporary gig as fight for Senate seat goes on
WASHINGTON – Norm Coleman has found a temporary gig while his court battle to hang on to his U.S. Senate seat representing Minnesota begins — the Republican Jewish Coalition.
After recounting the votes, Minnesota officials declared Coleman’s opponent, comedian and Democrat Al Franken, the winner in the race. But the Republican has complained that the recount was conducted unfairly and promised a court challenge that could take weeks to resolve.
In the meantime, Coleman has found himself a part-time gig, paid of course, to be a consultant and strategic adviser to the Republican organization. However, he will not engage in any lobbying.
He will go on speaking tours, offer advice on policy measures, and help the organization plan its future, according to a statement by the Republican Jewish Coalition.
“We are confident that in a few months Senator Coleman will return to his seat in the Senate, but until that time, we are eager for him to travel across the country on our behalf and to be an important voice within the organization,” said Matt Brooks, executive director for the group.
- Photo credit: Reuters/Eric Miller (Coleman, left, and Franken after a debate last November.)
Of course you never know what the panel of 3 judges will decide, but I have a feeling Coleman just might be able to prove the process was flawed after listening to some news about what actually happened. As a result, he might be the winner afterall.
The best thing to do is to do a full recount with an outside fully independent board.
Interesting how once Franken pulled ahead, he didn’t want the recount to continue.
This recount story is not over…
The First Draft: Friday, Nov. 5
Detroit CEOs drive their hybrid cars over to the House of Representatives for another serving of humble pie this morning. But it’s still not clear if they’ll get the $34 billion bailout they’re looking for, as several senators remained skeptical after yesterday’s testimony on that side of the Capitol. Testimony before the House Financial Services Committee begins at 9:30 a.m.
The last outstanding Senate race may finally reach a resolution today, as Minnesota could complete its recount in the contest between incumbent Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken.
But any resolution will be preliminary: there are still about 6,000 ballots that have been challenged and will need further review.
The Supreme Court will announce what cases it will hear for the year. The Drug Enforcement Administration has built its own meth lab! The drug-fighting agency holds a ceremony to dedicate its new facility “that will enable DEA chemists to teach students how to synthesize controlled substances, and conduct research into illicit manufacturing methods.” No word on what they do with the final product. And somewhere over the Pacific, the Pentagon will test its “Star Wars” ballistic missile defense system this afternoon.
Robert, no they shouldn’t. This would just give a green light to them to carry on producing vehicles in the same way and using the same business business model irrespective of reality i.e. the very thing that got them into this situation in the first place.
“I am going to work day and night to make sure that our kids have a great future and that America’s best days lay ahead,” he said
Let us hope that he uses better grammar in the days that LIE ahead.