Senator Stuart Smalley

[Iason Ouabache]

Norm Coleman has FINALLY conceded the Minnesota senate race, so we finally have our first SNL alum in congress.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/30/franken.ruling/

Former Sen. Norm Coleman gave up his challenge to the November election results Tuesday, clearing the way for satirist Al Franken to take the state's remaining U.S. Senate seat after several months of court proceedings.

The court's unanimous, unsigned opinion declared Franken "received the highest number of votes legally cast" and is entitled "to receive the certificate of election as United States senator from the state of Minnesota."

"I just congratulated Al Franken on his victory," Coleman said in a press conference with reporters. "I told him it's the best job he'll ever have -- representing Minnesota in the United States Senate. The Supreme Court has spoken, I will respect its decision, and abide by its results," Coleman also said.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, said he will sign the election certificate Tuesday as directed by the court and applicable law.

At last we have a senator that is funny on purpose.

[Jenne]

Guess Ronald Reagan, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, and Arnold Schwarzenegger don't count, for all they were entertainers, eh?

I've listened to 2 of Al Franken's books on tape (the "Lying Liars" ones)...he's a decent raconteur I'll give him that.  After listening to them, though, I do wonder why he bothered with all of this, esp given the outcome and the trials and tribs he went through to get there...

[AFK]

This will do wonders for C-SPAN's ratings. 

[Jenne]

One GOOD outcome of this:  the Republitards can hold the Demorats' feet to the fire on getting shit passed in the Senate.  They even have a phrase for it (No More   phrase that means the equivalent of expecting gridlock  ) though it's escaped me for the moment, heard it on NPR yesterday.  So now they can organize (har!) and defeat filibustering if they must.

We'll see how much they must...

[Jenne]

Meh, can't find it on a cursory search, but here's a good quote from a politico article:

The significance of the Franken win was not lost on Senate Republicans, who say Democrats now own the agenda — all of it.


"The implications of this Senate race are particularly significant because the Democrats will now have 60 votes in the Senate," said Texas Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "With their supermajority, the era of excuses and finger-pointing is now over."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/24383.html

[Pariah]

I don't think it would be fair to include "Blue Dog" Democrats and people like Arlen Specter in the same category as Al Franken. If anything they're left leaning swing votes