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Al Franken declared victory late Monday in his race against Norm Coleman for a U.S. Senate seat from Minnesota. The Minnesota Canvassing Board certified the recount today, with Franken winning by 225 votes.
"After 62 days, after the careful and painstaking hand inspection of nearly 3 million ballots, after hours and hours of hard work by elections officials and volunteers across the state, I am proud and humbled to stand before you as the next Senator from Minnesota," reads the quote from the comedian-turned-pundit-turned-politician.
Coleman is expected to file a formal election contest within the next 24 hours, which means this isn't totally over yet. ABC's Karen Travers estimates the ensuing legal process "could take weeks." Still, Franken has been declared the winner, and will surely now begin preparing a staff to come to D.C. — dare we begin to imagine how the funnyman could end up influencing our town?
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hopefully, he'll influence things by being a voice for the common man, and a decent, fair, and worthy successor to the late paul wellstone.
Franken has not in any way been "declared the winner." In fact, the canvassing board went out of its way to state that "We're not doing anything today that declares winners or losers or anything to that effect." The key comes when the election is certified, and that won't happen until the legal challenges have been dealt with. As long as Coleman files his challenges within 7 days of the canvassing board's announcement, no official certificate can be issued.
Which brings us to: No certificate, no seat. So say the Republicans who are united on this and can block any attempt to seat him with a fillibuster. Plus, the Republicans could threaten to withold support from the impending challenge to Burris which is the last thing Harry Reid (and Obama) wants.
"Funny" how Franken no wants to stop the counting of ballots. The man is not fit for the U.S. Senate.
The Senate has a lower approval rating than Pres. Bush. Franken will not help this!
The Senate has a lower approval rating than Pres. Bush. Franken will not help this!
I 'unno, Randy. I think he might. The Senate has approval ratings of pretty much 0% among Republicans, who think that Senate Democrats are the gay love children of Osama bin Laden and Josef Stalin, and not particularly good among Democrats and Independents, who mostly think that the Senate Democrats are a bunch of spineless lily-livered creampuffs. (This is why the Senate is less popular than Bush -- Bush has worse ratings among Democrats and Independents, but nigh on 100% approval from Republicans.)
So seating Franken won't hurt the Senate's popularity among Republicans, because they already hate the body with a burning, white-hot, throbbing, passion. But it might help among Democrats and Independents, since Franken, whatever else you could say about him, does not seem like the kind of guy who'll shy away from a fight.
Burris, now, Burris won't help the Senate's approval ratings. Franken, though? Might actually help.
Franken, whatever else you could say about him, does not seem like the kind of guy who'll shy away from a fight.
He was on his high school wrestling team. Blake Bears, Holla!
Every politically oriented statement I've heard from Mr. Franken makes a lot more sense than anything I've ever heard from a Republican.
Welcome to Washington, Mr. Franken!
IMGoph: I second your sentiments. I went to Sen. Wellstone's memorial at his synagogue and I was crestfallen when Walter Mondale lost. Here's hoping Franken will do right by Minnesota.
tvc15: i had the honor of being able to stop by the memorial at the crash site in northern minnesota this summer. very moving. (too many damned mosquitos though!)
Really! Who, outside of MN, gives a flying f**k????!!!!!
PS: Actors should not become politicians. Period.
why? why the hell should any one group not be able to run for political office? if we're going to arbitrarily ban people from office because of profession, then i say we start with attorneys. why? because i say so.
OMG, get your estrogen level under control. At least lawyers have been to school. Most "actors" have not (and no I don't count a theatre degree as a "real" degree). I don't know about you but I think I'd prefer an educated politician. Anyway, it's obvious you're a Franken fan so we'll just agree to disagree. What’s next? Britney Spears for Congress, y'all??!!