Is the Al Franken Decade on the horizon? Upcoming court ruling gives progressives hope.

[Omaha Steve]

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/irtn/2009/06/al-franken-decade-horizon-upcoming-court-ruling-gives-progressives-hope

By Matthew Adams
| June 19, 2009

It's been a long time coming but it is looking like any day now we might start the Al Franken Decade (well, Senate terms are actually only six years). Franken is the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labour Party Candidate (there is no simply "Democratic Party" in Minnesota) and he took on former Democrat, now Republican, Norm Coleman in what is now Minnesota's longest ever election.

The vote was close between a former comedian and a former Democrat who has had his fair share of scandal problems, including one right now. But hey, this is Minnesota, they elected a wrestler to be Governor.

After the votes were counted in November Franken trailed Coleman by only 215 votes. Coleman said that Franken should save the taxpayers money and concede, but Franken went forward with a re-count and came on top. Who could have predicted that Coleman would then challenge this re-count? Now this protracted struggle might almost be over with the Minnesota Supreme Court ruling expected any day.

Or not. Coleman may have the legal right to appeal federally or the Governor could not sign off on the election. It depends how much the Republicans want to drag this out, and dragging it out has been a key issue for them for months.

Why? Two main reasons. The first is if Franken wins he becomes the 58th Democrat (there are two independents that tend to vote Democratic) which in theory means that the Democrats can stop a Republican fillibuster. The Republicans have been able to stall appointments and cause other headaches for the Democrats because of the fillibuster threat. However, you get many votes that don't go on party lines and getting 6o votes can be tough. But without Franken it is extremely difficult.

FULL story at link.

[GoesTo11]

1. For Al, this will be a lot like the 70s - the Me decade.

But for everyone else it will be different.

[cherokeeprogressive]

2. A decade of being the junior Senator in the entire Senate maybe.

It's not going to be "his" decade though.

That said, I wish they'd get it over with and put him in the seat he won fair and square.

[tularetom]

3. Franken needs to get his ass to DC take his seat and make Coleman sue him to get it back

The tenor of this entire episode would change if he did that.

I think the repubs are having fun with this whole sorry mess.

They're just dragging this out now to fuck with the Democrats.

And they're chortling at what wusses Franken and the Dems are for letting them get away with it.