Posted 07 July 2009 - 10:04 PM
Democrats wave Franken as trophy over limping GOP
WASHINGTON – Turns out that not-funny senator bit was an act.
"I'm an extremely good-looking person," satirist-turned-senator Al Franken cracked as photographers snapped his picture Tuesday after he took the oath of office.
Funny, ha-ha. But the Senate can be funny-odd, too, not to mention unforgiving.
Even as some Democrats insisted that Franken's vote as the 60th senator in their party could make it harder, not easier, to pass bills, they rewarded the man who delivered the alleged burden of a supermajority with an illustrious debut.
Franken, a non-lawyer and the 100th senator in seniority, will sit on the committee reviewing Sonia Sotomayor's fitness for the Supreme Court — a plum assignment not given to the 96th senator, Roland Burris, the former attorney general of Illinois. Being a lawyer, Democratic leaders quickly said, is not a requirement to sit on the Judiciary Committee.
The real difference between the Senate pre-Franken and now?
"So far, an extra seat at lunch," quipped Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, heading into the weekly closed-door session.
"If you think it's going to dramatically change things, it won't," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Make no mistake, Democrats were thrilled to finally seat Franken as senator from Minnesota after an eight-month legal and political battle against GOP incumbent Norm Coleman — and to lord him like a trophy over the limping GOP.
Burris, in contrast, has been treated pretty much like a pariah after his arrival through the appointment by a tainted — and later impeached and ousted — Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to fill the last two years of President Barack Obama's Senate term.
But Franken was received on the Senate floor with gleeful hugs and back-slaps as he prepared to descend to the well of the chamber to take the oath. A traditional murmur of welcome ensued.
"Nice to see you. How are you? Great to see you," Franken said as he was mobbed by his new colleagues. A few Republicans strolled over to shake his hand, and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, gave Franken a bear hug.
Flanked by Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar on one side and former Vice President Walter Mondale on the other, Franken approached Vice President Joe Biden and raised his right hand. The other rested on the family Bible of the late Paul Wellstone, the Minnesota senator who died in a plane crash in 2002.
Franken grinned at Biden, who read the oath. An "I do" later and Franken, former "Saturday Night Live" actor, comedian and Playboy columnist, became a U.S. senator. His friends and family, who occupied an entire section of the Senate gallery, leapt to their feet and cheered.
"Terrific, wonderful, elated," Franken's wife, Franni, said as she exited the chamber. Did she cry? "Not really, I was so in the moment."
"He's worn out," said Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., "and so's his bank account."
It had been a long and expensive journey to Franken's official career change, and Democrats were quick to celebrate.
"Sen. Franken gave me a few jokes he thought I should share with you, but I didn't like them, so I'm not going to do it," Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters after the weekly policy lunch.
It wasn't all laughs inside that session, according to several senators who attended. Franken was restrained and earnest and Democrats congratulated him anew. There was the serious matter of the Franken supermajority being one only on paper.
Democrats now hold 60 seats, enough to block filibusters — but only if every Democrat and two independents show up, and they all vote together. The chamber's most senior members, Robert Byrd and Edward M. Kennedy, are ill and haven't voted in weeks. Without them there, Democrats need the support of at least two Republicans.
Reid and his lieutenant, Sen. Dick Durbin, pleaded for the caucus to vote together at least on test votes designed to advance legislation to a final, up-or-down tally. But they were also busy lowering expectations. Controlling 60 votes, they argued, inflates the importance of every single vote. It increases the Democrats' need to court Republicans, and makes any vote less than 60 potentially look like a failure.
GOP senators, meanwhile, were busy making the case that now Democrats have "no excuses" for the results of their legislative agenda.
"The American people will fully understand that (Democrats) own the government, the executive branch, the House and the Senate," said Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
"It was like I was in high school again, but fatter."
