Franken: "Why Am I Grumpy? Oh, I Know Why"
Al Franken did an interview with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, where he discussed the very unconventional transition process that he's gone through without being an official Senator-elect.
His recently-hired staffers, a state director and a chief of staff, are actually working for free, because Franken has no office budget. When Franken has travelled to Washington, he's either paid out of his own pocket or from the campaign's legal fund -- which itself has been the focus of a lot of fundraising activity. And he really does wish he could be involved in the important decisions being made in Washington.
Franken had a funny take on it, saying it was odd but not the worst personal crisis that can happen. "And every once in a while I'll find myself, I'll get grumpy," he said. "And I'll go, why am I grumpy? Oh, I know why -- waiting for five and a half months to see what happens! (laughing) That's why."
Josh
Matt
Eric
That's easy enough to understand, Al - we get grumpy about it, too.
May 4, 2009 12:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Call Stuart Smiley, he'll put a smile on that grumpy face....
May 4, 2009 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hang in there Senator Franken! You will be kicking some Republican AND a few Democrat's ass real soon!
May 4, 2009 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have to wonder, where is the pressure on Pawlenty to sign the election certificate from Minnesota voters? Is there pressure and the rest of us just don't hear about it? Frankly, I'm amazed that two thirds of the voters say it's time for Coleman to step aside and I still don't hear anything about pressure from voters. All I can do is cheer for Franken and the rule of law. The pressure has to come from Minnesotans.
May 4, 2009 2:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
There is no pressure from voters because the process isn’t complete and there is no election certificate to sign yet. The issue of the certificate doesn’t come to a head until Coleman exhausts all possible remedies in state court…which doesn’t happen until some time in June.
If the MNSC denies the appeal and upholds the Franken margin of 312 votes, I think then you will see some pressure on Pawlenty to not drag this out any further. Of course, some (and I’ll leave you to guess who) are advocating that Pawlenty withhold his signature until Coleman exhausts all conceivable federal remedies up to and including the US Supreme Court.
I have no idea how Pawlenty might respond to pressure from the GOP to keep the election in limbo should Coleman appeal in Federal court. On the one hand, he’s a pretty doctrinaire conservative. On the other, he has been slapped around by the national party quite a bit in his career, so maybe he would tell them to go Cheney themselves. Perhaps the MNSC will anticipate these potential shenanigans and order that an election certificate be issued should they deny the appeal.
Meanwhile, here’s hoping that the MNSC doesn’t find cause to remand the case back to the Election Contest Court.
May 4, 2009 3:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know of course that the case hasn't been resolved yet. Proposition 8 opponents lost because the failed to organize in a timely manner so maybe now isn't too early to start organizing to put pressure on Pawlenty. Just saying.
May 4, 2009 6:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
There are some ads running - one just went by on MSNBC. The papers and TV seem to have lost interest without the presence of headline-generating material.
May 4, 2009 8:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
There are definitely the makings of an outstanding stand-up routine in Al Franken's contest with Norm Coleman. Unfortunately, because Franken will actually be a United States Senator (at some unknown point in the future, of course), he won't have the opportunity to act on this opportunity.
Well, comedy's loss will be polity's gain.
May 4, 2009 2:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
He thinks he's grumpy? Wait till he meets Mitch McConnell!
May 4, 2009 2:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
See that's how civilised this guy is. After all this crap (and still going on) and he's GRUMPY! I love Al Franken.
May 4, 2009 3:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
If all is Grumpy, that must mean that Norm is Dopey.
May 4, 2009 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Daily comment award for best Disney reference in an ironic way.
May 4, 2009 6:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Your comment actually reminded me of a ribald political cartoon where Snow White smiles sweetly at a dwarf flasher who's standing before her in his obligatory open raincoat, and says, "Oh, you must be Sleazy!"
May 4, 2009 8:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Best comment ever!
May 4, 2009 8:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Al's a better man than I. I'd be royally pissed off and I'd be holding press conferences every single day - "MINNESOTA HELD HOSTAGE, DAY 153!!!"
Perhaps it's one of those Minnesota things to be so doggone polite about it.
May 4, 2009 6:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Norm could use some lessons from Stuart.
Repeat after Stu, Norm: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!"
May 5, 2009 1:29 AM | Reply | Permalink