Franken's New Capitol Hill Office Seals Final Victory Over Coleman
Now that he has won his seat in the United States Senate and will be sworn in next week, Sen.-elect Al Franken (D-MN) has officially been assigned office space on Capitol Hill -- with some very special significance to it.
A Senate staffer has sent TPM this photo of Franken's new office, complete with his name on the plaque outside the door:
It just so happens that Franken's new office in the Hart Senate Office Building, Suite 320, previously belonged to none other than former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), who Franken narrowly defeated in this long and drawn out race.
Presumably the office was being kept vacant on the off-chance that Coleman might have won his lawsuit against the election results, and then he would have been able to return to it. In the end, somebody else from Minnesota will be moving in.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
Now THAT is a sweet picture.
I think the junior Senator of the Senate is going to to just fine.
Betcha Al will pick his spots as opposed to hogging the camera but I look forward to some choice lines.
Way to go Senator Franken.
July 1, 2009 2:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
First step is to have it thoroughly fumigated.
July 1, 2009 2:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Franken might need new furniture, since Norm probably was using his teeth to chew on the desk and chair legs.
July 1, 2009 3:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS FOR NORM!!!!
July 1, 2009 3:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think maybe an Amer-Indian shaman, priest, rabbi, druid, throw in a couple of atheists, and lots of incense are called for to "bless" the joint. How sweet...the House has Barney, now the Senate has Al. Maybe we'll be doubly able to laugh occasionally amidst all of the political carnage.
Harry, grow some balls. You've got what you need now.
July 1, 2009 3:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought it'd be excorcise the "stupid" out.
July 1, 2009 3:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
And don't forget to sweep for bugs. Not the crawly kind, the Watergate kind.
July 1, 2009 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope to God Franken brings some stiff, got-get-em contagion to the joint, because the Senate is mired in a swamp of status quoism.
July 1, 2009 3:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Outside of Feingold, Franken may be the only Senator who isn't bought and paid for.
July 1, 2009 3:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sanders.
July 1, 2009 3:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ah, Sanders. Just like the times I drove across the border into Vermont and felt optimism seep into me w/ the clean air, just the name Sanders brings me a sense of peace....
July 1, 2009 10:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
In the immortal words of Chevy Chase, breaking news "Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead" and Norm Coleman has still lost the election.
Get Al in there and get the other Dems to work harder. There is no excuse for any slowdowns on Obama appointments or on bringing bills to the floor for a vote.
We don't need 60 yes votes, we just need 50 (plus Biden) to get important legislation passed. We need the 60 to close off all the phony filibuster nonsense.
It would be great if in Al's first press conference as Senator he announced that he was starting his re-election campaign.
July 1, 2009 3:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
It seems like the repubs are threatening filibusters on EVERYTHING so we may need 60, which with our disgusting Blue Dogs and LIEbershit, we need some decent republicans too.
July 1, 2009 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please. Don't call them Blue Dog Democrats. They should be rightly called LAP DOG Democrats.
July 1, 2009 4:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
They are certainly not Lap Dogs to the current White House. Better name is Rabid Dogs!
July 1, 2009 5:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
How about just calling them republicans? That is what they are, after all -- that is how they vote.
July 1, 2009 8:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bitches. That's what they are. Bitches. (My apologies to any female Blue Dogs.)
July 1, 2009 9:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't label them w/ a female name. They're not good enough for it.
July 1, 2009 10:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Might be worthwhile watching O'Reilly tonight, just to watch his head EXPLODE.
July 1, 2009 3:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh wow- wouldn't it be cool if he dies???
July 1, 2009 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
sweet picture! I wish I had money to get Al something nice for his office. Any ideas?
July 1, 2009 3:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
A Norm Coleman bobblehead, maybe?
Or, hey: maybe a Lizard People poster?
July 1, 2009 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Except that particular lizard-people poster is left from the last admin., so maybe a different view.
Thank you, MN, for introducing me to the concept of lizard-people. Couldn't have lived without it.
July 1, 2009 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Except that particular lizard-people poster is left from the last admin., so maybe a different view.
Thank you, MN, for introducing me to the concept of lizard-people. Couldn't have lived without it.
July 1, 2009 5:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know Al Franken's book, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them," is old news by now, and the paperback promised to include the transcript of proceedings of FOX's suit against him over the title. But I'd like to add a note about the book that no one else seems to have noted. In academia, you earn a doctorate, a PhD, by adding a new idea to your chosen field. In that case, among the devastating analysis, satire, and flat-out great jokes, Al earned a PhD in Poli Sci for the following opening to his fifth chapter:
If you listen to a lot of conservatives, they'll tell you that the difference between them and us is that conservatives love America and liberals hate America. That we "blame America first." That we're suspicious of patriotism and always think our country's in the wrong. As conservative radio and TV personality Sean Hannity says, we liberals "train our children to criticize America, not celebrate it."
They don't get it. We love America just as much as they do. But in a different way. You see, they love America the way a four-year-old loves her mommy. Liberals love America like grown-ups. To a four-year-old, everything Mommy does is wonderful, and anyone who criticizes Mommy is bad. Grown-up love means actually understanding what you love, taking the good with the bad, and helping your loved one grow. Love takes attention and work and is the best thing in the world.
That's why we liberals want America to do the right thing. We know America is the hope of the world, and we love it and want it to do well. We also want it to do good.
When liberals look back on history, we see things we're very proud of. And we also see some things, which might have seemed like good ideas at the time, but turned out to be mistakes. And some things we did, well, they were just bad. That doesn't keep us from loving our country --- it's part of loving our country. It's called honesty. What do you think is more important to a loving relationship: honesty or lies?
--beginning of Chapter Five, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, by Al Franken
July 1, 2009 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kudos to Franken for taking the high road through this whole court ordeal. The real jokester for the last seven months is Norm Coleman.
Let Glenn Beck cry as he did in this Newsy story, Al's official now that the name is on the door.
http://www.newsy.com/videos/franken_funnyman_or_senator
July 1, 2009 5:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
SUHweeeeTTTT!
Cast your minds back to last Nov. when the voting was coming in and (then candidate) Franken was behind for the longest time. Edged closer, he did over time until a week or so after the election, no one could tell who'd actually won. Coleman stayed very, very slightly ahead for even longer.
Finally Al caught him and edged ahead - stayed that way. Then came the endless Coleman lawsuits. Norm seemed bitter, cranky, contentious but today, we can all celebrate SENATOR AL FRANKEN from the great state of Minnesota. Welcome Al from all over the country. We've been carrying the torch for you and the Dems for quite a while now.
Now: go kick some ass and get your fellow democrats up and doing the people's business.
=Oregonian=
July 1, 2009 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
I want to see the same photo, but with Al Franken standing there pointing to it as if to say, "Oh, here's my office right here!"
July 1, 2009 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here is a 100% safe bet: Al Franken will never, ever cheat on his wife. You won't find him in Argentina, or with a prostitute, or toe-tapping in a men's room. He adores Frannie, she adores him, and it shows every time they are together. Just like the Obamas. Another Democrat who values his family.
July 1, 2009 7:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Al Franken was the model of patience and civility throughout this whole ordeal. Inhoff called him 'the clown from Minnesota'...well, there are far more "clowns" in the repub party.
And, Veritas, you are right, Al will never stray from Frannie. They have been together since college. A true partnership. Al has taken over Paul Wellstone's seat...what goes around comes around.
July 1, 2009 10:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please, Al, take Paul Wellstone's seat. How would Senator Wellstone have reacted to the Obama Administration continuing the behavior and policies of the Bush Administration?
THAT is what I'd like to see from Senator Al "clown from Minnesota" Franken.
Al, speak truth to power, please.
July 2, 2009 9:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Whoa-- that office is undoubtedly vexed by demons! Send for Bobby Jindal immediately!! Ask about this month's "Stop Evil" special.
July 2, 2009 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Swear to god, I'll contribute to the opponent, primary OR GENERAL, of any Democratic Senator who won't vote for cloture on health care or climate control. If you're going to give a seat to a Republican it might as well be a real one.
July 2, 2009 6:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does he get back pay for the six months he was denied the office?
July 3, 2009 6:16 PM | Reply | Permalink