Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | October 9, 2009, 8:59AM

NYT: Withdrawal From Iraq Daunting, Complicated
The New York Times reports that the withdrawal from Iraq is an enormous logistical task: "By itself, such a withdrawal would be daunting, but it is further complicated by attacks from an insurgency that remains active; the sensitivities of the Iraqi government about a visible American presence; disagreements with the Iraqis about what will be left for them; and consideration for what equipment is urgently needed in Afghanistan."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will deliver remarks at 10:30 a.m. ET, presumably on his having been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He will meet with Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) at 11:35 a.m. ET. He will meet with Vice President Biden at 12:30 p.m. ET for lunch. At 1:40 p.m. ET, he and Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner will meet with five Americans who have been hurt by outdated rules regulating the financial sector, and Obama will deliver remarks on regulatory reform at 2 p.m. ET. Obama will meet with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan at 2:30 p.m. ET. Finally, the President and First Lady will host a barbecue for Secret Service members and their families on the South Lawn.

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Topics: Al Franken, Barack Obama, Iraq, Nobel Peace Prize, Olympia Snowe, Roundup, Sarah Palin

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | September 30, 2009, 8:58AM

New DNC Ad: Tell Republicans To "Stop The Lies" On Health Reform
The Democratic National Committee has a new ad on health care, attacking Republican leaders for "trying to scare seniors about health reform." The ad will air on national cable and in Washington, D.C.

"Tell Republicans: Stop the lies on health reform," the announcer says.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will tour a laboratory at the National Institutes of Health at 10:25 a.m. ET, with Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. Obama will make a major announcement regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act at 11 a.m. ET. He will sign the Arnold Palmer Gold Medal Act in the Oval Office at 1:30 p.m. ET, honoring the legendary golfer. At 3 p.m. ET, he will meet with his national security team on Afghanistan.

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Topics: Al Franken, Barack Obama, Beau Biden, Cap-and-Trade, Climate Change, DNC, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, Olympics, Pres '12, Rick Santorum

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | September 14, 2009, 9:07AM

Poll: Americans Continue To Worry About The Economy
A new AP/GfK poll finds that 80% of Americans rate the condition of the economy as poor, and a majority continue to worry about their own ability to make ends meet. In addition, 68% worry about big, unexpected medical expenses, up 7 percent from July. In a silver lining for President Obama, only 20% blame him for the economic crisis, compared to 54% who blame George W. Bush, and 19% who blame Bill Clinton.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart from the White House at 9:55 a.m. ET, arriving in New York City at 11:05 a.m. ET. He will deliver a major speech on the financial crisis at 12:10 p.m. ET, marking the one-year anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers. He will depart from New York at 3:35 p.m. ET, arriving back at the White House at 4:45 p.m. ET.

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Topics: Al Franken, Bailout, Barack Obama, Health Care, John Thune, Supreme Court

Barack Obama

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | September 12, 2009, 1:01PM

Obama: Losing Insurance Can Happen To Anybody
In this week's YouTube address, President Obama warned that losing health insurance is something that can happen to anybody -- and according to a new report from the Treasury Department, it will happen to half of all Americans under 65, unless something is done about it:

"If you're under the age of 21 today, chances are more than half that you'll find yourself uninsured at some point in that time. And more than one-third of Americans will go without coverage for longer than one year," said Obama. "I refuse to allow that future to happen. In the United States of America, no one should have to worry that they'll go without health insurance - not for one year, not for one month, not for one day. And once I sign my health reform plan into law - they won't."

Cornyn: Instead of More Speeches, Obama Should Listen To Republicans
In this week's Republican address, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) praised President Obama for taking a bipartisan approach to the Afghanistan War -- and attacked Obama's health care proposals:

"He's paid lip service to bipartisanship while rejecting the ideas that would build bipartisan support," said Cornyn. "As a result, the President has alienated not only independents and divided his own party, but Republicans as well. And, he's ignored the clear wishes of the American people. So the President gave another big speech this week to try to turn his numbers around. But instead of talking, the President and Congressional Democrats should spend a little more time listening."

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Topics: ACORN, Afghanistan, Al Franken, Barack Obama, Census, Health Care, Joe Wilson, John Cornyn, MA-SEN, Tea Party, Tom Harkin

Barack Obama

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | August 1, 2009, 1:04PM

Obama: Economic Situation Improving, But More Work Needed
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama said that the latest GDP numbers show that the stimulus bill is working, and that the economy is on the way to recovery -- but there is still work to be done:

"This won't happen overnight. As I've said before, it will take many more months to fully dig ourselves out of a recession - a recession that we've now learned was even deeper than anyone thought," said Obama. "But I'll continue to work every day, and take every step necessary, to make sure that happens. I also want to make sure that we don't return to an economy where our growth is based on inflated profits and maxed-out credit cards - because that doesn't create a lot of jobs. Even as we rescue this economy, we must work to rebuild it stronger than before."

GOP Address: "Republicans Want Health Care Reform That Works"
In this weekend's Republican address, Sen. John Thune (R-SD) warned against a government takeover of health care by the Democrats:

"Republicans want health care reform that works. Reform that brings down costs for families and small businesses, and reform that provides better care to more people," said Thune. "On all these points, the current proposals by the President and the Democrat leadership in Congress fall short. Their plan for government-run health care would disrupt our current system and force millions of Americans who currently enjoy their employer-based coverage into a new health care plan run by government bureaucrats."

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Topics: Al Franken, Barack Obama, Health Care, Mike Huckabee, Sonia Sotomayor, Stimulus, Supreme Court

Al Franken

Franken's Dogs-For-Veterans Bill Passes Senate

Eric Kleefeld | July 24, 2009, 11:03AM

He's only been in office for two and a half weeks, but Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) has already passed legislation in the chamber, his office announced -- his pilot program to fund service dogs for disabled veterans, which was incorporated by unanimous consent into the Defense Authorization bill that passed last night.

Franken introduced the measure along with Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), and had additional cosponsors from both sides of the aisle: Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Mark Begich (D-AK), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and John Ensign (R-NV).

This is not the final piece of legislation, as the Defense Authorization will still have to go through the conference committee process. That said, the chances are probably very good that the Franken-Isakson Service Dogs for Veterans Act will be in the bill that gets signed by President Obama.

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Topics: Al Franken

Al Franken

Franken Teams Up With Republican Senator

Eric Kleefeld | July 23, 2009, 2:14PM

When Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) was originally running for Senate, a lot of people doubted that he would be able to effectively reach across the other side of the aisle and work with Republicans. But, as we can see from his first major initiative, he's already getting a start on that.

In the last few days, Franken announced a proposal to fund service dogs for disabled veterans. And it turns out, from a press release his office put out yesterday, that his main co-sponsor is a Republican Senator, Johnny Isakson of Georgia.

Franken really has come a long way since 2003, when he wrote Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. "But, you know what, I don't want to get into a whole partisan politics thing here," he wrote at the time. "Not in this book, anyway. We'll leave that for my next book, I F------ Hate Those Right-Wing Motherf-----s!, due out in October 2004."

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Topics: Al Franken

Al Franken

Poll: Franken's Favorable Rating Improves In Wake Of Legal Battle

Eric Kleefeld | July 21, 2009, 1:12PM

A new Rasmussen poll has some fairly decent news for Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), who has of course just emerged from a recount and a six-month long legal battle to take his new political office, with his favorable ratings improving from past lows.

The poll finds Franken's favorable rating at 49%, with 49% disapproval. While that would be considered lukewarm for most politicians, consider the fact that Franken and former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) went though a particularly brutal campaign that saw each of them get only 42% of the vote, and both had low favorables and high unfavorables as recently as May.

Interestingly, Coleman is also at 49%-49%, as he reportedly contemplates a run for governor. It's probably a safe bet that the two sets of people who like Franken or like Coleman don't overlap very much.

The poll also finds that 60% of Minnesotans think he can still be an effective Senator, despite the late start.

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Topics: Al Franken, Norm Coleman

Al Franken

Minnesota GOP Writes Big Check To...Al Franken?

Eric Kleefeld | July 8, 2009, 5:41PM

Yup, you've read that headline correctly.

The Minnesota Republican Party has tied off a remaining loose end from the epic, eight-month battle to determine a winner in the 2008 Minnesota Senate race, sending Democratic Sen. Al Franken's campaign a check for almost $96,000 that was owed to him by Republican former Sen. Norm Coleman's campaign.

This had been the result of a trial-court judgement in early June, finding Coleman liable under the state's loser-pays provision for a small portion of the legal fees that Franken had piled up in the course of the election litigation.

Also, the state GOP's check to Franken includes $872 in interest, which had built up from it not being paid over the past month. Coleman had initially sought to delay the judgment until the appeals were done, as the state Supreme Court had not yet handed down its final ruling that Franken was the winner. Instead, the order to pay came down, and interest would have continued to build up as long as it was not paid.

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Topics: Al Franken

Al Franken

Franken Thanks Supporters At Reception -- Or At Least 95% Of Them

Eric Kleefeld | July 8, 2009, 9:56AM

Here's a video from yesterday, courtesy of our friends at The Uptake, of Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) speaking to a reception held in his honor at the Hart Senate Office Building after he'd been sworn in.

When speaking of his family, his friends, supporters, and the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, Franken was frequently choking back tears -- as he noted, he has a tendency to stop just short of actually crying. And he also got in some nice jokes:

"If I thanked everyone here individually, who helped in this campaign, I would be thanking virtually everybody in this room," Franken said. "There's a couple of you who are kind of -- just here for the ride. (The crowd laughs.) But, 95% of you in this room had a tremendous amount to do with this victory."

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Topics: Al Franken

EFCA

Franken's First Move: Co-Sponsoring The Employee Free Choice Act

Brian Beutler | July 7, 2009, 6:54PM

At an AFL-CIO reception moments ago, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) got the crowd all worked up--not by lampooning politics, but by participating in them. "I just became a cosponsor of my first bill in the Senate, the Employee Free Choice Act."

EFCA's been out of the headlines in recent weeks as Congress tackles a major health care overhaul. But labor must nonetheless be thrilled to have a new, high profile ally in the Senate.

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Topics: Al Franken, EFCA, Senate

Al Franken

DeMint Compares Honduras Coup To Franken's Election

Eric Kleefeld | July 7, 2009, 6:11PM

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), who has been a staunch supporter of the recent coup in Honduras against leftist President Manuel Zelaya, made a rather interesting comparison on the Senate floor today:

"On what basis does the Administration demand Zelaya's reinstatement?" DeMint asked. "His removal from office was no more a coup than was Gerald Ford's ascendance to the Oval Office, or our newest colleague Al Franken's election to the Senate."

Um...I thought Republicans were calling Franken's election an illegitimate coup!

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Topics: Al Franken, Jim DeMint

Al Franken

Remembering The Funny Al Franken

Eric Kleefeld | July 7, 2009, 1:16PM

As we've seen over the last week, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) is now going to be a dead-serious public servant, leaving behind the image of the goofy comedian that he'd cultivated for decades before. With that in mind, it's time to remember and say goodbye to Funny Al -- at least for a while.

During the 2008 campaign, Republicans went out of their way to attack Franken for jokes that he'd told over the course of his comedy career, sometimes taking them out of context to make him seem like a real nut-job. Franken clearly adjusted his own demeanor over the course of that race, and he just barely won it in the end. So he'll probably have to be on his best behavior going forward.

As the first part of our trip down memory lane, here's Franken in the early 1980s, along with his writing partner Tom Davis, doing a bang-up impression of the Rolling Stones:

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Topics: Al Franken

Al Franken

Sen. Al Franken Sworn Into Office

Eric Kleefeld | July 7, 2009, 12:16PM

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) has now been sworn into office as the junior Senator from Minnesota, six months and one day after his term would have otherwise begun if not for the super-close election and resulting litigation that kept his victory bottled up.

The former Saturday Night Live performer, author, radio host and Democratic activist, was administered the oath of office by Vice President Joe Biden, and was accompanied by his senior Senator from Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar, and former Vice President Walter Mondale.

After Biden said, "Congratulations, Senator," a raucous round of applause broke out in the chamber -- even from the folks on the Republican side of the aisle who showed up. Sen. Franken then hugged many of his new colleagues.

Franken will have a busy time ahead of him -- with seats on the Health and Judiciary committees, he'll be working on both health care reform and the Supreme Court confirmation process for Sonia Sotomayor.

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Topics: Al Franken

Al Franken

NRSC Still Distorting Video Of Franken Paying Tribute To Wellstone

Eric Kleefeld | July 7, 2009, 9:47AM

Oh, boy, here we go again.

David Weigel has spotted the National Republican Senatorial Committee posting a new Web video to scare viewers about Al Franken -- using video of Franken paying tribute to his late friend, Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-MN), and taking it out of context:

During the 2008 campaign, the NRSC ran an ad that featured a seemingly angry Franken yelling out, "You can take this guy!" The Franken campaign responded by running a minute-long TV ad showing what was really happening: He was reminiscing about Paul Wellstone, by doing a funny impression of how Wellstone would act at his son's track meets -- as an overly eager parent cheering on his son, and running alongside him on the whole cross-country run.

Doing a bit of lip-reading of this new video, you can tell that Franken is saying, "You can take this guy!" or, "You can take him!" in all these video segments. Thus, this is all footage of Franken firing up his supporters by doing a goofy impression of his departed friend and political role model.

Late Update: In a comment to Greg Sargent, NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh offered to use a different image of Franken, instead -- which, as we know, is the infamous doctored photo of Franken wearing a diaper, which was first distributed by the Ohio Republican Party in 2006.

I asked Walsh why he was "offering" to use a doctored photo -- and he appeared to defend its authenticity, or at least shift the question over to someone else. "Eric -you'll note the link is to the Los Angeles Times, one of the largest newspapers in the country - if there's a question about the authenticity of the photo, you should direct your question to the LA Times," said Walsh. "That being said, we continue to be both amused and grateful that the Democrats are devoting so much time to ensuring widespread publicity of our web video today."

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Topics: Al Franken

Al Franken

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | July 7, 2009, 9:00AM

Franken Being Sworn In Today
Sen.-elect Al Franken (D-MN) will be sworn into office today by Vice President Biden, at about noon. This ends a Senate race that lasted eight months beyond Election Day itself, and involved six months of litigation after the State Canvassing Board had completed the recount. Franken will take office six months plus one day after he would have been sworn in with the other Senators who were elected in 2008, if not for the sheer closeness of his race and the resulting litigation.

Obama's Day In Russia
President Obama had a working breakfast in Moscow with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, at 1 a.m. ET (9 a.m. local time). At 3 a.m. ET, he met with former President Mikhail Gorbachev. AT 3:15 a.m. ET, he delivered the commencement address for the 2009 graduation of the New Economic School. At 5:40 a.m. ET, he met one-on-one with President Dmitry Medvedev, and he and First Lady Michelle Obama attended a reception hosted by Medvedev at 6:10 a.m. ET. At 7:25 a.m. ET, Obama and Medvedev met with the Parallel Business Summit, and Obama met with the Parallel Civil Society Summit at 8:20 a.m. ET. AT 9:35 a.m ET, Obama will meet with Russian opposition leaders.

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Topics: Al Franken, Barack Obama, Jeff Sessions, Joe Biden, Sarah Palin, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court

Health Care

The Mark-Up, 07-06-2009

Brian Beutler | July 6, 2009, 5:46PM

TPMDC's update on the biggest legislative initiatives on the Hill:

• Health Care: The Senate returns from recess this week with a tremendous amount of work to do if they plan to complete their work on health care reform by August recess. Key senators are beginning to suggest that the timeline may be too ambitious, but a spokesman for Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid tells The Plum Line they should prepare themselves to work weekends if that's what it'll take to get the job done.
• Nominations: As conservatives and Republicans pore over documents relating to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's tenure on the board of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Senate Judiciary Committee readies itself for a July 13 confirmation hearing.
• Senate Politics: After more than six months of waiting, Minnesotans will have their second senator tomorrow, when Sen.-Elect Al Franken is finally seated.


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Topics: Al Franken, Harry Reid, Health Care, Senate, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court

Al Franken

Republican Columnist Uses Fake Franken Photo

Eric Kleefeld | July 6, 2009, 2:23PM

Here's yet another example of how Republicans across the country are becoming just a little unbalanced over the victory of Sen.-elect Al Franken.

Last week, soon after Franken's win became official, Cincinnati Enquirer columnist Peter Bronson put up a blog post that included a curious photo of Franken in an adult diaper, wearing bunny ears and holding a teddy bear. Bronson suggested Republicans use this photo for an ad, with the heading: "Is this who you want making decisions about your health care?"

The thing is, though, the photo is a fake. It was doctored up by the Ohio Republican Party back in 2006, in an attempt to attack Democrat Sherrod Brown for campaigning with Franken in Brown's Senate race, using Franken's face from a 2004 AP file photo of him at his radio show desk. And the Enquirer itself reported this at the time. In an indication of just how successful the attack was, Brown easily won the race.

Funny thing: The title of Bronson's blog is "Bronson is Always Right." I'll also say that I have something in common with Republicans, in that I kind of wish this photo were real -- but probably for a much different reason than they do.

Late Update:: The Enquirer has now replaced the photo, with a pic of Franken in the role of Stuart Smalley. "Note: This picture replaces an earlier one that was photoshopped (Franken in a diaper)," the editorial note says. "We don't knowingly use false pictures."

Late Late Update: The Enquirer now appears to have taken the whole post down -- the link above resolves to the main page of Bronson's blog. Bronson -- who is always right, of course -- has put up a new blog post (for now) admitting that the diaper photo isn't real, and explaining that he replaced it with a Stuart Smalley pic. This new post, in which he admits his own error, is entitled "Changing Al Franken's diaper."

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Topics: Al Franken

Al Franken

Reid And Franken Make Joint Press Appearance, Promise To Get To Work

Eric Kleefeld | July 6, 2009, 1:21PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) just held a joint media appearance with Sen.-elect Al Franken (D-MN), with each of them giving a short statement, and possibly both seeking to counter the expectation that the former comedian will be a goofy politician -- Reid did so by citing the words of a Republican former Congressman, and Franken by simply being a serious, straightforward incoming Senator:

"I'm very happy to welcome to our Capitol, Sen-elect Al Franken. He ran a very hard-fought race and that's an understatement," said Reid. "I was talking to Al a few minutes ago and told him about my hectic race that took six weeks before the results were in. His took eight months."

Franken quite naturally smiled and let out a slight laugh during this discussion of a hectic race that took a whole six weeks to decide.

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Topics: Al Franken, Harry Reid

Al Franken

Pawlenty: "It's Time To Move On" From Senate Race -- And From Michael Jackson, Too

Eric Kleefeld | July 3, 2009, 1:00PM

Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) gave what he perhaps hopes can be a final comment on the 2008 Minnesota Senate race: That he's glad it's over, and let's stop talking about it.

"I think we're all relieved the Senate race is over," Pawlenty said on his weekly radio show. "There's been some frustration over how long it took."

Pawlenty, of course, did add that "I wish it had come out the other way," but he respects the process.

Interestingly, as the Star Tribune points out, Pawlenty declared that it was "time to move on" -- the exact same turn of phrase he used to describe the media coverage of Michael Jackson.

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Topics: Al Franken, MN-SEN, Norm Coleman, Pres '12, Tim Pawlenty

Al Franken

Franken To Be Sworn In Tuesday, After Six Months Of Waiting

Eric Kleefeld | July 2, 2009, 4:15PM

Sen.-elect Al Franken (D-MN) will be sworn into his new position on Tuesday, July 7, CNN reports.

Fun fact: This means Franken will be sworn in exactly six months plus one day after when he would have been sworn in along with all the other folks elected to the Senate in 2008, if not for the legal battle that kept his super-narrow election victory in limbo.

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Topics: Al Franken, MN-SEN

Al Franken

Franken: Inhofe's "Clown" Comment "Might Be An Incredible Compliment"

Eric Kleefeld | July 2, 2009, 9:51AM

Sen.-elect Al Franken (D-MN) appeared on the Bill Press Show this morning, and responded to Sen. Jim Inhofe's (R-OK) remarks about the recent election victory by "the clown from Minnesota."

"I don't know how Sen. Inhofe regards clowns, but it might be an incredible compliment," said Franken.

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Topics: Al Franken, Jim Inhofe

Al Franken

Franken To Headline Big Tom Harkin Fundraiser

Eric Kleefeld | July 1, 2009, 4:48PM

Fresh off his narrow and long-awaited victory, Sen.-elect Al Franken (D-MN) will be going on a victory lap of sorts, headlining the Tom Harkin Steak Fry in Iowa this September.

The Harkin event is of course a frequent stop for prospective or actual presidential candidates, leading Jonathan Martin to jokingly (?) wonder if Franken has his eye on 2016. There is of course a simple explanation, consistent with everything we've known for years: You can't keep Al Franken away from a big, raucous Democratic fundraising event.

I attended just such a gathering for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, held in a backyard in Madison in November 2003. Franken stood up in a super-crowded tent that was filled way beyond the hosts' expectations, on top of a heater that had been put in to warm up the space, and opened his speech by joking about how safe he felt. It was a fun time.

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Topics: Al Franken, MN-SEN

Al Franken

Inhofe Ridicules "The Clown From Minnesota"

Eric Kleefeld | July 1, 2009, 2:57PM

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) had some kind words for the newest member of the U.S. Senate, Al Franken.

"I'll tell you what a lot of people are thinking," Inhofe told the Tulsa World, discussing the decreasing likelihood of successful Republican filibusters, "and that is it looks like things are going to be over and we are going to get the clown from Minnesota."

"I didn't mean to be disrespectful. I don't know the guy, but ... for a living he is a clown,'' Inhofe added. "That's what he does for a living."

Franken was, indeed, a funny-man for a living. So what's Inhofe's excuse?

And by the way, folks, the Republican Party celebrates as their greatest hero a former actor who starred in a movie in which his character became the adoptive father of a chimpanzee. There's nothing wrong or disqualifying about acting alongside a chimp, of course -- it sounds kind of fun, actually. But the complete double-standard, and the seemingly total unawareness of it, are pretty striking.

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Topics: Al Franken, Jim Inhofe, MN-SEN

Al Franken

Franken's New Capitol Hill Office Seals Final Victory Over Coleman

Eric Kleefeld | July 1, 2009, 2:37PM

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.

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Topics: Al Franken, MN-SEN, Norm Coleman

Al Franken

An Emotional Franken Thanks His Supporters, His Family -- And Recognizes Wellstone's Legacy

Eric Kleefeld | July 1, 2009, 2:13PM

Sen.-elect Al Franken (D-MN) just held a victory rally at the Minnesota state Capitol in St. Paul, celebrating his hard-fought and heavily-litigated victory that finally came true yesterday. In some of the most heartfelt terms possible, he thanked his staff, all of his supporters and volunteers, and especially his family -- and paid tribute to a departed friend, the late Sen. Paul Wellstone.

"Well, it was close," he began his remarks, to the laughter of the crowd, alluding to his final certified victory margin of 312 votes out of about 2.9 million. "But we won." And the crowd applauded.

"And when you win an election by this close a margin, you know that not one bit of effort went to waste," he later added. "And so I want to thank every single person who knocked on a door, marched in a parade, made a phone call, gave money, gave time, gave energy, gave of themselves to this effort. Thank all of you, thank you, thank you, thank you."

The longer his speech went on, Franken became more emotional, clearly touched in a very deep way at the amazing victory he has won, and all the effort that other people put into it on his behalf.

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Topics: Al Franken, MN-SEN

Al Franken

Murdoch Press Blows Gasket Over Franken Victory

Eric Kleefeld | July 1, 2009, 12:15PM

Here's a fun dose of schadenfreude.

Sen.-elect Al Franken's (D-MN) long-awaited victory in the 2008 Minnesota Senate race seems to have caused quite a lot of stress in the Murdoch-owned press. Remember, this is the same corporation that sued him for his Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them book back in 2003, with the unintended consequence of giving him tons of free publicity to sell books -- and elevating him into being a hero of liberal activists, without which he might never have become a politician!

On Fox News yesterday evening, Glenn Beck was quite alarmed by the development:

"This is like having me in the Senate," Beck said. "You don't want me as a Senator! What is that? I mean, it shows how crazy our country has gone -- you don't want me as a Senator, you don't want Al Franken as a Senator."

Regardless of whether you agree with that comparison, you do have to admire Beck's honesty about himself.

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Topics: Al Franken, MN-SEN

Al Franken

DSCC E-mail: Help Congratulate Al Franken

Eric Kleefeld | July 1, 2009, 11:42AM

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, has now sent out a DSCC fundraising e-mail celebrating the victory of Sen.-elect Al Franken (D-MN), and inviting recipients to congratulate him.

"Sen.-elect Franken's vote will be crucial as we work to pass President Obama's change agenda - a stronger economy, health care for more Americans, and energy policies that protect the planet," the e-mail says, with the emphasis in the original. "We'd also like to thank all of those dedicated supporters from Minnesota and across the nation who helped make it happen. Al Franken couldn't have won without your help, and his victory is your victory, too."

Technically, the e-mail is not a fundraising letter, as there is no appeal for money in the body of the text. There is a standard button at the bottom to contribute money to the DSCC -- and the Dems would obviously appreciate any donations that might come in to mark the occasion -- but they put that in all their e-mails.

The full e-mail is available after the jump.

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Topics: Al Franken, Democrats, MN-SEN

Al Franken

Franken vs. Coleman: Our Top 10 Moments

Rachel Slajda | June 30, 2009, 6:12PM

It's been a strange eight months following the Minnesota elections. Here are 10 of our very favorite moments (post election), care of TPMDC reporter (and Franken-Coleman authority) Eric Kleefeld:

Nov. 5: Franken Says Race "Too Close to Call"
The day after the election, Franken releases a statement vowing that the race is not over. He doesn't know the half of it...

Jan. 6: Coleman Files Lawsuit Contesting Results
Coleman's lawsuit is filed right after the recount is completed, and is filled with contradictions and flimsy legal arguments. Basically, Coleman and his lawyers say the entire election was tainted, and he deserves to win. In Eric's words, his strategy is "overall throw[ing] everything against the wall to see what sticks."

Jan. 29, Feb. 4: Coleman Tries To Get Ballots Counted Despite Forgery
In so many cases we lose count, Coleman's lawyers try to get ballots OK'd despite the fact that the signatures on the ballot applications were forged. One such argument led to this memorable exchange with lead Coleman attorney Joe Friedberg:

Friedberg: In point of fact, even though I did something I wasn't supposed to do with the application, my ballot should still count because my signature is genuine.

Deputy Secretary of State Jim Gelbmann: Not according to the procedures we use to determine whether the signature is genuine.

Friedberg: I don't care about your procedures.

(Franken lawyer calls an objection, is sustained.)

Friedberg: OK, I do care...

Feb. 27: Franken Team Catches Coleman Hiding a Witness
The courtroom devolves into chaos when Franken's lawyers catch Coleman's team havinghidden a witness, a Republican poll worker from Minneapolis, during the discovery phase of the trial. This came after they'd been caught having withheld notes that were made by this same poll worker. Franken then moved to have Coleman's claims of double-counted ballots dropped. The witness's testimony was ultimately kept in the record, but the damage to Team Coleman's credibility was clear.

March 30: Cornyn Says Election Could Take "Years" To Resolve
NRSC John Cornyn promises resistance to any attempt to seat Franken, saying that the litigation could take "years" to sort out. Nice try, John.

April 13: Franken Declares Victory, Quotes Paul Wellstone
After the election contest court rules in Franken's favor, he holds a press conference outside his home, quoting Paul Wellstone, the Minnesota senator and close friend of Franken's who died in 2002. "It's like what Paul Wellstone always said: Politics isn't about winning, it's about improving people's lives." Wellstone's death clearly had a big personal effect on Franken, spurring him to get seriously involved in politics, which ultimately led to this entire hullabaloo.

April, May: Polls Show Minnesotans Want Coleman to Concede
Three polls show that a majority of Minnesota voters -- from 54%, 63% and 70% -- want Coleman to step back and let Franken take the Senate seat.

May 4: Franken: "Why Am I Grumpy? Oh, I Know Why"
An annoyed Franken describes his strange transition process (one in which he can't pay any of his staffers) and admits that, yes, sometimes we all get a little cranky.

June 30: Coleman Concedes. It's Over.
After the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously rules that Franken legitimately won the election, Coleman holds a (rather classy) press conference in which he finally concedes the race. Minnesota (and TPM HQ) breathes a sigh of relief.

June 30: Franken Accepts Victory
A jubilant Franken holds a press conference to accept victory and thank Coleman, saying "I'm so excited to finally be able to get to work for the people of Minnesota."

Finally indeed, Senator-elect Franken.

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Topics: Al Franken, MN-SEN, Norm Coleman

Robert Byrd

Byrd Released From Hospital

Brian Beutler | June 30, 2009, 3:02PM

Speaking of Democratic votes, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), who has been hospitalized for weeks, has been released to recuperate at home.

Though it's unclear when exactly he'll be able to return to the Senate to vote, his absence--like Al Franken's--has complicated Democratic efforts to accomplish key goals, including confirming DOJ-nominee Dawn Johnsen.

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Topics: Al Franken, Dawn Johnsen, Robert Byrd

Al Franken

People For The American Way: "Sen. Franken's Victory"

Rachel Slajda | June 30, 2009, 3:00PM

Progressive group People for the American Way released this statement from their president, Michael B. Keegan:

It's taken quite a while, but Senator Franken's victory is now official. That's good news for Minnesotans and for all of us. Governor Pawlenty has said he would certify the election results, and he should do so immediately.

Senator Franken's victory should finally put to rest GOP threats to filibuster President Obama's agenda. With any luck, Senate Republicans will take this opportunity to stop obstructing the important work that needs to get done for the country and actually start helping to get it done.

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Topics: Al Franken, MN-SEN, Norm Coleman

Al Franken

White House "Pleased" With Ruling for Franken

Rachel Slajda | June 30, 2009, 2:37PM

Politico reports:

And at the White House, press secretary Robert Gibbs told POLITICO they were "pleased" with the result.

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Topics: Al Franken, MN-SEN, Norm Coleman

AFL-CIO

AFL-CIO: Franken Crucial For EFCA Passage

Brian Beutler | June 30, 2009, 2:32PM

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney is out with a statement on the Supreme Court's verdict in favor of Al Franken. "[I]t is essential that Minnesotans have both their Senators to represent them," Sweeney said, "and we urge Governor Pawlenty to immediately sign the election certificate so Franken can get to work."

"The seating of Senator Franken is also a crucial step towards passing the Employee Free Choice Act," Sweeney added. "We urge the Senate to move forward swiftly on this crucial piece of legislation as well as health care reform, financial re-regulation and all the crucial issues facing working families."

You can read the entire statement below the fold.

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Topics: AFL-CIO, Al Franken, MN-SEN, Norm Coleman

Arlen Specter

In Limbo: Dawn Johnsen's Nomination Stalls Thanks to Democrats

Brian Beutler | May 15, 2009, 11:44AM

For several weeks--while torture revelations have dominated headlines and with the scandal still very much alive--Dawn Johnsen has been waiting. She's Obama's pick to head the Office of Legal Counsel--the same Justice Department shop that famously blessed Bush-era interrogation policies--and her strong stance on that issue has united Republicans against her. But that's not her biggest problem. Her biggest problem is that Harry Reid has not been able to muster enough Democrats to overcome a filibuster threat.

Here are the numbers as they stand right now:

Votes Against Johnsen: 37 Republicans

Votes for Johnsen: 57 Democrats plus Indiana Republican Richard Lugar

Undecideds: Republicans Olypmia Snowe and Susan Collins and Democrats Arlen Specter and Ben Nelson

Reid frames the issue by saying he needs a couple Republicans to cross the line before he has the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster. But as the numbers show, it's just as much an issue of Reid not being able to muster the entire Democratic caucus in support of Johnsen.

The nomination isn't dead yet, but with Reid trying to put the onus on the White House to shore up support for the beleaguered nominee and the White House staying mum about what it role in all this is, or should be, Johnsen's nomination isnt going anywhere fast.

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Topics: Al Franken, Arlen Specter, Ben Nelson, Dawn Johnsen, Dick Lugar, Filibuster, Justice Department, Olympia Snowe, Senate, Senate Judiciary Committee, Susan Collins, Torture

Al Franken

Steele: 'Hell No, Coleman Won't Concede To Franken'

Brian Beutler | May 11, 2009, 5:16PM

I know what you're all thinking. You're thinking that if the Minnesota Supreme Court next month determines that Al Franken should be seated, the national Republican Party will graciously accept their decision, and Norm Colemen will offer up a kind and thoughtful concession speech.

"[N]o, hell no. Whatever the outcome, it's going to get bumped to the next level," said RNC chairman Michael Steele.

So you were all wrong. "This does not end until there's a final ruling that speaks to whether or not those votes that have not been counted should be counted, Steele added. "And Norm Coleman will not, will not jump out of this race before that."

Somewhat implicit in that last sentence is the assumption that Coleman will ultimately lose. And implicit in that implication is the idea that the Republicans are doing this to keep another Democrat out of the Senate for as long as possible, and depriving Minnesotans of dual representation in the process.

Assuming the Minnesota Supreme Court sides with Franken, the question of whether to seat him, even if provisionally, will fall to Gov. Tim Pawlenty--a presidential hopeful who, as we've noted before, will face tons of pressure from his party not to certify the victory at all. If this is any indication, the GOP is already turning up the heat.

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Topics: Al Franken, MN-SEN, Michael Steele, Norm Coleman

Arlen Specter

Specter To Reid: I Forgot What Team I Was On

Brian Beutler | May 6, 2009, 5:24PM

Earlier this afternoon, Wolf Blitzer asked Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid about Sen. Arlen Specter's defection, and all the various complications it's caused for the Democratic party. One of those complications surfaced yesterday when the New York Times reported (and then re-confirmed) that Specter said he still hopes Republican Norm Coleman prevails in the courts over Al Franken--the winner of the Minnesota Senate race--and retains his seat.

Specter walked back his statement after Reid confronted him about it, but the interaction seemingly left Reid speechless. Watch:

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Topics: Al Franken, Arlen Specter, Democrats, Harry Reid, MN-SEN, Norm Coleman, Senate