Al Franken wins Minnesota Senate race
The Democrats in the United States Senate finally have their 60th vote, which provides a filibuster proof majority. We have two people to thank for this. First, Arlen Specter changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat back in April of this year. Now, the Minnesota State Supreme Court has certified Democrat Al Franken as the winner of the Senate race in Minnesota. With that certification and Governor Tim Pawlenty’s signing of the election certificate, the comedian turned politician gives the Democrats the 60 vote majority they have been looking for.
Al Franken
Call it what you want, but this does not bode well for Americans. Al Franken made the statement in his news conference that he was not going to Washington to be the 60th vote for the Democratic Party in the United States Senate. He says he will be the 2nd vote for the state of Minnesota, but there is no doubt in my mind that he will caucus with the Democrats and will help provide the votes that are needed to push through some of the liberal legislation that is on tap.
I find it ironic that the 60th Democratic vote would be provided by someone like Al Franken. He has been moving in this direction for several years. He is nothing more than an entertainer and a comedian and from what I have heard, not a very good one. Of course, my tastes do not run to his kind of comedy in the first place, so I could be pre-judging him more than just a little.He has been actively working against the conservative movement for years and this is just another step up the ladder for him.
With the current cap and trade legislation passing the House of Representatives by a narrow margin, due in no small part to eight Republicans voting with the Democrats, I was hoping the Republicans in the Senate would have enough votes and leverage to slow it down in the Senate. At the very least, significant changes need to be made to what is certain to be a bad piece of legislation for Americans. With Al Franken taking his seat as early as next week, I am not so hopeful that those changes will be made.
While many may consider Al Franken just another vote in the Senate, he is much more than that. He has shown himself to be very much of a liberal and he will certainly cast his vote as such. If he does, you can expect him to vote for any tax increase that comes onto the floor of the Senate. At the same time, he has been accused of owing some $50,000 in back taxes and penalties in 17 different states. As I said, I am not so hopeful about his vote in the Senate. We certainly do not need another person in Washington who has no problem raising our taxes and passing other legislation that will make it harder for everyday Americans to make ends meet, while at the same time not paying his own obligations. Did I mention I find this ironic?
Larry,
I found this post to be a bit disturbing in that you seem to uncharacteristically embrace rhetoric from the right that is old news and unproductive. The tax question is valid, but I’m not sure what you’re getting at with pointing out his status as an entertainer.
The tax question: From the accounts I’ve read, it appears that he overpaid in the two states in which state income taxes were filed (the ones he lives in) and didn’t pay in the other 17 or so. This seems to have been a stupid, rookie mistake (at best) or a manipulative, purposeful act (at worst) on the part of his accountant. I think it was initially handled a bit poorly by the Franken camp, but the back taxes and penalties were relatively quickly acknowledged in late April when Franken announced that he owed around $70,000 in taxes and penalites, and said he’d be filing and paying those returns as well as applying for the refunds in the states in which he overpaid. The main question I have now is- has this process begun or been completed?
The “nothing more than an entertainer and a comedian” comment is rich, don’t you think, given that the GOP’s favorite son started out as an actor? The Republicans have many former entertainers that they have embraced as local, state and national politicians. Ronald Reagan, Fred Thompson, Sonny Bono, Fred Grandy, Clint Eastwood, Arnold Schwarzennegger-some were good, some were marginal but all started out as “nothing but” entertainers.
Al Franken has used his celebrity status to help position himself within his party, sure, just like all of the above Republicans. But he has also used his status and talents to work tirelessly for the USO over the past 6 years on behalf of our troops abroad, having made several trips to Iraq and having spent countless hours with the soldiers at Walter Reed-most of it largely unpublicized.
Label Franken a liberal, certainly, and bemoan the possible consequences to future Senate work. But, given that the GOP has a long history of embracing former entertainers as highly visible, sometimes wildly effective ambassadors of Conservative thought, it seems a thin accusation to label him “nothing but”.
Laurie,
I am sorry if this post came across like that. I have a certain dislike for Al Franken and it came through, I suppose.
To be honest, I am not too fond of entertainers becoming politicians, no matter if they are Republican or Democrat. I did like Ronald Reagan, but I felt he was the exception to the rule. Most of the time, I find them to be using their name recognition to move up the political ladder and I find that distasteful. Just my honest opinion, but I view Franken in that category. To be fair, I also view people like Arnold Schwarzenneger in the same category. Again, just my honest opinion.
Many would consider a move into politics a step down the ladder
You have a point there, Mike.
Fair enough, Larry!
I’ve been listening to the anlysis of the 60 vote slam-dunk analysis from all sides of the “spin”. Of course the Dems are giddy with anticipation, but there are some from both parties who are discounting the possibility due to the failing health of both Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd. Difficult to reach the magic quorum when at least two of the majority are too ill to vote.
But from the tone, I think at least some GOP-watchers wouldn’t mind the majority, as many think the “live by the sword, die by the sword” mindset might bode well for the Republicans in the mid-terms if the Obama plan isn’t working.
I don’t know much about Franken, to be honest. What little I’ve seen of him, he reminds me of a liberal version of Rush Limbaugh. I’ve never read his books, but the two titles I know are “Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot” and “Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them.” Those sound like what Ann Coulter would use if she was trying to be a liberal.
I’m not impressed, anyway … While I see Laurie’s point that there have been other entertainers elected to office, I’m not usually impressed. Then again, I’m not impressed with most pols who came from law, business, academia, the military, or who have been pols all their lives, either. It might have to do with being skeptical of politicians in general.
Wickle´s last blog ..Who needs to know this?
That’s my feeling about Franken as well; a liberal Rush Limbaugh.
Wickle makes a good point. An agenda-shouter masters the art of the straw man argument, the ability to twist any issue to sell his personal viewpoint, becomes a great one-sided conversationalist and loses all motivation to truly listen to people. Spin doctors make for scary politicians and Minnesotans will have their hands full with Franken.
Curious, Larry-do you have any reservations in this regard about what a career as an agenda talk host might do to the political effectiveness of Mike Huckabee? Granted, he’s done it backwards, but something strange happens when one is given the power of a microphone.
Laurie,
I have always had reservations about Mike Huckabee having his own talk show. I have only watched bits and pieces of it because I do not have a television, but I have been afraid it would diminish his effectiveness, should he decide to run for President in 2012. From what I have seen, he has a pretty good show and he may very well decide he can do more good there than he can on the campaign trail. It remains to be seen what he will do.