Senator-elect Al Franken: "Why am I grumpy? Oh, I know why."
[YouTube] h/t Political Carnival
A profile in yesterday's Minnesota Star Tribune on how Al Franken is handling the endless delay before he's seated in the U.S. Senate.
"A lot of people ask me and Franni [his wife], 'Are you OK?'" Franken said, his face crumpling into a caricature of someone inquiring after one's health. "As life's challenges go, this is pretty low on the totem pole. Our kids are OK, we're not in danger of losing our home to foreclosure. We're fine."
Statements such as this from the always execrable Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) on the continued obstruction from the GOP would tend to give one pause.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn is threatening “World War III” if Democrats try to seat Al Franken in the Senate before Norm Coleman can pursue his case through the federal courts.
Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, acknowledges that a federal challenge to November’s elections could take “years” to resolve. But he’s adamant that Coleman deserves that chance — even if it means Minnesota is short a senator for the duration.
As it stands now, the Minnesota Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case brought by the Coleman campaign to overturn the recount result sometime in June.
The Grand Obstructionists Party's contempt for America and the democratic process.
The GOP's MO: "If we can steal it, we'll stall it"
Hang in there Senator Franken!
It was Franken's camp that was fooling around with the vote count stalling the results until they could get a winning count. I think Al Franken was a joke on SNL and sure as hell will be as a lawmaker.
Wrong Robby Wrong
Please try again.
...STFU!
"I think Al Franken was a joke on SNL and sure as hell will be as a lawmaker."
So that's why the GOP is scared to death of him?
Democracy is that what you call what happened with Fraken? I don't believe that. That entire MN Senate race was crap. The problem is while both parties play musical ballots the American people suffer. It's just as much Weird Al's fault as anyone elses after all he did lose to begin with. I think the GOP's deal was that Al represented the 60th vote before the defection. I don't see what it matters now execpt for to poor Minnesota. L&L what’s your problem? No I will not STFU. What are you the speech monitor? Some of you talk so so much about Democracy and in the same breath want to stifle freedom. I guess in your America only people that agree with you should have a right to speak? Is that what all you people started blogging here for? If everyone agreed with each other who would you bash? Who would you use your stereotypes on? Sorry I stink up your board.
Democracy is that what you call what happened with Franken? I don't believe that.
Neither do I and obviously neither did George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. Yet, the coup led by Jim Baker, the SCOTUS and the GOP gave us eight years of the of the Idiot's Bastard Son, two failed wars, a fucked up economy, a barren treasury, a broken education system, a crushed infrastructure and too many other numerous acts of dysfunctional leadership and wonderful governance to even list here unless, you have a months worth of reading time on your hands.
Frank Zappa - Make A Jazz Noise Here
did in texas B 4 he was PUT in the whitehouse, NOT elected.
It must be great, fuck up the US, make his buds billions of dollars in 7.5 years, then fix it that his bankers and walstreet assholes will get more billions of tax payers dollars( while the UNION Auto Workers go bust)and then "Just walk away"
Why does Conryn hate Minnesotans?
Why does Cornyn hate democracy?
I was just wondering what he has against Minnesota.
that Texas was seceding?
Won't happen. They like Fedrul welfare too much. The get more fedrul guvment dollars than any other state. Cornyn's a welfare king always got his hand out.
That and the entire world would embargo and wipe their asses with them.
they need Pig Flu shots, and some more fed money to fix up what the strom did last year. last year, I thought his bud george was in office then. guess george did no think texas was worth fixing up.
Democracy only matters to Conservatives when they come out the winner.
Remember Bush had the Supreme Court step in so that there wouldn't be a long delay in getting a pres seated. The repubs were OK with that, but when a repub is losing a stolen election obstruction is de rigeur?
“This makes it pretty darn important,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, of the race following Specter’s switch. “I expect they will pursue the appeals until they are exhausted, whenever that may be. … I would assume if they were unsuccessful in the Minnesota Supreme Court, there may very well be an appeal to the United States Supreme Court.”
Pawlenty will not certify after MSSC. For all those who say "He can't do that!" let's not forget what we just lived through for 8 years: A Republican Party above and outside the bounds of the law. Who's going to stop them from ignoring the law now? The Dems in Congress? Obama? I don't think so. Poor Senator Franken. He's going to be waiting a long time to assume his Senate seat. This is insane.
The Poor people of MN. They are under represented. The Gov has no reason to hold it up once it's passed through MN courts but the Senate has every right to seat Franken whether he does or not.
This same seat was Sen. Wellstone's seat, so, if you are completely around the bend, nuts-oh, the Sociopathic party of 'NO' you baulk, block, fight, scream, Supreme Courts, etc. Would the 'In-Justice' mob pick Coleman????? Would they dare????? Yes, they would dare. The BUSHCRIMEFAMILY assinated Wellstone, and Callahan that same year - small plane crashes - sure!
Won't Pawlenty pay a hefty price for this? The people of MN are going to have to start turning on the heat soon..
Before the murder of Wellstone and his entire family, Mn. was a solidly Democratic state. Then the BUSHCRIMEFAMILY was ready for Little Lord Fauntleroy, so Wellstone was murdered and his entire family, then came the invasion of the Brown Shirts to 'liberate' Mn. from bias against the Party of 'NO', the GOPSOCIOPATHS, and Little Lord Fauntleroy. Mn. had the guts before the Brown Shirt invasion to tell Little Lord Fauntleroy not to come for the funeral. Before, the Brown Shirts - remember.
Pawlenty, tho a so-called 'native', is one of the primo gov. SOCIOPATHS, and already has that Interstate 35 Bridge collapse, while he and the SOCIOPATHS erected a 'Sports' PALADIUM to rival even Rome. He will pay, if not today, Mn., being a little cold-blooded, will wait for when he's down to trounce him into the mud, gleefully projecting ROVE/CHENEY/BUSH/DUMSFIELD/BOLTON/WOLFIE, shhehehhhh, don't bother him, he's contemplating the size of his shrinking dick.
Are you saying you're voting gop next time?
And if the MSC doesn't overturn the result, it's time for Obama to step in and tell Cornrind to STFU.
"Will of the people, my ass! They're too stupid to know what's good for 'em!"
Bring it on you arrogant, Minnesota hating, obstructionist , traitorous, democracy hating piss-ants.
I'm pretty sure the MN law says 'while the appeal is open in the MN courts.'
Good FSM, just seat the man. It's well past time for the Al Franken Decade to begin.
World War III? Pfffft. At this point all the Republicans can do is hold their breath until they turn blue...
Oh, wait. Knows-When-To-Fold-Em Harry Reid's in charge.
Run away!! Run away!!!
Sorry, there was a typo in your post:
Oh, wait.
Knows-When-To-Fold-Em Harry Reid's in charge.Corrected above.
Of course, I could claim that Harry truly does know when to fold - every time. However, I stand corrected!
Such a shameless bastard, coleman and his whole repuke bodyguard of brown shirts.
I would feel the same way if it were reversed, but of course I don't think I would be as actively upset about it.
The people of MN OUGHT TO BE up in arms!! Not only do they have only ONE Senator representing them, but they have a douchebag like bauchman in Congress embarrassing them daily.
Wasn't it norm who suggested Al "gracefully step aside and accept the findings", or some such phrase? You can certainly see how honorable coleman is.
And finally, this brings politics to an all time LOW for whining, bitching, scrapping, screaming and fighting. The next time there is a close election, and if it goes in the repukes favor, should we bring THIS ugly incident up again and again and again??
What ass holes!
Remember they elected Jesse "The Body" Ventura as governor. This is show is minor compared to the rest.
"When are we going to stop trying to tell elected officials what to do. Our job is to spend the taxpayers' money the best way we can." -- Tommy Watkins, Justice of the Peace, Crawford County, Arkansas
And it was Jesse "Teh Mind" Ventura by that time.
;)
And I like Ventura, actually, he walks it like he talks it.
No bullshit from that guy, you may disagree with him, but you'll always know where you stand with him.
As for this Coleman/Conryn hissy fit being minor...
The people of Minnesota are being denied representation by the GOP because the GOP are a bunch of sore fucking losers, who would just as soon disenfranchise millions, than do what's right and graciously accept their defeat.
They have lost every last shred of dignity they were able to hold on to after the last 8 years of GOP clusterfucknicity.
Hey, Jesse was certainly not perfect. By a long stretch. But He always did what he thought was best for Minnesota, not his party. Right now I'd take him back in a second.
I wonder though...is it a "Kentucky Mudflap" mullet...or a "Canadian Waterfall" mullet...
corny(n) refers to this as WWIII? and the possible filibuster by dems during the bush nightmare would lead to the GOP's "nuclear option"...
such apocalyptic terms by these chicken hawks.
i would ask corny(n), would he advocate nuking MN if they tried to seat franken? i mean, he said it is WW-III afterall
People of Mn? wtf are you doing? How can you stand this. Get on your high horses and ride after Pawlenty. So we wait until sometime in June. Then what? Mns stop taking it up the proverbial, you are embarrassing. Demand your democratic representation and lean on Pawlenty. Tell him his job is in jeopardy. How can you live with yourselves?
Break out the torches and pitchforks and march on the governors mansion, actually it's your mansion...and demand that he IMMEDIATELY seats Franken!
Here's the thing: I can see how, viewed from outside, this thing might look like a circus, and the people of the state are just sitting idly by while allowing themselves to get screwed over a la Bush v. Gore, but, That is not what is happening.
What you are seeing is Minnnesotans' faith in the organs of government, and in particular, the state judiciary, to get it right, even if it takes a while. This has been no circus. Every decision thus far seems to ahave adhered strongly to state law and precedent. And if you'll note, public sentiment has shifted towards Franken. People want Coleman to concede, but they also realize that until the state supreme court issues a final ruling on all matters, he is not bound by law to do so. So, we're giving him his day in court, literally.
That's a good thing.
Now, once the state supreme court finally does rule in favor of Franken, Pawlenty is bound by law to sign the certification. His role in the matter is purely administrative. He is allowed no deliberative wiggle room at all. If he tries something fishy, that's when we break out the pitchforks (or, rather, the swords, round shields, longboats, and horned helmets.)
If we can wait almost fifty years for a Lombardi trophy, we can wait a few months to sit Franken down using glue that will stick if the GOP goes federal on us.
wise indeed.
I'd like to put on a raft off shore and tell them they seceded. I've been living in Austin for quite some time and I'm amazed at the stupidity, the arrogance. Please secede. I'll find another place to live. Take your stupid selves the hell away from what was supposed to be a great country. There's actually a T-shirt that is popular here "Fuck Ya'll I'm from Texas". Idiots. I wish Mr. Franken and his family well. Cornyn is a jerk of the first order. BTW, conspiracy theory: Who wrote Rush Limbaugh is a big fat idiot? Al, an apology? Hah! LOL!
.... for someone robbed of 6 months of his term.
Hey, that's a bold new idea for the GOP. "Show Some Damn Class!"
If Texas secedes can you build a wall around the cool places in Austin and declare them part of the USA.
Al looks drained. This must be killing him.
A lone blue dot in a sea of red. Feelin' pretty isolated already. I concurr, Al is looking like he's feeling it.
san antino or how ever you spell it. dipshit repug retards. I thought great, a F*#ken repug town. Then I went to Austin, TX. the first thing I saw was a bumper sticker that said "Bush Is A Punk-Ass BITCH" I felt at home. priceless!
They don't know how to spread their msg...
1) Minnesota - "The people are being cheated by Norm Coleman's desire to put his personal ambitions ahead of what is best for his state and the country. That is why he is not fit to serve. That is why he failed".
2) Obama - "The lack of support by "some people" to President Obama's agenda, which puts the best interest of working Americans first, really calls into question of the motivation of those that oppose him. It shows disrespect of the office of the President and most importantly, disrespect for the millions of Americans that gave President Obama a clear mandate for change."
3) Labor - "Those who oppose the Labor Free Choice Act are transparent in their desire to serve the status quo and their blind obedience to big money donators and corporations."
"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."
that one more Rethuglican
becomes a loyal Democratswitches to Independent and caucuses with the Demsleaves the Rethug Party...How quick do you s'pose all this hoo-hah would be over and Coleman gone to work in Steele's job?
..isn't that special! The hits just keep on coming!
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
of democracy this will set the tone for all elections to be over turned Judges will be the votes that count the peoples votes will be worth less
We don't need no steenkin' VOTES! Call the courts!
NOBODY 2012
from having full representation in the Senate, Coleman, Pawlenty and Cornyn are holding the state of Minnesota hostage. Why aren't Minnesotans doing more to put this matter to rest? It's been 5 months of coddling Norm Coleman. Coleman could drag this out for years in court. Is the state of Minnesota wiling to let him do this while continuing to deprive the state of it's junior senator? Where is the pressure on Gov. Pawlenty to certify Al Franken and then let him be seated in the Senate? Minnesotans, if they are interested in their own welfare, should take this opportunity to make that happen. There is something wrong with a senator from Texas having more say in the matter than the people of the state of Minnesota. Come on people, get off your asses, Do something about it.
The governor and the secretary of state may not issue an election certificate until all legal remedies in the state courts have been exhausted. Systems vary in other states, but that's the way it is in Minnesota.
The "state's rights" crowd now wants the FEDERAL government to come in and decide this. Also, they wanted a recount after the recount. Now they're trying to say "count all the votes" which, if I recall, was what Al Gore and others wanted in 2000 but Republicans said no to and got their way with the Supreme Court deciding it. Are they hoping SCOTUS will rule in their favor this time around as well?
Franken is actually being very patient when we all know, being as passionate as he is about politics, he could easily be out there ripping Coleman and the Republicans apart in public.
It is his Karma to go through this.
Why you ask?
Because he had the BIG MICROPHONE in January of 2000
and did NOT stand up for Al Gore.
He thought it was not worth cluttering his show with the story of the rip off of Al Gore's Presidential Victory.
And so it goes.
Al Gore did not stand up for Al Gore.
incarnate.
and they're only making it worse for themselves.
I would think it would be World War 5.
Because to the Koolaid people, the Cold War was WW3 and the War on Tair was WW4.
So the War on Al would be WW5. These guys count their wars about as well as they count ballots.
After all that hard work the GOP went through to make sure Paul Wellstones plane never landed safely, and also stealing an election in the same year. Why would he give up now. No way is Norm going to quit. He is a lying, scum-sucking rat. I live in MN and am embarrassed to have him as a Representitave in Congress. Go away Norm you f$%king a$$hole!!!!!
Senator Franken will restore sanity and competence to my state's stable of elected officials and representatives. What a world...
Why all this "about to crap our diapers" talk about seating ONE lone senator? Are they really that threatened by Al? I love Sen. Franken and love his ability to call out the fools. Is that what they're so afraid of, that he'll see and point them out as they really are?
Really WHY are they such whiny baby scaredy pussycats? I do not remember this kind of behavior for any other Congressman.
How does Coleman pay his family bills? What is he living on?
I saw a news clip about Coleman a few days ago, in the aftermath of Specter's defection to the Dems, that made passing reference to the funds he would need to raise to keep up the fight. He told the interviewer something like "I'm doing OK for now but we will need money to stay afloat." I got the impression he wasn't just talking about his political battle, but about himself.
It's not a small question - his Senate pay is gone and the political campaign is over. Campaign finance rules don't seem to apply. Coleman was a mayor and prosecutor before he was a senator, so presumably he's not rich.
It now appears he can get money from anyone without having to account for it publicly. Is he supporting himself with money from Conservative groups? Corporations? Speeches to friendly Republican audiences?
Who pays for the federal appeal, if there is one? That's huge, huge bucks we're talking about. Hundreds of 1,000's in legal and consultant fees.
Franken presumably earned wealth from the movies he produced, wrote and acted in. Where is Coleman's dough - personal and political - coming from? Who is he beholden to?
He'll inevetiably lose the financial war of attrition.
I really wish that the Senate dems would grow a pair of balls and censor that turd Cornyn for his BS tactics. Better yet, just expel him from the Senate. He has no business interfering with MN's election process.
The decent people in Minnesota voted him out. He holds no office.
They expelled Coleman. Cornyn is a piece of shit from Texas.
I might wanna try reading the post first. :( My bad.
And yes Cornyn is a POS. I oughta know, he doesn't represent me here.
Is worse that that guy you beat the shit out of in Street Fighter, then repeatedly challenges you to a rematch citing that his controller sucks. Coleman is worse than that.
Nothing worse than playing vids with a guy that never gives anyone credit, but instead bitches about the controllers, the "bullshit cheating shit" the game just pulled on him, or dismissing his loss by claiming that you just "sit around all day practicing. Fuck this!"
hahaha. Good times.
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
that can be done in the likely event Coleman loses his appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court?
It's total horse**** for the Rethugs to drag this our for YEARS in the federal courts. If Pawlenty refuses to certify, can the Senate seat Franken regardless?
Screw John Cornyn. Call his bluff. What can he do, really?
What a total asshole Cornyn is. Call the Regressive party's bluff. Who the hell do they think they are?
Enough with the dry powder, Dems! Start fighting, for fuck's sake. You know if the tables were turned the right would be shutting down Congress over it. They'd turn it into a national crisis of epic proportions.
So this is what it has come to. Lose an election and you can tie it up in courts for an unknown period. Representative democracy american style.
Shame on Coleman
Shame on his bloodsucking lawyers.
Shame on the courts.
And shame on the Democratic party. They are nothing but wet tissue paper.
The people of privilege will always risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage." J.K. Galbraith
up until MSSC ruling, he begrudgingly gets a pass, but even one day past, I blame Harry Reid, Milquetoast
your name's Lebowski, Lebowski... and your wife is Bunny
Yeah, there goes that "angry Al" that the righties were bitching about. I mean look at the rage, the fury, why he's almost... angry. Except not quite, really.
Sigh.
Well he'll be MY senator... someday.
"The Good and Great Must Ever Shun, That Reckless and Abandoned One
Who Stoops to Perpetrate a Pun," Lewis Carroll, 'The Three Voices.'
And they have the nerve to accuse Gore of being a sore loser. I hope they choke on it.
Well , I hope Obama and the Dems are taking notes and remember this . Maybe it's time for the generally nutless Dems to quit pussy footing with the Repugs and declare WW-III eh ?
that Norm Coleman should be seated...
What's that about?
Only when the last tree has died
and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught
will we realize we cannot eat money.
that Norm Coleman should be seated...
on his ass on Pluto!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/05/spec...
primary his ass!!
"MN-Sen, PA-Sen: Specter is rooting for Coleman
by kos
Tue May 05, 2009 at 02:27:05 PM PDT
(Bumped. Susan)
Keep it up Arlen, your Joe Lieberman impersonation is so spot-on, that we can't wait to take you on in the Democratic primary.
There's still time for the Minnesota courts to do justice and declare Norm Coleman the winner.
"Justice", for Specter, apparently translates to "overturn the will of the voters to get my friend back his job".
But seriously, his arrogance is overwhelming, his obvious dislike for Democrats palpable. He's clearly telling us, "I switched to avoid Toomey, not deal with you fucks." And since Obama has clearly promised him support, come hell or high water (no matter how he little support or loyalty he delivers in return), he feels like he can shit on anyone with impunity.
Personally, I don't want Specter around in 2011. So I want him to keep shitting on Dems, I want him to keep opposing EFCA and Obama's health care reform initiative, I want him to keep pretending that he's god's gift to the Senate. Because unlike Connecticut, there's no sore-loser option if he gets knocked off in the primary. And I'll take a real Democrat in that seat over that unprincipled turd of a man that is Specter.
So Arlen, please keep it up."
PRIMARY THIS F*CKER!
Specter makes the assumption that simply becoming democrat would make him popular among democrats in Penn. It's going to take a lot more than that. It's a different climate now. The blue collar and the minorities are not real interested in a person who does really represent them and I don't believe that Specter represents them. I don't think he's going to win.
Jeanne
Well said sir!
Reality has a liberal bias
This is bullshit. The fiasco in 2000 didn't take this long to be decided (stolen). This is pure stalling by the kindergarten kids in the GOP.
NOBODY 2012
Where are all the Republicans from the year 2000?
You know, the one's who said "get over it" when we asked for a simple recount. The one's who said we have a deadline to meet and don't have time to do a recount. The one's who obviously felt some urgency to fill the job.
I sure wish they were around to call Coleman a "sore loser" and tell him to "get over it."
Grumpy is right. Not being there is right. Norm Coleman and the republicans know the outcome. The strategy is to keep Frankin out of Washington as long as possible. Coleman is dung in Minnesota.
Jeanne
T-Paw must certify the winner after the State Supreme Court clears up the legal challenges. Minnesota is not bound by a possible federal appeal.
Now, I would welcome a Republiscum attempt to filibuster the seating of Al Franken. This would be the gift that keep giving in 2010 and beyond.
To quote Dirty Harry: "Come on punk! Make my day!
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