U.S. Senator-elect Al Franken roundup
The state Canvassing Board certified the results of the U.S. Senate recount this afternoon, showing Democrat Al Franken with a 225-vote advantage over incumbent Republican Norm Coleman.
OK, so it wasn't exactly Bush v. Gore, but the race for the disputed Minnesota Senate seat appears to finally have been settled. Thankfully, the state of my childhood has avoided becoming a laughing stock on the order of Floriduh in 2000 by taking a labored, deliberative, and from all indications impartial approach to the (required by state law) recount. It took more than two months, but I don't think anyone can truly claim that the results aren't legitimate...though a 225-vote margin out of a total of more than 2 million votes can hardly be taken as providing a mandate.
Fortunately, I believe Al Franken is smart enough to recognize that a large part of his job over the next six years will be demonstrating to Minnesotans who voted for Norm Coleman or Dean Barkley that he's capable of ably representing Minnesota's interests in the Senate. Yes, Franken made his name as one of the funniest and most blisteringly irreverent people on the face of the planet, but if you've read any of his books, you know what a thoughtful and committed Progressive he is. Norm Coleman, empty suit that he is, isn't exactly a tough act to follow, and ultimately I believe that most Minnesotans will come to appreciate Franken in the same way they did the late Paul Wellstone.
In the meantime, stay tuned for the (sadly, all too predictable) onslaught of lawsuits from the Coleman campaign in 4...3...2....