Althouse: Here he comes now! Your new Senator!

January 6, 2009

Here he comes now! Your new Senator!

38 comments:

Ann Althouse said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/6/09, 8:03 AM
Meade said...: You bloggingheaded with Mick Jagger?; 1/6/09, 8:10 AM
kjbe said...: Bad link on this end.; 1/6/09, 8:11 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Oops. Got that clip at Bloggingheads.; 1/6/09, 8:12 AM
Anonymous said...: Whatever happened to Tom Davis of 'Franken and Davis'? Can Minnesota handle another comedien/politician?; 1/6/09, 8:54 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: Actually I think the GOP won out in this election. They're losing a lousy Senator and the Dems are getting a buffoon to replace him.; 1/6/09, 8:55 AM
Henry said...: When did Mick Jagger go to fat?

Oh.; 1/6/09, 8:58 AM
Walt said...: You a good, but I think you need more sex in your life. I've never seen anyone that blogs this much! I can't imagine how you do it so well.; 1/6/09, 9:07 AM
George M. Spencer said...: Franken interviews Brent Mydland and Jerry Garcia and hosts the Grateful Dead trivia quiz.

The first question on Franken's quiz: "Who dosed Jack Kennedy?"

Answer: "Lee Harvey Oswald."

And Franken raising money for "Jerry's Kids."

I would slave to learn the way to sink your ship of fools.; 1/6/09, 9:11 AM
author, etc. said...: And after Joe Piscopo is named as Bill Richardson's replacement we can watch his Springsteen imitation from years back. Though I don't know what's worse, that performance or the fact I remember it.; 1/6/09, 9:39 AM
William said...: To be fair, his imitation of Mick Jagger is more convincing than John Kerry's imitation of JFK....The Democrats have a solid majority. Why is it so difficult to get behind a special election in Minnesota and Illinois? The Democratic Senate will be branded as the Senate of Burris and Franken.; 1/6/09, 9:41 AM
Mark O said...: Better living through cocaine.

It is the era of the sublimely unqualified. Let the games begin.; 1/6/09, 9:54 AM
Meade said...: Mark O: "era of the sublimely unqualified" deserves to become a meme. Choice.; 1/6/09, 9:58 AM
Melinda said...: Hey, he's good enough, he's smart enough, and doggone it, people like him!; 1/6/09, 10:28 AM
Anonymous said...: Burris, Caroline Kennedy S., and Franken...the new face(s) of the Democratic Party.

I like it. Legislative equivalents of BO.; 1/6/09, 10:40 AM
kjbe said...: ...and Coleman was some kind of prize?; 1/6/09, 10:46 AM
chickelit said...: Dammit Althouse, I spent 20 mins last night searching through your comments from a couple months ago for a post from somebody named "Al Franken." I think it was in one of those late night after 200 comments posts. Is there anyway to search Althouse for such a thing? I hope it's not deleted now.; 1/6/09, 10:54 AM
TitusDoeADeerAFemaleDeer said...: what does this say about the republicans and Coleman?

I say God Bless America.

We still have Vitter, and the rest of the south-the real america that is.; 1/6/09, 11:37 AM
TitusDoeADeerAFemaleDeer said...: Franken's body wasn't bad back then.

Stomach looks in good condition. Ass seemed tight. He had arms. Hello, let's party.; 1/6/09, 11:38 AM
Meade said...: "Franken's body wasn't bad back then. Stomach looks in good condition. Ass seemed tight. He had arms. Hello, let's party."

Franken was way too pink for my tastes but, hey, to each his or her own, c'est la vie, che guevara sarà, sarà, and carpe diem (for Simon).; 1/6/09, 12:05 PM
Anonymous said...: Senator Caroline Franken Burris. Says it all about hopey changey.; 1/6/09, 12:11 PM
John Stodder said...: I wonder how much longer we're going to hear people say, in effect, "What Change? How is this Change?" I don't mean to aim this personally at anyone, but isn't it getting a little old?

Folks, it was a slogan. They all use them. They all mean nothing after the election. Not all Campbell Soups are "mmm-mmm-good," and not everything Obama does is going to represent a change.

I think he's actually extremely cautious. The main "change" he represented was that he wasn't former President Bill Clinton's wife, and he wasn't a member of President Bush's party. I think some on the left figured by "change" he meant "unabashed liberalism at last." But no. I think some independents thought by "change" he meant "transfiguration of politics into something less dishonest and less ineffectual." Wasn't it pretty to think so? But please.

As for Franken: Yeah, he's pathetic. But he won. Deal with it. Norm Coleman is not a grievous loss.; 1/6/09, 12:55 PM
KCFleming said...: "Yeah, he's pathetic. But he won. Deal with it. Norm Coleman is not a grievous loss."

Neither man was much of a prize. But that's not the point is it?

John, I usually appreciate your insights, very much so. But here you fall short.

If the election is untrustworthy, and this one stinks like pink men in milk, then grievous harm is done to democracy.

You may think that's some minor thing to 'get over', but I don't. I saw some of the shady voting firsthand, and it made me think for the first time that there is no point voting at all, because the Democrats have rigged it anyway. It made me aware that there is no longer any reason to participate in this process, because the cheating is rampant and enabled, if not outright encouraged.

Again, maybe not concerning to you, but I find it deeply so, and I do not find it more sophisticated, mature, or worldly to ignore it.

For the first time in my life I have thought: "Why live here in Minnesota?"
My vote means nothing. I am merely a beast of burden for the ever-expanding and insatiable state.; 1/6/09, 1:12 PM
MadisonMan said...: It is the era of the sublimely unqualified. Let the games begin.

We've been living in that era for quite some time now.; 1/6/09, 1:24 PM
Meade said...: Wrong, MadiMan... it is only now sublime.; 1/6/09, 1:28 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Walt: "You a good, but I think you need more sex in your life. I've never seen anyone that blogs this much! I can't imagine how you do it so well."

Oh, no! Walt has discovered my secret to prolific blogging!; 1/6/09, 2:36 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Althouse shows a little thigh. And I believe she is now blushing.; 1/6/09, 2:56 PM
Meade said...: Oh.

So logically, if it becomes noticeable that your blogging output begins to wane, I can safely assume that you are going out on me?

Fine. Go ahead... take another little piece of my heart... now... baybuh.

It was my shoes, wasn't it?; 1/6/09, 3:00 PM
chickelit said...: He looks like a Frankenstone.; 1/6/09, 3:09 PM
John Stodder said...: You may think that's some minor thing to 'get over', but I don't. I saw some of the shady voting firsthand, and it made me think for the first time that there is no point voting at all, because the Democrats have rigged it anyway.

Well, has that been proven? Is there a lot of evidence to back up the allegation of shady voting? (I'm not doubting your eyewitnessed evidence, but was there some way to document it?) On this topic I look around a lot and I don't see a lot of tangible evidence, although some smoke. The most damning event, the "ballots in the trunk of the car" story was debunked, no? Or am I wrong?

The real problem -- and hence my "deal with it" tone -- is this election was statistically a tie. It's not like the Dems stole a clear Coleman win out from under him. If it's this close, a couple hundred votes either way out of millions cast, the reality is the loser will feel like some procedural error or conscious or unconscious bias or worse was the reason for the loss. I would ask a different question in such a circumstance, which is, "why didn't you do better, to where these marginal cheats or goofs wouldn't matter?"

I am consistent on this. The whining about Florida 2000 had the same effect on me. Gore partisans, if you'd gotten more votes in Florida, your guy would've won. Instead, it was a statistical tie, and after all the procedural crap and lawyering is finished, what we're left with is a kind of elaborate and costly coin flip.

Didn't Hugh Hewitt write a book a couple of years ago, "If It Isn't Close, They Can't Cheat?" I think that's the best advice for both parties. Win your damn election. Al Franken is ridiculous, and the GOP should be ashamed they let him even get close.

Separately, of course I'd want to see a thorough investigation of whatever pending allegations of fraud that might exist. But in the meantime, I don't think it helps your cause to be seen as obstructing Franken's seating.

If I were a professional Republican fundraiser, I would be feeling like I'm going to have a great couple of years. Between Franken and Burris/Blago and Caroline Kennedy and card check, I've got tons of new material to work with -- even if Obama is fabulous. So that's another reason to let it go. You're delaying your silver lining.; 1/6/09, 3:54 PM
garage mahal said...: For the first time in my life I have thought: "Why live here in Minnesota?"
My vote means nothing.

Sure it counted. For Franken!; 1/6/09, 3:56 PM
campy said...: In America, every citizen has the right to vote for the candidate of their local Democratic Party's choice.; 1/6/09, 4:19 PM
DaLawGiver said...: Man that was a great tune he ruined, it was my first wife's and my favorite song.; 1/6/09, 4:29 PM
KCFleming said...: "I don't think it helps your cause to be seen as obstructing Franken's seating."

Thanks for the kind response, John. I'll not raise a peep against seating him. Minnesota's just not worth the effort; not anymore.

Who would supposedly to respond to allegations of fraud?
Democrats.

Our two newspapers?
Democrat organs, both.

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, a Democrat, once led a coalition group that coordinated with ACORN in 2004. ACORN and the Communist Party of the USA endorsed his candidacy for Secretary of State. Ritchie highlighted ACORN’s endorsement on his campaign website.

Good luck with validating any complaints.

Me? I'll do what every productive citizen has already done in the ruined states of MI, OH, and NJ: leave. Let the tax consumers feed off each other.; 1/6/09, 4:41 PM
Kirby Olson said...: In the decline of the Roman empire they used to pick emperors based on how well they could dance, or at least that's how Heliogobalus got picked according to Suetonius.

He came out dancing like a rock star and the troops went wild.

This nation had a pretty good run.; 1/6/09, 5:10 PM
AllenS said...: I'm 62 years of age, and this was the first election that I didn't participate in. Some of it was the fact that I can't stand McCain, and I refused to vote for Obama, but most of my decision was based on the simple fact that I just don't care anymore. It doesn't matter to me who is the president. I, and a lot of people in my part of WI, don't believe the election results from Milwaukee and Madison. There is simply nothing that can be done about it. Watching the MN election, I knew that when they had the recount that Franken was going to find enough votes. There was no doubt in my mind. Life is good for AllenS, and next Wednesday I'll receive my first Social Security check. Franken has a bad temper, and I can hardly wait for him to punch someone. We are about to watch a 3 ring circus. Keep your sense of humor.; 1/7/09, 5:48 AM
AlphaLiberal said...: It has quickly become an article of faith, not evidence or logic, among conservatives that Franken "stole" the election.

A couple pieces this AM for those interested in thinking it through:

Coleman's Lawsuit: This Whole Election Stinks -- And I Won
TPM analyzes Norm's filing:
The complaint ignores the existence of counter-evidence, employs one maneuver when it is self-benefiting and opposes the same maneuver when it goes against them, attacks not just the recount but votes that were counted for Franken all along, and overall throws everything against the wall to see what sticks.

A thorough and fair job.

Al Franken stole the election? Prove it or shut up, by Joe Conason.
Right on, Joe.; 1/9/09, 7:33 AM
AlphaLiberal said...: ...a lot of people in my part of WI, don't believe the election results from Milwaukee and Madison.

?

Why? There have only been a handful of cases where fraud was found. And people were caught and rightly punished.

PLus, in Madison and Milwaukee we have a lot more people keeping an eye on things than in the rural areas.; 1/9/09, 7:35 AM