When the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously voted to seat Al Franken as the state's newest U.S. senator, it did more than force Norm Coleman to concede and create a supermajority for Democrates in the Senate. It added a gay rights ally to the legislature.
Given the Democrats' inability to agree on most things, the idea of a liberal supermajority in the Senate actually isn't that promising. Legislators will continue the trend of not sticking to party lines with their votes. The supermajority will matter when it comes to the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor as a Supreme Court Justice, but otherwise, perhaps not. But how will adding Franken to the bunch help folks like us?
Well: He's a vocal, on-the-record supporter of same-sex marriage. Acknowledging how wonderful his own marriage is, Franken has said how he couldn't imagine keeping that right away from The Gays.
Also: If elected senator, Franken had told supporters he's in favor of repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell, enacting trans-inclusive federal hate crimes protection, and passing workplace anti-discrimination laws.
Perhaps Franken's one sticking point? His free use of gender insults — though making the jokes is what he knows. In June 2008, he issued this statement: "On Wednesday’s segment, I falsely claimed that Sean Hannity was born a hermaphroditic conjoined twin, and that the doctor who delivered him reacted in horror. I would like to apologize to members of the intersexed and conjoined-twin communities for furthering the unjustified stigma attached to these conditions. An estimated one in 2000 people are born with atypical genitalia, which, like conjoinment, is a naturally-occurring bodily variation. I am sorry for the ill-considered joke."
Oh, and maybe this is most important of all: Franken isn't Norm Coleman. That guy voted for a constitutional amendment on same-sex marriage and scored 100% from the "pro-family" Christian Coalition (never a good sign).
PICTURED: Franken at last week's Twin Cities Gay Pride Parade. (Photo: Tim Davis)
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Fantasy of the day: The first thing Franken does is introduce legislation to repeal DADT and DOMA.
wowww. i can't believe he issued that apology for intersexed/conjoined people. I'm a new fan. I congratulate him on righting that wrong.
He is like Biden. He will suffer his whole term from chronic foot in mouth disease.
Whoot Senator Al Franken maybe now we'll have somebody to who has the stomach to tell the Obama, Pelosi, and Reid to stop stonewalling grow a spine and start passing gay rights legislation.
Having this loudmouth in the Senate is the best possible thing that can happen for us. He will take up floor time making his own party and the Evangelical Race Party look like FOOLS.
He will be the one who is fighting our fight and forcing Democrats' hands on gay rights. WAY TO GO FRANKEN!
He's a really smart, well informed, bold liberal who is terrific at debate with conservative blowhards. Count me as very happy with his victory and somone who thinks this will be a positive thing for us.
With a super-majority, if they can't get anything done…well, then they should change the name of the party from Democrat to useless.
I am thrilled Al Franken is finally going to be seated in the senate. The senate needs new blood, all the people there care about their own careers first, big money second, being reelected third, and doing what is right for people last.
I am very happy that Al Franken is now confirmed and the Senate is Filibuster-proof. However-I agree with Cam-if a Democratic prez and Congress can't get anything done they need their butts kicked out of DC!
Of course the GOP will vote Greed and Prejudice down the line all the time. I think that Frankin knows enough to be cautious his first term in: he's smart and fairly liberal, but knowing the ins and outs of the Senate area different thing. At least we can take a breather that Colman didn't get back in. He voted with Bush down the live and had no evident ability to think.
Also, I should stipulate that, living in Minnesota and comming from here originally, Frankin probably has the same kind of sypathy for marrieage that is endemic (like a disease) to Minnesotans. Indeed, someone remarked to me at Pride that "minnesota is ahead of every where else on the marriage thing because we never did anythjing else but pair up and live in the suburbs" that's true becausethere are mostly only suburbs and there has never been anyplace for there to be a gay ghetto. I personally left for those resons but I suspect that he shares many peoples old fashioned idea of marriage and apple pie and church and family all going together with being gay. (I can't figure it out but it would make some people happy I'm sure.) Frankin should be more extreme than most on that bit. even though it's stricktly a right wing gay position.
At least he hasn't been joking around for the past 7 months like people predicted. According to PBS Newshour, "I think it’s very telling that for these seven months that this process has dragged out, you have not seen Al Franken do any of that temperament stuff that some had suggested he would." http://www.newsy.com/videos/fr.....or_senator His long standing career outside of the political realm will bring new insight about the gay community to Congress.
MN should be ashamed for how long this took – 8 months! Al will be great for congress.
Mike
http://cdbaby.com/cd/mikeandrews2