A decision, a concession, a defection, an impression, and a question
By (O)CT(O)PUS
Nine months since the election, almost 3 million votes cast, after weeks of recounts and months of court appeals involving 10 judges, 142 witnesses, and over $13 million in legal fees, the Minnesota Supreme Court decided in favor of Al Franken and ordered that he be certified as winner of the election. Within moments after the decision, Norm Coleman offered his concession.
Minnesota finally gets its full complement of Congressional representation; and the Democrats, with Arlen Specter's recent defection, get a filibuster-proof Senate majority.
One would think the way is clear for a run of progressive legislation without Republican obstruction. But the Democrats are a fractious bunch, and Octopus is a pessimist.
Will the Dems mess up a golden opportunity? Will we finally get an alternative energy bill, new financial market regulation, universal healthcare, and more? Your thoughts.
(Cross-posted at The Swash Zone.)
Nine months since the election, almost 3 million votes cast, after weeks of recounts and months of court appeals involving 10 judges, 142 witnesses, and over $13 million in legal fees, the Minnesota Supreme Court decided in favor of Al Franken and ordered that he be certified as winner of the election. Within moments after the decision, Norm Coleman offered his concession.
Minnesota finally gets its full complement of Congressional representation; and the Democrats, with Arlen Specter's recent defection, get a filibuster-proof Senate majority.
One would think the way is clear for a run of progressive legislation without Republican obstruction. But the Democrats are a fractious bunch, and Octopus is a pessimist.
Will the Dems mess up a golden opportunity? Will we finally get an alternative energy bill, new financial market regulation, universal healthcare, and more? Your thoughts.
(Cross-posted at The Swash Zone.)
Labels: 2008 elections, Al Franken, Minnesota, Norm Coleman
posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at
10:50 PM
2 Comments:
The problem is, it's not all that golden an opportunity, so it's not clear what Dems actually have to mess up.
While they may have a filibuster-proof majority, they likely won't be able to achieve full party-line votes on any significant issue. The 60-senator majority, after all, includes Lieberman (a non-Democrat), Specter (a pseudo-Democrat), and Bayh (a quasi-Democrat), not to mention other Blue Dog types. All they'll end up voting for, whether it's energy or health care or whatever, is some repellently watered-down bill. And it's unlikely that even Obama's popularity will be able to keep them in line.
But we'll see. I'm not optimistic, but I'm certainly happy that Franken will now be taking his rightful place as an elected member of that august body.
By
Michael J.W. Stickings, at 11:01 PM
At least Franken was the admitted comedian.
By
(O)CT(O)PUS, at 11:04 PM
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