Franken successor to be announced Wednesday

[Jose Garcia]

Source: The Hill

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (D) will announce his pick to replace Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) in the Senate on Wednesday.

Dayton's office said he will make an announcement on Wednesday morning from the state Capitol.

Franken announced last week during a defiant Senate floor speech that he would step down after several women came forward and accused him of inappropriate conduct, including forced kissing and groping.

"I know in my heart that nothing I have done as a senator, nothing, has brought dishonor on this institution, and I am confident that the Ethics Committee would agree," he said from the Senate floor. "Nevertheless, today I am announcing that in the coming weeks I will be resigning as a member of the United States Senate."

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/364479-franken-successor-to-be-announced-wednesday

[DemKittyNC]

1. Yeah,

and that successor better be Senator Al Franken!

[sandensea]

2. +1

[Perseus]

3. Yes

Well said!

[ananda]

18. Please!

Franken deserves his seat!

[PuffedMica]

30. +1

[PuffedMica]

29. +1 (again)

[pandr32]

51. +1000000

This would be perfect because the accusations stopped the momment the stunt worked. All the Dems must realize it now. This would be the perfect way to say FU to the tricksters who set him up.

[Dave Starsky]

4. Doesn't matter. McTurtle won't seat them.

He'll say that the 2018 elections will decide who will replace him, and they'll leave it vacant.

You heard it here first.

In case it hasn't become crystal clear, there are no longer any rules in this game.

[kevink077]

6. Could be right

And there is nobody to hold Mitch accountable.

[mountain grammy]

7. That wouldnt surprise me at all

And they’ll get away with it.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

8. You could be right, the pukes have no bottom. They lack any sense of fair play or decorum.

They are engaged in a death match without rules but the Democrat leadership lacks the intelligence or courage to take the necessary actions to save sour country. We have an internal debate while our party has become roadkill by the puke stampede to destroy over 75 years of efforts to create some social justice in America.

[SCantiGOP]

10. absolute bullshit

They will be seated. They would have to seat them and then have a vote to expel them would be the only way to keep the designate person from taking the seat.
I can't believe some of the uninformed paranoid crap that is posted here.

[Dave Starsky]

42. Our government currently doesn't "have to" do anything.

They don't have to honor the emoluments clause of the Constitution or approve Supreme Court Justices put forth by the sitting President or basically do anything they don't want to do. They don't have to, and won't, make sure that all elections are held fairly in this nation.

There used to be rules for all of this stuff, and we all honored them. But anytime there are rules, there are also loopholes. There are people who seek out the loopholes because they are easier and more lucrative in the short run.

[SCantiGOP]

43. Whoever is certified as the appointee

Will be seated. That is in the Constitution and the Supreme Court would unanimously declare that as soon as someone filed an original jurisdiction request for a ruling

Short of an unconstitutional coup, the person appointed will be seated. That is beyond question.

[Dave Starsky]

44. I wish you well.

[dsc]

11. He can't

the Powell case controls in this. It would literally be a short walk to a DC circuit court and 5 minutes later he would be told seat the person.

[Demsrule86]

23. That covered elected...not appointed . Read it.

[onenote]

49. I keep pointing this out

The Powell case spoke about elected representatives because it involved a member of the House and under the Constitution, the only way someone gets to be a member of the House is by being elected. In contrast, a Senate vacancy can, under the Constitution's express terms, be filled by election or by a temporary appointment made by a state's governor.

The Senate rules even have a specific form that applies when a Senator is appointed. And Senate precedent (Roland Burris) recognizes that if someone is duly appointed to a vacant Senate seat, and they otherwise meet the rather minimalist qualifications to be a Senator, they will be seated.

[stuffmatters]

12. Bingo. Been expecting the same. Minimally, Mitch'll stall till after Tas Bill vote..

Franken will leave, another Dem appointed, BUT Mitch won't seat her until it's opportune for the Repug.

More dangerous fallout from this terrible rush to judgment by the Dem Senate instead of pursuing the investigation Franken
was due.

[tinrobot]

13. I suspect Franken will stay until at least the tax vote.

He said he'll resign in a few weeks, that seems to line up with tax timing.

[stuffmatters]

15. Not sure that once Franken's replacement is named, Mitch'll allow F's vote to count.

If it loses by one vote, you can bet that's the tactic Mitch'll take. Call Franken's vote inqualigfying and refusee to seat the replacement vote, claiming "process"

Really, these people will do anything to get what they want.

[onenote]

16. Care to make a wager on that?

You donate $5 to DU if there is an attempt not to seat Franken's successor.
I'll donate $25 if there is an attempt and $50 if it succeeds.

I really should offer thousands, since it's a totally safe bet on my part, given what the Constitution and the courts have to say on the subject.

[Dave Starsky]

20. I have no money to wager.

You'll get the satisfaction, as we so often do, of a job well done.

[onenote]

50. And now I have my satisfaction -- Jones and Smith sworn in

I invite you to rejoin the real world.

[Demsrule86]

24. There is one ruling the Adam Clayton Powell ruling...and it says elected.

[onenote]

28. The Powell ruling says elected because House members have to be elected

The Constitution doesn't allow vacancies in the House to be filled by appointment, so it makes sense that a case involving a House member would refer to the member being elected.

But the Constitution allows Senators to be appointed to fill vacancies or by special election. There is no reason to think that Senate can apply a different standard to a Senator chosen by a governor as Constitutionally permitted or one chosen by a special election. Indeed, the Constitutional provision describing the qualifications to be a Senator at that he or she has to be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the US for at least nine years, and an inhabitant of the State in which the person shall be "chosen."

It's beyond imagination that Dayton will pick someone who doesn't meet the qualifications to be a Senator stated above. Once he does, the Secretary of State of Minnesota will complete a certification that will be presented to he Secretary of the Senate. The Senate even has adopted a model form of such certification specifically for situations in which a Senator is appointed to an unexpired term (although use of that particular form is not required).

Recall that the seating of Roland Burris, who was appointed by Rod Blagojevich to fill the Senate seat vacated by Obama, was delayed briefly because the Secretary of State of Illinois refused to sign the prescribed certificate of appointment and, notwithstanding the fact it was signed by Blagojevich, the Secretary of the Senate refused to accept it as valid. However, the Illinois courts found that the governor's signature on the certification was sufficient and after Burris presented a copy of the form with the state seal, he was seated.

[Demsrule86]

22. I said it the first day...this shit started.

And I hope we are both wrong.

[alarimer]

45. In that case, we need to occupy Congress.

Or some uncivil disobedience.

[Jose Garcia]

46. Once the election is certified, he will be seated

Congress will probably be in recess by then, so Jones won't be casting any votes until the new year.

BTW, there is no Alabama Senate election in 2018. Jones won't be up for reelection until 2020.

[Tiggeroshii]

5. Can al franken play al franken on snl now?

[Freethinker65]

9. Senator Franken said he would step down in the coming weeks

Did Senator Franken ever give a specific date?

Trump always says thing are coming “very soon” or “shortly” and even “on day one” and many are still waiting.

Weeks could just mean less than months, or even years. Wishful thinking on my part.

[Thor_MN]

34. No. Franken has yet to resign.

Dayton's announcement is who WILL BE the replacement IF AND WHEN Franken resigns. But today's media has trouble conjugating simple verbs, so they play it like it has already happened.

[LiberalLovinLug]

14. So they are really going through with this

[Chasstev365]

17. I will always vote for Democrats over Republicans, but I will not forgive the way Al was treated.

This is BULL SHIT!

LeAnn Tweeden is a totally phoney. A friend of both Hannity and Don Jr. who was persuaded years later it was sexual harassment and she was coached by Roger Stone!

If Minnesota goes Red in 2018, be it on Schumer and Gillenbrand's head!

[ananda]

19. I truly hate Schumer and Gillibrand now!

And I'm not too fond of Warren and Sanders either!

I feel so fucking betrayed!

[jrthin]

32. You stated exactly what I'm thinking and feeling. nt

[eissa]

25. Same here

Franken didn't deserve this betrayal, and if Gillibrand ever runs for national office, this lifelong Democrat will never case a ballot for her.

[Owl]

26. Yep. Same here.

[onenote]

35. I remember some "lifelong Democrats" saying the same thing about Hillary

And where did that get us?

Do you honestly think Franken would want Democrats to divide over this? If you do, you don't know much about Franken.

[onenote]

37. If Minnesota goes red because Democrats don't vote the Democratic candidate

It's on the heads of those short sighted Democrats.

Do you honestly think Franken wants Minnesota to lose a Democratic senate seat?

Geez....

[msongs]

21. youd think they'd wait til he actually resigned. sheesh. nt

[onenote]

31. I'm sure it will be coordinated so that Franken's resignation takes effect upon the certification

his replacement.

[diva77]

27. contact info for Gov. Dayton - I just called to urge him to not accept a resignation

Send your questions and comments to Governor Dayton and Lt. Governor Smith
Telephone Numbers

Telephone: [phone]
Toll Free: 800-657-3717
Minnesota Relay: 800-627-3529
Fax: [phone]

Staffed office hours are: Monday-Friday, 8a.m.- 5p.m.

I also called Al's DC office to urge him to not resign -- and someone actually answered the phone; all other Minn. offices no one answers and voicemail is full.
Al Franken
DC Office
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
[phone]

[onenote]

33. And if he doesn't "accept it", what then?

He doesn't have the power to reject Franken's attempt to resign. And Franken, if he is set on resigning as appears to be the case, can simply force the issue by saying he's going to resign as of x date whether or not his successor has been named.

[diva77]

36. I tried to ask the person who answered whether the gov. had that power and he didn't know, so thanks

for clearing that up. Still, it's good for the gov. to know people don't want Franken to resign.

[Akoto]

38. Franken hasn't resigned or even given a date of resignation, we should remember.

I feel that he won't head out the door until at least after the tax bill vote. He knows he'll be needed there and that it's an important thing. As far as I'm aware, until his last day on the job, his votes count and can't be deemed ineligible.

My hope is that the governor or someone else persuades him to change his mind (can the gov refuse his resignation?), or to at least let the Ethics Committee do its job in the time before he resigns. They could well clear his name and remove any need for a resignation at all. Franken defends his own innocence but offers no reason for leaving, so I tend to assume he's trying to prevent yet another rumored scandal from bogging things down.

[Honeycombe8]

41. I wish, but I'm afraid that's not so.

He can't do the job if his co-Senators and especially Schumer don't want him there. It's a group. You're either one of the group, or you're not, is my understanding.

This is so wrong. But I'm sure Dems will forgive and forget and move on. I won't. I'm cursed with a memory for injustices. I never forget.

[nuxvomica]

39. I hope it's Franni Franken

Makes sense, doesn't it?

[Honeycombe8]

40. This is so wrong. So sad. I read it'll be his assistant. Whoever it is, it'll be a woman. nt

[HughBeaumont]

47. Dayton picks Lt. Gov Tina Smith to replace Franken.

Not unexpected.

http://www.newstimes.com/news/politics/article/Minnesota-s-new-senator-Quiet-organizer-late-to-12427054.php

[Jose Garcia]

48. But what wasn't expected is that she does not intend to be a placeholder

Smith, a Democrat, will also run in that election to complete the final two years of Franken's term, a Democratic operative said on condition of anonymity because that person wasn't authorized to speak ahead of Dayton's 10 a.m. announcement.