Paul Begala: Al Franken Wins Minnesota Senate Race...Again

[Wetzelbill]

Al Franken Wins Minnesota Senate Race...Again

If character were oil, Norm Coleman would be a quart low.

He has lost the Minnesota Senate race -- well, he lost it five months ago. He also lost the recount. And the lawsuit. You see a trend here? Norm, buddy, you lost. As the old country song says, "How Can I Miss You if You Won't Go Away?" But Norm won't go away, because his desire to serve powerful interests in Washington is stronger than his love for his adopted state.

Democrat Al Franken has been a class act through all of this. Like most Minnesotans, Al is patient. (I guess you've got to be when you have about nine months of winter.) But this is getting ridiculous. Minnesota has been without a senator for 101 days -- 101 days in which Moorhead, Minnesota was threatened by a disastrous flood. 101 days in which over a trillion dollars of taxpayers' money has been spent. 101 days in which the Children's Health Insurance Program was revamped. 101 days in which energy, health care, education and national security have been debated.

101 days during which Minnesota has had half of its constitutional share of senators. That truly is taxation without representation. To be sure, Sen. Amy Klobuchar has done yeoman's work (yeowoman's? Yo, Woman!?), but the North Star State does not deserve half the representation as, say, my beloved Lone Star State. (Quick aside, you probably already knew Texas was the Lone Star State, but who knew Minnesota was the North Star State? I thought it was something like the Nutmeg State, but Al Franken corrected me. If Al were already in the Senate, everyone would know that Minnesota is the North Star State. I think.)

Every single ballot has been reviewed. The five-person State Canvassing Board (which has only one member who's a Democrat) ruled that Franken won -- unanimously

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-begala/al-franken-wins-minnesota_b_187145.html

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1. Al has also avoided using small aircraft.