What a great lesson in persistence! Inspiring. Way to go, Al!!

Continuing Paul’s legacy is a tall order. Wishing Al all the best.

What a great gift if Franken can pick up and run with the Wellstone legacy.

Okay, folks, will attempt to embed The UpTake’s video in the post!

Interestingly, there’s been very little sturm und drang from republicans in Minnesota about the resolution of this. I guess the completely transparent process took all of the faux outrage possibilities away.

i’m crying watching him get sworn in. it’s done. YAAAAAY!

wooHOO PW, we’re finally there!!

he’s hugging and shaking hands and the clapping just keeps going. i still crying. senate cheering.

Lovely, isn’t it?

By the way, please donate to The UpTake if you can: Click on the Donate buttons on their main page, or use their mailing address: 411 Main St Suite 307 St Paul MN 55102.

AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…

Citizen Phoenix Woman and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:

Al Franken will not only raise the tone in the Senate but he will put the heat on Minnesota’s senior senator…as long as he doesn’t get Swiftboated by the corporate media and the President’s Chief of Staff. Franken’s success could very well advance the progressive cause in the DFL and be a push to declare war on the fuckin Independence Party Kamakazi operation that has emasculated the DFL and politics in Minnesota.

KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE FUCKIN’ AMMUNITION, THE WAR IS OURS…WE PAID FOR IT SO NOW WE HAFTA END IT!!

How FABULOUS is this?

Snarlin’ could hardly stand it—great, huh?

They want to forget about how they flushed an estimated $145,000 a week of the national party’s money down the toilet on this — money they could have banked for the RNSC’s 2010 races.

franken will be speaking to the press sometime this afternoon. anyone know what time?

does he have a twitter feed?

In the words of the ol’ populace entertainer Jackie Gleason, “How Sweet It Is!”

Okay, folks, I just found out we can’t have auto-run vids, so the UpTake vid’s going to have to come down — we’ll get a C-span link up soon.

i don’t know.

I think he will be a Great Senator.
And I love his wife, she seems so excited.

it’s over and they are in recess so no need.

It was a beautiful moment all to fleeting after all that wait.

That was nice. Thanks for your work thoroughout, PW, keeping us posted.

watching it again on the DVR. Very cool. Some of the dems actually seem pleased but certainly not all.

PW -

Thank you so much for that snail mail address…..I wanted to donate earlier but didn’t see any way of doing it other than on-line. Would you suggest they add it to their web site and I’ll do the same with my check.

And many, many thanks for your long-running reporting on the Franken race; you’ve been my “go to” resource for frequent updates.

It’s a Snoopy dance day!

wOOt !!! Congrats Senator Franken !

PW, we are so grateful for all that you have done throughout this saga.

Now Al can be one of the guests that Air America talkers call when they are lucky to get him.

Joining in the Snoopy Happy Dance here.
Great news and even better to have Something to celebrate.
Right On!

So PW, whattaya think…about two more weeks and this is over? ;)

He. Redstate’s already calling for his removal from office

I refuse to look. What for?

just their comments… and just because. They call him the “Degenerate-Elect” He’s a pet peeve for ‘em.

Ah, for the first time in 15 years Norm Coleman is out of office in Minnesota. What a great day.

Congrats to all who helped make this happen. Let’s hope Paul Krugman’s right, that Harvardian Al is nobody’s fool, and that he’s as much a policy wonk as he is a comedian. I think he will. Besides, with Inhofe, Cornyn, and their brethren, the GOP already fills the chamber with more stand-up comics than it can hold.

i live in texas and i’m not amused by senator cornyn.

I used to listen to his radio how. He’s better at policy than he is at comedy.

About time we got a Senator with an IQ over 90! Al Franken will bring the combined IQ of the Senate up by factors uncountable! It takes a lot of smarts to be a comedian!!

well.. with Norm gone, we only have two more on CREW’s list of the Most Corrupt Members of Congress left on the Senate – McConnell and Landrieu ;-P

Didn’t Norm say he might run to succeed Pawlenty?

and he’s really good at thinking on his feet. he did some stand-up here once at an event with molly ivins and when the lights unexpectedly went out, he kept us rofl til they came back on again.

Al Franken is about to be sworn in, on Paul Wellstone’s very own family Bible

Since Paul Wellstone was and Al Franken is Jewish, wouldn’t that be a copy of the Torah rather than the Bible?

Franken’s Book Lying Liars is excellent. It’s a fun and interesting read.

I hope Franken metaphorically begins to kick ass and take names. The effete boxer Harry Reid comes to mind.

It’s the Senator-elect’s choice as to what book to be sworn in with, if any. The Consitution doesn’t require anything in particular.

Senator Franken (I like writing that so much I’m going to write it again, Senator Franken) has never given the impression of being particularly religious. I’m sure that he chose the Wellstone family bible for its symbolism rather than its content.

And the symbolism brings some tears to my eyes. We may have lost Senator Wellstone, but there is at last a worthy successor.

Buffoons are not necessarily comedians.

It’s a great day for America! Go Al!!

Thank you PW for your outstanding coverage of the whole recount shenanigans. Hats off!

Side note: in an insomniac moment this weekend, I saw part of “Trading Places”–co-starring our new Junior Senator as a stoned baggage handler!

So happy to have Paul’s seat no longer defiled!!

Yay! So sorry I missed it.

Bet Sen. Al will not only raise the tone but the overall IQ, and, if he had the time to take it, the average pol score on this:

http://www.americanciviclitera…../quiz.aspx
(it came up here last night – with the odd notation that elected officials generally score about 5 points lower than the already low score of average non-elected folks).

Again, a thousand thanks, PW, you have done wonderful work keeping us up to date the last year eight months (has it only been 8 mos.?). You are due a well-deserved vacation.
Would that I could donate to Uptake; if I ever become gainfully employed again, I’d be glad to. Am grateful to them, too.

Looked like Leahy gave him a magick pen and Bernie Sanders looked thrilled.

Bernie and Al
Sittin’ in a tree
Makin’ the Rethugs
Go wee wee wee

That was one huge hug Bernie laid on him……at last! a fellow soul. *g*

PW!!!

Wow, Senator Franken.

Can’t wait to see this senator on the sunday morning shows. The political newstainers will never know what hit them.