RSS
Home
Al Franken: least effective Senator
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Senator-elect Al Franken (AP photo)
The dust is finally settled, and Al Franken is poised to become the newest and least effective Senator in Washington.
Few, if any Republicans in Minnesota consider Franken to be other than Senator by theft. There are enough questions surrounding the election to give credence to that view, not the least of which is the possibility that dead people voted in 2008. This is a festering sore that will not go away and could infect independent voters in Minnesota as time goes on.
Franken says he wants to be the “Senator for all Minnesotans.” That is boiler plate that all Senators say in their victory speeches. But will he actually attempt to represent the 58% who rejected him at the ballot box as well as the 42% who voted for him, or will he become just a yes man for the Democrat leadership in the Senate?
Franken implies that the answer is no, but the odds are there won't be a single issue where he won't find himself in agreement with the other 57 Democrats in the Senate. His history is that of a strident liberal who never met a left-wing position he didn't like. O.K., fine, that's his choice for the next five and a half years, so be it.
It would be very surprising that the author of Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations and Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right is going to all of a sudden locate the middle of the political spectrum. Instead, Senator-elect Franken presents the Democrats with a certain vote and that in turn will make him an ineffective Senator for Minnesota.
Even though Cap and Trade is a lousy idea and a worse bill, 7th District Congressman Collin Peterson was able to wrangle valuable concessions for Minnesota agriculture in exchange for his vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act . Franken will not have such leverage since his vote is all but guaranteed on major Democrat initiatives,so there will be no need to bargain with him.
Washington County and the State of Minnesota would be well served if Franken can find it in himself to buck the Democrats here and there. If he does, he can obtain concessions that will be good for Minnesota. If he does, he will retain the trust given him by Minnesota independent voters.
If he does not, he will be for the most part ignored by the Democrats in the Senate and Minnesota will suffer.
Want to read more articles by the Washington County Independent examiner?
Subscribe at the top of this column to receive e-mail updates.
Make a comment and add to the discussion.
Related Articles:
Comments
