Al Franken's a Senator Now -- But is He a Bigger Laugh than Burris?

It's O-fficial. At least until it isn't again.

Al Franken will be standing - in a puddle of some controversy - along with appointed Illinois would-be Senator Roland Burris at the gates of that exclusive DC institutional club filled with a mixture of brilliant public servants and besotted stiffs (sometimes in the same person.)

Which one will actually get in the Senate door and which one won't? Members-only seating on the underground Capitol Hill railway and exclusive elevator use are at stake here.

Mr. Burris arrives with the fingerprints of felonious intent on his back from the Blagojevich hands that pushed him toward the seat. That's like starting your first day at a new job just as your primary resume reference gets busted for lying. It doesn't make you a bad guy, but why do it? Because you can get away with it?

I've never been part of the Rod Blagojevich lynch mob - he's the most interesting political counterpoint going to the slightly slowing Barack Obama bandwagon. And how hilarious that the governor's response to his indictment is to throw this messy curveball at all those people who want him removed? It's in some territory beyond cynicism.

What about Roland Burris, though? What's his motivation? Why go through such a festering birth canal to get to the US Senate? I'd think he'd have the taste of sulfur on his tongue for quite some time. It would make many strong points to show up as the only black sitting US Senator. But in our supposedly Obamian post-racial world, is that the reason to be associated with (alleged) crooks?

On the other hand, Mr. Franken's declared victory in the seemingly endless Minnesota senate battle has generated some cheering, for sure, but surprisingly little laughing or hilarity. And what a shame that is. We need the laughs now more than ever. What happened to the comedian who cracked us up as Stuart Smalley? Now is not the time, sir, to dispense with satire and goofy skits in the name of politics.

Some years ago I was at a dinner party in Los Angeles where the most committed of SoCal political liberals were weeping over the state of the world: George Bush was President. Fox News dominated the media. They felt they were living in Hell. In the room were people (Norman Lear, for instance) whose cultural sensibilities and creativity had touched millions of people over many years. So how, I asked them, could they miss the point, here? Any message is better heard by an audience that's engaged. You're not being very engaging. You just need to be funnier than you are right now... more entertaining than Bill O'Reilly or Rush Limbaugh. Why let your opponents and their audiences have all the kicks while you're trying to sell your programs?

Al Franken, purely coincidentally, came out as an active Democrat/comedian some time thereafter. I'm sure that was a relief to all those progressives whose laugh boxes had dried up. After all, he was that SNL guy who was now wrapping dogma in laughs. What a great way to get people's attention.

Then he started getting serious. Not only serious but downright agitated. His speeches still got chuckles from audiences but he seemed to spend more and more time on an angry soapbox than he did with humorous riffs assaulting the other side. Gone was the scalpel; out came the bludgeon. He began to remind me a little of Lenny Bruce after his SF obscenity trial, when his stand-up performances were all about reading from the court transcripts that weren't that funny, and about his own outrage, instead of being outrageously funny for his audience.

At a Commonwealth Club event I moderated a few years ago, Mr. Franken, otherwise very nice, cornered me beforehand and asked me to read a transcript of a Bill O'Reilly TV show to establish that O'Reilly was lying about something. In front of the audience, he pressed me to confirm that he was right and Bill O'Reilly wasn't. Like that could never happen.

Now that you're almost in, lighten up, Al. For your sake and ours. Make your colleagues laugh a little while you wrangle their support for your issues. If not, we can only hope that Senator Burris knows a joke or two.

For more, read Bronstein at Large.

Comments

[DinkSinger]

No, Al Franken is not a Senator now, anymore than Coleman was reelected when he was ahead. Al Franken will be a Senator in seven days unless Coleman files an "election contest" as permitted by Minnesota law. Coleman has said he will. If the recount had gone the other way, I'm quite sure Franken would have done the same. As a Franken supporter I would have been crushed if he had not. Remember the margin of victory of 225 votes is .0077% (77 ten-thousandths of one percent), about 1 vote out of every 13,000 cast.

Here is what Minnesota law says "No certificate of election shall be issued until seven days after the canvassing board has declared the result of the election. In case of a contest, an election certificate shall not be issued until a court of proper jurisdiction has finally determined the contest." That's the law; if the people of Minnesota think the process takes too long they can change it for future elections. For now we must all be patient.

The good news is if Coleman loses the contest he must pay all the costs and the Minnesota court will only determine who "received the highest number of votes legally cast at the election and is therefore entitled to receive the certificate of election". If Coleman wants to contest the election on other grounds, such as election law violations, the court will take the evidence presented and turn it over to the Senate for judgment.

[Davwbaird]

I like Al Franken and believe Coleman to be the best example of Poppycock.

How isit that repugs are such sore losers? Did they think they stole the election?

[NoFactsJustTruth]

Franken likely didn't want to be overly labeled as 'just' a comedian during the campaign even though he's been politically vocal for many, many years. I agree though when he's been officially seated it's time for the comedian to reappear, in moderation for levity's sake. As long as he's also working to try and make citizens again feel good about OUR Government.

And, perhaps we should ALL lighten-up a bit over the Burris appointment exactly while hypocritical lobby-bought members of CONgress seemingly cannot. You, sir, are helping to place those felonious fingertips on his back, none of which are his own. The completely legal appointment is ONLY for 2 years and he then must run for office to keep his seat. Yes Blagojevich is another sleazy career politician, but it appears Senator Reid has no concerns about unconstitutionally preempting State's Rights in the process. The Illinois Governor's conviction in the courts of public opinion over the last couple weeks by supposedly progressive defenders of the Constitution, contrary to the laws of OUR country, has been disgusting. No less so has been the behavior of the Senate Majority Leader, Reid, in his pretense that a Burris appointment could somehow harm or besmirch the integrity of an influence peddling, pro-corporate, behind-closed-doors and under-the-table ...CONgress.

[DinkSinger]

There is nothing unconstitutional about the Senate fulfilling their constitutionally mandated duty to "judge the election, returns and qualifications of their members". It would be unconstitutional for them to fall to do so. The constitution specifies the qualifications (age, citizenship and inhabitance) and Burris meets them. The "return" (the Certificate of Appointment) has not yet been completed and transmitted to the Senate so they cannot possible judge it yet. As for judging the appointment (which is mandated by extension from election) please read this article by the progressive Constitutional expert Lawrence Tribe http://www.forbes.com/home/2009/01/02/blagojevich-burris-constitution-oped-cx_lt_0102tribe.html

By the way, President-elect Obama is also a Constitutional law expert and professor and he also believes the appointment should be rejected.

[RepugsOut08]

Al's victory is a welcome event, and it's narrow margin a sign that people are both fed up and disgusted with the last eight years, but still wary of the new kid on the block. These are scary times, and people aren't looking for a court jester. They're looking for a leader that gets the seriousness of our bleak situation.
I too look forward to seeing the old Al with his wonderful sense of humor on display, but the narrow margin of his victory shows he played it right.
Your advice to folks like Norman Lear, to outdo the amature comedians like Limbaugh, rings true. That's their job, and it's been left to folks like Michael Moore to take up their slack.
When Al decided to run for Senator, he knew he wasn't auditioning for a comedy show, and he knew the Republican smear machine was dying for him to be the Pat Paulsen, Kinky Friedman or Joe Walsh candidate. He didn't give them the satisfaction.
So here's to Al Franken! A guy who's made me laugh for over thirty years, and who now wants to help make this frightened and bedraggled nation a place where laughter can flow easily again.
Because he's good enough, he's smart enough, and doggone it, he's gonna be one hell of a Senator.

[Manx]

Timing is everything with comedians and Franken has the good sense to know that now isn't the time to be funny, even if we all need a dose of levity. I've always thought of Franken as more of a humorist than a comedian although members of the media and conservatives like to refer to him as a comedian, as if that's a disqualification for the office of senator. Let's not forget the former president who amused us in "Bedtime For Bonzo."

And speaking of Burris, I think it is reprehensible for anyone to play the race card as a political tactic to obtain a congressional seat. Like crying wolf, it dilutes the offense. The next time there is real racism, we won't be as inclined to pay attention.

If you're not feeling indignant about Bleep-o-vich, that tells me more about you than it does about him.

[Doug Watt]

Oh Mr. Bronstein, you're such a visionary.

[jeffrey678]

SENATOR AL FRANKEN IS A FIGHTER. We need more Democrats like him with a backbone who will fight for us and not give up.

[Freesia2]

You have a point Mr. Bronstein. It goes to that old adage about how it's easier to catch flies with honey than with vinegar. I mean your dinner partner Norman Lear did more for raising social conscience about race relations with Archie and Edith than all the picket signs he could ever lift. Sammy Davis, Jr. gave Archie a joking kiss right in his living room and Archie - and a lot of America - sat up straight and did some soul searching about bigotry. While they laughed til they cried.

I've always thought Rosie missed a brass ring that Ellen grabbed. Ellen came out and got on with it and got funny again. Whereas Rosie wasn't "punny" anymore. She was just the Queen of Mean. And now Ellen has a daily venue talking about issues with millions. Who took the better tact?

I remember reading Sonny Bono walked into the senate and a fellow senator said "please tell me he's here to deliver a pizza??". I bet Sonny was the first to laugh. And Al would be well served to announce right off the bat that he's good enough, smart enough, and doggone it people love him. And maybe they will. And then maybe they'll listen.

[barblibrarian]

I met Al Franken when he was running against Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer for the DFL endorsement for senate. He had just spoken at a local convention where the larger proportion of the delegates were Nelson-Pallmeyer supporters and he was not well received. I introduced myself and told him I was a supporter and was giving him some of my meager librarian's salary every month for his campaign because we needed someone in the Senate who could laugh at the Republicans and who could laugh at themselves. His eyes teared up and he gave me a big hug. He told me thanks - he needed that. Please remember Al had a tough campaign and really had to downplay his career as a satirist and comedian in order to be taken seriously in Minnesota. He isn't doing this as a lark. He's doing this because he truly cares about our country and about Minnesotans. And, he really believes he can pick up where Paul Wellstone left off. Maybe he'll bring back some of his great humor, but right now, he has a hell of a job to do - and I don't think he wants people to think he isn't taking his new job seriously. So - maybe other people should "lighten up" and remember it isn't his job to be funny for them anymore - it's to serve the people of Minnesota as their senator. If he's funny, too, that's a bonus, but not something he should be badgered about.

[Freesia2]

Well, to be fair, I didn't get the impression that Mr. Bronstein was badgering Al. More like a goose in the ribs. But your point about how Al had to be serious to be taken seriously enough to win is fair. He had to do a lot of mea culpas over his previous career. So he couldn't be the class clown there for awhile. That's fair. But Al's been serious for a long time now, even before this. Maybe the world was just giving him a serious (no pun intended) case of the heebiejeebies hence his run for the senate. And now being Senator maybe he can feel free to occasionally let his inner Stuart out to play.

[WilliePilgrim]

I clicked on the Commonwealth Club transcript and read it (I'd heard it on NPR or maybe seen it on CSpan a few years ago) and it really reminded me of how valuable and effective humor can be in the political arena. When it looked like Franken wasn't going to unseat Coleman in MN, I thought that there would at least be the silver lining of having Franken back with a wealth of new material taken from the inside of a campaign run against the Fair and Balanced Party.
While I see what you mean in advising Al to put away the cudgel, in fairness to Al I think he does use it effectively, sparingly and exclusively against those who seem to insensitive to anything less and not as a tool of intimidation, which is more than I can say about some of his ideological opponents.