The meaning of the word wins is to “come first, succeed, triumph or prevail;” unless the victor is a Democrat in a tightly fought senatorial election battle. The triumph of future Senator Al Franken to become the 58th Democrat to the 111th Congress has become a contentious fight.
Franken’s rival, former Republican Senator Norm Coleman, has received influential support from conservative media members as well as members of the Republican elite. Concurrently, congressional senatorial leaders, of the minority party, vow to filibuster any attempt to seat Franken in the Senate. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made it clear, after not seating Franken this week during the swearing in ceremonies, that he would capitulate to the Republican threat – at least for now.
Republican Losses
Political failures, in the recent elections, have placed the senators in a defensive mode, protecting the Republican brand. Not only did they loose nearly 11% of the Senate but also some of the most senior and powerful Republican senators as well. Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the Senate, lost his seat from Alaska. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and John Sununu of New Hampshire both lost their seats; as did Republicans in Virginia, New Mexico, Oregon and Colorado. It will take the GOP years to regain the seniority and influence held by these senators.
Coleman’s Importance
Loosing these 7 senatorial seats throughout Republican strongholds and nearly loosing 3 others in the deep South (Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s Kentucky seat, Trent Lott’s former Mississippi seat by Roger Wicker and Saxby Chambliss’ disputed seat in Georgia) Republicans are fighting for Coleman’s seat out of desperation.
Franken’s victory brings with it control of the Senate and a near filibuster proof 59 seat majority.** The Democrats need only recruit one moderate Republican to achieve this goal. Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins (R-Maine), Former Democrat and Freshman Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Nebraska) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania) have indicated they will work with the majority party.
Franken’s Position
Al Franken said following the certification results on January 5th, “After 62 days, after the careful and painstaking hand inspection of nearly 3 million ballots, after hours and hours of hard work by elections officials and volunteers across the state, I am proud and humbled to stand before you as the next Senator from Minnesota.”
The Franken Objection Factor
The 2008 elections had numerous close and contentious senatorial fights; however, none (save the current Burris mess) had such national notoriety. Time is a factor; the election ended over two months ago, but is there something else? Political journalist and New York Observer writer, Joe Conason, believes there is. “For Franken's most famous adversaries… [it] may be a form of cheap revenge,” he says in a January 9th 2009 editorial. “Fox News host [Bill] O'Reilly…has hated Franken for years dating back to when [Franken]…exposed him,” Conason alleged. “Of course O'Reilly was preceded by [Rush] Limbaugh…whose deceptions and bigotry were featured…[by Franken],” he concluded.
An Associated Press report, on January 6th, informed that Sen. John Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, demanded “the chamber shouldn't seat Franken until all legal matters are settled, which could take months.”
Moderates
Not all Republicans are so callous. Former Republican Gov. Arne Carlson said Tuesday that Coleman should consider bowing out. "I don't think it's winnable," warned Carlson in a January 7th Star Tribune Article. “Contesting the recount results could hurt the Republican's image.”
However, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said it best. In a LA Times article on January 2nd Collins instructed, "I would hope that the more conservative members of our caucus would take a look at these election results. It's difficult to make the argument that our candidates lost because they were not conservative enough."
* Joe Lieberman aligns with the Democrats. He “remains committed to caucusing with Senate Democrats, [and is] identified as an Independent Democrat.” Source: Joe Lieberman Senate Website
** Includes Independent Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont who “…finds himself aligned with the Democratic majority.” Source: Senator Sanders Website
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