Constant Conservative

Perhaps its the warm weather down in DC (I jest) but the some of the senators are not quite so collegial as once was the case. In particular, Mr. Franken chose to ignore the evidence of Mr. Thune in a recent discussion on the health care bill:

Franken said he was struck by a speech in which he said Thune had refused to highlight when benefits to the health care bill would kick in and instead emphasized the negative parts of the bill.

“You know, again, we are entitled to our own opinions, we’re not entitled to our own facts,” Franken said, his booming voice rising. And in a reference to a chart Thune held up, Franken said: “If you’re going to hold up a chart that says when taxes kick in and when benefits kick in, you say 1,800 days, you better include the benefits that do kick in right away.”

Thune, No. 4 in GOP leadership, asked the freshman Democrat to yield for a question, and asked: “Did the senator from Minnesota, when I was pointing out the chart, understand the point I was making – that the tax increases start 18 days from now, and that the benefits, the spending benefits under the bill which are the premium tax credits and the exchanges that are designed to provide the benefit that’s delivered under this bill don’t start until 2014?”

Franken responded sharply: “Does the senator understand that spending benefits start right away?”

To which, Thune said tersely: “If the senator missed the point, I can get the chart out again.”

For a first-time senator, Franken is mixing it up with the others. One can give him credit for his energy, if not his accuracy and adherence to truthfulness.

Update

Here is the video which covers much of the exchange from above.

Al Franken is neighbor Minnesota’s newest senator. We are a strange country–which is not always a bad thing as it tends to keep out enemies on their toes with wondering what we’ll be doing next. Unfortunately, Mr. Franken is going to Washington rather than being deployed as a front-line physchocorps warrior in Afghanistan.

As Scott from PowerLine put it:

I saw Franken speak at an off-the-record event this past Sunday evening and asked a Democratic friend whom I greatly respect what he thought of Franken’s remarks. “Weird,” he said, with equal concision and accuracy.

The beat goes on for Franken vs Coleman (or Coleman vs Franken). PowerLine has a detailed rundown of where matters stand with regards to the ongoing election contest.

Whichever way this particular election is decided, I would like to state a few things which I believe to be germane: 1) non-arbitrary rules for accepting/reviewing ballots are essential to maintaining the equitable treatment of voters; 2) it appears likely to me that we will have an increasing number of election margins which are this close in the future  unless the two main parties can do a better job of clearly differentiating themselves on the issues; and 2) not a few states will be reviewing/revising their election laws as soon as the dust has completely settled from this ongoing contest.

Some have been reporting that the recount in the contest between Norm Coleman and Al Franken is over, with Franken being chosen as senator. This is not quite right, as Scott Johnson of PowerLine points out:

In “MInnesota Senate Recount, Update XVI,” John Hinderaker presents a lucid exposition of the issues still at play in Al Franken’s 225-vote victory over Norm Coleman in Minnesota’s Senate election. First came the canvas, won by Senator Coleman. Then came the mandatory recount, won by Franken. Now comes the election contest, which Senator Coleman’s team has vowed to file today. The filing of an election contest prevents state authorities from issuing a certificate of election in favor of Franken.

While I am all in favor of the folks in Minnesota following the process, I do hope that this election is not a harbinger of elections to come, with the results being determined by the people who try to figure out who voted (legally speaking) rather than by the voters themselves. Here is to a clean resolution, if that is possible, to what has been a very interesting electoral battle.

Very, very good (detailed) update on what is happening with Franken vs Coleman election recount in Minnesota. It is now before the canvassing board to determine which ballots should be considered legit and which should not.

Today is also the day that Georgians decide whether Saxby Chambliss will be their US Senator. Early numbers look good, but anything could happen.

Meanwhile, Al Franken is taking a leaf from Winston Churchill’s notes with his (Franken’s) approach of never conceding defeat in the Minnesota race. Norm Coleman looks to have clear advantage in actual votes, but Franken is apparently a proponent of the “new math.”

This just in from the Richfield, MN bureau of the Constant Conservative:

October 7, 2008

Writers Claim They Were Misled into Telling Truth

The October 4 showing of Saturday Night Live may well be the last, if current management of NBC follow through with their apparent course of action. Apparently, the skits (particularly the one showing George Soros and others in a less than positive light regarding the subprime mortgage meltdown) were not approved by the show’s producers, according to a source (who must remain off in the record in the hopes of salvaging a campaign for the US Senate in Minnesota).

The following excerpt from a leaked internal memo underscores the seriousness of this situation:

“While the balanced buffoonery of the George Bush character was in keeping with our policy to selectively skewer those with whom we most vehemently disagree, the unnecessary hammering on George Soros, peace be unto him, and Herbert and Marion Sandler, peace and blessings be upon them also, is beyond the bounds of decency and simple good sense. Do you have any idea how much money these people and their friends have given to dubious political causes which we support? Do you?

Further, while we are uncertain that punishing the responsible parties is in the best interest of the children (’cause we are not sure that it is wise to punish anyone for just about anything), we are certain that their behavior was at the very least, tinged with racial overtones (or undertones, or some kind of tones — anybody hear this ringing in my ears?)”

At any rate, Al Franken (an SNL alumnus), currently running for a US Senate seat from Minnesota, is said to be in talks with Garrison Keillor of Prairie Home Companion about picking up the writers and performers who may be out of a job as a result of the staff shuffle which is apparently underway at NBC. While Keillor was unavailable for comment, others who have worked with him in the past think it likely that he will employ at least some of the displaced staff, as long as they are willing to sign the Lake Woebegone Compact and attend Lutheran services on Christmas and Easter for the duration of their contracts.

Note: The preceding has been brought to you under the US Constitution’s First Amendment as elucidated in New Times Inc. d/b/a Dallas Observer, et al. v. Bruce Isaacks and Darlene Whitten.

Update

After writing the above article, I found out that NBC was “editing” the skit to ensure that it met their “standards.” Wow. I guess I should have just waited a bit and the article might have written itself.