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[[Image:Frank en Minnesota.jpg|right|thumb|Al Franken, while campaigning in Minnesota]]

[[Image:Frank en Minnesota.jpg|right|thumb|Al Franken, while campaigning in Minnesota]]

'''Al Franken''' (born May 21, 1951) is a liberal [[Democrat]], an erstwhile satirist and comedian, known for his extreme obnoxiousness and hatred for [[Republican]]s is the new U.S. Senator from [[Minnesota]]; he was declared the winner after the Minnesota Supreme Court rejected the last legal challenges from his opponent [[Norm Coleman]]. Franken was born in [[New York City]], and spent several years while growing up in St Louis Park, a suburb of [[Minneapolis]]. Until he decided to run for the Senate, he lived exclusively in [[California]] and [[New York]] all of his adult life. <ref>[http://www.owenfranken.com/bio.html Owen Franken, Biography, statement about where Al Franken resided]</ref>  His opponent, incumbent [[Republican]] Senator [[Norm Coleman]], conceded eight months after the election, which was won by 300 votes out of 2.9 million. The governor of Minnesota, [[Tim Pawlenty]], signed the certificate of election for Franken on June 30, 2009. Franken will take office July 6, 2009, for a six year term.  Franken's win gives Democrats a 58-40 margin in the Senate, enough to shut off filibusters if the 58, along with two Independents who caucus with the Democrats, hang together.

'''Al Franken''' (born May 21, 1951) is a [[liberal]] [[Democrat]], an erstwhile satirist and comedian, known for his extreme obnoxiousness and [[hatred]] for [[Republican]]s and [[Conservatives]] is the new U.S. Senator from [[Minnesota]]; he was declared the winner after the Minnesota Supreme Court rejected the last legal challenges from his opponent [[Norm Coleman]]. Franken was born in [[New York City]], and spent several years while growing up in St Louis Park, a suburb of [[Minneapolis]]. Until he decided to run for the Senate, he lived exclusively in [[California]] and [[New York]] all of his adult life. <ref>[http://www.owenfranken.com/bio.html Owen Franken, Biography, statement about where Al Franken resided]</ref>  His opponent, incumbent [[Republican]] Senator [[Norm Coleman]], conceded eight months after the election, which was won by 300 votes out of 2.9 million. The governor of Minnesota, [[Tim Pawlenty]], signed the certificate of election for Franken on June 30, 2009. Franken will take office July 6, 2009, for a six year term.  Franken's win gives Democrats a 58-40 margin in the Senate, enough to shut off filibusters if the 58, along with two Independents who caucus with the Democrats, hang together.

==Policies==

==Policies==

Franken has been deliberately vague about his position on all major policy issues--except on Iraq, where he reversed himself 180 degrees under intense pressure from the left in Minnesota.

Franken has been deliberately vague about his position on all major policy issues--except on Iraq, where he reversed himself 180 degrees under intense pressure from the left in Minnesota.