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'''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]], who decided to put state above personal ambitions in not pursuing a further appeal to a federal court. 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]], who conceded.

 

After all the court appeals the Republican governor of Minnesota, [[Tim Pawlenty]], signed the certificate of election for Franken and he took office July 6, 2009, for a six year term.  Franken's win gives Democrats a 58-40-2 margin in the Senate, enough to shut off filibusters if the 58, along with two Independents who caucus with the Democrats, hang together.

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 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>   

==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.

==Vulgar satire==

==Vulgar satire==

His career was as a rather vulgar satirist, comedian, and former radio host for the [[Air America]] network. Franken has worked as a comedy writer and performer on the television program ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' and was the star and screenwriter of the motion picture ''Stuart Saves His Family''.

His career was as a rather vulgar satirist, comedian, and former radio host for the [[Air America]] network. Franken has worked as a comedy writer and performer on the television program ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' and was the star and screenwriter of the motion picture ''Stuart Saves His Family''.

Franken has also written for Playboy magazine, a pornographic publication, although his supporters and the [[media]] often skip over that when they talk about him.

Franken has also written for ''Playboy'' magazine, a pornographic publication, although his supporters and the media often skip over that when they talk about him.

==Style==

==Style==

==2008 election==

==2008 election==

Franken opposed incumbent Republican [[Norm Coleman]] for the Senate seat in the 2008 election. Franken's rudeness, vulgarity, and coarse style led critics to ask about whether he alienated himself from the important undecided swing voters<ref>http://www.startribune.com/587/story/1083904.html Star Tribune retrieved 6 April, 2007</ref><ref>[http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/06/06/frankens-senate-race-haunted-by-1995-rape-joke-on-snl-set/ Franken’s Senate Race Haunted by 1995 Rape Joke on ‘SNL’ Set]</ref>. Franken was under fire for an interview he did in Playboy magazine that was considered by many to be unbecoming for a senatorial candidate<ref>[http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/franken_playboy/2008/05/29/100040.html?s=al&promo_code=635B-1] and [http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/Washington_Post_franken/2008/06/18/105702.html]</ref>   

In the 2008 election campaign,  Franken's rudeness, vulgarity, and coarse style led critics to ask about whether he alienated himself from the important undecided swing voters<ref>http://www.startribune.com/587/story/1083904.html Star Tribune retrieved 6 April, 2007</ref><ref>[http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/06/06/frankens-senate-race-haunted-by-1995-rape-joke-on-snl-set/ Franken’s Senate Race Haunted by 1995 Rape Joke on ‘SNL’ Set]</ref>. Franken was under fire for an interview he did in Playboy magazine that was considered by many to be unbecoming for a senatorial candidate<ref>[http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/franken_playboy/2008/05/29/100040.html?s=al&promo_code=635B-1] and [http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/Washington_Post_franken/2008/06/18/105702.html]</ref>   

The election was very close, with multiple recounts and appeals. On January 5, 2009, the Minnesota election board declared Franken the winner by a razor-thin 225 votes. Coleman filed a lawsuit, which by state law had to be resolved before Franken can be seated. <ref>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090105/ap_on_el_se/minnesota_senate</ref> He was seated July 7th, 2009. For which the Wall Street Journal proclaimed that "Mr. Franken now goes to the Senate having effectively stolen an election." <ref>[http://spectator.org/archives/2009/07/02/al-frankens-blue-ball Al Franken's Blue Ball; American Spectator, July 2, 2009]</ref> <ref>[http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jromano/2009/05/07/perkins-coie/ When Dems Don’t Have the Votes, Perkins Coie Finds Them - Big Hollywood, May 7, 2009]</ref>

The election was very close, with multiple recounts and appeals. On January 5, 2009, the Minnesota election board declared Franken the winner by a razor-thin 225 votes. Coleman filed a lawsuit, which by state law had to be resolved before Franken can be seated. <ref>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090105/ap_on_el_se/minnesota_senate</ref> He was seated July 7th, 2009. For which the Wall Street Journal proclaimed that "Mr. Franken now goes to the Senate having effectively stolen an election." <ref>[http://spectator.org/archives/2009/07/02/al-frankens-blue-ball Al Franken's Blue Ball; American Spectator, July 2, 2009]</ref> <ref>[http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jromano/2009/05/07/perkins-coie/ When Dems Don’t Have the Votes, Perkins Coie Finds Them - Big Hollywood, May 7, 2009]</ref>