Finally, after almost eight long months, and six months since the new Senate convened, former talk show host Al Franken has been declared the winner of the contested Minnesota Senate seat by a unanimous vote of the state Supreme Court.
Also, former Senator Norm Coleman has finally conceded the race, therefore ending the longest struggle for a Senate seat at least in modern times if not all time.Â
It has been a very frustrating half year as Minnesota has been denied half of its Senate membership despite the fact that Franken was ahead from the original recount onward, but Coleman decided to pursue all avenues and was encouraged by his party and many Senate colleagues.
The margin of victory may have been only a few hundred votes, but democracy did not win out until finally the situation was mercifully ended this afternoon.
This development gives the Democrats 60 votes, IF all of the 58 Democrats and Independents Joe Lieberman and Bernie Sanders work together, but of course the reality is that there is not unanimity on all legislation and on philosophy, so probably the idea of a filibuster proof Senate is more illusion than reality.
However, the seating of Al Franken, who I believe will add his intellect and personality to the betterment of the Senate, is a good thing, and I applaud the end of the electoral mess today!