Franken: "I Can't Wait To Get Started"
(CBS)
Franken, accompanied by his wife and amid cheers from supporters, said he had received a "very gracious call" from Coleman, who earlier conceded the Minnesota Senate race after the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled against him in an appeal over disputed absentee ballots.
Franken's final margin of victory over Coleman was just 312 votes out of 2.9 million cast.
Franken said he and his family are "so thrilled that we can finally celebrate this victory, and I am so excited to finally be able to get to work for the people of Minnesota."
"I know there's been a lot of talk about the fact that when I'm sworn in I'll be the sixtieth member of the Democratic caucus," Franken said, a reference to the fact that his presence in the Senate gives Democrats a filibuster proof majority. "But that's not how I see it."
"I'm going to Washington to be the second senator from the State of Minnesota, and that's how I'm going to do this job," he continued. He acknowledged, however, that he hopes to help push through President Obama's ambitious agenda.
Earlier, Coleman made an appearance at which he announced his concession and said "it is time now to move forward." The Republican could have appealed the Minnesota Supreme Court decision to federal courts but elected not to do so.
In his comments, Franken thanked Minnesotans for their patience and said he would fight for everyone in the state.
"I won by 312 votes, so I really have to earn the trust of the people who didn't vote for me," he said.
Franken said he had spoken to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who said Franken will be on the Health, Education, Aging, Indian Affairs, Labor and Pension and Judiciary Committees.
Watch Senator-elect Franken Discuss His Victory:
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When House Democratic leaders were rounding up votes Friday for the massive climate-change bill, they paid special attention to their colleagues from Ohio who remained stubbornly undecided.
They finally secured the vote of one Ohioan, veteran Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Toledo, the old-fashioned way. They gave her what she wanted - a new federal power authority, similar to Washington state's Bonneville Power Administration, stocked with up to $3.5 billion in taxpayer money available for lending to renewable energy and economic development projects in Ohio and other Midwestern states.
House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry A. Waxman, California Democrat, included the Kaptur project in a 310-page amendment to the legislation unveiled at 3 a.m. Friday, just hours before the bill was to be debated on the House floor. The amendment was packed with other vote-getting provisions, both large and small, that had been sought by dozens of wavering Democrats.
He will fit right in! AND he'll be the first U.S. Senator to take the oath of office wearing only a thong and a tin foil hat. After that, it will start to become amusing in the Senate. It's too bad Soupy Sales is long passed from our midst; HE would have given Al a run for his money! Anyway Al, weclome to 'Toon Town!!
Soupy Sales is still alive.
Just so you know.
Democrats... worse than the Republicans, but not by much.
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So al, which part of America you would liked to destroy first?
Better get going, obama had a good head start......
Wake up and smell the coffee, barrack campaign was mostly based on fear and lies.
Speaking of 6th grade, al franken fits right in.........he's capable of much worse, lets his moronic actions speak for itself.