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Al Franken's Committee Assignments

by BooMan
Wed Jan 28th, 2009 at 11:16:28 PM EST

Now that I know what committee assignments senators Mike Bennet (D-CO) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) received I can, by a process of elimination, tell you what committee assignments Al Franken will get when he is finally sworn into office. Al Franken will serve on the:

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Special Committee on Aging
Committee on Indian Affairs

I don't think I need to tell you that these are pathetic committee assignments. No disrespect to the country's aging population, but the Special Committee on Aging doesn't even have the power to craft legislation. And the Indian Affairs Committee is important, but hardly a coveted slot. Norm Coleman's quixotic thermopylaeic battle to deny Franken his seat has succeeded only in screwing Minnesota out of potential seats on Foreign Relations, Banking, Agriculture, and Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs. Those seats went to Mike Bennet of Colorado and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.

When Franken finally takes his seat he will be able to make a mark on education, health, and labor policy. But he will do it as the 100 ranking member of the Senate and lowest ranking member of his committee. Good job, Coleman, you asshole.

Al Franken's Committee Assignments | 30 comments (30 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

That sucks (4.00 / 2)

Why didn't Reid save some good ones for Franken, instead of dishing them all out to the appointed, unelected Senators?

Burris (!) got Armed Services, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs.

Kaufman of Delaware got Foreign Relations and Judiciary, despite being nothing but a benchwarmer.

Give Aging to one of those guys, and let Franken have something juicy like Judiciary or Armed Services. Hell, Franken's probably been to Iraq and Afghanistan more than four appointed Senators put together, thanks to his seven USO tours.

by existenz on Wed Jan 28th, 2009 at 11:41:34 PM EST

particularly (none / 0)

because it was Franken's victory that gave the Dems 59 votes in the Senate, and allowed them to take a 3-seat advantage on the committees.

by existenz on Wed Jan 28th, 2009 at 11:46:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: That sucks (none / 1)

last to the party, he got totally fucked and will have a hard time recovering.

by BooMan on Wed Jan 28th, 2009 at 11:52:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: That sucks (none / 0)

After looking at some of the other committee assignments, I have a hard time believing that this is all Franken will get. Other Senators have as many as five major committee slots, so giving Franken just two would be extremely unfair and undemocratic.

Perhaps some of the other Senators, those with five seats, will give up a seat to Franken once he arrives. At least I hope so.

by existenz on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 02:04:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Look at Robert Menendez (none / 0)

Menendez has EIGHT committee assignments, all of which are arguably better than any of those you slotted for Franken:

Committee on Foreign Relations
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Committee on Finance
Committee on the Budget
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Committee on the Budget
Committee on Finance

It would only be fair for Menendez to let Franken take one or two of these assignments.

by existenz on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 02:14:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

oops (none / 0)

The Senate website listed some of his assignments twice. So Menendez has only four assignments. That said, there are Senators who could afford to give up an assignment or two.

by existenz on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 02:17:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Indian Affairs is actually not a bad assignment (4.00 / 2)

for a Jr. Senator from Minnesota. From a political perspective it actually helps Franken with both base mobilization in Minneapolis (pump our more D votes in the core cities) and in outstate Minnesota.

It can also help with fundraising. The tribes are increasingly becoming players because of the casino money.

Since Franken's pretty weak this is a good opportunity to secure an important democratic constituency in MN.

And with the push towards wind and renewables, Franken might be able to get involved with those efforts as an advocate for tribal/rural economic development.

by northcountry on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 10:22:33 AM EST

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

Well the agriculture one is a tough blow and Banking is always a key spot. It's weird, I really really don't like Franken so I am calmer than if Klobuchar were the one being slighted.

by MNPundit on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 12:13:06 AM EST

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

Being from Oklahoma, the Committee on Indian Affairs sounds good to me. Lot's of important work needs to be done in that committee.

by Buckhorn Okie on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 12:23:40 AM EST

It seems to me (4.00 / 2)

that Mark Begich would be a better fit for that committee, considering that Alaska has the highest percentage of native Americans of just about any state.

by existenz on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 02:01:21 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: It seems to me (none / 0)

True, Native American population of Alaska, 689,120; Oklahoma 393,500; and Arizona 335,381.

by Buckhorn Okie on Fri Jan 30th, 2009 at 04:46:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

Given Al Franken's knee-jerk all-out support of anything Israel does (including its crimes against humanity in Lebanon and Gaza), I am only too happy to see him as far away from Foreign Relations - and probably also Homeland Security - as possible.

by Hurria (Muslawia@gmail.com) on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 02:31:00 AM EST

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

Absolutely.

by MNPundit on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 09:51:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

What happens if, by some ungodly miracle, Coleman wins in the courts? Will his assignments be the same?

Recommended by Hideo Kojima

by robertdsc on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 08:47:39 AM EST

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

That's a kinda sad thought. Someone throw Al a bone!

Declaring the bottom is the only way back up..

by anarchronarchist (mincers (-at-) hotmail (-dot-) com) on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 08:50:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

no. I could figure that out if I wanted, but they would not be the same.

by BooMan on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 10:09:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

I'm really, really psyched on Cousin Al. Wherever he's assigned, I am sure he'll do a bang up job: He's a good person and people like him.

Declaring the bottom is the only way back up..

by anarchronarchist (mincers (-at-) hotmail (-dot-) com) on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 08:49:37 AM EST

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

As I said above, for him, Israel can do no wrong, including, apparently, killing women and children. So, let him do a bang-up job strictly on domestic things, and let's hope he never gets his fingers into anything international.

by Hurria (Muslawia@gmail.com) on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 10:28:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

unless you can provide links (plural) I am going to view these comments extremely unfavorably.

by BooMan on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 10:42:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

You don't believe that Franken supported Israel's attacks on Lebanon and Gaza? He did not exactly make it a secret.

by Hurria (Muslawia@gmail.com) on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 10:46:08 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

If you mean this, then I am going to take supreme offense at your characterization. If you have something else, show it.

by BooMan on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 11:05:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

Well, BooMan, I take supreme offense at anyone who could find it in their heart to support what Israel did in Gaza. Certainly by the time that rally took place it was very, very clear that what was going on there was criminal.

I take even more supreme offense at anyone who supported it given that the purpose of the carnage was clearly political, and not about self defense. After all, the attack was planned, including the timing, way back in March, and it was executed despite a very, very successful ceasefire, which was, after all, violated by Israel making major attacks inside Gaza, and killing some 25 Palestinians, including several children.

Every one of the "liberal" politicians who showed up at that rally should be ashamed of themselves.

by Hurria (Muslawia@gmail.com) on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 11:31:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

You said Franken has a "knee-jerk all-out support of anything Israel does (including its crimes against humanity in Lebanon and Gaza)."

Are you basing this, not on any quotes that he has made, but solely on his attendance at the Sabes Jewish Community Center, which included almost every significant politician in the state?

Do you have a quote where he supported what was going on in Lebanon? Do have a quote where he provided 'all-out' support for what happened in Gaza? Do you have any evidence that he supports 'anything that Israel does'?

Or do you assume that Al Franken supports all of these in complete knee-jerk all-out fashion based on nothing more than his attendance at a rally in support of Israel?

by BooMan on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 11:37:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

PS I wonder what the reaction would be a newly-elected Democratic Congress person had shown up at a rally supporting the "freedom fighters" of Fatah, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas as they were terrorizing Israeli civilians in Sderot by firing those pathetic, mostly-harmless rockets.

by Hurria (Muslawia@gmail.com) on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 11:40:36 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

Let's be clear about what I take offense at.

I am offended that almost every member of Congress voted to support what Israel was doing in Gaza.

I am offended that politicians find it politically necessary to voice support for Israel even when they are killing innocent people for no good reason.

But I also find it offensive to single-out one politician among the rest, seemingly for no other reason than that he is Jewish, and to attribute to him motives and feelings he has not expressed.

by BooMan on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 11:48:45 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

Interesting that you assume I singled out Al Franken because he is Jewish (or that I even knew he was Jewish) - sounds like a sideways version of that worn out "you're an anti-Semite" defense. For your information, I "singled him out" solely because he was the subject of this thread, and you suggested he might have been cheated out of, among other things, a seat on the Foreign Relations Committee. Whether or not he is Jewish was not even part of my thinking.

Had he not been the subject of this thread, I would not even have mentioned him, just as I have never mentioned him before now except when he has been the subject of discussion.

by Hurria (Muslawia@gmail.com) on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 11:56:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

I don't believe you.

It appears you follow his activities quite closely since that gathering at a Jewish community center was not even national news.

Maybe you want to pretend not to know that Norm Coleman is Jewish, too? How about Barbara Boxer? Herb Kohl? How many Jewish politicians do you want to pretend not to know are Jewish?

I think you'll find that Al Franken is better than most U.S. politicians on Palestinian issues, which is not saying much at all. But it makes it troubling when he is singled out for abuse.

by BooMan on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 12:02:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

OK, don't believe me. You are not a mind reader, and you don't know anything about me. But if you want to believe the worst of me, you will. Your ill-disguised accusations of anti-Semitism are completely unjustified by anything I have ever said or done here or anywhere else at any time in my life, they are vicious, and they are personally offensive. If you want to make these veiled, viciousn attacks without supporting them with a single thing other than your own imagination, there is nothing I can do about it.

No, I do not follow Al Franken's activities at all closely. I have taken no more than a moderate interest in his candidacy, mainly because he is a well-known entertainer whose work I have enjoyed, because he was the subject of a lot of interest on liberal blogs, and because the election was heavily contested.

I honestly do not know whether Norm Coleman is Jewish, nor do I care. I honestly do not know whether Barbara Boxer is Jewish, nor do I care. I don't even know who Herb Kohl is, let alone whether he is Jewish, nor do I care. I know that Diane Feinstein is Jewish - at least I think she is - but that is not why I dislike her. I know Joe Lieberman is Jewish, but that is not why I dislike him. As a matter of fact, I took a lot of flak for publicly defending his VP candidacy because at the time I thought he might be more moderate on Israel than Al Gore.

Once again, I "singled him out" because 1) he was the subject of this thread, and you felt he might have been cheated out of a seat on the Foreign Relations Committee, 2) he is supposed to be this great big wonderful liberal whom we are supposed to just thrilled about, and yet he has openly supported Israel's worst excesses.

If that makes me anti-Semitic, then I am anti-Semitic.

by Hurria (Muslawia@gmail.com) on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 03:20:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 0)

PS For the record, I became aware of Al Franken's apparently unconditional support of Israel via reports from Middle East activist groups I am involved with. It came up first, as I recall, during the 2006 Lebanon attack. People were very disappointed because he is such a well-known progressive and people expected better of him. The subject came up again during the campaign and again after the attack on Gaza. I noted it with disappointment, as did my colleagues.

And by the way, I am not impressed by someone saying they are in favour of the two-state solution. The likes of Dennis Ross, Martin Indyk, and George Bush have said that, for heaven's sake, and so have a whole raft of Israeli politicians who have then worked overtime to make sure it didn't happen.

by Hurria (Muslawia@gmail.com) on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 05:37:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Al Franken's Committee Assignments (none / 1)

I don't believe Coleman can win in court. link The election is over, and Minnesota is more than ready to be through with him.

I like these committees - they are matters closer to my interests than many others. Perhaps the Senate could become less about power and status and more about serving the people. Said the dreamer.

It is my hope that with the addition of a media-savvy guy, the Dems will get more public attention.

by Alice on Thu Jan 29th, 2009 at 09:03:36 AM EST

Al Franken's Committee Assignments | 30 comments (30 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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