Quick Notes: Six Years?
April 26th, 2009
The Franken seating has been set back again as Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty has apparently decided not to end the Coleman farce and Coleman’s attorneys have appealed to the Minnesota State Supreme Court, and those proceedings will hold up Franken’s seating until at least June.
Question: The Constitution reading:
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.
Does that mean that if Franken is seated in June (presuming Coleman does not push it even further), that Franken will serve six years from his seating? It would mean that from now on, Minnesota’s alternate Senate election would always be eight or so months behind all other elections. Because that’s how I read the Constitution. Maybe I’m wrong. Am I?
Interesting question.
I’m fairly sure of one thing. Minnesota voters will punish the Republicans for this in subsequent elections. It seems quite likely that no Republican will win a state wide office for the foreseeable future. And Franken, as long as he does his job reasonably well, will have a job for life. This shananigans has cost Minnesotans 8 months, going on a year. All because the Republicans are sore losers. But it’s a small price to pay to turn Minnesota thoroughly blue. After this, the job will be to clean out the reactionary movement conservative and separationist Bachmann from congress.
Clause 2:
The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year . . .
btw, my local cable company carried an Al Franken appearance at a local (?) bookstore on its public affairs channel (when I was living in Santa Cruz in the 2002-2003 timeframe).
While he was speaking to a friendly audience, he was immensely well-spoken and really had his argument together. He’s not a joke candidate.