Minnesota Finally Has Two Senators

Article I, Section 3 of the United States Constitution mandates that the "Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state." For nearly six months, the state of Minnesota has had only one U.S. Senator, Democrat Amy Klobuchar, and for nearly eight months, the election for this one seat was waged in the courts.

On the last day of June, the Minnestoa Supreme Court declared comedian Al Franken the victor in the 2008 campaign with a margin of just over 300 votes. With their decision, the incumbent, Republican Norm Coleman, conceded to Franken and the marathon was over. Franken becomes one of the 60 seat Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate--the biggest Democratic majority since 1978.

The 2008 Minnesota Senate race is a lesson to all Americans and to all people who care about Democracy and democratic institutions: every vote counts. Just as in the 2000 presidential election, the 2008 Minnesota Senate race demonstrates that a handful of votes can decide the outcome of an election. If you care about your government, the direction of the country, and your own interests, take the time to register and go to the polls. I often lecture in a classroom that seats about 300 people--the margin of victory in this instance. A room full of people can change history--everyone needs to remember that.

Oh, and one last thing. For those of you who thought it funny to vote for a candidate and then write-in celebrities, sports figures, and other nonsensical people, places, and things as an add-on: congratulations, the joke's on you. You cost tax payers and donors millions of dollars in court costs and legal fees. The only people that benefited from your stupidity were the attorneys.