Coleman Concedes Minnesota Senate Seat to Comedian Al Franken

The people of Minnesota now have a comedian representing them in the Senate. The joke, however, might wind up on them.

After the Minnesota Supreme Court awarded the seat to Democrat and former Saturday Night Live cast member, Al Franken, Norm Coleman, the Republican incumbent he unseated held a press conference congratulating Franken and announcing he wouldn't pursue additional legal remedies.

The star of Stuart Saves His Family (which lost $10 million at the box office, failing to muster even $1 million and getting trounced by Dumb and Dumberer), and the author of I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough and Doggone it, People Like Me!: Daily Affirmations By Stuart Smalley is now a sitting US Senator.

Unless he gets serious in a hurry (and that's doubtful), chances are high Franken will turn out to be a one-term wonder. Although there is no IQ test to get elected to Congress, diplomacy is required to do the job well. Franken should realize that his victory over Coleman has less to do with Coleman's job performance and more to do with the Democrat who was at the head of the November 2008 ticket. In other words, the razor-thin margin of victory Franken eked out can in no way be considered a "mandate," and he would be wise to bear that in mind as he heads to Capitol Hill ... but he probably won't.

Although Franken gives Democrats their filibuster-proof majority, it probably won't last long. With Obama's job approval rate on the decline, Franken will have to learn to compromise if he wants to keep his job. Given his caustic personality and his manic depressive demeanor, however, that, too, is also unlikely.

Get ready, Minnesota. The freak show has just begun.