Former Sen. Norm Coleman conceded defeat in his eight-month recount battle after the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled former comedian Al Franken the winner of the state’s contested Senate seat, giving Democrats a 60-vote majority supermajority that could make Senate Republicans largely irrelevant.
While Franken’s win will allow Democrats to push some legislation through without the worry of a Republican filibuster, the party will still have to grapple with defections from its many centrists who have the power to derail key legislation, including global warming fees that just passed the House.
“It’s not correct to think that the caucus will be unified,” said Jake Thompson, an aide to Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., who is one of at least a dozen moderate Democrats who meet regularly. “There are a number of independent minds in that group and they will stay that way.”
Nelson and other moderate Senate Democrats will likely become key figures in the effort to pass health care reform and a climate-change bill.
Nelson, for example, is opposed to a cap-and-trade plan, which would set limits on carbon emissions and requires polluters who exceed a certain cap to purchase costly permits.
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., has said she will not “rubber-stamp” a cap-and-trade proposal. President Barack Obama praised the House cap-and-trade bill and is now pushing for the Senate to move similar legislation.
“It’s going to be a tough fight,” Thompson said. Other Senate moderates include Sens. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.
Centrist Democrats are also opposed to aspects of the health care overhaul bill under construction in the Senate, including a plan to create a public health insurance option that would compete and potentially undermine the private insurance system.
There is also division among Democrats over a plan to tax employee health insurance benefits.
Regardless of the 60-vote majority, whatever plan passes in the Senate will have to meet the approval of Nelson and the other centrists, unless Democrats plan to go fishing for votes from GOP moderates like Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.
“The Senate GOP can maintain relevancy by voting consistently and speaking with a singular voice as much as possible,” GOP strategist and former Senate leadership aide Ron Bonjean said.
Franken could be seated as early as next week, when the Senate returns from a weeklong recess and Minnesota Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty submits the certified election results.
“We have reached the point where further litigation threatens the unanimity of our state,” Coleman said, following the ruling. “The Supreme Court of Minnesota has spoken. I respect its decision and I will abide by its results.”
Obama and Democratic leaders were happy to see Franken a liberal unlikely to join Nelson and other moderates in contesting big agenda items. “I look forward to working with Senator-Elect Franken to build a new foundation for growth and prosperity by lowering health care costs and investing in the kind of clean energy jobs and industries that will help America lead in the 21st century,” Obama said.
