No Runny Eggs

At the end of each sport’s season, the end of each school class, the end of the film season, the end of each pageant, awards are given for various achievements.  Some of the awards are for “the best….”  These awards are often based on objective criteria.  Other awards are for “most….”  These awards are typically more subjective i.e. most liked, most likely too etc.

As the year comes to an end it seems appropriate to offer the DC legislative awards. 

You are entering at the end of the awards show with only one award yet to be given; the award for the Senator most likely to feud.

Al Franken, the junior senator from Minnesota, had barely made it out of the swearing in ceremony when he had his first, publicized, anger management issue.  Not even a month after entering office, Franken was noted dressing down T. Boone Pickens at the end of a lunch.  According to reports, T. Boone stepped to Franken to introduce himself whereupon Franken started a tirad over the issue of Mr. Pickens’ financial support of the swift boat ads against John Kerry.  What makes this incident most ironic is that T. Boone Pickens is a big support of wind farms and other alternative energy which is a pet project of Franken’s.

Franken stayed mostly out of the limelight for the next several months.  Actually, he nearly didn’t make it as a nominee in this category except that he’s had a stellar December!

In the first couple of days of December, Franken had a senate floor exchangewith Senator Bob Corker.  The issue was over articles and stories that ran and claimed that Republicans had voted against an anti rape law that Franken championed.  Franken claimed he had nothing to do with the articles but also did nothing to stop them or correct the record.  When Corker and Lamar Alexandar wrote an op-ed explaining their side of the vote, Franken verbally attacked corker on the Senate floor.

Less than two weeks later, Franken was involved with his next Senate feud.  This time the recipient of his anger was Senator John Thune.  During the Placebocare debate, Thune showed a graph that represented how the taxes started immediately while any real benefit of the plan didn’t start for several years.  Franken became indignant over Thune’s representation and, in his best representation of the childish Stewart Smalley, refused to answer Thune’s question or yield time to Thune.

Not to rest on his laurels, Franken got one more performance in before votes were tabulated this evening.  Today, as he was offering comments during the Placebocare debate, Senator Joe Lieberman was cut off by Franken without being able to finish his remarks.  The Senate has a long standing practice that allows Senators to complete their comments by the granting of an extra minute or two by the person currently presiding over the senate.  Franken was that person today.  When Lieberman’s time was up, Franken abruptly cut him off and refuse to give Lieberman the nearly always automatic extra minute or two.

With all the enormous egos in the Senate, one would think that Franken’s brand of boorish behavior would be fairly commonplace.  In fact, Senate members are hard pressed to remember a senator who was as abrasive, rude and intentionally vindictive as Franken. 

It’s really no contest.  Al Franken is this year’s unanimous pick for senator most likely to pick a feud!

You just stay classy Al, so all us Minnesotans can continue to be embarrassed for you!