Short Takes: A TNH Wednesday Open Thread

By DHinMI

I Have My Presidential Candidate for 2012

One of the things that's intrigued me about blogs, especially Daily Kos and MyDD, is the fantasy league aspect.  If you're familiar with those blogs, you probably know that by fantasy league I'm referring to many commenter's penchant for staffing administrations that haven't been elected, or vetting running mates for candidates who aren't close to securing a nomination.  So, in the spirit of such fantasy league posts, I'm announcing my preferred candidate for the Democratic nomination for President in 2012:

Al Franken.

I remember years ago, probably on the cusp of the 1990's, but maybe it was on the cusp of the 1980's, Franken did a piece on Saturday Night Live in which he described how previous decades had been given labels, like with the 1970's coming to be known as The Me Decade.  Figuring that he would get a start on everyone else who might label decades, he proposed that the 1990's--or maybe it was the '80's--be called the Al Franken Decade.  So, with that in mind, I propose the 2012 election be deemed the Al Franken Election.

Now of course I know that Franken hasn't even decided if he'll run for office.  But according to today's NYT, Franken is positioning himself to take on Minnesota Republican Senator Norm Coleman in 2008.  Now worrying about such things as whether Franken would even win such a contest is obviously for the timid souls who don't post comments on blogs, so I'm just going to dive in and say that Franken would be the best Democrat to run for President in 7 years.  Like the people who in July of 2004 were already picking running mates for a Illinois state senator who had never been elected to federal or statewide office, I think it's time to just settle on Franken in 2012.

But I need your help: who should be in his cabinet? 

Among the TNH crowd, a couple names have already been bandied about for Congressional runs, such as MB's Ice-T vs Dr. Laura Schlessenger.  emptywheel thinks Ted Nugent v Eminem is too obvious to even consider.  These are important questions, but Franken needs help filling out his cabinet.  So, please offer your suggestions.

As this is an open thread, more serious subjects are not only welcome but desired for everyone's consideration. 

Comments

[Meteor Blades]

I presume we'll be replacing whichever of the Darths is serving as Secretary of Defense with Sandra Bullock.

[DHinMI]

Not Syvester Stallone, that's for sure...

[b]

• Press Secretary Jon Stewart would manhandle vapid White House correspondents.

• As HHS Secretary Dave Chappelle would fight passionately for medical marijuana and health care coverage for depression.

• Former Senator Max Cleland would be a good pick for Homeland Security, proving that his opposition to the personnel system in the department did NOT indicate that he had joined al qaeda.

[Kagro X]

I propose we call the Al Franken Decade, "Franken's Time."

[emptywheel]

HHS Susan Sarandon

[Meteor Blades]

Surgeon General: Dr. Ruth.

[4jkb4ia]

Bruce Springsteen for Secretary of Labor

[rod]

Obviously, Tom Davis would be veep. America needs a "Franken & Davis" administration.

[DHinMI]

One issue I hadn't pondered: would they still be called Frankin' privileges?

[wd]

Honestly, I like Al, but think Garrison Keillor would make a better Senator for MN, imagine the speeches he'd give on the floor of the Senate...back to Al's 2012 Cabinet, how about Tommy Chong as Secretary of Commerce?

[emptypockets]

I think the 80s were the Al Franken decade, and ten years later he appeared on Weekend Update with his son to proclaim the 90s the "Al Franken, Jr. Decade."

As for the cabinet, I am torn between wanting to see it filled by his former compatriots from SNL or staffed by every losing Democratic presidential and vice-presidential nominee still living, kind of like the "Superfriends."

[RonK, Seattle]

I was immersed in a conversation of a political nature, and flicked on CSPAN on mute just to see what was cooking.

"WTF? Bernie Sanders has a amendment up for a vote, and it's PASSING!!!"

"What's the amendment?"

"I dunno, it doesn't say ... but whatever it is, he's got 199 D's and about 35 R's ... oh, wait, it's about Patriot Act and library records."

35 little Declarations of Independence?

Or just a raft of next fall's candidates getting their obligatory "I am not a rubber stamp" ticket stamped?

[verplanck colvin]

Following up about that CSPAN clip, is the way the VT GOP is trying to attack sanders on the fact that he has been an "ineffective extremist".

Monday's press release from the RNSC was titled "Bernie Sanders: An Ineffective Extremist and Extremely Ineffective."

The evidence provided was the charge that Sanders has introduced 155 bills since arriving in Congress back in 1991 and only one has become law!

Someone with some more knowledge in legislative jargon should probably help me out here. The counter-claim is Sanders has passed numerous floor amendments (14 by the count of Sanders' chief of staff). What is the difference? How difficult would it have been for an independent that caucuses with Democrats to pass a bill, as opposed to floor amendments? I would hazard a guess to say that bills would be next to impossible to pass, thanks to DeLay's iron-fisted control of the House. So even getting floor amendments to pass would be a pretty good accomplishment, right?

Thanks to Peter Freyne of Seven Days for the info and quotes.