Do you want Al Franken to resign?

[Fluke a Snooker]

71. If we can guarantee Keith Ellison, and also Doug Jones over Roy Moore

This is a sticky issue (really bad pun), but let's check and see what type of lemonade we can make out of this. I'm looking at this from the perspective of how we can increase the overall advantage of the Democratic Party, particularly its progressive Senate presence.

1. Even if Franken stays in, his effectiveness will be highly diminished. He's already being taken off committees, and it will not be too easy for him to remain an effective force for the progressive movement, or even represent the state of Minnesota.

2. Also, if he stays in until his term ends in 2020, the race will be conflated with the presidential election for most likely Democratic presidential nominee and general election winner Kamala Harris. As a wounded incumbant, it will inflame the conservative minions and risk losing both the senate seat and the presidential electoral votes.

3. Therefore, his resignation makes sense. WE CAN TURN THIS TO OUR ADVANTAGE.

4. In Minnesota, the governor is tasked with appointing a senator if the current senator has to leave office for any reason. As the appointment is only valid until the next election cycle, it is an executive decision that needs no legislative nor constitutent input.

5. Ideally, he will appoint Keith Ellison, DNC second-in-command and would make him the most highly-placed Muslim in the US Government, as well as a strong progressive. Finally, he's relatively young at age 54, so he can remain for a long time.

6. As someone who has already been in Congress for over 10 years in the House, Ellison has established roots and contacts all throughout the beltway.

7. In 2018, Ellison would have to run in a special election to fill out the remaining 2-year term. If he's been in office for a year, he will have established his campaign contacts and be able to run an effective campaign. Now, the OTHER senate seat, held by Amy Klobuchar, will be holding it's regularly-scheduled senate election for the full 6-year term. With both Ellison and Klobuchar running, this will provide a UNIQUE advantage to BOTH candidates in terms of messaging and Democratic turnout. Finally, as a mid-term election cycle, there will be no distracting presidential race to gum up the works.

8. In this case, Ellison will be fully expected to win (as well Klobucher) and maintain the Franken seat. With a senate election victory, Ellison will solidify his campaign contribution network, and he will be ideally set up in 2020 when he runs for the full 6-year seat.

Sweet lemonade from a sour GOP-pushed lemon.

The bottom line: It sucks GOP balls that the GOP is hypocritically forcing the negation of Franken's influence, even though his "crime" is not even in the same ballpark as Moore's sexual molestation and exploitation of a child. Thank god Doug Jones will win (we have a very nasty surprise for Molester Moore this coming Sunday, watch and fume). But by replacing Franken with Ellison, we will actually make it much easier for Ellison to become senator and to maintain a progressive lockhold on the senate seat for another generation.