I’ve had a few conversations in the last week or two about the latest Senator from Minnesota,  Al Franken.

People outside of Minnesota can’t really figure the whole thing out. We seem like these relatively stolid people, but we do occasionally elect some really odd ducks or perhaps I should say loons.

One of the best online explanations was the recent David Carr  NYT article, “Al Franken and the Odd Politics of Minnesota“. The only thing he missed was emphasizing how Franken has been re-casting himself as a pundit instead of a comedian for years. While the radio show might not have taken the nation by storm it cast him solidly in a different genre than Saturday Night Live cast member/comedian. The same thing is true for Jesse Ventura – who at least finished his term in office. We thought of him as a radio pundit – not a pro wrestler.

I’m a little disappointed to hear that Franken isn’t planning to be funny in the Senate. I think a little humor might be good for the place. Amy Klobuchar has done a surprisingly job being funny in the last eight months – I suppose she can keep pulling more than her fair share if required.