Guaranteed Healthcare

WASHINGTON, DC -- At the posh Willard Hotel here in Washington, Minnesota Senator-elect Al Franken hosted a brunch attended by not only his family, friends and supporters but also by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.  Franken said when he is seated in his Senate seat, he will talk more with Sanders about a Wellstone-like health reform bill in the Senate.  The late and much beloved Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone favored an approach to single payer healthcare that would allow individual states to develop single payer systems rather than reforming on the national level first.

But first, Franken must be sworn into office.  He has survived a recount and his election was certified by election officials in Minnesota, but his opponent, Sen. Norm Coleman, has filed suit in Minnesota District Courts to challenge the results of the recount.  Franken expects to prevail, but the Senate has yet to allow him to take the oath of office which would officially install him as Minnesota's junior Senator.

Members of the Grateful Dead also performed at the brunch in Franken's honor, as he told the crowd it's the only music he ever listens to.  As he thanked everyone for coming, one friend thanked Franken and said as a Senator he might be able to make C-SPAN worth watching.  The crowd found ample opportunies for laughter during the program.  Franken closed his remarks by saying, "I just want to do the best that I can as your U.S. Senator."