Last laugh as Obama gets crucial Senate vote..

THE US President, Barack Obama, has finally snared a potentially filibuster-busting majority in the Senate, after the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the Democrat Al Franken had won that state's Senate race last November.

The win - which follows months of legal challenges by the Republican Norm Coleman - offers Mr Obama his best chance to pass critical legislation, including his energy and climate package, his health-care bill and tougher financial regulation. But it does not guarantee it.

The announcement that Mr Franken, a comedian, former writer and performer on Saturday Night Live and talkback radio host, had won the seat means that Mr Obama now has 58 Democrats and two independents in the Senate - giving him the 60 votes necessary to end a filibuster and bring any legislation to a final vote (which requires only a simple majority).

But unlike in Australia, there are no expectations or sanctions for breaking with the party. Mr Obama will now need to use all his persuasive skills on Democratic senators, several of whom have already indicated concerns about the climate change bill and about the cost of his health-care plan.

The Democrats are perhaps more split than at any other time in modern history. Senators from rustbelt states and from coal states have expressed reservations on the climate change bill.

The Blue Dogs - a fiscally conservative group that rose to prominence during the Clinton and Bush years - are likely to resist any health-care reforms that lack a clear funding plan.

Even the newest senator, Mr Franken, who is regarded as a liberal, laid claim to his independence. "The way I see it, I am not going to Washington to be the 60th Democrat senator; I am going to Washington to be the second senator for Minnesota," he said.

In a unanimous decision, the Minnesota justices said Mr Franken is entitled to the election certificate he needs to assume office. The Republican Governor, Tim Pawlenty, needs to sign the certificate to clear the way for Mr Franken to be seated, probably next week, when the Senate resumes after the July 4 break.

The Republicans conceded that the eight-month battle was over.

Agencies/Herald/Excerpts/ Davies/ 07/02/2009 

* Bernie Sanders Demands Democrats Commit To Stopping Health Care Filibuster ..

One of the Senate's most vocal progressives is demanding that the Democratic Party commit to voting against filibustering health care legislation now that, with the impending arrival of Al Franken, the party has 60 caucusing members.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), called on the White House and Democratic leadership in Congress to ensure that party members agree unanimously to support cloture on legislation that would revamp the nation's health care system. Democratic senators on the fence, he added, could still oppose the bill. But at the very least they should be required to let the legislation come to an up-or-down vote.

"I think that with Al Franken coming on board, you have effectively 60 Democrats in the caucus, 58 and two Independents," Sanders said in an interview with the Huffington Post. "I think the strategy should be to say, it doesn't take 60 votes to pass a piece of legislation. It takes 60 votes to stop a filibuster. I think the strategy should be that every Democrat, no matter whether or not they ultimately end up voting for the final bill, is to say we are going to vote together to stop a Republican filibuster. And if somebody who votes for that ends up saying, 'I'm not gonna vote for this bill, it's too radical, blah, blah, blah, that's fine.'"

"I think the idea of going to conservative Republicans, who are essentially representing the insurance companies and the drug companies, and watering down this bill substantially, rather than demanding we get 60 votes to stop the filibuster, I think that is a very wrong political strategy," Sanders added.

Agencies/ 07/01/09

* Union hits Citigroup over rate hikes ..
 
The Services Employees International Union is criticizing Citigroup over a report that said the bank is increasing rates on its credit cards. 


White House downplays 60 in the Senate.. 

The White House said Wednesday that it is irresponsible for Republicans to wash their hands of the president's agenda just because Democrats now hold a 60-member supermajority in the Senate.

The Hill/ 07/01/09