Photo: Chris Steller

Photo: Chris Steller

Al Franken says he expects to win at the Minnesota Supreme Court, get an election certificate and be seated in the U.S. Senate quickly. “I’m not going to take a vacation after we win,” he told Minnesota Public Radio. 

But even if all goes as well as he thinks it will, “It’s going to be an odd way to enter the Senate,” Franken said — with no transition time, he plans to be “sworn in, then vote.”

Had he been seated earlier, Franken said he could have helped Democrats in Congress get more stimulus money to the states.

But even as he looked forward to helping pass legislation on health care and education, Franken downplayed the importance of a 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority for Democrats in the Senate.

“I don’t look at 60 as the important number,” Frank said. “I look at two. … All states are supposed to have two Senators.”

Franken counts noses in his home state as well.

“Fifty-eight percent of the the voters didn’t vote for me,” he said. “I’m going to have to earn the trust of the people who didn’t.”

MPR’s interview took place on Saturday, shortly after Franken returned from a fundraising trip to Austin, Texas.

MPR said Norm Coleman denied an interview request.