I’ll cheerfully concede that Franken was a so-so- comedian, but he’s a smart progressive politician, and it’ll be good to see someone like that in the Senate seat once occupied by Paul Wellstone. It’ll bring us one vote closer to limiting carbon emissions and supporting alternative energy, controlling health care costs and expanding access, and imposing some sensible oversight on the robber barons who willfully wrecked our economy.

Which is not to say that good policies will necessarily get passed — with a filibuster-proof 60 votes in his caucus, majority “leader” Harry Reid (DINO-NV) will doubtless come up with some other excuse for not advancing a decent progressive agenda. But one step closer is at least a step in the right direction.