Franken assumes presidency … of the Senate

Al Franken envisioned himself becoming President of the United States a decade ago in his book, “Why Not Me?” And today, for a time, he was president — of the U.S. Senate. It’s a temporary task that’s rotated among the senators, and Franken’s turn happened to come this afternoon at a historic moment, just as the Senate entered the final hour of debate over Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.

It’s a training exercise for junior senators to sit in as president; according to spokeswoman Jess McIntosh, this was Franken’s second stint with the gavel.

And today he used it — rapping the rostrum to interrupt Sen. Jeff Sessions and announce the order of speakers: Sessions, Sen. Patrick Leahy,  Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Majority Leader Harry Reid.

For a guy who only a week or two ago didn’t seem to know how to get a committee chair’s attention or put a document into the record, Franken displayed considerable parliamentary aplomb this afternoon, authoritatively intoning such standard utterances as ”The clerk will call the roll,” “Without objection,” and “The Senate will suspend the rules.”