mr. franken made the rounds on capitol hill. >> i'm very excited to get to work.d to be here. >> he readily admits his career as a comic can and should give some voters pause. the senate democratic majority leader used a joke going around minnesota to welcome the newest u.s. senator. >> when weem find out he is a smart guy who is serious about the issues and a hard worker, they will be pleasantly surprised. >> when franken is officially sworn in tuesday, he will be the democratic majority's 60th vote in a filibuster proof majority including joe lieberman and bernie sanders. it is the first 60-vote advantage for either party since jimmy carter's presidency. >> a lot has been made of this number 60. the number i'm focused on is the number two. >> as in the number of senators minnesota will at last have now that the 8-month recount is finally over. franken has landed some key committee assignments. he will sit on the judiciary i committee that nexts week starts confirmation hearings on sonia sotomayor, and he will be on ted kennedy's senate health committee, which ho

mr. franken goes to washington. news, moscow. >>> when we continue in just a moment, a former comedian getting serious. mr. franken goes to washington. you're the colon lady! diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating. that's me! can i tell you what a difference phillips' colon health has made? it's the probiotics. the good bacteria. that gets your colon back in balance. i'm good to go! phillips' colon health. when she started forgetting things, i was hoping it was nothing. grandma! what a nice surprise! mom, it's sunday. that's when i knew i couldn't wait. mom's doctor said these were signs of alzheimer's, a type of dementia, and that prescription aricept could help. he said it's the only treatment proven effective... for all stages of alzheimer's. studies showed aricept slows the progression... of alzheimer's symptoms. it improves cognition... and slows the deine of overall function. aricept is well tolerated but not for everyone. people at risk for stomach ulcers... or who take certain other medicines... should tell t

mr. franken goes to washington and gov. palin leaves juneau. >> i don't know what the future holds. i will not shut any door. tba >> the nation's unemployment rate is currently at 9% and probably headed forouble digit. with the president of the country, vice president biden conceded the itial predictions that unemployment would peak at 8.5% were too optimistic. >> the truth is, we and everyone se must read the economy. >> this is the greatest abcation i have seen since 've been in congress. >> the question w is, do we need second smulus? >> theirst in limbo was like taking half a tabl of viagra and also having can be mixe and. >> warren buffett,alf a tablet viaa -- like a metaphor. previn and obama says his and s advisers didot misad the econom as biden says, but it diday they h incomplete formation about how bad things were. nevertheless, he claims he wodn't have done anything differently even if the hav more informaon. the question , howong will the ters would until they begin to exact retribution? we already seeindependence ipping away and anohio poll shows a real slippe. is the

mr. franken goes to washington and gov. palin leave juneau. >> i don't know what th future holds. i will not shut any door. tba the nation's unemployment rate is currently at.5% and probably headed f double digi with the president of th country, vice presiden bid conceded thenitial predictions that unemploymen would peak at 8.5% were too optimistic. >> the truth is, we a everyon else must read the economy. >> this is the greatest dication i have seen since i've been in congress. >> the questionow is, do we needa secondtimulus? >> t first in limbo was like taking half a taet of viagra and also having can be mid and. >> warren buffet half a tablet of vgra -- like a metaphor. previn and obama says his and his advisers did not mlead the econy, as biden says, but it did say theyad incomplete information about how bad things were. nevertheless, he claims he uldn't have done anything differently even if the he more infortion. the questiois, how long will thvoters would until they begin to exact retribution? we already see independence slipping away and an oh poll ows a real slippage. is

mr. franken, being liberal, progressive, or whatever he may be, is physically responsible because if we keep going down the road we are going down, we will spend ourselves right into a bitter recession than we are already in. with that, i will let the young lady speak. guest: well, in terms of al franken being a celebrity, i think that did help him with name recognition. as i said earlier, he announced in february of 2007. so, he had a two-year long campaign he sensibly. so we tried very hard to work through some of those things. that is where i would come out as far as that is concerned that, yes, it helped him with name recognition but there was a lot he had to overcome as well because they had a background as a comedian. there are republicans who think this is a sign of the apocalypse, if you ever watched him on "saturday night live" that he should in no way be a senator. but think it both helped him and hurt him, and in the end he did work very hard to rob it. and remember, this is minnesota. the only state in the nation to vote for what the mondale if -- district of columbia is not a st

mr. franken has come to washington. >> i'm ready to get to work. >> reporter: alongside harry reid monday, franken said that while much has been made about him being the 60th democratic vote, he says his primary focus is minnesota. >> i'm going to work day and night to make sure that our kids have a great future. >> reporter: but the senate democratic leader, while careful not to boast, now enjoys a lock on power not seen since the carter administration, he still called on republicans to try to work with the new democratic supermajority. >> these challenges we face are not democratic challenges or republican challenges or nonpartisan challenges. reporter: franken represents the so-called magic number of 60 votes which under senate rule democrats can stop any attempt by republicans to stall legislation. for that reason brian darlingtoning says the g.o.p. would be wise to pick their battles carefully. >> they do not have enough votes to stop legislation and they will use is democrats can unify behind their legislation. >> reporter: the minnesota supreme court declared franken victorious jus

mr. franken has come to washington. >> i'm ready to get to work. >> reporter: alongside senate majority leaderrry reid, franken says whilmuch has been made about him being the 60th democratic vote, he says his primary focus is minnesota. >> i am going to work day and night to make sure that our kids have a great future. >> reporter: but the senate democratic leader, while careful not to boast, now enjoys a lock on power not seen since the carter administration. still, he called on republicans to try to work with the new democratic super majority. >> these challenges we face are not democratic challenges or republican challenges or nonpartisan challenges. >> reporter: franken represents the so-called magic number of 60 votes which, under senate rule, democrats can use to block any attempt by republicans to stall their legislation. for that reason, analyst brian darling of the heritage foundation says the gop would be wise to pick its battles carefully. >> republicans need to be very focused on what they say. they do not have enough votes to stop legislation. they will lose if democrats can. you

mr. franken has come to washington. >> i'm ready to get to work. >> reporter: along senate majority leader harry reid on monday, franken said while much has been made about him being the 60th democratic vote, he says his primary focus is minnesota. >> i'm going to work day and night to make sure that our kids have a great future. >> reporter: but the senate democratic leader, while careful not to boast, now enjoys a lock of power not seen since the carter administration. still he called on republicans to try to work with the new democratic super majority. >> these challenges we face are not democratic challenges or republican challenges or nonpartisan challenges. >> reporter: franken represents the so-called magic number of 60 votes. under senate rule, democrats can use to block any attem by republicans to stall their legislation. for that reason analyst brian from the heritage foundation says the gop would be wise to pick its battles carefully. >> the republicans need to be focused on what they say. they don't have enough votes to stop legislation. they will lose if democrats can unify be

mr. l franken comes to washington and gov. sarah palin decides to leave. >> i'm not going to shut any door. >> the nation's unemployment rate is currently at 9.5% and probably had it to double digits with. what the president out of the country vice-president biden conceded the initial predictions that unemployment would peak at 8.5% were too optimistic. >> the truth is we and everyone else misread the economy. >> now, this is the greatest abdiation i seen since i've been in congress. >> the question now is, do we need a second singles? >> the first in less bill was sort of like taking a half a tablet of by agra, you know, and having a budget can be mixed in. >> that is warren buffett, the oracle of omaha -- half of tablet of viagra -- metaphor. obama did say the had an incomplete and -- information of how bad things are. but nevertheless he claims he would not have done anything differently, even if he had more information. the question is, how long will the voters wait until they exact retribution? we see independent voters

mr. al franken, the washington post and gov. sarah palin leaves you know. >> i will not shut any door. >> the nation's unemployment rate is currently at 9.5% and currently headed to double digits. with the president out of the country vice-president biden conceded the initial predictions that unemployment would peak at 8.5% were too optimistic. >> the truth is, we and everyone else must read -- miss read the economy. >> this is the greatest abdication i have seen. >> the question is, do we need a second stimulus? >> the first stimulus bill was like taking a half a tablet of niagara and have also a budget can be mixed and. >> that is warren buffett, they are called -- the oracle omaha. dempf the president said he and his advisers did not mislead the economy but he did say they had incomplete information about how bad things were. but it claims he would have not done anything differently even if they had more information. how long will voters way before they try to exact retribution? we already see independences shifting and in an

mr. leahy. >> thank you. senator franken, please continue. >> thank you, mr. chairman. what i was saying is this is the first hearings since 1965 that senator kennedy has not been present and i know he's off the committee now but we do miss his presence. these televised hearings over the years have taught americans a lot about our constitution and the role that the courts play in upholding and defending it. i look forward to listening to all of your questions and the issues that you and your constituents care about. to judge sotomayor, welcome. over the next few days i expect to learn from you, as well. as has been said, you are the most experienced nominee to the supreme court in 100 years and after meeting with you in my office last week, i know you are not just an outstanding juris but an exceptional individual and as others have said, your story is inspirational and one which all americans should take great pride in. i welcome your family, as well. as most of you know, this is my fifth day in office. that may mean i'm the most junior senator but it also means that i

mr. franken? >> aye. >> no. >> no by proxy. >> mr. graham? >> aye. >> mr. cornen? >> no, by proxy. >> aye. >> mr. chairman, the votes are 13 yeas and -- >> the name will be sent to the full senate for its action. i ask unanimous consent for thomas mcclellan, christopher schroeder, cranston mitchell, those nominees be considered en banc. without objection, they will be considered en banc. those in favor of those four nominees, signify by saying aye. opposed? the ayes appear to have it. and i would note that we have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, blah, blah, blah, 15 -- >> boy, let's do this. let's recap this moment. certainly an historic moment. boy, judge sonia sotomayor, her nomination to become the next associate justice for the united states supreme court voted out of the committee in the affirmative. let's get to capitol hill right now and brianna keilar is there for us. and as expected, there was one republican member of the committee, senator lindsey graham, who voted aye for sonia sotomayor. >> reporter: that's right, lindsey grah

mr. franken. >> aye. >> no. >> no. >> mr. grassley. >> no. >> no by proxy. >> mr. graham. >> aye. >> no by proxy. >> no by proxy. >> aye. >> 13 yays six nays. >> the nominee has been approved by the committee. the name will be sent to the post senate. christopher schroder and mitchell, those four nominees be considered on bunk without objection, those in favor, of those four nominations, say aye. >> aye. >> the aye appear to have it. we have 15 senators in the room. >> mr. chairman, i think there's some concern about some of the nominees but i think our members are committed to go forward. >> i appreciate that. >> please stand in recess. gentleman from california rise? >> to address the house for one minute and ask permission to address the house for one minute my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mckeon: thank you, mr. speaker. the democratic leadership has been demanding that we pass health care reform this week. that's very, very important, even though the bill doesn't take effect for five years. you know, this is the bill. my constituents

mr. franken. >> aye. >> no. >> no. >> mr. grassley. >> no. >> no by proxy. >> mr. graham. >> aye. >> no by proxy. >> no by proxy. >> aye. >> 13 yays six nays. >> the nominee has been approved by the committee. the name will be sent to the post senate. christopher schroder and mitchell, those four nominees be considered on bunk without objection, those in favor, of those four nominations, say aye. >> aye. >> the aye appear to have it. we have 15 senators in the room. >> mr. chairman, i think there's some concern about some of the nominees but i think our members are committed to go forward. >> i appreciate that. >> please stand in recess. next next week, the full senate will face -- >> next week, the full senate will face the vote for sonya sotomayor. >> you are watching public affairs programming on c-span. up next, president obama takes questions on health care reform at a town hall meeting hosted by aarp. after that, members of the u.s. house talk about changes to the health care system. >> on tomorrow morning's washington journal, we will focus on health care le

senator franken, please. >> ank you, mr. chairman. what i was saying this is the first hearing since 1965 tat senator kendy has not been present and i know he'sff the committee now, but we do miss his presence. thestelevised hearings have taught americans a lot aboutur constitution and the ro the courts play in upholding and defending it. i look forward to listening to all of your qstions and the issues that y and your constituents care abt. to judge sotayor. welcome. over the next few days, i expect to learn from you as wel as been said, you're theost perienced ninee to the sueme court in 100 year and after meeting you in my offce last week, i know you're not just an outandingjudge, but anexceptional individual. your story is inspirational, o whicall americans should take great pride in and i welcome your family as wl. as most of you know, this is m fifth day in office. that may mean i'm the mt junior senator, but also means that i am the setor who mo recently took t oath of office. st tuesday, i swore to suppo anddefend the constitu

mr. franken? >> no. >> no. >> mr. hatch? >> no. >> no, by proxy. >> no, by proxy. >> the nominee has been approved by the committee, the name will be sent to the full senate for its action. >> democrats and republicans very divided on the senate judiciary committee even though republicans on the committee admitted when you look at sonia sotomayor's record being on the federal bench that it was well within the mainstream. they said some of the things she said, for instance, that wise latina comment didn't sit well with them and they aren't convinced her belief when she makes decisions on the supreme court. but susan, lindsey graham what he said defending his vote for her, elections have consequences, even though he wouldn't have picked sonia sotomayor, he said president obama won the election, and so he thinks he gets -- lindsey graham thinks he's entitled to his pick. >> he is. was that division expected, brianna? >> reporter: it certainly was and we've seen these supreme court nominations, this process over the last few yea

. >> al franken spoke shortly after mr. kohl man conceded. what did he say? >> he talked about how he was humbled by the victory and he was looking forward to representing minnesota. he said he is going to except some committee assignments including on the senate health committee insuring that he will play a role in developing a broad health reform package that democrats were trying to push through in july. also the judiciary committee which is hearing the nomination of sonia sotomayor. tomorrow they are having a victory rally in minneapolis. >> there has been talk about more appeals from norm coleman, what did he say? >> he said that he has taken all of the arguments before the court and they have all been rejected and he has no recourse. he is right about that. they went through all of the steps in the process, they looked at a number of the arguments and they formally rejected them. the same thing happened here before the state supreme court including some of his constitutional arguments. he has said that the election officials were using different standar

franken, democrat of minnesota. he was sworn in yesterday. the picture, you can see him being sworn in by vice president biden. it says in the article that mrranken cast his first vote against a spending cut favored by president obama. he was one of 51 senators who voted against the measure, sponsored by republican senator john mccain of arizona that would have eliminated a $6 million grant program for bus companies. back to the phones. springfield, virginia. samuel on the line for republicans. caller: i wanted to give a couple of statistics about the health care plan obama is proposing. i work in the industry. a quick note, they are terrified of what is coming down the pike. it will probably be a $1 trillion plan for the next 10 years and according to the congressional budget office only about $16 million of the 46 million uninsured will be insured. we are told that is an improvement. a quick profile of some of the uninsured -- 10 million are illegal immigrants. you can walk in any emergency room, whether california or virginia, and most of the population is illegal immigrants. health care, education costs, the 16.4% of 25% of the californ

franken? >> thank you, mr. chairman.t i was saying, is this is the first hearing since 1965 that senator kennedy has not been present and i know he's off the committee now, but we do miss his presence. these televised hearings over the years have taught americans a lot about our constitution and the role that the courts play in upholding and defending it. i look forward to listening to all of your questions and the issues that you and your constituents care about. judge sotomayor, welcome. over the next few days, i expect to learn from you as well. as has been said, you are the most experienced nominee to the supreme court in 100 years, and after meeting you in my office last week, i know that you're not just an outstanding jurist but an exceptional individual and as others have said, your story is inspirational and one which all americans should take great pride in. i welcome your family as well. as most of you know, this is my fifth day in office. that may mean i'm the most junior senator, but it also means that i am t

mr. coleman and they also had addition al ballots for franken lange. by the time it's over.y 312 votes. it goes to show that modern day elebss don't end when voters cast their ballots, they only end after the lawyers count them. still ahead, a federal judge sets a dangerous precedent clearing the way for a convicted terrorist to sue a former bush official for advice he gave to the president. we will have the details when we come back. p hey, guys, this is my teenage friend rachael. she's cool. hey! [fiddling with radio] rachael: hey, could you watch the road? [mocking] "hey, could you watch the road?" ok. all right. well, if we die in a car crash, i want to donate my eyes to my neighbor gary. he has a boat, and he sails all around the world. i would love to see that. i don't know if he actually needs eyes, but who would turn down a free pair of eyes, right? ha ha. who's that rich? a simpler way to ship. call or go online now to get started. >> the debate over what should happen to the bush administration officials who drafted the so-called torture memos took a new turn when

mr. al franken. there he is. sitting in some new territory certainly as she listens to him.ayor is confirmed, she'd become the country's first hispanic supreme court justice. we are expected to hear from her in her opening statements in about 15 minutes, and when that happens, we'll bring it to you live, but quite a scene there, isn't it? there is senator al franken as he gives his opening statements in the confirmation process here. >>> a heckler had to be removed from the hearing this morning. he screamed, quote, what about the unborn? as he was escorted out. during the episode, leahy issued a stern warning. >> what about the unborn! >> the police will remove that man. let me make very clear there will be no outbursts allowed in this committee either for or against the nominee, either for or against any position that senator sessions or i or any other senator will have. this is a hearing of the united states senate, and we will have order and we will have decorum. there are people who want to have this hearing. in fairness to judge sotomayor, there will be -- it will be do

i welcome senator franken to the senate. mr. bennett: i congratulate al franken on his victory, but it is no secret that norm coleman will be sadly missed here. i served with him on the homeland security and governmental affairs committee where he served as the chairman of the permanent subcommittee on investigation. this is a subcommittee that has an interesting history. it has a history of some demagoguery if you go back into the past. it also has a history of some accomplishment of the various senators who have served there. i think it unusual that a freshman senator would serve in that capacity and serve as if he were not a freshman, but a seasoned veteran. he took over that assignment. he went after a number of areas of controversy and with a persistence that served him and the senate very well, pursued a number of difficulties. so, with all of the things we have heard about norm coleman -- his intelligence, his grace, his willingness to work hard and at the same time do so with a sense of class about him -- i want to add my

franken? >> thank you, mr. chairman. i have a letter here from several former u.s. attorneys from the southern district of new york. some of them republican appointed and supporting the judge's confirmation, and i'll read a little bit from it. it says that each had personal experience, including appearing before judge sotomayor. she came to our cases without any apparent bias, probed counsel actively with inciteful and tough questions, and demonstrated time and again that she not only listens but is often persuaded by counsel. in our matters, judge sotomayor's opinions are clear and disciplined -- it's great. it's a great letter. i would ask that it be entered into the record, sir. can i enter into the record? okay, thank you. thank you, judge sotomayor, for your patience and your terrific answers. we've heard a lot about your thoughts on specific cases and on principles of jurisprudence. i'd like to ask a much more general question and one that i think is a really good question in job interviews. and that is, why do you want to be a supreme court justice? >> you're

mr. president. unreal. earlier today on capitol hill, the unthinkable finally happened. al franken was officially sworn in as a united states senator. now aside from appearing on "saturday night live" and hosting a radio show that nobody listened to, you may not know what qualifies him tore a senator. so tonight we thought we'd give you a refresher on senator stuart smalley's impressive resume. take a look. >> i'm good enough, i'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me. >> i [beep] you all night long, sighed the pouty sex kitten. >> which is probably why a -- i became a sort of guru of the self-help movement. well, that's the smally family. we're, you know, dysfunction 5789 sean: look on the bright side, minnesota. only six short years to go. now that stuart smalley is a u.s. senator, more unqualified hollywood liberals are considering running for office. left wing actor and father of the year alec baldwin sat down with playboying -- magazine and was asked about running for congress. keep in mind this is the man caught on tape calling his 11-year-old daughter a rude, thoughtl

franken. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i have a letter here from several former u.s.ttorneys from the southern district of new york, some of them republican appointed and supporting the judge's confirmation. and i'll read a little bit from it. she says that each had personal experience including appearing before judge sotomayor. she came to it our cases without any apparent bias, act the with insightful and tough questions and demonstrated time and again that she not only listens but is often persuaded by counsel. in our matters, judge so sotomayor's opinions reflect clear discipline, thinking. you know, it's great. it's a great letter. and i would ask that it be entered into the record. sir, can i enter it into the record? okay. thank you. thank you, judge sotomayor, for your patience. and your terrific answers. we've heard a lot about your thoughts on specific cases and on principles of jurisprudence. i would like to ask a much more general question and one that i think is really good question in job interviews. and that is why do you want to be a supreme court just

franken:. quorum call: a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from south dakota. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. thune: mr. president, i have an amendment that i send to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from south dakota, mr. thune, proposes amendment numbered 1618. mr. thune: mr. president, i would ask unanimous consent that the rest of the reading of the amendment be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. thune: mr. president, the amendment that i bring to the senate this evening is very simple, and it ties into the debate that was just held about hate crimes legislation. one of the ways that you can obviously prevent crimes from happening is to make sure that people are able to defend themselves against violent crimes. and my amendment would do just that. it's very simple. it allows individuals the right to carry a lawfully concealed firearm across state l

franken, the senator from minnesota. >> that was most heartfelt. i'm glad you're here. please go ahead. >> thank you, mr. chairman.wers throughout the hearing. before lunch, our senior senator from minnesota, amy klobuchar, asked you why you became a prosecutor and you mentioned perry mason. i was a big fan of perry mason. i watched perry mason every week with my dad, my mom, my brother. we'd watch the clock and we knew when it was two minutes to the half hour, the real murder would stand up and confess. it was a great show. and it amazes me that you wanted to become a prosecutor based on that show. because in perry mason, the prosecutor, berger, lost every week. with one exception, which we'll get to later. but i think that says something about your determination to defy the odds. and while you were watching perry mason in the south bronx with your mom and your brother and i was watching perry mason in minneapolis with my folks and my brother and here we are today. and i'm -- i'm asking you questions because you have been nominated to be a justice for the united states supreme court. i think that's pretty cool. a

mr. chairman. >> senator specter, and the last of this round will be senator franken, the newest member of the committeei didn't officially welcome you the other day as i should have when we have new members. welcome to the committee. i offer you congratulations and condolences at the same time! >> i will accept the congratulations. >> that was most heartfelt. i am glad you are hear. please go ahead. >> thank you, mr. chairman and thank you judge sonya sotomayor for sitting here so patiently and for all your thoughtful answers throughout the hearing. before lunch, our senior senator from minnesota, amy klovachar asked you why you became a prosecutor and you mentioned perry mason i was a big fan. i watched it every week with my dad, my mom, and my brother. we would watch the clock. we knew when it was two minutes to the half hour, that the real murderer would stand up and confess. it was a great show. it amazes me that you wanted to become a prosecutor based on that show. because, in perry mason, the prosecutor, burger, lost every week. with one exception, which we will get to later. but i think that say

mr. chairman. >> senator specter. in the last of our -- this round of questioning will be senator franken, the newest member of the committee. senator, i didn't officially welcome you the other day as i should have with the numbers but welcome to the committee. i offer you congratulations and condolences at the same time. >> i'll take the congratulations. >> okay. then that was most heart felt. i'm glad you're here. please go ahead. >> thank you, mr. chairman, and thank you, judge sotomayor, for sitting here so patiently and for all of your thoughtful answers throughout the hearing. before lunch our senior senator of minnesota asked you why you became a prosecutor. and you mentioned perry mason. i was a big fan of perry mason. i watched perry mason every week with my dad and my mom and my brother. and we'd watch the clock and when we knew it was two minutes to the half hour that the real murderer would stand up and confess. it was a great show. and it amazes me that you want to become a prosecutor based on that show because in perry mason, the prosecutor, burger, lost every week. >> once. >> with one exception which we'll g

mr. senator." he usedd toake fun o of himimlf because nobody h ever heard of hi nator franken taking h his seat. >>> telelomom looks wn the bael at an anti-trtrusby t obama adadninisttion. gogoog,, pharmaceuticals,s, aiairlesesre already a target. isececsion the righthtime to cracackdn n business? ishehe psident going too far?? 0 "i'm rethihinkgg everything... d#d#: 800-345-2550 including g whi i ust to look after r myononey tdd#: 1-800-0-34252550 tdd#: 1-800-345-5-5050 that's great,igh bebut t i'nono" tdd#: 1-800-345-5-25 "i guess i'm just doneneitith? tdd#: 1-800-345-2525 "oh, i'm not thinking ououmoving my money. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 amam ming it." how muhohocan you getfofor a cool millllio we traral l cot to coast showing yoyou att takes to get your foot in the door wi great deal for l ling or investing. they'd today oncnbc. > ahead ofof earnings laterer ts week, and some econonomi atats, ee markets are vererymuch under some pressure today. do about 90 points on t t dow. the s&p isndnd presessu as well, as i thenasdaq. some of thecommodity'ss markets, ececically metals. >>>>and the justice dep

mr. chairman. >> in the last of our -- in this round of questioning will be senator franken, the newest member of the committee. senator, i didn't officially welcome to the other day as i should have when we have new members, but welcome to the committee. i offer you congratulations and condolences at the same time. [laughter] >> i will take the congratulations. >> that was most heartfelt. i'm glad you're here. please go ahead. >> thank you, mr. chairman and thank you, judge sotomayor for sitting here so patiently and for all of your thoughtful answers throughout the hearing. before launch our senior senator from minnesota, amy klobuchar, asked you why you became a prosecutor, and you mentioned perry mason. i was a big fan of perry mason. i watched peery maysan every week with my dad and my mom and my brother and we watched the clock when we knew there was two minutes to the half hour that the murderer would stand up and confess. it was a great show. and it amazes me that you wanted to become a prosecutor based on the show because, in a perry mason, the prosecutor, burger, lost every week. [la

once again, al franken will be at the podium momentarily. >>> coming to an end. al. >> thank you, mr. leader. i want to thank the leader for all of your support during and after the campaign and i look forward to working under your leadership. a lot has been made of this number 60, the number i'm focused on is the number two. i see myself as the second senator from the state of minnesota. minnesotans are practical people. they want to make sure the work we do here in the senate makes sense. and that the decisions we make for the future have a strong return on investment. minnesotans want a rational health care system that provides health care for all americans, that is accessible and affordable, gets the cost down. minnesotans want an economy that works for working families and that means jobs. it means decent day's wage for an honest day's work and means protecting people's retirements. americans want a new energy policy that creates jobs that addresses climate change and that is going to wean us from our dependance on foreign oil. and minnesotans want their kids to have an educatio

mr. barry. >> reporter: barry is scheduled for a court hearing on the stalking charge on thursday. he designed to speak on the advice of his lawyer, fred cook. >>> later today, minnesota's new junior senator al franken is scheduled to be sworn in. he arrived on captiol hill yesterday afternoon to officially move to his new office. his arrival comes after months of recount and legal wrangling which ended in him claiming the seat once held by norm coleman. >> president obama told russian prime minister pouten it is time to put america's relationship with russia on a strong footing. it comes after both countries pledge to cut their nuclear arsenals by year's end. charlie dag has the story from london. >> president obama and putin shared a hand shake and hopes for better relations between the u.s. and russia. the president used the university speech to deliver the message that the two countries were not destined to be antagonists. >> let me be clear, america wants a strong, peaceful and prosperous russia. >> reporter: he says both countries share concerns about the threat of nuclear weapons in asia an the middle east. >> that's why we should be united in opposing north korea's efforts to be a nuclear po

mr. chairman. >> thankou very much, and1 judge, thank you, and enjoy your-eny your luch. we' look forward to wh you me back. wh you come back, we'll hear fr senatorsenator kauffman, senator specter. senator franken. i welcome nator franken to the kpitee ande will then have -- and then we'll have an introduction of you, and what erybody has been really waiting to hear. we'll hear from you. so thank u very, very much, judge. >> woodruff: judge sotomay managin a smile there at the end of a few urs, two-and-a-half hours of opening our cfirmationearing before the senate juciary committee. you see judge sotomayor lien down to gve a hug to her brother. she is now with herother, and hertepfather. we know i'm witharsia coyle of the national l journal. the judge broke her ankle just a fe days after she was announced, and she has en is it fair toay hobbling. >> hbbling through the halls of congress meeting some9 senators one on one to talk out the nominations. >> in the eks leading up to these hearing doing wha they call due digence, getting around meeting all of the -- as you said, all bu 11 members of th senate. the judge -- shes speaking now to the chairman of the senate juiciary committee and to senato

mr. chairman. a few weeks ago my colleague and friend senator al franken came to my office the day after he was sworn in. we talked about his new role in the united states senate and some of the challenges he'd already faced, and he talked about the first three votes that he cast as a united states senator. i tried to remember the first three votes i cast as a united states senator. i couldn't. after you've served in the house and senate for a period of time you come to realize that you have to be reminded on some of these votes, but there are some votes that you will remember for a lifetime. one of them is a vote on would our nation should go to war. that is a type of vote that you'll always remember. it's one of the most important decisions we make, and so is this decision because we're here asked to judge whether a man or a woman should be appointed for life to sever on the united states supreme court. the court that defines our personal rights to privacy, decides the restrictions that can be placed on the most personal aspects of our lives and our freedom. the supreme court decides the rights of

i now announce as of today, july 15, senator franken is appointed to serve on a permanent basis to the slot occupied by. mr. shelbybysheldon whitehouse. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. reid: mr. president, sheldon whitehouse, since coming to the senate, was truly a workhorse. there isn't anything i've asked this fine man to do that he hasn't come forward with enthusiasm to do it. we've seen the billian work he has done on -- brillant work he has done on many different indications as a member of the judiciary committee and other assignments in the senate have been as auspicious as work on the judiciary committee. his background is significant. he has a real interest in health care and his work on getting the bill recorded out of the "help" committee today was essential. all members of the committee, democrats and republicans, are astounded at how good he was. he, i repeat, enthusiastically accepted this temporary assignment while we waited for the long never-ending situation in minnesota come to a close. senator whitehouse was far from just a seed farmer. he dove into the issues an

mr. chairman. >> senator specter. in the last of our -- this round of questioning will be senator franken, the newest member of the committee. senator, i didn't officially welcome you the other day as i should have with the numbers but welcome to the committee. i offer you congratulations and condolences at the same time. >> i'll take the congratulations. >> okay. then that was most heart felt. i'm glad you're here. please go ahead. >> thank you, mr. chairman, and thank you, judge sotomayor, for sitting here so patiently and for all of your thoughtful answers throughout the hearing. before lunch our senior senator of minnesota asked you why you became a prosecutor. and you mentioned perry mason. i was a big fan of perry mason. i watched perry mason every week with my dad and my mom and my brother. and we'd watch the clock and when we knew it was two minutes to the half hour that the real murderer would stand up and confess. it was a great show. and it amazes me that you want to become a prosecutor based on that show because in perry mason, the prosecutor, burger, lost every week. >> once. >> with one exception which we'll g

mr. chairman. a few weeks ago my colleague and friend, senator al franken came to my office the day after he was sworn in, we talked about his new role in the united states senate and some of the challenges he already face and he talked about the first three votes that he cast as united states senator. i tried to remember the first three rows cycas as a u.s. senator, i couldn't, have to have served in the house and senate for a time you come to realize that you have to be reminded of some of these votes but there are some votes that you will remember for a lifetime. one of them is a vote on whether our nation should go to war. that is a type of boat that you will always remember. is one of the most import decisions we make. and so is this decision. because we are asked to judge whether a man or woman should be appointed alive to serve on the united states supreme court. to the court that defines our personal rights to privacy, decides that the restrictions of that can be placed on the most personal aspects of our lives and our freedom, the supreme court decides the rights of workers, consumers, immigr

franken and then the two people who will introduce you. then the judge will have a chance to say something. senator frank has been waiting patiently all day. >> thank you, mr. chairman. it is an incredible honor to be your less than one week into my term as the united states senator. my first major responsibility is here, this historic confirmation hearing. i am truly humbled to join the judiciary committee, which has played in will continue to play such an important role in overseeing our nation's system of justice. chairman leahy, for several years, i have admired your strength and integrity in leading this committee. i am grateful for your warm welcome. and the consideration they have given me. i am honored to serve alongside you. thank you, member sessions. i plan to follow the example of my differengood friend and pred, who was willing and ready to partner with his colleagues across the aisle to do the work that the american people. i look forward to working with you and my other republican colleagues in the senate to improve the lives of all americans. to all the members of this committee, know that i have a lot to learn from each of you. like so man

mr. president, let me say that the long, long senate race in the state of minnesota is over. al franken will be sworn as a senator tomorrow before the weekly party caucuses. history will write about that race for generations to come. three million votes were cast by hand. the recount was long, deliberate and fair, and al franken won by 312 votes. he's a good man. he's somebody who is extremely smart. he's harvard educated. he had chosen his life's work in the entertainment world. he's been on many, many u.s.o. caravans and trips. he has a great love for the american soldier. i met with him. his first piece of legislation will be one involving veterans. very unique. very important. i want everyone within the sound of my voice to understand that we have 60 senators on the democratic side. mr. president, which means that now, more than ever, we have to work together. we have no intention -- i have no intention of running roughshod over the republicans. i think that we have proven that over this first six months. we want cooperation from the republicans. we deserve cooperation from the repu

mr. reid: madam president? under the previous order the authority pursuant to s. res. 18, i announce that senator franken is assigned to the committee on indian affairs, select committee on aging and the judiciary committee, and as soon as the mark upis completed on the "help" committee health care bill, he will go onto the "help" committee. i note the absence of a quorum. madam president, i any it is appropriate -- i ask that we recess 10 minutes early today. the presiding officer: without objection. the senate stands in recess. quality legal *" has been covering law in washington. i don't think there has been a moment when covering washington has been more critical. it's such an important aspect of all our lives, not only washington, but across the nation. it's one of the key reasons that in the last year we have m we merge legal times and the national law journal. we felt that providing washington coverage to the legal community across the country was important in everyone's daily lives so that is especially true of the supreme court which is at the center of our coverage. this year we have been writi

mr. chairman. >> thank you very much and judge thank you. enjoy your lunch and we look forward to you coming back. when you come back we will hear from senator klobuchar, senator kaufman, senator specter, senator franken and welcome senator frank into the committee, and we will then have, and then we will have an introduction of you and what everybody has really been waiting to hear, we will hear from you so thank you very, very much judge. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> thank you. we can get back in order in the room, and the judge, good to have you back here. as i recall, we left with senator klobuchar, your next and i yield to senator klobuchar. >> thank you very much. it is a pleasure to see you again. i enjoyed our conversation and what i most remembered about that is that you confess to me that he once brought a winter park that to minnesota in june, and i promise i will not hold that against you during this week. i know you have many friends and family here but it was really an honor for me to meet your mom when president obama first announced your nomination. i love the story about how your mom saved all for money to buy you and your brother the first set of encyclopedi

mr. chairman. >> thank you very much. and judge, thank you. enjoy your lunch. we'll look forward to coming back. and when you come back, we'll hear from senator klobuchar, senator kaufman, senate or specter, senator frankeni welcome senator franken to the committee. and we will then have -- and then we'll have an introduction of you and what everybody's really been waiting to hear, we'll hear from you. so, thank you very, very much, judge. @@ seats and we resume our coverage on c-span3. >> thank if we could get back to water in the room. order in the room. and judge, good to have you back he here. as i recall it, senator clopenshire, you are next. >> thank you very much, chair. welcome back, judge. it is a pleasure to see you again. i enjoyed our conversation and what i most remembered about that is that you confessed to meow once brought a winter parka to minnesota in june. and i promise i will not hold that against you during this week. i know you have many friends and family here but it was really an honor for me to meet your mom. when president obama first announced your nomination, i love the story about how your mom saved all of her money to buy you and your brother the first set of encyclopedias i

mr. president, tomorrow we will begin consideration of the homeland security appropriations bill. roll call votes are expected to occur throughout the day. as stated earlier today at approximately 12:15 tomorrow, senator elect franken will be sworn in to be u.s. senator from the state of minnesota. if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask the senate adjourn under the previous order. the presiding officer: the senate will stand adjourned until july 7, tuesday, 10:00 a.m. u.s. government. >> i don't know. i think some of it is government raised. >> it's not public funding. >> probably donations. >> i want to say from me, my tax dollars. >> call is c-span funded? 30 years ago america's companies created c-span as a public service. a private business initiatives. no government mandate, no government money. >>> next the indian ambassador to the u.s. speaking on relations between the two countries. from a forum hosted by the american enterprise institute this is half an hour. [inaudible conversations] >> good morning, ladies and gentlemen. i am the american enterprise institute, i want to take this opportunity to welcome you this morning for our program titled natural allies, u.s.-india relations