Al Franken serious, ready to work

WASHINGTON - Al Franken's name plate had been on his Senate office for a half-hour when he emerged from a black Yukon Denali SUV Monday morning and stepped out onto the U.S. Capitol steps.

"Very excited to get to work," Franken told a clutch of reporters staking out his arrival. He and his wife, Franni, then disappeared into a side entrance, a small contingent of aides following behind.

Although Minnesota's new senator will not be officially sworn-in by Vice President Joe Biden until today at noon, Capitol workers were already readying his office and moving in office equipment as he arrived.

In a day of high seriousness and muted levity, Franken said he plans to take the oath on Paul Wellstone's family Bible, in honor of the late Minnesota senator who died in a plane crash in 2002.

"I wanted to make Paul a part of this," said Franken, who has often cited Wellstone as an inspiration.

One of his first appointments was with Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who took pains to counter expectations about the former comedian and satirist by telling reporters at a midday photo-op that Franken is "going to work hard and be an outstanding senator."

"Much has been made of the expectations of Al Franken joining the United States Senate," Reid said. "I expect Al to work hard for the people of Minnesota, who have gone far too long without full representation."

Franken did his part by following Reid to the dais outside the majority leader's office and giving a serious pep talk about tackling health care, energy, the economy and education.

"I'm going to work day and night to make sure kids have a great future and that America's best days lay ahead," Franken said.

He also tried to counter another set of expectations about providing the Democratic caucus with its 60th Senate vote.

"A lot has been made of the number 60," said Franken, referring to the 60-vote-threshold for breaking opposition filibusters in the Senate. "The number I'm focused on is the number 2."

With that, Franken vowed to take on his new role as Minnesota's "second senator" to fellow Democrat Amy Klobuchar. In his first public appearance since arriving at the Capitol with an election certificate -- what some staffers dubbed "Frankenpalooza" -- Franken did not take any questions or crack a single joke.

Klobuchar, who will accompany Franken at his swearing-in along with former Vice President Walter Mondale, described Franken's first day on the Hill as "just another day at the office," preparing for upcoming legislation on climate change, health care, and next week's confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

"I never remember a time we've been this busy since I started, in terms of the major policy issues before us," Klobuchar said. "So that does color the time that can be spent on [the Franken celebration]."

Meanwhile, the hallway outside his office at 320 Hart Office Building -- which Franken inherits from Republican Norm Coleman -- quickly became a crossroads for an assortment of politicians and reporters hungry for a glimpse of the 100th senator.

No jokes, please

A staffer of New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg, a Democrat, displayed a sign reading, "Welcome Senator Al Franken!"

But that wasn't the historical reference Democratic leaders were looking for.

"He worked very hard for this election," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., chatting with a camera crew outside Franken's office. "If anybody watched the campaign, he demonstrated his interest in working on very important issues, his willingness to work hard. There's a very serious side to Al Franken."

Still, not everyone in the Washington press corps was swallowing the Democratic message point whole. Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank, encountering a Minnesota news crew on a Capitol elevator, couldn't resist a crack about Franken's "Saturday Night Live" character, self-help guru Stuart Smalley.

"Are you here to cover Senator Smalley?" he asked.