Congressional Comedians.

At last, Minnesota has a new Senator, and his name is Al Franken.

It took eight months to determine, but Franken was declared the winner of last November's election by taking a commanding 300-some-odd vote lead over his incumbent Republican rival.

Franken first came to national attention many years ago, thanks to his contributions on Saturday Night Live. Now, the leap from comedy to Congress isn't that far a jump as it once was. After all, we've had an actor as President of the United States, and two as Governor of California.

It's my theory that comedians, especially those with careers in stand-up comedy, are perfectly suited for moving on to, let's say, the Senate. They have polished their writing skills so they can come directly to the point -- perfect for the media's need for sound bites. They can stand before an unruly audience and turn every insult hurled their way into a laugh at the originator's expense. They are unflappable at the unexpected, and quick with the quip.

Here are some nominees for certain states to consider:

New York: Jon Stewart -- brilliant, actually knowledgeable about politics, and... Jewish!
Also for New York: Lewis Black -- outraged at damn near everything, and...Jewish!
California: Paula Poundstone -- sharp, family oriented, and... gay!
Texas: Ron White -- rotund, alcohol loving, and... white!
Alaska: Tom Bodett -- keeping the light on for us
Michigan: Michael Moore, defender of the little guy.
Connecticut: P.J. O'Rourke -- our lone neocon in a sea of liberalism.
Florida: Jimmy Buffet -- not a comedian per se, but a very funny guy never the less.

I'm sure you can name many more.

Let's go all the way here, and come up with an appropriate Leader Of The Free World.

Somebody everybody can get behind. Somebody who believes in family values. Someone who believes we all can pull ourselves up by our boot straps. One who holds a Doctorate. He's even black! Beloved by millions for two generations... ladies and gentlemen, I give you the next President of the United States:

Bill Cosby.