By Noah Kunin, Senior Political Correspondent 7/1/09 On the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol, Senator-Elect Al Franken thanked his staff and all Minnesotans for the 8-month wait for a second Senator. Senator-Elect Franken also pledged to infuse Minnesota values into the upcoming policy debates on everything from climate change to health care reform. Senator-Elect Franken will be sworn in by the US Senate early next week.