There is a tradition where the justice with the least seniority has the responsibility of opening the door during conferences when they discuss cases if someone comes to drop something off. They are closed door affairs where only the justices are allowed. Justice Alito has that responsibility now, but soon (unless something striking happens), Judge (Justice) Sotomayor will have that job. She has made the rounds, but has one more place to go at the very least, since it involves a member of the Judiciary Committee.
I speak of Sen. Franken, who has been appointed to the following:
* United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
* Committee on the Judiciary
o Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights
o Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security
o Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security
* United States Senate Special Committee on Aging
* United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs*
Until about noon today, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) had the least seniority (appointed to replace Clinton), and by chance (or not) presided as the senior senator of Minnesota introduced Al. The Senate website was updated, though no website is there yet, but not the Roll Call list as of this writing. Sen. Franken -- not just a funny man any more or Air America host -- ran because Sen. Paul Wellstone's death touched him so much. And, he thought Norm Coleman dishonored his memory. Now, Al sits at Wellstone's desk. Being a sentimental guy, this clearly affects him.
As many who went on his show, including Paul Krugman, know, Sen. Franken is not only funny, sentimental, and a bit corny, but he deeply cares about progressive policies and is a downright smart (Harvard grad) policy wonk. This comes out in some of the clips in the "funny man" link, including when he talks to Letterman about his trips to entertain the troops, and at one point talks about how he has talked to experts who told him about the mental trauma service brings. It was the experts he brought on that might have been the best part of his radio show, especially to the degree just Al (after Katherine left) at times got to be a bit much.
Besides health care (Social Security and Medicare is of special importance to him, particularly as such governmental safety nets helped his wife's family survive), Al at one point spoke about the need to end the Iraq War. Besides wishing him good luck and asking him to remained principled and independent like his sometime guest Sen. Sanders (I-CT), this gives me a chance to toss out a top 10 war defenses.
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* It is unclear how much influence he will have immediately in the health insurance realm, since (so it seems) his spot will be filled by Sen. Whitehouse (a good egg on some other issues) while the current legislation is being negotiated. Universal health care was a clear concern of Franken's during the campaign. There are over thirty thousand Native Americans in the state, and "Old Al" alone suggests the other committee is important to him.
The judicial slot is interesting though -- seems a big plum for a rookie without legal experience. Some of those subcommittees, though consumer rights etc. (e.g., he comes from a border state) fits his general interests, are rather technical. OTOH, that might be a plus in some ways.