Jeff Merkley

Earlier today, the Northwest's newest Democratic U.S. Senator, Jeff Merkley, was sworn into office. His first act? Well, just by being installed as the junior Senator from Oregon we're sure Merkley is improving the quality of life in his home state, since Gordon Smith now has time to ensure that his frozen food company doesn't continue to dump waste in local waterways.

In all seriousness, adding Jeff Merkley to a group of Senators that includes Ron Wyden, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, gives the Northwest a formidable lineup (though we've got to get to work on Idaho). Like his colleagues, Jeff Merkley is someone we can count on to stand up for our values.

After two months of counting and recounting in Minnesota, we finally have a final tally that puts Al Franken 225 votes ahead of Norm Coleman.

Franken's victory doesn't mean that Coleman has given up. To the contrary:

The state Canvassing Board certified final results this afternoon in Minnesota's marathon U.S. Senate race, but that won't end the battle between Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman, whose Senate term ended on Saturday.

Moments after the board certified that Franken had eked out 225 more votes than Coleman, attorneys for Coleman said they would file a lawsuit within 24 hours.

[...]

Coleman forces said they were mindful of the consequences of a prolonged election contest, but said that the results were "invalid and unreliable.

Just like that, another year has come and gone.

The second installment in our retrospective series looking back at the last twelve months is an overview of the year's most significant achievements, accomplishments, and noteworthy events. So as we look forward to what 2009 has in store for us, here's a look back at important events and achievements in 2008.

January 3rd, 2008: Barack Obama wins the Iowa caucuses, setting the stage for a long six month battle for the Democratic nomination between himself and Hillary Clinton. NPI's caucus coverage receives significant traffic.

January 24th, 2008: NPI Outreach & Advocacy Director Rick Hegdahl testifies in Olympia in support of the Homeowner's Bill of Rights, NPI's top 2008-2009 legislative priority.