He becomes the 60th Democrat in the Senate, the 13th Jewish senator and his swearing in marks the first time in 50 years that there are no Jewish Republicans in the Senate.

The delay in Franken taking office was due to the closeness of the election in which he squared off against the incumbent Norm Coleman, who is also Jewish. Because the vote was so close, there were a number of recounts and legal challenges, until finally the Minnesota Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, declared Franken the winner by 312 votes.

With his wife, Franni, and their two children viewing from the Senate gallery, Franken put his hand on the Bible used by the late Democratic Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone and said, "I do," to the oath of office delivered by Vice President Joe Biden.

At a Democratic senators' lunch later in the afternoon, Franken received several standing ovations, according to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). And he said the former writer and performer for "Saturday Night Live" didn't attempt any humor. "No, he was serious and it was well received by everybody," Schumer told reporters.

That Franken takes his new job seriously was also emphasized by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. At a brief press conference following Franken's taking the oath of office, Reid said, "I served in the House with former Congressman Vin Weber. He was always someone that laid things out the way that he saw them. And he said this morning, 'When people find out he's a smart guy who is serious about issues and a hard worker, they'll be pleasantly surprised.' And they will be."

As for the president of the United States, Barack Obama said, "I look forward to working with Sen. Franken to build a new foundation for growth and prosperity by lowering health care costs and investing in the kind of clean energy jobs and industries that will help America lead in the 21st century."

While much has been made about the fact that Franken now gives the Democrats a 60 vote filibuster proof majority, he said he has come to Washington not as the "60th Democratic senator" but as the "second senator from the state of Minnesota" (the first being Amy Klobuchar). He said health care, education, renewable energy and renewing America's "standing in the world" would be his top priorities.

Franken will immediately be in the center of two big debates: the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court and the overhaul of the nation's health care system. Among the committees Franken will be seated on are the Senate Judiciary Committee, which begins its debate over the Sotomayor nomination July 13, and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which is currently working on a sprawling health care bill.

As for an issue of particular concern for Jewish voters, Israel's security, Franken has taken a strongly supportive position. During the campaign, Franken said that the U.S. relationship with Israel is a "pillar of our foreign policy" and that he would continue to uphold that commitment as a United States senator. "We kind of know what a two-state solution would look like, we just got to get there. The bottom line is, Israel deserves to exist with neighbors that recognize its right to exist and who have renounced terrorism as a way of achieving political objectives. With Hamas in Gaza, that's very, very hard right now.

"Let us stand together to send a clear message to the Israeli people," he said. "In this complex and dangerous world, you do not stand alone."

Now, Franken has the new opportunity to show what his former SNL character Stuart Smalley would say: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and, doggone it, people like me."