For the first time since 1968, a party will command a filibuster proof majority in the Senate.

After several months of recounts and court battles, Democratic challenger Al Franklen finally secured his victory against Republican incumbent Norm Coleman.

Franklen, a comedian and an easy-to-anger man, initially lost the vote tally on November 4th. But because his margin was within 1%, state electoral law allows for a recount. Franklen won the first recount, but Coleman refused to accept defeat and carried the dispute in the courts for months.

After exhausting all appeals, Coleman finally conceded today and congratulated Franklen. Franklen finally got to give his victory speech today. Less celebratory than he probably hoped and months later, but still a good moment.

Franklen’s victory would not mean much were it not the seat that has given Democrats the 60-seat filibuster majority they long sought. Psychologically this is incredible. It means in theory that the Republicans have no become an obsolete party in Washington. The Democrats can in theory pass whatever legislation they want now. The House was no filibuster mechanism, so Republicans only clout came through their ability to filibuster [talk to death] legislation they disliked. Not that is, in theory, lost.

I belabor the words “in theory,” because in actuality the Democrats now 60-seat Senate majority may not change a whole lot in Washington. First, one member of the 60-seat is former Republican Arlen Spector who cynically joined the Democrats because he knew he was going to lose a Republican primary challenge. When it comes to much legislation that Democrats support, like the labor union-favored Employee Free Choice Act, Spector will not side with the Democrats thus restoring the balance to the Republicans.

Further, there are many conservative Democrats who also sometimes vote with the Republicans. In order for the Democrats to block a filibuster, all 60 must vote together. It is a tall order to get an entire party to vote 100% alike.

So while the Democrats will certainly party tonight, they should not get ahead of themselves.