Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), the former "Saturday Night Live" comedian, has turned out to be the only member of the Senate Judiciary Committee to stump Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

In the process, he sparked the biggest laughs of the so-far dry hearing, living up to his reputation as a funnyman.

Franken’s flash of humor was a departure from the cautious approach he has taken to public appearances since coming to the Senate last week after an eight-month legal battle with former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.).

Franken’s straight-man performance has disappointed various members of the media, who have hungered to see Franken’s sharp humor liven up the stuffy Senate.

But Franken gave his fans a tasty tidbit when it came his turn to question the nominee.

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“It amazes me that you wanted to become a prosecutor based on that show because in Perry Mason, the prosecutor, Burger, lost everything,” Franken said in his trademark deadpan, as laughter spread through the hearing room. “But I think this says something about your determination to defy the odds.”

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