As predicted by many, it appears the meltdown of the most emotionally unstable member of the United States Senate is finally underway.

After being a good boy during the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation hearings, the newly fraudulently installed Sen. Al Franken (D-ACORN), couldn’t resist letting T. Boone Pickens have it for funding those delightful Swift Boat ads that helped bury John Kerry’s presidential prospects.

The Politico reports

According to a source, the wealthy oil and gas magnate and author of “The First Billion is the Hardest” stepped up to introduce himself to Franken in a room just off the Senate Floor after the lunch ended

Franken, who was seated talking to someone else, did not stand when Pickens said hello. Instead, Franken began to berate him about the billionaire’s financing of the Swift Boat ads in 2004.

According to a source, the confrontation grew heated.

Said Franken spokeswoman Jess McIntosh: “It was a lively conversation.”

This sounds like congressional flakspeak for a vicious verbal brawl.

It’s just the beginning. Sen. Smalley just can’t help himself.

Post Script: T. Boone Pickens responded to this blog post.