Al Franken to run for Senate

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » February 14, 2007, 4:50 pm

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Comedian Al Franken said Wednesday he will run for U.S. Senate in 2008, confirming his long-suspected plans to seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Norm Coleman (news, bio, voting record).

Franken's announcement came on the final day of his radio show on Air America. The former "Saturday Night Live" performer's celebrity instantly makes him a heavyweight contender and brings national attention to the Minnesota race.

"Minnesotans have a right to be skeptical about whether I'm ready for this challenge, and to wonder how seriously I would take the responsibility that I'm asking you to give me," Franken said in a video clip posted on his Web site.

"I want you to know: nothing means more to me than making government work better for the working families of this state, and over the next 20 months I look forward to proving to you that I take these issues seriously," Franken said in a transcript of the clip.

Though Franken has a well-known name and is likely to be well-funded, he's expected to be challenged by several other Democrats, including wealthy trial attorney Mike Ciresi.

Franken, 55, was born in New York City but grew up in the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park. He graduated from Harvard University in 1973, and in 1975 he and writing partner Tom Davis joined the writing staff of "Saturday Night Live" during its first season. They soon started appearing in sketches, and Franken remained a fixture on the show well into the 1990s.

In 1996 Franken took his career in a political direction when he wrote "Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations," a broadside against the conservative radio host and other figures on the right. He's since published several other books critical of Republicans and the conservative establishment.

As early as 2003, Franken said he was considering a run for the Minnesota U.S. Senate seat previously held by his friend, the late Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone.

In 2004 Franken joined the upstart liberal radio network Air America as its biggest-name host. He soon got more directly involved in politics, forming a political action committee that raised more than $1 million for Democratic candidates in the last election cycle.

In 2005, Franken and his wife, Franni, moved back to the Twin Cities, which was widely interpreted as laying the groundwork for a campaign. He announced a few weeks ago that Wednesday would be his last day on Air America, but continued to play coy about his aspirations while privately telling prominent DFLers about his plans to run.

Franken is stringing out his announcement over two days — Wednesday's announcement, and a scheduled first public appearance as a candidate Thursday morning at a clinic in south Minneapolis.

In his Web site message, Franken acknowledges he's not a "typical politician." But he stresses his Minnesota roots, talking about his father's decision to open a quilting factory in Albert Lea that failed after two years, prompting the family's move to the Twin Cities.

"I grew up in a hard-working middle class family just like many of yours. And as a middle-class kid growing up in Minnesota back then, I felt like the luckiest kid in the world. And I was."

Franken's celebrity is likely to give him an edge over other Democrats in getting attention, but is no guarantee he'll get past the primary. Besides Ciresi, other names mentioned as potential candidates include state senators Tarryl Clark, Mee Moua and Tom Bakk, and state Rep. Joe Atkins.

Franken's candidacy will also test whether Minnesotans are in the mood for another celebrity-cum-politician, after the 1999-2003 governship of former pro wrestler Jesse Ventura. Ventura's fame and occasionally outrageous behavior regularly brought national attention to the state but after a while wore on the patience of many Minnesotans.

Coleman defeated former Vice President Walter Mondale in 2002 just a few weeks after the plane crash that killed the incumbent Wellstone.

Coleman is viewed as vulnerable after several years of Democratic resurgence in Minnesota and the continued unpopularity of his fellow Republican President Bush, but his proven skills as a campaigner and adept fundraiser make him a formidable opponent.

Franken has had little good to say about his potential opponent. In his latest book, "The Truth (with jokes)," he criticized Coleman in not-so-flattering terms for his former chairmanship of the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

"The subcommittee's chairman, Minnesota Republican Norman Coleman, is one of the administration's leading butt boys," Franken wrote. "He hasn't held a single hearing on postwar corruption."

Was hoping he'd run. Go go Franken!

Xyun · Post by **Xyun** » February 14, 2007, 5:46 pm

celebrity-cum-politician

Great news! Democrats are primed for another election day spanking in 2008. I'm so glad to see the Bush administration and republicans continue to ignore the public's demand for change in Iraq.

Bush's middle-east agenda is to spread freedom and democracy while his domestic agenda is to curtail people's freedoms and ignore the virtues of democracy.

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » February 14, 2007, 6:29 pm

Damnit!!! Fucking Minnesota didnt we learn from Jesse!!!

Niffoni · Post by **Niffoni** » February 15, 2007, 12:28 am

Franken may be good at delivering bitch-slaps to the dumbest of the dumb of the right-wing shit-for-brains pundits, but does that really qualify him to run for senate? Isn't his job essentially to shoot fish in a barrel? Sorry, but I think he's got a lot to prove.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » February 15, 2007, 2:40 am

all a politician needs is charisma and a bunch of people who know to to manipulate voters into voting for them. this has been basically proven by the last two presidential elections. although I'm a little shakey on the charisma part, but the fucking inbred yokels that make up the majority of the USA seem to think he has charm and wit.

actual skills and the ability to make effective decisions do not seem to be paramount in the minds of the voting population. at least franken knows how to research and make comments based on facts. it's not like every senator is some wunderkind political genius that makes informed decisions that he truly feels would benefit the people he is representing. hell I'd be amazed if a quarter of them were like that. if james fraficant can be a congressman, al franken can be a fucking senator.

"I will take with me a file, a chisel, a knife, I will try and get some major explosives, try to fight my way out, and then when I get out I will grab a sword like Maximus Meridius Demidius and as a Gladiator I will stab people in the crotch.""

Soreali · Post by **Soreali** » February 15, 2007, 1:05 pm

If the Body can win, why cant this ass...

Deward · Post by **Deward** » February 15, 2007, 1:36 pm

Jesse Ventura was not a bad guy. He really tried to make changes but the two party system makes it impossible for a third party candidate to succeeed. He was stonewalled his whole term as governor.

Look what the two party system did to Ross Perot. Perot was a great man and very intelligent but the media worked to destroy him so he never had a chance again.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » February 15, 2007, 1:36 pm

I agree about Ventura, but Perot destroyed himself.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » February 21, 2007, 1:38 pm

http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/showDia ... aryId=1316

On February 14th, humorist and Air America radio personality Al Franken made official what political observers have long expected: he will run for the DFL nomination for U.S. Senate in 2008, hoping to face off against incumbent Republican Norm Coleman. In the wake of the announcement and, according to reports, several successful events to kick off the campaign, Franken took a few minutes to answer some questions about why he's running, major issues, and standing up to the right-wing smear machine.

Joe Bodell: Straightforward question out of the gate: Why are you running for the United States Senate?

Al Franken: Here’s a straightforward answer: I’m not happy with the leadership Senator Coleman has provided on the issues that matter to me and to Minnesota families, and I know I’ll be a leader in the Senate. I’m going to lead on universal health care, on renewable energy, on taking care of our veterans, and on restoring America’s standing in the world. I think we need more of that kind of leadership. That’s the kind of Senators Minnesota has given the country: leaders like Hubert Humphrey and Paul Wellstone and Amy Klobuchar. And that’s the kind of Senator I’ll be.

Joe Bodell :: Interview with Al Franken, U.S. Senate Candidate

JB: Moreso than most recent candidates for statewide office, your name is already known to many Minnesotans. Which particular aspects of your experiences do you think prepare you both to run for and serve in the U.S. Senate?

AF: You know, I’ve been in this debate for a while now, with my writing and my radio show. People, I think, know me not just as a guy they’ve seen on TV, but as a guy who stands up for his principles and is willing to speak out on important issues. Take my show – we’ve gone in depth on issues ranging from Iraq to stem cell research to renewable energy to health care to early childhood education to tax policy to Social Security. I know the issues. But more importantly, I know where I stand on the issues. I’m for universal health care and against privatizing Social Security. I’m for stem cell research and against the president’s Iraq policy. I’m for comprehensive immigration reform and against CAFTA. You’ll never have to check which way the political winds are blowing to know where I stand.

JB: Is there a role for humor in the upcoming campaign season? How will you tell Minnesota that you're a serious candidate for a serious job?

AF: Well, I think people have a right to be skeptical, and I’m going to have to prove that I take this seriously. Again, I think if you listen to how I’ve dealt with the issues on my show and around Minnesota over the past year, you understand that I take the issues seriously. How can you not? That said, I don’t think humor and seriousness are necessarily incompatible, and I think this is going to be a fun campaign. I’m not a career politician, and I’m sure I’ll make some mistakes as we go, but we’re going to run a really creative, really exciting race. Oh, and, if I could, I’d like to acknowledge and apologize for all the mistakes in advance. Can I do that?

JB: Hmmm……No.

AF: Ah, nuts.

JB: The particulars are probably sensitive information, but what can you tell me about your strategy? Will there be a focus on urban, rural, or suburban areas of the state?

AF: I’m going to be a Senator for all of Minnesota, not just the Twin Cities. Obviously, the Twin Cities represent one of the nation’s epicenters of the progressive movement, and I’m excited about being part of that. The suburbs are growing and becoming more Democratic, and I think we will do really well there. People there are interested in economic security and fiscal responsibility, and after how badly this Republican Party has screwed up in Congress, those are now Democratic issues. And the rural communities around the state are what make Minnesota Minnesota. It was so great to go around to Fergus Falls and Winona and Virginia and Crookston this past year and see the energy in these small towns. You can bet I’ll be there a lot again during the campaign.

JB: Does the fact that you're running for the seat once occupied by Paul Wellstone have a role to play in this race? What do you see as the single biggest failing of the seat's current occupant?

Paul used to say, "The future belongs to those who are passionate and work hard." That’s how I approach politics – I’m not afraid to show that I’m passionate, and I’ll work harder than anyone in this race to earn the support of Minnesota’s families. And I think this race is really going to be about character. People disagreed with Paul sometimes, but they knew that he led based on his values, and they trusted someone who stood by his principles. They knew what they were getting with Paul. And I think that’s what leadership is. So if you hear me say that Senator Coleman’s biggest failing is that he’s not a leader, that’s what I mean by that.

JB: What are your three biggest substantive issues right now, and what do you want to do about them in the Senate?

AF: Obviously, the biggest issue facing our country now is Iraq. For the past four years, the Republican Congress gave Bush and Rumsfeld a blank check instead of fulfilling their constitutional responsibility to provide oversight. That has to change. Congress has to find the best way out of this mess with the least damage to our national security and to the people of Iraq. Right now, I think that means putting pressure on the Maliki government to cut the Sunnis in on the oil, start a reconciliation process, and clamp down on sectarian death squads. We need a regional conference that includes Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt, and a redeployment of our troops so they’re not caught in the crosshairs of sectarian violence.

2. Universal health care, starting with every single child in this country. That we let kids go uninsured isn’t just wrong, it’s downright stupid. It doesn’t cost that much to insure kids, and it keeps them in school, keeps them from developing chronic disease, keeps families economically secure if a kid gets sick. It’s a no-brainer, and I’ll start fighting for that in my first 100 minutes in the Senate.

3. An Apollo program for renewable energy. We can save our environment, make ourselves more secure by reducing our dependence on foreign oil (and actually DOING it, instead of just talking about it like the president does every year in the State of the Union), and create jobs here in Minnesota – it’s win, win, win, WIND. Sorry.

4. Veterans’ health care. Regardless of what people want to do with our Iraq policy, everyone supports the troops over there. Me, I want to also support the troops when they get back here. Senator Coleman has a 40% rating from the Disabled American Veterans. That is really embarrassing. I’ll fight to make sure we fully fund veterans’ health care.

Sorry, that’s four.

JB: Already we've seen quite a bit of mud being slung your way from conservative pundits in Minnesota - what's the best way, in your mind, to combat these attacks, and what outcome will you be fighting for in doing so?

AF: I take it as a compliment – they’re obviously very worried. And, you know, I was a comedian for a long time, and I’ve been in the public eye for a long time. I’m sure they’re going to dig up anything I ever said in front of a camera or a reporter and see if they can make it sound bad. If they want to turn this race into a referendum on my career as a comedian, I guess that’s their prerogative. But I think Minnesotans are smart people with a very low tolerance for b.s., and I’m going to keep talking about how we can make things better for working families. The attacks didn’t work in 2006, and they’re not going to work in 2008. They may work in 2010; it’s too early to say.

JB: Finally, what does the 60-second stump speech look and sound like, here at the very beginning of things?

AF: It looks and sounds pretty much like my answers to the last seven questions, except I say it out loud instead of typing it. Also, there are hand gestures and facial expressions. Really, your readers are getting a bit cheated having to read this. Maybe they should come out and see me around the state.

Kaldaur · Post by **Kaldaur** » February 21, 2007, 2:45 pm

I like how he came out and said, straight up, what his stance is. It's hard to find someone these days who will definitively say where they stand on certain issues.