The Importance Of Electing Al Franken

I watch this stuff on YouTube about Al Franken and I am sick to my stomach. Norm Coleman, a former Democrat who had the unusual luck to run against a retirement-age Walter Mondale in order to fill the seat vacated by the tragic death of Paul Wellstone, is busy digging up clips of Franken's old SNL and other satirical work in order to dirty him up for their Minnesota US Senate race.

Let's make one thing crystal clear. Paul Wellstone was a great man. His death stunned and saddened progressives around the world. I stood next to Paul at a fundraiser in Minneapolis two weeks prior to his plane crash. Paul's career was everything one could want to emulate in public service. He was smart, decent and brave. Paul could never be replaced. Ever.

But to fill that seat with a hack like Coleman? I can see states like Texas having not one but two hack Senators. People who never propose or cosponsor any significant legislation while in office. People like Hutchinson and Cornyn, who are the worst type of go-along-to-get-along lackey for the Bush administration. People who view their role as doing anything to preserve their own power and who never have an original or courageous idea while in office. But Minnesota?

Coleman becoming a US Senator from that great state was a travesty. Now the time has come to correct that mistake. Coleman, who makes Mitt Romney look like a visionary, is so far from the best that state has to offer, it is unbelievable to imagine that he is even in the running for reelection. An uninformed and weak-willed apologist for this awful administration is being challenged by one of the best progressive minds of his generation. I don't care how much ribald and salty humor he has dished out during is entertainment career. Judge Al Franken by what he stands as today: a searingly intelligent and abundantly caring son of Minnesota who has returned home to attempt to lend his voice to our nation's political discourse on the most formal of levels. No blogging. No books. No comedy sketches. Putting his career and his opinions on the line on behalf of serving the people of Minnesota.

And what does Coleman do? He trots out old SNL material to grade one of show business' most respected satirists and judge him as insensitive or inappropriate.

Voters of Minnesota, your choice could not be simpler. Coleman is a pathetic hack who will do as little as possible in a US Senate office other than cover his own ass and protect his power. Meanwhile, Al Franken is everything you could hope for in a candidate to represent your state in the world's most august deliberative body. Smart, caring, brave. That's the choice. Mitt Romney light. Or a return to someone special in the US Senate from the great state of Minnesota.

Comments

[bannelee]

I really like Al Franken-have loved all of his books,listened to AirAmerica just to hear him,etc. I almost (almost!) want to move to Minn. just to vote and be represented by him!!

[olephart]

Big Al is somewhat conservative but he would be a big improvement on the present Bushbot. Minnesota has always been fairly progressive so how that fugitive from the right wing funny farm got to be Senator remains a mystery to me. Perhaps a collective brain fart. Anyway, best wishes to Minnesota, hope you can send a moderate voice of reason to Washington.

[UnbiasView]

Al is conservative? That's news to me.

[jbunyon]

Thanx for the post Alec. Mn needs more coverage on this issue. If you have ever watched Norm conduct a hearing with "Brownie" after Katrina it was like a NeoCon ballet of decit. We MN's learn quick, but we are just slow to come around. Hope it was fun while it lasted Norm, we have the Alec Baldwin from the movie Team America on our side. Norms new favorite song "I'm So Ronrey"

[pookapooka]

Al Franken is the American who politicized me. It occurred as I watched his intelligent and courteous takedown of O'Reilly, captured on that Bookfair video of around 2005. It also revealed to me the true democratic strength of the internet, and got me curious as to what was there and how to participate. He will make a superlative congressman.

Thank you Al for waking me up and showing me that brains and civil behavior will eventually win out over loutishness on any neutral playing field... otherwise, how would the world stay alive?

[Bluesman48]

Mitt Romney Lite? Wow, Alec, that one's got to smart!

Great post. Love Al to pieces, the decentest guy you'd ever want to hear.

[ike39]

Coleman and Lieberman are two peas in a pod. Both are turncoat Democrats, although Coleman became a full fledged Republican when it was to his advantage. Both of these people are like the people that cross their own picket lines in a strike.

[luziannagirl]

Al should pull a R-spin hat trick, and make his "weak" point (IF in fact that's what his old SNL pieces are) his strong point. Notice how Obama's good at that.

" I'm a guy who appreciates humor, a guy who doesn't mind skating close to the edge, taking chances, and pushing the limit. You want change? Want to shake'em up in Washington? My old SNL sketches speak for themselves. Want a deadline-driven hard-worker? Well you ain't worked on a deadline till you've worked on a weekly live TV deadline! Talk about performance under pressure! I'm an ass-kickin' git-er-done-er who's smart to boot, and I'm your candidate.

That's how you steal the R's thunder.

Oh, and Al, you can have any of the above copy for free. Take it! It's yours, courtesy Luziannagirl & HuffPo Blogosphere.

[Krikkit]

While I think that Al Franken would be a terrific addition to the US Senate, I find it utterly appaling that Al Gore endorsed his candidacy, but has yet to come out and endorse Obama.

It is odd that the Statesman from Tennessee with no stake in the Missouri Senate contest would make such a move and ignore his duty as a Partly elder superdelegate... Odd.

[RoseMerry]

And as a bonus, maybe Franken will stop trying to do comedy - he is about the worst excuse for a comedian ever.

[jbunyon]

but that's what I loved about him. He even knew his comey was dry. You apparently have never been to MN. You betcha.

[XFilesTheTruthIsOutThere]

To "Meatball1"

Just because your comments were posted first, doesn't mean what you've written makes any sense. You along with the Repukelicans over-estimated Al Franken and his ability to attract a strong following.

The republicans are so desperate at this point to keep Coleman in his senate seat that they have to turn to SNL to find dirt on Franken. Al has nothing to worry about because like the good people in Minnesota, america wants change and with unemployment at 5.5, the highest in american history, people are losing homes everyday in the thousands and gas is expected to hit $5.00 by the end of summer.

Barack Obama & Al Franken 08

[ethancorso]

I love Al Franken, but Jesse Ventura has indicated that he may enter the race as well. I'm not sure who I would choose under those circumstances.

[UnbiasView]

Is that even a question in your mind? Al won't beat Norm and if Jess enters then it will be Jesse or Norm winning with Al in 3rd.

[JennyJay]

Great article! Coleman looks like just one more FREAKING DINOSAUR in the house and senate. We have to really get rid of those pathetic, USELESS PEOPLE making law for us. I hope Al Franken can go all the way and bring FRESH NEW THINKING TO THE SENATE.

[TomR]

Norm Coleman is an opportunistic windsock. He used to be Democrat and supported Wellstone. Then he became a Republican and stumped for that nut Michele Bachmann (the Katherine Harris of the north).

"Coleman campaigned in 2002 for the United States Senate, after being persuaded by Karl Rove to channel his electoral efforts from a second race for governor to a race for the senate seat against incumbent Senator Paul Wellstone."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_Coleman

Let's get that lump of Coleman outta Wellstone's Senate seat. Go Franken!!

- Tom

[michie62]

We in Minnesota are hoping that the democratic farmer labor candidate running against Bachmann will rub her face in the dirt and send her home. Maybe then she will move to another state quit embarrassing people here in MN>

[shamanbart]

Franken has his work cut out for him here in Minnesota (or as Jesse Ventura calls it, Minasoooda). The people in the X-burbs, suburbs and cities will come out for Franken if he can both expose Coleman for the rubberstamp Neocon that he is and highlight the areas where Al supports Obama. Rightly associating Coleman-Bush with job loss, deflating home values, the war, high gas prices and their do-nothing approach to the healthcare crisis should win over a decent majority. The rural voters may come along with him if he can present a pro-farming, pro-outdoorsman agenda, as well as straightforward no nonsense approach.

The MN Dems voted resoundingly for Obama, while McCain did not win in MN. Voters in Minnesota seem to want to balance against excess -- be it from the right or the left. I think we all are pleased with the performance of Sen. Amy Klobuchar, so that bodes well for Franken.

As Bev pointed out -- the Star-Tribune has a strong right-wing bias -- no wonder they're experiencing readership problems. However, there are plenty of people tuned into the alternative media -- internet, radio, independent papers -- which will help us get the message out.

I think the anti-Bush sentiment here is strong, so it looks like Coleman will go out with the dirty bathwater.

Franken 08!

[Aleka4]

I still cannot figure out how we got stuck w/ Pawlenty though.

[michie62]

Because in 2002 the old guard in the democratic farmer labor party nominated Roger Moe "because he deserved it and it was his turn." Both Becky Lourey and Judi Dutcher would have been ten times the candidate that Moe was. Then Tim Penny joined the independence party and ran and the whole thing was a mess and Pawlenty got in. How he got re-elected against the great Mike Hatch is beyond me. Perhaps there are more stupid people in Minnesota than I thought.

[votedem08]

Al's the best

[eggcream]

The right wing nuts have nothing else to do but bring out old SNL sketches of Al. They are so pathetic that it makes me sick! The sad part is that the O'Reilly watching public will still be in the mind set that left is wrong and the right is well right!! That also makes me sick! Fox Entertainment Channel is no more a source for news than I am a beauty queen!! If I lived in Minnesota I would vote for Al and campaign for him too! Wake up people we need to get people like Al in office so we can get back some dignity that we have lost in the past 71/2 years! DON'T LET THE REPUBLICANS WIN!
You go Al!! You are one brilliant soul! Thank you for caring!!
NYC love you!!!
Peace to you and yours...