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

[SiberianRat]

I was a a Franken fan when he was on SNL and I'm a bigger fan now. He's funny AND intelligent--nice combination. As a Chicagoan, I always see MN as a good midwest neighbor, and I've had the pleasure of visiting your state a couple of times. Al Franken would be a fantastic senator--I hope you all send him to DC.

[catchdis]

i piggy-back on this admiration for Franken throughout his career. thanks for this post, alec baldwin. i lived in minnesota for a couple of years. it's a great place with smart, friendly people who deserve better than coleman, and Franken is a hero they're smart enough to elect to the senate.

[torrrep]

So intelligent he can't figure out how to pay his taxes. And then when he gets caught he blames it on someone else. Now that's what I call intelligent.

[Melissa]

I can't believe people really voted for him. I thought it was a joke!

[Arielman]

I want to say thanks to Al Franken from the Bronx, NY in the borough where his daughter teaches public school. It was fun when they launched "Air America" to have someone who was known for humor and satire on the air, a block from where Regis Philbin grew-up on Cruger Ave. We were all shocked over the bickering about the tribute to Paul Wellstone and the partisanship of politics I want to thank Mr. Franken for one of his books he had out then which brought me some solace here after 9-11 and encouraged me to read further I ay that as a shameless plug for the good work he seems to inspire in others, though I'm not sure the White House Press will ever recover from his findings of their loss of records of previous speakers and events he once reminded them of. Keep mushing, I know out there somewhere in Minnesota one of the descendants of Yukon King is yapping and looking forward to winter.

[kellygrrrl]

just made a donation
felt good

https://secure.alfranken.com/page/contribute

[catchdis]

thanks for the link. i did, too.

[bracken]

I've sent Al money two or three times, even though I wasn't sure he'd win . . . now that he has I guess I can chuck a few more bucks his way, and I don't even live in MN.

Please, please, please all the Gods and fate that he comes through. I might actually start believing in the common sense and decency of the average 'Merican again.

[kellygrrrl]

I live in So Cal., but I think it is supremely imperative that we get some Progressives "in the middle" -- otherwise, we will always be on the outside

[Suzie813]

I did that yesterday and will be doing some volunteering as well.

[torrrep]

Good for you. I hear he needs help paying his taxes. Go figure.

[kellygrrrl]

Go Al!!!!!!

Alec, have missed you!!!!

[bev]

The Minnesota media has been doing a hatchet job on Al Frankin for weeks. They have given sleezy Norm mostly positive press. The Mpls Star Tribune paper has been outrageously bias. Al Frankin is positively the best. We have to get the word out in Minnesota. Vote for Al Frankin!!!

[fletch1031]

Hey, hey, hey -- there are plenty of progressives in Texas, too. No need to write off an entire state with simplistic generalizations.

[kellygrrrl]

word

[mero909]

Agreed.

[ann1]

Go Al

[Dogvane]

If I lived in Minnesota I'd write-in Jesse Ventura. The man is common sense run amok.

[rovezaleeker]

Thank you for your excellent insight, Mr. Baldwin. Al Franken will make a great team with our senator, Russell Feingold and get this country back on the right track again.

[anon004]

"Mitt Romney light"

Wow, that whole concept is enough to give you nightmares . . .

[CalvinistHobbesian]

Kinda like "Coors Light" :Þ

[kellygrrrl]

well, Coors Light really does a good job of a rinse on the ol' golden locks

[mero909]

hahaha, That's disturbing.

[LiberalDemIda]

Hear! Hear! I was shocked - SHOCKED-that progressives that stood behind the incomparable Paul Wellstone, voted for a hack like Coleman. I'm from the golden state of California and I'm still trying to get over California going to Senator Clinton's column on Super Tuesday, and sometimes I wonder if voters even know who they are voting for... and if not, why don't they care?

Don't Americans know that everything we hold dear is contingent upon the government we get into office? How is it possible that your average American doesn't understand that, even when vehemently against government, we NEED that body to protect us from unscrupled corporations bent on making America a fascist state rather than a free, democratic one?

Our ONLY defense against corporations is our government; the Federal Government. That's why big wigs hate government while the vast majority of the American people should hold tight onto it and ensure those in government work for US, not their own portfolios.

Al Franken will beat Coleman hands down no matter what the polls say IF they're against Franken, that is. Al will be wonderful in the Senate and it's time to set that do-nothing Repug at the curb as yesterday's old news.

[gcalknet]

I agree that everything we hold dear is contingent on the government. The less government the better, and our only defense against the Facism of pols such as Frankent is the corporation.

[Cunningham]

LOL! Thanks for the Orwellian viewpoint.

Do you work in the Ministry of Truth?

[lakat]

I'm a native Californian and I didn't vote for Clinton or Obama in the primary. Remember when we voted there were a few more candidates. Even though Kucinich had dropped out of the race (forced out), he was on the ballot and I voted for him. If I had not voted for him I would have voted for Edwards. Had I been given the choice of Clinton or Obama, I would have voted for Obama, in a heartbeat. Note that my choices were the most progressive to the least. Clinton is the least progressive and the most willing to go along with Bush's policies. I don't like that. I also don't feel her connection to the people. I don't feel her, dog!

And Ida, how did you feel when our bastardized population voted for Ahnold for governor??? What a shame!

[gemstone1000]

You go, Alec. Al Franken is the greatest. I have missed seeing him on TV these last several months, though. He's the wittiest, funniest man alive.

[Steve1976]

Franken is a smart guy. it is unfortunate but he will always be remembered as Stuart Smalley-- just like you will always be the real Jack Ryan not that other guy.

[fletch1031]

Alec Baldwin will always be the Shadow to me.

"So, Khan, what brings you to the Big Apple?"

[shockmagog]

We are dependent upon the Minnesota voters to wake up and start thinking. As soon as Norm Coleman is forced to deal with actual issues vis-a-vis his opponent, Al Franken, Coleman's numbers will begin to tank. Franken must get it together and fight a cohesive campaign to cut through Coleman's trivia-based attacks, and start an issues-based counter offensive.

[Levittown]

If you liked the George Bush/Dick Cheney seven years in hell you will like Coleman for the future. A sure thing for a weaker economy and a slam dunk to keep our armed forces in harms way. Out with Bush and out with Coleman.

[Missmn]

The most disgusting display of stubbornness I've seen in my time in Minnesota was the election of Norm Coleman. And it had nothing to do with Walter Mondale's age, and everything to do with the fickleness of Minnesota voters. While I and those I know found the public memorial to Paul Wellstone - complete with it's political energy and flagrant partisanship - completely fitting for our progressive senator, the outcry from the opposition was great and that is what swayed the electorate.

Al Franken is the perfect person to take that seat back. The fact that he got the endorsement today on the first ballot, after recieving the support of the DFL Feminist Caucus tells me it should happen.