Franken For Senate?
From USA Today:
Comedian Al Franken has decided to run for the U.S. Senate from Minnesota in 2008, a senior Democratic official from Minnesota said Wednesday.
Franken told the official, who did not want to be identified because Franken has not made an announcement, that he had decided to run in a recent conversation. Andy Barr, the political director of Franken’s Midwest Values Political Action Committee, declined to comment.
The news was not unexpected. Franken has been calling members of the Minnesota congressional delegation to get their input on a run, and he announced this week that he would be leaving his show on Air America Radio on Feb. 14. He told listeners he would be making a decision on a race soon.
In a statement, Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Ron Carey said he was confident Minnesotans “will reject Franken’s divisive, scorched-earth attacks.”
I don’t know how many of Jewschool’s readers are as firmly entrenched in the Al Franken fan base as I am. Air America was — and still is — the destination for many of us to hear intelligent talk from people who think like us and not like them.
Perhaps a cynic with biting sarcasm is what the Senate floor needs. One can only wonder what Al Franken would have quipped to the 9/11 Commission, during Supreme Court confirmations, to the Iraq Study Group.
Minnesotans elected a professional wrestler governor, and that governor went on to garner the highest approval ratings of any governor in Minnesota history. They elected a halal-observant representative. If Franken’s platform has merit, I have a feeling that Minnesota will be one place he will surely be heard out instead of typecast as a “media personality”.
Eat your heart out, Sean Hannity.
i noted earlier how interesting it will be that coleman has had a list of most notable opponents in his various election races.
Franken is good enough, he’s smart enough, and doggone it, people like him.
Franken Became Bar Mitzvah at my shul, and returned there to speak two years ago. He did some comedy, and a lot of politics. I think he’ll do well. He has solid ideas on how to fix stuff, and I can’t imagine a better foil to Coleman.
Another piece of trivia, from Boschwitz to Wellstone z”l, to Coleman, this seat has been Jewish for a long time. I would be pleased to see it passed to Franken.
If he can rally support outstate he’ll do it. And I know that he is a true populist, not merely a master of populist rhetoric, so I think he has a shot.
air america has been sold and franken’s leaving the network in march i think. he hasn’t been paid in 6 months.
Rumor has it he’s leaving on 2/14, with an official announcement. I will miss him on the radio, I loved listening to the Oyoyoy show. But he’d be great in the Senate and would help push Dems towards that magic 60 (or 61 to make lieber-putz completely irrelevant)
I like his line to the effect that he will be the only New York Jew in the race that grew up in Minnesota.
Al Franken has the charisma of a brick and the wit of a dolt; Coleman’s worldview is responsible, and reasonable. If you want moderates of both parties to run this country instead of the nutcases of the left and right, Coleman is the way to go.
I have been very impressed with Al Franken. Underneath the showbiz he is a very serious person and thoughtful. He majored in accounting. The Senate could certianly use an accountant. Yet he manages to communicate to ordinary people and you never feel like he is talking down to you.
Al Franken will not win, even with all the Hollywood jew money that pours into his coffers. Al Franken has only succeeded in attacking successful people. He is a mean, vindictive little man. Granted Minn is probably one of the few states a commy like Franken could win, but he wont because he is a idiot