Official: Al Franken To Run For Senate
Comedian Will Run As A Democrat In Minnesota, Senior Democratic Official Says
45WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2007 | by Scott Conroy
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Al Franken will leave Air America in February. He will run for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota, according to a senior Democratic official in the state. (AP)
(CBS/AP) Comedian Al Franken has decided to run for U.S. Senate in 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.
"He told me he was running," said the official.
Andy Barr, the political director of Franken's Midwest Values Political Action Committee, declined to comment.
Franken has been the longtime headline personality at liberal radio network Air America. The bankrupt network said Monday that is has reached a deal to be sold and that Franken's last show would be Feb. 14.
The news that Franken has decided to run for the Senate 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 swiftly issued statement, Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Ron Carey said he was confident Minnesotans "will reject Franken's divisive, scorched earth attacks."
Should he win the Democratic primary in Minnesota, Franken would take on Republican Norm Coleman, a first-term senator who is among the Democrats' top targets. Coleman declined to comment Wednesday.
Franken, 55, was born in New York City, like Coleman, but grew up in St. Louis Park, Minn., a suburb of Minneapolis. He made his fame as a star and writer on "Saturday Night Live."
His PAC raised nearly $1 million last year.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Oh, shut your pie wole. It's obvious that he quit Air America SO HE CAN RUN FOR SENATE. Running for senate is truly not a default job for the out of work.
More sound-bite info. You have no idea what Franken's position on any issue might be--except for the fact that he hates Coulter and Hannity et al and calls them on their c r a p.
But for you guys on the neocon side of things, that's enough, right?
Sincerely,
F. Gump (D-AL)
Posted by bigwhtpony at 04:24 PM : Feb 01, 2007
It will also add another Senator on the democratic Majority side too. MMMMmmmmmmm, being the ruling party feels good! Can't wait until 2008 and we get a super majority!
Sincerely,
F. Gump (D-AL)
..........
Posted by processor2 at 01:32 PM : Feb 01, 2007
It was changed by neocons who say "Ask not what your country can do for you, but rather what you can do TO your country!"
The old version is still strongly in force on the democratic side of the aisle.