Al Franken Gets Serious For Senate Run

Washington Post: As A Candidate In Minnesota, Comedian Seeks To Prove Gravitas

(Washingtonpost.com) 
One of Franken's most enthusiastic supporters is Michaels, the "Saturday Night Live" impresario. "Al was always a truth teller," Michaels says. "He just did it by being funny. . . . His strength and his weakness is, there's nothing he won't talk about. He can be brutally honest."

Perhaps as a result, Franken risks being framed as "the Ann Coulter of the Left," says Joseph Kunkel, a political science professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Unlike other entertainment figures who've run for office -- Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Fred Thompson or Ventura -- Franken can't easily escape his past by claiming he was merely acting, Kunkel says: "He is who he is. It remains to be seen if he can put the sarcastic stuff in the closet. He's always one comment away from putting his foot in his mouth."

Franken also seems to have left his flanks open on another issue: Iraq. Franken says he was "torn" about the run-up to the war, which suggests he toggled between opposition and support. In fact, he didn't. Franken has said on several occasions that had he been in the Senate in late 2002, he would have voted to support the resolution that gave Bush the authority to invade Iraq.

Franken regrets that position now. "I believed Colin Powell," he says in the coffee shop interview. "I didn't think the president would mislead us into war." He adds that he was a vigorous critic of the war during the three years, 2004 to 2007, he hosted a daily radio show on the liberal Air America network. He also says he favors tying further funding of the war to a specific timetable for withdrawal of American forces.

Both Ciresi and Coleman have used Franken's statements to score points, but from opposite directions. In what is perhaps a preview of a Franken vs. Coleman race, Coleman's campaign last week posted a series of audio and video clips on its Web site of Franken making seemingly contradictory statements about Iraq. "Al Franken? This time he's not joking," reads the final frame.

Ciresi, who says he has been consistently against the war, says Franken "believed the people he called liars. My whole issue is: Why?"

All of which helps reinforce Franken's wariness on the campaign trail and in media interviews. He knows that his political opponents are literally watching -- the state GOP has assigned a "tracker" to tail Franken and tape his public appearances. So he watches his language, and does the sorts of hokey things a politician is supposed to do but that a satirist would make fun of. Around Thanksgiving, his campaign Web site was posting recipes ("Franni's Pureed Butternut Squash").

In other words, Franken reins in some of his natural Franken-ness, tacitly acknowledging a critical fact: No one votes for a smart aleck.

This summer, for example, he campaigned in New Ulm, a Minnesota town settled by German immigrants. In the town's center, a memorial reflecting this heritage is dominated by a statue of a historical figure named Hermann -- Hermann the German. Franken thought up "the dumbest joke" he could come up with. Noting that he grew up in St. Louis Park, a heavily Jewish suburb outside the Twin Cities, Franken thought of telling the townsfolk of New Ulm that in his town they had a statue of "Stew the Jew."

"I'm thinking, this will be twisted into something, like he's saying that the people in this town bear some responsibility for the Holocaust," Franken says.

He skipped the "Stew the Jew" crack.

"I'm not doing this to be the funniest guy in the Senate," Franken concludes. "I'm doing this to reverse the direction that this country has been heading. I'm doing this because I'm concerned."

Moments later, Franken finishes his milkshake and gets up to leave the empty coffee shop. Before he heads out into a wet, mushy snow, he can't resist one last attempt to spin his own story. He implores a reporter against writing the "usual" profile of him.

The reporter tries turning the tables. How would Franken write his own political profile?

Franken considers, but not for too long: "I'd write, 'He's solid and substantial and has a tremendous intellect!' "

He's kidding. Well, he might be. With Al Franken these days, it's kind of hard to tell.

[mudrose-2009]

''''Franken doesn''''t want to be funny these days, not really funny.''''

No problem there. He never was and never will be.

Posted by Infidel_Us

And he doesn''t know how to run his pinky across his eyebrow either like O''Reilly. It''s peculiar and it''s funny.

[infidel_us]

''Franken doesn''t want to be funny these days, not really funny.''

No problem there. He never was and never will be.

[mudrose-2009]

Al Franken is the other side of the coin from Bill O''''Reilly. They make each other money by railing against each other.

Posted by befair1265

Then maybe O''Reilly should also run for the Senate. Let the two of them rant on the Hill. Ant Hill that is.

[befair1265]

Al Franken is the other side of the coin from Bill O''Reilly. They make each other money by railing against each other.

[mudrose-2009]

mudrose,

Feliz Navidad!
Posted by realpatriot1

Likewise my friend. Bon Noel!

[realpatriot1]

mudrose,

Feliz Navidad!

[mudrose-2009]

Too good not to share:

To All My Democrat Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wish.

To My Republican Friends:
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[bks59]

i ive in MN, sen. Coleman must go, I have met Al Frankin, the man is articulate about the issues, can build a team and knows and understands Minnesotans, Coleman is a carpet bagger from Mass. was a Dem in college, ran as a Dem as Mayor of St. Paul and switched to Rep while Mayor and is interested in keeping his nose in the bush crack.

[mudrose-2009]

New blood in the house - I''''m all for it - get the lifelong idiots out! We need some fresh ideas - the pendalum needs to swing LEFT for a LONG TIME!
Posted by simonsez40

Yes, bring in the clowns. We out to have clowns.

[simonsez40]

New blood in the house - I''m all for it - get the lifelong idiots out! We need some fresh ideas - the pendalum needs to swing LEFT for a LONG TIME!

[mudrose-2009]

A couple points that have not been posted here are #1 Coleman has had the seat for 5 years & is only 14% ahead of Franken, #2 Coleman''''s negative is the same as Franken! I can see why the repugnants are running scared they can kiss another senate seat good bye !
Posted by rchwel

So scared that we picked up two more.

[rchwel]

A couple points that have not been posted here are #1 Coleman has had the seat for 5 years & is only 14% ahead of Franken, #2 Coleman''s negative is the same as Franken! I can see why the repugnants are running scared they can kiss another senate seat good bye !

[sgtrds]

Have you noticed that Romney is trying to emulate his hair?

Posted by realpatriot1 at 05:31 AM : Dec 18, 2007

I have and the style looks just as silly on him as it did on Ronny. At least he hasn''t built a phony ranch like di*ckhead Bush has to try to make himself seem more like him..........yet.

[mudrose-2009]

Another clown who wants to be taken seriously. Sure, when hell freezes over. He wasn''t successful in Air America so now he just wants to rant directly into the ears of the public on the floor of Congress. Like I said, sure, when hell freezes over. What a clown.

[cfin5]

Yeah right, tune in to WLOSR for more......(snicker) updates folks......Besides, if he tried Mark Levin would be all over his ath in constitution class everyday ;)

[realpatriot1]

Sarge,

The right wing Hollywood bashers forget that their hero was Hollywood''s union boss.

Have you noticed that Romney is trying to emulate his hair?

[sgtrds]

Sonny Bono set the precedent. By the way, he''''s running for Senate, not Congress.

Posted by realpatriot1 at 09:20 PM : Dec 17, 2007

I lean more toward it being Ronny Raygun that did it. I mean have you seen some of his movies? I don''t know if they were funny on purpose, but you sure couldn''t call what he did dramatic acting. Ugh!

[realpatriot1]

notblue,

Sonny Bono set the precedent. By the way, he''s running for Senate, not Congress.

[sgtrds]

Franken wins in a walk. No problem.

[lawyertom1]

Al has more smarts that most of the morons in the Senate or House now [and infinitely more than the White House], and we know he will be entertaining. Whether he has the type of judgment needed to address national issues remains to be seen. But, I wish him well.