Candidate Franken
Will comedian and pundit Al Franken really go head-to-head with Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman in 2008?
Looks like a distinct possibility – in recent days Franken has reached out to all the members of the state’s Democratic delegation, according to a report from the Associated Press today.
If Franken were elected, he would be the fourth consecutive Jewish American to hold that Senate seat (after Rudy Boschwitz, Paul Wellstone and Norm Coleman). But even before meeting Coleman in the general election, Franken would likely face a crowded Democratic primary field that could include Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, Rep. Betty McCollum and trial lawyer Michael Ciresi, a former Senate candidate.
For his part, Coleman appears to have been put on notice by freshman Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar’s overwhelming victory last November. He has been among a vocal cadre of Republicans who oppose sending more troops to Baghdad, and yesterday he was one two GOP senators (the other being Gordon Smith of Oregon) to vote for the failed Democratic ethics reform package.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!
