It looks like Al Franken is finally using his campaign ads to do what he does best: Comedy.
You really need to watch his latest spot, because it's pretty damn funny. It features a novelty talking fish toy, informing the viewer of Republican Senator Norm Coleman's links to indicted GOP Sen. Ted Stevens and Big Oil businessmen:
"Now one of the oil guys that Norm went fishing with has been convicted of bribery -- and Norm refuses to return the money," the fish says. "Something smells fishy, and it ain't just me."
Franken has taken a serious tone for most of his campaign ads in his uphill fight against Republican Senator Norm Coleman, in an effort to get voters to view him as a more serious figure. But now Franken may be going back to his roots, thankfully.
The strategy being employed by many Republicans in tough races this year -- that is, to disassociate oneself from President Bush -- is naturally a lot tougher for Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, whose home city of St. Paul is hosting the Republican convention. And the state Dems there are setting out to make it even more difficult.
The DFL (as the Dems are called in Minnesota) has made a novel offer: A cash reward of over $500 to anybody who can snap a photo of Coleman standing next to Bush on Monday night of the convention.
In an e-mail to Election Central, DFL spokesman Eric Fought acknowledged that this could be a tall order: "It's a safe bet that when George Bush is anywhere near the Xcel Center, Norm Coleman will be far, far away."
Check out this new ad from Al Franken, going after incumbent GOP Sen. Norm Coleman: It's one of the first Dem ads of this whole cycle to go directly after a Republican incumbent over a story involving political muck. It's also a clear sign that Franken, who's trailing in most polls, knows he needs to really step up the attacks:
"Coleman is being investigated for paying only $600 a month rent to live in a million-dollar D.C. home owned by a Washington insider connected to powerful lobbyists," the announcer says, before hinting at more attacks to come. "And it gets even worse. Stay tuned for more."
Now this is some novel push-back. In a sign of just how worried Republicans are about Dem efforts to tie GOP Senators to Bush, the Minnesota GOP is charging that a new Al Franken attack ad linking Senator Norm Coleman to the President is illegal and must be pulled off the air:
The state party's press release says the ad is illegally using the image of the Presidential Seal on a campaign list of "10 Critical Issues" of the Bush presidency -- which the GOP says would create the impression that this is an official government document, in violation of federal law.
"Mr. Franken's campaign appears to have created a fake document and placed the presidential seal on it in an effort to make a political point ... On just the basic matter of law, Mr. Franken's ad must be pulled and corrected immediately." the release says.
Even if this ad did technically violate the law -- and that's a doubtful proposition -- it would almost certainly never be prosecuted, because doing so would create a chilling effect on political speech.
Late Update: We asked Franken spokesman Andy Barr if a reasonable person might think the use of the Presidential Seal here implied a real government document. "A reasonable person might note that we released extensive documentation with scores of votes detailing how Norm Coleman has voted with George Bush nearly 90 percent of the time," Barr told us via e-mail, "and the only complaint the Coleman campaign had was with the clipart."
Under fire from Al Franken, GOP Senator Norm Coleman claimed he'd dumped the contributions he got from indicted Senator Ted Stevens. But it turns out he's only gone halfway in dumping them -- and a personal connection to Stevens might explain why.
It turns out that Coleman's chief of staff is married to Stevens' chief of staff. But more on that in a bit.
Coleman donated to charity the $20,000 he's received from Stevens PAC -- but that's only the amount he's received for this cycle. The campaign told the Star Tribune that the additional $10,000 he also received during the 2002 cycle was long since spent, and he couldn't get rid of money for a campaign that had been over years ago.
But as it turns out, that wasn't a problem for him in January 2006, when the Star Tribune reported that he got rid of money connected to Jack Abramoff that in fact dated to 2002. So why the differing standard this time around?
The stampede of Republicans dumping contributions from Ted Stevens picked up speed today:
• Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's campaign spokesman tells us that McConnell is donating $10,000, the amount McConnell has received this cycle from Stevens' leadership PAC, to the Wayside Christian Mission. Still no response on whether McConnell is endorsing Stevens for reelection.
• The Pioneer Pressis reporting that Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota is donating the money to support childhood cancer research. Interestingly enough, he'd previously said he wouldn't dump the money, on the grounds that Stevens is innocent until proven guilty. But a Franken radio ad tying him to Stevens might just have changed his mind.
• Mike Johanns, the Republican nominee favored to win the open seat in Nebraska, is also donating the money he's received from Stevens to charity.
Check out this new ad from Al Franken, responding to an attack ad from Republican Sen. Norm Coleman that hit him for telling "tasteless, sexist jokes" and writing "juicy porn" as a comedian:
"Look, I'm not proud of every joke I've ever told. But I know there's a difference between what you say as a comedian and what you do as a U.S. Senator," Franken says. "Norm Coleman has supported George Bush's war in Iraq, and he's taken millions from Big Oil and special interests. Unfortunately, that's no joke."
Franken has trailed in most polls, though a recent Rasmussen survey gave him a narrow lead. This race will probably be close in the end, though, as Barack Obama is likely to carry Minnesota by a healthy margin.
Check out this new attack ad from Minnesota GOP Senator Norm Coleman, who's locked in a tough race with comedian Al Franken -- it's Coleman's first TV spot directly attacking Franken for his history of dirty jokes:
"Foul-mouthed attacks on anyone he disagrees with," says the actor playing a blue-collar everyman. "Tasteless, sexist jokes. Writing all that juicy porn."
The "juicy porn" line is in reference to a comedy essay Franken wrote years ago for Playboy, featuring graphic sexual humor. And make no mistake: the Coleman campaign will be spending the next three and a half months mining all those jokes from Franken's career for attack material.
Obama Arrives In Iraq
Barack Obama has arrived in Iraq, a big part of his overseas tour and his efforts to pitch his proposals on getting out of Iraq and refocusing on Afghanistan. On the agenda: A meeting with General David Petraeus, the man most credited with the surge, and another with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who has endorsed Obama's proposed withdrawal timetable.
McCain In Maine Today
John McCain is in Maine today, a Democratic-leaning state that is favored to go to Barack Obama, as part of his campaign's plan to focus on economic issues while Barack Obama is out of the country. True to his campaign's themes, he'll be holding an event at the Maine Military Museum in South Portland.
Dobson: Maybe I'll Support McCain, After All
Perhaps James Dobson isn't so inflexible: The Christian Right leader who vowed before that he would not vote for McCain is now hinting that he just might endorse the Republican candidate, in order to stop Barack Obama. "His (Obama's) radical positions on life, marriage and national security force me to reevaluate the candidacy of our only other choice, John McCain," Dobson said.
Obama Pulled In $25 Million In One Day
Wow. The Politico took a closer look at Barack Obama's June fundraising numbers, and found this simply amazing stat: On the last day of the month, Obama took in a whopping $25 million. That's more than John McCain took in for the whole month.
Obama And McCain To Visit Megachurch Before Conventions
The two presidential candidates are set to visit Rev. Rick Warren's Saddleback Church on August 16, a joint venue picked out for before they officially become their parties' nominees. The two candidates will appear briefly on stage together, then sit down for separate interviews with Warren on issues such as AIDS, poverty and the environment.
Poll: Media Want To Help Obama Win
The meme that the press is helping Barack Obama definitely has its adherents with a new Rasmussen poll showing 49% of voters believe the media will try to help Obama win. By contrast, only 14% believe reporters are trying to help John McCain, and only 24% say most reporters try to remain unbiased.
CQ: Franken's Chances Go Down In Minnesota Race CQhas downgraded Al Franken's chances in the Minnesota Senate race, changing their rating from "No Clear Favorite" to "Leans Republican." Democrats have high hopes that they can beat incumbent GOPer Norm Coleman in a state likely to vote for Barack Obama, but Franken's own problems on the trail have left him trailing Coleman in most polls.
Planned Parenthood Ad Hits McCain On Birth Control
Planned Parenthood Action Fund is launching this new ad against John McCain in the swing states of Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin, plus the D.C. media market. The ad bluntly tells women voters that they can't trust John McCain on the issue of birth control, playing back the video from when McCain couldn't answer a question about requiring insurance companies to cover it:
Obama Discussing National Security In Deep-Red Indiana
Barack Obama is spending today in Indiana, a state that hasn't voted Democratic since 1964 but where a recent SurveyUSA poll gave him an improbable one-point lead. He will be joined at Purdue University by Senator Evan Bayh and former Georgia Senator Sam Nunn, both viewed in the press as potential running mates, for a "Summit on Confronting 21st Century Threats."
McCain Pitching School Vouchers To The NAACP
John McCain will be speaking today to the NAACP, a venue where Republicans haven't done well and where Barack Obama was already very well received with his own speech. McCain will use this as an opportunity to reach out to African-American voters on education reform: "If I am elected president, school choice for all who want it, an expansion of Opportunity Scholarships, and alternative certification for teachers will all be part of a serious agenda of education reform."
Poll: Obama Ahead, Both Candidates Are Flip-Floppers
The new CBS/New York Times poll gives Barack Obama a 45%-39% lead over John McCain among registered voters, a margin unchanged from the 48%-42% lead he had a month ago. Meanwhile, both candidates have come to be viewed as flip-floppers: Barack Obama is seen as having changed his views in order to get elected by 56% of voters, and 51% say the same thing about John McCain.
McCain Cites "Czechoslovakia" Again
For the second time in two days, John McCain yesterday discussed his foreign policy concerns by referring to Czechoslovakia -- a country that hasn't existed for 15 years. On the bright side, he did at least refer to Russia's interactions with Czechoslovakia, and not the Soviet Union.
Pro-War Group Getting Involved In Senate Races
Freedom's Watch, the right-wing 501(c)(4) group that has set out to further a pro-Iraq War agenda, is now targeting Senate races under the direction of longtime GOP operative Tony Feather. On the one hand, their intervention into Senate races will be a welcome assist to the under-funded NRSC -- but on the other hand, their record in special elections this past cycle was hardly a success, with the GOP losing two deep-red seats in the South.
Al Franken Gets Long-shot Primary Challenger
Trial lawyer Priscilla Lord Faris, scion of a prominent Minnesota Democratic family, has announced that she will run in the September primary for Senate against Al Franken, telling Election Central that his campaign is "floundering" and something must be done. A Minnesota Dem source was highly skeptical that Faris has the time to build up any sufficient organization or name recognition that would pose a serious threat.
A poll out the other day gave hope to national Dems, because it seemed to suggest that Al Franken had taken an improbable lead over GOP incumbent Senator Norm Coleman. But not so fast: Another survey out finds the opposite result.
The numbers from SurveyUSA: Coleman 52%, Franken 39%, not significantly changed since a month ago. Somewhat counterintuitively, the poll's internals show Coleman ahead 58%-31% among voters age 18-34.
Yesterday's Rasmussen poll gave Franken a two-point lead, after trailing 48%-45% a month ago.
Both pollsters have good reputations, so it's really not clear what the status quo is at this point -- but a one-time comedian might just have a real shot at knocking off a GOP incumbent in a real upset.
Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura announced tonight on Larry King Live that he is not running for Senate, citing a desire to spare his family from the media scrutiny that would come along with a return to politics.
This race is a top target for Democrats, as incumbent Republican Norm Coleman will have to seek re-election in a state that is likely to vote for Barack Obama for president by a decent margin. Had Ventura entered, it's unclear whether he would have taken more votes from the Democratic column or the Repubican one -- but it sure would have things more confusing.
Meanwhile, Al Franken got some good news tonight in a new Rasmussen poll: He has a slim 44%-42% lead over Coleman, within the ±4.5% margin of error, after Coleman had led 48%-45% a month ago.
Coleman is certainly vulnerable with numbers like these, but Franken has generally had problems in making the transition from comedian to politician. However, Franken might be starting to turn the situation around.
Here's something to keep on eye tonight: Jesse Ventura will be appearing on Larry King Live, where he'll announce whether or not he's running for Senate in Minnesota as an independent.
If he is running, it would seriously complicate an already strange race, where Republican Norm Coleman has been leading Al Franken in this blue state. It's not clear whether Ventura's macho image and essentially libertarian platform -- he's opposed to heavy government spending, is socially laissez-faire, and has said he would run as an expressly anti-war candidate -- would draw more votes from Coleman or Franken.
A Minnesota Democratic source told Election Central that nobody really knows what to expect from Ventura. "Our suspicion remains that the governor is, unless he makes clear otherwise, not in fact in the race," the source said. "But let's wait and see."
Late Update: Ventura has announced that he's not running.
We now have our eleventh big-name Republican spreading the China-Cuba Oil Myth -- the idea that we need to drill offshore because the Chinese are already grabbing our oil in concert with Cuba. Even Dick Cheney retracted this claim three weeks ago.
Sen. Norm Coleman, a Minnesota Republican in a tough race against Al Franken, made the claim yesterday when speaking to a local reporter at an event in Mankato, Minnesota. Here's the video made by the Minnesota Dems' tracker, provided to us by a national Democratic source:
"At the same time, we've got to be producing more -- outer continental shelf exploration," Coleman said. "The Chinese are able to begin operating 90 miles from our shore by working for Cubans. American companies should tap into those resources."
A bunch of new polls of Senate races around the country paint a very bright picture of the Democrats' prospects, with Dem candidates running strong all over the map. But it's not entirely good news:
• In Colorado, Quinnipiac has Democrat Mark Udall ahead of Republican Bob Schaffer by a 48%-38% margin, for an open Republican-held seat.
• In New Jersey, Fairleigh Dickinson puts incumbent Democrat Frank Lautenberg way ahead of Republican Dick Zimmer, by a 45%-28% margin.
• In Mississippi, Rasmussen gives appointed Republican incumbent Roger Wicker a statistically insignificant 48%-47% edge over Democrat Ronnie Musgrove -- not significantly changed since their last poll from a month ago that put Musgrove ahead 47%-46%, despite an extensive ad campaign by Wicker in this deep-red state. Keep an eye on this one.
• In Texas, a new poll from Texas Lyceum gives incumbent Republican John Cornyn an insignificant 38%-36% lead over Democrat Rick Noriega -- a very high number of undecideds in a race featuring an incumbent who has been elected statewide on multiple occasions.
• The one sore spot is Minnesota, where Al Franken continues to trail incumbent Republican Norm Coleman. Quinnipiac puts it at Coleman 51%, Franken 41% -- a bad sign for Dems, if the Republican is above 50% in this blue state.
Late Update: This post originally used numbers from an incorrect page at Rasmussen's site for the Mississippi race. It has been corrected.
This is really funny. Did GOP Sen. Norm Coleman, who's in a really tough fight to hold on to his key Minnesota Senate seat, digitally fake an appearance of domesticity between himself and his wife for an ad?
That's what is being said about this new spot -- and the campaign is strongly denying the allegation:
Something does seem to be off here, in terms of the camera perspective on Laurie Coleman, who is known to spend most of her time in California and not Minnesota or D.C. It sure seems like she and Norm were taped from different camera angles. And she's much more brightly lit, with no lighting spillover onto the countertop.
Coleman is in a tough race with Al Franken in this blue state, so it would make sense to pitch him as a regular guy -- and potentially even more damaging if it turned out to be faked.
Coleman's campaign didn't respond to our inquiries, but they did give a statement to the St. Paul Pioneer-Press, promising that Norm and Laurie were in the same kitchen.
"These left-wing, liberal, Al Franken bloggers are as goofy a bunch as I've ever seen," the campaign's spokesperson said. "They've spent the entire morning concocting a conspiracy theory, wasting valuable bandwidth on the Internet."
Still looks kind of fishy to us.
Late Update: Hmm, this might actually be legit. The Coleman campaign has given a right-wing site a short piece of outtake footage from the shoot, which is in much higher quality and lacking the distorted look of the final product.
A new SurveyUSA poll in Minnesota has some bad news for Al Franken -- and for Senate Democrats, who are hoping to pick up a Senate seat in this blue state.
The numbers: Coleman 52%, Franken 40%, well outside of the ±4% margin of error. If former Gov. Jesse Ventura were to enter the race as an independent, the numbers would be Coleman 41%, Franken 31%, and Ventura 23%. The two-way matchup is not significantly changed from their last poll from a month and a half ago, which had it at Coleman 52%, Franken 42%.
Other recent polls have shown the race to be closer than this, but they too give Coleman the lead. It looks like Coleman is definitely ahead -- with Franken having been hurt by controversies surrounding his finances and his sexually-explicit humor -- with the question being just how big Coleman's margin currently is.
Al Franken is continuing to make it a close race for Senate in Minnesota, with a new Rasmussen poll giving incumbent Republican Norm Coleman a narrow 48%-45% edge, within the ±4.5% margin of error.
One potential wild card is whether former Gov. Jesse Ventura enters the race, which would hurt Franken -- a three-way match would give Coleman 39%, Franken 32%, and Ventura 24%.
Franken has been hurt recently by controversies surrounding his personal finances and sexually-explicit comedy routines he'd written, but has in his favor the fact that he's running in a good year for Democrats, and in a state that is likely to go for Barack Obama by a wide margin.
Al Franken has successfully weathered a series of personal controversies, at least for now, with Minnesota Democrats officially endorsing him as their candidate at today's state party convention.
Franken entered the convention as the frontrunner, and then benefitted from a unanimous show of support after his only remaining opponent dropped out of the race and endorsed him at the last minute.
In the tradition of Minnesota politics, the official party endorsement will effectively end much of the criticism Franken has received from within Democratic ranks. Recent controversies have involved sexually-explicit humor in an essay he wrote years ago for Playboy, as well as accounting problems in his businesses that led to him paying back taxes to all the states where he was active.
Franken narrowly trails incumbent Republican Norm Coleman in the polls, and could potentially score a pick-up in this blue state.
In the latest bit of trouble in Al Franken's quest to pick up a blue-state Senate seat for the Democrats, Franken has apologized for offending anybody with his 2000 comedy essay in Playboy.
The essay, entitled "Porn-O-Rama," was hammered by state Republicans, who charged that Franken had no respect for women or family values in light of the piece's series of dirty jokes. Their condemnations were then followed by Democrats, starting with Rep. Betty McCollum and then Sen. Amy Klobuchar and the state Planned Parenthood, many of whom saw it as a political liability that Franken would have to address.
"I'm proud of my career as a satirist, which doesn't mean every joke I've ever told was funny, or, indeed, appropriate," Franken said in a statement sent to us by his campaign. "I understand and regret that people have been legitimately offended by some of the things I've written."
Franken has weathered a downturn in the polls in his quest to win this crucial Senate seat, but recently started closing in on GOP incumbent Norm Coleman again.
Al Franken might be starting to recover politically from a damaging story about his taxes, with a new Rasmussen poll showing him locked in a dead heat with Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) for this top-tier Senate race in a blue state. The new numbers, compared to a month ago:
Coleman (R) 47% (-3) Franken (D) 45% (+2)
Sample size: 500 likely voters.
Margin of error ±4%
Franken's poll numbers took a serious hit after he agreed to pay over $70,000 in back taxes to all the states where his businesses had been active, after having paid taxes on that income only to states where he was living. While the movement in the latest poll isn't definitely significant, it is nevertheless a potential sign that he's climbing his way back up.
Besides the usual Republican attacks on Al Franken's policy positions and overall goofy comedic personality, the contents of his old comedy routines have now been declared fair game by the Minnesota GOP. The state party has now put out a scathing attack on Franken, specifically citing graphic sexual humor in a piece he once wrote.
The state party's press release specifically cites a piece Franken wrote for Playboy in 2000, entitled "Porn-O-Rama," about a visit to a fictional sex institute.
The press release resents the idea that the subject matter at hand can be declared funny: "We believe there is a pattern in your writings and words that seem to suggest you believe you can continue to represent women as playthings and objects and then scurry behind the defense that it is simply 'comedy' or 'satire.'"
Senate Democrats could have some trouble in the closely watched Minnesota Senate race, where Al Franken is trying to beat freshman GOP Sen. Norm Coleman. The latest poll from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
Coleman (R) 51% Franken (D) 44%
Sample size: 1,117 registered voters.
Margin of error: ±3.6%
Coleman is viewed favorably by 53% of poll respondents, with 33% view him unfavorably. Franken, meanwhile, is still having trouble becoming a credible candidate, with 33% viewing him favorably and 39% unfavorably.
Franken has been hurt recently by news that his businesses failed to pay taxes in all the states where he was active, and his agreement to pay $70,000 in total back taxes to multiple states.
Under fire from Al Franken, GOP Senator Norm Coleman claimed he'd dumped the contributions he got from indicted Senator Ted Stevens. But it turns out he's only gone halfway in dumping them -- and a personal connection to Stevens might explain why.
The stampede of Republicans dumping contributions from Ted Stevens picked up speed today:
A poll out the other day gave hope to national Dems, because it seemed to suggest that Al Franken had taken an improbable lead over GOP incumbent Senator Norm Coleman. But not so fast: Another survey out finds the opposite result.
