Al Franken's tight race in blue Minnesota

Tom Curry National affairs writer • Profile • E-mail

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Is the Minnesota Senate race a referendum on comedian-turned-politician Al Franken, or on President George W. Bush and the economy?

If Democrats have their way, voters will see next Tuesday as an economic referendum and they’ll sweep Franken to victory over Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley. Emphasizing the bad news, Franken campaigned Wednesday at Inver Hills Community College south of St. Paul.

“Twenty thousand homes have been foreclosed upon in Minnesota in the past year,” he told the 150 students who turned out to hear him. “And 170,000 Minnesotans are looking for a job that they can’t find. That’s the highest unemployment rate in 22 years.”

Coleman won the Senate seat six years ago after Sen. Paul Wellstone was killed in a plane crash on Oct. 25, 2002, 10 days before the election.

“If we’re going to take back Paul’s seat… if we’re going to give Barack Obama the 60 Democratic senators that he needs,” Franken said, "then Democratic foot soldiers will need to knock on doors and make phone calls for the next five days."

'We take back our country'
“This is the year we take back our country,” he said Tuesday night to a cheering overflow crowd at an abortion rights event at a mansion on Summit Avenue in St. Paul.

With Barkley now getting about 15 percent in opinion polls, all Franken needs to do is get a bit more than 40 percent of the total vote to win.

Just the votes of the most fervent Obama partisans — even if they were a minority of the Minnesota electorate — might be enough to make Franken the new senator. He may not need the votes of many independents and centrists.

But the question is how many of those independents and centrists vote for Obama, and then choose Barkley, or perhaps even Coleman?

Noting the Obama effect in this year's race, Coleman said Wednesday that he used the “hope” theme when he was mayor of St. Paul, years before Obama walked onto the political stage.

Video How does McCain turn it around? Oct. 23: Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) discusses the presidential election and the tight senate race in Minnesota between Senator Norm Coleman and former comedian Al Franken. Morning Joe

“For whatever reason, Sen. Obama has picked up on what I think folks are looking for, but I’ve done it,” he said. “And there’s such a contrast between me and Al Franken on that issue…. The editorial endorsements talk about that: This is not a time for exacerbating the partisan divide.”

Coleman has won the backing of both of the Twin Cities’ newspapers, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press, as well as of several other newspapers across the state.

Minnesota political insiders say some Democrats are still not keen on Franken, and the polling data seems to reflect that.

Effect of Obama 'fever'
This is a year when Obama 'fever' is as hot or hotter in Minnesota than in any other state. In the latest Minnesota Public Radio poll, Obama is ahead of McCain by 19 points, 56 to 37 percent.

So, Franken was asked Wednesday, if Obama is so far ahead, why do

Video Clinton stumps for Obama Oct. 29: The former president and presidential hopeful appear on stage together to fire up Obama supporters at a late-night rally in Kissimmee, Fla. MSNBC

Minnesota polls show Franken underperforming Obama, essentially tied with Coleman?

Franken replied, “Well, we’ll see what happens, won’t we?”

Next Tuesday could be a referendum on Franken if voters consider alleged episodes from his past, including a report that he suggested a skit for “Saturday Night Live” in 1995 featuring the rape of CBS correspondent Lesley Stahl.

The most remarkable television ad of the campaign has been one in which Franken’s wife, Franni, does a very un-Minnesota thing: she discusses her alcoholism and how Franken helped her confront it.

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chief Sen. Charles Schumer gave the ad a rave review, calling it “a game-changer” and one of the two best of the year (the other being an ad mocking Sen. Elizabeth Dole’s age).

The ad was apparently an attempt to persuade voters that Franken is not simply sardonic, but that he is a man with a heart.

Franken attacks Justice Alito
But his sardonic side did emerge Tuesday night.

In his speech to the abortion rights gathering in St. Paul, co-sponsored by NARAL Pro-Choice America, Franken reminded the crowd of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s onetime membership in a group called Concerned Alumni of Princeton.

INTERACTIVE Why We Vote 24 Americans tell how they make their ballot decisions.

Alito listed his membership in the group on his application for a job in the Reagan administration in 1981.

What the group was concerned about, Franken said, “was that women and blacks were getting into Princeton,” he said. “That was OK (for Alito) because being a racist and a sexist was a good calling card for the Reagan administration.”

After mentioning the importance of Supreme Court vacancies that may come as early as next year, Franken said “I want to get to that 60” — meaning 60 Democratic senators, a filibuster-proof majority that would allow Obama, if he is president, to put justices on the Supreme Court without effective Republican opposition.

MORE FROM

Section Front

Obama campaign head gets big book deal Officials turn down Franken request Joe the Plumber to become war correspondent Franken lead at 49 with absentees left to count Minn. Senate winner won't be known in 2008 First Read: 'Twas the seventh week of recount... Franken opens first lead in Minn. Senate race Mom of Palin daughter's boyfriend arrested Minn. court weighs rejected absentee ballots Minnesota panel reviews disputed ballots Section Front   Add headlines to your news reader: