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Franken launches statewide tour with show of DFL unity
The newly endorsed senate nominee of the DFL party, Al Franken, launched a four-day tour of the state today in Saint Paul with a strong show of Democratic unity. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Congressman Keith Ellison were among the leading Democrats joining Franken today on the steps of the State Capitol. The entourage also included Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, the college professor Franken bested over the weekend at the DFL state convention in Rochester. Franken thanked Nelson-Pallmeyer as he did Saturday, saying, "I'm a Democrat because this is the only party that would have a leader like Nelson-Pallmeyer." Franken vowed to link Republican incumbent Senator Norm Coleman to the Bush administration's policies. Coleman, who took office in January of 2003, vigorously campaigned for George W. Bush's reelection campaign in 2004. "It's not enough that George W Bush leaves Washington in 2009, his enablers have to go," Franken said, "And Norm Coleman was one of his biggest enablers." Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman pointed out that the Republicans, at their state convention a week earlier, chose Karl Rove as their keynote speaker. "Karl Rove is the master of the politics of division," Mayor Coleman said, "What they've done is dumb down the issues. They know that if people focus on the real issues they won't vote for four more years of Bush Lite." That was a reference the Democratic strategy of labeling McCain's first third as "Bush's third term" in the White House. Republicans fire back Republicans have made it clear they will make Al Franken THE issue in this election, treating him like the incumbent with the record to defend. Incumbent Senator Norm Coleman's campaign manager, Cullen Sheehan, was waiting in the wings during the Franken rally, preparing to shoot back. "I think when you go through the issues and look at the records there are two guys with 30-year records that we're going to be proud to talk about," Sheehan told reporters. "Norm Coleman was prosecuting criminals in the AG's office and Al Franken was penning skits about drugging and raping a woman. Norm Coleman cleaned up the streets of Saint Paul, revitalized the city and brought back hockey, and Al Franken was writing Porn-O-Rama." Republicans said that the DFL had gift-wrapped the perfect opponent for Republicans because he's too far out of the mainstream for Minnesotans. In fact, the state GOP party announced Sunday that its communications director, Mark Drake, had left the party headquarters to take a job with Norm Coleman's campaign. But Franken on Saturday made a point of apologizing to fellow Democrats for his past humor that crossed the lines of decency. "I'm sorry for that," he told the crowd gathered in Rochester's Mayo Civic Center. "I wrote a lot of jokes," Franken told the capacity crowed, "Some of them weren't funny. Some of them weren't appropriate, some of them were downright offensive." Republicans last month provided the media with text copes of a Playboy magazine article from January of 2000 entitled Porn-O-Rama. Told in the first person, it described a futuristic tour of a virtul sex machine factory. GOP operates also brought to light comments Franken made during an interview with New York magazine in 1995. He said the show was kicking around the idea for sketch, proposed by a fellow cast member, in which 60 Minutes commentator Andy Rooney would discuss drugging and raping CBS correspondent Leslie Stahl. The skit was never performed on the show, but the very idea provoked a strong reaction from members of the Minnesota Congressional delegation two weeks ago. Rep Betty McCollum, who did not join Franken on stage in Rochester or on the Capitol steps Monday, told Washington correspondents she was offended and feared the fallout from Franken's past comedy bits could drag down other Democrats running across the state. Ellison weighs in for Franken Rep Ellison was among those who had publicly questioned the tone of some of Franken's past comedy work recently rediscovered by the Republican party and bloggers. But Monday Ellison said, "I'm proud to be here supporting Al Franken's run for Senate." As for the runner-up Nelson-Pallmeyer, Ellison said he made Franken better. "Steel sharpens steel," Ellison asserted, "Without Jack's presence we wouldn't have been able to have the debate and I'm sure there were times during the course of the debate Al had to reflect and it made him a better candidate. It made him stronger." Ellison made a point of recognizing the work of Franni Franken, the candidate's wife of 32 years. "She's just a tremendous asset to this campaign," Ellison said, "Franni is out of sight! We all love her, she's great." Franken planned to officially kick off his general election campaign in Duluth later Monday, with other stops planned in Grand Rapids and Bemidji. The tour will take in Moorhead, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Alexandria, Saint Cloud, Pipestone, Luverne, Albert Lea, Waseca and Northfield before wrapping up with a rally in the Twin Cities on Thursday. "I think it was Barack Obama in his famous convention speech who said there's no such thing as red states or blue states," Senator Klobuchar said, "We're here to say there's no such thing as red counties or blue counties, red districts or blue districts." "We're going to work across this entire state, the way Al has from the start of this campaign."
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