Big Apple surrogates star in MN Senate race

In Minnesota's tight Senate race the week has been dominated by candidates born in New York rubbing elbows with big name politicians from New York.

"This is like a golfer standing next to Tiger Woods," Republican Senator Norm Coleman said as he stood with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani at a rally in Bloomington Thursday afternoon.

"This is the best mayor in the history of the United States!"

Less than 48 hours earlier it was Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, going to bat for Coleman's Democratic rival Al Franken in a packed rally at the University of Minnesota.

"When we started this I told my friends Franni and I are running for the senate and if we win I get to be the Senator," Franken said Tuesday before looking at Clinton and asking, "Does that sound familiar to you at all?"

Sharing the limelight with the stars of the national party may not be what the pundits call a "game changer" in the Franken-Coleman-Barkley race, but both event attracted the news media and kept the buzz going for the campaigns.

"Al Franken was taking on the vast right wing conspiracy before a lot of other people even admitted it existed!" Clinton told the U of M crowd Tuesday to a huge roar, "He became a thorn in the side of the far right."

Clinton never mentioned Norm Coleman at her event, but focused on why the Democrats are trying to claim 60 seats in the US Senate, as opposed to a simple majority.

Mayor Giuliani never mentioned Al Franken by name, but didn't take a crystal ball to see exactly who he was targeting with his barbs at the packed event at the Sofitel Hotel.

"United State Senator as far as I'm concerned is not an entry-level job," he said, "You need more government experience before you go there."

"I think that's the kind of common sense the people of Minnesota have, and that's why they're going to return Norm Coleman."

Giuliani then took a shot at what Franken did for a living in the world of comedy and political satire before joining the electoral fray.

"So when (Coleman) gets up in the United States Senate to speak nobody's going to be laughing, nobody's going to be giggling, nobody's gonna say how did THIS guy get here?!"

Obama's surprise backer

On the topic of big name backers, Illinois Senator Barack Obama's Minnesota campaign announced a surprise endorsement Wednesday morning.

It was none other than former Governor Arne Carlson, a lifelong Republican who served as the state's chief executive from 1991 to 1999.

"I don't think you should ever put party above country or party above state or community," Governor Carlson told KARE, "From day one Barack Obama has laid out a national vision, a vision of unity, a vision that we can work across normal divisions."

Since leaving office Carlson has at times been critical of the state Republican Party's focus on hot button wedge issues. He was also unhappy with Governor Tim Pawlenty's early cuts to social programs and education, during the 2003 budget crisis.

"Since 1999 the middle class has been slowly but steadily losing ground and thats very dangerous in a democratic society," Carlson asserted, "Your focus always economically has to be what is it we can do to grow the middle class?"

"And Obama has kept his eye on that one."

Carlson said he still considered supporting John McCain until late August, but McCain's choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin sent the wrong signals to Carlson.

"I would have to say the first big decision that Senator McCain had to make was not in the best interest of the nation," Carlson said.

"Was she the best person to be the number two, the best person to instantly step into the Oval Office were a tragedy to occur to the president?"

Carlson argues that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney would've made a far better choice, but he suspects other factors came into play.

In August Carlson sent a letter to John McCain, and shared copies with the Washington Post and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. In it he warned of an growing influence of religious considerations in the vice presidential selection process.

It came amid speculation that Romney, as a Mormon, wouldn't galvanize evangelical Christians behind the McCain effort.

"It has now become increasingly apparent that some are insistent that there be a religious test for the position of the Vice Presidency," Carlson wrote, "The simple fact that religious beliefs are being considered is both offensive and harmful to our American Constitution..."

By John Croman, KARE 11 News

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