Comedian Al Franken enters Minnesota Senate race - Big Big Forums

Jolie Rouge · 02-14-2007, 07:51 PM

Comedian Al Franken enters Minnesota Senate race
By PATRICK CONDON, Associated Press Writer
17 minutes ago

MINNEAPOLIS - Al Franken announced Wednesday that he will run for the Senate in 2008, making it clear that the comedian and author of "Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot" wants to be taken seriously as a political figure.

Franken said he would seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and immediately acknowledged the doubts voters may have about electing a former "Saturday Night Live" performer. "Minnesotans have a right to be skeptical about whether I'm ready for this challenge, and to wonder how seriously I would take the responsibility that I'm asking you to give me," Franken said in a video on his Web site. "I want you to know: Nothing means more to me than making government work better for the working families of this state, and over the next 20 months, I look forward to proving to you that I take these issues seriously," he said.

Franken's announcement came on the final day of his show on the liberal radio network Air America. His decision instantly makes him a serious contender and brings national attention to the race.

Franken had been considering a run since 2003. He said several weeks ago that he would leave Air America and privately told prominent Democrats about his plans to seek office.

His name is well-known, and Franken is likely to be well-funded, but he's expected to be challenged by several other Democrats, including wealthy trial attorney Mike Ciresi. Franken said he would abandon his campaign if Democratic activists decide to support another candidate in the primary.

The race will be important to Democratic efforts to retain the slim Senate majority they secured last year.

His candidacy will also test whether Minnesotans are in the mood for another celebrity-turned-politician, after the 1999-2003 governorship of former pro wrestler Jesse Ventura. Ventura's fame and occasionally outrageous behavior regularly brought national attention to the state but wore on the patience of many Minnesotans.

Stephen Hess, a professor of political science at George Washington University, said Franken's bid is serious. "He's not doing this as some folks have done it to give them better gigs on the Borscht circuit."

Coleman is viewed as vulnerable because of a Democratic resurgence in Minnesota and President Bush's unpopularity. But his proven skills as a campaigner and fundraiser make him a formidable opponent.

State GOP Chairman Ron Carey suggested Franken moved back to Minnesota when he smelled opportunity and will have a tough time connecting with voters.

Franken is "going to have to explain to Minnesota how he represents his values when spent he pretty much all of his adult life in New York and Hollywood," Carey said.

Franken said he supports universal health care, greater efforts to find alternative energy sources, and stronger congressional oversight of the executive branch.

Franken, 55, was born in New York City but grew up in the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park. He graduated from Harvard University in 1973, and in 1975 joined the writing staff of "Saturday Night Live" during its first season. He soon began appearing in sketches and remained a fixture on the show well into the 1990s.

In 1996, Franken took his career in a political direction when he wrote "Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations," a broadside against the conservative radio host and other figures on the right. He's since published several other books critical of Republicans.

In his latest book, "The Truth (with jokes)," Franken criticized Coleman for his leadership of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, saying Coleman had not held a single hearing on Iraq war corruption.

Franken planned to make his first public appearance as a candidate Thursday at a Minneapolis clinic.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070214/...NlzJHIaias0NUE
___

On the Net:

Al Franken's Web site: http://www.alfranken.com

Jolie Rouge · 02-27-2007, 06:04 PM

Air America Fire Sale[/i]
Documents: Bankrupt liberal radio network to sell for $4.25 million [/i]

FEBRUARY 7--Bankrupt and about to lose Al Franken, its marquee star, Air America Radio is set to change hands for the bargain price of $4.25 million, according to new court documents. The sales figure was disclosed in a purchase agreement filed yesterday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York. According to the agreement, the deal between Air America's owner, Piquant LLC, and a firm controlled by Stephen L. Green, a New York realtor, calls for Green's firm to repay up to $3.25 million in loans provided to Air America after the liberal radio network filed for Chapter 11 protection last October (the company listed debts of $20.2 million). Green's company will also give Piquant LLC $500,000 and pay off up to $500,000 in network debts (the bulk of which, $349,000, is owed to the network's Manhattan landlord). Green's bid topped by more than $1.25 million the nearest offer received by Air America, according to a motion filed along with the purchase agreement. An excerpt from that motion can be found below. Court documents do not specify how many bids were received for the network, though a filing notes that "more than ten interested parties" signed nondisclosure agreements and were allowed to review confidential network financial and corporate records. While Green controls the corporation purchasing Air America, two of the firms that were pre-bankruptcy investors in the radio network will "collectively own a minority interest" in the Green company. The Air America purchase is expected to be finalized at a court hearing in the next week. Franken, who is planning to run next year for a U.S. Senate seat from Minnesota, is scheduled to do his final Air America show on February 14. (2 pages)

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive...ramerica1.html

Jolie Rouge · 07-18-2007, 01:11 AM

Franken taps entertainment pals for cash
By FREDERIC J. FROMMER, Associated Press Writer
Tue Jul 17, 1:42 PM ET

WASHINGTON - In an April episode of ABC's "The View," Bill Maher and Rosie O'Donnell professed their support for Al Franken's 2008 Minnesota Senate candidacy, with O'Donnell saying she was "maxing out" to the comedian-turned-candidate.

O'Donnell kept to her word, contributing $2,300 to his campaign, the maximum donation for the primary, while Maher chipped in $1,000. They were among the more than 50 contributions that Franken, a former "Saturday Night Live" writer, received from actors, writers, producers and others in the last reporting period, his campaign finance report shows.

The man that Franken has in his cross-hairs, Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, used April's episode of "The View" to help with his own fundraising. In a letter to prospective contributors, Coleman wrote: "I need your help to fight back against Hollywood's liberal elite! Rosie O'Donnell, Bill Maher and Larry David sit atop the Democratic Party's elite clique of big benefactors."

Franken's friends in the entertainment field helped catapult him to a surprising lead in money raised in the second quarter of the year, covering April through June. Franken raised about $1.9 million, compared with $1.66 million for Coleman, R-Minn., and $750,000 for Democratic candidate Mike Ciresi.

Some entertainers did even better than O'Donnell, contributing $4,600 — with $2,300 earmarked for the general election, should Franken get that far. Those included Dan Aykroyd, Robin Williams and Rolling Stone magazine founder Jann Wenner.

Among other notable contributors were actor Ed Norton, director Harold Ramis, actress Meg Ryan, cartoonist Garry Trudeau, former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, and Karenna Gore Schiff, daughter of former Vice President Al Gore.

That followed a first-quarter performance that included $4,600 contributions from actors Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jason Alexander and Larry David.

Still, the campaign is relying on donations from Minnesota and elsewhere for the long run, said Franken spokesman Andy Barr. "What we're counting on for long-term success is the 36,000 donors who have given so far," Barr said. "These aren't people who have given us $4,600 at a time; they're people who have given $40 at a time. And we'll be able to go back to them and say, 'You've made the investment, look at the progress we've made. Can you help us keep going?'"

Coleman, who is considered among the Republicans' most vulnerable incumbents, relied on a more traditional source of cash: political action committees, raising $367,000 from PACs in the second quarter. More than a dozen PACs have already given him $10,000, the maximum combined contribution for the primary and general election.

Those included industry PACs such as those representing the National Restaurant Association, Northwest Airlines and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, as well as leadership PACs from fellow GOP senators such as Trent Lott of Mississippi, John Cornyn of Texas and Gordon Smith of Oregon. By contrast, Franken raised just $11,000 in PAC money.

"We're very proud of our 21,000 contributors for the cycle — of which over 75 percent come from Minnesota," said Coleman's campaign manager, Cullen Sheehan. "We welcome the support of those organizations, and the members of their PACs, that believe in the senator's vision for a strong, prosperous America."

Meanwhile, Ciresi, a wealthy trial lawyer, picked up contributions from dozens of lawyers from his firm, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi. "It is a great compliment that the people that know Mike Ciresi best want to support his candidacy for the U.S. Senate," said Ciresi's spokeswoman, Leslie Sandberg. "They know he can get results."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070717/...2lm7_b_xis0NUE

Jolie Rouge · 04-29-2008, 08:57 PM

Comedian-turned-candidate Franken to pay $70K in back taxes
By PATRICK CONDON, Associated Press Writer
44 minutes ago

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Senate candidate Al Franken, dogged by accusations that he failed to file tax returns in California, said Tuesday he will pay about $70,000 in back income taxes in 17 states going back to 2003.

Most of the income at issue was from speeches and other paid appearances by the comedian-turned candidate, who said he got bad advice from his accountant but takes responsibility for the errors.

The Minnesota Democrat told The Associated Press that he and his wife, Franni, "paid taxes on every cent of income we ever had." He said that during the years in question, he followed the accountant's advice and paid his entire income tax bill to the city and state where he lived at the time. He lived in New York City from 2003-05.

"What happened is our accountant made a mistake, and all of these are repercussions of that same mistake," said Franken. "His mistake was not understanding the law, the obligation to pay these state taxes."

Franken has been preparing for a tough fight against incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., but his campaign has been sidetracked in recent weeks by bookkeeping errors related to his private corporation, Alan Franken Inc. The campaign said last month it would pay a $25,000 fine to the state of New York for failure to carry workers' compensation insurance there.

The state Republican Party swiftly issued a statement in which it said Franken's "admission that he has violated laws in 17 different states since 2003 is only the beginning of the story." Party chairman Ron Carey said Franken's business activities "must have a full, and complete public airing if he is to retain any credibility as a candidate for public office."

In a conference call with reporters, Coleman called Franken's admission troubling. "Paying taxes is an obligation that I think Minnesotans expect to be adhered to, and that Minnesotans do," Coleman said.

Franken said he's releasing the information to be transparent about his mistakes. He said he "would like to get back to talking about the lives of the people of Minnesota and the issues this campaign is about."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080429/...wZ2dqiPUdH2ocA

Jolie Rouge · 04-29-2008, 09:14 PM

Not the first time we've heard the "my accountant did it" ...

:

Franken faces $25,000 workers' comp penalty
By KEVIN DUCHSCHERE, Star Tribune
March 12, 2008 - 2:08 PM[/i]

DFL Senate candidate Al Franken owes a $25,000 penalty to the New York State Workers' Compensation Board for failing to carry workers' compensation insurance for employees of his namesake corporation from 2002 to 2005, state officials said.

New York officials have made numerous attempts to contact Franken about the matter since April 2005 but have gotten no reply.

Campaign spokesman Andy Barr said that neither Franken nor his wife, Franni, were aware of the matter before Tuesday. They have lived in Minneapolis for the past few years and did not know about the state's attempts to reach them in New York City, he said. "If it's wrong, they will pay what they owe," Barr said.

"It's also possible that there's some kind of dispute that may be resolved in our favor," Bar continued. "This is, at worst, some kind of misunderstanding between [the Frankens'] bookkeeping system and the state's."

News of Franken's penalty was reported Tuesday in the Minnesota Democrats Exposed website run by Republican blogger Michael Brodkorb.

In financial disclosure forms that Franken filed last year with the U.S. Senate, he listed a salary of just over $1 million from Alan Franken Inc. The corporation, set up in 1991, provides Franken's services and collects fees and residuals for his work.

According to Brian Keegan, a spokesman for the Workers' Compensation Board, New York officials began looking into the Franken corporation after a standard check of employers found that Alan Franken Inc. was not insuring employees for workers' compensation as required by state law.

According to state records, the New York Department of Labor found that the corporation had from one to six people working for it between February 2003 and August 2005, and as many as 17 in October 2005, Keegan said.

Those workers were classified as "independent artists, writers or performers," requiring their employer to cover them for workers' compensation, Keegan said.

The Workers' Compensation Board began sending Franken notices in April 2005 after discovering that the insurance hadn't been paid for nearly three years.

Officials first sought an explanation. Receiving no response, they sent a penalty notice to Franken in June 2005 that outlined rights to appeal.

The state then turned to a collection agency to reach Franken. When that didn't work, the state tried again in July 2006. Penalty statements were sent in August and December of 2006 and March 2007, Keegan said.

The judgment was finally entered against Franken in May 2007, and another notice sent by certified mail to his Manhattan apartment. Since then, Keegan said, three more statements have been sent -- the most recent in January -- without response.

The Frankens bought a townhouse in Minneapolis in April 2005. Barr said that the corporation relocated to Minneapolis in January 2006.

Alan Franken Inc. appears in New York records one other time, when it failed to pay withholding taxes for July 1996. A lien against the corporation was filed in Nassau County in June 1997 for $2,948.30, and the case was closed a short time later, said Tom Bergin, a spokesman with the New York Department of Taxation and Finance.

Barr said that New York was mistaken in saying that Franken had 17 workers in 2005, and may well be wrong in other particulars. He said that the Frankens' accountant would be looking into the matter today.

"I can categorically deny that there was any attempt to evade responsibility, and I doubt that there was some kind of error that was made, although until we know all the facts I can't say for sure what happened," he said.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/.../16241067.html

See also : http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed...rs-comp-story/

Quote:

... I received the smoking gun in the story about Al Franken’s failure to provide workers’ compensation insurance for his corporation’s employees.

Franken’s alma mater, Harvard, recently published the Class of ‘73 35th Anniversary Report, which contains a personal message and plea for campaign cash from Franken. I have removed the other names mentioned in this public report.

The home address listed for Franken in this public report is 90 Riverside Drive, Apt. 2-G, New York, NY 10024.

This is the same address were the State of New York sent a certified letter and dozens of other letters notifying Franken about issues related to his failure to provide workers’ compensation insurance for his corporation’s employees.

Contrary to the statements of Team Franken, which implied that the Frankens had moved to Minnesota, the truth is that the Frankens still maintain this residence in New York.

Jolie Rouge · 05-03-2008, 02:16 AM

Blogger has Al Franken's Senate campaign reeling
By PATRICK CONDON, Associated Press Writer
Fri May 2, 11:19 AM ET

EAGAN, Minn. - Senate candidate Al Franken wants to talk about jobs, health care and global warming. Republican blogger Michael Brodkorb wants to talk about Franken's failure to pay all his income taxes on time.

Guess what everyone is talking about?

From the kitchen table in his tranquil suburban neighborhood, Brodkorb for the last year has used his blog "Minnesota Democrats Exposed" to launch a furious political assault on Franken. He's labeled the former comedian and liberal commentator a "mean-spirited and un-Minnesotan" candidate who's running a "desperate and ridiculous" campaign.

That's routine stuff in the world of political blogging, but in the last two months Brodkorb has scored two direct hits that have the Franken campaign reeling. Brodkorb scooped the traditional media by detailing extensive bookkeeping problems in New York and California that ultimately prompted Franken, this week, to pay about $70,000 in back taxes to 17 states.

The stories have knocked Franken off balance as he prepares to take on Sen. Norm Coleman, in what's expected to be one of the most expensive and toughest-fought U.S. Senate races this year.

Democrats have tried to downplay Brodkorb by portraying him as part of coordinated Republican attacks. "When people talk about the right wing noise machine, that's what it is," said Franken spokesman Andy Barr.

But even some of his harshest critics admit Brodkorb, who has no real counterweight on the left, has been effective. A typical Brodkorb scoop is splashed across his Web site under bold-faced banners like "Shock!" or "Breaking News!" The items are often followed soon after by a news release from the state Republican Party on the same subject, and many of his themes find their way into Coleman's talking points.

In person, Brodkorb is a dark-haired, soft-spoken and polite 34-year-old whose infant twin daughters sometimes nap not far from his laptop.

The blog started as a labor of love, he said. "I do think it has some influence right now, but that's never what I sat down to do. This was always about a political junkie looking for an outlet," Brodkorb said.

He said he grew up in a family that wasn't political, and his interest in Republican politics began in college. He said he believes in "the fundamentals of being a Republican — less government, individual freedom, personal responsibility, strong national defense."

He dropped out of college in 1995 to work on the failed U.S. Senate campaign of Rudy Boschwitz. In the late '90s, Brodkorb worked for state Senate Republicans, where he started to learn how to do "opposition research" — digging up dirt on opponents. He did it well enough to become director of research for the state Republican Party, and served in similar roles for several Republican campaigns.

Brodkorb's critics suggest some of his best stories are leaked from Republican campaigns, the state party and Republican-affiliated groups as part of a coordinated effort against Democrats. That includes Dave Colling, who managed the 2006 congressional campaign of Keith Ellison, a regular Brodkorb target. "It's about making them talk about something they don't necessarily want to talk about," Colling said.

Brodkorb won't detail his methods, except to say he "gets tips all the time from Democrats and Republicans" and independently researches them before posting anything.

Brodkorb wouldn't reveal how he first got the notion to check up on Franken's business dealings in New York and California, but said simple searches on government Web sites delivered the goods: New York had levied a $25,000 judgment against Franken's private corporation for failing to carry workers' compensation insurance, and the corporation was in forfeiture in California.

Brodkorb often covers news conferences and other planned political events, but does most of his blogging from his home in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan. He lives just down the street from Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty — whom, he's quick to note, he considers a "rock star."

Brodkorb started Minnesota Democrats Exposed anonymously in 2004, when he was still a paid employee of the state Republican Party. He outed himself in 2006 only after a Democratic public relations consultant sued him for defamation for an item Brodkorb posted. A judge dismissed the lawsuit last year, saying Brodkorb deserved the same legal protections as newspapers and traditional broadcasters against lawsuits by public figures.

He first asserted himself as a political force in the 2006 election cycle by reporting that Democratic rising star Matt Entenza had hired a private investigator to investigate fellow Democrat Mike Hatch. The revelation eventually forced Entenza out of the race for attorney general.

Hatch was a main target that year, too, with Brodkorb portraying the Democratic candidate for governor as divisive and mean-spirited. When Hatch was accused of calling one reporter a "Republican whore," his temper became the story, and Hatch went on to lose narrowly to Pawlenty. "I know there were people around me who would get glued to that stuff, who would be checking it every few hours," Hatch said.

Brodkorb shrugs off Democrats' claims that he's a Republican operative by saying he's never been paid to blog. He said he earns a living through corporate, non-political consulting work, and would disclose on his blog if he does any paid campaign work this year.

Nevertheless, as state Republican Party Chairman Ron Carey put it: "I'm glad he's on our side."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080502/...IBBPV.GFlh24cA

Jolie Rouge · 06-08-2008, 01:46 AM

Franken wins endorsement for Senate in Minnesota
By PATRICK CONDON and BRIAN BAKST, Associated Press Writers
Sat Jun 7, 5:32 PM ET

ROCHESTER, Minn. - Al Franken won a resounding endorsement for the U.S. Senate on Saturday from Minnesota Democrats, quickly dispatching with concerns about jokes that offended some and promising a tough challenge to Republican Sen. Norm Coleman.

"To the people of Minnesota, let me say this: I'm not a perfect person," said Franken, a former "Saturday Night Live" writer and performer. "I'm not going to pretend to have all the answers. But I'll tell the truth, I will keep my spine, and I will work for you."

Franken's only competitor, college professor and peace activist Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, withdrew after Franken passed the necessary 60 percent threshold on the first ballot. Nelson-Pallmeyer proposed that delegates unanimously back Franken, putting him over the top.

Franken's show of strength came as something of a surprise after a rocky few weeks in which some Democrats, led by U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, criticized a racy column he wrote for Playboy magazine in 2000 and, earlier this week, joking comments he was reported to have made about rape that were included in a 1995 New York magazine article about "Saturday Night Live."

Rumors flew that Franken's support was collapsing, and that other candidates were considering a late entry into the endorsement stakes. Franken finally tackled the controversy head-on in his nomination speech to delegates, where he said some of the things he said and wrote over 35 years as a writer were "downright offensive."

"I understand that," Franken said. "And I understand that the people of Minnesota deserve a senator who won't say things that make them feel uncomfortable."

Nelson-Pallmeyer said he would work for Franken's election and won't run in the Democratic primary in September, and for now Franken is facing no opposition. But trial attorney Mike Ciresi, who dropped out of the endorsement race several months ago, has said in recent days that he is considering running in the primary.

Republicans have also hammered Franken for months on some of the more outrageous comments and writing from his years as a comedian, as well as problems with his personal finances. They promised to keep up the heat now that he is the chosen Democratic candidate.

Coleman campaign manager Cullen Sheehan attacked Franken as "unqualified, unfit and unprepared to be a United States senator." He said the campaign will employ old Franken material.

"Al Franken wants to wants to talk about Norm Coleman's record. We're not going to be shy about talking about Al Franken's record," Sheehan said.

As he wooed delegates throughout the day, Franken used the Republican assault as a badge of honor and touted himself as someone who can take the fight right back to the GOP.

"The Republicans don't want me to be the nominee," Franken said. "But guess what? Thanks to you, I'm going to be, and guess what? I'm going to beat Norm Coleman by holding him accountable."

On Saturday morning, Franken took a key step in quelling controversy over his past jokes when he earned the endorsement of the feminist caucus of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, as the Democratic Party is known in Minnesota.

Jackie Stevenson, the group's leader, said the caucus was impressed with his direct answers on issues critical to members, including domestic violence. She said Nelson-Pallmeyer had been more vague.

She said the group was willing to look past salacious material from Franken's past that some have considered degrading to women.

"At the time he didn't realize how it would affect him later in life," Stevenson said. "He wouldn't do it again today."

Delegate Mike Zellmer, a 28-year-old retail manager from the Twin Cities suburb of Inver Grove Heights, didn't settle on Franken until recently. He said Franken's war chest, organization and name recognition won him over.

"He can go after Norm Coleman in a way Jack really can't," Zellmer said. Of the controversy surrounding Franken's past, Zellmer said, "I don't think the people of Minnesota will hold it against him."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080607/...RvNhURCNFh24cA

flute · 06-08-2008, 10:39 PM

BWAHAHAHAHAH A ~ wonder if my cousins' will vote for him?
Wonder IF they vote - I bet you they don't....

Jolie Rouge · 09-10-2008, 01:06 AM

Al Franken wins Senate nod amid 7 state primaries
By BRIAN BAKST, Associated Press Writer
19 minutes ago

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080910/...WUDCqf0ais0NUE

Comedian Al Franken grabbed the Democratic nomination Tuesday for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, setting up a showdown with Republican Sen. Norm Coleman.

Franken, who gained fame as a "Saturday Night Live" cast member, easily beat six other candidates chasing the Democratic nod. Coleman trounced his only opponent, an expatriate living in Italy.

Minnesota voters joined those in six other states and the District of Columbia in deciding general election matchups. Nominations for House, Senate and governor were on the line, along with the fate of another TV celebrity: Kevin Powell, a former cast member on MTV's "Real World," who lost his bid for Congress in New York.

Franken's celebrity has both helped and hurt him. His coast-to-coast recognition enabled him to amass an impressive bankroll for a first-time candidate, but archives full of racy material provided ammunition to Republicans and his most visible Democratic rival, attorney Priscilla Lord Faris.

Lord Faris, part of a well-regarded family in state Democratic politics, criticized Franken for "angry and offensive public behavior" and said he'd be too easy a target for Coleman and his allies.

With 33 percent of precincts reporting, Franken had 68 percent of the vote to Lord Faris' 28 percent.

"Norm Coleman has become Washington," Franken said. "He's the Washington guy and I'm going to be fighting for Minnesotans."

Coleman sought to make the race about experience in public office.

"Minnesotans have a clear choice on experience," Coleman said. "Minnesotans have a clear choice in terms of record of working with others."

Also factoring into the Senate race, Dean Barkley won a spot on the ballot for the Independence Party, which is a major party in Minnesota.

Some other key states primary contests include:

• New York: In Brooklyn, longtime Rep. Edolphus Towns fended off a spirited challenge from Powell, a community activist who appeared on the first installment of the MTV reality show "Real World."

Voters on Staten Island chose candidates to replace Rep. Vito Fossella, who stepped aside after a drunken driving arrest led to revelations that he'd fathered a child with a woman who was not his wife. City Councilman Michael McMahon won the Democratic primary, while former state assemblyman Bob Straniere prevailed on the Republican side.

In the Buffalo area, environmental lawyer Alice Kryzan won an upset in a heated Democratic primary to replace one-time GOP power broker Rep. Tom Reynolds, who is retiring. Kryzan beat Iraq war veteran Jon Powers and millionaire Jack Davis, who received much more attention as they savaged each other.

• New Hampshire: In a closely watched Senate race, Republican Sen. John Sununu and former Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen easily won their primaries and resumed focus on their hard-fought rematch of 2002. Popular Democratic Gov. John Lynch easily defeated a retired teacher to seek a third two-year term.

New Hampshire's two House seats, now held by Democrats, were also in play. Former Rep. Jeb Bradley earned the Republican nod in one primary; Jennifer Horn, who put motherhood at the top of her resume, defeated four Republicans in the other race.

• Vermont: Rep. Peter Welch, the state's only House member, won the Democratic primary. Welch has no Republican opposition but will face Progressive and Liberty Union candidates in November.

• Delaware: State treasurer Jack Markell won the most expensive gubernatorial primary in the state's history, beating Lt. Gov. John Carney. Markell, a Democrat, will face retired judge Bill Lee, who clinched the Republican primary.

• Wisconsin: Republican Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner — the state's only incumbent U.S. House member to face a primary challenge — easily secured his nomination.

• Rhode Island: Democrat Sen. Jack Reed beat a longshot challenger to seek a third term.

• District of Columbia: Former mayor Marion Barry easily held off four challengers seeking his city council seat in the Democratic primary. Barry is expected to win a second four-year term in November in the overwhelmingly Democratic city.

Associated Press writers Devlin Barrett in New York; Holly Ramer in Concord, N.H.; Dave Gram in Montpelier, Vt.; Randall Chase in Wilmington, Del.; Ray Henry in Providence, R.I.; and Robert Imrie from Wausau, Wis., contributed to this report.

jbbarn · 09-10-2008, 02:50 AM

"Franken said he supports .......stronger congressional oversight of the executive branch."

I love the way some libs think it's ok to screw around with the Constitution!
Franken is such an annoying moron! He should run on the Fruitcake
ticket.He'd be in good company.

Jolie Rouge · 11-07-2008, 12:38 AM

Coleman Appears Victor as Minnesota Goes to Recount Senate Race
Republican Norm Coleman had been named the winner of a second term in the U.S. Senate, but Al Franken is still holding out because state law allows for a mandatory recount upon Franken's request.

WASHINGTON -- Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken are going to have to wait a bit to declare themselves the victor in the Minnesota Senate seat after the 727-vote margin in the race fell within the state's mandatory recount law.

That law requires a recount any time the margin between the top two candidates is less than one-half of one percent.

The Associated Press pulled its call for Coleman after reporting him the winner. Franken told FOX News that he is not conceding. He told supporters it'll be "a little while" before Minnesotans know the results.

The margin is well within the threshold for an automatic recount that could drag into December. Franken could have waived the recount, but he said he wouldn't.

He also said his campaign is looking into reports of irregularities in Minneapolis, where he says some voters had trouble registering.

If Coleman's lead holds up, he'd be among the fortunate Republicans who survived big gains by Democrats nationwide.

Coleman said it was Franken's prerogative to seek a recount, and "up to him whether such a step is worth the tax dollars it will take to process" the recount.

"My focus from here on out is giving Minnesotans the leadership they need and deserve in these trying times," Coleman said, noting that the message of Tuesday's election was that Minnesotans expect Democrats and Republicans to work together.

Counting on the results holding up, Sen. John Ensign, head of the Senate Republicans' re-election committee, congratulated Coleman on the edge.

"I would like to congratulate Norm Coleman on a hard-fought reelection. In a tough year for Republicans, Norm was able to make a compelling case that he was the best choice to advocate on behalf of Minnesotans in the U.S. Senate. Sen. Coleman is critical to maintaining a Republican firewall against the radical Democrat agenda and I am pleased he will continue to fight the good fight in the Senate," said Ensign of Nevada.

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said the recount won't begin until mid-November at the earliest and will probably stretch into December. It will involve local election officials from around the state.

"No matter how fast people would like it, the emphasis is on accuracy," Ritchie said. Ritchie's office ran a speedy recount in September of a close primary race for a Supreme Court seat. That took just three days, but Ritchie said the Senate race is entirely different.

"Having a ton of lawyers and other partisans injected into the process, that will change the dynamics of it," Ritchie said.

With the unofficial vote tally complete, Coleman led Franken by 727 votes out of about 2.9 million cast. Dean Barkley of the Independence Party was third with 15 percent, and exit poll data showed him pulling about equally from Coleman and Franken.

Exit polls showed that Franken held a big lead in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and a smaller lead in eastern parts of the state. Coleman ran stronger in Twin Cities suburbs and western Minnesota.

Coleman's bid for a second term came against a strong Democratic head wind nationwide, led by Barack Obama's big presidential victory. Several of Coleman's fellow Senate Republicans were overwhelmed, with the GOP losing Senate seats in Virginia, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Colorado.

Coleman and Franken each arrived at Election Day with a shot at winning. The pair traded narrow leads in the last few polls, with Barkley well back but a wild card.

In the campaign's last days, Coleman was forced to respond to allegations in a Texas civil lawsuit that a donor and friend tried to funnel him $75,000. Win or lose, Coleman was likely to face continuing fallout from the allegations, which he denied.

For Franken, who made his name as a writer and performer on "Saturday Night Live," the election was a referendum on 21 months spent trying to convince voters he had the stuff of a U.S. senator.

The candidates spent $30 million attacking each other on the airwaves. Millions more poured into the race from the national parties and outside groups, leaving both men with high negatives in voters' eyes.

Coleman portrayed himself as a pragmatist and a moderate who could get things done in Washington, and his stump speeches were filled with references to "reaching across the aisle."

He characterized Franken as angry and unfit for public office, and hammered Franken for outrageous jokes and statements from his career as an author and satirist. Coleman also played up Franken's blunders in filing his personal income taxes.

Franken's path to Election Day began in February 2007, when he announced his candidacy live on his Air America radio show.

His celebrity profile and ability to raise cash made him a formidable opponent, and Franken vowed to win back a seat once held by the late Paul Wellstone. Franken promised to fight for the middle class, and criticized Coleman as too closely aligned with President Bush and special interests.

But Coleman led comfortably until late summer and early fall, when polls began to show Franken closing the gap. One poll showed a majority of voters thought ads attacking Franken were unfair; Coleman later announced he was dropping negative ads.

Franken also appeared to benefit from the public's unhappiness over the Wall Street bailout legislation. Coleman supported the bill, and Franken said he would have opposed it.

Minnesota's most notable election recount came in 1962, when DFLer Karl Rolvaag edged Republican Elmer Andersen by 91 votes -- the closest governor's race ever in Minnesota.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/11...a-senate-race/