"Comedian Al Franken gets serious about politics"

[GreenPartyVoter]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - He pioneered mock television news 30 years ago and wrote a satirical book about becoming the 44th president of the United States.

So when comedian Al Franken says he is considering a run for U.S. Senate you have to ask -- is he serious?

"The next thing I am doing is moving back home to Minnesota and getting involved in politics," Franken told Reuters in an interview at his Air America radio studio. "I'm looking at a run for Senate in 2008, but in the meantime I am focused on knitting together the progressive network in the upper Midwest."

It sounds serious. Franken is starting a national tour to promote his new book "The Truth (With Jokes)," which features the usual political satire that has made him a top-selling humor writer.

http://reuters.iwon.com/article/20051110/2005-11-10T131301Z_01_MCC847675_RTRIDST_0_ODD-ARTS-FRANKEN-DC.html

[terrya]

1. I hope he does run. If anyone can beat that slimeball Norm Coleman...

it's Franken.

I'd rather have Franken in the Senate than doing Air America.

[cascadiance]

3. I would love some well placed satirical comments on the record there too!

I'm sure he could get in some good digs to help get a lot of the truth exposed that needs exposing! CSPAN will love their ratings for Senate coverage then!

[Rosco T.]

9. Ed Schultz said the other day that if Al Runs against Coleman...

.. that HE (Schultz) would campain for AL!

[brmdp3123]

2. Why not?

They elected Jesse Ventura!

[ZombieNixon]

4. Senator Franken?

Sounds awesome!

How it would look on paper:
• Senator Franken (D-MN)
• Sen. Franken (D-MN)
• Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.)
• Minnesota's junior senator, Democrat Al Franken

Yep, they all look good! :bounce:

[Lubernaut]

5. I remember a line in one of his books that says

"... that's why I wouldn't be a good politician."

I wonder if his opponent will use it...

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. Probably

[NYCGirl]

7. If an opponent does, Al can always point out that the statement was comedy

That's the beauty of it.

[Eric J in MN]

8. "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot"

was published in 1996. The article says 2000.

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. Fact checkers, shmact checkers

[Eric J in MN]

11. It's very difficult to unseat a Senator.

Which is why I like the idea of running someone in 2008 with an unusual background, like a background in comedy. It may take an unconventioanl approach, and so I support Al Franken for 2008.


For an open seat, I'd just as soon run a Congressperson. We have an open Senate seat in MN in 2006. Unfortunately, in 2006 no Dem. Congresspersons from MN have expressed an interest.