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Yesterday SurveyUSA came out with a poll showing Norm Coleman beating Al Franken by ten points: 43 to 33. Today the Minnesota Star-Tribune released a poll showing the opposite: Franken leading Coleman by nine. According to the Star-Tribune survey, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, Franken leads Coleman 43 to 34. The only thing the polls agree on is the support for Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley. SurveyUSA has him winning 19% of the vote, the Strib has him winning 18%.

Franken pulls ahead in new Minn. poll By HARRY SIEGEL | 10/4/08 12:02 PM EDT Text Size: A new Star Tribune Minnesota poll released yesterday shows a 13-point jump in support in the last month for Democratic comedian-turned-politician Al Franken, who now has his first clear lead, 43 percent to 34 percent, in the much-watched race against Minnesota incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. The Star Tribune poll also shows support for the relatively low-profile campaign of Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley at a high watermark of 18 percent, with most of his support drawn from Coleman, in what may be...

Over the years, the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Minnesota Poll has been a reliable indicator of...virtually nothing. Every two years it confidently predicts sweeping victories for the Democrats. Every now and then, as in 2006, that turns out to be right. Over the years, Scott has repeatedly dissected the Minnesota Poll's methods and findings and has had notable exchanges with the individual who runs (or ran--I'm not sure whether he has survived the paper's layoffs) the poll. In 2006 we couldn't tell whether the poll's methods improved or whether its biennial prediction was coincidentally right. Today, though, we may get a...

DFL U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken has moved into his first solid lead over incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, according to a new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll. The survey, conducted Tuesday through Thursday by Princeton Survey Research Associates International among 1,084 likely Minnesota voters, shows Franken leading Coleman 43 to 34 percent. Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley is supported by 18 percent of respondents. Franken’s lead is outside the poll’s margin of sampling error, plus or minus 3.7 points. For Coleman, there is little good news in the poll. The number of voters who view him unfavorably continues to grow, the...

After months of showing the U.S. Senate race as a statistical dead heat, the latest SurveyUSA poll finds Norm Coleman with a solid 10-point lead. The incumbent draws support from 43 percent of respondents, with Democrat Al Franken trailing at 33 percent. Perhaps most notable, however, is the strong showing of Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley. Despite his late entry into the race and raising almost no money, Barkley garners support from 19 percent of those polled. Assessments of the IP candidate’s strength have varied widely in recent weeks. A pair of polls last month showed him in double digits,...

After months of showing the U.S. Senate race as a statistical dead heat, the latest SurveyUSA poll finds Norm Coleman with a solid 10-point lead. The incumbent draws support from 43 percent of respondents, with Democrat Al Franken trailing at 33 percent. Perhaps most notable, however, is the strong showing of Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley. Despite his late entry into the race and raising almost no money, Barkley garners support from 19 percent of those polled. Assessments of the IP candidate’s strength have varied widely in recent weeks. A pair of polls last month showed him in double digits,...

This is unusual. Al Franken, the liberal Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota, just sent out a solicitation email for MoveOn.org urging MoveOn members to give money to Democratic candidates, including himself. Here is how it goes: Dear MoveOn member, It's not enough to merely win this election. We've got to win big. Great—I can tell from your nodding head that you agree. Now, let's make it happen—by helping three champs win tight, crucial races: Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Larry Kissell of North Carolina, and, ahem, Al Franken of Minnesota. I'm not asking for $700 billion—just $10, $25,...

Norm Coleman continues to lead Al Franken,

Al Franken, the former "Saturday Night Live" star now running in a high-profile Senate race in Minnesota, helped craft the opening sketch mocking John McCain that kicked off the NBC comedy show Saturday, according to two well-placed sources inside the network. Franken, who hasn’t been a staff writer on the show for 13 years, “phoned in” a spoof of McCain recording campaign ads in an edit booth, said an NBC source. Seth Meyers, the show’s current head writer, wrote it, but the sketch was hatched by Franken, a longtime liberal satirist and comedian. An SNL insider said that, as of...

Minnesota's U.S. Senate race took yet another odd turn Sunday when skirmishing broke out between the top two contenders over whether Democratic candidate Al Franken reverted to his "Saturday Night Live" days to help craft an "SNL" skit that spoofed Republican presidential candidate John McCain. The political website Politico reported late Saturday that Franken had proposed the idea for the skit and was actively involved in its creation; it cited two anonymous sources at NBC, which airs the long-running show. Franken's campaign Sunday denied that Franken had pitched skit ideas. Spokesman Colleen Murray said Franken had talked to SNL producer...

Al Franken, the former "Saturday Night Live" star now running in a high-profile Senate race in Minnesota, helped craft the opening sketch mocking John McCain that kicked off the NBC comedy show Saturday, according to two well-placed sources inside the network. Franken, who hasn't been a staff writer on the show for 13 years, "phoned in" a spoof of McCain recording campaign ads in an edit booth, said an NBC source. Seth Meyers, the show's current head writer, wrote it, but the sketch was hatched by Franken, a longtime liberal satirist and comedian. An SNL insider said that, as of...

If you missed Saturday Night Live last night - and according to ratings you’re not alone - you saw them put on a skit that involved Darrell Hammond as Senator John McCain.

Al Franken, the former "Saturday Night Live" star now running in a high-profile Senate race in Minnesota, helped craft the opening sketch mocking John McCain that kicked off the NBC comedy show Saturday, according to two well-placed sources inside the network.

Al Franken, the former "Saturday Night Live" star now running in a high-profile Senate race in Minnesota, helped craft the opening sketch mocking John McCain that is slated to kick off the NBC comedy show tonight, according to two well-placed sources inside the network. Franken, who hasn’t been a staff writer on the show for 13 years, “phoned in” a spoof of McCain recording campaign ads in an edit booth, said an NBC source. Seth Meyers, the show’s current head writer, wrote it, but the sketch was hatched by Franken, a longtime liberal satirist and comedian. {snip} Franken’s input to...

Joe Biden is calling out people making $250,000 a year to pay more taxes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArJkzRYffec . Al Franken skipped out in paying taxes at all in 17 different states http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jP0e6BXf00 .

Al Franken, the former Saturday Night Live star now running in a high-profile Senate race in Minnesota, helped craft the opening sketch mocking John McCain that is slated to kick off the NBC comedy show tonight, according to two well-placed sources inside the network. Franken, who hasn’t been a staff writer on the show for 13 years, “phoned in” a spoof of McCain recording campaign ads in an edit booth, said an NBC source. Seth Meyers, the show’s current head writer, wrote it, but the sketch was hatched by Franken, a longtime liberal satirist and comedian. An SNL insider said...

SENATE CANDIDATE FRANKEN PENS SKIT RIPPING MCCAIN... DEVELOPING....

The Senate race in Minnesota has gotten close, and that has apparently led to frustration on the part of Al Franken's supporters. I can think of no other reason that they would resort to such a despicable advertisement as the one they're starting to run:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl5hwE8ffgg

Norm Coleman's campaign has produced a new ad, "Angry Al." It highlights Al Franken's frequently hotheaded, profane and inappropriate conduct:

Norm Coleman's campaign has produced a new ad, "Angry Al." It highlights Al Franken's frequently hotheaded, profane and inappropriate conduct: I think they got the still image near the end from this site. It was taken at the 2004 RNC. I also witnessed the confrontation between Franken and Michael Medved at the same convention that you see, briefly, in the ad. Franken can be a scary guy. When the news broke about the pornography--no, wait, "satire of pornography"--that Franken wrote for one of the men's magazines, his campaign manager said, "We think the voters understand the difference between a comedian...

With easy primary victories behind them, Sen. Norm Coleman and his Democratic challenger, Al Franken, wasted no time Wednesday working to firm up the messages that will carry them through the general election. Franken criticized Coleman as beholden to special interests, while the senator's spokesman, Mark Drake, contrasted Coleman's service with Franken's "lack of any record to run on." ... Franken, the former "Saturday Night Live" star who put a talk radio career on hold to try his hand at politics, sealed the Democratic nomination in a seven-way primary. Coleman, the incumbent, trounced his only Republican opponent. At a rally...

Comedian Al Franken grabbed the Democratic nomination Tuesday for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, setting up a showdown with Republican Sen. Norm Coleman that had been years in the making. Franken, who gained fame as a "Saturday Night Live" cast member, easily beat six other candidates chasing the Democratic nod.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- After millions of dollars and 19 months pursuing a U.S. Senate seat, comedian Al Franken sought Tuesday to nail down the Democratic nomination in his childhood home of Minnesota. The former "Saturday Night Live" cast member, author and radio show host came in as the clear favorite in a seven-way primary to determine Republican Sen. Norm Coleman's fall challenger. Coleman also had a primary 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...

In the ad, "Excuses," eight-year-old Allison tells the camera that, like Al Franken, she doesn't pay taxes, but unlike Al Franken, she knows that Al's excuse for not paying taxes doesn't work -- not even in third grade.

Senate candidate Al Franken is spending just a "couple of days" at the Democratic National Convention, but by the time he dropped in on the Minnesota delegation breakfast Monday, he sounded a little homesick. "I've got to get back ..." he said, catching himself. "I want to get back to the fair." Franken is keeping a low profile at the convention, passing up a chance to appear on stage Wednesday night with other Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate. The Wednesday time slot was selected after Franken had already made his travel plans, according to an aide.

Turns out that Al Franken had a chance to speak, if only briefly, at the Democratic National Convention next week in Denver. But he turned it down to squeeze in more face time with voters at the State Fair. Officials with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) said that they asked Franken to join a handful of Senate challengers at the podium early next Wednesday evening. The convention has scheduled about 10 minutes for the candidate showcase, which will include U.S. Rep. Tom Allen of Maine, Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley, former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen and U.S. Rep....

Summer is entering its final weeks, but the U.S. Senate race in Minnesota is hotter than ever. A poll released today by Minnesota Public Radio and the Humphrey Institute has Democrat Al Franken and Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in a statistical dead heat. Respondents gave 41 percent support to Franken and 40 percent for Coleman. Another 8 percent said they are backing Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley. Eleven percent said they are undecided.

Minnesota Democrats are offering a big cash prize to anyone who snaps a picture of Norm Coleman and President Bush together at the upcoming Republican National Convention...... ...SNIP... Republicans aren't content to let Democrats corner the market on gimmicky contests. In response, they're dangling a $25 gift card for gas to anyone who can get Al Franken's accountant to explain errors in Franken's tax filings prior to 2003.....

What if a politician held a campaign event and nobody came? That’s what almost happened to comedian-turned-Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken last week. In what sounds like a sketch he might have written for Saturday Night Live, only one voter showed up for Franken’s roundtable on veterans issues in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It marked a particular low point in Franken’s quixotic, controversial 18-month campaign to unseat unpopular Republican Senator Norm Coleman. The race should have been the Democrats’ to lose, but a recent poll gives Colman a 15-point lead. Some party members are now questioning the wisdom of choosing Al...

When Democrats this spring sized up Al Franken's bid to win a Senate seat in his native Minnesota, they saw plenty of promising signs: an engaging and famously funny candidate familiar to voters, a stockpile of campaign cash, and a vulnerable incumbent Republican. Less than three months before Election Day, however, the Republican seat held by a former New Yorker, Norm Coleman, looks safer than ever, and Mr. Franken's hopes could be doomed by his own New York past. The former "Saturday Night Live" star, best-selling author, and talk show host is lagging far behind in the polls amid a...

I was following another story from FR today that took me to thehill.com website. There I ran into the following flash animated campaign ad. The ad consisted of about 10 panels, the panel shown is the only one that identifies the source of the campaign ad. The entire thing encourages democrats in Wisconsin to cross party lines to vote against Norm Coleman in the primary elections on Sept. 9. But then it clearly states that this is needed for "big" Al Franken to win in November. Sleezy, maybe, but look at the address of the political action committee as shown...

There’s an old saying in politics that elections are won or lost one vote at a time. On Friday, DFL-endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken demonstrated how true that saying can be, when a roundtable on veterans issues at Brigitte’s Cafe his campaign scheduled drew only one participant. Josh John, a St. Cloud resident who said he served in the Navy from 2000-04, had Franken to himself for an hour as he described difficulties he faced returning from his tour of duty and the help he received from his Veterans Services Office and the St. Cloud VA Medical Center.

This St. Cloud Times story about only one person attended a public event for Al Franken yesterday hit the Drudge Report. “ONE Person Shows Up At Franken Event..” This story is turning into a national embarrassment for Team Franken.

In fact, it took Franken, the DFL-endorsed candidate for the U.S. Senate, roughly 15 seconds before he was taking his first verbal roundhouse at Coleman, the Republican incumbent. In response to a question from an ag journalist about energy independence, Franken said, "Norm Coleman is in the pocket of Big Oil. He's received more contributions from Big Oil than any politician in the history of Minnesota.'' There was a hush in the massive tent at the annual Farmfest, which is being held near Morgan, about 100 miles west of the Twin Cities. One minute, people had been strolling through the...

In one of Senate candidate Al Franken’s literary efforts titled “Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot,” he reveals his personal feelings about a topic important to many Minnesotans. In Chapter 12 of his book, I learned that candidate Franken is against private ownership of guns due to his belief that firearms in the home are “too dangerous.” I believe these views are more consistent with California or New York, where Mr. Franken still maintains corporate interests. His problem is Minnesota has always been a pro-gun state. Remember, a bipartisan majority passed “conceal and carry.” I called the National Rifle...

Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura (I) announced Monday night that he would not launch a third-party bid for Senate. The former professional wrestler, who served one term as governor beginning a decade ago, said on CNN’s “Larry King Live” that he “isn’t going to run, at this moment,” and that it would take an act of God to get him to file by Tuesday’s filing deadline. He said God has never spoken to him before. “If between now and five o’clock, maybe God comes and speaks to me like he did the president, and tells me I should run like...

Amongst similar anecdotes: Franken Pretends To Kill New Born Daughter At Baby Shower. "AL FRANKEN: My wife came with her sister first and I was going to bring the baby. My other sister-in-law came with me. So I got a doll the exact size of the baby and swaddled it - I told Franny I was going to do this - and there's like thirty women, and I walk in and they're all going like, 'Ohhh . . . ahhhh,' and I was walking in and I hit the baby's head on this piece of furniture and I go up...

In an interview with NPR's David Welna that ran today former Gov. Jesse "The Body" Ventura, Ind-Minn., says he will run for Senate, challenging incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., whom Ventura defeated for governor in 1998, as well as Democratic nominee and former Saturday Night Live humorist Al Franken. Ventura, born Jim Janos... Ventura had a stormy tenure as governor and horrible relations with the Minnesota press corps. Thus, it was the June issue of a local wine magazine where he chose to drop hints about his pending campaign. Ventura called Franken an opportunist and a carpetbagger. "He hasn't lived...

Warning: The following contains extreme vulgarity by a candidate for the United States Senate. In the nationally important Senate race in Minnesota, Republican incumbent Norm Coleman is presented with a unique political problem. Should he raise in his ads the issue of comedian Al Franken's offensive vulgarity? Or would this risk a backlash against Coleman for coarsening the public conversation? Remember that when Ken Starr detailed Bill Clinton's most repulsive antics -- stained dresses and such -- it was Starr who was accused of sexual obsessiveness. Franken's defenders explain that his edginess is the result of being a "satirist" --...

<p>Former Gov. Jesse Ventura would trim support from both Sen. Norm Coleman and Coleman's DFL challenger, Al Franken, if he were to enter the U.S. Senate race, a Survey USA poll has found.</p>

Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken opened the next phase of his campaign to unseat Republican Norm Coleman by hammering the senator on his past allegiance to President Bush. Franken appeared at a state Capitol rally Monday with several top Democrats and congressional candidates, exchanging handshakes and pleasantries with some who hadn't been behind him until after he won his party's endorsement last weekend. Franken is staging a week-long tour of Minnesota. The humorist who made it big on "Saturday Night Live" said he expects Republicans to use his past off-color material against him. But Franken said he'll be reminding voters...

Franken wins endorsement for Senate in Minnesota 1 minute ago Al Franken has won a resounding endorsement for U.S. Senate from Democratic activists at the Minnesota state convention. The former "Saturday Night Live" writer and performer beat college professor Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer on the first ballot Saturday. Franken had just given a speech to delegates apologizing for past jokes that offended some fellow Democrats. Nelson-Pallmeyer conceded the endorsement to Franken and moved that Democrats unanimously back Franken. They did so by voice vote. Republican Sen. Norm Coleman has his party's endorsement for re-election.

DFL U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken got a welcome boost on Wednesday with an endorsement from one of the more revered figures in the Democratic Party -- former Vice President Al Gore. Gore, who has become a crusading environmentalist since leaving elective office, sent an e-mail to DFL delegates on Wednesday afternoon that warmly praised Franken, calling him "exactly the breath of fresh air our government needs." Calling Franken one of the party's "hardest working activists," Gore saluted what he said were Franken's "sharp wit and strong convictions." In a nod to the unconventionality of Franken's candidacy, Gore said the...

Just as DFL activists begin streaming into Rochester for a state convention that starts today, their top U.S. Senate candidate, Al Franken, is fending off still more slings on his troubled road to the nomination. On Thursday, an e-mail surfaced from one of the state's leading abortion-rights groups, Planned Parenthood, denouncing an article he wrote for Playboy in 2000, calling the piece misogynistic and degrading to women. And U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar broke a week-long silence to chastise him publicly for the piece, which she called "entirely inappropriate," and to ask him to acknowledge that. On Thursday evening, Franken's campaign...

MINNEAPOLIS -- Former Vice President Al Gore thinks Al Franken would be “a fantastic senator,” according to a letter sent to Democratic delegates. Gore’s endorsement of Franken's bid for the U.S. Senate comes days before Franken squares off against opponent Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer for the DFL endorsement at the state party convention in Rochester, Minn. One reason Gore endorses Franken is their shared goals of an effort to slow global warming.

Former Vice President Al Gore has endorsed Al Franken's bid for the U.S. Senate. The endorsement from Gore, who is extremely popular among Democratic activists, comes at a good time for Franken. On Saturday he squares off with peace activist Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer for the DFL endorsement at the state party convention in Rochester. In a letter sent to DFL delegates, Gore says Franken will make "a fantastic senator" and that they share the same goals on Gore's longtime effort to slow global warming. Nelson-Pallmeyer also landed an important, but considerably less high-profile endorsement. He's being backed by Ben Goldfarb, who...

In the last few months, I've gotten a flood of emails from readers suggesting stories about Al Franken and his follies. This vein could be a rich one to mine, given Franken's years of motor-mouthing on Saturday Night Live and Air America Radio, and his collisions with taxing authorities across the country. But I've let the Franken stories blow by, overwhelmed by their number. However, things changed last week when Franken's 2000 Playboy article -- "Porn-O-Rama" -- got stuck in my e-mail filter. I know what you're thinking: Kersten's got one of those prudish, Jerry Falwell-style family filters designed to...

Mike Ciresi tells reporters he hasn't ruled out a return to the DFL Senate race he dropped out of nearly three months ago. Ciresi, a wealthy attorney, says he's been getting a lot of calls from around the state, and has kept "intense interest in the race." Ciresi's comments came after one of his prominent supporters, Democratic Representative Betty McCollum, criticized a Playboy column by DFL Senate candidate Al Franken. Last week, McCollum had called that 2000 column offensive, and said it was a serious political problem for Democratic candidates this year. Franken remains the favorite to win the nominating...

Al Franken dodges the questions for 6+ minutes. Video at link.

enate candidate Al Franken's satirical and explicit take on virtual sex and other topics, published in Playboy magazine eight years ago, is drawing concern instead of laughter from some Minnesota Democrats. Rep. Betty McCollum, who supported the comedian's rival Mike Ciresi until he dropped out of the race for the party's nomination for the Senate, complained Thursday that she and other Minnesota Democrats will be on the same November ballot as a candidate "who has pornographic writings that are indefensible." "Do they spend all of their time defending him, or do they spend their time talking about issues that are...