Comedian Al Franken is going to run against incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota in 2008, a senior Democratic official has told the Associated Press. Coleman is considered one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbent Senators up for re-election in '08.
The news was not unexpected. Franken has been calling members of the Minnesota congressional delegation to get their input on a run, and he said this week that he would be leaving his show on Air America Radio on Feb. 14. He told listeners he would be making a decision on a race soon.
No other Democrats have announced plans to challenge Coleman...
Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Ron Carey said he was confident Minnesotans "will reject Franken's divisive, scorched-earth attacks."
Franken is currently a radio talk show host on the not-very-popular Air America liberal radio network. Before that he was a comedian, humor author, and performer on Saturday Night Live. Normally, you could dismiss his candidacy as a joke, but Minnesota is the state that elected Jesse Ventura governor.
Franken's a hero to the Democratic Party's Internet-organized liberal activists, especially the DailyKos crowd. They'll raise big bucks for him, guaranteed. Coleman's got a serious challenge ahead.
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