. . .and his "Senate campaign" in the ditch.

Republican blogger has Al Franken's Senate campaign reeling

Quote :

"EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — 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 [no surprise there ] 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."

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jGdClC4Nz7OYZyR4FxyTylwJaoBwD90DGFE80



What a douche bag.

5/2/2008 5:47:03 PM

but what you forget to mention is that in the states that he underpaid, he overpaid that much in minnesota and new york....

glad perception always wins over reality.

5/2/2008 5:58:01 PM

Yeah, me too.

Republican blogger has Al Franken's Senate campaign reeling

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jGdClC4Nz7OYZyR4FxyTylwJaoBwD90DGFE80

If it's all just a big happy mix-up, then it should be no problem for the "intellectual" Mr. Franken to straighten out, right? Right?

5/2/2008 6:02:56 PM

I've got it on pretty good sources that it is mostly a mix up, and it probably will be fixed.

Do you have a point here? It isn't like the guy payed any less in taxes, his accountant just sent it to the wrong places.

5/2/2008 6:04:02 PM

he's already paid them. does the article say that?

5/2/2008 6:07:10 PM

if franken doesnt have the judgement to hire a good accountant, he doesnt have the judgement to be a senator





[Edited on May 2, 2008 at 6:15 PM. Reason : his accountant of 20 years no less]

5/2/2008 6:11:23 PM

hey, come on guys. The article says his campaign is reeling!
If it's in the headline, it has to be true!

5/2/2008 6:20:27 PM

yes his campaign is reeling.....it's going to shut him down and he'll never be able to show his face in the public arena ever again!!!!





Wanna talk about some people who have fucked up who are running for senate, let's talk about Ted Stevens

5/2/2008 6:26:45 PM

Well, AP is fairly reliable. Are any of you suggesting that they made this part up?

Quote :

"But even some of his harshest critics admit Brodkorb, who has no real counterweight on the left, has been effective."

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jGdClC4Nz7OYZyR4FxyTylwJaoBwD90DGFE80

FYI, I wouldn't be so hard on al-Franken if (1) he didn't act as if he is a brilliant gift to us all and (2) if he didn't act as if only liberals are capable of anything good.

And al-Franken's in great shape--just ask other Democrats in Minnesota:

The Schultz Report: Some Minnesota Dems said to be eyeing primary run against Franken
Fri May 02, 2008 at 10:44:56 AM

Quote :

"In this week's Schultz Report, we discuss increasingly heated rumors that the turmoil surrounding tax-troubled, poll-challenged US Senate candidate Al Franken has some Minnesota Democrats weighing last-minute runs against Franken in this fall's primary. Schultz names three names that are on a lot of observers' lips in recent days: Mike Ciresi, who suspended his own campaign a couple of months ago; Second District US Rep. Tim Walz, currently mounting his first re-election bid for that seat; and little-known Minnesota Senate tax committee chair Tom Bakk."

http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/tag.do;jsessionid=E7DFAE5D7F6EB6FF1D9EF67A17466AB2?tag=Al+Franken

Yeah, the Minnesota Monitor probably made all this stuff up, too.

[Edited on May 2, 2008 at 9:23 PM. Reason : .]

5/2/2008 9:21:46 PM

I met Al Franken back in 95, when he was at N.C. State's theater speaking abut something I forget what. That was back when he was still doing Saturday Night Live sketches of Stewart Smalley.

He IS a douche. But I think he'd make a good senator.

And intellectualism has nothing to do with your ability to figure out how to do your taxes.

Dumbass.

5/3/2008 12:02:29 AM

^ Yeah, apparently, al-Franken's style of "intellectualism" renders him incapable of complying with the law--dumbass:

Al Franken finally admits he failed to comply with workers' comp, disability benefits laws

Quote :

"DFL Senate candidate Al Franken acknowledged today that his New York-based business wrongly failed to provide workers' compensation insurance for nearly three years, his campaign said. According to campaign manager Andy Barr, after five weeks of investigation the accountant for Alan Franken Inc. (AFI) was unable to figure out 'the exact circumstances that led to the oversight.' However, the accountant 'has determined that, in fact, AFI was not in full compliance during the period in question,' Barr said, in a statement released this morning. 'Therefore, no further attempt will be made to contest the resolved judgment.' New York state fined Franken $25,000 nearly three years ago for failing to provide workers' compensation insurance for his business employees. After the state did not hear from Franken, the judgment was entered in the New York Supreme Court last summer. But Franken and his wife, Franni, said they were not aware of the penalty before it was reported in a Republican blog early last month. The Frankens paid the fine immediately, along with a separate $833 penalty for also failing to provide disability benefits insurance for two years."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2000630/posts

Quote :

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

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

5/4/2008 7:22:51 AM

He is so incompetent, Franken really needs to get into the senate where he will no longer have to worry about many of those pesky little gov't things that regular people deal with.

5/4/2008 11:12:45 AM

My all time favorite story about Al Franken.
I can find it quoted on numerous forums but the original link doesn't work.

Quote :

"January 27, 2004 — EXETER, N.H. - Wise-cracking funnyman Al Franken yesterday body-slammed a demonstrator to the ground after the man tried to shout down Gov. Howard Dean. The tussle left Franken’s trademark thick-rim glasses broken, but he said he was not injured. Franken - who seemed in a state of shock and out of breath after the incident - was helped back to his feet by several people who watched the tussle. Police arrived soon after. “I got down low and took his legs out,” said Franken afterwards. Franken said he’s not backing Dean but merely wanted to protect the right of people to speak freely. “I would have done it if he was a Dean supporter at a Kerry rally,” he said. “I’m neutral in this race but I’m for freedom of speech, which means people should be able to assemble and speak without being shouted down.” The trouble started when several supporters of fringe presidential candidate Lyndon Larouche began shouting accusations at Dean. Franken emerged from the crowd and charged one male protester, grabbing him with a bear hug from behind and slamming him onto the floor."

So, let me get this straight:
He'll protect the rights of Howard Dean to free speech...
But he'll knock down the guy who is being a heckler. What about his free speech?!


Bastard.

5/4/2008 11:14:23 AM

I told you so.

Franken Fallout Continues

Quote :

"The backlash from key Democratic leaders against comedian Al Franken's Senate campaign is not subsiding, with the latest criticism coming from the abortion-rights group Planned Parenthood, a normally reliable supporter of Democratic candidates. According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Planned Parenthood's senior legislative director Connie Perpich sent an e-mail to state Democratic legislators raising concerns about a 10-year-old explicit article he wrote for Playboy magazine in 2000. 'We certainly support First Amendment rights of all Americans, but do believe these comments have gone beyond the bounds of what is appropriate for any candidate for elected office,' Perpich wrote. 'If half of these allegations are true, it is very difficult for us to foresee the Planned Parenthood of Minnesota Action Fund Board endorsing the candidacy of anyone with such extreme perspectives.' The article has already drawn sharp criticism from Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), who said that she is not planning on endorsing Franken in the general election. Franken's article, titled 'Porn-O-Rama,' describes a visit to an imaginary sex institute where he takes part in sexual acts with humans and machines. The column included many graphic sexual descriptions. And the trouble doesn’t stop there for Franken. From the Star-Tribune: The discontent among women's groups could be raised further with the revelation this morning that Franken was quoted in a 1995 New York magazine piece brainstorming a comedy skit for Saturday Night Live that involved drugging and raping former CBS reporter Leslie Stahl and raping CBS reporter Mike Wallace. There's already buzz that Franken might have a newfound challenge in winning the Democratic nomination at the DFL party convention this weekend against 'peace activist' Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, after being viewed for months as the near-certain nominee. And attorney Mike Ciresi, who initially challenged Franken for the nomination before dropping out, hasn't ruled out the possibility of running against him in the state's September primary."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/05/politics/politico/thecrypt/main4158343.shtml



"I'm not good enough; I'm not smart enough; and doggone it, people don't like me."

[Edited on June 13, 2008 at 2:27 AM. Reason : .]

6/13/2008 2:26:59 AM

we've obviously had actors who have been elected to office but if franken were elected as a senator, there would be something so true about a "comedian" becoming a "policitician"

6/13/2008 2:31:58 AM

^ Franken's really been one disaster after another as a candidate--so much for his smarter-than-thou act. It's increasingly looking like he may not get the nomination.

6/13/2008 2:39:04 AM

thought about bumping this last night with an article that talked about how dems are second guessing him but i figured hooksaw woulda bitched at me for it

6/13/2008 3:26:16 AM

^ "Prolly."

6/13/2008 3:40:13 AM

This is no big deal. Paying taxes in multiple states is a real bitch. I know overpaid CPAs who can barely get it right because of the crazy income sourcing rules.

Al Franken isn't exactly a great candidate, but some things just aren't worthwhile talking points ...

6/13/2008 4:13:44 AM

but he's REELING

6/13/2008 7:55:51 AM

um, last i checked franken had the backing of the state senatorial committee and democratic party.

he's gonna be fine

6/13/2008 1:35:14 PM

comedians shouldnt have to pay taxes anyway

6/13/2008 1:38:34 PM

Quote :

"'If half of these allegations are true, it is very difficult for us to foresee the Planned Parenthood of Minnesota Action Fund Board endorsing the candidacy of anyone with such extreme perspectives.'"

Quote :

"The article has already drawn sharp criticism from Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), who said that she is not planning on endorsing Franken in the general election."

Quote :

"There's already buzz that Franken might have a newfound challenge in winning the Democratic nomination at the DFL party convention this weekend against 'peace activist' Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, after being viewed for months as the near-certain nominee. And attorney Mike Ciresi, who initially challenged Franken for the nomination before dropping out, hasn't ruled out the possibility of running against him in the state's September primary."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/05/politics/politico/thecrypt/main4158343.shtml

Major figures in Minnesota politics and major organizations such as Planned Parenthood running away from endorsements of Franken, challengers for the nomination coming out of the woodwork, and bad national press--yeah, it's all no big deal. Some of you are obviously challenged when it comes to recognizing reality on the political landscape.

[Edited on June 13, 2008 at 5:32 PM. Reason : .]

6/13/2008 5:31:57 PM

Betty McCollum is a nut job.

Yea, Franken did some stupid shit...have you actually read the Playboy article? It's so dumb. An obvious attempt at being funny, yet just came off as stupid.

I've met the guy and he seems to genuinely be running for this seat because he wants change. He certainly could make more money or gain more notoriety by staying in the private sector.

Instead of getting pissy about some bullshit playboy article that the dude wrote in 2000 or some stupid as hell sketch that he did about rape, let's shed some light on the corruption and bullshit politics on the other side of the aisle.....

Quote :

"Wanna talk about some people who have fucked up who are running for senate, let's talk about Ted Stevens "

Like I said above (^) Ted Stevens is a perfect example of a man who shouldn't be in the senate. He now has 4 federal investigations going on right now about his involvement in all sorts of stuff in Alaska and in DC...

Quote :

""There's already buzz that Franken might have a newfound challenge in winning the Democratic nomination at the DFL party convention this weekend against 'peace activist' Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, after being viewed for months as the near-certain nominee."

and he did win the DFL nomination, it was last weekend....

[Edited on June 13, 2008 at 5:39 PM. Reason : adding more.]

6/13/2008 5:38:18 PM

^ To be honest, I haven't been following Franken's race that closely--I have seen things as they pop up on the national radar, if you will. I don't like al-Franken as a candidate and I don't want him to be elected.

1. I don't give a shit about Franken's Playboy article--I was simply noting that others have been making a fuss about it.

2. I can't vouch for Norm Coleman.

3. BTW, if the Playboy thing was no big deal, why did Franken apologize for it?

Quote :

"ROCHESTER - U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken took the DFL endorsement by acclamation on Saturday, after a day of questions, speeches and fretting by some activists over whether the controversial satirist can wage a focused campaign to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman. After being publicly and privately urged to do so, Franken tackled the issue of his sometimes sexually explicit humor head on, with the outright apology that many had been waiting for."

http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/19631174.html

[Edited on June 13, 2008 at 6:06 PM. Reason : .]

6/13/2008 6:04:36 PM

If I were a Minnesota democrat, I'd have serious reservations about putting up Al Franken to run as US Senator.

but... then again, their state did elect Jesse Ventura as governor, so maybe it's just some "Minnesota Thing" that I'll never understand.

I think the MN democratic party ought to have vetted Franken a bit more closely. His whole schtick is about polarization, and he's turning into an embarrassment. I don't personally give a damn, but his playboy article blows all the lesbian-fantasy bodice-rippers that Lynne Cheney wrote clean out of the water.






[Edited on June 13, 2008 at 6:21 PM. Reason : ]

6/13/2008 6:16:18 PM

Quote :

"Republican blogger"

6/13/2008 6:22:43 PM

Quote :

"BTW, if the Playboy thing was no big deal, why did Franken apologize for it?"

Because it offended a lot of women. And politicians are constantly having to apologize for things that, in my humble opinion, aren't that big of a deal.

Quote :

""Minnesota Thing""

yea, they're a little odd around there. and the fact that he's getting some support on running for the Senate seat as an independent is a little frightening.

Imagining him debating Chuck Schumer on the senate floor is a rather entertaining prospect though

6/13/2008 8:16:41 PM

New KSTP-TV poll finds wider Coleman lead over Franken

Quote :

"Another new poll (PDF) on Minnesota's U.S. Senate race, this one mostly good news for Norm Coleman. A SurveyUSA poll taken last week, after the flap about Al Franken's Playboy articles and after the DFL convention endorsed Franken, finds Coleman leading Franken by 52 to 40 percent — the biggest lead Coleman has held in any recent poll. The poll aired Monday night by KSTP-TV, which sponsored the poll. If attorney Mike Ciresi were the DFL candidate, SurveyUSA finds Coleman leading by 50 to 40 -- probably not enough of a difference for him to use as justification for jumping into a primary against Franken."

http://tinyurl.com/4cy8ns

6/17/2008 9:25:26 PM

what is a moonbat?

6/18/2008 10:23:03 AM

^ You suck at the Internet.

Quote :

"Moonbat (also 'barking moonbat' and 'moonbat crazy') is a term often used currently in U.S. politics as a political epithet referring to anyone that is believed to be liberal or on the left."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonbat

Also see. . .

foamie

Quote :

"a foaming-at-the-mouth liberal moonbat. as soon as someone dares to criticize global warming, all the foamies come out of the woodwork."

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=foamie

6/18/2008 3:03:57 PM

Quote :

"a foaming-at-the-mouth liberal moonbat. as soon as someone dares to criticize global warming, all the foamies come out of the woodwork. moonbat liberal rabid reactionary knee-jerk idiot by hooksaw Nov 1, 2007 email it 0 comments "

doh!

6/18/2008 3:35:46 PM

talk about astroturfing

6/18/2008 4:02:19 PM

Challengers render Franken run a joke

Quote :

"A lifetime of blue jokes and biting satire have proved a heavy load for Democrat Al Franken to carry in his U.S. Senate run, giving opponents an arsenal of potshots and even spurring a last-minute primary challenger who says the 'Saturday Night Live' veteran is just too vulgar for Minnesotans. Priscilla Lord Faris, whose family is steeped in Minnesota Democratic politics, burst into the race with a TV ad slamming Mr. Franken's 'record of pornography, degradation of women and minorities and questionable financial transactions.'"

Quote :

"But the litany of bad press, Mrs. Lord Faris said, put Democrats in jeopardy of losing to Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, who is considered one of the most vulnerable incumbents in the 2008 elections. Mr. Coleman enjoyed a 15-point advantage over Mr. Franken - 53 percent to 38 percent - in a recent Quinnipiac/Wall Street Journal/ Washington Post poll."

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/12/challengers-render-franken-run-a-joke/

Faris' ads:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv9Lhau80B8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9zDLFfTGoM&NR=1

[Edited on August 15, 2008 at 6:03 PM. Reason : ]

8/15/2008 6:02:43 PM

fuck Al Franken

fuck his sorry ass

11/5/2008 9:01:44 PM

did he win his senate race?

11/5/2008 9:28:41 PM

demanding a recount

but he is currently behind

by only 1000 votes ore so

11/5/2008 9:31:07 PM

He was down by 581 votes, which triggered an automatic recount.

I hope he loses by a handful of votes in the recount and then wastes a bunch of money trying to legally challenge the vote count. Fuck him.

11/5/2008 9:32:12 PM

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/individual/#mapSMN

he is a faggot who should get fucked by black dicks in hell

11/5/2008 9:33:28 PM

I've met the guy, and he seems genuinely wanting to be a US Senator to help, not to be there just to say he's a US Senator, which is more than I can say for some of the Senators that are currently in office.

And of course there's a recount, they'd be doing the same fucking thing if Norm Coleman was down.

11/5/2008 9:36:34 PM

yes, it is an automatic recount

but he is still an extremist holier than thou leftist fag

11/5/2008 9:40:05 PM

good lord that is a tight race

11/5/2008 9:44:29 PM

no shit,

gwb really fucked up to let some of the assholes into office that have no business being there

11/5/2008 9:50:31 PM

This has been one bright spot in this election--for now, at least.

11/6/2008 2:31:36 AM

people's brains in MN must be frozen to even come this close to electing a dude like Franken.

11/6/2008 8:33:09 AM

these are the same people who elected Jesse Ventura as their governor

11/6/2008 8:43:54 AM

11/6/2008 10:07:05 AM

I just can't understand how Al Franken could be considered a serious candidate.

11/6/2008 5:53:26 PM

Quote :

"I just can't understand how Al FrankenSarah Palin could be considered a serious candidate."

Hes now down by 239

[Edited on November 6, 2008 at 9:44 PM. Reason : ]

11/6/2008 9:43:25 PM

Quote :

"as soon as someone dares to criticize global warming any democrat does anything remotely questionable, all the foamies hooksaw comes out of the woodwork.""

Still with the crusade?

[Edited on November 6, 2008 at 10:29 PM. Reason : .]

11/6/2008 10:28:32 PM