Franken says he's more likely than not to run for U.S. Senate in '08

WASHINGTON (AP) — Comedian and liberal talk show host Al Franken put the odds of a challenge against Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., in 2008 at better than 50-50, and said he would make a decision by late next year.

"I've thought about it and discussed it with my family more," Franken told The Associated Press Saturday, before attending the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner here. The only holdout, he said, is his 19-year-old son Joe, who is worried he'll see less of his father.

Franken, over a bite at a Thai restaurant (he ordered tom yum goong soup with shrimp and seafood salad), also said he's happy with the direction of his new radio show, "The O'Franken Factor," despite unenthusiastic early reviews.

Franken, who first floated the idea of running for Senate last year, said he's spoken to state and party officials, political operatives, and a couple of senators, including Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., about it.

more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/state/2004-05-02-franken-senate_x.htm

WOW! :)

Although I agree with Franken on most things (he's a little to accomodating to the business wing of the party), I think we've got several better-qualified local politicians who would be much more effective Senators than a former joke-writer for Saturday Night Live.

Franken's a good guy, but we suffered through four years of Governor Ventura. A few less celebrities turned politicians will do more good for us than a Franken senatorial run.

I think that'd it be better if he kept working the media circuit-I don't think that Minnesota's ready for another celebrity politician. We've got a great group of potential candidates (Betty McCollum, Judi Dutcher, Julie Sabo, Mike Hatch if he doesn't run for governor, and of course Alan Paige).

Dutcher was supposedly the draft pick of the DFL to replace Wellstone, but she declined for unspecified reasons, as I recall. That's how we ended up with an embarassment like Coleman.

Dutcher would be a great candidate, especially as she made the front page of the NYT for her speech at the DNC where she officially defected from the Republican party and excoriated them over cr*p like school vouchers and other suck-ups to the religious right.