In his bid to unseat Minnesota Republican Senator Norm Coleman, Al Franken toured the state in late April on a platform best described as "green" jobs. The funniest thing he did was fist-bump John Van Dine, president of Sage Electrochromics, a firm engaged in thermally tinting windows.
It's hard to find a place greener than Minnesota, at least in the summertime, so Al Franken's green campaign steps up the hue by suggesting Minnesota might be a future Mecca for jobs in emerging environmental technology companies. The question in voter's minds is; can Franken deliver the green? This question is especially relevant in the wake of Franken's failure to deliver another kind of green to the IRS, namely back taxes the Republicans say he purposely withheld - a charge Franken adamantly denies.
Franken's tour covered "green" spots, none of them parks or nature preserves. Starting with Sage, whose president has dubbed Minnesota the "Silicon Valley of windows" - a reference to Andersen Windows, not Microsoft - Franken then toured a LEED-certified elementary school in Zimmerman, where students proudly pointed out their oversized windows, slanted ceilings and unique ventilation system. At the end, Franken appeared at campaign headquarters, touting various local green technologies on display (including linoleum recycled from used carpet, ugh).
Beyond this, how has Franken, a former comedian, capitalized on the "new green" in his bid for senator? Why, by criticizing the Bush administration, of course. The sniping is warranted; this administration's environmental record is so tarnished it would be better to bury it than try to polish it. But carping about Bush - and, by extension, former governor and current Minnesota Republican senator Norm Coleman - may not be helping Franken's cause. Minnesota voters, who may elect Franken simply because he's not a professional politician, are not convinced the former funny man can transform into an aggressive enviro without losing his appeal, and - in Minnesota - the appeal of the odd, unexpected or unlikely is paramount to swinging a vote. Minnesotans, who live through long winters and welcome any opportunity to smile - or grin, giggle, and even roll in the aisles hysterically - may not want a crusader.
Wrestler Jesse Ventura is a prime example. Minnesotans elected him governor because he was odd man out. That he later became a crusader, combining the best of fierce and funny, is another story. Ventura, who promised Larry King Live watchers that he wouldn't run for the senate this time around, is perhaps Minnesota's most remembered political figure. Hated by the media for his recalcitrance and hailed by Minnesotans for his inveterate habit of telling the unvarnished truth no matter who it offended, Ventura was our regional Imus, and we miss him. As for his not running, well, we'll believe that when we see it. Ventura has run up a false flag before.
On the subject of Franken, it's no surprise that the former comedian has 6,900 friends on MySpace and Coleman only 1,200. Franken's a funny, likeable guy, and we Minnesotans - who view politics as the epitome of the "bread and circuses" culture of America - don't want to take politics that seriously. Snow is serious; thirty below is positively grim. Give us something to laugh at, Franken. If we wanted sourpusses, we'd elect Dick Cheney.
Franken, a Democrat in a predominately "blue" state, has a good chance of unseating Coleman, who has given Minnesotans 16 ethanol plants, 3 biodiesel plants, and very little to smile about. Now that ethanol is environmentally incorrect, and times are tough enough to want a few grins and giggles, Coleman - who has earned his reputation as a "windsock" for switching parties in 1996 - is being revealed as a political sellout, as well. Franken, in trouble for back taxes but loyal to his party, is more Minnesota's style. We might lie to the IRS, but we don't turn on our friends and allies because the grass is greener elsewhere. This is largely because, in Minnesota, the grass is pretty green everywhere, and loyalty is valued.
While Coleman runs ads featuring his estranged wife, and Franken fumbles his tax returns, Attorney Mike Ciresi, who dropped out of the race earlier this year, is weighing whether to get back in. Ciresi, a trial lawyer who made his millions suing cigarette companies in the 90s, has also prosecuted Union Carbide on behalf of the state of India, and represented women injured or killed by the Copper 7 and Dalkon Shield IUDs. Ciresi is clearly one of the good guys, in spite of his wallet, but we don't want good, dammit! We want fun.
Dean Barkley, Ventura's former political mentor, has also announced his candidacy. Barkley, running as an Independent, once served in the Senate and sees Franken's 13-percent fall in the polls (a number contradicted by other polls) as an opportunity to join the greatest game in town, particularly now that the Vikings (known locally as the Viqueens) have confirmed their loser status and the Wild are in hibernation until winter.
Barkley is challenged by Jack Uldrich, who worked for Barkley in the Ventura administration. Priscilla Lord Faris, another lawyer, is also challenging Franken, even though a Democratic Party leader has already asked her to cease and desist. This sort of defiance is another cherished Minnesota trait and may earn Faris quite a number of votes.
Other challengers for the senate seat include Rob Fitzgerald of Fergus Falls, a former Independent who lost to Amy Klobuchar when he was running under the name Robert Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is running as a Democrat this time. And Coleman's Republican opponent is Jack Shepard, who campaigns from Rome, Italy because he is wanted for arson in Minnesota.
The only more disreputable (and therefore more likeable) candidate is Alan Roebke, who is challenging Collin Peterson for the 7th Congressional District seat. Roebke, who uses an Alexandria, Minnesota address and became a crop subsidy expert while in prison, is running against GOP candidate Glen Menze. Peterson is a Democrat.
Compared to these shenanigans, the only platform on which Franken can now rely for amusement value is his recent challenge to politicians becoming lobbyists once their tenure ends. Franken wants a new rule which forbids former members of the legislative branches of government from ever taking positions with corporations as Washington influence peddlers. The Minnesotans I talk to are all for this. The politicians, whose only job skill consists in verbally badgering people into submission, are not. The furor generated by such a proposal, if it is taken up, will be even more fun to watch than the current political circus, where 18 Minnesotans are vying for a single seat in the Senate. So who needs television?
