Franken stops in Appleton on campaign tour
Posted in News Clips on August 13th, 2007
Al sat down with Judy Olson for what quickly became a very personal interview.
Sitting down to interview Al Franken one-on-one for the Appleton Press could have been extremely intimidating for this novice writer. A family member commented, “Mom, what are you thinking? Al Franken?! His I.Q. is way off the charts He’s way out of your league!”
However, Al Franken proved her wrong. Al Franken is a hilariously entertaining comedian, with a heart as big as his smile. Our visit was not intimidating, but rather comfortable, like visiting with a close friend who displays an honest sense of commitment to the things in life that really matter. To Franken, two of those are family and the American soldiers who serve this country in the Armed Forces. Franken shared a story of the last time he saw Paul Wellstone before he died. Franken’s mother was in a nursing home, struggling with dementia. “I saw Paul, in the middle of his race for Senate, and he asked, ‘How’s your mom?’ I told him it was a very tough day. She couldn’t talk or have a conversation. Paul told me, ‘you know what, touch means so much.’”
The next day Franken visited his mother. “It was a beautiful day. I took Mom out to the garden in her wheelchair and sat on a bench. I put my arm around her. That meant an awful lot to me I’ll never forget it.”
Franken and Wellstone were more than good friends. Franken campaigned for Paul “probably more than anybody.”
“Paul is part of the reason I’m running (for Senate),” stated Franken. “If it hadn’t been for the plane crash, Paul would have been in the Senate now.”
Wellstone’s untimely death had a significant impact on Franken. “It made me look at my life and what I was doing, and I stepped it up a little. It made me take seriously the next phase of my life.” That ‘next phase’ has taken the comedian, actor, screenwriter, author and radio host into the political arena. On the last day of his radio show on Air America Radio, Franken announced his intention to run for U.S. Senate for Minnesota. The Senate seat, once held by Paul Wellstone, is currently occupied by Republican Norm Coleman.
Even though Franken’s 15-year association with Saturday Night Live earned him three Emmy Awards and seven Emmy nominations for his television writing and productions, he has certainly taken this next phase of his life very seriously. Franken is opposed to the 2007 troop surge in Iraq, and has been a vocal critic of the war for several years. In support of the troops in Iraq, Franken headlined two USO shows while traveling with Russell Burnham, the U.S. Army Soldier of the Year. Franken has done seven USO tours to date, his most recent in 2006. The strong radio voice of an emotional American softened as he shared his thoughts on local guardsmen who are returning home from Iraq. “To those who come back on crutches, those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, those with head injuries, I say: We owe you.” Franken stated his interest to serve on the Veterans Affairs Committee “like Paul was, making sure that your care is fully funded. You deserve the best care we can get for you.”
“To those troops who came home alive and well, I want to say thank you for your perseverance and dedication.” His voice dropped to a whisper and his eyes welled up as he spoke of the service men and women who have earned the nation’s respect and gratitude, and of those who came home in coffins. “No matter how much you feel this war is a mistake, it’s not a mistake to serve your country.”
