As soon as Al received the DFL endorsement on Saturday, the news stories started rolling in. We’ve assembled some highlights that you won’t want to miss.

From “Franken sweeps to endorsement” in the Star Tribune:

Franken had built a strong grass-roots campaign before his entry in the Senate race, launching a Midwest Values political action committee that raised money for DFL candidates across the state as far back as 2005. On Saturday, connections forged over years paid off.

DFL operative Dan Cramer, a veteran of Wellstone’s upstart campaign, said Franken had shown DFLers both steel and heart in the daylong contest.

“A lot of people came here uncommitted, shopping for a U.S. senator, and today they saw one,” Cramer said.

From the Mankato Free Press:

“He’ll be strong on health care, and he’ll be strong on education and things like that,” Carpenter said. “And that’s what really matters.”

Franken hit those issues hard, along with ending the Iraq war and promoting renewable energy, during speeches to delegates. He also made clear that he will point to large contributions to Coleman by political action committees as proof that the first-term senator is the representative of oil, insurance and drug companies.

“You can keep your PAC checks because I don’t work for you,” Franken promised to tell the special interests. “I work for the people of Minnesota.”

From the Rochester Post-Bulletin:

Fresh from his endorsement, Franken promised to carry out a tireless campaign “until our feet hurt.” He said he would fight for universal health care, to bring home American forces from Iraq and to address climate change by focusing on renewable energy and creating green jobs.

From MPR:

In accepting DFL party backing to run against Norm Coleman, Al Franken promised an aggressive campaign with an emphasis on Coleman’s record.

“We’re going to get up early and stay up late, and we’re going to do it, because five million Minnesotans need a voice in Washington, and they don’t have one in Norm Coleman,” said Franken.

Franken has proved an aggressive campaigner and fund raiser. Over the past 16 months he’s traveled all over Minnesota to land the endorsement.

From the Duluth News Tribune:

Nelson-Pallmeyer moved for the unanimous endorsement after Franken gathered more than the minimum 60 percent of delegate votes.

Jeanette Martimo, chairwoman of the Duluth Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and a Nelson-Pallmeyer supporter, said the mood at the convention was one of party unity.

“I have my Franken shirt on as we speak,” she said in a phone interview after the vote. “We have an endorsed candidate and we will stand behind him.”

And who called it a “resounding victory?” That would be the AP. You can read that story here.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 at 19:53 and is filed under News Clips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.