After an evening rally at Winona State University, Al spent Thursday with Congressman Tim Walz, Sen. Tarryl Clark and former Congressman Rick Nolan from the Obama campaign, barnstorming southern Minnesota to encourage DFL volunteers to work hard to Get-Out-The-Vote.

They started the day at a GOTV pancake breakfast in Rochester, flipping pancakes and encouraging folks to spend the next five days working hard to elect Barack Obama and the rest of the DFL ticket.

Read more after the jump…
(more…)

This was a big week on the campaign -we held a joint rally with the Obama campaign with President Bill Clinton. President Clinton fired up the thousands of DFLers in attendance and encouraged them to get out and volunteer to Get-Out-The-Vote in the last few days of the campaign to make sure that we elect Barack Obama to the White House and Al Franken to the U.S. Senate.

Read more after the jump…
(more…)

PRESIDENT CLINTON VISITS MINNESOTA TO RALLY FOR CHANGE

With Five Days To Go, Clinton Urges Minnesotans To Get Out The Vote For Obama, Franken

SAINT PAUL [10/30/08] – At a packed rally at the Minneapolis Convention Center tonight, President Bill Clinton urged an enthusiastic crowd to work hard over the remaining five days in the campaign to elect Barack Obama and Al Franken.

Organizers estimated that 4000 people attended the event.

Clinton’s appearance is just the latest in a series of high-profile events to build excitement and momentum for the Obama-Franken coordinated Get-Out-The-Vote effort, the largest such grassroots campaign in Minnesota history.

Read more after the jump…
(more…)

FRANKEN AND WALZ BRING “FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS, FOR A CHANGE” TOUR TO ROCHESTER, OWATONNA, FARIBAULT, MANKATO

Franken Calls For Fundamental Change In Washington, Details Bold Economic Agenda For Minnesota’s Middle Class Families

10-Day Statewide Tour To Drive Unprecedented GOTV Operation

SAINT PAUL [10/30/08] – DFL U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken and Congressman Tim Walz today rallied supporters in Rochester, Owatonna, Faribault and Mankato on the “For The Middle Class, For A Change” Tour. Sen. Amy Klobuchar joined Franken and Walz for a rally at MSU Mankato.

Franken focused on his bold economic agenda for Minnesota’s middle class families – including his plans to do bring back oversight on Wall Street and address the housing crisis; cut taxes for middle-class families; make health care and college more affordable; protect Social Security; end giveaways to special interests like big drug and oil companies; repeal tax breaks for companies that ship American jobs overseas; create jobs by investing in infrastructure and renewable energy; and make credit available to small businesses.

Al Franken:

“Folks are frustrated, they’re anxious, and, frankly, they’re outraged – and they have a right to be all three. Washington just isn’t working for Minnesota’s middle class families. And if we want change, we’re going to have to work for it. I want to go to Washington and work with President Barack Obama and Senator Amy Klobuchar to stand up for Minnesota’s middle class families. And I’m calling on everyone who’s ready for change to stand with me in this campaign.”

Read more after the jump…
(more…)

Our “For The Middle Class, For A Change” Tour has been barnstorming Minnesota since its debut on Saturday, and Al has arrived to packed houses at college campuses, DFL volunteer centers and coffee shops around the state. Just yesterday, enthusiastic crowds met Al in Moorhead, Crookston, Brainerd, Morris, Climax, St. Cloud and Bemidji ­ and those enthusiastic supporters will be the ones fueling our statewide Get-Out-The-Vote operation on Election Day.

From the Morris Sun Tribune:

“It’s going to be a close election,” Franken told an audience at the University of Minnesota, Morris’ Oyate Hall. “I don’t want to wake up on Nov. 5 thinking there was something else I could have done, and I know you don’t want that, either.”

Read more after the jump…
(more…)

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, came to Mankato this week to hold an ag roundtable with Al and local farmers. The Mankato Free Press covered the event:

…

Harkin promised to try to help farmers with credit issues if Congress returns to Washington after Nov. 4 to pass an economic stimulus package. But to tackle bigger long-term issues in a way that favors smaller farmers rather than large operations, he again asked Minnesota voters to provide reinforcements.

“I need good people like this on the Ag Committee,” he said, pointing to Franken. “We can make some real changes.”

…

Read more from the article in the full entry…

(more…)

With two weeks left until Election Day, Sen. Hilllary Clinton and Al Franken drew a crowd of over 2,000 people for a rally at the University of Minnesota. Sen. Clinton urged everyone to get out and work hard to elect Al Franken to the Senate, because this is going to be a very close race and we need every single vote.

Read excerpts from coverage of the rally after the jump…

(more…)

Al and Franni took southern Minnesota by storm on Saturday for a “Rebuilding the Middle Class Economy” Tour that took them from Worthington to North Mankato to Preston. Al and Franni split up their route so that they could talk to folks all over southern Minnesota about Al’s plans to create jobs in Minnesota and help our middle class families in these tough economic times.

The Frankens visited a total of 10 cities yesterday to hold campaign meet & greets with local folks from Fairmont to Rochester, and they got a great reception from the people who had come out to hear what Al wants to do to help Minnesota families ­ from middle class tax cuts to new support for small businesses.

Read coverage of the tour after the jump…

(more…)

Congressman Jim Oberstar joined Al in Hibbing and Duluth on Friday to talk about Al’s plan to help our small businesses create jobs. In Duluth, Al and Rep. Oberstar spoke at a locally-owned small business, W-Trek Outfitters.

From the Duluth News Tribune:

While Washington has responded to the economic crisis by directing billions of dollars to help bail out banks, U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken said Friday he has a plan to help the middle class by unfreezing credit for small businesses.

Franken, a Democrat, announced his plan at a Friday afternoon news conference at W-Trek Outfitters in Duluth. W-Trek Outfitter owner Nodin Morgenstern liked what he heard.

“I am afraid of what’s happening with the economy,” he said. “I know these guys are fighting for me, for small businesses. The plan sounds solid.”

…

Read more excerpts from the article after the jump…

(more…)

Mary Leonard, Owner of Chocolat Celeste with Al and Sen. Dorgan

Yesterday, Al joined Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and local small business owners to offer a new proposal to unfreeze credit for Minnesota’s small businesses. It’s part of Al’s economic recovery plan to create jobs and help Minnesota families in these tough economic times. Our small businesses create jobs, and we need to make sure they can continue to grow.

Mallard Teal, owner of Payne Ave. Body Shop in St. Paul’s East Side, talked about the small business loan that he used to renovate his storefront and expand his business. He hired other small businesses in the area to do the renovations, which have kept him competitive with other auto body shops.

Read more…

(more…)