So far, the list of Al Franken’s bills in the U.S. Senate reads more like the stuff of everyday life than legislative legend.

There are measures on school lunches, household products, service dogs for wounded vets. On his 100th day in office last week, he helped unveil a bill to extend country-of-origin labeling regulations to dairy products.

“A lot of these are common-sense things,” Franken said while sitting beneath a photo of his late friend and mentor, Sen. Paul Wellstone. “A lot of these are about improving people’s lives. That’s what Paul said politics is all about.”

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By Al Franken
Star Tribune

In the lead-up to the Nov. 4 election, it became all too clear that we were heading into a deep and dangerous recession. The economic policies of the last eight years — tax breaks tilted toward the wealthy, fiscal irresponsibility, cronyism, a refusal to invest in important American priorities — had been thoroughly discredited.

Americans voted for a new direction. They voted to rebuild our country’s economy by rebuilding its infrastructure, changing its energy policy and investing in our talented workforce. In electing Barack Obama president, America reaffirmed its conviction that, with the right leadership, any crisis can be transformed into a great opportunity.
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Minnesota has long had a reputation for clean, fair, transparent elections. That reputation was put to a test this election, and after 48 days, a hand count of nearly 3 million ballots, and a state canvassing board above reproach, our state passed with flying colors.

In the early morning hours of Nov. 5, our position was that every legal vote ought to be counted.

I am proud that three months later our position has never wavered.

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RECOUNT UPDATE: FRANKEN TAKES 22 VOTE LEAD OVER COLEMAN
By our count, Al Franken leads Norm Coleman by 22 votes with roughly 138,000 ballots left to be hand counted. Many media outlets are calculating the margin by a different method, relying on raw data from the Secretary of State’s website to conclude that Coleman holds a lead of over 300 votes. However, that calculation assumes that every challenge will be upheld by the state canvassing board, whereas our calculation assumes that the original call by the impartial election judge will stand. So, if the judge calls it for Franken, we say it’s a Franken ballot. Likewise, if the judge calls it for Coleman, we treat it as a Coleman ballot – even if we have challenged it.
http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/franken-claims-lead-2008-12-03.html
http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/1208/Franken_camp_claims_its_in_the_lead.html

Read more after the jump…

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AP Uncalls Minnesota Senate Race

WASHINGTON (AP) “The Associated Press is uncalling the Minnesota Senate race.

Republican Sen. Norm Coleman finished ahead of Democrat Al Franken early Wednesday in the final vote count, but his 571-vote margin falls within the state’s mandatory recount law. That law requires a recount any time the margin between the top two candidates is less than one-half of one percent.

The AP called the race prematurely.

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said the recount won’t begin until mid-November at the earliest and will probably stretch into December. It will involve local election officials from around the state.

Read the full article…

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AUDIO: OBAMA URGES MINNESOTANS TO SEND AL FRANKEN TO WASHINGTON

In Latest Boost For Franken Campaign, Barack Obama Asks Minnesotans To Send Him A Partner For Change: Al Franken

SAINT PAUL [11/03/08] – In a unexpected appearance on WCCO Radio’s Don Shelby Show, Senator Barack Obama today made another pitch for DFL U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken, urging Minnesotans to send him a partner for change.

Senator Obama told listeners :

“I will say that your candidate in Minnesota, Al Franken, is going to be an important part of a coalition that brings about change. He’s really, I think, in this to fight for working families. I’m looking forward to seeing him serve in the Senate.

“And if people are looking for fundamental change over the next eight years, then I think an Obama-Biden ticket, Al Franken in the Senate, is going to be the best answer for working families all across the state.”

You can download an audio file of the segment here:
Download File

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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…
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This week, the Timberjay called for electing a Senator who will work with Barack Obama to bring change to Washington ­- Al Franken.

From their editorial:

Barack Obama promises change from an administration that has left the country reeling from an economic crisis, squandered thousands of lives and billions of dollars on an ill-conceived war in Iraq, and shredded Constitutional protections.

But if elected, Obama will need a supportive Congress to achieve meaningful reform. That means voters should not only replace Bush, but also remove those who enabled his administration.

Read more after the jump…
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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…
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Politico: NRSC celeb thinks Obama may be anti-Christ, ’sooooo evil’

Jonathan Martin noted with some amusement a new video from the NRSC video featuring celebrities you may not have heard of, plus Pat Boone in a swimming pool, attacking Al Franken.

A reader adds an odd note: One of those “celebs,” Victoria Jackson, a Saturday Night Live vet (though no Franken admirer) voices rather strong feelings about Barack Obama on her website:

  I don’t want a political label, but Obama bears traits that resemble the anti-Christ and I’m scared to death that un-educated people will ignorantly vote him into office.

Read more after the jump…
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