MANKATO — There is a feistiness to Minnesota Sen. Al Franken increasingly on display, a feature that doesn’t always look smooth but indicates a kind of guttiness and independence worthy of a closer look.

In an early February meeting between Democrats and White House officials, Franken “pointedly,” according to reports, remarked to Senior White House advisor David Axelrod that President Obama hasn’t done enough to move health care legislation, inspiring more pointed questions within the group. The freshman senator is personally courageous (or naïve) on the health care issue, having advocated passing a health care bill via the controversial reconciliation process.

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(CBS) If you’re trying to protect your family from the toxins contained in some cleaners, “all-natural” products seem like the way to go.

But are those products really what they claim to be? Urvashi Rangan, director of technical policy at Consumer Reports magazine, explained on “The Early Show” which so-called “green” products are, indeed, legitimate.

In recent years, Rangan said, there’s been a rise in the demand for natural products. Food, personal care products, cleaning agents, detergents and soaps are just some of the growing market. Rangan attributes the rise in interest because consumers believe all-natural products are safer for humans and for the environment.

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(ABC 6 NEWS) — Jobs have long been the top priority for many lawmakers, but so far, they’re stills trying to figure out which is the best way to create new jobs. Tuesday, Senator Al Franken was in southern Minnesota pushing his proposal.

Minnesota Senator Al Franken was at the Workforce Development Inc. center in Rochester, touting his jobs bill.

“It’s a wage subsidy instead of a tax credit and we did it in Minnesota in the 80’s…” says Minnesota Senator Al Franken.

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ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC-DT) — Senator Al Franken is making a stop in Rochester Tuesday.

Sen. Franken will meet with Rochester Workforce Development officials to talk about the upcoming Senate debates on job creation.

Sen. Franken will also tour the facility and learn about the services workforce development provides.

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Sen. Al Franken and 12 other congressmen signed a letter to the white house Tuesday urging President Obama to extend the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberians living legally in the United States.

“For the last twenty years, Minnesota has been home to one of the largest Liberian communities in the country,” said Sen. Franken. “Roughly 25,000 Liberians currently call Minnesota their home and over 1,000 of them would face deportation if we allow these protections to expire.”

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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and Representatives Jim Oberstar and Tim Walz announced that Minnesota will receive $18.7 million to create jobs and train unemployed workers in industries that are being transformed by technology and innovation.

The grants are funded through the Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act).

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Our neighbor from Minnesota Senator Al Franken is working to pass some form of health care reform. He suggests:

…big pieces of legislation often need to be fixed after passage.Health care is a historic undertaking and this is no different.

If we in the Senate pledge to fix those top priorities right away through reconciliation… the House of Representatives should pass the Senate bill. The exact details of this process need to be worked out by the leadership and the president.

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U.S. Sen. Al Franken is one of a handful of senators from both parties sponsoring a bill condemning the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2009, legislation in Uganda that could lead to capital punishment for gays and lesbians there. The bill is seen by observers as an outgrowth of American evangelical Christianity, specifically the secretive evangelical political group, The Family.

Authored by Sen. Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat, the bill’s cosponsors include Republicans Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Maine’s Sen. Susan Collins.

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Sen. Al Franken has signed on to a Senate resolution condemning a bill before Uganda’s Parliament that would outlaw homosexuality and make it a crime punishable by death. (Hat tip: Minnesota Independent.)

What makes the resolution sponsored by Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold so interesting is that it allies Franken, an unabashed liberal, with co-sponsor Tom Coburn, a dyed-in-the-wool right-wing Republican. The common ground: Saving lives.

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Duluth, Minn. — Senator Al Franken says promoting job growth is his top goal in Northern Minnesota.

Last week, Franken toured Iron Range mining facilities and spoke with Duluth Mayor Don Ness about the city’s long term employment goals.

“We need more long-term, viable jobs throughout northern and northeastern Minnesota,” Franken said.

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