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AL FRANKEN LEAVES RALLY WITHOUT TAKING QUESTIONS FROM REPORTERS
By Michael B. Brodkorb | March 25, 2008
As I wrote earlier today, Al Franken left his rally in St. Paul without answering questions from reporters after he delivered his speech. Above is a clip of some of the video I shot. Franken mingled with the crowd at the event before he gave his speech, but he didn't have a formal press conference.
After Franken spoke, the press gathered around him while he shook hands with supporters. I was interested in filming Franken's Q & A with the reporters. Franken's staff then quickly escorted him through the halls and out the door, with reporters in tow asking Franken questions.
Then Franken's spokewomen, Jess McIntosh, blocked the reporters from following Franken through the door to ask him questions. It was rather rude and it makes for interesting video. Since Franken had left, I didn't want to record random staff conversations. The only audio you can really hear is McIntosh saying that she doesn't want to talk with me around filming and reporters asking for follow-up interviews.
This video shows the lengths at which Team Franken is keeping Franken away from reporters.
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This post also appears on Blogs for Norm!, an online community and blog covering the 2008 U.S. Senate campaign in Minnesota. The primary goal of Blogs for Norm! is to organize bloggers who support U.S. Senator Norm Coleman.
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March 25th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
“blocked the door”? If i remember correctly, there are three doors there and i’m sure the press could have figured it out.
and wait, i’m sorry, but wasn’t this a rally and not a press conference?
weak sauce, mike.
March 25th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Over at The Political Animal, Rachel Stassen-Berger is reporting that she interviewed Franken for twenty minutes after his rally. How does this fit in with your claim that the Franken campaign is keeping their candidate away from reporters?
March 25th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
It’s clear that Team Franken is doing damage control. The video above is clear and priceless.
March 25th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
See Angry Al.
See Angry Al speak.
See Angry Al run from the press when they want to ask him why he’s unable to operate a business in New York without having to pay fines all the time.
See Angry Al’s shill cover for him.
March 25th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Great work Chet.
March 25th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
I don’t see what you are all in a huff about. Spinning the news like a typical right wing blogger. The only thing this small piece of video shows is someone rushing to get to a meeting after reading a speech. He did meet and gave several interviews with the press later. Those reporters following him out the door, were not organized enough to arrange for an interview ahead of time. That was their fault.
March 25th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Hey, Michael - where and what time is Norm’s deal, tomorrow?
March 25th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Michael, i think you misspoke did you mean to say useless instead of priceless?
Chet, didn’t see Al at all in the video, you back on the crack rock?
March 25th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Also you should ask the Coleman campaign for a better camera, I didn’t grab a single thing Jess said.
Well that kinda works out well for you guys, ya’ll can just make shit up then right?
looking forward to the next 50 posts about this non-story!
March 25th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Wow. This is absurd. Jess McIntosh was not “panicked” nor was she “blocking the door”. As I report on my blog, all of the reporters in that video got extended one on one interviews with FRanken later in the day.
My reaction to this video: yawn.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Are you kidding me, Zack? She was clearly very nervous talking to those reporters.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Well you know, it’s tough to expect vapid, unaccomplished, phony Democrats to answer questions from the press. Particularly questions about, say… about theft of funds from a children’s charity for your radio show… questions, say, about your refusal to provide the legal minimum safeguards for your employees… questions, say, about what Al Franken has ever done for anyone other than Al Franken.
Reminds me a bit of how Obama was shuttled out of a press conference the second a couple tough questions were asked of him about his connections to his slum lord crook friend and financial backer… Heck that was before we found out that Obama’s “spiritual mentor” is a lunatic, racist freak.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Michael, check out the strib article: http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/16988176.html
Minnesota Democrats, in addition to proposing economy and family killing taxes this session, have turned their attention to draining all the state’s savings accounts in order to satiate their special interest friends.
If this is what Democrats meant last year when they promised to be “fiscally responsible” it’s time to throw every one of those bastards out.
March 25th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Sounds as if the State of MN needs a Mike Ciresi to win another Tobacco settlement to give keep adding another $200,000,000 annually to the states coffers.
March 25th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Line 5&6: Q. With what kind of “supporters” did Franken shake hands?
A. Athletic
March 25th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Para 4: Q. How many follow-up interviews did reporters ask?
A. 4
March 25th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Here’s a link to some of what he said today.
http://www.minnpost.com/videos/al_franken/
March 25th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Yeah, Michael, there’s enough real stuff to hit Franken with, why post lame stuff like this? Jess seemed fine, Al wasn’t exactly sprinting, and your camera control skills leaves much to be desired. You claim so many smoking guns it’s hard not to laugh at some of them. And this one sucks, seriously. You’re smart - you have to know this.
March 26th, 2008 at 6:14 am
What kind of candidate for major office schedules a “meeting” right after his announcement for office? Any SERIOUS candidate who’s never held elective office, isn’t widely known in the state politically, and had been implicated in TWO legal issues, doesn’t want to answer questions, clear the air, and on his day of announcement ANSWER EVERY QUESTION POSED BY REPORTERS?
Clearly their was either no “meeting” and he was sprinting from reporters so he didn’t have to answer questions, or he’s just stupid and it was amateur hour and he’s not a serious candidate.
March 26th, 2008 at 8:07 am
all of the reporters in that video got extended one on one interviews with Franken later in the day.
what don’t you guys understand about that? The point was made, but you continue to post that he didn’t talk to reporters?
March 26th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Amazing… Al gives you plenty of things to nail him on and you still find a way to screw it up. This is weak!
March 26th, 2008 at 8:38 am
“Facts are stupid things.”
Uncle Ronnie said it; “All Michael’s Children” live it.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:47 am
You need to work on your camera skills, Michael.
H aha ha! Felt like i was in an earthquake with all that shaking.
March 26th, 2008 at 11:04 am
[...] UPDATE: The event is over and Senator Coleman is now meeting with reporters, a clear contrast from Al Franken leaving his event without answering questions from reporters. [...]
March 27th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
[...] I will add that I was very surprised at the speed in which Franken was ushered away by his staffer. Within seconds of me asking my question, the staffer with Franken instructed him that he needed to go. He left in a hurry - just like this. [...]
March 27th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
[...] I will add that I was very surprised at the speed in which Franken was ushered away by his staffer. Within seconds of me asking my question, the staffer with Franken instructed him that he needed to go. He left in a hurry - just like this. [...]
April 7th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
[...] lengths to which Team Franken keeps the media at an arms lengths from Al Franken has been well documented on Minnesota Democrats Exposed. But even the uber-liberal publication, The Atlantic, couldn’t tag along with Team Franken [...]
April 7th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
[...] lengths to which Team Franken keeps the media at an arms lengths from Al Franken has been well documented on Minnesota Democrats Exposed. But even the uber-liberal publication, The Atlantic, couldn’t tag along with Team Franken [...]
April 9th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
[...] been clear for sometime that there is tension in the communications department of Team Franken. The post-rally conduct of Team Franken’s campaign blocking the media from following Franken shows that adult supervision is [...]
April 11th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
[...] been clear for sometime that there is tension in the communications department of Team Franken. The post-rally conduct of Team Franken’s campaign blocking the media from following Franken shows that adult supervision is [...]
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:58 am
The facts, in 3 easy steps:
1]Franken had a meeting right after the speech.
2]The reporters were promised time with him later.
3]And, according to other posts here, he gave those promised interviews later in the day.
Some story.