Minnesota Democrats Exposed » 2008 U.S. Senate

THICK AS THIEVES: LOBBYISTS THROW MORE QUESTIONABLE PARTIES FOR FRANKEN STAFF

Andy Post — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:15:12 +0000

Michael Meehan likes to host parties, a lot of parties. Meehan is CEO of Venn Squared, a lobbying and communications group in Washington with some high profile clients. Tonight, Meehan and his firm threw a cocktail celebration for Sen. Al Franken’s new Chief of Staff, Casey Aden-Wansbury. She was elevated to run his office after Drew Littman was hired by Solazyme, a renewable oil and bioproducts company which is also a major client of Venn Squared. Venn Squared is a wholly owned subsidiary of Venn Strategies, a DC lobby firm.

We first told you about Drew Littman’s move to Solazyme a few months ago because this firm is also a recipient of millions in stimulus dollars.

Here’s some more background on Meehan, the host of tonight’s party:

Meehan has had issues with parties before.

Meehan physically assailed a member of the press.

Meehan is an Obama Administration official – you’d think he’d know about ethics rules.

Meehan has fired journalists for reporting news in his position with the BBG.

Roll Call covered the Meehan party today.

MDE obtained this invitation email from Meehan about the party, which explicitly mentions the revolving door of relationships this firm, its lobbying clients, and Franken’s staff have had throughout Washington:

—- Original Message —–

From: Michael Meehan

To: Michael Meehan

Sent: Tue Jan 24 17:51:22 2012

Subject: Celebrate exponentially with Venn Squared

Friends,

Join us January 31st for a party to celebrate ringing in the New (squared)!

First, our favorite flack Casey Aden-Wansbury makes the big leap to Chief, when she was promoted to Chief of Staff for Senator Al Franken. Casey started as Franken’s first Communications Director. So naturally anytime a press flack hits the big chief job we all need to celebrate.

Casey and I worked together at the DNC at the turn of the century, so as they say, she’s come a long way baby.

Second, Casey succeeds our longtime pal Drew Littman. Drew recently joined Solazyme as the head of their Washington DC office. Drew and I worked for Senator Boxer in a previous century, speaking of a long way baby.

Solazyme is the leading renewable oil maker based in South San Francisco, who went public last year. They crank out renewable diesel and jet fuel for the Navy/United etc. and, as some of you personally know, make a heart healthy cookie and cool anti-aging cream (once a flack…).

As one of our firm’s anchor clients, we couldn’t be more thrilled to be working on a daily basis with Drew and the Solazyme team. So as we like to say at Venn², we are going to have exponential fun. Hope you come toast with us to some new beginnings. Please see below invite for details.

Best, Michael

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken

COLEMAN CALLS OUT OBAMA ON IGNORING CONSTITUTIONAL LAW

Andy Post — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:53:37 +0000

President Obama’s non-recess recess appointment today of Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau set off a firestorm of protests in Washington and around the country.

For those of you keeping score at home, the President not only appointed a man to an position unaccountable to Congress, but he did so through an unprecedented non-recess recess appointment. The Senate is in session currently, but to avoid the transparent confirmation hearing, the President once again stepped on the Constitution.

Former Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman, now Chairman of the American Action Network, wrote the following blog, echoing the chorus of outrage emanating from red-blooded Americans across the country today:

“President Obama’s decision to appoint Richard Cordray to the head of the so-called ‘Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’ without seeking Congressional approval is beyond the pale. The decision to bypass Congress, simply to accumulate greater power within the White House, is frightening and unprecedented. The President’s abuse of power has reached new heights with his actions, and it underscores his belief that he is above the laws of the land and accountable to no person, institution or, for that matter, the Constitution. This raw play for power, does not advance the case for job creation in America, or standing up for the rights of the hard working middle class of America. It is, however, further evidence that this President seeks power for his own purposes, not to serve and improve the lives of the people of the United States of America.”

As the Senator put it, the President seems determined to grab as much power as possible.

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Barack Obama

NAMED: FORMER FRANKEN AIDE IS WHITE HOUSE STAFFER THAT LOST IT WITH REPORTER OVER SOLYNDRA

Andy Post — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:29:33 +0000

Eric Schultz, a former aide to Senator Al Franken is playing a small role in the ongoing Solyndra scandal that is plauging the Obama Administration. Schultz, whom one reporter called the Franken campaign’s “chief purveyor of skullduggery“, reportedly screamed at one CBS investigative reporter looking in to the President’s role in the now-bankrupt company that received millions in tax payer dollars.

From the Weekly Standard:

Ingraham: So they were literally screaming at you?

Attkisson: Yes. Well the DOJ woman was just yelling at me. The guy from the White House on Friday night literally screamed at me and cussed at me. [Laura: Who was the person? Who was the person at Justice screaming?] Eric Schultz. Oh, the person screaming was [DOJ spokeswoman] Tracy Schmaler, she was yelling not screaming. And the person who screamed at me was Eric Schultz at the White House.”

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Barack Obama

FRANKEN CHIEF OF STAFF BAILS TO HELP STIMULUS RECIPIENT LOBBY FOR GREEN FUEL

Andy Post — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:58:48 +0000

National and local sources are reporting that Senator Al Franken’s former Chief of Staff, Drew Littman, will be taking on a role lobbying for California-based biofuel producer, Solazyme, Inc. Littman left the office a couple weeks ago and is part of a mass exodus by several staffers from Franken’s circle in recent months.

But Littman’s move to Solazyme has raised some eyebrows about his new role and that company’s history of biofuel project funding. Given recent controversy around solar panel manufacturer Solyndra, those companies receiving stimulus dollars from the Dept. of Energy have come under closer review for their practices and ties. Solyndra declared bankruptcy in August and taxpayers may now be on the hook for over a half-billion in losses.

As for Solazyme, they took over $21 million in Energy stimulus dollars in 2009 for one of their plants in Pennsylvania to produce fuel from algae. Littman will lead the effort to open their Washington lobbying operation, hopefully not with taxpayer dollars.

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken

NEW AD HITS FRANKEN FOR OVERREGULATING YOUR INTERNET

Andy Post — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:39:35 +0000

From Powerline, a new ad released hitting U.S. Senator Al Franken on his steadfast support of Net Neutrality:

“Net neutrality” is the Left’s euphemism for regulation of the internet. It is a solution for which no known problem exists. Also, you can tell it is a bad idea because it is being promoted by Al Franken.

A group called Senate Accountability Watch produced this 30-second video, which is accompanied by a statement that says in part:

Senator Franken has spent an extensive amount of Senate time and resources since 2009 to bring about the regulation of the internet. He has tried to make his argument by labeling it, “The Free Speech Issue of our Time.” Senators Franken and Cantwell introduced Senate Bill 74, Internet Freedom, Broadband Promotion, and Consumer Protection Act of 2011. This bill’s intent is to regulate the business model options of internet providers. It prevents internet providers from prioritizing content access. The unintended consequences of regulating one of the last frontiers of unrestricted innovation could be costly to users and developers.

As advancement in medical, entertainment, and communication surges so does the need for flexibility in development of bringing these technologies to end users as well. This commercial is designed to help educate the general public on the unintended consequences of stifling business innovation through legislation. It is easier to change a business model through public pressure rather than amending or repealing law. …

The internet is becoming more and more congested every day. Charles Davidson and Bret Swanson cited in their study that, “Video is more than 70 percent of traffic on the consumer Internet, but generates less than 10 percent of total revenues for broadband service providers. In the wireless realm, it is estimated that data traffic will increase by more than 100 percent each year through 2014.” Senator Franken’s push to regulate the internet would stifle quality, access, and innovation by restraining the evolution of the internet. Senator Franken’s legislation would dramatically disrupt and degrade the very thing he is trying to save.

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Bloggers, Uncategorized, YouTube

FORGET JOB CREATION, KLOBUCHAR WANTS TO REGULATE INTERNET STREAMING

Andy Post — Sat, 28 May 2011 14:30:21 +0000

For Sen. Amy Klobuchar, bringing America’s economy back to life is one of those back burner issues.

However, in the lucrative world of internet content streaming, Minnesotans can feel confident their senior senator is well versed. This month, Sen. Klobuchar introduced S. 978, a bill to increase penalties for those that stream internet content illegally. The bill doesn’t seem to have gone anywhere yet, but you can add this to the extensive list of regulatory additions to U.S. code that she has been well known for during her time on the Hill.

From the article:

The text of S. 978 isn’t yet available from the official THOMAS system, but Klobuchar’s office sent us a copy of the brief bill. Under current law, “reproducing” and “distributing” copyrighted works are felony charges and cover P2P transfers and Web downloads. But streaming is a “public performance” rather than a “distribution”—and holding a public performance without a proper license is not a felony. S. 978 adds “public performance” to the felony list.

Meanwhile, our junior senator has had no trouble taking on the role of internet police chief either. Sen. Franken has been pushing regulatory garble-de-goop since he took office in 2009. The Hill had a story about Franken’s Net Neutrality work, but the latest investigation into iPhone tracking was no pretty site either.

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, 2012 Election, Al Franken, Amy Klobuchar, DFL, Uncategorized

REPORT: SNL CAST MEMBER SNUBBED FRANKEN FOR BIG CASH AFTER HE CONTINUOUSLY BEGGED

Andy Post — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:04:09 +0000

The Philadelphia Daily News is reporting in their Celebrities section this morning that SNL star Tina Fey and U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken had a somewhat testy exchange during the ’08 campaign over his request for thousands in contributions.

Fey made a comment during her appearance at the Free Library in Philadelphia. She was asked a question by a member of the audience and she answered by telling a story about her and Mr. Franken (from the story):

Fey said Franken, now a U.S. senator from Minnesota, hounded her for a political donation during his campaign but she ducked him. Fey, participating in the Library’s Philadelphia Book Festival and promoting her book “Bossypants,” said she texted Franken after he won and said “See, you didn’t need my $4,000 to win after all,” prompting Sen. Franken to text back, “F— you.”

You may remember the numerous occasions in which Al Franken lost his temper during the campaign:

ANGRY AL FRANKEN’S TEMPER SHOWN ON 60 MINUTES

FRANKEN LOSES HIS TEMPER ON KFAN

ANGRY AL FRANKEN HAS RETURNED

BREAKING NEWS: ANGRY FRANKEN CONFRONTS COLEMAN AFTER DEBATE; MRS. FRANKEN RUNS ON STAGE TO GET FRANKEN AWAY FROM COLEMAN

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, MDE Files, YouTube

DESPITE COMMON SENSE AND OVERWHELMING PUBLIC SUPPORT, DFL FALL ON A SWORD TO STOP VOTER ID BILL

Andy Post — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 13:13:28 +0000

A House committee will take up Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer’s Voter ID bill this morning-just one of several similar pieces of legislation introduced in the first month of session. Kiffmeyer oversaw the State’s election process for eight years as MN’s Secretary of State. One huge opponent has been Rep. Ryan Winkler.

HF210 would bring Minnesota’s election process and integrity into the 21st century. While we maintain high participation in this state, the risks of cross-validation and same day registration continue to grow with every election, especially recent election cycles with razor-thin margins in several races. MN Majority has been heavily involved with this issue for several years:

Authored by Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) with a whopping 34 co-authors, HF210 is poised to bring Minnesota’s election system up to date for a 21st century world. The most obvious feature of the 40-page election reform bill is a requirement for voters to show a state-issued ID before casting a ballot, but the bill does much more than that.

Electronic pollbook technology will replace hundreds of thousands of voter rosters with a simple computer interface that uses a card reader to swipe IDs for voter check-in.

Many issues exist in our election system that have gone overlooked. This video highlights many of them in an easy to understand format:

Poll after poll show wide, bi-partisan support from the public over the idea of requiring an ID to vote. One Rasmussen poll in 2008 found 76% support.

CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR HERE

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, 2010 Election, 2010 Polls, Uncategorized

MDE EXCLUSIVE: ETHICS COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST SEN. AL FRANKEN

Luke Hellier — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 20:46:06 +0000

Senate Accountability Watch filed an ethics complaint against U.S. Senator Al Franken.

Here is an excerpt from the letter:

You can read more of the documents here.

Check back with MDE for more on this developing story…

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken

GOV. PAWLENTY DISCUSSES RECOUNT ON HANNITY & COLMES

Ryan Flynn — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:16:08 +0000

Gov. Pawlenty was on Hannity & Colmes to discuss the recount:

“HANNITY: What is happening on the ground and what do you see happening in the future?

PAWLENTY: Well, in short, Sean, Norm Coleman maintains his lead of approximately 192 votes. The canvassing board reconvenes later this week. They’re going to go through the recount, certify a result, including dealing with the challenged ballots.

Most of the nonpartisan experts on the ground believe that Norm Coleman has an overwhelming advantage because of the way that this will work. After that’s done, the canvassing board will strive to try to certify the election, and the lawsuit will begin.

Norm Coleman, I believe, will win this race and deserves to win this race. But if they try to put this into the United States Senate, there are only two United States senators who have a right to vote in Minnesota, and their names aren’t Schumer and Reid. And so they should butt out.”

To read the entire transcript and see the video click here.

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Uncategorized

TV CLIPS ABOUT AL FRANKEN’S FAILURE TO PAY WORKERS’ COMP INSURANCE

Michael B. Brodkorb — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:02:02 +0000

This is a collection of TV clips about Al Franken’s failure to pay workers’ comp insurance. Bill O’Reilly of FOXNews labeled Franken “a pinhead.” Dan Abrams of MSNBC called Franken “our big loser of the day.” It’s been a tough week for Team Franken.

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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.

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

AP: “ANOTHER SENATE CANDIDATE WITH WORKERS’ COMP PROBLEM”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:56:02 +0000

"MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Another Democratic Senate candidate finds himself playing catchup on unpaid workers' compensation insurance.

This time it's Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. Just two days after Al Franken was reported to have an unpaid $25,000 judgment in the state of New York, Nelson-Pallmeyer's campaign reported that it hadn't covered its employees.

Campaign manager Chris McNellis says Nelson-Pallmeyer didn't have full-time employees until the fourth quarter of last year. McNellis, who recently took over as campaign manager, says she mistakenly thought the company that handled their payroll was taking care of workers' comp." Source: Associated Press, March 7, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

FOX NEWS/MSNBC DISCUSS FRANKEN’S LEGAL TROUBLES

Michael B. Brodkorb — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 05:20:12 +0000

Al Franken's legal troubles were mentioned during shows tonight on FOXNews and MSNBC. I'll try and post the clips tomorrow.

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

FRANKEN’S SPOKESWOMAN CLAIMS THE FRANKENS NEVER RECEIVED THE NOTICES FROM THE WORKERS’ COMP BOARD

Michael B. Brodkorb — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:09:58 +0000

"McIntosh said the Frankens never received the nearly one dozen notices that New York officials had sent them since April 2005.

'Had they gotten the notices, you know they would have paid them,' McIntosh said. 'The Republicans were going to jump on this eventually, so it wouldn't have been politically expedient [for the Frankens] to wait for that to happen.'

Franken, Nelson-Pallmeyer and Ciresi are vying for the DFL Party endorsement to challenge Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. The insurance dispute was first reported Tuesday on the Minnesota Democrats Exposed website, run by Republican blogger Michael Brodkorb." Source: Star Tribune, March 6, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

STAR TRIBUNE: “2ND SENATE CANDIDATE FAILED TO INSURE STAFF FOR WORKERS’ COMP”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 03:28:58 +0000

"Another DFL Senate candidate was caught in a workers' compensation bind Thursday, as the campaign manager for Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer acknowledged that the campaign has failed to insure its employed staff members since late last year.

The news came as Al Franken's corporation agreed Thursday to pay a $25,000 penalty to New York state for failing to carry workers' comp insurance from 2002 to 2005.

The campaign said the accountant for Alan Franken Inc. will continue to investigate why the lapse occurred.

'We decided to make the payment and the accountant can deal with the files,' which promises to be a complicated and detailed process, said Jess McIntosh, a spokeswoman for the Franken campaign." Source: Star Tribune, March 6, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

TEAM FRANKEN TRIES THE OLD “BAIT AND SWITCH” TRICK TO DISTRACT FROM FRANKEN’S LEGAL TROUBLES

Michael B. Brodkorb — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:56:02 +0000

"Sandberg said that the rumors that Ciresi won't honor the convention endorsement are being floated by the Franken campaign.

'This is a classic case of them saying, 'Let's deflect the attention from Al's workers' compensation problem to something else,' Sandberg said. 'Look, he's got a lot of union support. Workers' compensation is a key issue to working people. This is a serious matter. He needs to be responding directly to it.'

The matter Sandberg is referring to is the $25,000 fine Franken paid to the state of New York Thursday for failing to carry workers' compensation insurance for employees of his corporation, Alan Franken Inc. The state of New York says it began sending Franken notices of his obligations in April 2005 but never received responses.

Franken's campaign has said that the candidate's accountant will continue to look into the matter and that Franken denies there was ever an attempt to evade responsibility. If the state proves to have been wrong, the fine presumably would be refunded" Source: MinnPost, March 6, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

MDE FROM THE ARCHIVES: FRANKEN CALLS HIMSELF A â€œCORPORATIONâ€; BOASTS HE EMPLOYS A â€œBUNCH OF PEOPLEâ€

Michael B. Brodkorb — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:46:27 +0000

This video was shot of Al Franken in September during a DFL debate at Augsburg. Franken said “I’m a corporation, I employ a bunch of people.” Franken also said “I love corporations that play by the rules, and we have to make them play by the rules.”

Alan Franken Inc. clearly did not play by the rules or the law, as Franken’s corporation was fined $25,000 for failure to pay workers’ compensation insurance.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

STORY ABOUT FRANKEN PAYING $25,000 FINE MOST VIEWED STORY ON STAR TRIBUNE WEBSITE

Michael B. Brodkorb — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:02:33 +0000

This story about Al Franken paying a $25,000 fine for failing to have workers' comp insurance is currently the most view story on the Star Tribune's website. Team Franken can't be happy.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA FILES FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST WITH NEW YORK STATE REGARDING AL FRANKENâ€™S BREAKING OF WORKERSâ€™ COMP LAW”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:03:00 +0000

St. Paul- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Ron Carey today filed a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request with the state of New York’s Worker’s Compensation Board regarding Al Franken's breaking of the state’s workers’ compensation law.

"Al Franken now says he will finally pay the $25,000 he owes for breaking the state of New York’s workers' compensation law. Franken still hasn't given Minnesotans an explanation for his law breaking, and simply writing out a check for $25,000 and hoping the issue goes away isn't going to cut it. Average Minnesotans who play by the rules, follow the laws and accept responsibility for their actions demand some answers. Given Franken's refusal to address his law breaking, and his efforts to pretend he knew nothing about this issue, today I filed a Freedom of Information request with the state of New York to try and get some answers.”

Please read the complete release after the page break.

March 6, 2008

Records Access Officer

New York State Workers' Compensation Board

20 Park Street, Room 401

Albany, New York 12207

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing to request the following records under New York State’s Freedom of Information Law.

For the period January 1, 2002 – present, please provide all correspondence, both internal and external (e-mail, fax, letters, copies of registered letter receipts), between the state of New York’s Workers’ Compensation Board and Alan Franken Inc.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Sincerely,

Ron Carey

Chairman, Republican Party of Minnesota

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman, Republican Party of Minnesota, Ron Carey

FRANKEN’S SPOKESWOMAN LASHES OUT AT MEDIA & MN GOP OVER FRANKEN’S $25,000 WORKERS’ COMP FINE

Michael B. Brodkorb — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:31:59 +0000

"'We're not actually sure what happened at this point. As most small business owners know, when you're dealing with bureaucratic entities sometimes they make the mistake, sometimes you do,' she said. 'We don't know which one happened in this case but we're going to pay the fine in good faith so our accountant can deal with it on his time not the presses and not the Republican party's.'" Source: MPR, March 6, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman, Republican Party of Minnesota

BREAKING NEWS FROM THE AP: “FRANKEN CAMPAIGN SAYS HE’LL PAY NY WORKERS’ COMP FINE”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:12:14 +0000

"MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Senate candidate Al Franken will pay a $25,000 fine to the state of New York for failure to carry workers' compensation insurance.

Franken was fined for not carrying the insurance for three years. The judgment was entered more than a year ago, but Franken's campaign says he didn't find out about it until this week, after it was reported by a blogger." Source: Associated Press, March 6, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

KSTP REPORTS ON FRANKEN’S FAILURE TO PAY WORKERS’ COMP INSURANCE

Michael B. Brodkorb — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:39:08 +0000

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

THE HILL NEWSPAPER PICKS UP STORY ABOUT FRANKEN’S FAILURE TO PAY WORKERS’ COMP INSURANCE

Michael B. Brodkorb — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:05:55 +0000

"Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken owes the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board $25,000 for not providing workers’ compensation insurance for his employees between 2002 and 2005.

Franken moved back to Minnesota, the state he grew up in, in 2005. Notices were reportedly sent beginning that year.

Spokeswoman Jess McIntosh said the company penalized, Alan Franken Inc., comprised only Franken and his wife, Franni, but occasionally hired a couple workers." Source: The Hill, March 5, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

COMMENTS ABOUT AL FRANKEN’S LEGAL TROUBLES DELETED FROM MN PUBLIUS

Michael B. Brodkorb — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:50:29 +0000

I was rather surprised to see an entire blackout in the liberal blogosphere about Al Franken's legal troubles in New York. I later found out one potential reason.

According to a dedicated reader of Minnesota Democrats Exposed, numerous comments have been left today on various MN Publius' posts about the legal problems that were recently uncovered about Al Franken. According to my source, the comments were quickly erased by the bloggers behind MN Publius.

Tonight I spoke with Zack Stephenson from MN Publius, who confirmed the comments had been deleted. Zack claimed the comments had been deleted "by mistake" by another blogger from MN Publius and that a comment would be left on MN Publius disclosing the erasure.

I'll remind the readers of Minnesota Democrats Exposed, that a former blogger for MN Publius works for Franken's campaign. I find it rather interesting that other nasty personal comments are allowed to be published on MN Publius, but comments about Al Franken's legal troubles are quickly deleted.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, MN Publius, Norm Coleman

LET’S BE CLEAR HERE: FRANKEN WAS LIVING IN NEW YORK WHEN THE STATE OF NEW YORK ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT HIM ABOUT PAYING WORKERS’ COMP INSURANCE

Michael B. Brodkorb — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:32:04 +0000

Let's be clear here: Al Franken was living in New York at the same address where the State of New York starting sending notices that he needed to provide workers' compensation for his corporation's employees. Team Franken's desperate spin is that Franken wasn't in New York or that he didn't get the notices.

"Campaign spokesman Andy Barr said that neither Franken nor his wife, Franni, were aware of the matter before Tuesday. They have lived in Minneapolis for the past few years and did not know about the state's attempts to reach them in New York City, he said." Source: Star Tribune, March 4, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

Franken didn't move to Minnesota until late 2005/early 2006. Franken was still living in New York when the notices were being sent to him that he needed to provide workers' compensation for his corporation's employees.

"The Workers' Compensation Board began sending Franken notices in April 2005 after discovering that the insurance hadn't been paid for nearly three years.

Officials first sought an explanation. Receiving no response, they sent a penalty notice to Franken in June 2005 that outlined rights to appeal.

The state then turned to a collection agency to reach Franken. When that didn't work, the state tried again in July 2006. Penalty statements were sent in August and December of 2006 and March 2007, Keegan said.

The judgment was finally entered against Franken in May 2007, and another notice sent by certified mail to his Manhattan apartment. Since then, Keegan said, three more statements have been sent — the most recent in January — without response." Source: Star Tribune, March 4, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

Is Franken claiming that the U.S Postal service lost the notices?

The Republican Party of Minnesota's press release asked a series of questions that Franken needs to answer. I'll have more on this story later today on Minnesota Democrats Exposed.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA CALLS ON AL FRANKEN TO IMMEDIATELY COME CLEAN ON BREAKING WORKERS’ COMP LAW”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:26:03 +0000

St. Paul- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Ron Carey today called on Al Franken to come clean about the $25,000 judgment rendered against him by the state of New York over his years-long failure to pay workers’ compensation insurance.

"Al Franken's story is full of holes. The truth is clear: Franken willfully violated the law by refusing to pay workers’ compensation to his employees and repeatedly failing to respond to a government agency. It is past time Franken stopped hiding behind his campaign spin doctors and answer some basic questions for Minnesotans about his own corporation," Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Ron Carey said.

Chairman Carey called on Franken to answer the following:

1. According to New York state officials, Franken was repeatedly notified that he was in violation of state law regarding workers’ compensation beginning in April 2005, including notification by certified mail. Is Franken maintaining that neither he, his family, his attorneys nor other representatives were ever aware of this violation of the law?

2. These violations occurred when Franken was CEO of Alan Franken Incorporated, not as a candidate for Senate. Why will Franken not personally answer these charges by the state of New York?

3. After leaving Manhattan and beginning his radio in Minnesota in January 2006, did Franken have his mail from New York forwarded his to his home in Minneapolis and who received mail at his residence in New York?

4. Does Franken really think Minnesotans will believe his story that the Workers Compensation Board was incapable of reaching him to let him know about this violation of New York law?

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman, Republican Party of Minnesota, Ron Carey

AP: “AL FRANKEN COMPANY FACES $25,000 FINE”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:10:52 +0000

"MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The state of New York fined the personal corporation of Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken $25,000 for not carrying workers' compensation insurance for almost three years.

The New York Workers' Compensation Board levied the fine against Alan Franken Inc. in August 2006 for failure to carry the insurance from June 2002 to March 2005.

Brian Keegan, a board spokesman, said a number of notices were sent to the address the New York agency had listed for Franken, but the television personality and political commentator didn't become aware of the fine until Tuesday, said his campaign spokesman, Andy Barr.

'If there's a mistake by the Frankens it was an inadvertent mistake as opposed to trying to evade the law,' Barr said.

The fine was reported recently by Minnesota Democrats Exposed, a Web site sympathetic to incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, whom Franken is seeking to unseat in November." Source: Associated Press, March 5, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

FROM STAR TRIBUNE: FRANKEN WAS REPEATEDLY NOTIFIED BY STATE OF NEW YORK THAT HE NEEDED TO PAY WORKERS’ COMP

Michael B. Brodkorb — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:21:48 +0000

"The Workers' Compensation Board began sending Franken notices in April 2005 after discovering that the insurance hadn't been paid for nearly three years.

Officials first sought an explanation. Receiving no response, they sent a penalty notice to Franken in June 2005 that outlined rights to appeal.

The state then turned to a collection agency to reach Franken. When that didn't work, the state tried again in July 2006. Penalty statements were sent in August and December of 2006 and March 2007, Keegan said.

The judgment was finally entered against Franken in May 2007, and another notice sent by certified mail to his Manhattan apartment. Since then, Keegan said, three more statements have been sent — the most recent in January — without response.

The Frankens bought a townhouse in Minneapolis in April 2005. Barr said that the corporation relocated to Minneapolis in January 2006." Source: Star Tribune, March 4, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

MORE LEGAL TROUBLES DISCOVERED ON FRANKEN: HE DIDN’T PAY HIS TAXES

Michael B. Brodkorb — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:33:43 +0000

"Alan Franken Inc. appears in New York records one other time, when it failed to pay withholding taxes for July 1996. A lien against the corporation was filed in Nassau County in June 1997 for $2,948.30, and the case was closed a short time later, said Tom Bergin, a spokesman with the New York Department of Taxation and Finance." Source: Star Tribune, March 4, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

STAR TRIBUNE: “FRANKEN FACES $25,000 PENALTY FOR LACK OF WORKERS’ INSURANCE”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 06:13:21 +0000

"DFL Senate candidate Al Franken owes a $25,000 penalty to the New York State Workers' Compensation Board for failing to carry workers' compensation insurance for employees of his namesake corporation from 2002 to 2005, state officials said.

New York officials have made numerous attempts to contact Franken about the matter since April 2005 but have gotten no reply.

Campaign spokesman Andy Barr said that neither Franken nor his wife, Franni, were aware of the matter before Tuesday. They have lived in Minneapolis for the past few years and did not know about the state's attempts to reach them in New York City, he said.

'If it's wrong, they will pay what they owe,' Barr said.

'It's also possible that there's some kind of dispute that may be resolved in our favor,' Bar continued. 'This is, at worst, some kind of misunderstanding between [the Frankens'] bookkeeping system and the state's.'

News of Franken's penalty was reported Tuesday in the Minnesota Democrats Exposed website run by Republican blogger Michael Brodkorb." Source: Star Tribune, March 4, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

MDE EXCLUSIVE: AL FRANKEN CLAIMS TO BE FRIEND OF THE WORKING MAN AND WOMAN, YET $25,000 JUDGMENT FILED AGAINST FRANKENâ€™S COMPANY FOR FAILURE TO CARRY WORKERSâ€™ COMP INSURANCE #3

Michael B. Brodkorb — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:02:51 +0000

In an update to my earlier post, I spoke with representatives of the State of New York Workers' Compensation Board regarding the judgment filed against Alan Franken Inc. As I reported, the judgment is still open and no payment has been made. Staffers at the board told me that according to public records, Alan Franken Inc., had at one time up to 17 employees and that an existing workers' compensation policy had "run out."

I will add that during a U.S. Senate debate that I attended back on September 30, 2007, Franken said "I'm a corporation, I employ a bunch of people." Franken also said "I love corporations that play by the rules, and we have to make them play by the rules."

The facts are that whether you have one, ten, or 1000 employees, the rules are the rules: you have to pay for workers' compensation insurance. Alan Franken Inc. was a corporation that was required to provide workers' compensation insurance and according to the State of New York, he didn't.

Please check back to Minnesota Democrats Exposed for more information on this developing story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “NY STATE FILES $25,000 JUDGMENT AGAINST AL FRANKEN INC. FOR NOT PAYING WORKERS’ COMP”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:50:51 +0000

St. Paul- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Ron Carey today issued the following statement regarding public documents in New York that Al Franken has refused to pay a judgment to the state of New York for $25,000 for failure to pay workers' compensation.

"Al Franken is at it again. While he demands that others play by the rules, he again proves there’s one set of rules for Al Franken and another set of rules for everybody else. Franken and his campaign will try to hide behind technicalities to explain why he refused to pay workers compensation premiums. At the end of the day, it's the kind of double-speak Franken's been using throughout his campaign. He owes those labor unions that endorsed him an explanation for his unwillingness to play by the rules that were established to protect working men and women."

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Read the documentation here:

http://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/iscroll/SQLData.jsp?IndexNo=403616-2007#

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman, Republican Party of Minnesota

MDE EXCLUSIVE: AL FRANKEN CLAIMS TO BE FRIEND OF THE WORKING MAN AND WOMAN, YET $25,000 JUDGMENT FILED AGAINST FRANKENâ€™S COMPANY FOR FAILURE TO CARRY WORKERS’ COMP INSURANCE #2

Michael B. Brodkorb — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:38:10 +0000

My post about the State of New York Workers' Compensation Board filing a $25,000 judgment in the Supreme Court of the State of New York against Alan Franken Inc, for "Failure to Carry Workers' Comp Ins 6/29/2002-03/28/2005" has been picked by national blogs and news outlets. Red State, The American Spectator, and Bill O'Reilly's website have all published posts.

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

MDE EXCLUSIVE: AL FRANKEN CLAIMS TO BE FRIEND OF THE WORKING MAN AND WOMAN, YET $25,000 JUDGMENT FILED AGAINST FRANKEN’S COMPANY FOR FAILURE TO CARRY WORKERS’ COMP INSURANCE

Michael B. Brodkorb — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:22:50 +0000

Al Franken, who has scored an impressive series of union endorsements in his campaign for the Senate, probably didn't mention a little issue he had going on while he was still living and working and enjoying his life as a New York resident. Of course, mentioning this problem while screening with Minnesota's labor unions probably wasn't a good strategy for Team Franken.

That is, the $25,000 judgment against him for absolutely, positively refusing to pay workers compensation insurance.

According to public court documents, the State of New York Workers' Compensation Board filed a $25,000 judgment in the Supreme Court of the State of New York against Alan Franken Inc, for "Failure to Carry Workers' Comp Ins 6/29/2002-03/28/2005."

Public records from the state of New York, list Al Franken as "Chairman or Chief Executive Officer" of Alan Franken Inc.

The $25,000 judgment filed against Alan Franken Inc., was filed on May 29, 2007 – over four months after Franken announced he was running for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota.

Franken had time to resolve this matter before the judgement was filed, as on August 8, 2006, Alan Franken Inc was issued a "Final Notice" from the State of New York Workers' Compensation Board for "Failure to Carry Workers' Comp Ins 6/29/2002-03/28/2005." Public records indicate that no payment was made.

Franken's website claims he'll "fight to preserve the integrity of our occupational safety and prevailing wage laws." Not carrying workers' compensation insurance certainly isn't protecting or preserving labor laws.

Personal financial disclosure forms filed with the U.S. Senate on May 15, 2007, show that Franken was paid over $1 million by Alan Franken Inc., yet according to public information, Franken didn't provide workers' comp insurance.

Franken continues to play fast and loose with the truth about the New York Al Franken. The Minnesota Al Franken tries to be everyone's friend and is nice and plays by the rules.

The New York Al Franken is the one that couldn't be bothered with paying his workers' compensation insurance — supports massive state gas tax increases on Minnesotans — who undermines Minnesota's ethanol and agricultural industry — and who verbally attacks Minnesota college students.

Please check back to Minnesota Democrats Exposed for more information on this developing story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

HOW DOES THIS SQUARE WITH FRANKEN MOCKING THE CARLETON COLLEGE STUDENT?

Michael B. Brodkorb — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:29:13 +0000

This is a real whopper from Team Franken:

"'Al is taking this campaign seriously, and if he uses humor, it will only be in the service of talking about the very serious reasons he is running for the Senate,' Franken spokesman Andy Barr said." Source: Associated Press, February 28, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

Was Franken using his humor responsibly when he mocked a college student's manner of speaking?

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

LTE FROM MN GOP CHAIRMAN RON CAREY: “FRANKEN DEMONSTRATES HE’S NOT RIGHT FOR THE JOB”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:02:53 +0000

"To the editor,

During a recent visit to International Falls, DFL U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken sought to dramatically reinvent himself. Given his long history of extreme and nasty name calling, I would advise all readers of this newspaper to be very wary of Franken’s election year rhetoric.
To be sure, the kind of ugly attacks politics long practiced by Franken are without precedent in Minnesota political history. As chairman of the Republican Party of Minnesota and a long-time participant in the traditional give and take of politics, I can say with certainty that we have never seen anything like this before.

For years, Franken has made millions attacking those with whom he disagrees in unusually harsh language. He has lashed out at Republicans as 'shameless (expletive deleted),' 'right-wing mother(expletive deleted),' and repeatedly joked about the hypothetical murder and execution of members of the current administration. Franken has also demeaned former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft as 'something of a nutcase' and savaged a presidential advisor as 'human filth.'

While Franken continues trying to reinvent himself this year with millions of dollars in television ads funded largely by out of state contributors, even prominent Democrats have taken notice of his mean streak. Democrat Mike Ciresi has noted that 'Al Franken has made a living calling people names.'" Source: International Falls, February 28, 2008

Click here for the complete letter.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

MDE IN THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR: “MDE HAS CLEARLY GOTTEN UNDER FRANKEN’S THIN SKIN”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:17:40 +0000

"Many of Franken's malicious remarks and attention-grabbing gaffes are being reported for Minnesotans to see via blogs and YouTube. While the state's mainstream newspapers have embraced his candidacy, New Media outlets have raised awareness — even wreaked havoc — on Franken's viability as a candidate.

Michael Brodkorb, who operates Minnesota Democrats Exposed (MDE), has meticulously documented Franken's blunders, from his statement that 'Republicans are shameless dicks' to his gay jokes to his tendency to pull out of debates.

MDE has clearly gotten under Franken's thin skin. The comic has personally responded to the muckraking and his campaign has attempted to stop negative material from being posted.

Brodkorb believes that his blog is doing some good through its 'presentation of the jokes that Al Franken has said about Republicans, Independent[s] and any other constituency. [Franken] has said some…over-the-top things and my blog is holding him accountable to that.'" Source: The American Spectator, February 25, 2008

Click here for the complete article.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, MDE, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

DAVID SCHULTZ: CIRESI’S $2 MILLION CAMPAIGN LOAN SUGGESTS HE MAY RUN IN PRIMARY

Michael B. Brodkorb — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:59:35 +0000

"David Schultz, a Hamline University professor who specializes in government ethics and politics, said the loan suggests 'a long-haul strategy' laying the groundwork for a possible primary race.

Ciresi last year promised not to run in the primary if he fails to get the party's endorsement at the convention, although he said he might reconsider if the campaign calendar was changed. Since then, the Legislature moved up party caucuses from March to February.

But Sandberg said Friday that nothing has changed. 'He will abide by the endorsement,' she said." Source: Star Tribune, February 22, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, David Schultz, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

CIRESI SPOKESWOMAN: FRANKEN “RAISING MONEY AND SPENDING IT LIKE WATER”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:45:33 +0000

"'It's been an unusual year,' Sandberg said, 'with an early presidential race and a celebrity [Franken] raising money and spending it like water. We are going to be competitive.'" Source: Star Tribune, February 22, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

OOPS, HE DID IT AGAIN: AFTER SAYING HE WOULDN’T SELF-FUND, CIRESI LENDS CAMPAIGN ADDTIONAL $2 MILLION

Michael B. Brodkorb — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:40:57 +0000

In January, Mike Ciresi donated over $500,000 to his U.S. Senate campaign. Now Ciresi is loaning his campaign an additional $2 million:

"DFL Senate candidate Mike Ciresi, a multimillionaire attorney, is lending his campaign $2 million to 'build on the momentum' demonstrated in a recent poll, campaign officials said Friday." Source: Star Tribune, February 22, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

Ciresi told the Associated Press in February 2007 that he wouldn't self-fund his campaign:

"WASHINGTON (AP) _ Attorney Mike Ciresi, who put nearly $5 million of his own money into his 2000 U.S. Senate race, said Monday he wasn't planning to self-fund again in his 2008 bid. 'No, we'll raise the money,' Ciresi said in a telephone interview. 'I think it's a better way to go.'" Source: Associated Press, February 12, 2007

Please check back to Minnesota Democrats Exposed tomorrow for more information on this developing story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

TEAM FRANKEN GETTING COCKY: FRANKEN SKIPS MINNESOTA DEMOCRATIC CONVENTIONS TO SPEAK AT CONVENTION IN LAS VEGAS

Michael B. Brodkorb — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 20:08:56 +0000

Al Franken is skipping opportunities to speak at local DFL conventions on Saturday in Minnesota to speak at a Democratic convention in Las Vegas:

"If a fight breaks out at Bally's on Saturday, there’s always this consolation: Comedian and Senate candidate Al Franken is scheduled to give the keynote address." Source: Las Vegas Sun, February 21, 2008

Click here for complete story.

Team Franken is sure getting cocky.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

LTE: “FRANKEN IS A JOKE – PERIOD”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:24:57 +0000

Franken is a joke – period

I wasn't surprised when a far left publication like the Enterprise had gushing praise for a loser like Al Franken.

And you are right about one thing; he’s never been a comedian so there is nothing funny about the foul-mouthed little clown. Franken hides behind his "comedian" status to use some of the most vulgar language possible in talking about the president, Republicans and anyone who disagrees with him in general. Another thing about this little gutter-talker is that he’s largely financed by his far left friends in Hollywood.

And like Hillary Clinton, Franken's nothing more than a carpet-bagger. How much time, before he decided to run for the Senate, did he really spend in Minnesota ?

Would you people on the left allow a Republican candidate to use the foul language that Franken uses, say to describe someone like Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? Of course you wouldn't. You'd cry bloody murder.

But you’re right about one thing; Minnesota is a strange state. It elected goofballs like Ventura and Wellstone. And in this state, even the Republicans lean to the left. Remember Arnie Carlson?

Tom Kovach

Nevis

Source: Park Rapids Enterprise, February 16, 2008

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

SOURCES: TEAM FRANKEN PULLED OUT OF ANOTHER U.S. SENATE DEBATE

Michael B. Brodkorb — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:54:28 +0000

Al Franken's campaign pulled out of a U.S. Senate debate scheduled for earlier today in St. Louis Park, according to dedicated readers of Minnesota Democrats Exposed knowledgeable with the event. Today's debate, sponsored by Business Democrats, was promoted in the event section of the Star Tribune's Politically Connected website.

My sources contend that Team Franken had concerns about the potential moderator of the debate, former 3rd CD DFL candidate Wendy Wilde. Apparently, Wilde and Franken have had a strained professional relationship since Wilde ran for Congress in 2006.

Team Franken has a history of pulling out of debates. Back in October, Team Franken pulled out of a scheduled U.S. Senate debate honoring the late U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone.

Please check back to Minnesota Democrats Exposed for more information on this developing story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

COMMENTARY FROM MN GOP CHAIRMAN RON CAREY: “FRANKENâ€™S NAME CALLING, NEGATIVITY WOULDN’T WIN ALLIES ACROSS THE AISLE”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:05:28 +0000

"During a recent visit to Glencoe, comedian and DFL U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken made the case for why he should represent Minnesotans in Washington.

Unfortunately for Franken, I don’t think most Minnesotans are going to respond well to his unprecedented history of extreme and mean-spirited name calling. In his many writings and media appearances, Franken has called Republicans every name in the book, including 'shameless [expletive deleted],' 'right-wing mother[expletive deleted]' and '[expletive deleted] morons.' Franken has also referred to former Secretary of State James Baker as a 'lying scumbag' and mocked World War II veteran Bob Dole over his war wounds by likening him to the one-armed murderer in the movie, 'The Fugitive.' In addition, Franken has expressed 'hate' for President Bush and joked about executing members of his administration.

With that kind of harsh track record, Minnesotans should not be surprised that Franken's vitriolic personal attacks have continued during his campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Most recently, the Star Tribune reported that Franken mocked a conservative college student at Northfield’s Carleton College over the student’s manner of speaking and nervous habits. Most damaging for Franken, the conservative student's account of Franken’s behavior was verified by the chair of the Carleton College Democrats. Given Franken's complete inability to interact in a cordial way with a college student, Minnesotans may rightly wonder how such an individual will be able to work across party lines for the good of the state.

Even Democrats have taken note of Franken’s penchant for slash and burn politics, negative personal attacks and tendency to go too far with his strident rhetoric. DFL State Sen. Tom Bakk has called Franken 'too negative.' Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Mike Ciresi has noted that, 'Al Franken has made a living calling people names.'

Former Democratic State Senate Leader Allan Spear has said, 'I just think there are a lot of things Al Franken has said over the years that are going to sound harsh and they're going to sound in some cases outrageous.' Source: Hutchinson Leader, February 14, 2008

Click here for the complete commentary from MN GOP Chairman Ron Carey.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, MN GOP, Norm Coleman, Ron Carey

NOT EXACTLY A PROFILE IN COURAGE: FRANKEN ADMITS HE STAYS AWAY FROM TALKING ABOUT GAY MARRIAGE WHEN HE CAMPAIGNS IN GREATER MINNESOTA

Michael B. Brodkorb — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:02:24 +0000

This is a video clip of Al Franken admitting that he doesn't start out talking about gay marriage when he campaigns in greater Minnesota. As I wrote yesterday, it will be interesting to see which Al Franken comes to your town. Is it the Al Franken who's not afraid to talk about gay marriage, or is it the Al Franken who won't talk about gay marriage?

This post isn’t about the politics of gay marriage (as Franken does talk about gay marriage later in the video), but rather Franken admitting that he hides his positions from voters, depending on the audience.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman, YouTube

MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “ON IRAQ, FRANKEN IS ONLY KIDDING HIMSELF”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 03:26:16 +0000

"The only candidate kidding himself about Iraq is Al Franken. Whether he's denying his initial support for the war or denying that he called for cutting off funds for our troops, Al Franken has shown that there isn't a lie he won't tell if he thinks it will get him elected. Minnesotans aren’t going to support a candidate like Franken who continually deceives them." - Ron Carey, Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman

Franken Last Night:

"Anyone who tells you that he knows how we're going to get out [of Iraq], exactly how, is either kidding you or kidding themselves.” (International Falls DFL Senate Candidate Forum, February 11, 2008)

Franken Last Week:

"There's no great way out of Iraq, we know that. And anyone who tells you that they know exactly how we're going to do this, is either lying to themselves, or to you.” (Al Franken in Park Rapids, February 1, 2008)

WATCH VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc0dh4wwCAg

Flashback: Franken Acknowledged Supporting The War “Because Of The WMDs”:

"Franken said the Bush administration misled the country when they argued Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. 'I supported the war when we went because of the WMDs," he said. "It is one thing for a president to lie about sex — it is another thing to lie about why we are sending our men and women in harm's way. This administration failed in so many ways on this war.'" (Mathew Sanders, "Franken shares political perspective at LSU," The Reveille, March 10, 2004)

Franken Has Also Claimed He Was "Agnostic On The War" Before It Started:

"I was agnostic on the war. I was convinced from Colin Powell’s testimony they did have weapons of mass destruction. But since then obviously we’ve learned that that isn't, wasn't, what’s the word? True. It wasn’t true. Looking at it, I think it’s actually clear that we were misled." ("Hardball," MSNBC, February 20, 2004)

Flashback: Franken Spoke Out Against Cutting Off Funds:

Franken: "We'll cut funds is the bluntest instrument, where you are undercutting our troops in the field, no one is going to do that." "(Al Franken Show," Air America Radio, November 29, 2006)

Franken Now For Cutting Off Funds:

Franken: "I think you make the President cutoff funding for the troops. I mean, I think…you see, I think that…" Question: "There's definitely a lot of Democrats that are just not willing to bite that bullet, so to speak." Franken: "I think by then they will be. I think they heard." (Talking Points Memo Website, June 14, 2007, http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/014615.php)

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, MN GOP, Norm Coleman, Ron Carey

COMING TOMORROW: FRANKEN ADMITS HE STAYS AWAY FROM TALKING ABOUT GAY MARRIAGE WHEN HE CAMPAIGNS IN GREATER MINNESOTA

Michael B. Brodkorb — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 22:01:31 +0000

In a video clip I'll be posting tomorrow, Al Franken admits that he doesn't start out talking about gay marriage when he campaigns in greater Minnesota. It will be interesting to see which Al Franken comes to your town. Is it the Al Franken who's not afraid to talk about gay marriage, or is it the Al Franken who won't talk about gay marriage? Check back to Minnesota Democrats Exposed tomorrow morning for the clip.

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

FRANKEN CLAIMS ANYONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO GET TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ IS “LYING” TO THEMSELVES, YOU

Michael B. Brodkorb — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:09:20 +0000

This is a video clip of Al Franken speaking in Park Rapids on February 1, 2008. Franken says "there's no great way out of Iraq, we know that. And anyone who tells you that they know exactly how we're going to do this, is either lying to themselves, or to you."

Lying? Really? Is Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer "lying?" Is Mike Ciresi "lying?" Is Hillary Clinton "lying?" Is Barack Obama "lying?"

If you're a candidate running for office with a plan to leave Iraq, Franken is calling you a liar. Please check back to Minnesota Democrats Exposed throughout the day for updates on this developing story.

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

COMING SOON: FRANKEN CLAIMS ANYONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO GET TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ IS “LYING” TO THEMSELVES, YOU;

Michael B. Brodkorb — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 05:02:31 +0000

Al Franken made some rather shocking statements about Iraq earlier this month during a campaign swing in greater Minnesota. If you're a candidate running for office with a plan to leave Iraq, Franken is calling you a liar.

I encourage the numerous Democrats who read Minnesota Democrats Exposed to watch the new video about Franken that I will be posting tomorrow morning.

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

BREAKING NEWS: IN INTERVIEW WITH AP, CIRESI AND SPEAR RIP FRANKEN’S RECORD OF “CALLING PEOPLE NAMES”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:56:17 +0000

"To offset that, the multimillionaire trial lawyer is delivering a simple argument to Democratic regulars: He is more electable than Franken.

'Al Franken has made a living calling people names,' Ciresi said in an interview.

Democrats see a strong opportunity this year to unseat Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, hoping to drag him down with his support for unpopular Bush administration policies, particularly the war in Iraq. Coleman got elected in 2002 after Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone was killed in a plane crash, and many Democrats still feel the seat is rightfully theirs.

The Republicans have appeared nearly as eager to take on Franken. For months, the state GOP and right-wing bloggers have exhumed dozens of edgy jokes, off-color remarks and sarcastic asides from Franken's long career as a comedian, writer and radio broadcaster. In a fundraising letter in October, the Coleman campaign asked donors for help in running against the 'vitriolic, partisan comedian' with a 'long history of fringe-left rhetoric and bitter partisan attacks.'

Talk like that has some Democrats worried.

'I just think there are a lot of things Al Franken has said over the years that are going to sound harsh and they're going to sound in some cases outrageous,' said Allan Spear, former state Senate president and a Ciresi supporter. 'I'm afraid we're going to end up with a campaign in which the focus is on Al Franken's record rather than Norm Coleman's record.'" Source: Associated Press, February 11, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

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The title of this article from the AP is "Al Franken's Democratic rival in Minnesota insists the comedian isn't electable."

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Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Norm Coleman

Minnesota Democrats Exposed » 2008 U.S. Senate

THICK AS THIEVES: LOBBYISTS THROW MORE QUESTIONABLE PARTIES FOR FRANKEN STAFF

COLEMAN CALLS OUT OBAMA ON IGNORING CONSTITUTIONAL LAW

NAMED: FORMER FRANKEN AIDE IS WHITE HOUSE STAFFER THAT LOST IT WITH REPORTER OVER SOLYNDRA

FRANKEN CHIEF OF STAFF BAILS TO HELP STIMULUS RECIPIENT LOBBY FOR GREEN FUEL

NEW AD HITS FRANKEN FOR OVERREGULATING YOUR INTERNET

FORGET JOB CREATION, KLOBUCHAR WANTS TO REGULATE INTERNET STREAMING

REPORT: SNL CAST MEMBER SNUBBED FRANKEN FOR BIG CASH AFTER HE CONTINUOUSLY BEGGED

ANGRY AL FRANKEN’S TEMPER SHOWN ON 60 MINUTES

FRANKEN LOSES HIS TEMPER ON KFAN

ANGRY AL FRANKEN HAS RETURNED

BREAKING NEWS: ANGRY FRANKEN CONFRONTS COLEMAN AFTER DEBATE; MRS. FRANKEN RUNS ON STAGE TO GET FRANKEN AWAY FROM COLEMAN

DESPITE COMMON SENSE AND OVERWHELMING PUBLIC SUPPORT, DFL FALL ON A SWORD TO STOP VOTER ID BILL

MDE EXCLUSIVE: ETHICS COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST SEN. AL FRANKEN

GOV. PAWLENTY DISCUSSES RECOUNT ON HANNITY & COLMES

TV CLIPS ABOUT AL FRANKEN’S FAILURE TO PAY WORKERS’ COMP INSURANCE

AP: “ANOTHER SENATE CANDIDATE WITH WORKERS’ COMP PROBLEM”

FOX NEWS/MSNBC DISCUSS FRANKEN’S LEGAL TROUBLES

FRANKEN’S SPOKESWOMAN CLAIMS THE FRANKENS NEVER RECEIVED THE NOTICES FROM THE WORKERS’ COMP BOARD

STAR TRIBUNE: “2ND SENATE CANDIDATE FAILED TO INSURE STAFF FOR WORKERS’ COMP”

TEAM FRANKEN TRIES THE OLD “BAIT AND SWITCH” TRICK TO DISTRACT FROM FRANKEN’S LEGAL TROUBLES

MDE FROM THE ARCHIVES: FRANKEN CALLS HIMSELF A â€œCORPORATIONâ€; BOASTS HE EMPLOYS A â€œBUNCH OF PEOPLEâ€

STORY ABOUT FRANKEN PAYING $25,000 FINE MOST VIEWED STORY ON STAR TRIBUNE WEBSITE

MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA FILES FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST WITH NEW YORK STATE REGARDING AL FRANKENâ€™S BREAKING OF WORKERSâ€™ COMP LAW”

FRANKEN’S SPOKESWOMAN LASHES OUT AT MEDIA & MN GOP OVER FRANKEN’S $25,000 WORKERS’ COMP FINE

BREAKING NEWS FROM THE AP: “FRANKEN CAMPAIGN SAYS HE’LL PAY NY WORKERS’ COMP FINE”

KSTP REPORTS ON FRANKEN’S FAILURE TO PAY WORKERS’ COMP INSURANCE

THE HILL NEWSPAPER PICKS UP STORY ABOUT FRANKEN’S FAILURE TO PAY WORKERS’ COMP INSURANCE

COMMENTS ABOUT AL FRANKEN’S LEGAL TROUBLES DELETED FROM MN PUBLIUS

LET’S BE CLEAR HERE: FRANKEN WAS LIVING IN NEW YORK WHEN THE STATE OF NEW YORK ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT HIM ABOUT PAYING WORKERS’ COMP INSURANCE

MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA CALLS ON AL FRANKEN TO IMMEDIATELY COME CLEAN ON BREAKING WORKERS’ COMP LAW”

AP: “AL FRANKEN COMPANY FACES $25,000 FINE”

FROM STAR TRIBUNE: FRANKEN WAS REPEATEDLY NOTIFIED BY STATE OF NEW YORK THAT HE NEEDED TO PAY WORKERS’ COMP

MORE LEGAL TROUBLES DISCOVERED ON FRANKEN: HE DIDN’T PAY HIS TAXES

STAR TRIBUNE: “FRANKEN FACES $25,000 PENALTY FOR LACK OF WORKERS’ INSURANCE”

MDE EXCLUSIVE: AL FRANKEN CLAIMS TO BE FRIEND OF THE WORKING MAN AND WOMAN, YET $25,000 JUDGMENT FILED AGAINST FRANKENâ€™S COMPANY FOR FAILURE TO CARRY WORKERSâ€™ COMP INSURANCE #3

MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “NY STATE FILES $25,000 JUDGMENT AGAINST AL FRANKEN INC. FOR NOT PAYING WORKERS’ COMP”

MDE EXCLUSIVE: AL FRANKEN CLAIMS TO BE FRIEND OF THE WORKING MAN AND WOMAN, YET $25,000 JUDGMENT FILED AGAINST FRANKENâ€™S COMPANY FOR FAILURE TO CARRY WORKERS’ COMP INSURANCE #2

MDE EXCLUSIVE: AL FRANKEN CLAIMS TO BE FRIEND OF THE WORKING MAN AND WOMAN, YET $25,000 JUDGMENT FILED AGAINST FRANKEN’S COMPANY FOR FAILURE TO CARRY WORKERS’ COMP INSURANCE

HOW DOES THIS SQUARE WITH FRANKEN MOCKING THE CARLETON COLLEGE STUDENT?

LTE FROM MN GOP CHAIRMAN RON CAREY: “FRANKEN DEMONSTRATES HE’S NOT RIGHT FOR THE JOB”

MDE IN THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR: “MDE HAS CLEARLY GOTTEN UNDER FRANKEN’S THIN SKIN”

DAVID SCHULTZ: CIRESI’S $2 MILLION CAMPAIGN LOAN SUGGESTS HE MAY RUN IN PRIMARY

CIRESI SPOKESWOMAN: FRANKEN “RAISING MONEY AND SPENDING IT LIKE WATER”

OOPS, HE DID IT AGAIN: AFTER SAYING HE WOULDN’T SELF-FUND, CIRESI LENDS CAMPAIGN ADDTIONAL $2 MILLION

TEAM FRANKEN GETTING COCKY: FRANKEN SKIPS MINNESOTA DEMOCRATIC CONVENTIONS TO SPEAK AT CONVENTION IN LAS VEGAS

LTE: “FRANKEN IS A JOKE – PERIOD”

SOURCES: TEAM FRANKEN PULLED OUT OF ANOTHER U.S. SENATE DEBATE

COMMENTARY FROM MN GOP CHAIRMAN RON CAREY: “FRANKENâ€™S NAME CALLING, NEGATIVITY WOULDN’T WIN ALLIES ACROSS THE AISLE”

NOT EXACTLY A PROFILE IN COURAGE: FRANKEN ADMITS HE STAYS AWAY FROM TALKING ABOUT GAY MARRIAGE WHEN HE CAMPAIGNS IN GREATER MINNESOTA

MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “ON IRAQ, FRANKEN IS ONLY KIDDING HIMSELF”

COMING TOMORROW: FRANKEN ADMITS HE STAYS AWAY FROM TALKING ABOUT GAY MARRIAGE WHEN HE CAMPAIGNS IN GREATER MINNESOTA

FRANKEN CLAIMS ANYONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO GET TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ IS “LYING” TO THEMSELVES, YOU

COMING SOON: FRANKEN CLAIMS ANYONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO GET TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ IS “LYING” TO THEMSELVES, YOU;

BREAKING NEWS: IN INTERVIEW WITH AP, CIRESI AND SPEAR RIP FRANKEN’S RECORD OF “CALLING PEOPLE NAMES”

MDE FROM THE ARCHIVES: FRANKEN CALLS HIMSELF A â€œCORPORATIONâ€; BOASTS HE EMPLOYS A â€œBUNCH OF PEOPLEâ€