Crisis in Libya: Al Franken Gets It

Did you watch the President's speech on Monday night? Reviews are mixed, naturally, depending on the agenda of the reviewer. Here's a quick sampling before moving beyond the pundits to talk about Senator Franken's pragmatic action.

@thenation
The Nation

Obama tries, without success, to explain an undeclared war. By John Nichols. http://bit.ly/fxeZq0

From the other end of the spectrum:

@NewsHour
NewsHour


Pres. Obama accomplished three main goals to three distinct audiences at his speech on #Libya http://ow.ly/4oHYO

Even people who felt Gadhafi was presiding over a beastly, cruel, and violent repression of Libyan citizens are rightly concerned about the cost, particularly given how the two major U.S. military operations in the last decade added to the deficit. Senator Al Franken (D-MN) is set to introduce a bill to assure that military operations, such as the undeclared wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, don’t get a free pass to float a check - that military spending won't add to our national debt.

Senator Franken has expressed concerns about the potential cost of military operations in Libya, saying, "You know, so far the administration said we can pay for it in the regular military budget but at a certain point, that may not be the case." Franken continues to be a forceful presence in the Senate, focusing on productive work rather than simply posturing for the press.

The debate will continue about what we should have done about the slaughter of civilians, and what the role of the U.S. government and diplomacy should be outside our borders. With so much of our budget already dedicated to the military I'm glad somebody has the courage to face reality and confront the hard choices we face instead of passing the cost-burden along. Thank you, Senator Franken.

Thomas Hayes is a New Media Advisor, Political Consultant, Journalist, Entrepreneur, and former Congressional Campaign Manager; he believes in "follow the money" when following politics, and continues his 12-step recovery from the years spent as a Programmer/Database Administrator by carrying his camera nearly everywhere and writing on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.

You can follow Tom as @kabiu on twitter. Tweet

Norm Coleman - Did Coleman's Financial Straits Force Him To Solicit Donor Favors?

Huff Post - Did Coleman's Financial Straits Force Him To Solicit Donor Favors?: “Did Norm Coleman's financial problems compel him to turn to friends and GOP donors for help with his living situation?

That's what a new story out of Minnesota alleges. Friday morning, a local Fox News affiliate reported that at the time that Coleman allegedly received $75,000 in unreported payments from a prominent Republican businessman, he was also struggling to make payments for the restructuring of his home.”

Al Franken Wins Major Victory In Absentee Count For Senate Seat

Franken Wins Major Victory In Absentee CountHuff Post: “Al Franken received a potentially major boost towards his hopes of becoming Senator on Friday, when Minnesota state officials ruled that absentee ballots rejected because of clerical or administrative errors should, in the end, be counted.”

Minnesota Election Between Coleman and Franken Could Be Decided Friday

Minnesota Election Could Be Decided Friday: “The Minnesota Senate recount election will make a giant step towards a conclusion on Friday, when the state's canvassing board meets to determine the fate of improperly dismissed absentee ballots.

On Tuesday, Al Franken's chief counsel traveled to Washington D.C. to brief reporters on the current status of the election. He deliberately did not close the window on legal action if unlawfully rejected absentee voters were not counted.”

-- But what if Coleman's indicted? He would have to step down, right? More soon.

MN-Sen: Flip A Coin? - TalkLeft: The Politics Of Crime

MN-Sen: Flip A Coin? - TalkLeft: The Politics Of Crime

Mayor Mark Begich Wins Alaska Senate Race, Beats Sen Ted Stevens

According to the blog "Clintonistas for Obama ", Anchorage, Alaska Democratic Mayor Mark Begich has beaten Alaska Senator Ted Stevens.  Begich is ahead by 3,724 votes, with fewer votes than that to be counted.  


This means that there are now 58 Democrats in the Senate.  President-Elect Barack Obama needs just two more wins to reach the "filibuster-proof" mark of 60 Dems.    Two races remain: Republican Georgia Senator Saxby Chambiss in a runoff against Democrat Jim Martin, and Republican Norm Coleman vs. Dem Al Frankin in Minnesota, in a vote recount too close to call.  

Sen. Hillary Clinton Introduces Al Franken For Senator - Minnesota

The full speech of Senator Hillary Clinton introducing Al Franken. who's running for Senator in Minnesota, isn't online yet, but it should be -- Franken and Clinton gave great speeches.

Franken's taking on Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and is ahead in a poll Rassumsen conducted on October 9th, 43 percent to 37 percent. A more recent poll by the Minn Times Star Tribune has him at 3 points, 39 percent to 36 percent.

None of this has reduced the sense of humor of Franken. At today's rally, after a rousing speech by Senator Clinton, Franken took the podium and said "When we decided to run for Senate, Franni (his wife) and I, I said, "And Franni, I'm going to be the Senator," then turned to Clinton with a wry smile.

It was pretty funny to me, though I'm not sure Clinton got the full "yuk" out of it.

Oh well.

3-way Senate Debate in MN: battleground Republican incumbent falling behind in polls

If you don't think Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) is in trouble defending his Senate seat, you probably don't think it snows in Minneapolis in the wintertime. He's in danger of losing to a comedian turned author/activist... Coleman's ads may be almost as negative than McCain's, but then Franken's path is almost as improbable as Obama's. Analysis and reactions after the debate Sunday night.

Reader's digest:

Coleman's attacks are backfiring, arguably reminding voters that he's a veteran politico in a year when many want to throw the bums in DC out and start fresh.

How fragile is the incumbent?

Al Franken, Dean Barkley, and Senator Norm Coleman met for a debate Sunday night in Rochester, a few miles south of the world famous Mayo Clinic, and frankly Coleman did worse than you'd expect from a veteran politician. He was visibly uncomfortable at times, mumbling as he raced through bullet points; his trademark tendency to leave sentences and thoughts incomplete made a stark contrast to Franken's quiet eloquence.

Barkley, for his part, was affable and folksy, yet undermined his credibility suddenly when he replied at one point that he had "nothing more to say" about energy. It may have been a bid to seem succint, but in front of an attentive audience it was either a curious tactic to adopt or a blunder that made him seem ill-informed.

Is Coleman vulnerable?

True, partisans supporting all three were likely happy with their man's performance. It's difficult to measure the impact such events have quickly, let alone objectively, but listening on the way out I think it's fair to say that Coleman's supporters sounded concerned by more than just his fall in the polling data. Franken's seemed more impressed, and optimistic about his chances in one of the races that's attracted national attention - and money.

I interviewed a number of people right afterward as they were leaving the site of the debate, and the one that stands out is the small business owner I spoke to in the following video. He was cogent, and coherent. Despite Mr. Beck's admitted bias I think this probably gives as accurate a reflection as anecdotal interviews are likely to uncover.

Beck is the owner of the "Javalive" a community coffee house in Faribault, Minnesota, roughly halfway between the Twin Cities and Rochester. As an entrepreneurial host for local talent, be it musical, poetical (or some other form of artistic endeavor) Beck has his fingers on the pulse of the residents of Faribault, a county seat with approximately 20,000 residents. As a small businessman he's constantly tracking the impact of politics on his community, and his bank balance.

I'll get more video from the debate uploaded soon, but Beck's reaction comes first.

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