DFLers gather in Rochester to decide Senate race

Howard Dean
Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, speaks to delegates at the state's DFL-state convention.
MPR Photo/John Nicholson

DFL Senate candidate Al Franken says he will use a portion of his state convention speech to address concerns that have arisen over some of his satirical writing about women.

Franken is in a contest for the DFL endorsement with Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. Party activists will take up the endorsement tomorrow.

An article that Franken wrote in Playboy eight years ago is getting a lot of attention in the media, but so far it does not appear to be shaping up as a big issue with delegates.

Al Franken
DFL Senate hopeful Al Franken waves to delegates at the DFL state convention in Rochester. A statical article Franken wrote eight years ago for Playboy has caused controversy among some delegates.
MPR Photo/John Nicholson

Delegates today heard from Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Both drew loud applause from the convention. Neither mentioned the controversy surrounding Franken.

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But following her speech Klobuchar reiterated that she has expressed concerns to Franken that he needs to acknowledge that some of his material from his past career was entirely inappropriate. She says Franken needs to separate the reality of his life from his attempts at humor.

"He's been married to Franni his wife for over 30 years; he loves his family, and he loves his country, and he cares about the issues, and that's what people need to focus on, but unfortunately because this has been sort of boiling up the last week, I think he needed to address is more directly," Klobuchar said.

Thursday night Franken issued a statement saying he understood that some people have been legitimately offended by some of what he has written, and he regretted it.

Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer
DFL Senate hopeful Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer takes time out of the DFL state convention in Rochester to pose with DFL delegates.
MPR Photo/John Nicholson

On the way out of a meeting of the DFL disability caucus in a side room of the convention hall, Franken said he plans to talk more about the controversy during his speech Saturday.

Franken spent Friday talking with delegates on the convention floor, who he says are more interested in the issues than the Playboy dust up.

Still Franken said he needs to formally address the issue.

"I'm a person, and I feel bad about this and want to make sure that these women know that I will be there for them. Senators are supposed to represent everybody in the state," Franken said. "I am very happy for the support I have gotten from members of the feminist community, but I want to reassure everyone that I will be working and fighting for women when I am in Washington."

Howard Dean
Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean takes time to meet with DFL delegates at the state's convention in Rochester. Dean was the keynote speaker during today's opening session of the DFL statewide convention.
MPR Photo/John Nicholson

Franken's opponent Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer agrees that delegates are focusing on other issues as they make up their minds.

"People are not bringing it up to me. I'm not bringing it up to them. You can talk to them. There's obviously concerns out there, but again I'm just focused like a laser on a politics of hope because I think people are sick and tired of distractions. And I think they're sick and tired of distractions, and I think they're sick and tired of politics that's a battering ram where we knock each other down," Nelson-Pallmeyer said.

Nelson-Pallmeyer says his support for single payer universal health insurance and his early opposition to the Iraq war distinguish him from Franken.

For his part, Franken agrees health care is a key issue, and he has been pointing out to delegates that he is capable of raising enough money to drive the issues to the forefront of the campaign.

Convention delegates tomorrow will get a chance to vet both candidates during a one hour question and answer session before the endorsement balloting begins.