Tuesday, February 9, 2010
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Franken, Walz rally DFL faithful in Owatonna
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OWATONNA — With just four days to go and in a tight election battle for the U.S. Senate, Democratic candidate Al Franken came to Owatonna Thursday and pleaded for his supporters to get out the vote.

That included putting a bumper sticker on their cars and not cutting anyone off.

“After that, you can do whatever you’d like,” Franken joked.

Franken and Democratic Congressman Tim Walz spoke to 175 DFL party faithful at the Elks Club, talking about the change in Washington that could happen for the better.

Walz touted Franken as being the candidate who could bring the Senate to a filibuster-proof majority and pass legislation down from Barack Obama if he’s elected president.

“I can tell you that when you wake up on Nov. 5 and realize what you have done, there is going to be a sigh, not just from this country but from around the world when they realize we’re moving in the right direction,” Walz said.

Franken is in a tight race against Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. This race is considered by political observers as a toss-up. Recent polls had shown Franken leading Coleman.

But a new poll released Monday showed Coleman
with 42 percent and Franken with 36 percent. It had a margin of error of plus or minus four points.

The same poll found 12 percent of respondents favored the Independence Party’s Dean Barkley, and that one in 10 Minnesotans were undecided.

Franken acknowledged he has a close race ahead of him. After the event, Franken said he would continue his message about change and remind people about Coleman’s support for President Bush’s policies during his term in the Senate.

The Coleman campaign, meanwhile, filed a lawsuit against the Franken campaign Thursday alleging that Franken violated state campaign finance laws.

Coleman spokesman Mark Drake said that statements made against Coleman being “ranked the fourth most corrupt senator in Washington” and lives in a Washington apartment “almost rent free” are false.

“Today, it is clear he will continue his negative personal attacks against Sen. Coleman all the way through next Tuesday’s election,” Drake said. “That is his right — but, it is not his right to break Minnesota Campaign Law — and we believe that is what Mr. Franken and his campaign have done.”

Franken said Thursday he hadn’t read the lawsuit and couldn’t offer an immediate response. But he didn’t appear to be backing down.

“I stand by all my ads,” Franken said, on his way to a campaign stop in Mankato.

It is unknown if Coleman and Franken will be stopping in Owatonna again before Election Day. Barkley, meanwhile, will make a meet-and-greet at Cabela’s today at 2:15 p.m.



Jeff Cagle can be reached at 444-2378.
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Member Opinions:
By: NewsHound on 10/30/08
GO DEMOCRATS!!!! JUST SAY NO TO MCSAME AND FAILIN

By: Scottowa on 10/31/08
Just say no to Obama or hand over your paycheck!

By: NewsHound on 10/31/08
No McCain is for the wealthy. If he and Palin get in they will be spending every penny a person makes. McCain is for the oil companys. Also if you have read up the cost of the war has went over the trillion mark. Thats all thanks to the republicans. I'm sure Neiman Marcus would be grateful to have them in office. Also McCain's wife will be on our dime to support. It was reported one of her outfits including shoes and jewelery was at a expense of more than $300,000. Oh one more party shot. I'm sure Palin can ring up some more transportation costs for her children to go to events they weren't invited to. I'm a mother and can't bring my children to work with me or to events unless their invited.

By: NoteTaker on 10/31/08

Most if not all the Republican and Democratic candidates, at least at the Federal level, will send this country down the toilet (i.e., ongoing trashing of the Constitution). It'll just take a wee-bit longer with the one Party.

Vote your conscience with a vision of what you want this country to be. If that means vote Democrat, then do it; if it means Republican, then do that.

What do you want from your federal government? How about: more dead, in utero children; endless, undeclared and, therefore, unConstitutional wars; out-of-control government spending, due in no small part to the borrowing from the Federal Reserve; increased attempts at "gun control"; ongoing influx of aliens vis 'a vis our rather porous borders; at-will disrespect for and non-allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, etc.?

If these are things you do not want for America, then vote for the Constitution Party candidates: Chuck Baldwin & Darrell Castle for President & Vice-President, respectively, and James Niemackl for U.S. Senator.

By: late4work on 10/31/08
.."talkin bout a revolution"....

By: NoteTaker on 10/31/08

Indeed! But, a "bloodless" revolution sure beats a "bloody" one....

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." -- Thomas Jefferson

By: NoteTaker on 10/31/08

"Also if you have read up the cost of the war has went over the trillion mark. Thats all thanks to the republicans."

So, all the non-Republicans in Congress opposed the war?

Hmmm...someone apparently doesn't have all the facts.

By: Drew on 10/31/08
Newshound, do you know anything about McCain's wife's background? I don't think that we need to worry about supporting her.

By: ctown on 10/31/08
Tim Walz & Walter Mondale will be in Dodge Center at Finne's Cafe at 3pm on Saturday November 1. Come listen to some good DFL'ers speak about the change we need with this election.

By: RealityCheck on 10/31/08
Scottowa please pay attention,

You will get a tax break from an Obama administration.

You will get a better health plan from an Obama administration.

You will...wait, are you making more than $250,000 a year? Then you won't. But if you make less than that, you will also get more tax breaks for sending your kids to college.

You will have lower cost pharmaceuticals because the law Bush put in forbidding negotiations with Big Pharma will be struck down.

This will also reduce Medicare costs by billions of dollars, thereby increasing the solvency of Medicare, thus increasing the likelyhood that it will still be there when the rest of us need it.

McCain actually wants to TAX our health care plans. I am not making this up. He said it out loud in the 3rd presidential debate.

By: stormchaser28 on 11/1/08
Just say NO to FRANKEN. Just what we need a senator that is also a comedian, NOT!!! Obama is an idiot, God help this country if he gets elected on Tuesday, we are screwed.

By: O.Tool on 11/1/08
Tuesday can't come soon enough. I think my head is ready to explode.

 
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