CQ switches MN Senate race to ‘leans Republican’

Congressional Quarterly has switched Minnesota’s Senate race to "leans Republican." Previously the contest had been assessed as having "no clear favorite." The publication cited recent controversies sapping Democrat Al Franken’s candidacy, along with a series of polls that mostly indicate a comfortable lead for Sen. Norm Coleman. (One exception: a Rasmussen Reports survey released last week that showed Franken with a 44-42 advantage.) CQ points to the looming Republican gathering in St. Paul, however, as a potential campaign hazard for Coleman given the party’s overall low regard in Minnesota.