Cillizza on Franken: ‘He has slipped’

Sen. Norm Coleman’s seat has slipped to the ninth most likely to switch parties in the fall, according to the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza. Earlier this year the seat being sought by Al Franken had been rated as high as sixth on "The Line." Here’s Cillizza’s assessment of Franken’s recent difficulties:

9. Minnesota (R): Al Franken giveth and Al Franken taketh away. After running a nearly error-free primary campaign that all but cleared the field for him, Franken has endured more than a month of negative stories that have some Democrats wondering if nominating him, which the party officially did earlier this month, might have been a mistake. The latest problem for Franken? The unearthing of a column he penned for Playboy magazine nearly a decade ago on Internet pornography, which led to Rep. Betty McCollum, a Democrat who backed Franken’s opponent in the primary, to condemn the candidate. Not good. And Sen. Norm Coleman (R) has begun advertising with commercials that effectively paint the incumbent as a bipartisan dealmaker. All is not lost for Democrats, as there is plenty of time for Franken to regain his footing. But make no mistake: He has slipped. (Previous ranking: 7)

Meanwhile oft-quoted University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato has released his latest rankings of competitive House races. Only two Minnesota contests make the cut. The Third Congressional District, not surprisingly, is deemed a toss-up, with DFL’er Ashwin Madia and Republican Erik Paulsen vying for the open seat. Sabato also deems Minnesota’s First Congressional District, held by freshman Democrat Rep. Tim Walz, "likely Democrat."