After weeks of being battered by negative press regarding his past writings and tax issues, Al Franken emerged triumphant from this weekend’s DFL Party convention in Rochester. The former radio host and "Saturday Night Live" writer secured the party’s endorsement on the first ballot to take on Republican Sen. Norm Coleman.  He’ll kick off the post-convention campaign with a rally at the Capitol this morning.

“It’s not enough that we take back the White House," Franken said in his acceptance speech. "It’s not even enough that we take more seats in Congress. We have to take back this government. We have to tell the special interests you’re not so special anymore.”

Franken held off liberal challenger Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, earning support from 62 percent of the delegates on the first ballot, just surpassing the threshold required for endorsement. In a speech before the balloting took place, Franken apologized for his controversial past statements, in which he joked about rape and described sexual fantasies, placating delegates who may have been wavering in their support. "I think he was just very authentic, very honest, very straightforward," said state Sen. Mee Moua, a Franken backer, afterward. "I think people looked at that and they could envision him as a senator."

Franken also received a timely boost from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Feminist Caucus, which endorsed him shortly before the delegates voted. "I think it helped," said caucus chair Jackie Stevenson. "I can’t tell you exactly how significant."

Most Nelson-Pallmeyer supporters expressed confidence in Franken as the party standard-bearer following the disappointing showing by their candidate. "We all want Norm Coleman to go away," said Terry Gydesen, who backed Nelson-Pallmeyer. "That’s what we’re very united on."

Or as another backer of the St. Thomas professor put it: "I think I’d be comfortable with a stone against Norm Coleman."

The convention triumph will not end questions about the viability of Franken’s campaign, however. “It’s one thing to win over DFL delegates at an endorsing convention," said Steven Schier, a political science professor at Carleton College. "It’s another thing to win over the general electorate. We have to see how that plays out."

Attorney Mike Ciresi, who dropped out of the race in March, went public last week with hints that he might restart his campaign, repeatedly telling reporters that "all options are open." Franken’s supporters expressed hope that his strong showing at the convention would derail that effort. "If I were in a position looking at this, thinking whether or not I want to jump in, I would take it definitely as a signal to stay away," said Moua. "If people aren’t getting that message, they should."

Schier also believes that Franken’s smooth convention victory likely closes the door on any revival of Ciresi’s campaign. "I think the fact that Franken gave a good speech and won the endorsement on the first ballot is going to make it pretty hard for Ciresi to re-enter," he said. "It’s going to be an uphill struggle to put together a campaign and run in the primary."

Another open question is whether a credible third-party candidate will enter the fray. Former Gov. Jesse Ventura has speculated about jumping into the race on several occasions. If he ultimately stays on the sidelines, Dean Barkley, who was appointed by Ventura to fill out the Senate term of the late Paul Wellstone, is likely to mount a campaign.

There was some grumbling after the endorsement about Franken’s potential negative effect on down-ballot candidates, especially Democrats running for Congress in tough districts. One veteran DFL operative was aghast at the sight of congressional challengers Ashwin Madia and Elwyn Tinklenberg parading around the stage arm-in-arm with Franken following his acceptance speech, fearing how Republicans would utilize such a photo-op in the fall campaign.

But Tinklenberg, who is seeking to unseat freshman Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann in the 6th District, expressed no such misgivings. "I think Al Franken is going to be a strong candidate," he said afterward. "I think he’s going to show people that his heart and his energy are going to be in the interests of the state."

Franken vowed to wage a vigorous campaign against the incumbent. "We’re gonna get up early, stay up late," he told delegates on Saturday. "We’re gonna do it because 5 million Minnesotans need a voice in Washington and they don’t have one in Norm Coleman.”