Many liberal bloggers are rejoicing in what they see as a turning point for the Al Franken campaign. Jeff Rosenberg writes, "Franken has finally turned around a campaign that had some trouble in the beginning, with plenty of time remaining for the sprint to the finish." MNPublius blogger Aaron Landry notes that since the last poll, sitting senator Norm Coleman has had his lead cut nearly in half: "I guess Minnesotans saw right through the right-wing lies about Franken’s stance on women’s issues and they understand the difference between comedy and what Franken represents as a Senate candidate."

The conservatives see Franken’s possible six-point gain as insignificant, pointing instead to all of the ground he still has to cover. Gary Gross, posting on the conservative group blog "Look True North," states, "I’ve been tracking these polls for months. Franken has difficulty reaching the mid forties. In fact, he’s occasionally had difficulty reaching the forties. It’s difficult to take a challenger seriously if they can’t break the forty percent mark."  Republican political consultant and blogger Michael Brodkorb’s headline focuses on Franken’s lower showing of support among Minnesota’s Democrats in comparison to Coleman’s support among his fellow Republicans.   Inside the post, he gives a detailed analysis of Franken’s possible weakness with independents.  "The fact that Coleman has nearly a 20-point edge over Franken with independents is just devastating," Brodkorb writes.

In last month’s Survey USA/KSTP Poll, Ventura had 26% of the vote – Franken had 27%. This new poll shows Franken at 39% of the vote, while there is 11% for “other” (basically, the stand-in for the Ventura Candidate). The 12 points that Franken picked up were likely ticked-off Democrats that didn’t want to support him in the first place.

This means that Ventura was stealing significant votes from Franken and that even with those Democrats now returning to the DFL fold, Franken STILL can’t get 75% of the vote of the Minnesota Democrats.

Independents find it encouraging, as well. As Mike Grimes states on his blog, "A KSTP Survey poll released Sunday night shows 1 in 9 Minnesotan’s have already decided neither Norm Coleman or Al Franken are worthy of their vote… At 11%… hope exists, and when Colemans [sic] lead becomes 49-35-13 both Coleman and Franken supporters will feel it is safe to support Dean Barkley, Jack Uldrich, or Stephen Williams, and it simply becomes a matter of knocking Coleman under 35%."

Via News Cut, it appears that the reason gas is decreasing in price has less to do with our slowing consumption, and more to do with divine intervention. A group of DC prayer warriors have banded together to use the power of God to lower the price of oil, claiming to be responsible for the 20 cent drop in costs. 

Is it time we all light a candle, then? Maybe. Just don’t do it too close to the pump.

Image: d70focus, Flickr

According to a volunteer who writes on Minneapolis Metblogs, the process takes two applications — and the second ap takes large amounts of time to complete.

“I forwarded you the link to submit the new application,” she tells me, “but you should know it took me like 20 minutes.”

Great. Super. I’m still rolling my eyes. I understand background checks and security clearance are important, but seriously — 20 minutes? No wonder they’re shy volunteers. Anyone in Generation X or Y probably won’t make it past the 3-4 minute mark.

Greg gives full details of the ap to end all aps, which includes cumbersome passwords, detailed autobiographies and extensive ratings on preferred tasks in a blog post that likely is not much shorter than the application itself.

"I say, why not Sept 1 at the GOP convention? Are our breasts not good enough?" asks the MNSpeak poster. 

 Perhaps the security team feels there is already enough to handle.

No word on if the donors got a lovely John McCain golf tote.

Yes, no, maybe, not enough — everyone in Minnesota wants to weigh in, and no one seems to be able to agree.

Hopefully, as the days progress there will be more important issues to address. Currently, "Al Franken"+Playboy+apology brings up 127 blog hits. "$4 gas"+ Minnesota gives you 48. When those two search strings even out more, then there may be a real discussion.

In the wake of discovering that Franken wrote articles for Playboy magazine eight years ago, Planned Parenthood has now weighed in and stated that it may find it difficult to allow its political arm to endorse the candidate.

Legislative Director Connie Perpich states in a letter that the group is “very concerned by the misogynist remarks of some of these statements and find them degrading to women.” Sarah Stoesz, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund in Minnesota, says, “Minnesotans deserve, and in November will demand, candidates for state and federal office who reflect our values.”

Regardless of the fact that Franken has been an active Planned Parenthood fundraiser and is listed as one of its “high-profile supporters,” it seems that the support only goes in only one direction.

Continued: Click “Read more”Sen. Norm Coleman has never written locker-room humor for a men’s magazine but he has voted against the interest of Planned Parenthood regularly.

In 2005 Coleman voted against $100 million in funding to reduce teen pregnancy through education and contraception. As of 2006, he has received a rating of 100 percent from the National Right to Life Committee. And in his latest speech at the state Republican Party convention last weekend, he stated that all life should be supported “from conception to natural death.”

For Planned Parenthood to state that it may consider withholding endorsement from anyone who could remove this type of anti-choice legislator is nothing short of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Sophomoric articles in men’s magazines don’t hurt women half as much as legislation that erodes access to birth control and sexual health education.

“We, the DFL Feminist Caucus, have never been a part of the efforts discussed in the Star Tribune article or other similar efforts. It was as much of a surprise to us/me as it was to you,” Pokornowski said in an email to Minnesota Monitor. Pokornowski made it very clear that the write-in campaign was initiated by Horbal and in no way reflected the views of the caucus as a whole. We have never spoken about this “protest” inside or outside our meetings, nor has one ever addressed it with us… It violates everything I believe as a person/DFLer.”

This is not the first time Horbal has been involved in an “alternative candidate” controversy. At the 1980 Democratic National Convention, Horbal garnered votes as a challenger to Jimmy Carter even though she wasn’t a candidate. Carter won the nomination, while Horbal got five votes.

After discussing the story with Minnesota Monitor, Pokornowski sent out a press release:

Press Release:

Statement of DFL Feminist Caucus President Mari Pokornowski

“I want to make it absolutely clear that assertions that the DFL Feminist Caucus is encouraging a “protest” write-in effort for Hillary Clinton in the general election for President of the United States, are absolutely false.

In addition, please be advised that neither me, or any official of the Caucus, had any involvement in promoting the Star Tribune article quoting a well known Minnesota feminist saying she personally would write-in Hillary Clinton for president as a “protest” and would encourage others to do the same. (“Feminist leader says no to Obama,” Star Tribune, May 30, 2008)

The DFL Feminist Caucus has never discussed this “protest” inside or outside our meetings nor has anyone ever address it with us.  As president, I would have aggressively discouraged such an effort.  Indeed, to promote such an effort would violate the very tenets of our political party.

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“We, the DFL Feminist Caucus, have never been a part of the efforts discussed in the Star Tribune article or other similar efforts. It was as much of a surprise to us/me as it was to you,” Pokornowski said in an email to Minnesota Monitor. Pokornowski made it very clear that the write-in campaign was initiated by Horbal and in no way reflected the views of the caucus as a whole. We have never spoken about this “protest” inside or outside our meetings, nor has one ever addressed it with us… It violates everything I believe as a person/DFLer.”

This is not the first time Horbal has been involved in an “alternative candidate” controversy. At the 1980 Democratic National Convention, Horbal garnered votes as a challenger to Jimmy Carter even though she wasn’t a candidate. Carter won the nomination, while Horbal got five votes.

After discussing the story with Minnesota Monitor, Pokornowski sent out a press release. Read it after the jump.

Press Release:

Statement of DFL Feminist Caucus President Mari Pokornowski

“I want to make it absolutely clear that assertions that the DFL Feminist Caucus is encouraging a “protest” write-in effort for Hillary Clinton in the general election for President of the United States, are absolutely false.

In addition, please be advised that neither me, or any official of the Caucus, had any involvement in promoting the Star Tribune article quoting a well known Minnesota feminist saying she personally would write-in Hillary Clinton for president as a “protest” and would encourage others to do the same. (“Feminist leader says no to Obama,” Star Tribune, May 30, 2008)

The DFL Feminist Caucus has never discussed this “protest” inside or outside our meetings nor has anyone ever address it with us.  As president, I would have aggressively discouraged such an effort.  Indeed, to promote such an effort would violate the very tenets of our political party.

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