Harkin bills his event as a stop for Democrats on their way up: In 2007 the event’s speakers included, among other Democratic presidential wannabes, a first-term U.S. Senator from Illinois named Barack Obama.

This year it’s another first-term senator from a neighboring state — who, after all, has written a book about becoming president – but Al Franken denies that visions of the White House are dancing in his eyes:

I guess that most people who speak at the Steak Fry eventually run for president. I guess that’s been the history but I’m not interested in running for president. I’m coming because I like Tom Harkin and I like steak.

Franken is also co-host at another event this afternoon: a send-off in Minneapolis for Sam and Sylvia Kaplan. The DFL activists and benefactors are relocating to Morocco, where Sam will serve as U.S. ambassador. If Franken is to make it back to Minneapolis for the 4–6 p.m. cocktail reception for the Kaplans, a fundraiser for Wellstone Action, he’ll have to fly. Indianola is a good four hours by car down I-35W.

Here’s the video feed from the Harkin Steak Fry, which should be live from 2:30–3:30 p.m. via iowademocrats.org, which also promises live blogging all day. At the bottom of the post, for your off-hour viewing pleasure (in case you haven’t heard him speak lately), are clips from Obama’s 2007 Steak Fry speech.

Obama at 2007 Harkin Steak Fry, part 1:

Obama at 2007 Harkin Steak Fry, part 2:

Update: Here are the first videos of Franken in Iowa to surface on YouTube:

Doug Burns’ The Harkin Steak Fry Notebook

Be sure to read all of the post Steak Fry Coverage at Iowa Independent.