More Minnesota Senate

The Times would like us to know that Franken's not joking around; of course the Gray Lady being the Gray Lady, it's mostly a fluff piece. All the news that fits and what not.

Coleman Slams Franken

Liberal comedian Al Franken has attempted to show that his Senate candidacy in Minnesota isn't a joke. But Republican Norm Coleman's ad, documenting Franken's flip-flops on Iraq, makes it just that.


Oh and I have to wonder whether the Coleman campaign doesn't think Mike Ciresi, Franken's most significant challenger for the nomination, is the weaker of the two candidates in a general election. Neither candidate will be ill-funded - Ciresi is individually wealthy while Franken can tap into the pockets of the Hollywood elite. But whereas Franken may get some pass - he's a famous comedian and thus may be allowed some of the same flexibility that was afforded to Ahnold when he first ran for governor - Ciresi will be running more on the issues. I think Coleman's partially gambling that Iraq will continue to improve, and that Ciresi's opposition will begin to appear rather foolish.

Of course this sort of aggression on Coleman's part is entirely necessary. Minnesota's always been purplish, but is beginning to turn blue; in a presidential year, that only complicates things for him.
(H/t CQ)

Romney's Gamble

For months now, the Chatterati have been discussing whether or not Mitt Romney would have the gumption to give "the speech" - an address on his Mormon faith akin to JFK's famous airing of his "Catholic problem." Well, he's finally decided to roll the dice as CBS and the Politico report.

Both articles suggest - and my thoughts were similar before I read their take - that Romney's attempting to win back social conservatives who have recently been lured away by Mike Huckabee, and that Romney has also been goaded by Huckabee's recent performance in the polls.

That being said, I don't know if it's a wise gamble. Social conservatives attracted to Huckabee by his strong social stances (he's a Baptist minister after all) are, I think, unlikely to return to Romney. Huckabee's also likely helped among social conservatives who are feeling economically pinched - I've long believed his Bible-thumping populism to be a potent formula If Romney bombs, he's in real danger; if it's a home run, it still may have little effect.

It Just Keeps Getting Crazier

The headline could refer to college football, where last night's upset of #1 Mizzou and #2 West Virginia mean that the national title game is a wide open affair (Ohio State and...well make your case here). It's also a clarion call for a playoff.

But what I'm really referring to today is the Republican race, where in the last few days not only has Mike Huckabee taken his first lead in a poll (actually two), up 29-24 over Mitt Romney in a D-M Register poll, and up 28-25 in a Rasmussen poll conducted at almost the same time. So Iowa's up for grabs.

There's also Rudy's little scandal this week - which I don't think is a scandal at all, but I'll talk more about that in the future.

Of course the big news this morning - and it had been rumbling for hours before hand - is that the Manchester Union-Leader has endorsed John McCain. The Arizona Senator is all over the map in polls - sometimes a distant third, sometimes tied with Giuliani for second, but never really challenging Romney's lead. However, McCain won here in 2000 and given that this is his do-or-die state, he'll likely be focusing most of his efforts there in the coming weeks. It just keeps getting crazier.