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Al Franken: Progressive Democrats
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During the 2004 presidential election, Franken was at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, New Hampshire, attending a rally for governor Howard Dean in his bid for the Democratic Party Presidential nomination. A heckler attempted to shout down the governor, who was taking questions from the audience. When theater manager Peter Ramsey tried to calm the situation, the man began pushing and elbowing Ramsey. According to the New Hampshire Union Leader, at that point Franken assisted Ramsey by temporarily restraining the heckler. When a second heckler appeared, "Franken and three other men escort[ed] the second heckler out the stage door."[27] The first heckler then left quietly after Ramsey threatened to call the police. Franken said he wasn't backing Dean, but that he was upholding the right to free speech, and that he "would have done it if [the heckler] was a Dean supporter at a Kerry rally."
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During the 2004 presidential election, Franken was at a support rally for governor Howard Dean in his bid for the Democratic Party nomination. A protestor attempted to shout down the governor, who was taking questions from the audience. Two members of Dean’s security team immediately moved toward the man, who shoved and elbowed them. According to the New Hampshire Union Leader, at that point Franken emerged from the crowd and was elbowed in the face by the heckler. Franken, a former high school wrestler, used a takedown move in an attempt to immobilize the man, who eventually left the premises after theater manager Peter Ramsey threatened to call police.[9] Franken said his tackle had nothing to do with Dean specifically, but that he was upholding the right to free speech, and that he "would have done it if [the heckler] was a Dean supporter at a Kerry rally."
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Franken is a long-time Democrat. He became interested in the problem of predatory -- this is serious -- he became interested in the problem of predatory lending when he met John Taylor, president of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition in Iowa several years ago. Franken was covering a focus group organized by NCRC -- for the NCRC by Democratic pollster, Jennifer Lazlo (sp) Mesrahai (sp) and Republican pollster, Frank Luntz (sp), under a Ford Foundation grant to look at fair lending. Following the focus group, they repaired to a local watering hole and discussed the economic justice matters more fully. (Laughter.) Since then, they've stayed in close contact, and Mr. Franken spoke at their annual conference in Washington for the past two years.
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Franken's celebrity is likely to give him an edge over other Democrats in getting attention, but is no guarantee he'll get past the primary. Besides Ciresi, other names mentioned as potential candidates include state senators Tarryl Clark, Mee Moua and Tom Bakk, and state Rep. Joe Atkins.
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In the 2006 midterm elections, Franken's Midwest Values political action committee raised more than $1 million to benefit Democratic candidates. Cementing relationships for a future Senate run, Franken traveled the state to entertain at candidate rallies.
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