Al Franken's campaign hits Thayer Street
Patrick Corey and Franklin Kanin
Issue date: 10/31/07 Section: Campus News
Students who ventured into Blue State Coffee for their caffeine fix yesterday were treated to more than just cream with their coffee. Minnesota Senate hopeful and comedian Al Franken came to the coffee shop Tuesday afternoon to mingle, deliver remarks and - of course - raise money.
Franken, standing at the center of the packed venue, immediately told the crowd why he was running for the U.S. Senate. America was once a great country, he said, and it could be great again.
"I'm running in Minnesota because I want to change the country," Franken, a Democrat, said. "I know our best days are ahead of us."
The crowd at the aptly named coffeehouse was appreciative of the satirist-turned-politician. They booed at the mention of his potential opponent, Republican incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman, and applauded when Franken assured them that he would win the seat.
Franken criticized Coleman's backing from special interest groups and large corporations, and declared his support for campaign finance reform. He proudly announced that, despite relying on contributions from individual supporters, he raised more money than Coleman in the first two quarters. "We need to break the stranglehold of big money," he said.
Franken had been in Boston to raise money for his campaign, but stopped in at Blue State for "something of a fundraiser" hosted by one of the shop's founders (and Franken's Harvard College roommate), Tom Clark.
"We're just doing a little pit stop for a little campaign cash," Franken told The Herald.
When asked for his thoughts on fellow comedian Stephen Colbert's presidential bid, Franken said satirists, like himself, are highly qualified for politics.
"What a satirist does," Franken said, "is look at a situation and find out all the inconsistencies and hypocrisy and absurdities and cuts through all the baloney and gets the truth."
"I think it's really great training for the U.S. Senate," he said.
If elected, Franken said he would focus on health care, the Iraq war and global warming.
Franken, standing at the center of the packed venue, immediately told the crowd why he was running for the U.S. Senate. America was once a great country, he said, and it could be great again.
"I'm running in Minnesota because I want to change the country," Franken, a Democrat, said. "I know our best days are ahead of us."
The crowd at the aptly named coffeehouse was appreciative of the satirist-turned-politician. They booed at the mention of his potential opponent, Republican incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman, and applauded when Franken assured them that he would win the seat.
Franken criticized Coleman's backing from special interest groups and large corporations, and declared his support for campaign finance reform. He proudly announced that, despite relying on contributions from individual supporters, he raised more money than Coleman in the first two quarters. "We need to break the stranglehold of big money," he said.
Franken had been in Boston to raise money for his campaign, but stopped in at Blue State for "something of a fundraiser" hosted by one of the shop's founders (and Franken's Harvard College roommate), Tom Clark.
"We're just doing a little pit stop for a little campaign cash," Franken told The Herald.
When asked for his thoughts on fellow comedian Stephen Colbert's presidential bid, Franken said satirists, like himself, are highly qualified for politics.
"What a satirist does," Franken said, "is look at a situation and find out all the inconsistencies and hypocrisy and absurdities and cuts through all the baloney and gets the truth."
"I think it's really great training for the U.S. Senate," he said.
If elected, Franken said he would focus on health care, the Iraq war and global warming.