Al Franken To Run For U.S. Senate

Posted by Kate Butler Feb 14, 2007

The line between liberal media figures and the Democratic Party has just become a bit blurrier: Al Franken, the man behind such literary favorites as "Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations" and "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right" has decided to throw his name into the ring for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota.

In Franken's books, and on his Air America programs, he is extremely critical of conservative policies and politics in the United States. The decision to run for the Democratic party seems to have been in the works for some time, as he moved back to the Twin Cities in 2005 with his wife Franni.

Franken's decision to enter politics is an interesting development in that media figures critical of politicians are often loathe to enter the political arena themselves. Instead, they are more comfortable pointing out errors and problems with current policies and government decisions. Franken is taking a considerable risk in putting his name forward as he is sure to be seen as an elitist New York liberal by many ordinary Minnesotans. While he is already stressing his middle-class roots, it is certainly going to be a challenging career choice for this accomplished writer.

However difficult this race might be, it is still admirable that Franken has decided to act: with the glut of critics on both the right and the left in the mainstream media today, it is encouraging that one such figure is trying to make a difference instead of just pointing fingers.