Al Franken

[jehop61]

I just read that Sen. Franken said he has no position on assault weapons. I'm amazed. Didn't progressives work their tails off to get him elected? We all cheered when he finally was declared the winner. Since then, what has he done? I haven't seen anything he has fought for or tried to legislate for. Can he be one of the biggest disappoints in the Democratic Party?

Any Minnesotans have insight?

[Angry Dragon]

1. I like Al

I think he is doing okay
Would vote for him again

[el_bryanto]

2. I don't know specifically what is going on here

But sometimes a good person and a good senator might still disagree with you on a position or two.

That said, I'd like the link to where Franken said this, if you have it.

Bryant

[jehop61]

11. Check out Home Page

Maybe I've missed something, but I fully expected to take a lead in the Senate. Sitting passively back and "listening" isn't what I would want in a Senator. But that's me and Debbie Stabenow is my Senator.

[el_bryanto]

17. AH ok

Well - what would be ideal is if my senator already had all of my opinions and charged full steam in implementing them; but that's not how things work. In this case there was a clarification. http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/sen-al-franken-raises-doubts-about-support-for?ref=fpb

A Franken aide told TPM on Thursday that the senator has "consistently supported" a reinstatement of the assault weapons ban, nothing that he was unaware of the the president's exact gun control proposals because the event in Rochester was held at the same time as the White House's announcement.

Bryant

[Little Star]

3. I hope someone answers you.....

I like Franken very much but haven't heard much about what he's been doing in congress.

edit to add: I don't have a problem with his non-position on the ban he probably needs to lay low to keep his seat. I'm just curious what he's been up to.

[brucefan]

4. Where did you read/hear it?

gotta link?

[jehop61]

9. Sorry

I tried to link but it didn't go through. Read the story on the Home Page of DU for this story.

[nick of time]

5. Maybe he's listening to what his constituents want?

Isn't that what he was elected to do, what his constituents want him to do?
Minnesota has a strong history of firearms and he's probably getting a lot of calls against an AWB.

[Morning Dew]

6. No position? Really?

http://www.postbulletin.com/news/politics/franken-backs-gun-control-plan/article_b15db9ab-6909-571d-a7c6-124e38108dc8.html

On the day that President Obama proposed a sweeping package of gun-control measures, U.S. Sen. Al Franken signaled his support for several components of Obama's plan.

Franken, speaking during a press event in Rochester, said he supports limits on ammunition magazines to 10 rounds and tightening the nation's system of background checks. He didn't mention a ban on assault weapons, a key provision of the president's plan, during the visit, but later his staff noted he continues to support the principle of renewing an assault weapons ban, something he said shortly after the massacre at Shady Hook Elementary School where 26 children and staff were killed by a gunman.

Alexandra Fetissoff, Franken's press secretary, said the senator supports a weapons ban in principle but wants to see what a bill contains before saying he'll vote for a specific plan.

Franken's response illustrates the rocky passage the president's aggressive gun-control plan is likely to face in Congress, where legislators will attempt to balance public safety issues with recreational and economic concerns. Minnesota is home to a vibrant gun culture, as well as many retail and gun manufacturing outlets. In talking to Minnesota deer hunters, Franken noted that many use semi-automatic rifles, but use a clip that holds only a few rounds.

[monmouth3]

7. Did you really cheer?

[MrsMatt]

8. Veterans benefits, privacy and mental health parity to name a few

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/07/al-franken-dog-service-animals-troops-military-veterans.html

http://www.minnpost.com/dc-dispatches/2012/12/franken-pushes-last-minute-action-location-privacy-bill

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_22339122/al-franken-seeks-expand-mental-health-care

He's not the firebrand Wellstone was - I think he works more behind the scenes. Wellstone stubbed his toes a few times in the beginning of his senate career in a way that impeded his aims, and I think Al learned from that.

[WI_DEM]

12. And Wellstone wasn't perfect he voted for the Patriot Act & DOMA

[MrsMatt]

16. Indeed, and I believe he regretted those votes n/t

[WI_DEM]

10. Yes, dems/progressives have worked hard for him and he has voted with us

most of the time. I'm not a single issue voter even if I disagree with Franken on the Assault Weapons. Also, it should be said he hasn't yet made up his mind on this issue.

[banned from Kos]

13. Franken is obviously a Third Way Republican lite

he doesn't even moan about the banks 24/7!

Primary him!

[marlakay]

14. I hear he is going to have a tough fight

Keeping his job. I don't know about his state but I live rurally and even the dems here are big pro gun people.

[jwirr]

15. Minnesota has many gun owners that both hunt and collect. My own family owns at least 2 auto-

matic guns because they are collectors. The guns are kept in a safe and family are trained in safe gun handling practices. As another DUer stated in another post - these are not the people we are trying to keep guns from. Also being a rural state they do not see the reasoning behind gun control as much as cities would.

We have also had our own gun incident in a school on the Red Lake Reservation. I honestly do not think gun control would have stopped that incident.

I personally want some of the reforms that President Obama outlined and will support them. But I want enforcible laws that do not take other rights away from us. By the way I agree with all those who are pointing out that things were different when the 2nd Amendment was enacted.

[Whisp]

18. Lawrence O'Donnell knows Al

He did a piece on him a while back and I found it really eye opening. Lawrence used to work in those trenches and he is a very smart man.

Apparently Franken likes it's low profile. You may think he is doing nothing because his name is rarely in the news - and he likes it that way. He wants the people of Minnesota to know he is working for Them and not doing tv interview circuits or going out to promote a book or any shit like that or jump on the national tv to add his hair on fire to the topic of the day.

His time is Theirs.

and about the guns topic, the post above me explains it well why he is neutral on this.

[frazzled]

19. Franken Clarifies: I Support A Reinstatement Of Assault Weapons Ban

Responding to a report Thursday that suggested otherwise, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) made it clear in a statement that he supports "the principle that we should reinstate a ban on assault weapons" and said he "will carefully review any proposal to do that."

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/franken-clarifies-i-support-reinstatement-of-assault-weapons?ref=fpblg

See how much we can do when we barrage our senators with questions and positions? (My nephew in Minnesota wrote him immediately upon reading the article this morning, as I'm sure thousands of others did.)

[MineralMan]

20. Sure. Al's great.

You don't have the correct statement from him. Others have already posted that in this thread.

And no, he's not a disappointment to Minnesotans.

Thanks for asking, though...who are your Senators? We're all curious.

[derby378]

21. Everything I've heard from Franken's campaign...

...says that he supports authorizing a new AWB. I think it was even on his campaign website. Haven't heard anything different from either him or his staff.

[Brickbat]

22. "Can he be one of the biggest disappoints in the Democratic Party?"

[Ptah]

23. Franken Clarifies: I Support A Reinstatement Of Assault Weapons Ban

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014372143

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/franken-clarifies-i-support-reinstatement-of-assault-weapons?ref=fpb

[Wellstone ruled]

24. Al will win the day.

Known Al for many years,very low profile guy. Like many have said,he does work for his constituents,and,he will shun the media stage.

In Minnesota, you have a very large group of what we call the Joe Six Pack crowd. Something similar to southern redneck only with more smarts. These folks tend to be Union supporters and tend to be Liberal on Social issues but a bit backward on family issues. They do love their beer and bullets.

Minny just came off of a huge political landscape swing. Voting out the Rethugs on a state level for first time in several decades,but still retaining the likes of Bachnman,Paulson,Klien and our buddy Colin Peterson. The later group of turds was only accomplished via gerrymandering.

Al will have a tough reelection as he did the first time. With the Religious Tiliban containing about 250-300 thousand in Minny,your ground campaign is what gets you elected. The fundies are able to put thousands of boots on the ground,and they could give a rats ass about progressive issues. It's Al's ground game that will,with the help of the younger voters,get him reelected. Noticed the usual stock fake letters to the Editor showing up in County Yellow Journalism rags already,most owned by Gannett and other Rethug party officals,same format and same story lines and the usual name calling and dog whistles.