Franken 'wins' Ben Stein's money for Senate run

[Bombtrack]

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Franken_wins_Ben_Steins_money_for_0620.html

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"Al Franken won Ben Stein’s money — and high-dollar contributions from scads of other celebrities in his bid for Minnesota’s Democratic Senate nomination, according to Federal Election Commission reports," Nicole Duran reports for Roll Call. "Stein, who hosted the eponymous Comedy Central game show 'Win Ben Stein’s Money' for six years, gave the former 'Saturday Night Live' writer $1,000."

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At the Radio Equalizer, Brian Mahoney wanted to know what was "behind Ben Stein's bizarre contribution," and points to a "a sharp-eyed blogger" at Fraters Libertas who wrote the longtime Republican to find out why.

The blogger asked Stein "why in the world do you want to stick up poor Minnesotans (and the rest of the country) with a comedian who fancies himself a second coming of secular St. Wellstone?"

"Al is a close friend and one of the smartest people I have ever met," Stein told the blogger.

The Roll Call article notes that "lmost 40 other celebrities from 'Xena, Warrior Princess' star Lucy Lawless to Larry Hagman — Major Nelson on 'I Dream of Jeannie' and J.R. Ewing on 'Dallas,' stoked Franken’s campaign war chest. Lawless gave Franken $2,000 and Hagman chipped in $500. Franken is competing with wealthy Minneapolis attorney Mike Ciresi (D) for the right to take on Sen. Norm Coleman (R) next year."

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[Fridays Child]

1. Does this mean Stein is turning blue or Franken is turning red?

[AndreaCG]

2. Friendship trumps politics this time

I hate listening to Ben Stein's RW spin on CBS Sunday Morning but his game show was quite good.

[Bombtrack]

3. Ben has seemed increasingly disillusioned with with things like the War and economy the last times I

have seen him interviewed. He's also long been contrarian in his conservatism when it comes to things like unions, which he supports.

I'm sure he'll always be a republican but he isn't the type who doesn't have trust in any Democrats. He's got lots of them as friends including Al and Jimmy Kimmel (yes Jimmy is a Dem).

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

4. Al & Ben have been friends for years. Al had him on his radio

show quite a bit.

Also, stein is really no dummy. He must realize that coleman is a sycophant, snake bellied, lily-livered, moran with bad hair & worse teeth.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

5. Stein is a Nixonite,

Contemporary Convervatism is on an entirely different plane,

[LeighAnn]

6. I've always considered him a right-wing bonehead

This is most surprising!

[Capn Sunshine]

7. He's also an urbane and witty Friedman devotee (Supply Sider)

Note in his appearance in "Ferris Bueller" he's lecturing them on the Laffer curve, with appropos responses