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

[IChing]

A former Saturday Night Live writer and Air America host is beginning to pull in some big bucks from some big names for his Senate run, a Capitol Hill newspaper reports.

"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."

Stein, a former speechwriter and lawyer for Republican Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, received criticism from the right for his support of the left-leaning Franken, revealed in his campaign's FEC report.

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.

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

[NYCGirl]

1. Well, good for Ben Stein!

Go get 'em Al!


:applause:

[Virginia Dare]

2. Slightly OT...

but I was just reading this morning that Ben Stein and Carl Bernstein grew up right next door from each other in the D.C. suburbs. They were apparently childhood friends. Small world.

[IChing]

5. I don't like Ben Stein but this just shows that

if he gave money to Al then Norm Coleman is in real trouble.

[Virginia Dare]

6. Remember this bizarre story about Norm?

I've always had the sense that something is going on with him...

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2007/01/norm_coleman_injured_in_dumpst.html

[IChing]

8. I remember the sex in the parking lot scandal but not the dumpster

Bizarre to say the least.

All I know is that Coleman and his dad sure do seem to get caught in weird places. Remember last year, the pizza joint in St. Paul? Um, yeah, that's where the senior Mr. Coleman, the Senator's then 81-year-old father, got caught having sex in the parking lot.

[gilpo]

11. can I get an amen to that!

we in MN long to be rid of the slimebag

[blondeatlast]

10. That IS bizarre. Nixon's speechwriter friends with the journalist

who helped break the Watergate story (for those who might be unfamiliar with one or both names).

[mzmolly]

3. Wow! VERY interesting.

:toast:

[progressoid]

4. Wow, that's a little bizarre.

[KamaAina]

7. Whoa! Ben Stein has always been a repuke

in fact, he was a speechwriter for Nixon himself.

So in two days, we see Bloomberg cast the GOP aside like a soiled glove, and Nixon's ex-speechwriter giving $$$ to a Dem. It's schadenfreude time! :bounce:

[TahitiNut]

21. Both Nixon and Ford were far more liberal than the current crop of GOP crap.

Stein is more of a curmudgeonly iconophile than a necroconservative.

[CrazyForKucinich]

9. Franken will not be the nominee

His politics suck...Minnesota is a very independent state when it comes to politics...10 % of the voting population only listens to common sense people and will vote in the same vein. Al does not have any. Republicans have 45% base here and that will not move unless whatever Independent takes some of that support for Al to win...I'm thinking a strong independent liberal voice will win the 08 senate seat here. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer or Mike Ciresi are his challengers. Ciresi has money, Pallmeyer has ideas...both are to the left of Franken. If Franken gets the nod, that will ensure an Independent candidate will run and take enough of the vote for Norm Coleman to win again.

If you need any examples...just look at our past 3 elections for Governor...especially the last 2.

Franken will not win.

[IChing]

12. Don't know much about Minnesota politics

I hope you are right that someone progressive will win in your state.
Norm Coleman has to go.

[dflprincess]

15. Where are you getting the 45% Republican from?

If you look at the senate race between Klobuchar and Mark Kennedy, Klobuchar won with 58% of the vote to Kennedy's 38% and Klobuchar is no more progressive than Franken. There was no viable 3rd party challenge in last year's senate race.

I know Ciresi has said he will abide by the endorsement (as will Franken), so where will the independent liberal voice come from if Franken is the candidate?

[CrazyForKucinich]

20. Klobuchar got a pass

The last thing we needed was 2 Republican senators here.

Expect the electorate to be a hell of a lot more pissed and Iraq to be THE ISSUE in a year and half as things continue to tumble into more chaos.

Franken, who supports the war or Coleman who supports the war is not a choice. I sure hope to hell the Democrats will not support him. They'd be really stupid to. Easy victory is get the fuck out of Iraq. Franken is not for that.

[frankenforpres]

17. what are you talking about?

How do Al's politics suck? he is for UHC and against the war

[CrazyForKucinich]

18. He is for the continued occupation of Iraq

That is for the war.

[hyphenate]

13. Ben and Al have been friends

for years. I remember in the first couple of weeks of Al doing Air America, Ben would call in occasionally and they would talk.

[DeeDeeNY]

14. I was under the impression they were friends

Franken used to have Ben Stein on his radio show from time to time and it appeared that no matter how nutty Stein's political views were, he respected Franken.

[RaleighNCDUer]

16. This is a Franken-Stein story? nt

[IChing]

19. Clever.......LOL

worthy of a DUzy.........:) :rofl: