Al franken wikipedia(highlighted)

Al Franken
United States Senator
from Minnesota
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 7, 2009[note 1]
Serving with Amy Klobuchar
Preceded by Norm Coleman
Personal details
Born Alan Stuart Franken
May 21, 1951
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political
party
Democratic
Spouse(s) Franni Bryson (1975–present)
Children 2
Education Harvard University (BA)
Signature
Website Senate website
(http://franken.senate.gov)
Campaign website
(http://alfranken.com)
Al Franken
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alan Stuart "Al" Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an
American politician, comedian, actor, and writer. He is
currently the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He
became well known in the 1970s and 1980s as a writer and
performer on the television comedy show Saturday Night
Live. After several decades as a comedic actor and writer, he
became a prominent liberal political activist. Franken was first
elected to the United States Senate in 2008 in a narrow
victory over incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman,
and then handily won re-election in 2014 over Republican
challenger Mike McFadden. Franken is a member of the
Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), an
affiliate of the Democratic Party.
Born in New York City, Franken moved to Minnesota when
he was four but he later went back to the East Coast and
attended Harvard College. With his writing partner Tom
Davis, with whom he had developed an interest in
improvisational theatre in high school, he was hired as a writer
for SNL at its inception in 1975. He worked on the show as a
writer and performer until 1980, and returned from 1985 to
1995. After leaving SNL, he wrote and acted in movies and
television shows. He also hosted a nationally syndicated,
political radio talk show, The Al Franken Show, and wrote six
books, four of which are political satires critical of
conservative politics.
Contents
1 Early life and education
2 Saturday Night Live
3 Post-SNL
4 Political activism prior to election
5 U.S. Senate
5.1 Elections
5.1.1 2008
5.1.2 2014
5.2 Tenure
5.3 Committee assignments
6 Books and CDs
6.1 Books
6.2 CDs and compilations
7 Filmography
Al Franken - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Franken
1 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

8 Electoral history
9 Personal life
10 See also
11 Notes
12 References
13 External links
Early life and education
Franken was born on May 21, 1951, in New York City, the son of Joseph Franken, a printing salesman, and
Phoebe Franken (née Kunst), a real estate agent. His paternal grandparents emigrated from Germany; his
maternal grandfather came from Grodno, Belarus, and his maternal grandmother's parents were also from the
Russian Empire.[1] Both of his parents were Jewish, and Al was raised in a Reform Jewish home.[2] The Franken
family moved to Albert Lea, Minnesota, when Al was four years old.[3] His father opened a quilting factory – but
after just two years, the factory failed. The family moved to St. Louis Park, Minnesota, a suburb of
Minneapolis.[4] Franken graduated from The Blake School in 1969, where he was a member of the wrestling
team.[5] He attended Harvard College where he majored in government, graduating cum laude (top 25% of the
class) with a Bachelor of Arts in 1973.[6] His older brother Owen is a photojournalist, and his cousin Bob is a
journalist for MSNBC.[7]
Franken began performing in high school where he, along with his friend and long-time writing partner Tom
Davis, were known for their humor.[8] The two first performed on stage at Minneapolis' Brave New Workshop
theater, specializing in political satire.[9] They soon found themselves in what was described as "a life of
near-total failure on the fringes of show business in Los Angeles."[10]
Saturday Night Live
Franken and Davis were recruited as two of the original writers (and occasional performers) on Saturday Night
Live (SNL) (1975–1980, 1985–1995). In Season 1 of SNL, as apprentice writers, the two shared a salary of $350
per week.[8] Franken received seven Emmy nominations and three awards for his television writing and
producing while creating such characters as self-help guru Stuart Smalley. Another routine proclaimed the 1980s
to be the "Al Franken Decade".[11] Franken and Davis wrote the script to the 1986 comedy film One More
Saturday Night, appearing in it as rock singers in a band called "Bad Mouth". They also appeared in minor roles
in All You Need Is Cash and in the Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd film Trading Places.
On Weekend Update near the end of Season 5, Franken delivered a commentary called "A Limo For A
Lame-O". He mocked controversial NBC president Fred Silverman as "a total unequivocal failure" and displayed
a chart showing the poor ratings of NBC programs. As a result of this sketch, Silverman refused Lorne Michaels'
request that Franken succeed him as producer, prompting Franken to leave the show when Michaels did, at the
end of the 1979–80 season.[12] Franken later returned to the show in 1985 as a writer, and also as an occasional
performer. Franken has acknowledged using cocaine while working in the television business.[13] In 1995,
Franken left the show in protest over losing the role of Weekend Update anchor to Norm Macdonald.[14]
In his second stint with the show, one of Franken's most memorable recurring roles was Stuart Smalley, who
hosted "Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley."
2 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

Franken entertaining troops at
Ramstein Air Base in December 2000
Post-SNL
In 1995, Franken wrote the original screenplay and starred in the film
Stuart Saves His Family, which was a critical and commercial failure.[15]
Franken became depressed following the movie's failure.[16] With an
aggregate rating of 27% on Rotten Tomatoes,[17] Stuart Saves His Family
did receive a number of favorable reviews, including from the
Washington Post[18] and Gene Siskel.[19]
Franken is the author of four books that made the New York Times
best-seller list.[20] In 2003, Penguin Books published Franken's book Lies
and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the
Right, a satirical book on American politics and conservatism. The book's
title incorporated the Fox News slogan, "Fair and Balanced," and
included a cover photo of Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly; in August that year Fox News sued, claiming
infringement of its registered trademark phrase.[21][22] A federal judge found the lawsuit to be "wholly without
merit". The incident with Fox focused media attention on Franken's book and, according to Franken, greatly
increased its sales.[23][24] The publicity resulting from the lawsuit propelled Franken's yet-to-be-released book to
#1 on Amazon.com.[25]
Franken signed a one-year contract in early 2004 to host a talk show for Air America Radio's flagship program
with co-host Katherine Lanpher, who remained with the show until October 2005. The network was launched
March 31, 2004. Originally named The O'Franken Factor but renamed The Al Franken Show on July 12, 2004,
the show aired three hours a day, five days a week for three years. The stated goal of the show was to provide
the public airwaves with more progressive views to counter what Franken perceived to be the dominance of
conservative syndicated commentary on the radio: "I'm doing this because I want to use my energies to get Bush
unelected," he told a New York Times reporter in 2004.[26] Franken's last radio show on Air America Radio was
on February 14, 2007, at the end of which Franken announced his candidacy for the United States Senate.[27]
Franken also co-wrote the film When a Man Loves a Woman, co-created and starred in the NBC sitcom
LateLine, and appeared in the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate.
In 2003, Franken served as a Fellow with Harvard's Kennedy School of Government at the Joan Shorenstein
Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy.[11] Since 2005, Franken has been a contributor at The Huffington
Post.[28]
Franken has toured Iraq several times with the United Service Organizations.[29] On March 25, 2009, Franken
was presented with the USO's-Metro Merit Award for his 10 years' involvement with the organization.[30][31]
Political activism prior to election
According to an article by Richard Corliss published in Time, "In a way, Franken has been running for office
since the late '70s." Corliss also hinted at Franken's "possibly ironic role as a relentless self-promoter" in
proclaiming the 1980s "the Al Franken Decade" and saying, "Vote for me, Al Franken. You'll be glad you
did!"[32] In 1999, Franken released a parody book, Why Not Me?, detailing his hypothetical campaign for
President in 2000. He had been a strong supporter of Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone and was deeply affected
by the Senator's death in a plane crash shortly before the 2002 election. Wellstone was a mentor[33][34] and
political and personal role model for Franken, with Franken stating his hopes of following in the late Senator’s
3 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

Al Franken with Senator Paul Simon
in 1991
Franken giving a political speech in
Rochester, Minnesota
footsteps.[35][36]
Franken said he learned that 21% of Americans received most of their
news from talk radio, an almost exclusively conservative medium.[32]
Said Franken, "I didn't want to sit on the sidelines, and I believed Air
America could make a difference."[32] In November 2003, Franken
talked about moving to his home state of Minnesota to run for the
Senate. At the time the seat, once held by Wellstone, was occupied by
Republican Norm Coleman. At a 2004 Democratic presidential campaign
event, Franken tackled a man who was heckling Governor Howard Dean.
[37] In 2005, Franken announced his move to Minnesota: "I can tell you
honestly, I don't know if I'm going to run, but I'm doing the stuff I need to
do in order to do it."[38] In late 2005, Franken started his own political
action committee, called Midwest Values PAC. By early 2007, the PAC
raised more than $1 million.[39][40]
Franken was the subject of the 2006 documentary film Al Franken: God
Spoke, which was, according to the New York Times, "an investigation of
the phenomenon of ideological celebrity."[41]
Franken initially supported the Iraq War but opposed the 2007 troop
surge. In an interview with MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough,[42] Franken said
that he "believed Colin Powell", whose presentation at the United
Nations convinced him that the war was necessary. However, since then
he had come to believe that "we were misled into the war" and urged the
Democratically controlled Congress to refuse to pass appropriations bills
to fund the war if they don't include timetables for leaving Iraq. In an
interview with Josh Marshall, Franken said of the Democrats, "I think
we've gotta make President George W. Bush say, 'OK, I'm cutting off
funding because I won't agree to a timetable.'"[43]
Franken favors transitioning to a universal health care system,[44] with
the provision that every child in America should receive health care
coverage immediately. Franken objects to efforts to privatize Social Security or cut benefits. He favors raising
the cap on wages to which Social Security taxes apply.[45] On his 2008 campaign website, he voiced support for
cutting subsidies for oil companies, increasing money available for college students, and cutting interest rates on
student loans.[46][47]
During the 2008 election, New York state officials asserted that Al Franken Inc. had failed to carry required
workers' compensation insurance for employees who assisted him with his comedy and public speaking from
2002 to 2005. Franken paid a $25,000 fine to the state of New York upon being advised his corporation was out
of compliance with the state's workers' compensation laws.[48] At the same time, the California Franchise Tax
Board reported that the same corporation owed more than $4,743.40 in taxes, fines, and associated penalties in
the state of California for 2003 through 2007 because the corporation did not file tax returns in the state for
those years.[49] A Franken representative said that it followed the advice of an accountant who believed when
the corporation stopped doing business in California that no further filing was required.[50] Subsequently,
Franken paid $70,000 in back income taxes in 17 states dating back to 2003, mostly from Franken's speeches
and other paid appearances. Franken said he paid the income tax in his state of residence, and he would seek
retroactive credit for paying the taxes in the wrong states.[51]
4 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

Franken campaigning for U.S. Senate
U.S. Senate
Elections
2008
On January 29, 2007, Franken announced his departure from Air
America Radio,[27] and on the day of his final show, February 14,
Franken formally announced his candidacy for the United States Senate
from Minnesota in 2008.[52] Challenging him for the Democratic–
Farmer–Labor Party endorsement was Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, a
professor, author, and activist. Other candidates were trial lawyer Mike
Ciresi and attorney and human rights activist Jim Cohen, who had
dropped out of the race earlier.[53] Franken won the nomination with
65% of the vote.
On July 8, 2007, Franken's campaign stated that it expected to announce
that Franken had raised more money than Republican opponent Norm
Coleman during the second quarter of the year, taking in $1.9 million to
Coleman's $1.6 million,[54][55] although in early July 2007, Coleman's
$3.8 million cash on hand exceeded Franken's $2 million.[55]
In late May 2008, the Minnesota Republican Party released a letter
regarding an article Franken had written for Playboy in 2000 entitled
"Porn-O-Rama!". The letter, signed by six prominent GOP women,
including a state senator and state representative, called on Franken to apologize for what they referred to as a
"demeaning and degrading" article.[56] Al Franken's campaign spokesman responded that, "Al had a long career
as a satirist. But he understands the difference between what you say as a satirist and what you do as a senator.
And as a Senator, Norm Coleman has disrespected the people of Minnesota by putting the Exxons and
Halliburtons ahead of working families. And there's nothing funny about that."[56]
On June 7, 2008, Franken was endorsed at the DFL convention.[57] In a July 2008 interview with CNN, Franken
was endorsed by Ben Stein, the noted entertainer, speechwriter, lawyer and author who is known for his
conservative views and generally supports Republican candidates.[58] Stein said of Franken, "He is my pal, and
he is a really, really capable smart guy. I don't agree with all of his positions, but he is a very impressive guy, and
I think he should be in the Senate."
During his campaign for the Senate, Franken was criticized for advising SNL creator Lorne Michaels on a
political sketch ridiculing Senator John McCain's ads attacking Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential
election.[59] Coleman's campaign reacted, saying, "Once again, he proves he's more interested in entertainment
than service, and ridiculing those with whom he disagrees."[60]
Preliminary reports on election night, November 4, had Coleman ahead by over 700 votes, but the official results
certified on November 18, 2008, had Coleman leading by only 215 votes. As the two candidates were separated
by less than 0.5 percent, the Secretary of State of Minnesota Mark Ritchie, authorized an automatic recount
stipulated in Minnesota election law. In the recount, ballots and certifying materials were examined by hand, and
candidates could file challenges to the legality of ballots or materials for inclusion or exclusion with regard to the
recount. On January 5, 2009, the Minnesota State Canvassing Board certified the recounted vote totals, with
Franken ahead by 225 votes.[61]
5 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

Franken meeting with Vice President
Joe Biden in May 2009
On January 6, 2009, Coleman's campaign filed an election contest, which led to a trial before a three-judge
panel.[62] The trial ended on April 7, when the panel ruled that 351 of 387 disputed absentee ballots were
incorrectly rejected and ordered them counted. Counting those ballots raised Franken's lead to 312 votes.
Coleman appealed to the Minnesota Supreme Court on April 20.[63][64][65] On April 24, the Minnesota Supreme
Court agreed to hear the case.[66][67] and oral arguments were conducted on June 1.[66][68]
On June 30, 2009, the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously rejected Coleman's appeal and said that Franken
was entitled to be certified as the winner. Shortly after the court's decision, Coleman conceded.[69] Governor Tim
Pawlenty signed Franken’s election certificate that same evening.[70]
In July 2010, Minnesota Majority, a conservative watchdog group, conducted a study in which they flagged
2,803 voters for examination including some 1,359 suspected to be ineligible convicted felons in the largely
Democratic Minneapolis-St. Paul area who were suspected of voting illegally in the Senate race.[71][72]
Subsequent investigations of Minnesota Majority's claims by election officials found that many of their
allegations were incorrect.[73][74][75] Ramsey County officials narrowed their investigation to 180 cases, while
Hennepin County examined 216 cases.[76] As of July 2010, the Ramsey County Attorney's Office had brought
charges against 28 people.[72] In August 2010, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office received for investigation
110 alleged cases of voter fraud during the 2008 election. In October 2010, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office
concluded that there was enough evidence to charge six people for voter fraud. "Three of the suspects face two
felony charges. Three other suspects each face one felony charge."[77] In October 2010, Hennepin County
Attorney Mike Freeman announced that charges would be brought against 43 felons for illegally voting in
2008.[78]
2014
Franken was re-elected to a second term in 2014. He faced primary challenger Sandra Henningsgard, winning
the nomination on August 12, 2014.[79] He won the election against Republican Mike McFadden with 53.9% of
the vote.[80]
Tenure
Franken was sworn into the senate on July 7, 2009, 246 days after
election.[81][82] Franken was sworn in with the Bible of late Minnesota
Senator Paul Wellstone, whose old seat was set aside by senate leaders
for Franken.[83][84]
On August 6, 2009, Franken presided over the confirmation vote of
Sonia Sotomayor to be an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme
Court.[85] A year later, on August 5, 2010, Franken presided over the
confirmation vote of Elena Kagan. His first piece of legislation, the
Service Dogs for Veterans Act, which he wrote jointly with Republican
Johnny Isakson, passed the senate with unanimous consent, and
established a program with the United States Department of Veterans
Affairs to pair disabled veterans with service dogs.[86]
A video began circulating on the Internet of Franken at the Minnesota State Fair on September 2, 2009, engaging
in a discussion with a group of Tea Party protesters on health care reform, and soon went viral.[87][88] The
discussion was noted for its civility, in contrast to the explosive character of several other discussions between
6 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

members of the 111th Congress and their constituents that had occurred over the summer.[87][89][90]
During the debate on health care reform, Franken was one of the strongest supporters of a single-payer
system.[91] He authored an amendment, called the Medical Loss Ratio, to the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act that required insurance companies spend at least 80% of premiums on actual health care costs, rising to
85% for large group plans.[92] In June 2013, it was reported that the amendment had saved consumers $3.4
billion on premiums and resulted in nationwide rebates of $1.1 billion in 2012 and $500 million in 2013.[93] On
September 30, 2013, Franken voted to remove a provision which would repeal the medical device tax in
Obamacare from a government funding bill.[94][95] Although Franken says he is in favor of the provision, he
disagreed with it being used as a condition in preventing the 2013 federal government shutdown.[96]
Citing the case of Jamie Leigh Jones, Franken offered an amendment to the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill
that would withhold defense contracts from companies that restrict their employees from taking workplace
sexual assault, battery, and discrimination cases to court. It passed the senate in November 2010, 68 to 30 in a
roll-call vote.[97]
In May 2010, Franken proposed a financial reform legislation amendment which would create a board to select
which credit rating agency would evaluate a given security; currently any companies issuing a security may
select which company evaluates the security.[98] The amendment was passed; however, the financial industry
lobbied to have Franken's amendment removed from the final bill.[99] Negotiations between the senate and
House, whose version of financial reform did not include such a provision, resulted in the amendment's being
watered down to require only a series of studies being done upon the issue for two years.[100] After the studies, if
the Securities and Exchange Commission has not implemented another solution to the conflict of interest
problem, Franken's solution will go into effect.[101][102]
In August 2010, Franken made faces and hand gestures and rolled his eyes while Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell delivered a speech in opposition to the confirmation of Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court.
[103][104][105] Franken's actions prompted McConnell to remark, "This isn't Saturday Night Live, Al."[105]
Following Kagan's confirmation, Franken delivered a handwritten apology to McConnell and issued a public
statement saying that McConnell had a right "to give his speech with the presiding officer just listening
respectfully."[103]
The National Journal reported in 2013 that Franken supports the National Security Agency’s data mining
programs, believing they have saved lives, and that "I can assure you, this is not about spying on the American
people.”[106]
When Franken declared his intention to seek re-election in 2014,[107] his seat was thought to be a top target for
the Republicans due to his very slim margin of victory in the previous election. However, Politico reported that
his high approval rating, large war chest, and the Republicans' struggle to find a top-tier candidate meant that he
was a "heavy favorite" to win re-election,[108] a view subsequently confirmed in the election, which Franken
won comfortably.
The Associated Press has noted that contrary to expectations, Franken has not sought out the media spotlight:
"He rarely talks to the Washington press corps, has shed his comedic persona and focused on policy, working to
be taken seriously."[109] In interviews he has expressed his desire to be known for focusing on constituency
work, keeping his head down and working hard.[91][110]
Committee assignments
7 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Subcommittee on Energy
Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining
Subcommittee on Water and Power
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Subcommittee on Children and Families
Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety (Ranking Member)
Committee on Indian Affairs
Committee on the Judiciary
Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts
Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights
Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights
Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law (Ranking Member)
Books and CDs
Books
I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!: Daily Affirmations with Stuart
Smalley (Dell Books, 1992) ISBN 0-440-50470-8
Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations (Delacorte Press, 1996) ISBN 0-385-31474-4
Why Not Me?: The Inside Story of the Making and Unmaking of the Franken Presidency (Delacorte
Press, 1999) ISBN 0-385-31809-X
Oh, the Things I Know!: A Guide to Success, or Failing That, Happiness (Plume Books, 2003) ISBN
0-452-28450-3
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right (Dutton Books, 2003)
ISBN 0-525-94764-7
The Truth (With Jokes) (Dutton Books, 2005) ISBN 0-525-94906-2
CDs and compilations
The Best Democracy Money Can Buy: The Truth About Corporate Cons, Globalization, and
High-Finance Fraudsters with Greg Palast (2004)
The O'Franken Factor Factor — The Best of the O'Franken Factor
The Al Franken Show Party Album
Filmography
8 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

Wikinews has related news:
Minnesota court declares
Franken winner;
Coleman considers appeal
Year Work Writer Actor Cameo Notes
1977–1980 Saturday Night Live
1976 Tunnel Vision Role: Al
1977 The Paul Simon Special
1978 All You Need is Cash Role: Extra
1981 Grateful Dead: Dead Ahead
Concert video
Role: Host
1981 Steve Martin's Best Show Ever
1981 Bob and Ray, Jane, Laraine and Gilda
1981 The Coneheads
1983 Trading Places Role: Baggage handler
1984 Franken and Davis at Stockton State
1984 The New Show
1986 One More Saturday Night Role: Paul Flum
1994 When a Man Loves a Woman
1995 Stuart Saves His Family Role: Stuart Smalley
1997 3rd Rock from the Sun Episode: "Dick the Vote"
1997 The Larry Sanders Show Episode: "The Roast"
1998 LateLine
1998 From the Earth to the Moon
TV Mini-series
Role: Jerome Wiesner
2002 Harvard Man
2004 Outfoxed Role: Air America host
2004 The Manchurian Candidate
2004–2007 The Al Franken Show Host of radio talk show
2004 Tanner on Tanner
2006 Al Franken: God Spoke Documentary
2011 Hot Coffee Documentary
Electoral history
9 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

2008 Minnesota U.S. Senate Democratic–Farmer–Labor primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
DFL Al Franken 164,136 65.34%
DFL Priscilla Lord Faris 74,655 29.72%
DFL "Dick" Franson 3,923 1.56%
DFL Bob Larson 3,152 1.25%
DFL Rob Fitzgerald 3,095 1.23%
DFL Ole' Savior 1,227 0.49%
DFL Alve Erickson 1,017 0.40%
2008 Minnesota U.S. Senate election[111][112]
DFL Al Franken 1,212,629 41.994%
Republican Norm Coleman 1,212,317 41.983%
Independence Dean Barkley 437,505 15.151%
Libertarian Charles Aldrich 13,923 0.482%
Constitution James Niemackl 8,907 0.308%
Write-ins 2,365 0.082%
Margin of victory 312 0.011%
Total votes 2,887,646 100
2014 Minnesota U.S. Senate Democratic–Farmer–Labor primary election
DFL Al Franken (incumbent) 182,720 94.50%
DFL Sandra Henningsgard 10,627 5.50%
2014 Minnesota U.S. Senate election[113]
DFL Al Franken (incumbent) 1,053,205 53.15
Republican Mike McFadden 850,227 42.91
Independence Steve Carlson 47,530 2.4
Libertarian Heather Johnson 29,685 1.5
Write-ins Others 881 0.04
Margin of victory 202,978 10.24%
Total votes 1,981,528 100
DFL hold
Personal life
10 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

Franken met his wife, Franni Bryson, in his first year of college. In 2005, they moved to Minneapolis,
Minnesota.[114] Together they have two children. Their daughter Thomasin[4] has degrees from Harvard and the
French Culinary Institute, and she is director of extended learning at DC Prep, an organization in Washington
that manages charter schools.[115] Their son Joseph works in the finance industry.[4] Franken is a second cousin
of the late actor Steve Franken known for his appearances in the television series The Many Loves of Dobie
Gillis.[116] In 2013, Franken received the Stewart B. McKinney award for his work to fight homelessness.[117]
See also
Saturday Night Live cast
Notes
Franken was elected to the term beginning January 3, 2009, but did not take his seat until July 7, 2009, because of a
recount and a subsequent election challenge.
1.
References
"Ancestry of Al Franken". William Addams Reitwiesner. Retrieved 2014-09-07.1.
"Al Franken". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 2017-02-12.2.
"Meet Al".3.
Colapinto, John. "Enter Laughing". The New Yorker. Retrieved 9 January 2013.4.
Liebovich, Mark (2016-12-13). "Al Franken Faces Donald Trump and the Next Four Years". New York Times.
Retrieved 2016-12-13. "At 65, Franken retains the thick build of the high-school wrestler he once was."
5.
Deborah White. "Profile of Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota". About.com. Retrieved January 30, 2009.6.
"CNN Newsnight Aaron Brown". CNN. April 29, 2002. Retrieved November 5, 2008.7.
Douglas Martin (July 19, 2012). "Tom Davis, Comedian and 'SNL' Sketch Writer, Dies at 59". The New York Times.
Retrieved January 12, 2013.
8.
Davis, Tom (2010). Thirty-Nine Years of Short-Term Memory Loss: The Early Days of SNL from Someone Who
Was There. Grove Press; Reprint edition. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-8021-4456-0.
9.
Hill, Doug and Weingrad, Jeff, Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live p. 57. (Vintage Books,
1987) ISBN 0-394-75053-5.
10.
Kornbluth, Jesse (March–April 2012). "Al Franken: You Can Call Me Senator". Harvard Magazine. Retrieved
September 26, 2012.
11.
Shales, Tom, Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, as Told By Its Stars, Writers
and Guests, p. 191. (Back Bay Books, 2003) ISBN 0-316-73565-5.
12.
Ana Marie Cox (April 5, 2007). "Don't Laugh at Al Franken". CNN/Time. Archived from the original on September
19, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2007.
13.
Wy Spano, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Senate: Franken Vs. Coleman and the Decline and Fall of
Civilized Politics, p. 51. (Zenith Press, 2010) ISBN 0-7603-3902-3.
14.
Leopold, Todd (May 7, 2002). "Al Franken's guide to life". CNN. Retrieved 31 August 2014.15.
" 'Stuart Saves His Family' ". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 31 August 2014.16.
"Stuart Saves His Family (1995)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 31 August 2014.17.
Howe, Desson (1995-04-14). " 'Stuart Saves His Family' (PG-13)". Washington Post. Retrieved 31 August 2014.18.
Siskel, Gene (1995-04-14). "`Stuart' Funny Without Making Fun Of Self-help Movement". Chicago Tribune.
Retrieved 31 August 2014.
19.
Powers, Retha (2005). This Is My Best: Great Writers Share Their Favorite Work. Chronicle Books; 1st Chronicle
Books LLC Pbk. Ed edition. p. 549. ISBN 978-0-8118-4829-9.
20.
Susan Saulny (August 12, 2003). "To Fox, 'Fair and Balanced' Doesn't Describe Al Franken". The New York Times.
21.
11 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

"Fox News Sues Humorist Al Franken Over Slogan". Associated Press. August 11, 2003. Retrieved January 6,
2013.
22.
Saulny, Susan (August 23, 2003). "In Courtroom, Laughter at Fox and a Victory for Al Franken". The New York
Times. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on July 4, 2009. Retrieved October 5, 2005.
23.
"Comedian and Political Commentator Al Franken". National Public Radio. September 3, 2003. Archived from the
original on September 11, 2005. Retrieved October 5, 2005.
24.
"Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them - Bookreporter.com".25.
Shorto, Russell (March 21, 2004). "Al Franken, Seriously So —". New York Times. Retrieved July 9, 2009.26.
"Al Franken to leave Air America in February".27.
"The Huffington Post; Al Franken". Retrieved September 26, 2012.28.
Kasindorf, Martin; Komarow, Steven (2005-12-22). "USO cheers troops, but Iraq gigs tough to book". USA Today.
Retrieved 29 August 2014.
29.
Michael J. Carden (March 26, 2009). "USO Metro Salutes Exceptional Troops, Volunteers". Defense.gov. American
Forces Press Service. Archived from the original on January 14, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
30.
Diaz, Kevin (Mar 23, 2009). "Franken to receive award for USO service". Star Tribune. Retrieved 8 September
2014.
31.
Corliss, Richard (February 14, 2007). "Vote for Me, Al Franken". TIME. Retrieved July 9, 2009.32.
Roper, Eric (July 10, 2009). "Franken shakes off the hoopla, settles into job". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN.
Retrieved February 13, 2017. "...Paul Wellstone, Franken's political mentor, whose picture now sits near his desk."
33.
Croman, John (July 26, 2016). "Minnesotans in spotlight as DNC opens". KARE. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
"[Franken] summoned the name of his friend and mentor, the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, who said that winning
elections is about both passion and work."
34.
Jay Weiner (July 6, 2009). "Tuesday, Franken's hand will be on Wellstone Bible, his thoughts likely on the many
Minnesotans he's met". MinnPost. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
35.
"From satirist to senator". CNN. July 6, 2009. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved December 26,
2016.
36.
Morris, Vince (2004-01-27). "AL FRANKEN KNOCKS DOWN DEAN HECKLER". New York Post. Retrieved
2017-02-17.
37.
Kuhn, David Paul (April 28, 2005). "Senator Franken?". Salon.com. Retrieved February 15, 2007.38.
Cilizza, Chris (February 5, 2007). "Minnesota Senate: Is Franken the Dems' Dream Candidate?". Washington Post.
Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2007.
39.
"Doggone It, People Like Him". Mother Jones. September 1, 2007. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007.
Retrieved September 1, 2007.
40.
Scott, A.O. (2006-09-13). "Comedian Turned Activist, With His Own Campaign". New York Times. Retrieved
30 August 2014.
41.
"Transcript, "Scarborough Country" ". MSNBC. December 7, 2005.42.
"Coleman and Franken on Iraq: Everything you need to know". MinnPost. August 7, 2008. Retrieved August 29,
2014.
43.
Shorto, Russell (2004-03-21). "Al Franken, Seriously". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved
2015-11-10.
44.
Black, Eric (2014-08-26). "Franken on fixing Social Security and Medicare — and why repealing Obamacare is a
terrible idea". Minnesota Post. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
45.
Al on the Issues (2008). "Higher Education". Al Franken for Senate. Archived from the original on November 27,
2008. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
46.
Al on the Issues (2008). "Gas Prices". Al Franken for Senate. Archived from the original on November 27, 2008.
Retrieved December 13, 2008.
47.
Kevin Duchschere; Star Tribune (March 12, 2008). "Franken faces $25,000 workers' comp penalty".
Startribune.com. Archived from the original on June 20, 2009. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
48.
Duchschere, Kevin (April 24, 2008). "Friday: New round of financial questions dogs Franken". Startribune.com.
Retrieved July 9, 2009.
49.
"More furor over Franken's taxes".(registration required)50.
Patrick Condon, Associated Press Writer (April 30, 2008). "Comedian turned candidate Franken to pay $70K in
back taxes". Fox News. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
51.
"Al Franken Decides He's Good Enough, Smart Enough to Run for Senate". New York. February 1, 2007. Archived
from the original on January 1, 2008. Retrieved February 16, 2008.
52.
12 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

Pat Doyle (March 11, 2008). "Ciresi in parting: Choose wisely". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 3, 2013.53.
"Franken Raises Over $1.9 Million In Second Quarter". Al Franken for Senate. July 8, 2007. Archived from the
original on February 3, 2008. Retrieved February 16, 2008.
54.
Mulcahy, Mike (July 9, 2007). "Franken leads the pack in second quarter fundraising". Polinaut. Minnesota Public
Radio. Retrieved July 17, 2007.
55.
"GOP Targets Al Franken's Playboy Column — ABC News". ABC News. May 23, 2008. Retrieved July 9, 2009.56.
Les says: (June 7, 2008). "It's Franken in One". Star Tribune. Retrieved July 9, 2009.57.
Preston, Mark (July 28, 2008). "Preston on Politics: Bueller? Bueller? — McCain needs Rove". CNN. Archived
from the original on September 12, 2008. Retrieved July 29, 2008.
58.
Martin, Jonathon; Kraushaar, Josh (September 20, 2008). "Franken helps craft McCain 'SNL' skit". Politico.
Archived from the original on October 27, 2008. Retrieved October 29, 2008.
59.
Scheck, Tom (September 21, 2008). "Coleman hits Franken for SNL skit". Minnesota Public Radio. Archived from
the original on September 26, 2008. Retrieved October 29, 2008.
60.
Welch, Chris; Hornick, Ed (January 6, 2009). "Franken declares Senate race win after state ruling". CNN. Retrieved
January 3, 2012.
61.
"Minnesota Senate Seat Election Contest". Minnesota Courts. January 6, 2009. Archived from the original on
December 26, 2008. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
62.
Jason Hoppin (April 20, 2009). "Coleman asks high court to look again at rejected votes". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Archived from the original on May 9, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
63.
"Al Franken is the winner of Minnesota Senate Race, court rules". Daily News. New York. Associated Press. April
14, 2009.
64.
Muskal, Michael (April 7, 2007). "Franken widens lead in Minnesota Senate recount". Los Angeles Times.65.
Elizabeth Stawicki (April 24, 2009). "Supreme Court recount timeline called reasonable". Minnesota Public Radio.
66.
Minnesota Supreme Court (April 24, 2009). "ORDER for briefing schedule" (PDF). Minnesota Supreme Court.
Archived (PDF) from the original on May 21, 2009. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
67.
"Minnesota Senate Seat '08 Election". Minnesota Judicial Branch. Retrieved July 7, 2009.68.
"Norm Coleman concedes Minnesota Senate race to Al Franken". Houston Chronicle. July 1, 2009. Retrieved
January 3, 2012.
69.
Doyle, Pat (June 30, 2009). "Pawlenty will sign Franken election certificate". Salon. Retrieved January 3, 2012.70.
Barnes, Ed (July 12, 2010). "Felons Voting Illegally May Have Put Franken Over the Top in Minnesota, Study
Finds".
71.
"Pawlenty: Investigate felon votes in Senate race". Star Tribune.72.
Kevin Diaz (July 14, 2010). "Pawlenty: Investigate felon votes in Senate race". Star Tribune. Retrieved July 22,
2010.
73.
John Croman (July 15, 2010). "Pawlenty: felons may have tipped Senate race". KARE-11. Retrieved July 22, 2010.74.
Schroeck, eric (2010-07-13). "Conservative media hype "not accurate" report to suggest Franken's election was "an
illegal victory" ". Media Matters. Retrieved 2015-05-02.
75.
"Pawlenty: Investigate felon votes in Senate race". Star Tribune.76.
"Hennepin County Sheriff's Office News Release: Voter fraud investigation" (PDF).77.
Forliti, Amy (2010-10-28). "Hennepin Co. charges 47 cases of voter fraud". Pioneer Press. Retrieved 2015-05-02.78.
"Minnesota – Summary Vote Results". Associated Press. August 13, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2014.79.
"The Most Detailed Maps You'll See From the Midterm Elections". New York Times. November 5, 2014. Retrieved
November 6, 2014.
80.
Huls, Carl (July 7, 2009). "And Here's Senator Franken". New York Times. Retrieved July 8, 2009.81.
Montanaro, Domenico (July 7, 2009). "Al Franken, The Newest U.S. Senator". First Read. MSNBC. Archived from
the original on July 10, 2009. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
82.
Stassen-Berger, Rachel (2009-07-07). "Minnesota Sen. Al Franken sworn in with Paul Wellstone bible". Pioneer
Press. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
83.
Brunswick, Mark (July 1, 2009). "Emotional Franken vows to honor Wellstone". Star Tribune.84.
"Senator Franken, at Center Stage, Presides Over Sotomayor Vote". FOX News. August 6, 2009. Retrieved
October 18, 2009.
85.
Chris Steller (July 24, 2009). "Franken's first bill passes as part of Defense bill". The Minnesota Independent.
Archived from the original on December 19, 2011. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
86.
Franken works the fair on health care (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/200987.
13 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

/09/68498431/1), blogs.usatoday.com
"TV Guide: Franken Video gets attention". MSNBC. Archived from the original on September 9, 2009. Retrieved
October 18, 2009.
88.
"Franken finds fans and foes friendly at fair". Kare11.com. Retrieved June 13, 2010.89.
TV Guide: Franken Video gets attention (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/32699075#32699075),
msnbc.msn.com
90.
Hoppin, Jason (17 January 2010). "Al Franken on his first 6 months in the Senate: 'I kept my head down and did my
job' ". TwinCities.com. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
91.
Knobbe, Lauren (22 July 2010). "Franken warns against weakening law on health-care spending". Minn Post.
Retrieved 22 June 2013.
92.
"Sen. Franken's health reform provision will return $1.4 million in rebate checks to thousands of Minnesotans".
Hometown Source. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
93.
"U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 113th Congress – 1st Session: Vote 210". Legislation & Records. United States Senate.
Retrieved 2013-09-30.
94.
"Klobuchar, Franken call for repeal of medical device tax". Hometown Source. 8 July 2013. Retrieved 1 October
2013.
95.
Diaz, Kevin (30 September 2013). "Complicated shutdown votes for key Minnesotans". StarTribune. Retrieved
1 October 2013.
96.
Stein, Sam (November 10, 2008). "Franken Gets His First Amendment Passed By Roll Call Vote".
Huffingtonpost.com. Archived from the original on October 10, 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
97.
Corkery, Michael (May 13, 2010). "Al Franken's Credit Rating Amendment is No Joke". Wall Street Journal.98.
Larnder, James (June 14, 2010). "Reckoning day for the raters". The Hill.99.
Davidoff, Steven (July 16, 2010). "Finding a Good Financial Bill in 2,300 Pages". New York Times.100.
Michael Hirsh (July 5, 2010). "Al Franken Gets Serious". Newsweek. Retrieved July 20, 2010.101.
Rachelle Younglai; Roberta Rampton; Kim Dixon; Mark Felsenthal (July 15, 2010). "Factbox: Long to-do list ahead
for financial regulators". Reuters. Archived from the original on July 19, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
102.
Daileda, Colin (August 6, 2010). "McConnell to Franken: "This Isn't SNL" ". CBS News. CBS. Archived from the
original on August 12, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
103.
Alexander Bolton (8/5/10) McConnell scolds Franken for making faces from dais during his speech
(http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/112947-mcconnell-scolds-franken-for-making-faces-from-presidents-chair-
during-speech) The Hill
104.
Raju, Manu (August 5, 2010). "McConnell to Franken: This isn't 'SNL' ". Politico.105.
Berman, Matt (June 11, 2013). "The NSA Has at Least 1 Liberal Friend Left: Sen. Al Franken". National Journal.
Archived from the original on September 9, 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
106.
Mitchell, Corey (November 3, 2012). "Franken a player in Democrats' plan to keep Senate". Star Tribune. Retrieved
November 22, 2012.
107.
Hohmann, James (26 May 2013). "Al Franken goes from top target to heavy favorite for Minnesota Senate".
Politico. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
108.
Condon, Patrick (June 22, 2013). "MINN.'S FRANKEN HARDLY A GOP TARGET FOR DEFEAT". Associated
Press. Archived from the original on June 27, 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
109.
Toeplitz, Shira; Pierce, Emily (2 March 2013). "Franken's Goal: I'm Serious Enough". Roll Call. Retrieved 22 June
2013.
110.
"General Election Results" (PDF). Minnesota Secretary of State. January 5, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2009.111.
"Election Reporting". Minnesota Secretary of State. April 10, 2009. Retrieved April 13, 2009.112.
"Statewide Results for U.S. Senator". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved December 19, 2014.113.
Tim Gihring (July 2008). "Starring Al Franken (as Himself)". Minnesota Monthly. Retrieved January 29, 2013.114.
"Thomasin Franken, Brody Greenwald". The New York Times. October 2, 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2014.115.
"Steve Franken, 'Dobie Gillis' actor, dead at age 80". OnTheRedCarpet.com. August 30, 2012. Retrieved January 6,
2013.
116.
Keating, Christopher (30 October 2013). "U.S. Sen. Al Franken Will Receive Stewart B. McKinney Award Tonight
In D.C.". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
117.
External links
14 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

Al Franken (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0291253/) at the Internet Movie Database
Senator Al Franken (http://franken.senate.gov/) official U.S. Senate site
Al Franken for Senate (http://www.alfranken.com/)
Al Franken (https://www.dmoz.org/Regional/North_America/United_States/Minnesota/Government
/Federal/US_Senate/Al_Franken_%5BD%5D) at DMOZ
Biography (http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=F000457) at the Biographical
Directory of the United States Congress
Profile (https://www.votesmart.org/candidate/108924) at Project Vote Smart
Financial information (federal office) (http://www.fec.gov/fecviewer
/CandidateCommitteeDetail.do?&tabIndex=1&candidateCommitteeId=S8MN00438) at the Federal
Election Commission
Legislation sponsored (https://www.congress.gov/member/al-franken/1969) at The Library of Congress
Appearances (http://www.c-span.org/person/?alfranken) on C-SPAN
Al Franken (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1142525) on National Public Radio in
2002
2003
2004
Media offices
Preceded by
Andrew Smith Head Writer of Saturday Night Live
1985–1986
Served alongside: Tom Davis
Succeeded by
Jim DowneyPreceded by
Bob Tischler
Party political offices
Preceded by
Walter Mondale
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator
from Minnesota
(Class 2)
2008, 2014
Most recent
United States Senate
Preceded by
Norm Coleman
United States Senator (Class 2) from
Minnesota
2009–present
Served alongside: Amy Klobuchar
Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Kirsten Gillibrand
United States Senators by seniority
50th
Succeeded by
Joe Manchin
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Al_Franken&oldid=768595359"
Categories: 1951 births 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American writers
21st-century American writers 21st-century American politicians American actor-politicians
American humorists American Jewish comedians American male film actors
American male television actors American male writers American people of Belarusian-Jewish descent
American people of German-Jewish descent American political pundits American political writers
15 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

American satirists American sketch comedians American male screenwriters American talk radio hosts
American television producers American television writers Comedians from New York City
Democratic Party United States Senators Grammy Award winners Harvard University alumni
Jewish American male actors Jewish American writers Jewish United States Senators Living people
Male actors from Minneapolis Male actors from New York City Male television writers
Minnesota Democrats People from Hennepin County, Minnesota Primetime Emmy Award winners
United States Senators from Minnesota Writers from Minneapolis
This page was last modified on 4 March 2017, at 19:13.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may
apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered
trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
16 of 16 3/5/2017 6:05 PM

Al franken wikipedia(highlighted)

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (20)

Similar to Al franken wikipedia(highlighted)

Similar to Al franken wikipedia(highlighted) (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (8)

Al franken wikipedia(highlighted)