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Continued: Editorial: Wanted: A Senate race about the future

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HOW MUCH COMFORT?

"I understand that the people of Minnesota deserve a senator who won't say things that make them uncomfortable But I'm in this race because there are some people in Washington who could afford to feel a little less comfortable." --Al Franken, to the DFL state convention, June 7.

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DFL state convention delegates evidently heard what they wanted to hear from Al Franken Saturday. He needed only one ballot to win his party's blessing to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman this fall.

Part of what the delegates heard -- perhaps the pivotal part -- was "I'm sorry." Franken apologized for joking about sex and rape during his career as a comedian, acknowledging that some of what he wrote during 35 years as a writer was "downright offensive."

He needed to say as much, and not just to his party. In the past two weeks, Franken's history of writing about women in demeaning ways has been a disturbing political focal point in this state. Minnesotans will be cheated out of the campaign they deserve if that aspect of Franken's career dominates political discourse this fall.

When war, economic woes and a warming planet are inflicting real damage on Minnesotans, this is not the year for a Senate campaign that turns on a candidate's history of writing off-color jokes. This state's voters deserve a campaign that invites thoughtful consideration of how the two parties' candidates propose to address the nation's shared problems, and that examines how the incumbent has performed to date.

Franken's apology, followed by a spirited assault on Coleman's record and ties to special interests, evidently convinced delegates that he can mount that kind of campaign.

But the crowd at the Mayo Civic Center was more willing to give him the benefit of the doubt than many other Minnesotans will be. Now that he's the endorsed candidate, Franken and his party owe it to this state to deliver a campaign that can keep a focus on the issues.

Franken needs to play a good game of defense as well as offense. For years, Franken has shown he can ably deliver a political punch. But in 16 months as a Senate candidate, he's been less effective in defending himself against charges he had to know would come about the shock-humor elements in his body of work.

Expecting Republicans not to use that material would be like expecting a hungry dog to ignore a plate of red meat. This isn't a year when Republicans are eager to run solely on their records. They're understandably happy to highlight anything that discredits their DFL detractors.

Franken's apology on Saturday was welcome. Now it's up to him and his party to show that they can deflect criticism of his previous work, and direct voters' attention to the work he proposes to do in the Senate. His solid victory Saturday ended the candidacy of one rival, University of St. Thomas Prof. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. But if, by mid-July, Franken has not effectively dispatched the off-color joke issue, he'll deserve a serious challenge in the Sept. 9 DFL primary.

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