With nearly every step he took Wednesday morning in downtown Philadelphia, Sen. Al Franken inspired a mild frenzy. Democratic delegates from around the country continually approached him for handshakes or selfies, or simply shouted in his direction.
It sounds like this: Al! It's Al Franken! Hi, Al! Give 'em hell, Al! Can I get a picture, Al? Al! Great speech, Al! Al! AAAAAAAL!
His fellow Minnesotan, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, tells a story: One time she got on a plane with Franken, and the excited flight attendant announced to the passengers they had a celebrity couple on board: Mr. and Mrs. Al Franken! That gets a laugh. When it was explained Klobuchar is actually Minnesota's other senator, the flight attendant marvels that Minnesota has elected both Al Franken and his wife as senators.
Klobuchar gets roaring laughter when she tells the story, not once, not twice, but three times in the span of 90 minutes, hopping a warren of escalators at a downtown hotel and making breakfast speeches to delegates from Iowa, California and then Florida.
Franken and Klobuchar have emerged as sought-after speakers during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia and nationally as Democrats try to win back control of the Senate.
But politics is a transactional business, and Klobuchar's and Franken's frantic schedules of delegate breakfasts, fundraisers, media appearances, meetings and prime-time speeches are all important ducats in the fiercely competitive world of national politics.
While Franken might be a full-fledged celeb, Klobuchar is at least a minor celebrity at the Democratic National Convention, which for political junkies is like what Comic-Con is for fantasy and sci-fi fans. The four-day event is also a rare chance for die-hard activists to mingle with and scrutinize candidates aspiring to higher office.
On Wednesday, Franken left his downtown hotel about 9:30 a.m., hopped in a waiting minivan and headed to speak at the Missouri delegation's breakfast.