About 20 demonstrators gathered outside U.S. Sen. Al Franken's St. Paul office on Monday to thank the Democrat for his increasingly vocal role in pushing for President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Merrick Garland. The local demonstrators were part of a nationwide effort by Moveon.org to pressure Republican senators into voting on Garland's appointment, and to back up Democratic allies.
"It's always great to be in a position where we can say, 'Great work – keep it up,'" said Sandy Ahlstrom, a retired schoolteacher from Shorewood who helped organize the local demonstration. The small crowd hoisted signs that read "Thank you for Standing Strong on SCOTUS," and chanted, "What do we want? A Supreme Court justice! When do we want it? Now!"
