It is distressing. This Google has a number of hits. Read each, a $25,000 fine, acknowledged as appropriate by Franken. This begs all the obvious questions.
If he's running in Minnesota, and all his business is in New York, what's up?
What's his business do?
What level of employees are involved? Educated elite professionals? I cannot see he'd have a roofing business using undocumented immigrant labor paid in cash, etc., in New York City, so what's his business background? What's his business do?
They say "comedian" and drop it. Background is something voters should be told, to make informed choices. Why hiding all that kind of reporting under a hat?
What business or reasons, other than running for Senate, does Franken have in Minnesota? Why not be in New York running for the Clinton seat? She's looking for other work, isn't she?
Jack, we know. He's disclosed detail about his background. Coleman and Franken are both mystery, stealth candidates. What does either really DO? Coleman is career politician, with a strange marriage situation. The Frankens both seem to be together these days in Minnesota. Jack we know about. Cerisi, before dropping out, we knew about. But Franken? Who is the guy? Does anyone have any good answers? His campaign is organized, but who is the candidate? That's what I want to know beyond the 1 minute, 2-minute, 5-minute well crafted stump speech.
The more we see of a candidate like Elwyn Tinklenberg, the more questions arise. Perhaps seeing that, Franken is wise to keep his real person hidden from voters.
What you see is what you get. We have not really seen anything to base a decision on yet. What you get is a package of hope, fashioned in stump speech sizes, later when the TV part of the campaign takes over, fashioned in voice-over soundbite sizes, feel good, don't worry, don't question, Al's good, for 15, 30, and 60 seconds worth of non-info. Whatever happened to press coverage? It cannot all be Rupert Murdoch's fault. Others killed the beast too, acting out roles.
So, bottom line: Who is Al Franken, besides running for now against Jack, wanting to run later against Norm. It takes ten seconds to figure all that out - and the press has given us no more. Workers' comp tax problems in New York State - you would think there would be a will to explain. Not so, just as with revolving door lobbyists wanting to go to Congress.
Is this in each instance evidence of a disdain of the electorate? I don't know, but the feeling in the gut is it is. The mentality of, "They're better off without explanations clogging up their minds, confusing them." Elwyn and Al, level with us. Give us explanations. Give us detail.
_________UPDATE_________
I went to the Al Frnanken campaign website, and took time to read around it. Basically it confiirmed my feelings - he's a good guy and would make a hell of a better Senator tnan Norm Coleman. I am not an Air America groupie, and so that resume thing means zilch to me. But, good guy. Good candidate. Would be a good Senator.
But Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, same thing. Good guy. Good candidate. Good Senator if elected. A longer time in Minnesota, each with a diverse background in different directions. Jack has a better feel for international justice for small nations. Been there, done that, not a tourist or reader's view. Franken has more of a feel for the entertainment industry, including publishing - books and newspapers - and TV.
With a foot in that camp reporting on Franken will not be too harsh.
Just, what's the story on the corporation Were employees responsible for scheduling guests, and backgrounding ideas and segments for his Air America [and perhaps syndicated] show?
Was that the business, workers being the writer's writers? If so, I can see workers' comp being an afterthought. Carpel tunnel syndrome at the keyboard, perhaps, cell-phone-ear, things like that, but no maimings in industrial machinery or between rail cars.
Yet, it is not for me to speculate. Bottom line, it is for Al Franken to explain.