WSJ Online, about an hour ago, AP feed:
Minnesota Democrats Back Franken
To Challenge Coleman for Senate Seat
Associated Press - June 7, 2008 3:50 p.m. EDT
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Al Franken has won a resounding endorsement for U.S. Senate from Democratic activists at their state convention.
Franken, a former "Saturday Night Live" writer and performer, beat college professor Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer on the first ballot after a speech to delegates in which he apologized for past jokes that offended some fellow Democrats.
Mr. Nelson-Pallmeyer conceded the endorsement to Mr. Franken and made a motion that Democrats unanimously back Mr. Franken, which they did by voice vote.
In his speech before the balloting, Mr. Franken acknowledged he had "tough conversations" in recent days with Democratic activists upset with some of the more outrageous things he wrote over the years and said some of his old material was "downright offensive."
Incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman has his party's endorsement for re-election.
"I understand that the people of Minnesota deserve a senator who won't say things that make them feel uncomfortable," Mr. Franken said in his speech at the state Democratic convention.
But Mr. Franken offered himself as the Democrat best positioned to defeat Sen. Coleman. "Together we're going to win this race and take this seat back for the people of Minnesota," Franken said.
In his own speech to the convention, Mr. Nelson-Pallmeyer gave a full-throated affirmation of liberal values -- criticizing the Iraq war as being fought to protect U.S. oil interests in the Middle East.
"Now is our time to end an immoral war that is bankrupting our country," said Nelson-Pallmeyer, a college professor who wrapped up his speech by inviting comparison to a Minnesota Democratic icon, the late U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone: "When do we send another professor to Washington?" Mr. Nelson-Pallmeyer said.
During a question-and-answer session before delegates and alternates, both candidates called for a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq, said they'd vote for universal health care in the Senate and criticized tax policy they said favored the wealthy, to huge applause from the crowd. They both contrasted themselves sharply with Sen. Coleman.
Why does thinking about the DFL Senate candidate nominating convention today in Rochester make me ponder the term, "political correctness?"
Lacking original thoughts on that question, I turn to the Internet.
It tells me there that political correctness arose in Marxist/Stalinist times. You bought the party paper, read it carefully, and did not say you were hungry if food shortages were not being reported.
It must be true, if it's on the Internet. That was then. This is now.
Now, you do not give offense by speaking too bluntly.
How one now defines politically correct satire is a difficult thing to resolve.
If it offends nobody, it must be politically correct, but then it is not satire. It is Strib-lite. Who laughs at that? Other than the laughing of some at Katherine Kerstin. They feel they give her the attention her thought and writing deserves. Few are aware she is a fictional character, with Al Franken writing her material, tongue in cheek.
But the one guy besides Franken who must be left shaking his head about the entire thing is Michael Brodkorb.
He so frequently slings stuff that does not stick. Now, the DFL insiders are running with his Franken-Playboy, eight years ago, etc., in ways he intended for the GOP to salute to in ramping up general election mailings. What's he to make of this? He must look in the mirror and say, "Dude, were you mistakenly politically correct?"
I agree that political correctness should be a new litmus test for every candidate for office, not just on the DFL side, and only mutes should be run, skilled enough mutes who can mime their way through voice-over fifteen and thirty second sound bite messages for breaks in football games in the fall before early November. You never have any record of them saying anything offensive, they have that on both sides, so you can base your vote on ideology alone and wait and see. No different than now.
Perhaps Franken can do a "send a mime to the Senate" routine, for talk radio. it would be a refreshing use of the medium, and Rush might follow suit. And that guy, Louis Jason, Jason Lewis, whatever his name, he could do a Louis Jason imitating Louis Farakahn routine, in mime, on the radio, and see how it flies.
His view for you, of a miming Black Muslim. Satire. New genre version. Quiet and refined. Like all Jason Lewis does.
Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, no longer politically correct. Louis Jason would have to do it withour a bicycle horn.
No Bank Dick, no Keystone Cops, because it is well known that disrespect for law enforcement is a pernicious thing. It is a first step to a life of crime, and if you diminish the self esteem of investigators and uniformed police, next thing would be time off, for self esteem counseling. No more Lumberjack song.