Al Franken to Address Netroots Nation

by: Nolan

Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 16:24

This morning, the MyDD-listed blog Minnesota Progressive Project broke the news that Senator Al Franken will headline be the keynote speaker at the closing evening event of this years Netroots Nation convention in Las Vegas.  As the Political Director of Netroots Nation, I invite you below the fold to hear from Al and about him and invite you to join us and register for Netroots Nation.

First, lets hear from Senator Franken on today's announcement:

"The netroots community is a critical piece of a successful progressive agenda. They’re talking to their neighbors, volunteering their time, and they’re on the front lines making change happen," Franken said in a statement. "I’ve been honored to have their support, and I’m honored to talk to them this summer."

Awe shucks, Al.... We think you're swell too...

Then, as we started talking about this today, people kept linking to the most awesome Al related stories and videos.  I learned that Daily Kos diarist, MsSpentyouth, has a hilarous story in which Al Franken literally turned her in to the police for child neglect (it was all a big misunderstanding) back in 1992 when she was in touch with him getting a book autographed.

There is this brilliant take down of Ann Coulter in what must have been 2004.  He reads a line from her book where she quotes a columnist and accuses him of siding with the terrorists.  Then Al reads the paragraph from the quoted column and the line is totaly misconstured:

Someone else pointed me to this clip Al did to promote Google Fiber going in to Duluth, which ressurect Al's SNL character, the Duluth Answer Man:

I remember listening to The O'Franken Factor Al Franken Show back on Air America and I remember the way Al talked about Paul Wellstone, a guy who wasn't really on my radar until just before his tragic death.  Since then I've learned more about Wellstone and I think it speaks volumes about Senator Al Franken that Senator Wellstone is his political hero. 

Al Franken is in the US Senate, as Paul Wellstone was before him, fighting for the less fortunate and the those without a voice.  We're honored that he'll be speaking at Netroots Nation this summer.