When the Minneapolis Star-Tribune published a poll over the weekend that suggested former Saturday Night Live writer and Air America host Al Franken had opened up a lead in his race for a Minnesota U.S. Senate seat, the conservatives who despise Franken rushed to ridicule the methodology.

The Star-Tribune's pollster must have gotten something wrong, went the criticism from Republicans who might be able to stomach SNL's Tina Fey's spot-on parodies of GOP veep prospect Sarah Palin but are not about to accept the notion that Franken might be a senator.

Now, however, two new polls have confirmed Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate Franken's status as a narrow-but-consistent leader in the race with Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley, who briefly held the seat as an appointee after the death of U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone in 2002.

A Rasmussen Poll has Franken at 43 percent, Coleman at 37 and Barkley at 17.

A University of Minnesota survey puts Franken at 41, Coleman at 37, Barkley at 14.

The next debate between the trio -- a big deal in Minnesota, where debates are well organized and widely broadcast -- will be Saturday at 7 p.m. CST. (There's a good chance it will air on C-SPAN either live or in a delayed broadcast.)

Comments (23)

1. Obama's a muslim, a rad or even a socialist? So what. If the people (majority of them) want that, then let it be. They wanted Dubya a far right man and what they got? Now they want a far left, so be it.

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   McCain again raises Obama's ties with 1970s radical By Matt Spetalnick Thu Oct 9, 6:18 PM ET

   WAUKESHA, Wisconsin (Reuters) - Down in opinion polls, Republican presidential nominee John McCain pressed his effort to raise doubts about Barack Obama's character on Thursday with a fresh attack on his Democratic rival's contacts with a former left-wing radical who became a college professor.

   Posted by HelenDAO at 10/09/2008 @ 11:38pm

2. One career per life, that's the American way, except for silverspoon baseball team owners.

   Posted by winyahn at 10/09/2008 @ 11:43pm

3. hey,

   wait a second.

   mr. franken IS a washington outsider.

   i bet he's got some maverik, too.

   i bet he likes six packs,

   dunno about hockey.

   hahaha, too funny:

   http://morningcupofcoffee.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/

   norm-coleman-to-al-franken-i-brought-hockey-back/

   Posted by frosty zoom at 10/09/2008 @ 11:44pm

4. Posted by HelenDAO at 10/09/2008 @ 11:38pm | ignore this person | warn this person

   did you know that mccain chaired an organization that was (and probably still is) riddled with...

   1. real live ww2 nazis

   2. neo nazi wannabes

   3. latin american right wing death squad members and supporters

   4. hard core anti-semites (watch out israel!) and...

   5. scientific racists???

   how can you support such un-american activities? how can you support a possible cryptofascist sleeper and supporter of terrorists and nazis like john mccain? are you a fascist terrorist sympathizer? are you too a treasonous traitor?

   how about sarah palin? did you know her husband was a member of a rightwing secessionist militia movement associated with people who share the ideology of the oklahoma city bombing TERRORISTS?

   that this EXTREMELY SKETCHY AND TERRORIST LEANING group was and is ecstatically supporting mrs. palin?

   how can you support a potential two person terror cell such as this? do you not have any loved ones working for the fedral government such as those killed in the oklahoma city bombings, like their kids in the workplace daycare that day?

   are you a fascist treasonous traitorous terrorism supporter?

   i hope not...

   Posted by dexter666 at 10/09/2008 @ 11:46pm

5. Posted by frosty zoom at 10/09/2008 @ 11:44pm | ignore this person | warn this person

   hey frosty...you will NEVER believe what i'vee been finding out about both mccain and palin's HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS CONNECTIONS WITH RIGHTWING TERRORIST GROUPS...

   check out the last campaign blog thread...

   its really really SCARY!!!

   Posted by dexter666 at 10/09/2008 @ 11:48pm

6. March 19, 2007 -- Palin meets with 10 foreign exchange students.

   Posted by frosty zoom at 10/10/2008 @ 01:33am

7. October 15, 2007 -- Palin meets Iceland's president, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson. The session is scheduled for 30 minutes. Grimsson is in Alaska to attend the Arctic Energy Summit Technology Conference. (After she became McCain's running mate, she was asked if she had ever met with a world leader. She said, no--forgetting this meeting.)

   doh!

   Posted by frosty zoom at 10/10/2008 @ 01:35am

8. I tell you what, I'd hate to be married to a rich, hardcore Republican right now. Those ones have just lost bundles in the market crash, and now they are about to lose their monopoly on political power.

   Cry me a river.

   Posted by bobforer at 10/10/2008 @ 05:51am

9. If Al Franken wins, it'll be less about him and his qualifications or virtues...

   than the political winds of change.

   And I wouldn't bet on a 2nd term in 2014, either on his choice or the MN voters.

   Posted by Maskdelta at 10/10/2008 @ 07:09am

10. Hey JOHN NICHOLS, the cons did do some serious ridiculing of the man,I guess: Just like you guys did with Palin, so please stop whining:

    In fact, allow me to supplement the ridicule a bit: "AL FRANKEN," he said incredulously, "I'd rather vote for the coach of the Bad News Bears!

    Bwahhhaha Bwhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahaha! Bwaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!

    Posted by CHIP THORNTON at 10/10/2008 @ 08:14am

11. Well, CHIP, Al Franken used to give Mr Nichols a lot of air-time back in the ol' Air America days, so he's just looking out for his buddy.

    Actually a more interesting and more IMPORTANT pair of Senate races are Virginia and North Carolina.

    If Mark Warner doesn't win by 15-20%, Obama might not carry the state. And if Dole loses, Obama might carry North Carolina.

    Watch those indicators Election Night.

    Posted by Maskdelta at 10/10/2008 @ 08:48am

12. "Obama is a muslim..."

    Posted by HelenDAO at 10/09/2008 @ 11:38pm

    ..and you're a friggin loonie, but we let you in anyway. You are probably one of those who attends the GOP rallies screaming "Off with his head" right?

    Posted by leftofcenter at 10/10/2008 @ 09:05am

13. Posted by leftofcenter at 10/10/2008 @ 09:05am

    Like I told Lillian, HELEN is the last "PUMA"....she ends at midnight on Election night!

    Posted by Maskdelta at 10/10/2008 @ 09:20am

14. And I wouldn't bet on a 2nd term in 2014, either on his choice or the MN voters.

    Posted by Maskdelta at 10/10/2008 @ 07:09am

    no way.

    especially after fartjokegate of 2011...

    Posted by frosty zoom at 10/10/2008 @ 09:24am

15. MASK, Whats a PUMA?

    Posted by CHIP THORNTON at 10/10/2008 @ 09:26am

16. MASK, Whats a PUMA?

    Posted by CHIP THORNTON at 10/10/2008 @ 09:26am

17. MASK, Whats a PUMA?

    Posted by CHIP THORNTON at 10/10/2008 @ 09:26am | ignore this person | warn this person

    party unity my ass...hard core hillaristas bound and determined to make themselves conform to the worst stereotypes of feminine spitefulness and bitchiness...

    their existance is a pathetic slap in the face of the women's movement.

    you didnt know that? i guess somethings slip by everybody from time to time.

    Posted by dexter666 at 10/10/2008 @ 09:41am

18. Posted by frosty zoom at 10/10/2008 @ 09:24am

    No, I just don't see Al being that committed to the job for more than 6 years.

    Posted by Maskdelta at 10/10/2008 @ 11:57am

19. Posted by dexter666 at 10/10/2008 @ 09:41am

    Speaking of which....where the hell is FRANKGRITS?!??!??

    heheh

    Posted by Maskdelta at 10/10/2008 @ 11:58am

20. yeah, maybe.

    frank's reading books.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 10/10/2008 @ 12:45pm

21. Posted by frosty zoom at 10/10/2008 @ 12:45pm

    Possibly, but even "reading" is rarely posting....a clue?

    Posted by Maskdelta at 10/10/2008 @ 1:01pm

22. Posted by Maskdelta at 10/10/2008 @ 07:09am

    We love Al in Wisconsin, though we are too shy to say so.

    We have Russ Feingold though. His office e-mailed me about the bailout vote. I am so damn proud of him for ALWAYS voting his conscience. Try to find that these days!

    Posted by Pogge at 10/11/2008 @ 2:28pm

23. Humor is a sure sign of sanity. I'll vote for a comedian any day!

    p.s. I'm obviously NOT a Republican.

    Posted by oldog at 10/12/2008 @ 08:26am