Al Franken Puts in Senate Bid

Zap2It.com | February 14, 2007

Al Franken

Discuss this story now

He's good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, people like him

"Saturday Night Live" alum Al Franken will run for the Senate in 2008.

The comedian-political commentator made the announcement Wednesday (Feb. 14) on the final day of his self-titled radio show on Air America, thus ending months of speculation about his political aspirations, report news sources.

The socio-political liberal will challenge Minnesota's Republican incumbent Norm Coleman.

"Minnesotans have a right to be skeptical about whether I'm ready for this challenge, and to wonder how seriously I would take the responsibility that I'm asking you to give me," says Franken in an online video on his website. "I want you to know: Nothing means more to me than making government work better for the working families of this state, and over the next 20 months, I look forward to proving to you that I take these issues seriously."

Franken, 55, was a writer and performer for "SNL" in the '80s. He's best known for his self-help guru character Stuart Smalley who used daily affirmations to boost his self-esteem. Franken has written a number of books over the years, including "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations" and "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right."