"With Republicans in Washington thus far successfully fending off insurgent tea party challengers in competitive races, odds makers are now indicating that the GOP has a better than even chance of retaking the upper chamber of Congress in November.
President Barack Obama’s sinking job approval rating is not helping boost Democrats’ chances. Speaking anonymously to The Hill, one Democratic Senator said Obama’s “unpopularity” is troubling. “It’s a tense time,” the source said.
It is with this backdrop that Obama descended on Minnesota on Thursday where freshman Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) is seeking reelection. Franken has spent the last six years maintaining as low a profile in Washington as possible, shying away from national press and casting himself as a lawmaker exclusively focused on the interests of his constituents.
Obama won Minnesota by 10 points in 2008 and 8 points in 2012. With one exception, no public opinion survey has shown Franken leading his likely GOP opponent, businessman Mike McFadden, by less than 10 points in over a year. Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight indicates that Franken has a 90 percent chance of being reelected in the decidedly blue North Star State.
And yet, Franken in taking no chances. On Friday, CNN reported that the comedian-turned-politician is avoiding being caught on camera in proximity with the Democratic President of the United States.
CNN anchor John King reported on Friday that both Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Franken cancelled a scheduled appearance with Obama and a flight on Air Force One. He noted that both Senators intend to be in Minnesota, but appear to be going out of their way to avoid Obama.
“Is the president that toxic?” King asked his panel. “Are they that worried about Minnesota that they’re trying to over-manage this?”
The Washington Post’s Jackie Kucinich supposed that Franken was merely trying to cover his bases. “He doesn’t want to cozy up to the president and then pay for it later,” she said.
“It’s the bluest of blue states,” King marveled. “If Al Franken will not stand next to President Obama in this election year, it tells you everything you need to know about Arkansas, Alaska, North Carolina.”"
"It's inexcusable, and Americans are right to be angry about it, and I am angry about it. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in any agency, but especially in the IRS, given the power that it has and the reach that it has into all of our lives. ... I'll do everything in my power to make sure nothing like this happens again by holding the responsible parties accountable. ..." -- President Barack Obama condemning "misconduct" at the Internal Revenue Service, May 15, 2013.
Whenever I'm ever tempted to poke fun at the residents of blue Minnesota for their stupidity in electing the clown Franken to the Senate (with the help of dem corruption, of course) . . .
. . . I remember I reside in a state that elected Hillary Xlinton to the Senate.