True North

Be open minded, the old saying goes, but not so much that your brains fall out on to your shoes.

This new Coleman ad is a pretty tough one for Al Franken to get past without yet another confirmation/contradiction of 1/2 of Franken's previous statements. And look for that one to be contradicted again in a few months.

Read the rest below from the press release

“Franken Vs. Franken: Iraq Edition”
Franken debates himself on his positions on Iraq

Saint Paul Comedian DFL Senate candidate Al Franken is the subject of a Coleman for Senate web ad launched today that brings to light Franken’s varying and conflicting positions on the War in Iraq. The video, “Franken vs. Franken: Iraq Edition,” provides Minnesota voters with a unique insight into the multiple positions Franken has taken on the War in Iraq. Positions, quite frankly, which are starting to raise questions within his own party about his credibility on the War in Iraq.

Al Franken has made the war in Iraq a core issue in this campaign, and has said it is one of the most important reasons for his candidacy,°± said Cullen Sheehan, Campaign Manager for Coleman for Senate. °∞The problem is that Al Franken can°Øt quite seem to make up his mind about where he stands on this issue. It seems he isn°Øt being straight with Minnesotans about his positions on the war, or he°Øs hoping they simply fail to see the inconsistencies in his various positions. This web ad- °© in Franken°Øs own words - challenges Al Franken to be honest with Minnesota voters and tell them where he really stands on Iraq.°±

“Franken Vs. Franken: Iraq Edition” features video and audio clips of Franken discussing his many positions on the Iraq War --including his initial support and opposition for the invasion, his statements for and against a timetable for withdrawal and his support both for and against forcing the President to cut off funds for our troops in Iraq.

The video can be viewed at http://www.colemanforsenate.com/ or on Youtube.com at www.youtube.com/colemanforsenate .

Web Video Transcript:

Franken: “This is a very complicated issue and we should really straight talk about it.” (Al Franken, TwinWest Chamber Debate, October 5, 2007)
[Text: “Al Franken: straight talk on the War in Iraq?”]

[Text: “For Timeline?”]
Franken: “We have to start a withdrawal, I believe, and have a timeline.” (Al Franken, TwinWest Chamber Debate, October 5, 2007)
[Text: “We have to start withdrawal, I believe, and have a timeline.”]

[Text: “Against Timeline?”]
Franken: “I’m not sure we should set a timetable myself. I may actually, oddly enough, agree with Bush here.” (Al Franken, “The Al Franken Show,” June 16, 2006)
[Text: “I’m not sure we should set a timetable myself. I may actually, oddly enough, agree with Bush here.”.”]

[Text: “Straight Talk?”]

[Text: “For The War?”]
Franken: “I think I would have voted for the use of force, ‘cause I would have believed, I believed Colin Powel.” (Al Franken Show, Air America, May 1, 2006)
[Text: “I would have voted for the use of force, I would have believed Colin Powel.”]

[Text: “Against The War?”]
Franken: “Well, first of all, I never spoke out in favor of this war.” (Al Franken, DFL Progressive Caucus Debate, September 30, 2007)
[Text: “I never spoke out in favor of this war.”]

[Text: “Straight Talk?”]
Franken: “I neither spoke out advocating the war or against the war.” (Al Franken, SD33 Family Frolic in Plymouth, August 21, 2007)
[Text: “I neither spoke out advocating the war or against the war.”]

[Text: “Against The War?”]
Franken: “No one spoke out louder about this war than I did, and more consistently.” (Al Franken, DFL Progressive Caucus Debate, September 30, 2007)
[Text: “No one spoke out louder about this war than I did, and more consistently.”]

[Text: “For Withdrawal”]
Franken: “We have to start a withdrawal, I believe, and have a timeline.” (Al Franken, TwinWest Chamber Debate, October 5, 2007)
[Text: “We have to start withdrawal, I believe, and have a timeline.”]

[Text: “Straight Talk?”]

[Text: “Against Cutting Funds?”]
Franken: “We’ll cut funds is the bluntest instrument, where you are undercutting our troops in the field, no one is going to do that.” (Al Franken Show, Air America Radio, November 29, 2006)
[Text: “We’ll cut funds is the bluntest instrument, where you are undercutting our troops in the field, no one is going to do that.”]

[Text: “For Cutting Funds”]
Franken: “I think you make the President cutoff funding for the troops. I mean, I think…you see, I think that…” Question: “There's definitely a lot of Democrats that are just not willing to bite that bullet, so to speak.” Franken: “I think by then they will be. I think they heard.” (Talking Points Memo, June 14, 2007, http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/014615.php)
[Text: “Make the President cutoff funding for the troops.”]

[Text: “Against Cutting Funds?”]
Franken: “I’m not for cutting off funding for the troops, and neither is the President” (Al Franken, Gustavus Adolphus College, October 10, 2007)
[Text: “I’m not for cutting off funding for the troops, and neither is the President”]

[Text: “For Cutting Funds”]
Franken: “I think you make the President cutoff funding for the troops.” (Talking Points Memo, June 14, 2007, http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/014615.php)
[Text: “Make the President cutoff funding for the troops.”]

[Laughter]

[Text: “Al Franken?”]

[Text: “This Time He’s Not Joking.”]

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