Double Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon
Rated 94 Pts. Exotic spicy, toasty, cedary oak turns taut, with firm, chewy, loamy earth, currant, anise, sage and mineral flavors that are tightly wound. Finishes with full-bodied tannins that beg for short-term cellaring.
- Or -
During the Crescendo of the Election Season - You May Just Need!
A Jag Bomb
In the midst of it all, I have something utterly positive to say. I've wondered whether to share this or not, but I'm going to because I'm particularly sick about how nasty the RNC and Norm Coleman have gotten about the character of Al Franken. When Norm Coleman went on the air to 'mea culpa' his negative campaigning and vowed to end it, the Republican National Committee jumped in strategically with Coleman to increase their negative adds - so much so that every commercial and add I see is a personal attack on Franken's character. So I'm going to speak up.
First, let me say that although I tend to vote DFL, I do not blindly follow any political party at the detriment of my own judgement. I've proudly have supported GOP candidates when I feel they can serve all people and the political process well. Jim Ramstad comes to mind. I am sincerely going to miss him in politics.
Okay - here we go. Second disclosure: I don't know Al Franken at all. If he walked past me in a crowd, there would be no glint of recognition in his eyes or nod hello of a casual acquaintence. I met the man once. But during that meeting in 1998 I was extremely impressed by what he had to say and how he handled himself. He was a man passionate about social issues then and he has clearly continued to build on that foundation.
At the Minneapolis 'Taste of the Nation' celebrity fundraiser, Al Franken was asked to attend and mingle with guests. After a two hour reception, celebrities sat down to a 5 course meal with guests that paid to support the Share our Strength mission of wiping out issues of hunger within our country. All the money raised that afternoon went to Second Harvest food shelf. There were approximately 2 dozen celebrities that attended that late afternoon. While it was a decade ago, I remember people like Joe Mauer, Leslie Nielsen, Tom Smothers (of the Smother's Brothers), Tipi Hedren, Richard Crenna, Randy Mantooth and Stuart Pankin attending the event. That's where I had my one and only meeting with Al Franken.
I was a bit in awe of Mr. Franken. I am a HUGE Saturday Night Live fan and knew he was behind the hysterical Julia Child bit where Dan Akroyd cuts off his hand with a butcher knife. I also loved his character of Stuart Smalley and appreciated his satirical skits on the show. Heck, I recognized him immediately in one of the last scenes of Trading Places. To me, Al Franken has always been a gifted man who knows how to blend humor and the truth to speak out on current social issues.
Mr. Franken made no effort to take up all the oxygen at the table. He was quiet at first, almost reserved and shy. Of course numerous people complimented him on his SNL success and tried to engage him with flattery. It was obvious to me that he wanted to underplay the attention. When the discussion at our tabled turned to the good works of Second Harvest Food Shelf, he immediately became engaged in the conversation. He was concerned about the number of people in our state that lacked proper nutrition, especially the children. He discussed the root causes and wondered out loud about if our state government was doing enough to provide resources and allow people to become self-sustaining. This impressed me and I'll never forget his sincerity and obvious passion. There was a man at the table that subtly challenged Mr. Franken on the basis of his celebrity status, and rather than engage him negatively, Al Franken listened respectfully and asked more questions. He clearly was weighing all sides of the issues and it was apparent to me that he cared deeply for the people in our state. That meeting created an extremely positive impression for me of Al Franken and when he threw his hat in the ring for the Senate last year, I knew it was coming from a passion to serve our state.
It's Jill with Al Franken at a fundraiser for MN foodshelves
yes, ItsJill was 80lbs. heavier - it took this Senate race to publically show an old me!
That was 1998; a decade ago. It would be years before Al Franken returned to Harvard (no slacker - that's where he got his undergraduate degree in sociology). In 2003, he served as a Fellow with Harvard's Kennedy School of Government at the Joan Shorestein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy. Clearly this man is well educated and has shown decades of interest in government. No accomplished political writer or satirist can be successful unless they understand the real political issues and how it affects the everyday person. He is passionate, much in the same way that Paul Wellstone was passionate. Can that passion be viewed as a fault? Well that's the million dollar question and one that the RNC has attacked. But let me say this - I've met the 'other' candidate twice. Both times he didn't give me the time of day because I lived on the other side of the river and he was campaigning for Mayor of St. Paul. Enough said.
I believe Al Franken is the best choice to serve in the Senate. He is a Minnesotan that has gone on to be educated and accomplished on levels I can only dream of. His passion for our state, coupled with his understanding of the political process, drives him to become elected despite the ugliness that comes with campaigning. He and his wife Franni have shed a light on some of their personal struggles, not hiding the human condition in lieu of trying to look like a political super-hero. One commercial the RNC is using to smear his character sites something he wrote back in 1989 and many things from the 90's (check that fine print - you'll see it for a nano-second). How utterly out of date! Al Franken's commercials on Norm Coleman's record site issues that are happening in 2007 and 2008 - current issues, current concerns. Current misappropriations and use of office for personal gain.
I have never been offended by Al Franken's humor - in fact, I appreciate his bold attempts to show the hypocrisy of social issues, spurring us to THINK. It's biting to be sure, but don't some of the current social, political and economic injustice's deserve to be bit! As a woman I'm happy he can engage me into the discussion and based on my one experience, he clearly respected and encouraged my opinion. Al Franken is most certainly an appropriate choice and extremely suitable to serve in the Senate!
In close, if you haven't decided who to vote for, please go back and do your research. No matter who you choose, choose someone you think will serve our state to the best of their ability for the right reasons - that is, on behalf of all 5,167,101 Minnesotans (according to the last US Census Bureau). As long as you cast that vote to the best of your ability, that's all that anyone can ask for.
