Dodging POTUS at GOP convention

 

Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman is a Republican. He's running for reelection against comedian Al Franken. No joke.

But Democrats in Minnesota claim he is also running away from George W. Bush. If so, it's not hard to understand why.

The tides are flowing Democratic this year. The president is unpopular. Coleman is controversial -- the one-term senator came to office after his beloved opponent, Sen. Paul Wellstone, died in a plane crash. And Minnesota is one of those "purple" states that tilts between blue (Dem) and red (Rep).

With the Republican convention taking place in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Coleman does not have the option -- already grabbed by some of his colleagues -- of staying at home. Actually he's on the podium, to speak Wednesday night.

So the state Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is offering a prize to anyone in Minnesota who can catch a photo of Coleman with President Bush while the two are at the Republican convention.

No details yet on what the prize is. Maybe a photo with Franken?

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: AFP