Sep 16, 2008 6:56 pm US/Central
Coleman Launches Profanity-Laden Franken Ad
(WCCO)
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The ad goes on to feature DFL candidate Al Franken repeatedly swearing. While the bad words are bleeped out it's not hard to tell what the swear words are.
CBS
There are a lot of campaign ads being run in the Minnesota U.S. Senate race and this week there is one getting more attention than most.
The ad opens with Republican candidate Sen. Norm Coleman saying, "I am Norm Coleman and I approved this message because I thought it was important for you to see it."
The ad goes on to feature DFL candidate Al Franken repeatedly swearing. While the bad words are bleeped out it's not hard to tell what the swear words are.
"I cannot recall an ad this harsh with this kind of language as long as I've been in Minnesota," said political analyst Larry Jacobs of the University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute.
Jacobs said the ad charts new territory in a race that has seen both campaigns go negative.
"This could well outrage some Minnesota voters who don't want to see swearing on their television screens," he said.
The Coleman campaign bets the outrage will be leveled at Franken.
"Its important for people to know who Al Franken is, how he handles himself when he has to face people he disagrees with. And because temperament and character and judgment are going to be an issue in this race," said Coleman spokesman Luke Friedrich.
A Star Tribune polls released this week showed support for both Coleman and Franken is slipping with Coleman's lead over Franken narrowing by 41 percent for Coleman and 37 percent for Franken. Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley has a 13 percent showing.
Jacobs said the negative tone of the campaign could benefit Barkley.
"Now that Norm Coleman has gone nuclear on Al Franken this could well end up hurting Norm Coleman, Al Franken and helping Dean Barkley who stands to benefit as the Democrat-Republican go into the mud," Jacobs said.
Barkley described the latest Coleman ad as the "worst of the worst". And Barkley said the negative ads are helping him.
"I think its been a huge boon to my candidacy," he said.
Television stations are required under federal law to air political ads. According to WCCO-TV General Manager Susan Adams Loyd, "Federal law prohibits television stations from exercising any power of censorship over a candidate commercial in which the candidate is seen or heard."
Lloyd also said that WCCO-TV is obligated to broadcast commercials for both the Franken and Coleman campaigns just as they are submitted.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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