Almanac: At the Capitol

The question I kept hearing all night at the Obama rally was "Where's Al Franken?" His rival for the DFL U.S. Senate endorsement Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer was there. Sen. Amy Klobuchar appeared and got big cheers. Congressman Keith Ellison also made the crowd roar. Many said they were waiting to see Franken appear, to shore up support, to rally the troops with 30,000 people in and around the X.

Franken's campaign tells me he had a previously scheduled event in the third congressional district with delegates in Eden Prairie. Ironic that is was a woman from Eden Prairie who was introducing Obama while the world was watching. It appears Franken is more concerned about delegates who will decide his fate in a few days than a huge crowd in St. Paul or a broad television audience.

Franken hasn’t taken a position publicly in the presidential race, but his spokesperson says "he knows both candidates personally and thinks they’re both extraordinary." Interesting he's still referring to two candidates. Franken's spokesperson writes even though he didn't attend the Obama rally "he is VERY excited about DFL enthusiasm in Minnesota." They seem optimistic about the convention in Rochester.