Betty McCollum

Just after the DFL Feminist Caucus announced they'd endorsed Al Franken, U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN4) stopped by the press area and said she is still concerned about Franken and the distraction some of his past writings on porn and violence against women are posing for Democrats.

"I am just speaking for myself," McCollum said, adding that she was unaware of the feminists' endorsement of Franken.

She said she's very interested in how Franken is going to address these issues in the speech he will give in an hour or so asking DFL delegates for their support. She's looking for Franken to explain what he will do to stop these issues from being a distraction and redirect the focus toward the pressing issues that Democrats should be addressing, such as high gas prices and improving infrastructure like bridges.

"[Franken] has the potential to be a very big distraction," McCollum said. "We should be talking about what we are going to do" about gas prices and building or repairing bridges.

McCollum reiterated what she's said this week, that she finds Franken's writings offensive and unfunny.

She called on Franken to be "forthright" and tell people "how are you going to get beyond talking about" his past.

McCollum also said she is not encouraging former Senate candidate Mike Ciresi to get back into the race.

The Republican convention in Rochester this past weekend was a somewhat staid and stultifying affair.

Staid because there was nary a balloon or speck of confetti at an event that, in the last few decades, has evolved into grand political pageantry. Anybody remember six years ago when Norm Coleman was first endorsed to run for the U.S. Senate? Coleman's endorsement was consummated with a massive balloon, confetti, sound and light show.

Stultifying because two of keynote speaker Karl Rove's biggest applause lines were about frivolous lawsuits. A country waging an unpopular war and making ends meet in a weak economy won't be thinking about trial lawyers when it's time to vote this November.

State conventions are about energizing the party troops. This past weekend the only person generating any kilowatts was a guy who wasn't there. Al Franken. The GOP energizer bunny gift that keeps on giving. And going and going.

The most recent present from Franken's sleigh full of baggage is a column he wrote for Playboy in the magazine's January 2000 issue. The 1478-word piece was titled "Porn-O-Rama!" The most meaningful way to assess the political ramifications of the column is to read it in its entirety (which I did, thanks to several DFL friends who emailed it to me).

Unfortunately, the column is copyrighted and thus major media won't reprint it or link to it in a PDF. I have been sorely tempted to publish it here on PIM, but because we're now happily ensconced in the stable of publications owned by Dolan Media Company, instigating a copyright infringement lawsuit doesn't bode well for future payments on my mortgage.

But more important, Al Franken's column isn't worth a dime in legal fees. While Porn-O-Rama! is sexist, crass and vulgar, the one thing it is not is funny. Which raises the most important question of all: What kind of judgment does a man have who makes jokes about bestiality and 12-year-olds in the same sentence?

A man who, at the age of 49 in 2000, writes, "The moment Playboy told me I could tackle any subject for its millennium issue, I immediately chose pornography" ...?

Norm Coleman - Senior Senator (R)

Senior Staff
Chief of Staff- Jennifer Mies Lowe
Legislative Director- Lorianne Moss
Communications Director- Tom Steward
State Director- Vicki Tigwell

Government-hosted website: http://coleman.senate.gov/
Campaign website: http://www.colemanforsenate.com/

Washington D.C. Office
320 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5641
Fax: (202) 224-1152
Scheduling: (202) 228-1503

Grand Rapids Office
200 Northbank Center 206B
Northeast 3rd Street
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
Phone: (218) 327-9333
Fax: (218) 327-8637

Mankato Office
12 Civic Center Plaza Suite 2167
Mankato, MN 56001
Phone: (507) 625-6800
Fax: (507) 625-9427

St. Paul Office
2550 University Avenue West Suite 100N
Saint Paul, MN 55114
Phone: (651) 645-0323
Toll Free: (800) 642-0323
Fax: (651) 645-3110

Amy Klobuchar - Junior Senator (DFL)

Senior Staff
Chief of Staff- Sean Richardson
Legislative Director- Shelia Murphy
Communications Director- Ross Corson
State Director- Sara Grewing

Government-hosted website: http://klobuchar.senate.gov/
Campaign website: http://www.amyklobuchar.com/

Washington D.C. Office
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3244
Fax: (202) 228-2186

Minneapolis Office (Fort Snelling)
1 Federal Drive
Whipple Federal Building Suite 298
Fort Snelling, MN 55111
Phone: (612) 727-5220
Fax: (612) 727-5223

Rochester Office

1134 7th Street NW
Rochester, MN 55901

Phone: (507) 288-5321
Fax: (507) 288-2922

Tim Walz - Congressional District 1 (DFL)

Senior Staff
Chief of Staff- Peg McGlinch
Legislative Director- Jeremy Bratt
District Director- Nate Arch
Press Secretary- Meredith Salsbery
Government-hosted website: http://walz.house.gov/
Campaign website: http://www.timwalz.org/

Washington D.C. Office

1529 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2472
Fax: (202) 225-3433

Mankato Office

227 East Main Street Suite 220
Mankato, MN 5590
Phone: (507) 206-0643

Rochester Office

1134 Seventh Street NW
Rochester, MN 55901
Phone: (507) 3882149

John Kline - Congressional District 2 (R)

Senior Staff
Chief of Staff- Steve Sutton
Legislative Director- Jean Hinz
District Director- Mike Osskopp
Press Secretary- Troy Young
Government-hosted website: http://kline.house.gov/
Campaign website:http://www.klineforcongress.org/

Washington D.C. Office
1429 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2271
Fax: (202) 225-2595

Burnsville Office
101 West Burnsville Parkway Suite 201
Burnsville, MN 55337
Phone: (952) 808-1261
Fax: (952) 808-1261

Jim Ramstad - Congressional District 3 (R)

Senior Staff
Chief of Staff- Dean Peterson
Legislative Director- Karin Hope   

District Director- Lance Olson
Press Secretary- Dean Peterson

Government-hosted website: http://www.house.gov/ramstad/
Campaign website: http://www.ramstad.org/
Washington D.C. Office
103 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Phone: (202) 225-2871
Fax: (202) 225-6351

Minnetonka Office
1809 Plymouth Road South Suite 300
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Phone: (952) 738-8000
Fax: (952) 738-9362

Betty McCollum - Congressional District 4 (DFL)

Senior Staff
Chief of Staff- Bill Harper
Legislative Director- Emily Lawrence
District Director- Josh Straka
Communications Director- Bryan Collinsworth

Government-hosted website: http://www.mccollum.house.gov/
Campaign website: http://www.mccollumforcongress.com/

Washington D.C. Office
1714 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6631
Fax: (202) 225-1968

St. Paul Office
165 Western Avenue North Suite 17
St. Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (651) 224-9191
Fax: (651) 224-3056

Keith Ellison - Congressional District 5 (DFL)

Senior Staff
Chief of Staff- Kari Moe   
Legislative Director- Minh Ta     
District Director- Brian Elliot
Press Secretary- Rick Jauert

Government-hosted website: http://ellison.house.gov/
Campaign website: http://www.keithellison.org/

Washington D.C. Office
1130 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4775
Fax: (202) 225-4886

Minneapolis Office
2100 Plymouth Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55411
Phone: (612) 522-1212
Fax: (612) 522-9915

Michele Bachmann - Congressional District 6 (R)

Senior Staff
Chief of Staff- Rich Dunn
Legislative Director- Rich Dunn
District Director- Sean Nienow
Press Secretary- Heidi Frederickson

Government-hosted website:http://bachmann.house.gov/
Campaign website: http://www.michelebachmann.com/

Washington D.C. Office
412 Cannon House Office Building   
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2331
Fax: (202) 225-6475

Woodbury Office
6043 Hudson Road Suite 330
Woodbury, MN 55125
Phone: (651) 731-5400
Fax: (651) 731-6650

Collin Peterson - Congressional District 7 (D)

Senior Staff
Chief of Staff- Mark Brownell
Legislative Director- Robin Goracke
Press Secretary- Allison Myhre

Government-hosted website:http://collinpeterson.house.gov/
Campaign website: http://www.petersonforcongress.com/

Washington D.C. Office
2211 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2165
Fax: (202) 225-1596

Detroit Lakes Office
714 Lake Avenue Suite 107
Detroit Lakes, MN 56501
Phone: (218) 847-5056

Marshall Office
1420 East College Drive SW/WC
Marshall, MN 56258
Phone: (507) 537-2299

Montevideo Office
100 N First St
Montevideo, MN 53265
Phone: (320) 269-8888

Red Lake Falls Office
MN Wheat Growers Office Building
2603 Wheat Drive
Red Lake Falls, MN 56750
Phone: (218) 253-4356

Redwoods Falls Office
230 East 3rd Street
Redwood Falls, MN 56283
Phone: (507) 637-2270

Wilmar Office
320 4th Street SW
Centre Point Mall
Willmar, MN 56201
Phone: (320) 235-1061

Jim Oberstar - Congressional District 8 (DFL)

Senior Staff
Chief of Staff- Bill Richard
Legislative Director- Chip Gardiner
District Director- Jackie Morris
Press Secretary- Mary Kerr

Government-hosted website: http://oberstar.house.gov/
Campaign website: http://www.oberstar.org/

Washington D.C. Office
2365 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 225-6211
Fax: (202) 225-0699

Brainerd Office
Brainerd City Hall
501 Laurel Street
Brainerd, MN 56401
Phone: (218) 828-4400
Fax: (218) 828-1412

Chisholm Office
Chisholm City Hall
316 Lake Street
Chisholm, MN 55719
Phone: (218) 254-5761
Fax: (218) 254-5132

Duluth Office
Duluth Federal Building Room 231
Duluth, MN 55902
Phone: (218) 727-7474
Fax: (218) 727-8270

North Branch Office
38625 14th Avenue Suite 300B
North Branch, MN 55056
Phone: (651) 277-1234
Fax: (651) 277-1235