New York state officials stated that Al Franken Inc. illegally failed to carry workers’ compensation insurance for employees from 2002 to 2005. Franken paid the $25,000 fine.[14] [15]

The California Franchise Tax Board reported that the same corporation owes more than $4,743.40 in taxes, fines and associated penalties in the state of California for 2003 through 2007 because the corporation did not file tax returns in the state for those years.[16] A Franken representative said that it followed the advice of an accountant who believed when the corporation stopped doing business in California that no further filing was required.[17][18] However, Republicans say that Franken made 32 public appearances from 2003 to 2007, including two on NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno taped in Burbank, California, for which Franken would have been paid the standard union fee as a member of the Screen Actors Guild.[19] On April 29, 2008, Franken released a statement noting that he will pay about $70,000 in back income taxes in 17 states dating to 2003. Most of the income at issue was from speeches and other paid appearances by the comedian-turned candidate, who said he got bad advice from his accountant, who told him to pay income tax only in his state of residence. Franken said he will seek retroactive credit from the states where he paid income tax that should have been paid in these 17 states.[20]

I think this will fade in time and the salience of who supported Bush and who didn’t will be the most important thing.

Folks like the Home Prairie Companions Garisson Keillor are behind Franken Iwhom has a huge audience in those parts.), I don’t see Al loosing in November. He’ll pull it out, that seat’s important, so I hope he does.

I’m an Obama fan, but I also believe the 17% projection is VERY optimistic. While “polls showed the same lead for Dukakis, therefore Obama will lose just like Dukakis” is clearly faulty logic, “polls showed the same lead for Dukakis, therefore polls conducted four months prior to a general election may be unreliable” is perfectly reasonable.

Franken’s numbers have fluctuated quite a bit over the last few months. I don’t think he’s out of the race yet; Coleman is a Bush puppet, and, as Duros62 pointed out, he IS running in a state that elected a pro wrestler governor.

By that standard, isn’t Obama a carpetbagger too?

Good one!