Rita and I over the years with Al Franken.

2003: Al Franken appeared at the Uptown Theater on a book tour in 2003. The book: Lies (And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them): A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right.

 

 Prior to his appearance at the Uptown, Rita and I also saw Franken at a fundraiser for the Committee for County Progress.

And he signed his book for Rita…

2008/2014:  Franken was elected to the Senate in 2008, but only after a recount and litigation that delayed his taking office until July of 2009. He was reelected in 2014.

 2016: Below, at a Jason Kander for Senate fundraiser in February of 2016. We showed Senator Franken our pic with him from 2003, and he then posed for this one.

At that Kander fundraiser, Franken did a parlor trick that was impressive. He took a blank whiteboard and in freehand drew the U.S. AND the outline of all states. It was then auctioned off for an additional campaign contribution. Two bidders took it up to $5,000, so Franken drew a second one that doubled the extra contributions to $10,000. Below, Al with his first map (Kander at the right) and then down on the floor to draw his second map. 

2017: We also saw Franken do this at a Claire McCaskill fundraiser in Kansas City on November 4, 2017.

Twelve days later, on November 16, the first woman to charge Franken with harassment went public. Many Senators, including McCaskill, called for his resignation. Franken resigned on January  2, 2018.

A big loss for the Senate.