Al Franken

DENVER -- It was a good morning for U.S. Sen. Pat Leahy. At one point he stood in front of a full room of over 100 people gathered for an event in his honor. Next to him Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean was calling him a "true statesman" and "the conscience of the Senate." Leahy was appreciative of the remarks, but he just saw something he definately wanted a picture of.

So he grabbed his camera, leaned behind Dean, who was still speaking, and snapped a picture of fellow Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Grateful Dead member Mickey Hart, and Minnesota U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken being friendly.

Along with them were some of the biggest names in Vermont and national Democratic politics for his political action committee's fundraiser.

Good thing John Sununu has so much cash on hand. His Republican colleagues are sitting on their war chests, despite National Republican Senatorial Committee chair John Ensign's call to arms last week.

If the Democrats really wind up dropping $8 million on him, over and above what Jeanne Shaheen spends, the incumbent senator certainly would have his hands full if he doesn't get much backing from the NRSC.

DENVER--AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker told the Oregon delegation on Tuesday that Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) was getting attacked on the airwaves by anti-union groups because of his support for workers.

BOSTON -- Al Franken, the former "Saturday Night Live" star and current Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Minnesota, is scheduled to attend a fundraiser in Massachusetts in the middle of September, PolitickerMA.com has learned. The location of the Sept. 18 event is still unknown, said Shanti Fry, the Democratic fundraiser who is hosting the event. The event will be co-hosted by Steven Grossman, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Franken is currently locked in a tight race with U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.).

Back in 2005, when Al Franken was just a radio host and Barack Obama was just a U.S. Senator, he quipped with the rising star that he should parlay the momentum he earned as a keynoter at the 2004 Democratic National Convention "because we all remember President Mario Cuomo."

House Speaker and U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) called on Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton) to return the $39,000 in campaign donations that he has received during his political career from Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who was charged with bribery on Tuesday.

The American Future Fund, a conservative-leaning advocacy group, has launched a hard-hitting radio advertisement targeting U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Searchlight) on the issue of gas prices.

The ad, first reported in several news outlets last week, takes Reid to task for his opposition to offshore drilling.

“Reid says no to energy exploration in Alaska and off our coasts. And no to the safe development of our massive oil shale reserves,” an announcer says in the 60-second spot. “But Reid says yes to higher energy taxes, that consumers will wind up paying. Call Harry Reid at 202-224-3542. Tell him to allow the Senate to vote on S. 3202 - and drill for oil right here - right now.”