Satirist Al Franken to Headline Brainerd Lakes Fundraiser for House Candidate Coleen Rowley

Brainerd, MN (PRWEB) July 12, 2006

Al Franken, American satirist, comedian, bestselling author, and radio host, will be at a cocktail reception for Congressional candidate Coleen Rowley on Sunday, July 23rd from 4 to 6:30 pm at The Lodge in Brainerd Lakes. Along with Congressman Jim Oberstar, former Congressman Rick Nolan, and former Minnesota State Majority leader Roger Moe, the event will be an opportunity for hundreds of Brainerd and Central Minnesota area DFLers and friends to “gather for a fun evening and celebration of Midwest values,” according to organizers.

Coleen Rowley was named the Time Magazine “Person of the Year” in 2002, along with two other women, Sherron Watkins of Enron and Cynthia Cooper of WorldCom. After the September 11 attacks, Rowley wrote a memorandum to FBI Director Robert Mueller claiming that FBI personnel in Washington, D.C. had neglected to take action on information regarding the Minnesota field office investigation of suspected terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui. In 2005, Rowley announced that she was considering running against incumbent John Kline for Minnesota’s 2nd District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Besides Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN 8th) and former Congressman Bill Luther, Rowley has been endorsed by the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, the Minnesota AFL-CIO, UAW Minnesota State CAP Council, the National Women's Campaign Fund, Council for a Livable World, Service Employees International Union, and the Minnesota DFL Veterans’ Caucus.

Oberstar says, “During her prior 24-year career as an FBI agent and Minneapolis division legal counsel, Coleen was not only respected for her dedication to ethics and law, but also to the FBI's mission of effective crime fighting and intelligence gathering." Oberstar refers to Rowley as, “a bright, refreshing ray of hope for the future of this country and for the people of Minnesota's Second Congressional District."

Satirist Al Franken got his start with Saturday Night Live, where the team of “Franken and Davis” were two of the original writers (1975-1980, 1985-1995). Franken was awarded three Emmy Awards and seven Emmy nominations for his television writing and production.

Franken wrote the original screenplay and starred in the movie Stuart Saves His Family, co-wrote the hit film When A Man Loves A Woman, and has written five New York Times bestselling books. In 2003, Franken served as a Fellow with Harvard's Kennedy School of Government at the Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy. He also became the first nationally syndicated radio talk show host to visit Iraq, where he headlined three USO shows. Franken has done six USO tours to date.

Franken currently hosts a show on Air America Radio from 12-3 p.m. EST.

Suggested donation for this event is $50.

The Lodge at Brainerd is located at 6967 Lake Forest Road, Baxter, MN. Directions, maps and room rates can be found at the website http://www.lodgehotels.com, or call 877-687-634 (for rooms).

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