Can Al Franken Save His Senate Campaign The Way Stuart Smalley Saved His Family?

It's a good thing Al Franken, the former Saturday Night Live cast member and radio talk show host, is running for the U.S. Senate representing Minnesota instead of for state treasurer. He would have been told to stick to his day job.

Despite raising more money (mostly from his Hollywood pals) than any other candidate in his bid to unseat Republican incumbent Norm Coleman, Franken has been in the news for not tending to his own business. For that, he's in danger of losing his campaign.

Franken had to pay $70,000 in back taxes in the period between 2003-06 to 17 states and the federal government, a miscue he blames on his accountant. One factor is the multitude of tax forms athletes and entertainers (or their accountants) have to fill out, depending on where they happen to be plying their trade. In Franken's case during that period, it was usually personal appearances involving book signings and remote broadcasts of his radio program.

The Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party is standing by its front-runner--for now. But if Franken is denied the party's endorsement at the state convention in June, they might have no choice but to turn to someone else. College professor Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer is still in the running. Or they might persuade attorney Mike Ciresi to re-enter the race.

The DFL may have thought they caught lightning in a bottle with a Senate candidate who has name recognition, but is otherwise new to the political scene. But how can they claim to be the party of fiscal responsibility when that candidate is negligent of his own bookkeeping?

In Franken's case, it's better to have all this out of the way now before Coleman and the Republicans make it a campaign issue come November.