Al Franken Enters Minnesota Senate Race

In this Jan. 4, 2006, file photo, comedian and radio talk show host Al Franken laughs during an interview with The Associated Press in Minneapolis. Franken said Wednesday he will run for U.S. Senate in 2008, confirming his long-suspected plans to seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File) (Jim Mone - AP)

Franken is "going to have to explain to Minnesota how he represents his values when he spent pretty much all of his adult life in New York and Hollywood," Carey said.

Franken, 55, was born in New York City but grew up in the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park. He graduated from Harvard University in 1973, and in 1975 joined the writing staff of "Saturday Night Live" during its first season. He soon began appearing in sketches and remained a fixture on the show well into the 1990s.

In 1996, Franken took his career in a political direction when he wrote "Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations," a broadside against the conservative radio host and other figures on the right. He's since published several other books critical of Republicans.

In his latest book, "The Truth (with jokes)," Franken criticized Coleman for his leadership of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, saying Coleman had not held a single hearing on Iraq war corruption.

Franken planned to make his first public appearance as a candidate Thursday at a Minneapolis clinic.

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On the Net:

Al Franken's Web site: http://www.alfranken.com