An anti-climactic press conference

We didn't hear anything too earth-shattering at the 3:10 p.m. press conference, but the outlines of the summer's campaign became clear. Al Franken was asked if he is the GOP's "dream candidate," as they have said recently. Franken flipped it around, saying that they've been "doing this for a long time" in order to "distract from the real issues," U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman's record of rubberstamping Bush Administration policy, at the "top of that list" of "enablers in Congress."

He reminded the media of Coleman's infamous "I am a 99% improvement over Paul Wellstone" remark, adding that how Coleman chose to re-spin it, by saying he was 99% better at supporting the White House, has now become Coleman's electoral albatross.

Franken said that he took nothing for granted in today's balloting, and "learned" from his politically tough week. His words of apology "speak for themselves," and he downplayed the seriousness of the whole flap.

Former Gov. Wendy Anderson unexpectedly popped up and asked Franken who his favorite ex-governor was. When Erik Eskola asked about how he would pivot to the general election, Franken said that the "media has a role to play;" specifically, they should concentrate on how politics affects regular people, rather than "inside baseball." That kind of thing is "why people get angry at the media," a risky line in a room full of media people. Still, Franken said, he has "faith in you" to cover things like health care, the green economy, and the war in Iraq. Franken said that Minnesota is a "purplish state in certain ways" but "blue in other ways," at least on issues like health care, tax breaks for oil companies, and Iraq.

Now we'll see: the Coleman campaign, the Franken campaign, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, unknown outside groups, Coleman's soft-money friends surrounding FLS-DCI, and perhaps the rumored entrance of former Gov. Jesse Ventura (or even former Sen. Dean Barkley) will define the character and pacing of the scene.

To the victor, goes the seat.