Perennial DFL candidate demands drug tests for Senate field
Posted at 10:54 AM on July 18, 2007
by Tom Scheck
Dick Franson, a DFLer who has run for U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2000 as well as Secretary of State in 2006, is challenging the 2008 U.S. Senate candidates to take a drug test.
Franson (who doesn't have a website that I could find so I'm linking to a 2006 Star Tribune candidate profile of him) walked through the Capitol Press room with a a news release saying GOP Sen. Norm Coleman, DFL candidate Al Franken and DFL candidate Mike Ciresi should submit to drug tests to see if they are "now clean." Franson is calling for the drug tests after the Star Tribune reported on the past drug use of the candidates. The news release says Franson has "certified he has never used any illegal drugs in his life-time (sic)."
In a strange coincidence, Star Tribune columnist Nick Coleman wrote today that politicians need to debate the nation's drug laws.
The feature examines statements made by Minnesota politicians and checks them for accuracy. Based on data analysis, document reviews and interviews with non-partisan analysts, statements are rated either true, false or inconclusive. PoliGraph is a collaboration between Minnesota Public Radio News and the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
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