Coleman says Franken has shifted stances

By FREDERIC J. FROMMER
Associated Press Writer

Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman _ who quit the Democratic Party 12 years ago to become a Republican _ has accused likely Democratic opponent Al Franken of changing positions, demeanor and rhetoric in his attempt to win a Senate seat.

Coleman makes the charge in a fundraising e-mail sent out this week with the subject line, "It´s Hard to Deny this Kind of Evolution."

"After decades of carrying the flag for radical left-wing causes, his extremely liberal viewpoints are couched in softer, more acceptable terms," Coleman writes of the former "Saturday Night Live" star. "And for the most part, he´s stopped using curse words in public."

The e-mail prompted dropped jaws in Democratic circles Thursday. Franken campaign spokesman Andy Barr responded that Coleman himself has been all over the political map in his career.

"What´s most troubling about Norm Coleman is what he has evolved into since he came to Washington," Barr said. "And that´s someone who always puts special interests first and doesn´t look out for Minnesota families."

State Democratic Party chairman Brian Melendez called the e-mail "one of the most hypocritical political pieces I have ever seen."

In the letter, Coleman says that throughout his career _ as both mayor of St. Paul, Minn., and senator _ he´s been a "commonsense conservative," and he didn´t back off that when asked about the letter Thursday.

"I have been in the U.S. Senate for six years," he said. "My positions have been very consistent."

As a college student at Hofstra University in New York, Coleman was a long-haired protester against the Vietnam War. By the time he became mayor of St. Paul in 1993, he was already a conservative Democrat, and made the party switch in 1996. The following year, he won re-election as a Republican.