Al Franken says Arizona immigration law "goes way to far"

Another Minnesota pol joins the backlash against Arizona

"I think that it's bad for public safety. It goes way too far," he told KEYC on Cinco de Mayo. "And whether you're for it or not, it underscores the need for comprehensive immigration reform."

The law requires Arizona cops to arrest anyone they think might have come into the country illegally and who can't produce proper immigration documentation on the spot to prove otherwise.

Show me your papers regardless of your citizenship, in other words.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison of Minneapolis -- like Franken, all Democrats -- have all spoken out against the law in recent days.

Ellison called the measure "fascist, racist" at a May Day rally downtown.

Minnesota's senior senator in Washington, D.C., DFLer Amy Klobuchar, hasn't spoken out on the law. But, like Franken, she advocates a comprehensive approach to dealing with illegal immigration.

Meanwhile, GOP state Rep. Steve Drazkowski says he's going to draft legislation copying the Arizona law. And GOP-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer calls the law a "wonderful first step."

Te man he wants to replace, Tim Pawlenty, told the Daily Caller, "It's OK for states to take reasonable and appropriate measures to enforce the laws, and I think that's what Arizona is trying to do."

Texas Gov. Rick Perry said in the same story, "The last thing we need is 50 different immigration policies."

Meanehile, in Arizona, the Tucson and Flagstaff city councils plan to sue the state over the law.