screenshot from Franken's thanks video

After his famously close 2008 victory, Al Franken is well on his way to a much easier race in 2014.

See Also:
- Al Franken already wants you to open your pocketbook for his 2014 re-election campaign
- Norm Coleman isn't interested in Al Franken rematch, praises Franken's approach
- Minnesota Republicans want Michele Bachmann vs. Al Franken in 2014
- Al Franken is (intentionally) making shit up in his latest fundraising email

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"I think that what we've seen in these mass murders of late is the use of these assault weapons, and I think that this will save lives," Franken said.

Though Al Franken seemed a bit conflicted about the issue in January, both he and Amy Klobuchar joined the rest of the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday to vote in favor of a gun control proposal that would ban some semiautomatic rifles and limit magazine sizes.

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-- More Minnesotans were killed in fist fights than by rifles in 2011
-- Pine County Sheriff's refusal to enforce new gun regulations has at least one legislative supporter

"Are we going to see these mass murders go to zero? No, we're not. But I think if we can save one life or a few lives by doing this, then I think it's worth it," Franken is quoted as saying in an MPR report, echoing language used by President Obama when he gave a speech in north Minneapolis last month.

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If Franken goes up against the always well-funded Bachmann in 2014, he'll need all the dough he can get.

There really is no political offseason anymore.

SEE ALSO: Al Franken concerned about Obama's authority to kill Americans deemed to be terrorists

Just over three months removed from our last regularly scheduled election, Al Franken is already asking you to kick in some dough for his 2014 reelection campaign.

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The senators threaten that if they might hold up Obama's national security appointments if they don't get more information.

Al Franken is among a group of senators who wrote a letter to President Obama asking him to clarify the legal rationale underpinning the administration's authority to kill Americans deemed to be terrorists.

SEE ALSO: For Franken and Klobuchar, does money from big media mean support for PIPA?

Yesterday, NBC News unearthed a "Department of Justice White Paper" that sheds a big of light on the policy. "Here the Department of Justice concludes only that where the following three conditions are met, a U.S. operation using lethal force in a foreign country against a U.S. citizen who is a senior operational leader of al-Qa'ida or an associated force would be lawful: (1) an informed, high-level official of the U.S. government has determined that the targeted individual poses and imminent threat of violent attack against the United States; (2) capture is infeasible, and the United States continues to monitor whether capture becomes feasible; and (3) the operation would be conducted in a maner consistent with applicable law of war principles," the paper says.

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In these polarized times, Klobuchar enjoys a remarkable amount of bipartisan support.

In the holy trinity of things popular in Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar is right up there with hotdish and Prince, apparently.

SEE ALSO: Amy Klobuchar: "For the first time, there was a traffic jam in the Senate women's bathroom"

According to Public Policy Polling's breakdown of every U.S. Senator's popularity, Klobuchar is the second most popular Senator in the entire country, trailing only Republican John Barrasso, the junior Senator from Wyoming.

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A great politican comedian vs. a great unintentional politican comedian... it could be a lot of fun!

Michele Bachmann for U.S. Senator? Believe it or not, new polling suggests Minnesota Republicans like the sound of that.

SEE ALSO:
-- Al Franken doesn't want mobile app companies to sell your location data without permission
-- Michele Bachmann goes on apocalyptic radio show, says Obama supports Sharia law
-- Mark Dayton looks safe in 2014, according to Public Policy Polling

According to the latest Public Policy Polling survey, 45 percent of "usual Republican primary voters" in the state want Bachmann to challenge Al Franken in 2014. She's far and away the top choice -- second place is U.S. Rep. John Kline, the preferred candidate for 19 percent of MNGOPers.


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Coleman doesn't see himself ending up in this position again anytime soon.

Norm Coleman may be the most popular Republican in Minnesota, but he apparently doesn't think he's popular enough to take down Al Franken.

SEE ALSO: Norm Coleman praises Obama gun control speech that didn't use the word "guns"

It looks like those hoping for a rematch of the ridiculously close and controversial 2008 matchup for Minnesota's junior U.S. Senate seat are in for a disappointment, as Coleman told the National Journal he no interest in running again.

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In the hours after the Newtown shooting, McCollum (right) was in a much more political mood than Franken.

In the wake of a tragedy, when is it appropriate to start talking about its political implications?

SEE ALSO:
-- Betty McCollum speaks out on Arizona shootings [VIDEO]
-- Al Franken doesn't want mobile app companies to sell your location data without permission

Unfortunately, that's a question elected officials had to face Friday following the horrible school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, and comments made by Senator Al Franken and Representative Betty McCollum illustrated how politicians from the same party answered it differently.

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Franken wants mobile app companies to be forthcoming about when they're selling your location data.

Al Franken's Location Privacy Protection Act won approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, meaning the bill moves to the full Senate for debate.

SEE ALSO:
-- For Franken and Klobuchar, does money from big media mean support for PIPA?
-- Al Franken cries on Senate floor [VIDEO]

"The bill would require companies to get a customer's consent before collecting or sharing mobile location data," The Hill reports. "It would also ban mobile applications that secretly monitor the user's location -- a feature that Franken said allows for stalking and enables domestic violence."

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Now this is a meeting with some serious comedic potential.

SEE ALSO: Michele Bachmann is making shit up in her latest fundraising email

When Michele Bachmann makes shit up in her fundraising emails, it's kinda funny, but unintentionally so. When Al Franken does it, it's just kinda funny.

In his latest please-give-me-money message, Franken harkens back to his comedic days of yore and places his email within the context of (fabricated) political fundraising history. Has he lost a step or two since he gave up the yuck yucks and headed to Washington? You be the judge.

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