If you’re a Minnesota Democrat, Al Franken’s decision to step down from the U.S. Senate is a groaner like a bad SNL sketch.
“There is little appetite from Democratic voters at the state level for Franken to go, with 71 percent opposing his departure,” says a new survey by Public Policy Polling.
Overall, half of the 671 Minnesotans interviewed thought he should not resign, compared with 42 percent who think he should go through with his planned resignation Jan. 2.
The Star Tribune paper covered his state valedictory speech Thursday night in northeast Minneapolis, where the former SNL writer and player said:
“Here’s my promise to you. I may be leaving the Senate, but I’m not giving up my voice. We still have a lot of work to do together on issues ranging from net neutrality to climate change.”
Franken had apologized for sexual misconduct and threw himself at the mercy of the Ethics Committee, but opted to quit as calls for his head grew in his own party.
“One of the hardest things about leaving this job will be not getting to work alongside you every day,” he told some 300 supporters, family members and friends, “but I cannot wait to see what you do next.”