Franken to meet with Senate leaders

ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken will meet with congressional party leaders this week as his Minnesota race is in a recount, a spokeswoman said.

Franken is locked in a close battle with Republican incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman, trailing him by 206 votes as state officials proceed with a recount that will take weeks to complete. Even so, spokeswoman Colleen Murray said Franken will meet Tuesday with Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and others, the Star Tribune newspaper reported.

"If he should win this election, it would be irresponsible for him not to get ready to take office," Murray said. "Minnesota deserves a senator who is ready to take office on Day One."

Coleman spokesman Mark Drake told the Star Tribune, "(It is) highly presumptuous for Mr. Franken to undertake such a visit when his real purpose appears to be fundraising and gaining partisan advantage from non-Minnesotans."

Murray confirmed that Franken would do fundraising, saying, "We've been up front about the fact that the recount is very expensive."