Four DFLers hoping to unseat U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, a Republican, attempted to draw distinctions between themselves Wednesday night in a debate sponsored by College Democrats at the College of St. Scholastica.
The candidates played to a packed Mitchell Auditorium, calling for immigration and health-care reform, increased investment in the environment and education and an end to the war in Iraq.
All four candidates agreed on the need for universal health care. Al Franken, a former comedian and radio talk show host, suggested letting states decide what would work for them, an idea University of St. Thomas professor Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer called "really dumb."
"We need a national solution to health care," said Nelson-Pallmeyer, who won much of the night's applause.
Dayle Peterson, a hospital trauma chaplain at St. Mary's, said health care was one of the most important issues to her. Before the debate, she said she was undecided, but now thinks she will support Nelson-Pallmeyer.
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"For me, I think they all have the same ideology, but I need to hear a sense of determination in their voices. I don't want them to be wishy-washy," she said.
All four also agreed on a need to dramatically increase education spending. Many rattled off statistics on war appropriations to show that much could be done to the nation's schools with a fraction of what is being spent in Iraq.
Environmentalist Jim Cohen called education the "nation's infrastructure" and its "heart and soul."
The candidates talked about the need to increase Pell college grants and reduce the interest on student loans.
Karl Schuettler, an East High School senior who came to the debate with his father, Dave Schuettler, said college loan relief was a big issue for him. Both father and son were undecided before hearing the candidates speak and said afterward they remain so.
"I was impressed with Ciresi, with the overall picture he was presenting, but I'm still undecided," Karl Schuettler said.
The candidates echoed the calls for change that have dominated the presidential campaigns on the Democratic side.
"We've heard a lot about change," attorney Mike Ciresi said. "Our battle cry should be, 'It's time to change the Norm in Washington.' "
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The race has intensified in recent weeks as Ciresi and comedian Al Franken ran their first statewide television ads. Neither candidate's ad mentions his DFL opponents in the primary fight. One of Ciresi's ads, however, names Coleman, linking him to President Bush and special interests.
The early spending on ad buys typifies this high-stakes race, in which candidates have been able to raise astronomical amounts. Fundraising in 2005 for what would become U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar's seat totaled $2.5 million for the Democrat, while her Republican challenger Mark Kennedy pulled in $3.65 million for the year.
Franken reported bringing in $1.9 million in the last quarter of 2007, which would bring his fundraising totals for the year to $7 million. Coleman raised $1.7 million in the fourth quarter, $6.6 million for the year. Ciresi has yet to release end-of-the-year totals, but according to filings to the Federal Election Commission for the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30, he had raised just over $1 million.
Nelson-Pallmeyer didn't formally enter the race until Oct. 10. His reported year-end fundraising totaled $284,000. Cohen's third quarter fundraising totals were about $36,000.
Though participants in the Feb. 5 precinct caucuses will not vote directly for the DFL Senate nominee, they will elect delegates who will then choose the nominee at the state convention in June. All four candidates have said they will not run in the primary if they are not endorsed at the convention.
