Al Franken: Return Senator Ted "Indicted" Stevens donations, Normy

By GottaLaff

But Norm the Toker needs the money for weed tooth whitener his campaign! And, Sue, you better hustle off to the bank, too:

Minnesota candidate Al Franken was the first out of the block in calling on his opponent, Senator Norm Coleman, to return donations from indicted Senator Ted Stevens, followed closely by the Maine Democratic Party hitting Senator Susan Collins for accepting similar contributions. But Coleman and Collins won't be the last to be slammed for associating with the Senate's most senior Republican.

Stevens' Northern Lights PAC has doled out almost $145,000 to GOP candidates this cycle, including $10,000 checks to Republicans Elizabeth Dole, Pat Roberts and Gordon Smith, all running for re-election against credible challengers this year, as well as smaller checks to John Sununu, Roger Wicker, Mike Johanns, Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn. The PAC also handed a $5,000 check to John McCain's presidential campaign.

Scroll back through the years and Franken's campaign charges Coleman with taking a total of $25,000 from Stevens, as well as another $6,000 from executives already caught up in the same VECO Corp. scandal that ensnared the Alaska Republican.

Since 1998, Stevens' PAC has given more than $1.07 million to Republican incumbents and candidates for office, according to records kept by the Center for Responsive Politics, including to each Republican considered vulnerable this year and to dozens of House members as well.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Quel dilemma.

Watch research shops at the Democratic Senatorial and Congressional Campaign Committees swing into overdrive today as they follow the money.

Ohhh, follow away. Please. Follow. We'll be watching.