Franken cites Hillary Clinton as his Senate model

Democrat Al Franken said that now-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be his model for how he’d conduct his affairs, should he be seated as Minnesota’s next senator.

“Hillary came in to a certain amount of skepticism,” Franken told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune in a wide-ranging interview. “They wondered ‘Is she going to be a prima donna? Use her celebrity?'”

“What she did was put her head down and work,” he noted.

Since the debut of his candidacy, Franken, who made his career as a comedian and then bombastic liberal satirist, has been dogged by opponents’ claims that he could not be taken seriously. Over the weekend, the conservative Drudge Report featured a picture of Franken dressed in character for a sketch.

“I’m someone who has been very outspoken,” Franken said, pledging to work with all members of the Minnesota congressional delegation. “But when I go in there, I think I’ll be most for Minnesota if I let my colleagues know that I respect them and the institution and will put my head down and do the work.”

Franken is still locked in a battle over the outcome of the Minnesota Senate race with former Sen. Norm Coleman (R), who has appealed an election court’s decision making Franken the winner in the race.