Al Franken to Democratic convention delegates: We have a fight on our hands

Joey Garrison | USA TODAY Network

PHILADELPHIA – U.S Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., told Tennessee Democrats on Monday that “we really have a fight on our hands” to get Hillary Clinton elected against Donald Trump.

“A lot of you have jobs. A lot of you have families. Ignore them,” Franken said, prompting laughs at a delegation breakfast on the opening day of the Democratic National Convention. “When we get back, work every day, OK?”

Franken praised the “social justice” career of Clinton’s new vice president selection U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. In discussing Clinton, he said he’s “never seen anyone who is tougher and works harder and knows her stuff.”

Franken called last week’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland “one of the ugliest conventions that I’ve ever seen” and Trump’s speech “one of the scariest I’ve ever seen.”

“Our convention is going to be a stark contrast because what we’re going to be talking about is how to build on America’s greatness and how to address the real problems that we know that we have," he said.

He also said the Democrats have a much better lineup of speakers.

“To give you an example of the contrast between their convention and our convention, they had Scott Baio,” he joked. “We’re going to have President Barack Obama.”

Garrison writes for the Tennessean in Nashville.