U.S. Senate race to be contest of character

Jeff Cagle

Owatonna People's Press

OWATONNA - The U.S. Senate race in Minnesota has not only been a contest about the issues.

It's also turning into a contest over the personal characters of Sen. Norm Coleman and challenger Al Franken, one of three Democratic opponents looking to unseat the first-term Senator.

On Thursday, Coleman acknowledged that his campaign is taking Franken's candidacy seriously.

"[The election] will be difficult and challenging," Coleman said in a phone interview with the People's Press.