Midwest Values PAC, founded by Al Franken, raised over $1.1 million in its first year from over six thousand donors.

37 MVPs nationwide

The PAC contributed to over three dozen federal candidates in 2006 – and 18 of those candidates won. Four incumbent Republican Senators and eight incumbent Republican Congressmen were defeated by candidates receiving assistance from the PAC.

Some of those winners were underdogs like Tim Walz (MN-01), Jason Altmire (PA-04), Nancy Boyda (KS-02), Paul Hodes (NH-02), Jon Tester (MT-SEN), and Jim Webb (VA-SEN), to whom MVP distributed what Al likes to call “pre-’macaca’” money.

In short, Al’s support helped to build the Democratic “tidal wave” in 2006.

Beans, burgers, and brats

Al appeared at more than 50 events in 2006 on behalf of local DFL party units, local candidates, and progressive organizations within the state of Minnesota.

Picture courtesy of BlackAnthem.com. Read their write-up of Al’s USO visit here.

This holiday season, Al Franken and MVP political director Andy Barr are entertaining our troops overseas with the USO.

2006 marks Al’s seventh USO trip, starting with Bosnia and Kosovo in 1999. (You can view pictures from Al’s USO trip last year here.)

On December 31, Al wrote about his trip and the need for strong leadership and decisions on Iraq in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Read the op-ed here.

Al also talked about the trip on his Air America Radio show, The Al Franken Show. You can listen below:

12.15.06: Al calls The Al Franken Show again from Kuwait: download

12.14.06: The Tour Starts. Al calls The Al Franken Show from his hotel room in Kuwait: download

Or click on the buttons below to listen on this page (uploaded by the podcast-sharing site Odeo.com):

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For a complete list of candidates we gave money to, go here.

To help candidates in future elections, and progressive groups that build the infrastructure to maintain our majorites in the House and Senate, consider giving to Midwest Values PAC today.

There’s nothing better than doing a USO Tour. Every tour is exhausting, moving, inspiring, sad, and fun all at the same time. So far I’ve done six, starting with Bosnia and Kosovo in 1999. Of course, Clinton was president then.

I’ve done four USO Tours while Bush was commander in chief – the last three taking us to Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Since I’ve been so outspoken in my criticism of Bush, a lot of people ask me if I ever get crap from our troops.

The answer is “never.” Not once. Until you go over there, you have no idea how happy our soldiers, marines, and airmen are to have anyone come over to see them.