Franken: Give veterans health care for life

Al Franken speaking about NLCB
DFL U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken speaking in St. Paul, Minn. during his 2008 U.S. Senate campaign.
MPR photo/Mark Zdechlik

U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken says the federal government should guarantee health care for life to every military veteran.

That's the centerpiece of a veterans' package Franken outlined Tuesday at a VFW post in Hopkins.

He was joined by Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who says Franken has the potential to be the same kind of advocate on veterans' issues as the late Sen. Paul Wellstone.

Franken says he's not sure how much his health care guarantee would cost.

Lou Ellingson, a Navy veteran and vice commander of the Hopkins post, says he think Franken's idea isn't politically achievable. But Ellingson says it's still worth pushing for.

Neither Franken nor Republican Sen. Norm Coleman has served in the military. Franken, a former Saturday Night Live writer and performer, has entertained troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries on seven USO tours.

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(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)