The Senate race in Minnesota between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and challenger Al Franken is hot, hot, hot. According to the Mineapolis Star Tribune, the candidate’s third quarter campaign finance reports, filed yesterday with the U.S. Federal Election Commission, showed that former comedian Franken outraised Coleman. However, Franken has less cash on hand as the two candidates battle in the final weeks of the campaign.

Our Party Time database also shows Coleman to be the bigger partier, with nine fundraising parties 2008 scheduled parties. (We must always caution that our collection of invitations is not complete, but rather reflects what we receive through our anonymous lobbyist sources.)

Coleman’s most recently scheduled party was on September 3, a rooftop reception in Minneapolis hosted by the Associated Builders and Contractors PAC. The Virginia-based organization is a longtime fan of Coleman’s and has maxed out to his campaign this election cycle, giving him $10,000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. A top priority for the group is opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier for employees to form a union. Coleman is a reliable opponent to the legislation, writing, for example, this opinion piece opposing the bill.

Our Party Time database,  yields no fundraising parties for Franken. That does not mean he hasn’t had fundraising parties–he most certainly has–only that nobody, alas, has sent us the invitations, making us feel somewhat, well, unpopular. For example, the St. Pioneer Press’ Jason Hoppin reported on this fundraising event for Franken on October 4 featuring former Vice President Al Gore, which drew about 1,500 people. Al Franken’s website features photographs from the event.

We do have on file two events from 2006 where Franken served as the entertainment. At this party for Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Franken provided “a special introduction.” At this one, for Rep. Robert Scott (D-VA), he was a “special guest.”

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