A somber and reflective moment of silence began a political rally that ended with a roaring chorus of support for DFL Party senatorial candidate Al Franken.

The big blue bus carrying Franken, former Vice President Walter Mondale and other Democratic candidates and party leaders made Albert Lea the third of four Saturday stops kicking off Franken’s 10-day “For the middle class, for a change” campaign swing that he hopes will carry him to victory in his battle with incumbent Republican Norm Coleman and Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley.

A moment of silence began the rally at Albert Lea’s Ramada Inn, in memory of the late U.S. Sen.Paul Wellstone, who died in a plane crash six years ago Saturday. Franken spoke of his own passion for public service as being similar to the passion Wellstone displayed throughout his life.

About 100 people packed the room and gave Franken two standing ovations as he wrapped up his speech demanding change in government. Franken was born in New Jersey and moved to Albert Lea with his family at age 4. The family moved to St. Louis Park when Franken was 6. He spoke of his middle-class upbringing in Minnesota and decried the declining status of the class from which he came.

Referring to the 100,000 Minnesotans without health care, the 170,000 who can’t find jobs, and the 20,000 with homes in foreclosure, Franken spoke of his passion to be the voice of the hard pressed middle class. Fighting for tax cuts for middle class families, protecting Social Security, bringing the troops home from Iraq and ensuring better benefits for veterans were cited by Franken as policies he would promote if elected to the senate.

Franken asked for volunteers to help put him over the top, calling for 77,000 volunteers who would be willing to get up early and stay up late to make 1.5 million phone calls, and knock on 2 million doors before Election Day. He asked his supporters for a special kind of help.

“Put one of my bumper stickers on your vehicle and don’t cut anyone off for at least the next 10 days,” Franken quipped.

Noting that he had stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol last spring with David Wellstone, son of the late senator, Franken said he asked him if it was true that his dad would charge up and down the sidelines at soccer games, encouraging his children. The younger Wellstone responded that his father went so far as to run alongside him all the way through cross country events, challenging his son to take out the competitors ahead of him. Franken then promised to take out Coleman.

The first standing ovation of the rally was reserved for Mondale. The longtime DFL luminary called the 2008 election an historic moment and a time of fateful decisions for Americans. Mondale ripped Sen. Coleman for supporting Bush administration policies.

“Al Franken has guts. He is smart and he will shake things up in Washington,” Mondale said.

Responding to charges that Franken is waging a class war in his campaign Mondale said the class war is over and the middle class lost.

In a post-rally interview, Franken was asked if Dean Barkley’s candidacy was eroding Coleman’s base of support. He responded that Barkley was taking voters from both major party candidates and that people have a right to vote for whom they choose. He went on to emphasize his middle-class roots and values and promised to fight for the American working class.

Expressing concern over the growing economic crisis, Franken said he wants to work for affordable health care and greater support for education, including helping families pay for college costs.

“I want to work toward a green economy with jobs for middle-class workers,” Franken said. “Norm Coleman thinks you can subsidize the rich and the money will trickle down. I think we all know better than that by now.”