Coleman tells Rochester audience he's a candidate of optimism

At a campaign event at the Canadian Honker restaurant this morning, GOP Sen. Norm Coleman offered himself as the candidate of optimism as opposed to his DFL challenger Al Franken, whom he described as "angry and negative."
Coleman was in Rochester fresh from his first debate appearance in Redwood Falls, Minn., with Franken at Farmfest, a contest in which Franken's performance was viewed as more aggressive, but whose tone may have turned off some of the conservative farmers in the crowd.
"As I come before you with an optimistic vision of what we can be -- with an understanding of the challenges that we face at every level -- but hopeful, optimistic, willing to do the hard work to get things down, running against someone who is angry and negative," Coleman said, standing in the middle of the restaurant's dining area, surrounded by an estimated 50 people.
Coleman also used his appearance in Rochester to argue for a "kitchen sink" approach to America's energy problems, including drilling off the country's coasts, some of whose areas are legally off-limits to oil companies.
"We need to do it all," said Coleman, referring to oil, nuclear and renewable energy.
Coleman argued that it was unacceptable that America, through its purchase of foreign oil, was transferring $700 billion overseas annually to "thugs and tyrants." more. http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=16&a=355423