In October 2002 comedian, author, actor and political activist Al Franken, who was in the middle of writing his most recent book Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them it distraught to hear his long time friend Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota has died in a plane crash. Wellstone's wife and one of his daughters along with seven others died in the plane crash. Wellstone was involved in a hotly contested senate race against Republican Norm Coleman, he died 11 days before the election.