Senate candidates in Minnesota have called for the U.S. to take back Iraq reconstruction funds after learning from a government report last week that Iraq has a budget surplus of some $50 million, mostly from oil and gas revenues. Democrat Al Franken says the U.S. should rescind $7.1 billion that's committed but not yet obligated to Iraqi reconstruction, and spend it instead on U.S. highway improvements.

"There's a line between being responsible for rebuilding a country you helped destroy, and being a chump, and I think we crossed that line," Franken said.

Last week, Franken's opponent, Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, said the U.S. should take back $1.1 billion committed to Iraqi reconstruction.  Coleman said Franken's proposal is too much and includes money that has already been returned or will be returned in coming weeks, and tincludes emergency response money for field commanders.  Franken -- former comedian, writer and liberal talk radio host -- has charged the incumbent with failing to provide oversight of U.S. funds being diverted to Iraqi  reconstruction.  Here's the AP story on  MSNBC.

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