Dean Barkley, Independence Party candidate for the U.S. Senate, will speak Wednesday afternoon in the first of a series of Senate candidate forums hosted by the University of MinnesotaâÄôs Center for the Study of Politics and Governance. The forum, titled âÄúThe Polarization of our Political Parties,âÄù will run from noon to 1:15 p.m. at Hubert H. Humphrey CenterâÄôs Cowles Auditorium, 301 19th Avenue S. Sen. Norm Coleman and Al Franken have also been invited by the University to speak as part of the series, but dates havenâÄôt been scheduled yet.