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Submitted by The Big E on April 26, 2008 - 9:29am.

(8/7/08)
The Minneapolis Star Tribune allowed Sen. Norm Coleman to excrete some Norm-speak^TM on their op-ed page today. It seems that Norm has decided to make the Republican lie "Drill Here, Drill Now" a central part of his campaign.

Nothing is more urgent or of greater significance to the American people than solving our energy crisis -- it is an issue that hits to the core of family budgets, our economy and our national security. From my travels across this state, it is clear that Minnesotans are united in the belief that any solution to our nation's energy crisis that doesn't produce a single drop more of oil is half-hearted. And rather than staying in session to address the rising cost of fuel, the U.S. Senate simply allowed time to expire to August adjournment without accomplishing a single thing.
[emphasis mine]
(Star Tribune)

Norm and his fellow Republicans are responsible for making sure that the only energy policy we've had in the last 8 years involved kick-backs and free money for Big Oil. There has been no movement toward a green energy future. After filibustering hundreds of items since January 2007, after opposing increasing fuel efficiency standards until he flip-flopped on them last year, after 5 1/2 years of doing Big Oil's bidding, he wants to solve it all during the August recess?

Minnesotans expect more from their Senator than grandstanding.

Read the rest of my analysis of Norm's lies in the Strib here.

(8/7/08)
The first debate between Al Franken and Norm Coleman took place in Redwood Falls, MN at the annual Farm Fest. It was in solidly Republican territory and this is probably the sole reason that Norm agreed to it. Here are the lies Norm told:

Nancy Pelosi is responsible for high gas prices.
Norm tried to position himself as an environmentalist.
Norm tried to claim that he has been for maintaining and improving our transportation infrastructure.
Norm tried to claim he's for energy independence when he's supported Bush's energy policy.
Norm insinuated that he has supported renewable energy.
Norm repeated the Drill Here, Drill Now lie. More drilling won't lower gas prices.
Norm lies about Al's position on the gas tax. Al is not for a gas tax increase.
Norm claims that nuclear power is alternative energy.

Read the entirety of what Al Franken and Norm had to say here.

(8/6/08)
Al Franken hits back at Norm Coleman's attack ads.

TwoPuttTommy has been investigating Norm's sweetheart living arrangements. You can preview what Al will be saying about Norm's apartment right here at mnblue:

Here are the salient points.

Norm downsized from an $1700/mth multi-room apartment to a $600/mth basement apartment.
The house is owned by Jeff Larson, Republican activist and fundraiser.
Larson owns FLS Connect which Norm's campaign and PAC have paid over $1.5 million.
Norm employs Larson's wife though she's paid under her maiden name
Similar apartments in the area rent from $1100 to $1500/mth.
Norm and Larson claim that its a cramped apartment with no kitchen.
When the house was on the market in 2007, the apartment was listed as "a huge English basement with a media center, office space, gorgeous custom marble and oak bar plus an airy guest bedroom and bath…Simply Divine!”
Norm didn't pay two months rent this year and only did so when the reporter for the National Journal, Edward Pound, asked about it. Another month's rent was paid with a table and chairs. Yet this furniture is in his apartment.
Larson claims that he is homesteading the property, yet admitted in the Nat'l Journal article that he rents the whole house out.
Norm can only accept gifts from friends (Norm claims Larson is a long-time friend) of under $250.

At the beginning of July, CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) filed a ethics complaint against Norm.

The Senate gifts rule generally prohibits members and staff from accepting gifts, but has two exceptions under which they may accept lodging: if based on personal friendship or, as long as the giver is not a lobbyist or foreign agent, if the gift constitutes personal hospitality. Because the relationship between Sen. Coleman and Mr. Larson appears to be more business than personal, the gift would not be permitted under the “personal friendship” exception. Because Mr. Larson does not live in the townhouse, but rents it out to others, he is not hosting Sen. Coleman and “the personal hospitality” exception would not apply.

Here are the posts at mnblue on this topic:

(8/5/08)
I didn't get to see Norm Coleman's brilliant white teeth glistening in the morning light in Redwood Falls, MN. I didn't get to watch Al Franken call out Norm for his close ties to President Bush and the corporations that fund his campaign. I had to work ... ya know pay da billz and all that. But everyone else was there. The annual Farm Fest hosted the first MN-SEN forum.

This is solid Republican territory. At least it used to be. With fewer and fewer people self-identifying as Republicans in polling, this was the first test of how Al Franken's message would play. This was also a test of how Norm Coleman's ability to cover his *** for 7 1/2 years of supporting President Bush and the corporations that fund him would go over.

Read the rest of my analysis here.

(8/2/08)
There is a stark contrast between Al Franken and Sen. Norm Coleman. Al stood up against the right wing noise machine when nobody else was through his books and his radio show. After weaseling his senate seat after the tragic death of Paul Wellstone, Norm has been a reliable vote for the Bush Administration and his corporate donors. Al has been a champion of progressive causes and Norm has been the Senator that Minnesotans can count on when it doesn't matter. The home foreclosure crisis is an example of the vast gulf between the two.

Norm proposed the HOME Act which went nowhere in the Senate because nobody would consider it. Mainly because it was a gift to the mortgage industry which had gotten itself into quite a mess:

The essence of the bill is it would allow the banking industries to get at the retirement assets of defaulting home owners. The Home Act would allow homeowners more than 60 days overdue on the mortgage payment to withdraw up to $100,000 from their retirement accounts without penalty or taxes to deal with their crisis. They would have to pay that back within three years or the government would place a tax lien on their home. If the homeowner were to go bankrupt, the banks could not otherwise get at their retirement savings.
(Norm Coleman Weasel Meter's home foreclosure crisis page)

In contrast Al Franken thinks this issue affects the value of everybody's home and wants to help actual people. Plus he's not funded by the mortgage industry. Here's Al's position:

1. Protect struggling borrowers.

Implement a temporary (120-day) moratorium on foreclosures and mandate financial counseling and a “work-out” for anyone at risk of losing their home.
Allow bankruptcy judges to re-write terms of loans on primary residences.

2. Help communities escape the foreclosure spiral.

Make significantly more funding available to distressed cities and localities to redevelop – and, where possible, retrofit for energy efficiency – abandoned and foreclosed homes, resulting in construction jobs, pride in new home ownership, a productive tax base, and an increase in neighborhood home values.
Offer pre-purchase, pre-lending home ownership counseling to reduce the number of people likely to be at risk of foreclosures.

3. Crack down on predatory lending.

Require a minimum federal standard for state licensing and registration programs for brokers who originate mortgages.
Establish minimum standards for sub-prime loans, including requiring brokers to prove that borrowers have an ability to pay, and give brokers a fiduciary responsibility to their customers – just like we do in Minnesota

(8/2/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) has backed off the negative attack ads. Jeff Rosenberg speculates it could be because of negative reactions to these ads. Instead he's back with a friendly Norm-speak^TM. This ad is about a child's cancer and all the help Norm provided. It's a heart-warming story, but (as usual) ignores Norm's many failings on healthcare

The only problem for this family is if they didn't have health insurance, their son wouldn't have been diagnosed in time if at all. Norm has opposed any real healthcare reform to address the 50 million Americans without insurance. When he introduced his healthcare reform bill I suggested it

is equivalent to using out a wind gauge to measure a hurricane's wind speeds then suggesting better brands of rain gear and improved techniques for dodging large flying objects like cars and trees.

It does nothing to address the root of the problem, the health insurance, HMO and pharmaceutical companies. Norm's campaign coffers are filled with their contributions. He's done more to represent their needs in the Senate than Minnesotans.

Furthermore, Norm has opposed embryonic stem cell research (he's pro-life) and proposed his own version which all the scientists oppose.

Produced in coordination with the Bush White House, Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN)'s Senate Bill 30, the grossly-misnamed "Hope Act" is a clear and eminent threat to stem cell research.
It would permanently ban federal funding for new embryonic stem cell lines as well as Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer.

This is far more dangerous than a mere "cover-your-tail" vote-- this is a dream law for opponents of research-- and a nightmare for all who want stem cell research to move forward
(StemPAC)

Additionally, Norm opposed Medicare negotiating lower drug prices forcing senior citizens to pay exorbitant prices for their drugs. Then Norm flip-flopped on Medicare negotatiating drug prices as his reelection neared.

His election year conversion into a champion of healthcare reform is pure Norm-speak^TM. So observe the Norm-speak^TM for yourselves:

Here's the transcript:

Kris Rech: "Wyatt was diagnosed with Wilms' Tumor, which is a form of childhood kidney cancer in February of 2004. On a routine screening, they found a spot on his right kidney. We knew that there needed to be more research done for Wilms' Tumor, because the drugs that we were using were drugs that were developed in the 1960s. We attended a meeting for CureSearch, and within two hours of being in the meeting, we knew that there was no funding for childhood cancer. We had eight meetings that day, and Senator Coleman's office was the last meeting of the day. We knew before we left his office that he was going to help us do something about the lack of funding for Childhood Cancer. And then in the months after that, Senator Coleman authored the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act. Senator Coleman is a lifeline for every family of a child who has been diagnosed with cancer. He's not just my Senator. He's my friend."

Senator Coleman: "I'm Norm Coleman and I approve this message."
(Political Animal)

(7/31/08)
There is a rumor going around that Sen Norm Coleman (R-MN) is being considered as a candidate for the Republican National Senatorial Committee (RNSC). This rumor appeared back last December and resurfaced earlier this month. Norm is definitely not have any trouble fundraising ... unlike the RNC, RNSC and RNCC. I speculated earlier this month that Norm should consider becoming a lobbyist as he's having a hard time getting by on a Senator's salary. He's perfect for leading the RNSC -- plus it'd be a pay raise. It'd be the perfect job for him after he's lost to Al Franken. He'd have lots of time for criss-crossing the country raising money for other Republicans.

The 2008 election outlook is so bleak for Senate Republicans that they're already looking ahead to 2010, hoping they'll fare better in a different political climate with a new chairman leading the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

The leading contenders for that job: Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Norm Coleman of Minnesota — assuming, of course, that both survive their own reelection challenges this year.
(Politico)

What? He'd have to remain a Senator to be considered for the job? Since when did failure ever stop Republicans from promoting someone to a better position?

(7/30/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) takes money from anybody. From Big Oil to Big Polluters to War Profiteers to Big Pharma to indicted, corrupt politicians and their buddies. Of course, who does Norm represent in the US Senate? It certainly isn't our interests. He's a reliable vote for Big Oil, against tougher pollution standards and always votes for the hand-outs to his corporate donors. We know that Norm isn't particularly interested in rooting out Republican corruption as he has investigated only a few millions worth of the billions lost to corruption in Iraq.

So now that Sen. Ted "Tubes" Stevens (R-AK) has been indicted for corruption, Norm still refuses to divest himself of all the money from Tubes and his already convicted or pled out buddies at VECO Corp. ~~BTW, VECO is an oil company.~~

Does Norm really have any ethical morals guiding his campaign other than the ends justify the means?

Norm's donors in the oil industry keep American addicted to oil -- there has been no movement toward dealing with peak oil under the Bush Administration. The polluters who contribute to Norm have made sure that their biggest advocate outside of the Senate and the White House is the head of the EPA. Our soldiers are eletrocuted and poisoned by the war profiteers who generously donate to Norm's campaign. 50 million Americans have no health care and the cost of prescription drugs increase faster than inflation thanks to the insurance and pharmaceutical lobbies. Big Pharma have given Norm more money than any MN politician in history.

Norm is dirty through and through ... does it really matter if he divests of a paltry $30,000 out of a $13,000,000+ campaign war chest? Let him keep his filthy lucre and let's just make sure that Al Franken beats him in November.

(7/28/08)
I don't know about you, but July seemed like a really long month this year. So much has happened in MN politics in these mere 28 days. The Minnesota Senate race (MN-SEN) was no exception. In particular, Sen. Norm Coleman has been liberal with the Norm-speak^TM. He's stretched the truth, abused the truth, twisted the truth and flat out just plain lied.

Tried to claim he's for energy reform despite opposing it until 2007. His environmentalism is strictly an election year epiphany. This would be abusing the truth.
Norm defended renting his his luxurious English basement from a Republican political operative who has received $1.5million in business from Norm and his campaign. There's alot of posts on this at mnblue, so check out this search. This is a case of stretching the truth to the breaking point.
Repeated Republican lie that China is drilling off the coast of Cuba.
Tried to claim that he is paying fair market value for his $600 luxury apartment on Capitol Hill. This is just a lie. Fair market value is between $1100-$1800 for Capitol HIll.
Norm's buddies at Coalition for a Democratic Workplace lie about EFCA removing workers' right to a secret ballot. WCCO questioned the truthiness of the ad. Norm makes the same claim and did so on several occasions in July. Straight up lie.
Norm continues to assert that he's a champion of oversight.. This is both a bend and a twist of the truth. He will never investigate any Republican wrongdoing. While billions are squandered in Iraq, he investigates in thousands and millions.
Norm allows reporters to enter DC apartment, buddies at Strib front-page it. The Strib will not put any negative news about Norm on the front page, but his rebuttals are front-page news. It is becoming more and more apparent that the Strib is in the bag for Norm. Truth (and journalistic integrity) took a vacation on this one.
Tries to once again assert his claim to ~~tallest midget~~ Republican Champion of oversight. There is a $100 million loophole that allows people to fraudulently bill Medicaid and Medicare. That's a $100m lost since 2000. That's 2% of what we spend in 1 week in Iraq. I estimate that we waste $100m per week in Iraq. Norm takes the truth out for a joy ride on this one.
Norm continued to lie about EFCA and secret ballots. Again? Sheesh.
It turns out that Norm was for the concepts of EFCA before he started lying about it. So does that adds a flip flop to his lying gymnastics?
Norm changed his mind on his record being fair game. He doesn't like it that Al Franken wants to talk about his record. Norm always reserves the right to go back on what he said. Maybe his record is fair game as long as Al doesn't question it and the media don't question it in an unfriendly way? Sort of like what the Strib and the PiPress do? The truth gets stepped on with this one.
Norm claims to be independent yet parrots Republican talking points on energy. The truth is that Norm and independent can only be in the same sentence if negated by a not.

Just another month in the life of a endangered Republican Senator willing to say or do anything to gain reelection.

(7/28/08)
Many Republicans in Minnesota are not happy with their candidates. Grandpa McSame finished a distant third in MN despite Guvna T-Paw's support. Senator Norm Coleman is not particularly popular among the Republican base as they consider him unreliable on the far right's agenda.

Former U.S. Sen. Rod Grams is focused these days on his central Minnesota radio venture, but the Republican also is fed up with his own political party.

"I'm so damn unhappy with the Republicans right now," Grams said in an interview. "I'm so unhappy with the candidates that we have I could puke. I wanted to get out there and mix it up."

Grams said he considered challenging Sen. Norm Coleman for the GOP nomination but was too busy in his private life to make a run this year. But Grams said he will ponder a run for governor in 2010, saying he'll make that decision within a year.
(simmobilez.info)

The combination of the demise of the Republican brand, the recession, the most unpopular President in the history of the United States, corruption, incompetence, greed and ... gee ... what else have they got going wrong? How many Republican activists are going to sit this one out? We have a general idea that many Republicans have become Democrats or are self-identifying as Independents. Recent polling indicates that around 40% are DFLers and 25-30% are Republicans.

(7/23/08)
Occasionally, the truth slips between the glistening white teeth of Sen. Norm Coleman. Not often but occasionally. Part of the complex political gymnastics that Norm is attempting to perform this year is to make himself appear moderate and independent. He uses Norm-speak^TM to hide his partisan hack nature. So when Norm releases a statement concerning energy, you'd think he and his campaign staff wouldn't be parroting the Bush/Republican party line. This is just the title.

COLEMAN: ENERGY BILL MUST PRODUCE MORE, USE LESS AND FIGHT EXCESSIVE SPECULATION
(Norm's 7/23/08 press release)

"Produce more, use less" is the Republican mantra on energy. The only thing that separates this this press release from all the other Republican's talking about energy is that Norm wants to be the Republican Champion of Oversight. Of course, as I have mentioned on many, many occasions, Norm is only interested in oversight on a limited number of subjects. Oil speculation happens to fit his oversight criteria because no Republicans will be hurt.

The truth is Norm Coleman is as independent as his teeth are yellowed and crooked.

Here's Sen. Lamar Alexander's (R-TN) press release on this subject from late June:

Alexander: Find More, Use Less Is Key to Lower Gas Prices

June 26th, 2008 - WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today joined other senators to unveil a proposal to lower gas prices by “finding more and using less.” (alexander.senate.gov)

Here's Sen. Pete Dominici's (R-AZ) presser from late June:

Senator Wants Vote This Summer on Bill to “Find More & Use Less” --

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Pete Domenici, ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today signed on as an original cosponsor to the “Gas Price Reduction Act,” a measure Republican Senators believe should be passed before the end of the summer to address the American demand for energy.
(domenici.senate.gov)

Here's Sen. Thad Cochran's (R-MS):

The proposed language includes several measures: opening new areas for deep sea exploration and oil shale development in the Rocky Mountain West, expanding research for alternatively-powered vehicles, and enhancing the capabilities of the commodities futures market.

“FIND MORE, USE LESS”

Republican Senator Lamar Alexander says, “Our bill can be summed up in four words: Find more, use less.”
(blog.thadforsenate.com)

Sen. George Voinovich'sv (R-OH):

Find More, Use Less: Gas Price Reduction Act
**MEDIA ALERT**

July 10, 2008

WASHINGTON – The Senate Republican Conference will hold an energy forum Friday, July 11, to discuss rising fuel costs and how the Gas Price Reduction Act would lower gas prices by finding more energy while encouraging new technologies that use less. The forum will be chaired by Senator George Voinovich, R-Ohio.
(voinovich.senate.gov)

This "find more, use less" talking point and associated bill work in conjunction with President Bush who has lifted the executive order banning off-shore drilling. The Republicans are pulling their ranks together on energy so that they can give Big Oil even more free money and tax breaks as well as prevent too much investment into alternative energy. Norm is no different, he's gotten his talking points and marching orders. He's doing his part as a Bush Loyalist and Republican trooper.

(7/22/08)
Al Franken has introduced ads (here and here) that criticize Sen. Norm Coleman's poor voting record. Despite assuring Minnesotans that his record was fair game back in April, he always reserves the right to go back on what he said in the past.

GE: So you're record is fair game?

Norm: Absolutely. Absolutely..."
(MPR's Midday)

Norm is whining that Al's ads are negative, inaccurate attacks. If this race is about Norm's record, Al Franken will win this race. So Norm's campaign roles out the Norm-speak^TM to counteract the discussion of Norm's voting record:

The Coleman camp fought back Monday in a media missive that characterized Franken as "vulgar" and "dishonest," claiming that he had distorted Coleman's record and had been the first to air an attack ad.
(Star Tribune)

If you read the entire article, you will notice that Norm can't point out what specifically Al got wrong. If you read the blog post at Norm's campaign site, they cannot refute any of the points Al makes.

Which part is inaccurate? Norm hasn't rubberstamped Bush's invasion and occupation of Iraq? I think Norm still claims that one. Norm hasn't played cheerleader while Bush drove the economy into the ditch? I'm sure Norm doesn't want to talk about that. Norm hasn't voted for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? Norm would like you to think of this as stimulating the economy. Vulgar? I didn't hear any cuss words ... maybe Republicans exist in a parrallel universe?

The sole reason Norm objects is because the claims in these ads are irrefutable.

(7/20/08)
This is fun. The Al Franken campaign released a YouTube ad skewering Norm for one of his few achievements while mayor of St. Paul -- bringing hockey back. Did I mention that this isn't something he did as a Senator? The ad does note several of Norm's Senatorial accomplishments: tax breaks for Big Oil, student aid cuts and 17 votes to continue the Iraq War.

(7/20/08)
Al Franken released another television ad "The More You Know" this weekend. It compares and contrasts Franken and Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN). This kind of ad which talks about the issues is exactly the kind of ad that Norm and his friends at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Saint Paul Pioneer Press and KSTP don't want voters to hear. They want to keep the race about Playboy, secret union ballots and anything but Norm's record.

Do we want a Senator who's been bought and paid for by corporate lobbyists? Do we want a Senator who failed to investigate any of the Bush Administration's greed, incompetence, lawlessness and cronyism? Do we want a Senator who has rubber-stamped the Bush Administration's disastrous economic policies? Do we want a Senator opposed to real healthcare reform? Do we want a Senator like Norm who we can count on when it doesn't matter?

When you frame the questions this way, the answer is "No." But Norm's friends in the media don't want to talk about it in these terms. Watch how the media frames this race ...

(7/18/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) was for the concept of allowing card check ballots before he thought it might be good to campaign against it in his senate reelection campaign. According to WCCO, while Norm was mayor of St. Paul he was for the concept.

As the Republican Mayor of St. Paul, Coleman signed a unanimous city council resolution asking businesses to stay out of union elections and allow unions to form by signing union cards.
(WCCO)

Now as a Senator fighting for his political life, he's lying about the Employee Free Choice Act eliminating the secret ballot. The EFCA actually allows the union organizers to do whatever their constituents want ... card check, secret ballot or whatever. The legislation also has harsh penalties for employers who intimidate, harass or interfere with union organizing -- this is what Norm and his buddies really oppose.

But Norm wasn't done. He emitted some Norm-speak^TM in defense of his flip-flop:

The Coleman campaign said signing a resolution doesn't mean Coleman supported putting it in federal law.

"The issue is whether or not workers have the right to organize and he's always been a strong supporter of that. He doesn't support the federal legislation -- the card check legislation," said Cullen Sheehan, Coleman's Campaign Manager.
[emphasis mine]
(WCCO)

Norm always reserves the right to weasel out from under anything he says at a later date.

(7/18/08)
By TwoPuttTommy

"Don't make any mistake. It's not 'all but called him a liar'. I am calling him a liar,'" said Brian Melendez of the Minnesota DFL Party at a news conference Wednesday.

And Melendez is calling Norm Coleman, R=Lapdog, a liar for the old-fashioned reason: ol' Smokescreen EARNED it. WCCO-TV's Pat Kessler has the report.

Read more here.

(7/17/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) keeps repeating the lie that the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) will do away with the secret ballot. It doesn't. It gives those who want to organize a union at their workplace several choices for how they want to ballot. It also has severe penalties for employers how harass, intimidate and interfere. Brian Melendez, DFL Party Chair, held a press conference yesterday to emphasize the point.

Melendez showed video of two separate examples (here and here) of Coleman continuing to lie about the Employee Free Choice Act and spreading a thoroughly debunked claim that China is drilling off the coast of Cuba.

However, I just remembered today that I'd heard Norm's EFCA lie before. More than a year ago. May 27, 2007 to be exact.

In his exchange with union members, Coleman repeated the incorrect canard that: This act takes away the right to a secret ballot.

Wrong. The Employee Free Choice Act does not take away the ballot-election process (which all-too often is controlled by the employer). The act would add another option, the majority sign-up process, in which workers seeking to form a union could sign cards indicating their desire to do so. Majority sign-up is much faster than the government-run balloting process and leaves less time for employers to harass and intimidate workers so they will back off from joining a union.

Watch the video and you’ll see how Coleman insists, over and over, the Employee Free Choice Act takes away the right to a secret ballot, despite union members telling him it does not.

Maybe he had only one talking point.
(AFL-CIO blog)

(7/15/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), the Senator you can count on when it doesn't matter, is once again challenging for the title of Republican Champion of Oversight. This would be the equivalent of world's sharpest spoon, largest shrimp, tallest midget, etc. He's worked himself up into an a high dudgeon over fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid claims from dead doctors.

“This is simply unacceptable — making sure that the prescribing doctor is alive before paying a claim should be a no-brainer,” Sen. Norm Coleman, the committee’s ranking Republican said in a statement. “It’s time to close this $100 million loophole.”
(Wall Street Journal)

Norm wants to save American taxpayers 2% of what we spend in Iraq each week.

Read the rest of Norm Coleman: faux champion of oversight

(7/13/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) has raised over $13 so far for his reelection war chest. His Democratic challenger Al Franken has outraised him in all but Al's first quarter and this last quarter as Norm pulled in $2.35m to Al's $2.26m in Q2. The Republicans always talk about how much of Al's money comes from outside of MN, but let's consider where Norm's money comes from:

Of the over $13 million Coleman has hoovered up in the current cycle, he's taken the lion's share from special interests with business before the Senate: Real Estate ($610,137), Securities & Investments ($567,750), Insurance ($288,324), Commercial Banks ($226,400), Big Pharma ($203,717), Big Oil ($88,550). Is it just a coincidence that Coleman always votes for what these industries want, regardless of how detrimental it is to working families back in Minnesota? Do you think Minnesotans want the government wiretapping citizens at will without a court order? Coleman does-- or doesn't care-- but this year alone the Big Telecoms gave him $7,700.
(Down With Tyranny)

People all across the US want Norm Coleman out. They realize that every Senator matters. Also consider that the corporate interests want to keep their man, Norm, in office. They realize that they need Senators in office that they'd bought off.

It comes down to do you want a candidate supported by people or a candidate beholden to the corporations?

(7/12/08)
Of course, the only reason Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) made the front page of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune was the Strib was defending Norm. They have never placed any unfriendly news about Norm on any of their front page. The owners and editors are determined to influence this race the only way they know how, bury any bad news about Norm and frontpage any bad news about his opponent Al Franken.

The down-low on Coleman's digs in upscale D.C. neighborhood

By EMILY KAISER
ekaiser@startribune.com

WASHINGTON - Norm Coleman slept here -- but the FedEx box turned nightstand, neckties tossed over the top of an accordion-style closet door and low ceilings aren't much to write home about.
(Star Tribune)

Reporters were not allowed to take photos of Norm's digs ... if you can believe the Norm-speak^TM ... because of the possible security issues. Of course, Norm has no problems showing the inside of his St. Paul home ...

Read the rest of OMG! Norm Coleman on front page of Star Tribune

(7/11/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman is attempting to set a Guiness world record for saying "getting things done." In his latest ad its all about what he got done. There's only one problem. The actor uses Norm-speak^TM to stretch the truth about his oversight activities.

(h/t to Political Animal)

Norm chaired the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and could have investigated the corruption, greed, lawlessness and incompetence of the Bush Administration. Norm ignored billions upon billions of dollars wasted by contractors. He could have investigated their shoddy workmanship and how they endangered our troops. Our soldiers were eletrocuted, drank contaminated water and live in substandard facilities. But Norm was too busy cheerleading.

Instead he investigated the Oil-for-Food program. He busted on doctors who accept medicare payments, but havent paid their taxes. He cramped the styles of federal employees travel plans by limiting the perks they can get.

For every million he claims to have saved, billions went missing or were squandered.

You can always count on Norm when it doesn't matter.

Read the rest of Norm Coleman introduces another ad

(7/11/08)
We have to Recognize that we are Dealing with 3 Norm Colemans.

1. Norm (I'm running for Re Election) Coleman who is Ranked as one of the more Independant Republicans (78%). Course this is in a Congress that his party does not control (sort of)

2. Norm (I don't have to Worry about Elections) Coleman who voted with his party 88% of the time.

3. Norm (Thank you RNC) Coleman who voted with his party 98% of the time the First 2 years. Norm was given the Permananent Subcomittee on investigations in 2003. There have been No investigations of any of the spending in Iraq.

Read the rest of what CathMN had to say about the Three Norms.

(7/11/08)
WCCO's Pat Kessler smacks down the Coalition for Democratic Workplaces ad attacking Al Franken on behalf of Norm Coleman. He calls the ad false and misleading.

(h/t to Ollie Ox at Blue Stem Prairie)

(7/10/08)
Where do things stand in the Minnesota Senate (MN-SEN) race? The latest polls indicate Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) is leading his DFL challenger Al Franken by 10%. Will Norm's lead hold? Is it just a temporary bump from all the negative press about Al? What about the more recent negative revelations about Norm? Will Obama provide coattails for Al? What is the significance of the amount of money raised in this race? What effect will President Bush's unpopularity have on Norm's chances? How's the fundraising going? Did I forget anything? Oh ... yea ... Jesse Ventura. I analyze his impact on the race here (he didn't join the race in the end).

Read the rest of my analysis of the state of the Minnesota Senate (MN-SEN) race

(7/10/08)
And now ... direct from YouTube ... the Roadblock Republicans bring you ...

Yup. Jeff Larson has it rough. He's got his very own Senator. He's housebroken him, too.

(7/9/08)
The anti-union, anti-labor, anti-worker organization Coalition for a Democratic Workplace recently released an ad on YouTube which will be playing throughout Minnesota in August. Despite their name, they are not for more democracy in the workplace. They are opposed to the Employee Free Choice Act because of any number of reasons they fail to mention. One might be because of the penalties it imposes on employers who try to intimidate and quash union organizing efforts. They are trying to help out their buddy Norm Coleman because he also opposes worker rights, fair wages and unions.

The advertisement deceptively claims that allowing majority sign-up as a method for showing support for joining a union eliminates an election, which is false and misleading. Recognizing majority sign-up still allows workers the right to petition for an election, and leaves workers free to make that choice by simply removing an employer’s ability to dictate the means by which workers can choose to join a union.

In fact, labor leaders explained this difference to Coleman’s staff before Coleman’s 2007 vote to block the Employee Free Choice Act from coming to a vote in the Senate. Senator Coleman, however, has continued to parrot the false special-interest talking point.
(DFL.org)

But there is another way they've helped out Norm Coleman. Member organizations have given Norm over $300,000:

According to the Federal Election Commission and the Center for Responsive Politics, Coleman’s campaigns have accepted $308,992 in contributions from the political action committees of national interest groups listed as members of the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace.
(DFL.org)

(7/7/08)
The anti-labor, anti-union, anti-worker Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (NAMBLA) are out to get Al Franken. NAMBLA likes that Norm Coleman is opposed to worker safety, decent benefits and living wage jobs. Of course, unions are for these things. NAMBLA want to hinder the union organizers as much as possible. NAMBLA doesn't like the Employee Free Choice Act (ECFA). In an orwellian maneuver, NAMBLA is trying to twist the truth and make EFCA into something that would be bad for workers. As usual with legislation that groups like NAMBLA oppose, the opposite is the truth.

The Employee Free Choice Act is a piece of legislation which would change federal law with regards to the rights of workers to unionize. Specifically, it would make it easier for workers to unionize by...[more on what the bill would do]. It was introduced in both the House and Senate during the 108th, 109th, and 110th Congress. It passed in the House on March 1, 2007 for the first time, but was filibustered by Senate Republicans in June 2007.
(SourceWatch)

Read more about the EFCA and the Union Busters who have paid for an ad against Al Franken

(7/7/08)
By TwoPuttTommy
OK, Senator Coleman and his hench, er, 'scuse me, "spokes"man claim they've "researched" the matter and Coleman is paying "fair market value" (Star Tribune).

Yeah, "right". Like you can believe Team Smokescreen's "research." So, what kind of research is required? The ol' TwoPutter went online, to find out! Here's what I asked the professionals at AppraisersForum.com:

"Since Senator Coleman has had an Ethics Complaint filed against him, and the Complaint requests a determination of "fair market rent" for said complaint, what specific report would qualify and meet the level required to support or refute the Ethics Complaint against Senator Coleman? What professional designation would be necessary to be recognized as an authority to prepare said report?"

Stay tuned!

(7/4/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) just simply cannot keep the truth straight from Republican talking points. In Mankato yesterday Norm repeated the lie about China drilling for oil off the coast of Cuba.

Sen. Norm Coleman, a Minnesota Republican in a tough race against Al Franken, made the claim yesterday when speaking to a local reporter at an event in Mankato, Minnesota. Here's the video made by the Minnesota Dems' tracker, provided to us by a national Democratic source:

"At the same time, we've got to be producing more -- outer continental shelf exploration," Coleman said. "The Chinese are able to begin operating 90 miles from our shore by working for Cubans. American companies should tap into those resources."

The Coleman campaign has not responded to our request for confirmation. The Mankato Free Press published an article yesterday about the event, featuring a photo of Coleman wearing the same outfit and standing next to what looks like the same green tractor -- making it all but certain this video was shot yesterday.
(TPM Election Central)

(7/1/08)
By TwoPuttTommy
It’s official – an Ethics Complaint has been filed against Senator Coleman. And it’s been filed for the old-fashioned reason – ol’ Smokescreen’s EARNED it. Just who does ol’ Smokescreen think he’s fooling?

Read more here.

(7/1/08)
And if he was, would it surprise anyone? Now, some people are going to wonder why the ol’ Twoputter might suggest such a thing, so I’ll say this right now: the online D.C. Property Tax Records indicates that Norm Coleman’s crash pad has the “Homestead” tax classification. But, wait – didn’t ol’ Smokescreen claim he’s renting the basement? And didn’t Larson claim he was renting out the top? So how exactly does this property qualify for a Homestead Exemption? Let’s look!!!

Read the rest of TwoPuttTommy's post Is Norm's Pal Jeff a Tax Cheat?

(7/1/08)
The Minneapolis Star Tribune hid the article on Norm's possible ethics violation on the second to last page of the metro section (B6, I think). Compare this to all the Al Franken articles about Al's taxes and the Playboy kerfluffle that were on the front page of the metro section. Furthermore, Norm's bad news was not even visible on the frontpage of the Strib's website.

Way to bury the story, Strib editors. To have a look for yourself, just click on the screen capture of the Strib from this morning.

(6/30/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) released another ad in his series of ~~vomit-inducing~~ get-to-know-what-a-decent-and-average- guy-Norm-is-and-not-one-of-those-in-the-pocket-of- corporate-donors-kind-of-politician ads. He's "deeply concerned about your problems. While he recognizes that times are tough, we all know that it's because of his cheerleading for Bush's invasion and occupation of Iraq while at the same time giving tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans that have gotten us in this economic mess.

There has never been a President in the history of the United States who has lowered taxes during wartime. And Norm Coleman went right along with all of it.

He wants you to forget that. He wants you to know that he "cares deeply" about your problems.

Read the rest of my analysis of the ad here.

(6/30/08)
Is Sen. Norm Coleman's (R-MN) sweetheart apartment deal a violation of Senate ethics? Brian Melendez, Chair of the MN DFL, thinks so.

“I have said that Senator Coleman is in bed with special interests. But now we know that he literally sleeps under the same roof that they do.

“Senator Coleman’s deal may violate the Senate’s clear ethics rules — and it definitely doesn’t pass the smell test.

“This cozy relationship between a United States senator and one of the most high-powered, well-connected operatives in Washington raises serious questions, not only about Norm Coleman’s ethics, but about his independence as an elected official and a legislator.

“Senator Coleman owes Minnesotans a full accounting of his sweetheart deal and at a minimum must provide a copy of his lease and any other written agreements he has made with Jeff Larson about this peculiar living situation. Minnesotans deserve nothing less.”
(dfl.org)

(6/29/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) criticized his DFL opponent Al Franken when Al admitted to paying his taxes in MN and NY when they should have been spread over MN, NY and 17 other states. Al then corrected the problem. But now it comes to light that the Republican Presidential candidate Grandpa McSame owes back taxes on a California condo:

Newsweek is set to publish a highly embarrassing report on Sen. John McCain, revealing that the McCains have failed to pay taxes on their beach-front condo in La Jolla, California, for the last four years and are currently in default, The Huffington Post has learned.

Under California law, once a residential property is in default for five years, it can be sold at a tax sale to recover the unpaid taxes for the taxpayers.
(Huffington Post)

Will Norm condemn Grandpa McSame as he did Al?

(6/28/08)
Since Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) decided that his marriage would be part of the MN-SEN race by releasing this ad combined with the recent revelation that Norm switched from a $1,700/mth multi-room apartment to a conservative activist's basement bedroom for $600/mth, it makes me wonder what he does when his wife visits him from California?

According to the National Journal article Friendly Dealings...

Most curiously, Larson provides Coleman with a place to live in Washington. In July 2007, Coleman began paying Larson $600 a month in rent for a portion of a one-bedroom basement apartment in a Capitol Hill town house that Larson owns. The way Coleman explained the arrangement, the apartment serves as a crash pad. The 58-year-old senator sleeps in a bed shoehorned into a 10-by-10 bedroom, and he said he spends perhaps only "three waking hours a night" in the place.

Hmmm ... maybe she doesn't really visit him all that often?

(6/28/08)
I think we are finally seeing the result of all the bad news Al Franken has received over the last few months percolating through the MN voters. A Rasmussen poll from June 13th showed Norm Coleman leading Al 48%-45% which indicated the race was a dead heat since the margin of error was 4.5%. The latest bad news, Al's Playboy article, was still only two weeks old. A subsequent poll released 4 days later showed a widening gap. It was sponsored by Republican-owned KSTP and performed by SurveyUSA. It showed Norm leading Al 54%-40%. In the last few days yet another poll, a Washington Post/Quinnipiac University poll showed Norm leading Al 51%-41%.

However, Norm's recent flubs haven't yet percolated through the MN voters, yet. Norm's campaign has done a fantastic job of taking the focus off of Al recently. Any polling done after the July 4th weekend would take into account the questions we bloggers have raised about Norm's marriage, his subsequent attempt at a satiric response and the revelations about Norm's sleeping arrangements in Washington, DC.

(6/26/08)
Gee – how cool would it be, if your landlord didn’t bother to cash your checks? I dunno; my landlords always cashed mine. Like, immediately. If not sooner. Then again, my landlord wasn’t ol’ Smokescreen’s landlord; a guy by the name of Jeff "Landlord" Larson.

“Late Fees” doesn’t appear to be in Landlord Larson’s vocabulary (at least as far as Coleman is concerned). Then again, I never did business with my landlord, and my landlord wasn't Jeff "Landlord" Larson. And my landlord insisted I pay rent, each and every month. Ol’ Smokescreen’s landlord, Landlord Larson, apparently doesn’t. I guess that’s why Smokescreen’s landlord, Landlord Larson, wasn’t in any hurry to cash Coleman’s rent checks, even when paid late. I wonder if Landlord Larson even bothered to remind the ol' Smokscreen that rent was due on the first, A COUPLA MONTHS AGO? But, hey! What’s the big deal, when you’re renting from a guy you do business with?

Read more of TwoPuttTommy's analysis here.

(6/26/08)
Alec writes:
In another partisan, obstructionist move, Norm Coleman joined another Republican effort to block and vote on a bill to help businesses in new energy industries, the working poor, and those going to college. We are all aware of Coleman's feigned disdain for the filibuster, and how he derided obstructionism. Here he is, obstructing even a vote on a very worthwhile bill for common Americans and for future energy creation. This was a strictly partisan and obstructionist move.

Weekly Voting Record

(6/24/08)
Jeff Rosenberg analyzed Norm's out-of-touch record on employment issues over at MNCampaignReport. Thanks for chipping in with some nice analysis, Jeff.

(6/17/08)
While Sen. Norm Coleman was busy not providing oversight of the Bush Administration's occupation of Iraq, Charles Smith was. Was he rewarded for his diligence? Of course not. This is the Bush Administration. No good deed will go unpunished and no crook will go unrewarded.

The official, Charles M. Smith, was the senior civilian overseeing the multibillion-dollar contract with KBR during the first two years of the war. Speaking out for the first time, Mr. Smith said that he was forced from his job in 2004 after informing KBR officials that the Army would impose escalating financial penalties if they failed to improve their chaotic Iraqi operations.
(NY Times)

Here was someone trying to save American taxpayers billions of dollars -- something Norm claims to be a champion. All the while Norm was busy cheerleading a war we were lied into and an occupation planned by idiots and executed by political hacks with no experience.

(6/16/08)
Luke Friedrich, Press Secretary for Sen. Norm Coleman's reelection campaign, tried to scare the natives of Fergus Falls, MN last Friday. He hoped the combination of lying about Norm's record, discussing how mean Al Franken is and Friday the 13th would scare good people of Fergus Faers to their senses and help his boss keep his job. Let's start with how scary and mean Al Franken is:

This week Al Franken kicked off his general election campaign and made a stop in Fergus Falls. As Minnesotans can expect over the next five months, Al went on the attack against Senator Norm Coleman, without talking about Norm Coleman's record of helping folks in Greater Minnesota.
(Fergus Falls Journal)

How dare Al Franken bring up the disastrous Iraq War and Norm's unfailing support for it. Franken has such gall to remind Minnesotans that Norm has performed virtually no oversight of the Bush Administration's corruption, incompetence, hubris and greed. Why can't Al play MN-Nice and not remind Minnesotans that the economy stinks as a result of Norm's support of Bush Administration economic policies. It simply isn't fair for a Democrat to bring up all the insurance companies, HMOs and pharmaceutical companies donating to Norm's campaign and how he has pushed their agendas to the detriment of Minnesotans healthcare needs.

Al should be talking about how many Guatemalan adoptions Norm has smoothed. Franken should talk about how hard Norm worked to help rebuild the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis (without discussing how Republicans like Norm are responsible for underfunding our transit system causing the collapse in the first place). Or Al should talk about how many healthcare forums he has held once he read the polling data that healthcare was one of Minnesotans top three issues (Without, of course, mentioning Norm's reelection year flip-flops ... it is not MN-Nice to talk about this voting record ... sheesh) or ...

(6/16/08)
I have been documenting Sen. Norm Coleman's reelection dilemma: he cannot run on his own record and must attack his opponent relentlessly. This is a very difficult political gymnastics he'll need to perform. On the one hand, he has to run away from the Bush Administration for whom he's been a reliable enabler without sounding like he's willing to say absolutely anything to keep his job. On the other hand, if all he can do is attack his opponent, Minnesotans will see through the Norm-speak^TM and toss him out of office. This editorial in the Timberjay sums it all up perfectly:

Norm Coleman, whether he likes it or not at this point, hitched his wagon to the party whose policies have failed this country to an unprecedented degree, and he's been a reliable supporter of inaction or worse on virtually every major problem currently confronting America. He is also a firm vote for continuation of the fiscal and moral disaster in Iraq.

That's why the Republicans want to keep the focus on Playboy, and appear poised to run one of the most dispiriting and depressing political races in Minnesota history.

The timing for such an effort probably couldn't be worse for Republicans. Barack Obama, who drew unprecedented support during Minnesota's February caucuses and maintains a comfortable lead in the polls over rival John McCain in the state, has made much of the politics of distraction. While the dustup over Obama's former pastor soured some on the Illinois senator, it also served as a teachable moment on the many ways that the corporate-run media and some politicians use fear, along with divisive and incendiary events and attacks, to push ratings or keep the public's mind off of real issues.

The fact that Obama's support remains relatively strong despite the endless reruns and rehashing of the Rev. Wright, suggests that Americans, and Minnesotans, may finally be seeing this kind of thing for what it is— a political shell game that has conned voters into voting against their own interests for too long.

All of which puts Coleman in a tough spot. On the one hand, he knows that if this race is decided on whether America needs a change from the Republican policies he's supported for the past six years, he can't win.

But if he relies too heavily on the over-the-top attacks we've seen so far, he's likely to turn off many of those in the middle. If they see Franken talking about the issues that really matter to them this year, while Coleman runs around waving Playboy, it could be a tough November for the incumbent senator.
[emphasis mine]
(Ely, Cook & Tower Timberjay)

(6/13/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) claims to be a Senator who "brings people together to get things done." I discovered a perfect example of the kind of leader that Norm Coleman is, but it requires a bit of splainin' or back story so that you can understand the entire context in which Norm took this bold stand which I will eventually get to. I think after I am done explaining, you'll agree with me that Norm is a brave man who takes bold stands based on principles.

Not.

Norm uses this phrase "brings people together to get things done" to distract Minnesotans from his divisive partisanship and lack of leadership on any of the most important issues for Minnesotans. I call this Norm-speak^TM. He's blindly supported President Bush's Iraq War and economic policies (tax breaks for the richest Americans). He only started talking about healthcare reform in 2007 when polls showed it was a top three issue for Minnesotans.

When the Republicans controlled Congress, Norm state that he "philosophically opposed" the filibuster. At the time it was the Democrats only means to block knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing, right-wing trolls from becoming Federal or Supreme Court judges.

"I came to the Senate to get things done. I have never supported a filibuster, no matter how controversial the issue."
(Norm Coleman's 12/21/2005 Press Release)

Once the adults got control over the Senate after the 2006 elections, the Republicans began filibustering everything. The pusillanimous Harry Reid (alleged Senate Majority Leader ... though calling him a leader is a bit of a stretch) allowed the mere threat of a filibuster to be enough to stall bills or amendments or anything the Republicans wanted to stop, actually. Norm flip-flopped on filibustering and voted along with his party well over 100 times to block almost everything the Democrats were trying to do. In the first 6 months they easily broke the record for the most filibusters in any 2 year congressional cycle.

Now don't forget, Norm is a leader. He's a leader who brings people together. He's a leader who gets things done. Here's his act of bravery (from the subscription only Roll Call):

Twice on Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) mentioned a mysterious Republican Senator who doesn't agree with his leadership's decision to try to block most bills from even coming to the chamber floor for debate.

"This morning, one of the Republican Senators, whose name I won't mention, said at a meeting with a number of people downtown ... 'There's a lot of frustration within the Republican Caucus about blocking motions to proceed'" to legislation, Reid said on the Senate floor.

Coleman acknowledged to Roll Call that he was that unnamed Senator but indicated that he did not intend to give Reid a talking point for why Republicans should end their record-breaking string of legislative filibusters.
(Roll Call)

Wow. Now that is bravery in the face of his party leadership. That is leading America and Minnesota to a better tomorrow. He stood up to his Party's leadership because he's philosophically opposed to what they are doing. Remember, he came to Washington "to get things done."

This is the sad reality that is Norm Coleman: The Senator you can count on when it doesn't matter.

Update: DFL Chair Melendez's statement

DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez responded to the news that Norm is suddenly now concerned about Republicans abusing the filibuster:

Just who is Senator Coleman kidding? A mere 72 hours ago, he voted to filibuster a bill that would have helped the renewable-energy industry create new jobs, not to mention boost teacher credits and student loans. And it wasn’t the first time that he’s filibustered alternative energy.

“Worse, Coleman has voted time and time again to filibuster middle-class tax relief, housing assistance, comprehensive immigration reform and ending the war in from Iraq — showing that when push comes to shove, he will always put George Bush’s wishes and the Republican Party line over Minnesota families.

“And Senator Coleman has been a cheerleader for the Senate Republican caucus, which in this Congress has broken the all-time record for filibusters. Just last year, Coleman wrote an entire op-ed piece praising the filibuster!

“It’s all too predictable that in an election year, when Minnesotans want solutions to the problems that they’re facing, Senator Coleman pretends that he’s in favor of actually getting things done. But Coleman’s sorry record tells a very different story: of consistently blocking progress for hardworking Minnesotans in order to protect corporate special interests and the well-connected lobbyists who fight for them.”

(6/11/08)
Norm Coleman has released another campaign ad. Gird your loins and get your vomit bag handy.

Norm is to making a difference for Minnesotans what Heckuva Job Brownie is to competent disaster relief. Norm is to bridging the partisan divide what Karl Rove is to bi-partisanship. Norm is to not tearing things down what Swift Boat Veterans for Truth were to John Kerry. As a bonus, here's a great pic of Norm from the vid ... flattering ... wouldn't ya say?

. .
(h/t MN Campaign Report)

Transcript (with stammering):

The key to uh making a difference ... is is to focus on a shared vision. The tough work is is pulling people together, at times bridging a partisan divide. It's not good enough just to criticize, it's not good enough tah tah tear something down. The business of serving the people is about making a difference and about doing something and not about fightin' about it but doin' something about it. I'm Norm Coleman and I approve this message.

(6/10/08)
The American Bar Association Journal has a story about Abramoff ties to the Bush Department of Justice. In the story, an Abramoff lobbyist suggests using prostitutes as a reward to DOJ staffers. Yes, “prostitutes”. Needless to say, the investigation revealing this was NOT instigated by Norm “Smokescreen” Coleman, R=Lapdog.

Jack Abramoff is currently sitting in Club Fed, convicted for fraud in Miami; he’s got another date before a judge in September for more convictions. And he’s singing like a canary, to make sure he stays in as nice of a Club Fed as he can, for as short of a stay as he can. And to do that, Abramoff has to reach out and get other people. One such person is John Albaugh, former Chief of Staff for Republican Congressman Ernest Istook of Oklahoma, who just pled guilty due to the songs Abramoff is singing. Make no mistake, this is a GOP scandal and it's not going away until at least September, when Abramoff finds out how much longer he stays in Club Fed. Oh - and it’s Senator Smokescreen’s scandal, too – because he never investigated Abramoff in any way, shape nor form.

Read the rest of what TwoPuttTommy had to say.

(6/9/08)
Even though Jack Abramoff is sitting in jail, he still keeps on touching people. Today, he touched a whole bunch of people in the Bush misAdministration, as evidenced by the House Oversight report issued today. What needs to be pointed out, frequently and loudly, is that oversight and investigations concerning Jack Abramoff is something Norm Coleman simply wouldn’t and didn’t do. Just as Jack Abramoff had influence into the Bush misAdministration, the Bush misAdministration has plenty of influence over Norm “Smokescreen” Coleman, R=Lapdog.

And Smokescreen continues to rely on Bush for support; less than a year ago, Bush campaigned for Coleman at the Eden Prairie home of William and Tani Austin for an estimated million dollar payday. So, how did Coleman reciprocate for all the misAdministration largesse? By ignoring any and all investigations into anything that might possibly embarrass his benefactors – including Jack Abramoff.

(6/5/08)
Alliance for a Better Minnesota released an ad criticizing Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) for helping out the oil industry with billions of dollars in tax breaks while they made massive profits jacking up our oil prices. They have helped him out with $210,000 in contributions to his reelection campaign.

(6/2/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) supported John Roberts to be the Supreme Court's Chief Justice. Norm supported him because he the strong conservative values that Norm espouses. At the MN Republican convention last weekend, Norm bragged about his crucial role in getting Roberts onto SCOTUS.

And what we do here matters a lot. John Roberts sat in my office in advance of his confirmation to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He said to me, “If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t be sitting here.” He went on to say his nomination to the DC Circuit Court had been stalled for months. But when you, the people of Minnesota made me Republican Senator Number 51, the
nomination came off the shelf and Roberts was on his way to his spot on the highest court in the land.
(Star Tribune)

People For the American Way President Kathryn Kolbert issued the following statement:

“It’s hard to believe that Norm Coleman is actually taking credit for putting Chief Justice Roberts on the Supreme Court. Under Roberts, the Supreme Court has voted to:

deny equal pay to a woman who was paid less than the men in her factory
strike down voluntary integration plans for public schools that wanted to bring black and white students together
uphold a ban on an abortion procedure with no exception for the health of the woman
and deny free speech protections to internal government whistle-blowers.

“And that’s just the Supreme Court. Norm Coleman has supported each and every nominee President Bush has sent to the Senate for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. And many of them are far out of step with the values of ordinary Americans. The more Minnesotans learn about Norm Coleman’s support for Bush’s judges, the less they’re going to like it.”
(People for the American Way)

Of course Norm sees it differently. Norm is out of touch with mainstream American values. Where most people see a Supreme Court that denies a woman's right to fair pay and votes to end protections for whistleblowers as wrong, Norm sees a Chief Justice with these characteristics:

Judge Roberts is a man of character, strong leadership, and jurisprudence.
(9/5/05 Press Release after Bush nominated Roberts)

No kidding? A judge who is a man of jurisprudence, Norm? That's deep.

Where Judge Roberts has no concern for the health of pregnant women, Norm sees a chance to get a Supreme Court Justic who will be an activist judge on the most divisive issue in America today. What Norm an everyone knew with Roberts is that he would be a activist, partisan justice ruling conservatively on the important issues of the day. Of course, Norm used Norm-speak^TM to make people Roberts wasn't what we all knew he'd be.

Throughout the nomination process, Judge Roberts has proven he’s the kind of Judge America needs: fair, independent, unbiased, and committed to equal justice under the law. Judge Roberts will provide strong leadership, dedication, and legal brilliance to the bench, and as the process continues, I encourage my colleagues to support Roberts’s nomination.
(Press release during Roberts' confirmation hearings)

President Bush chose an arch conservative. The Democratic Leadership co-opted enough Senators who claim to be pro-choice. So we get a conservative activist judge running the SCOTUS. But Norm spouts more Norm-speak^TM:

“I am pleased the Senate confirmed John Roberts to be our next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,” said Coleman. “The confirmation process worked for this highly qualified nominee: we received a fair hearing and an up-and-down vote on the Senate floor. The President chose a brilliant man with impeccable character that was clearly shown during this process. Through his writings and testimony, Judge Roberts demonstrated he will strictly adhere to the Constitution, not legislate from the bench. As Chief Justice, Roberts’s dedication, sound judgment, and strong moral conviction will provide a sound foundation to lead the Court into the future.”
(Press Release upon Roberts' confirmation)

(6/2/08)
The Minneapolis Star Tribune published an editorial discussing the demise of the Republican brand and Norm Coleman's chances of getting reelected. They pointed to a fascinating article in the New York entitled "The Fall of Conservatism" which describes the arch of American conservatism which we can now see ending through the incompetence, corruption and hubris of the Bush Administration. As a late-comer to the movement, Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) faces becoming a victim of the demise of the brand. He can only offer bland conservative platitudes and can only attempt to evade the nation's number one issue -- the occupation of Iraq.

But Coleman didn't say what a majority of Americans, and likely Minnesotans, now believe -- that the war in Iraq was a blunder for this nation. He paid homage to the virtues of a marketplace unfettered by government, without prescribing a remedy for the ill effects of capitalism's boom-and-bust cycles.

For the country's economic ills, he prescribed permanent tax cuts and smaller government, going so far as to rank "cutting wasteful Washington spending" one of the "great issues of our time." He faulted GOP leaders for budget-cutting timidity. But he offered no hit list of what should be cut -- though he said he'd assign an appointed commission to take a crack at shrinking future Social Security and Medicare commitments.
(Star Tribune)

Their analysis doesn't quite show how difficult Norm's position is. Read my analysis here.

(5/31/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) accepted the Republican endorsement to run for reelection for the US Senate. In his speech he hit upon all the Republican talking points, attacking Democrats on the same old, tired points Republicans have been using since I was a kid. Then he painted his vision of how he'd repair all the damage he and the Republicans have caused over the last five and a half years and, in a moment of Zen, compared his wife to the annual butter sculpture at the State Fair. Here are some key excerpts from his speech:

When I hear the rhetoric of other candidates, I wonder: what job are they running for? Being a U. S. Senator is not about being a celebrity or slaying ideological dragons. As a Senator I’m in the customer service business: 95% of what I do is helping people.

When the 35 W bridge fell down or flood waters poured into Roseau or Browns Valley or Rushford, people don’t need an ideologue or a divider: they need someone who can make government work for them.
(Star Tribune)

Norm has done a good job of helping Minnesotans get their passports expedited, helping parents adopt a child from a foreign country, helping provide funding to rebuild a certain bridge in Minneapolis that Republican neglected and ignored until it collapsed. However, Norm is a Senator you can count on for the minor things. For the things that any Senator should do regardless. On the major issues, Iraq, healthcare, subprime home foreclosures and oversight of the worst administration in the history of the United States, Norm has been a collaborator, an enabler and a stooge.

Read my analysis of Norm's convention speech

(5/28/08)

Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) likes his cigars. Norm also likes to say just about anything he thinks will ingratiate himself to whomever he's addressing. This time he unleashed his Norm-speak^TM on innocent, unsuspecting children in Bemidji, MN. With hypocrisy glistening from his pearly white teeth, he talked about how stealing is bad, don't succumb to peer pressure and ...

don't smoke.

This makes me sick.

[Norm] said good habits start young, and that with hard work, anyone can do anything — including having one of the Cass Lake-Bena kids someday become a U.S. senator.

“This is a great country,” he said. “If you study hard, love the things you do, you love your country, you love to serve … you could be a U.S. senator some day. I have no doubt, whatsoever.”

Coleman said he “would love, sometime in the future, when I’m really old, to come back here with a senator from this school. That would be a wonderful thing for me.”

Starting right is key, he said, with eating the right food, exercising and not smoking.

Those three lifestyle guidelines were reinforced by Nick Mueller of the American Heart Society in Duluth who participated in the school’s program for Coleman.

“Heart disease is the No. 1 reason for death,” said Mueller, who had everyone doing jumping jacks before he started speaking. “Three things to do are physical exercise, eat healthy foods and don’t smoke.”

The key, he said, “is living healthy lifestyles.”
[emphasis mine]
(Bemidji Pioneer)

Not like your Senator here, Mr. Coleman. Mr. Coleman smokes cigars. But you kids shouldn't do that. Do as me and the Senator say not as your Senator does.

Read about Norm's ironic advice about stealing and peer pressure

(5/28/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) still refuses to return the money from the lobby group DCI. DCI lobbied for the Myanmar junta. But it's more complex than that. DCI and Norm have a complex and close relationship. To help everyone understand the closeness, Brian Melendez, Chair of the MN DFL held a press conference.

Following Senator Norm Coleman’s persistent refusal to divest nearly $10,000 in contributions from the DCI Group’s political-action committee and employees, Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez held a press conference today to shed light on the extent to which Coleman’s ties to the group run far deeper than originally thought — with close connections to some of the most well-connected, influential Republican lobbying operatives who represent some of the most powerful corporate special interests in America.

He also provided a perty picture to help us all visualize it. Read and see more here.

(5/27/08)
A new poll indicates that Al Franken is in a statistical dead heat with Norm Coleman for the MN-SEN seat. The Rasmussen poll released today indicates Norm leads Al by 2 points, 47% - 45% with a MoE of 4%. After getting pummeled by the MN Republican Party, Norm and Norm's minions, Al is now back to tied with Norm.

Coleman earns 91% support from Republican voters while Franken gets the vote from 76% of Democrats. Those figures are little changed from a month ago. However, Coleman's lead among unaffiliated voters—down to nine percentage points—has been cut in half over the past month. Franken benefits from the fact that there are more Democrats than Republicans in Minnesota.

Franken also receives a boost from the top-of-the-ticket—Barack Obama enjoys a double-digit lead over John McCain. However, just 70% of Obama voters say they'll vote for Franken. Eighty-four percent (84%) of McCain voters support the Republican incumbent.
(Rasmussen Reports)

Read my analysis here.

(5/27/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) once again voted for another blank check for the continued occupation of Iraq. Norm has never found a war funding bill he didn't love and continues his 100% support of President Bush's catastrophic policies in Iraq. He used Norm-speak^TM to couch his vote in terms he hopes MN voters will find more favorable:

"I strongly believe we need to transition the mission of our forces in Iraq into a supporting role" Coleman said. "But I don't believe we can delay funding for our troops on the ground any longer. Time has run out, and the president has indicated that he will veto a troop funding bill with 30 pages of prescriptive policy provisions."
(St. Cloud Times)

In actual fact, Norm has never taken any substantial action to force the Bush Administration to begin any sort of transition of US troops. Norm just wants MN voters to think he does so he will get reelected. The few instances he has elaborated on his idea of "transition", it becomes apparent that his position is incoherent.

Feels the incoherence for yerselves right here.

(5/21/08)
The Star Tribune allowed Sen. Norm Coleman's campaign manager, Cullen Sheehan, to respond to Bill O'Brien's letter from May 3, 2008 criticizing Norm for shifting his convictions as is politically expedient. How would Sheehan attempt to defend Norm?

The commentary by Minneapolis attorney Bill O'Brien ("Coleman's convictions seem to shift as convenient," May 4) is another example of the misinformation used by those determined to defeat Sen. Norm Coleman.

O'Brien calls himself an "attentive voter." Like many Democrats and others who oppose the leadership provided by Coleman, however, he indulges in fantasy and speculation.
(Strib)

Of course, he demeans and insults Democrats. Typical.

But let's take a closer look at how Sheehan will defend Norm's most glaring political weakness...

Read my analysis here.

(5/21/08)
Today the Minneapolis Star Tribune ran an article today entitled Playboy, junta tied to Senate hopefuls. This is further evidence of their lop-sided and disingenuous coverage of the Minnesota Senate race. The Strib failed to write about Norm's contributions from and close ties to the DCI Group who lobby for the brutal dictators of Myanmar when it broke. They are only willing to write about it when someone hand delivers them a faux controversy to counterbalance anything bad that they write about Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN).

They were waiting for the Republican Schlockmeister to feed them some copy. There are just too many cases where there is a direct linkage between what the Republican Schlockmeister spews forth and what the Star Tribune publishes. Today is another example.

Minnesota Republicans are scolding DFL Senate candidate Al Franken for a campaign fundraiser hosted Monday by Playboy CEO Christie Hef- ner at her Chicago-area home -- and taking him to task for a sexually explicit satire he wrote for that magazine eight years ago.

Meanwhile, DFLers are calling on Republican incumbent Norm Coleman to divest his reelection campaign of nearly $10,000 received from the political-action committee and employees of a lobbying firm that represented Myanmar's military regime.
(Star Tribune)

I have previously noted that the Strib is in a death-spiral of declining readership, newsroom cutbacks and the resulting shoddy journalism. Their reporters are stretched so thin that they can do little independent reporting of their own. Furthermore, considering the Republicans running the paper, this intertwining of a real issue with a ginned-up congtroversy is a classic Republican maneuver too lower the negative impact on Norm.

The Strib, channeling the Republican Schlockmeister, bring the titillating news to their readers that a porn empress helped Al raise money. They relegate Norm's connections to the Myanmar dictatorship to the inside pages knowing full well that fewer people will read the inner pages and learn about Norm's connections to DCI.

They conflate a fundraiser held by Hugh Heffner's daughter, a prominent progressive activist, Democratic fundraiser and philanthropist married to a former Illinois State Senator, to somehow being on the same level as receiving money from a group that lobbies for a brutal dictatorship. Whenever Republicans accuse Democrats of anything, they are doing it themselves and usually way worse.

Hefner has used her filthy lucre made running Playboy Enterprises for many good causes. She helped start EMILY's List which is dedicated to getting pro-choice women elected to office. She was instrumental in raising $30 million to build the CORE Center in Chicago, the first outpatient facility in the Midwest for people living with AIDS. She's on Obama's national fundraising committee.

Myanmar's dictatorship ruthlessly kills its own citizens. They are in the process of neglecting to help millions impacted by last month's typhoon. Their incompetence and unwillingness to help is reminiscent of the Bush Administration's neglect of New Orleans.

(5/13/08)
Joe Bodell at MN Campaign Report has done a little digging after it came out that Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) received campaign contributions from the lobby group for the brutal dictatorship that rules Myanmar. It's not just that he's received thousands of dollars in contributions from this lobby group, a branch of it officeshares with Norm's campaign.

One of the primary firms serving Norm Coleman's reelection campaign is FLS Connect -- I wrote about them some time ago. They share an address in St. Paul with Coleman's campaign, and have taken hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees from Coleman's coffers.

FLS is closely linked with DCI, the same firm that's involved with the Myanmar junta.

Yep, that's right -- FLSConnect.com is registered to an entity called "FLS-DCI" located in Oakdale, MN. Sourcewatch indicates that those first three letters stand for "Feather Larson Synhorst" -- Synhorst refers to the chairman of DCI, Thomas Synhorst, and Sourcewatch notes one of their specialties: "creating phony front groups to make it appear as if there's a groundswell of support for its clients' issues."
(MN Campaign Report)

So when Brian Melendez, Chair of the MN DFL Party, asks Norm to return the filthy lucre, Norm declines. But he's Norm freaking Coleman. And as the prototypical political weasel that he is, he just cannot simply decline to return the money...

(5/13/08)
Ahh ... the irony. Schadenfreude, too. The organization that Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) holds up as a shining example of oversight is as dirty and corrupt as everything else the Bush Administration touchs. The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) is corrupt. This is the second instance of rank corruption at SIGIR. SIGIR is just another arm of the Bush Administration propaganda machine.

(5/13/08)
Now that Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) has officially begun his reelection campaign the sliming has begun. Norm claimed during his reelection kick-off event that the Senate race will be about issues and his "very, very positive vision". Every knows that this was a lie. Norm has to run away from his record and pray voters forget his strong support for all of President Bush's policies. As everyone knows in politics the only way to do that is to attack your opponent.

Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman - who quit the Democratic Party 12 years ago to become a Republican - has accused likely Democratic opponent Al Franken of changing positions, demeanor and rhetoric in his attempt to win a Senate seat.

Coleman makes the charge in a fundraising e-mail sent out this week with the subject line, "It's Hard to Deny this Kind of Evolution."

"After decades of carrying the flag for radical left-wing causes, his extremely liberal viewpoints are couched in softer, more acceptable terms," Coleman writes of the former "Saturday Night Live" star. "And for the most part, he's stopped using curse words in public."

The e-mail prompted dropped jaws in Democratic circles Thursday. Franken campaign spokesman Andy Barr responded that Coleman himself has been all over the political map in his career.

"What's most troubling about Norm Coleman is what he has evolved into since he came to Washington," Barr said. "And that's someone who always puts special interests first and doesn't look out for Minnesota families."
(AOL News)

Isn't it interesting that Norm is attacking Al Franken for what he's most famous for?
Read more about Norm Coleman slimes Al Franken from Teh High Road II.

(5/12/08)
Minnesota Monitor reports that Sen. Norm Coleman is the #1 Senator for campaign contributions from the real estate industry. This is a surprise to nobody considering he's the Senator who co-authored the HOME Act which is written to help the banks holding subprime mortgages squeeze the last dollar out of homeowners facing foreclosure. The Home Act would allow homeowners more than 60 days overdue on their mortgage payment to withdraw up to $100,000 from their retirement accounts without penalty or taxes to deal with their crisis. They would have to pay that back within three years or the government would place a tax lien on their home. If the homeowner were to go bankrupt, the banks could not otherwise get at their retirement savings.

...A report issued by ACORN reveals that Coleman took $23,000 in contributions from two interest groups strongly opposed to the Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008. But that's small potatoes compared to Coleman's other campaign contributions this year.

According to OpenSecrets.com, Coleman has received a total of $477,000 from the real-estate industry (PACs and individual donors) during this election cycle. That makes him seventh in the Senate when it comes to getting bought out by the real-estate/mortgage industry.

Yet Coleman is actually the No. 1 Senate recipient who isn't running for president of contributions from the combined mortgage, finance, and insurance sector. Those industries are Coleman's biggest backers, with donations totaling $2 million. That's double the amount received from his second-biggest contributor of "miscellaneous businesses" and four times as much as he's received in contributions from agribusiness.
(Minnesota Monitor)

Read more about Norm's stances on this issue on the Norm Coleman Weasel Meter'sforeclosure page

(5/4/08)
Republican-owned KSTP runs push poll against Al Franken

Late last week, the television station that Stan Hubbard owns ran push-polling against DFL US Senate candidate Al Franken. Tonight, KSTP reported on it. What is the significance of this push poll? Ron Hubbard is a major donor to all things Republican and a major donor to Norm Coleman's reelection campaign. His station runs a factually incorrect poll then uses it to influence the US Senate race. Norm Coleman owes Ron Hubbard a bi

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Update: DFL Chair Melendez's statement