Norm Coleman on the Radio

Norm Coleman resurfaced today hosting a program on WCCO AM 830 radio.

He was in rare form.

He criticized the partisanship and lack of civility in Washington. Both were traits which eluded him when he was in office - but he seemed happy to criticize his failings in others.

He also criticized the Democrats for "ignoring" the public rage expressed in last summer's town hall meetings.

After all, populist anger must be listened to. The "public" is happy with their current health insurance. They don't want any government mandated changes.

Norm followed this up by criticizing President Obama for listening to the public anger and attacking the banks.

Populist anger must not be listened to. At least not when it would lead to punishment of Big Business.

Political "Norm Speak" in action. Hogwash.

At least Norm still reads and adheres to the Republican "Talking Points." Ordinary middle class citizens must not be listened to. Big Business, the wealthy, and their supportive Republican drones are the only ones who count.

It's true. He heard it (constantly) on Fox Newz (not to be confused with any real news organization).

Thank God it's Over

Minnesota's long running 2008 Senatorial contest has - finally - come to an end. Norm Coleman has - finally - admitted defeat. Al Franken has - finally - been declared as the winner.

I can't say I'm sorry to see Norm go.

I know Norm Coleman once tried to be an honorable man. But, somewhere along the line he changed.

I hope he can find gainful employment outside the public sector where his misguided views will not have such a negative, divisive, impact on the long suffering citizens of Minnesota.

For Senator Franken, let's hope that he's able to maintain perspective. People do matter - more so than special interest groups. And, certainly more than how one politician fares in the next election.

Norm Coleman - Hypocrite

Normally, Norm Coleman, and his fellow Republicans, are loathe to criticize small businesses and free-market enterprise. At every opportunity, they tout small business as the reason to give massive tax breaks to the wealthy (while failing to mention that the vast majority of small business owners are not wealthy).

However, in a bizarre press release from the Coleman for Senate campaign, Norm Coleman appears to have gone on record criticizing a small businessman who sold his services to some of the Wall Street firms involved in the credit crunch affecting our failing economy.

It seems that the small businessman had listed his speaking fees ($50,000 to $75,000) on a web site, along with a partial list of clients (which included some of the Wall Street firms). Apparently, someone on the Coleman campaign staff used the web site to determine that over the years the businessman had given 30 speeches to Wall Street firms. At his published speaker's fee, it was estimated that the businessman collected between $1.5 Million and $2.25 Million for his work.

Why does Norm Coleman criticize one businessman who dared to conduct legal free-market business with now troubled Wall Street firms and ignore all other businesses which did the same?

Norm Coleman has labeled the private businessman as a hypocrite for collecting fees for his services, because the businessman has criticized lawmaker Norm Coleman for taking fees (or contributions - supposedly not for services rendered) from the same Wall Street firms.

Talk about hypocritical.

Norm, there's a big difference between a private businessman collecting a fee for a legal service, and a politician collecting a "fee" from the same business which is now seeking a share of a $700 Billion public bailout.

To be fair, the small businessman in this case is Al Franken. Al Franken, a businessman turned politician. Al's looking to change careers and take Norm's job.

Let's hope he succeeds.

Businessman Al Franken earned his Wall Street fees honestly.

Unlike some politicians, it's expected that Senator Al Franken will be more likely to represent the people who elected him rather than only representing Special Interests.

Norm Coleman - Only Non-partisan Reviews?

In between his attack ads, Norm Coleman occasionally stops to try to defend his record.

In one of his recent ads, he touts the fact that he "Supported 100 non-partisan Iraq Reviews."


I found this troubling on a number of levels.

What does it mean to "support" a review? It certainly doesn't sound like rigorous investigation. Why was he supporting only "non-partisan" reviews? And, just because a complaint comes from the loyal opposition, is it fair to label it "partisan" and refuse to investigate?

Norm's blind indifference is the kind of attitude which leads to allegations of conspiracy and massive cover-ups. Such lack of oversight may just have led to a collapsing economy, requiring trillions of dollars to correct.

If we can't count on the watchdogs to maintain watch, who can we count on? Certainly, not Norm.

Clearly, Norm's been out of control. He's been blinded by his unwavering support of George W. Bush and Special Interests. He hasn't been able to get the job done for Minnesotans.


Norm Coleman. Getting Things Done?

For who? And, at what cost to our nation?

Norm Coleman - Unfit for Office

Norm Coleman, and his special interest allies - through lies, half truths, and innuendo - continue to hammer the message that Al Franken is somehow "unfit for office."

Many families with young children wish that Norm Coleman, and his allies, would put "Parental Disclaimers" on his adult content ads, to allow them to get the children out of the room before they run.

Meanwhile, our economy continues its long decline. The Republican social experiment in wealth redistribution called "trickle down economics" has woefully failed the country. The wealthy got wealthier - and greedier -while the middle class lost ground.

While many blame George W. Bush, the Republican party - and the special interest groups they cater to - are to blame. Republicans have consistently supported "trickle down economics" and opposed reasonable policies and regulations to protect average citizens.

I cringe every time I hear a Republican ad stating that the Democrats "will raise your taxes." If I didn't know the facts, I might conclude that the average Minnesota family was doing reasonably well - earning more than $250,000 per year.

But the fact is that the average Minnesota family doesn't earn more than $250,00 a year. The average Minnesota family is in trouble. They have lost ground in the last decade under Republican "leadership." Meanwhile, the wealthy have gotten much wealthier, and the Republicans want to cut their taxes even more.

Note to Norm Coleman - Leadership is not being a lapdog to special interests. Leadership means you have a spine and know how to use it. Leadership is not about political ideology or extremist religious beliefs. Leadership is looking beyond the next election. Leadership is putting the Country First - not as an empty John McCain campaign slogan, but in real actions which support the average citizen, not just the special interests.

Norm, I've seen great leaders. You are not a leader. Not even close. You are unfit for office.

Norm Coleman's Crummy Picture

After another brutal day on Wall Street, where hardworking Minnesotans have seen tens of thousands of dollars of their hard earned retirement dollars lost, what has Norm Coleman been doing?

According to his latest ad, he's obsessed that someone leaked a photo of him taken after a night of hard partying with his special interest friends. In it, he looks "crummy." At least that's what I think he was saying. Political "Norm Speak" is even harder to comprehend than normal "Norm Speak" sometimes.

Now, we know Norm's a good looking guy. And, I can see see how he would be concerned that such a "crummy" photo might harm his "clean" image (thank God the video of what he did at the party hasn't come out as yet).

So, as hardworking Minnesotans lose tens of thousands of dollars due to the failing economy caused by Republican incompetence, Norm is concerned about his image.

The fact is, Republican Trickle Down Economics have been disastrous for the average hard working Minnesotan, as well as for hard working individuals throughout the nation. Sure, the wealthiest 5% of the population has gotten much wealthier, but the other 95% have been hurting.

The stock market has remained essentially flat over the last ten years. Billions of dollars have been lost. Tens of thousands of good paying jobs have been lost. Median income for the middle class has actually declined in the last decade. Employers have eliminated defined benefit pension plans. Republicans even attempted to do the same with Social Security.

And, there's still the outstanding bill for Bush's three trillion dollar war.

Norm's response? Nothing of substance. He's concerned about his appearance.

It's a shame Norm has no conscience. It's a shame he has so little regard for hard working Minnesotans.

We deserve better.

Norm Coleman is a Whore

Norm Coleman has released his hardest hitting non-issue TV ad to date. Norm starts by "apologetically" telling us that he "approves this message because it's important for you to see" or some such drivel.

The rest shows a passionate, apparently foul mouthed, Al Franken doing his job. For those who have seen the recurring "This Week in Unnecessary Censorship" feature on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," you know the drill.

But, wait, perhaps the clips are real. Perhaps Al Franken, in the course of doing his job, uttered some harsh words about incompetent Republicans. So what? Al Franken was one of the few speaking out against Republican incompetence at the time. Is Norm suggesting that speaking honestly in a past job should disqualify someone from being a US Senator?

If so, Norm's past - and current - position as a special interest whore must surely disqualify him from further profiteering off of the American people. Not only is Norm a whore, but he's a dishonest one at that. He refuses to acknowledge that he's a whore for special interests. He continues to try to convince us that he's on our side. Bull Hooey.

Al Franken is a passionate guy who will work hard to serve the people of Minnesota.

On the other hand, reflecting the special interest whore that he is, all we can expect from Norm Coleman is his continued detached, dispassionate, screwing of the people of Minnesota.

I guess we shouldn't be too surprised that Norm Coleman is running non-issue attack ads. That's what Karl Rove worshipers do. Besides, Norm has to spend all those special interest dollars somehow. And, he certainly doesn't have any real issues to run on.

Norm, you're an embarrassment.

Norm Coleman - In Bed with the Oil Companies?

We've been saying for some time that Norm Coleman, like the rest of the Republican Party, is in bed with the oil companies.

A new report indicates that for regulators with the Minerals Management Service, being in bed with the industry seems to have been literally true.

Now, we know Norm Coleman has accepted "gifts" from powerful special interest groups (the ones identified in official reports reflect much special interest paid travel). Do we need to ask Norm for a more detailed report on his involvement with special interests? I doubt we'd get one.

For those who believe that the Republicans have been screwing American taxpayers - or more specifically those American taxpayers of modest means - for years, the report seems to offer yet another example.

What - exactly - have Republicans received in exchange for their tax breaks to Big Oil and other special interests?

We know what the average citizen got - higher costs, higher unemployment, broken pension promises, giveaways to one favored industry after another, poor industry oversight (resulting in the loss of billions of dollars), and a failed economy.

Yet, Norm continues to run on a "more of the same" platform.

Norm, we deserve better.

Norm Coleman - Getting It Done

In the days following the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, politicians of all stripes came forward, vowing to rebuild. Then, unlike what happened in New Orleans (remember, they were poor and unworthy of Republican support), they proceeded to do so. Money was appropriated. Money was spent. The new bridge nears completion.

This morning, we're treated to another message from Norm's "bowling buddy" spokesperson who claims that Norm's "leadership" provided the money to rebuild the I-35W bridge.

To be fair, Norm Coleman, and the Republicans, did help in securing bridge replacement funds. But, "leadership" from Norm? I think not. As a country, we have always come together after a crisis or a natural disaster (New Orleans being a major exception). Securing the money to rebuild was assured from the start.

Besides, the I-35W collapse happened on the watch of a Republican governor known for vetoing transportation bills, along with others necessary for infrastructure maintenance and repair. They had to support Tim Pawlenty (unlike what happened with a Democrat as governor in Louisiana).

As long as Norm wants to take responsibility for funding the I-35W bridge replacement, perhaps he's willing to take responsibility for the country's infrastructure decline while he's been in office.

Norm has voted to spend billions of dollars in his support for Iraq (which now has a huge budget surplus). Meanwhile, in our country, governmental agencies and programs suffer from inadequate funding.

Norm, and his fellow Republicans, have their priorities wrong. They'd rather run up huge debts funding a senseless war, while allowing our country's assets to deteriorate to the point of collapse.

Norm, when will you start to take responsibility for the failures of the Republican "trickle down" economic policies and quit rushing to take credit for the work of others?

Higher Taxes Aren't Very Funny

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a pro-business special interest group closely connected to Norm Coleman, has come up with another attack ad against Al Franken.

It suggests that every time Al opens his mouth, he's saying that he's going to raise your takes. Talk about deceptive. It's my understanding that Al is right in line with Barack Obama. He'd roll back the unfair Bush tax cuts to the wealthy, and lower taxes for the majority of Americans.

The ad also claims that Norm Coleman is working hard to secure better health care for Minnesotans, while keeping the government out of our health care decisions, or some such drivel. It deceptively raises fears that we'll no longer be able to see the doctor of our choice and that some faceless government bureaucrat will make health care decisions for us.

Anyone who has had to deal with a private insurance company knows that there are plenty of faceless bureaucrats involved in making health care decisions for us. Except, they're not government bureaucrats --- they're employed by private insurance companies.

Over the past 10 years, health care costs have gone up at an incredible rate. Health care coverage has gone down. Monthly insurance rates and copays have gone up. And, more people have become uninsured.

Republican politicians are fine with the current health care situation. They have low cost health care insurance, and their wealthy friends are happy.

Norm Coleman has fought to bring us better health care? Now, that would be funny, if the truth weren't so sad. Casual observation, and those damned statistics would seem to prove otherwise.

The only thing Norm Coleman has fought for is the interests of his wealthy friends. He's given away billions of taxpayer dollars to satisfy wealthy special interests. He conspired with a lobbyist (who happened to be a Republican Congressman at the time) to help pass the Medicare prescription drug bill. In typical Republican speak, the law was supposed to help seniors afford expensive medications. In reality, it's done more to help the drug companies than it has to help seniors.

How would you like to be prohibited - by law - from negotiating the best price on your next car? Most of us would find that totally unacceptable. Yet, Norm and his co-conspirators added just such a prohibition to the prescription drug law. Our government - spending taxpayer money - is prohibited from negotiating the best price for the Medicare Part D drugs it buys.

The commercial suggests that we call Al Franken and tell him that "Higher Taxes Aren't Very Funny."

What's not funny is deceptive advertising.

Instead, I would recommend that everyone call the U. S. Chamber of Commerce (1-800-638-6582) - and their local Chamber of Commerce. Request that they stop deceptive advertising.

Request that they spend their money supporting the American people who have brought them so much wealth.

Norm Coleman, Apply Directly to the Forehead...

Every time I see Norm Coleman's commercial - You know the one: "He brought hockey back... He brought hockey back..." - it reminds me of the infamous "Head On, Apply directly to the forehead... Head On, Apply directly to the forehead..." commercial.

That product was shown to be little more than a placebo. Unfortunately, Norm Coleman is much more dangerous.

For some reason, Senator Coleman won't talk about his current record of strong support for George W. Bush, and the dirty politics of Karl Rove. Instead, he wants to talk about his record as mayor of St. Paul.

Norm apparently wants people to believe that he was responsible for professional hockey's return to Minnesota. I suppose that's news to all the fine people who worked on the project. But, it's not unusual for a politician, especially one like Norm, to take credit for the work of others.

One thing Norm did deliver, however, was the necessary "corporate welfare" to build the Xcel Center. Yes, it was Norm who saddled the long suffering citizens of St. Paul with the debt to pay for the Xcel Center. They continue to make payments on this debt.

Way to go, Norm!

I'm surprised that he hasn't brought up one of his "major accomplishments" as Mayor of St. Paul. He successfully moved the street maintenance budget out of the "general fund" and replaced it with an annual property assessment. The net result was that the city could collect the ever increasing costs of street maintenance from the tax payers of St. Paul. And, Norm could continue to claim that he "held the line" on taxes. No new Taxes!

Way to go, Norm!

Norm, you lead the way for Governor Tim Pawlenty to use the same tricks. Raise fees, not taxes. Continue to raise fees, all the while preaching "No new taxes."

I'd give just about anything to meet an honest politician today, especially a Republican. But, I fear that they've all been lying for so long that they now believe it's the truth because they've heard it so often.

Sad. Very Sad.

Minnesota deserves better.

Republican Talking Points

Watching the President's news conference this morning, it's clear that George W. Bush and Norm Coleman remain on the same page.

Norm Coleman's recent campaign ad had him saying that he knows "times are tough," and acknowledging that people are having trouble making ends meet. This morning President Bush acknowledged the same, saying that it's a "difficult time for many families."

The only thing they they both left out was the the "fact" that we've become "a nation of whiners" which has resulted in us entering a "mental recession" as was so bluntly stated recently by Republican Senator Phil Gramm. I believe he'd been listening to too much conservative talk radio.

To the typical Republican, there's no recession. Maybe there's been a slight dip in their investment portfolio. But, no recession. And, there's very little pain.

After all, the gas bag drug abuser, Rush Limbaugh, just signed on for another eight years at something like $38 Million per year. Sure, in better times he might have fetched at least $40-50 Million a year, but times are tough.

The fact is, the beneficiaries of the Bush tax cuts are doing quite well. Once their "basic needs" are satisfied for a million or two a year, they still have money left over.

For the average citizen, however, life is not so easy. By the time they pay their housing expenses, feed the family, pay for their medical expenses, and insurance - if they're lucky enough to be able to afford it - there's little or nothing left.

Compare the number of foreclosures in a neighborhood such as North Oaks to the number of forecloses in North Minneapolis or St. Paul's Frogtown. Which population is feeling more pain from the "fine economy" the Republicans have given us?

I'd love to see a politician be honest once in a while.

Instead of simply acknowledging that the typical American is feeling "pain," I'd like them to acknowledge their role in creating that pain.

Instead of standing up to Karl Rove and the Bush administration's lust for power, wouldn't it have been nice if Norm Coleman, and his Republican colleagues, had stood up and asked the hard questions. Couldn't they have inquired about the wisdom of starting a three trillion dollar war, while cutting taxes? Talk about credit card abuse. What were they thinking?

Yet, the Republican message remains the same. The economy is sound. The economy continues to grow. We need more tax cuts to continue on the path.

The nation has endured a "trickle down" economy for many years now. Have the tax cuts for the wealthy helped you?

Think and vote accordingly.