Allies of Norm Coleman were the first to use footage of the 35W bridge collapse in a television ad. Now, Norm has gotten into the game himself, attempting to use the collapse to attack Al Franken. On MPR today, Norm said:
“Amy Klobuchar and I stood on the floor of the Senate within hours after the
bridge collapse [requested and received] a hundred, I think it was $180
million, huge, unanimous consent, unanimous consent, yet, co- almost $200
million on the floor of the Senate, nobody objected. If Al Franken had been
there, not Ms. Klobuchar, uh, you have to question whether that would’ve
happened…”
How crass and disgusting.
Also, is Norm really suggesting that Republicans in the Senate would play politics with emergency relief? What a low opinion Norm has of his party and the Senate.
Norm owes an apology to the Senate, to the people of Minnesota and to Al Franken.
I believe Senator Coleman is saying, very loudly and clearly, that the Republicans in the Senate are willing to play politics with Emergency Relief.
This was after the discussion of language used by Mr. Franken.
It is interesting to note I have yet to see, anywhere, an elected Republican denouncing the language used, and defended, by Mr. Cheney.
Senator Coleman needs to be held accountable for his tolerance of Mr. Cheney’s language, and his opinion that Senate Republicans play politics with natural disasters.
Nice attempt at a distraction from Franken’s business troubles in California.
I think this is more important and thus not a distraction
Rebuilding the bridge is a necessity…for Minnesota; but no one’s life or livelyhood is in danger.
We’re not talking about disaster relief here, were talking about restoring the smooth flow of traffic in and out of Minneapolis.
The little puke that publishes a book telling me that he “Fucking hates those motherfuckers” (meaning me) had better bring kneepads when he wants my help…that’s what Norm was saying, and he’s right.
How many bills did Wellstone get put into law? Think his asshat dances had anything to do with that? Ya.Think?
That’s what norm was saying, and he’s right.
This is just odd phrasing from Coleman - so he’s saying that if Franken and</i< himself (not Klobuchar and Franken or just Franken) wouldn’t have been able to get the money?
Also, this argument doesn’t make sense. None of them would have any final say in how that money would be spent on the ground so why would Republicans not give Franken as much?
I think Team Franken and MN Publius think that calling people “shamless d***” is a good way to work together. Franken’s mean spirited and savage attacks on people who disagree with him, calls into question his ability to work across party lines.
Mr. Brodkorb, how do you justify Vice-President Cheney cursing at Senator Leahey?
If you remember, Mr. Cheney was not at all repentent. What is the difference between Mr. Franken and Mr. Cheney?
1. Cheney was never fined for failure to follow business law.
2. No company under Cheney’s direction was ever forfeit to any state for failure to pay income taxes.
3. Cheney never pocketed funds taken from a childrens charity.
4. I’ve never publicly humiliated Cheney
Oh wait, you mean about the swearing thing…nuthin’ I guess.
Swiftee, Halliburton - under Mr. Cheney’s watch - has had numberous problems, including a multi-million dollar fine from the SEC.
Additionally, Mr. Brodkorb contends that Mr. Franken will be unable to work across the aisle because of Mr. Franken’s language; how is that language any different from language Mr. Cheney has used, and used in the Senate?
As much as you’d like to, you cannot have it both ways, Swiftee.
NBtT,
As long as the best Franken can do is to not be worse than Cheney I think he looses the argument.
If I think Cheney is a prick is it alright that I think Franken is a prick as well?
You’re right NBTT.
Cheney’s business fines should bar him from running for office ever again.
Cheney should never expect any assistance from Senator Leahey.
Franken should never expect any assistance from any Republican.
KH, it’s not an argument that since Mr. Cheney did it, it’s ok for Mr. Franken; it’s a matter of Michael and Swiftee being hypocrites.
It is simply ludicrous to assume politicians don’t swear; Mr. Bush has a long and illustrious history, for instance, of flipping people the finger. And clearly Mr. Bush has a private business record that demonstrate it is good indeed to have friends in high places.
The fact that the Coleman campaign is reduced to “he’s got a potty mouth” and “he’s had paperwork problems” demonstrates how desperate Senator Coleman’s campaign is.
Personally, I have no problem with Mr. Franken representing Minnesota in the Senate; Mr. Franken has covered politics for years and political satire simply cannot be performed without a deep understanding of what the actual issues are.
Personally, I have a real problem sending Mr. Coleman back for six more years; how many different political personas will Mr. Coleman assume during that term?
Based on this last term, “several” is a good guess.
That Coleman would make political hay with this tragedy and loss of life is despicable.
Eh, NBTT? I agreed with you…
Welcome back “Jismo”
NBtT,
I understood your point but was simply showing the folly of how you were making it.
Franken has not “covered” politics for years. He was a comedian that used politics as his subject. A comedian that jokes about medical problems is just as qualified to be a Doctor as Franken is to be a Senator from Minnesota by that measure. Your line has been used over and over but has no basis in reality. It is a pleasantry that allows Franken supporters to try and turn his lack of valid, positive experience into a plus.
My biggest issue with Franken is that there is simply no reason to trust him. He attempts to write off every bad decision and offensive statement as satire, he had no intention of moving to Minnesota before preparing for his senate run, he supported the war (despite his years hounding Republicans and his “friend” Paul Wellstone voting against it), a vast majority of his campaign funds come from outside the state and he is a trained professional when it comes to spin, deception and acting out things that he doesn’t really believe.
Norm Coleman, Norm Coleman. Oh, yeah, the guy who declared himself 99% better than Paul Wellstone when Wellstone died. Coleman is a master at elevating himself. A legend in his own mind and all that.
“Franken has not “covered” politics for years. “
KH, you couln’t be more wrong.
Truth,
Al Franken has “paperwork problems” ???!!! That’s a little like saying Al Capone had “tax problems.” Franken has engaged in a pattern of not following the law regarding his businesses. Is this the kind of incompetence you want representing Minnesota in the U.S. Senate? Al Franken is a joke and not a very funny one at that.
A very informative response NBtT. There is a meaningful difference between researching subjects in a way that allows you to write serious books and articles and understanding them enough to make jokes. Especially when the basis to much of that humor is playing the partisan divide by exaggerating the idiocy of one side while minimizing that of your own.
The trouble is that Franken supporters seem to use the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, PJ O’Rourke, John Stewart, Bill Maher and Micheal Moore as yardsticks. That might be good enough to pass understanding to be an entertainer, which is what Franken has been.
Anybody that thinks what Franken has done is really valid as political thought or discourse must not have read or listened to anything meaningful in a long time. the really informative stuff is rarely exciting to read and never ends with they types of easy solutions being regurgitated by any major candidate.
Franken supporters seem to use the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, PJ O’Rourke, John Stewart, Bill Maher and Micheal Moore as yardsticks.
Pretty wild generalization there to support a weak position. Name a citizen who has logged more miles then Franken, working to get good, strong candidates elected. Trying to minimize Franken just doesn’t work because he has done the leg work to not just get DFL candidates elected but to strengthen the party. Go to a house party KH and talk to Al. Try and have that same conversation with Norm. Franken is working for the working people of Minnesota. Can you honestly say the same thing about Norm.
Nice attempt at a distraction from Franken’s business troubles in California
Michael, you are a such a frickin child. You bitch about people hijacking your posts on your own blog, and you do the exact same thing on other blogs. I mean seriously, haven’t you posted enough of the same shit on your own blog? why do you have to pollute other places.
You are a fraud. everyone knows you’re paid to blog, and in all honesty its not that big of a story. you’ve posted more about it than has the entire media put together.
if this wasn’t the case you wouldn’t have the time to sit around and post the same blog over and over again.
And another thing, a monkey could have gotten funding for the bridge collapse. It would be pretty hard for the government to explain how they can spend billions a month on a war and can’t drop 250 million on a major thoroughfare responsible for over 150k traffic a day.
Notice the level of discourse here. Are the above comments directed at policy differences between the Republican incumbent and the Democratic challenger? Are these comments directed at an informed analysis of even which candidate has the better temperament to lead? It is already starting to get muddy, 7 months before the election.
That’s why I would love to have Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer be the challenger to take on Norm Coleman in November. There are clear differences in their approach to energy policy, foreign policy, healthcare, education policy, support of infrastructure and so on. We could even talk about temperament differences between the two, and my guess is that Jack’s courage and integrity would shine through, without a single coarse expression or obscene reference.
We are going to hell in a handbasket here. It seems to me we should be trying to figure out how to do something different, rather than recycle the same tired partisan name-calling.
I don’t think JNP has a chance. He would also get eaten alive in the Senate. He is too good of a guy for that. He needs to keep teaching peace at St. Thomas, maybe write a book, and help save the world. But I don’t think the US Senate is the place for him.
Yoni,
You said JNP needs to keep teaching peace at St. Thomas. If he teaches peace, he should consider going to the Gaza Strip to teach peace to people who are blowing up innocent people on an almost daily basis.
Chris, there are NO innocent people on either side of the Israeli Palestine fight. Both sides have bloody hands and filthy motives… don’t even pretend that one side or the other is on the side of the Angels.
your response is exactly why JNP would get his head handed to him by that slimeball Norm in the general election.
Thank you Amuseinc,
people un-educated on the situation always have the loudest mouths. I think the residents of Sderot are innocent, and the human shields used by Hamas are probably innocent also.
The Reuters cameraman was probably innocent, but stupid.
I know where you are coming from though, and it will get worse before it gets better I am afraid. Israel will re-invade Gaza after they celebrate their 60th unless the lover of peace Jimmy Carter can bring some dialogue, and the release of Gilad Shalit, but if Shalit is harmed all bets are off, for the entire region.
That being said, why did you bring that up Chris? I know and you know, but why don’t you explain to the rest of the readers.
Well Richard I have talked to Al and have found him there to be no demonstrable difference between the in person Franken and the simpleton book Franken. As far as generalizations go I did say “seem” in order to qualify my statement. If you have facts to counter that statement i would be happy to hear them.
Again, I don’t give a rats ass about how hard a person works to attain power over others. It isn’t a selling point to me. The fact that Franken finds it necessary to exert a lot of effort to convince people he isn’t a fraud doesn’t mean he isn’t one. If how desperate somebody is to attain power and attention is a plus to you there is a long list of candidates expecting for your vote and check. Every thing Franken has done in his life is a classic cry for attention. This run for senate is only different in the the damage it will do to the population of Minnesota.
Chris probably brought Gaza up because of Franken’s supportive comments to HAMAS during his recent MPR interview, where he also said Israel needs to be pressured.
Every thing Franken has done in his life is a classic cry for attention.
Thank you Doctor Sigmund Kerosene Hat. Again, I have to ask and if you can’t answer, that’s okay, but can you honestly say, Norm is working for the working class in Minnesota? Norm’s solution for the foreclosure crisis is to let people tap into their retirement funds. In other words let’s let the banks extract the last vestige of cash from people in trouble. Norm’s solution for war profiteering was to ignore the problem and do nothing.
http://www.alfranken.com/pages/health_care/
Norm is proposing nothing even close. Norm’s plan is again, do nothing and hope for the best.
http://www.alfranken.com/pages/iraq/
Norm’s plan? Just more of the same. Another 4000 dead US service people and 100’s of thousands of dead Iraqi civilians. Of course Blackwater and Haliburton will post record profits so it’s not like Norm’s plan won’t benefit someone.
From Al’s site:
Today, I think we need a new “Apollo project” – this time to fundamentally change our energy policy and end our reliance on foreign oil.
The natural resources we have right here in Minnesota – not just corn and soybeans and biomass and wind, but innovation and creativity and brainpower – can lead to amazing breakthroughs if we commit to this undertaking.
This “Apollo project” should provide financial support for research into new forms of renewable energy and development of currently-identified sources to make them more efficient. Of course I’m talking about corn ethanol. But I’m also talking about cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels. I’m talking about solar power. And, especially here in Minnesota, I’m talking about wind power. We live in a windy state!
It’s going to be a huge project, but it will pay off in so many ways:
* We’ll dramatically improve our environment.
* We’ll finally be taking steps to address global warming.
* We’ll make our nation more secure and less dependent on an uncertain global fuel economy.
* We’ll revitalize our manufacturing sector. The Ford plant in St. Paul that’s closing down should be making wind turbines, and we should be putting them up all over Minnesota.
* We’ll create high-tech, high-paying jobs in conservation and R&D.
I apologize for not just posting the link but this is important. This is the most important issue of our generation and will impact the economic future of our country moreso then any war or health care plan. Al’s on the right track here, as well as JNP. Where’s Norm?
Charley, I like Jack too. But he isn’t going to piss off nearly as many people if he gets elected as Franken will. I am soo looking forward to the wailing and gnashing of teeth when Al becomes our Senator. Wellstone sure made his share of heads explode. Franken will do the same. What a great year to be a delegate!
Not only a great year to be a delegate. A great year to be a democrat.
The only aisle Franken will be able to work across is the one between him and the other Libs when the Democrats get together in a room to caucus in DC.
Cheney let a swear word slip during a session. Franken has become a millionaire by repeatedly taking it upon himself to make the Democrat vs. Republican friction personal, by making numerous personal and insulting attacks.
How is it any different? It isn’t even in the same universe.
Yoni,
Your lover of peace, Jimmy the feckless, just hugged some of the world’s worst terrorists. Hamas advocates for the destruction of Israel. The notion that both sides are bad is just b.s. That’s like justifying 9/11 by saying we pissed off al qaeda. Carter even layed a wreath at Arafat’s grave. Arafat was offered 95% of what he wanted by President Clinton and Ehud Barak — including a Palestinian State. Do you remember what happened? Arafat told them all to go to hell, walked away and began a holy war against Israel. How can you ever make peace with people who want to destroy you and are willing to blow themselves up, and even their children, to accomplish that goal?
“Cheney let a swear word slip during a session.”
DtM - No.
KH - It’s ok to admit you hven’t read Franken’s books.
I have, and again - you could not be more wrong.
Chris, I agree 100%
“How can you ever make peace with people who want to destroy you and are willing to blow themselves up, and even their children, to accomplish that goal?”
You can’t. The only answer is to either ignore them or kill them. Thank God President Bush believes in that same exact response to terrorists.
Now, we all need to use a very broad brush defining who is a terrorist, as large a brush as possible.
That brush should include Americans, elected Democrats, and their candidates.
That is the only way I will be able to sleep at night.
Great Job!
Amuseinc, I have been thinking about your statement that “JNP would get his head handed to him by slimeball Norm in the general election.” It was a provocative statement from you, and I wanted to think it over before I answered.
It seems to me that there are three defenses against the slime, which I agree is already started and it likely to get much worse.
One is to slime back, that is to make counter-accusation even stronger and more memorable than the original charges.
The second is to have such a spotless reputation that nobody believes the slime in the first place.
The third is to offer a credible denial.
When you consider how to plan for the inevitable Rovian slime, I actually think that Franken is in a worse position by far than Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. His options are really, really limited. If he counter-slimes, he looks completely unsenatorial and probably unMinnesotan as well. He certainly doesn’t have the reputation to slough off the charges, and he can’t really deny most of the stuff, because it is clearly on tape or in published interviews or even in Franken’s own books.
I don’t really want to do Michael Brodkorb’s work for him, so I am just not going to give any examples. I would invite you to consider a few of the charges already out there and ask yourself how Franken could possible NOT have some of the slime stick.
To me, this is what it truly means to “have your head handed to you.” I would actually argue that this has already happened to a large extent. If you have listened to any forums or debates at all, you have probably been shocked about how boring and uninspiring and sometimes even pointless Franken has been. Just in the past couple of weeks, Franken has developed an extremely short and folksy “you know me” speech. But he can’t really talk about the issues. He even has to be extremely careful about passing negative judgments on Coleman (witness the Capitol speech a couple of weeks ago). He can’t even have a friendly debate with Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer any more.
In effect, I would argue, the Coleman slime machine has already silenced Franken.
Jack, on the other hand, is consistent, eloquent and fearless. Coleman can say all he wants about Jack, but the plain truth is that Jack just doesn’t have any positions that Jack himself is embarrassed about.
So what could Coleman say? Jack has, as far as I can tell, absolutely NO dirty personal laundry. He is the nicest guy I have ever met, considerate and polite and thoughtful, a good listener. You can disagree with Jack’s positions, but he doesn’t back away from them, since they are fundamentally well-informed positions of conscience. That is the sort of approach that Paul Wellstone had, of course, taking on hard issues and sometimes coming down on the less popular side of a question. But people respected Wellstone for his integrity, and the often voted for him in spite of major policy disagreements. They trusted something in his courage and honesty. No focus group there, no poll-driven statements.
Frankly, Amuseinc, if we are merely going to have a mud-slinging contest, I worry that Republicans are simply much better at slime than Democrats are. They know how to call people names. They know how to spin and belittle the most valid positions. They know how to lie and ignore reality. If that is the sort of Senate race we are having, I think Norm Coleman will be Senator for another 6 years. Because Franken just can’t answer the charges. All Coleman has to do is to have Brodkorb and others do his dirty work, but Coleman himself just keeps smiling that pretty smile of his all the way to another term in D.C.
The thing is, though, the Republicans are wrong. They have been looting the country in favor of building the fortunes of a few. They have made great strides in destroying the middle class which has provided the essential class mobility of our democracy. They have engaged us in a brutal and senseless series of wars and de-stabilizations that have left us more vulnerable than ever before to fresh outbreaks of violence worldwide. They have ignored the looming dangers from global warming and environmental degradation that threaten the entire species. They have allowed our national infrastructure to deteriorate and substituted the fleeting pleasures of the most shallow consumerism and ugly greed.
Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer lives a life in contrast. He is, in fact, the one person I know who would be able to hand Norm Coleman his head (in a polite and kind Minnesota way, of course).
10-4 Chris,
I didn’t catch the sarcasm, I thought the innocents you were referring to were the Gazans(which some of them may well be innocent). I know all too well about Arafat and his inability to bring something to his people, it was really a tragedy that was inexcusable. But the question is, if there would have been a peaceful two state solution, would Hamas, Islamic Jihad, etc. stopped the violence, and can we trust them to stop the violence in a future agreement between Abbas/Fatah? probably not with out Syria and Iran allowing them to stop.
Yoni,
I agree with you that there are plenty of innocent Palestinians. The problem is that the majority of Palestinians elected a majority Hamas government. As you pointed out, how can you trust them to stop the violence in the future? It was inexcusable when Arafat turned his back and walked away from a two state solution. It was appalling when he immediately started the second intifada (which began in 2000 and continues through today) which has killed thousands on both sides. What I find particularly disturbing is that Jimmy Carter actually hugged terrorists from Hamas and gave them legitimacy which they do not deserve and did so in direct contradiction to his own country’s State Department.
Grace Kelly at http://www.mnblue.com has an account of today’s convention over at CD 4. One of her observations was that the Franken people blocked a motion that a Q & A session be added to the time the candidates for U.S. Senate were to speak. Kelly quotes a Franken delegate giving the opinion this was blocked because “Franken does not answer questions as well as Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer.”
Last week, at the CD 3 convention, the U.S. Senate candidates were originally to be given two (2) minutes to speak. It nearly took an act of God to expand that to 5 minutes. A proposal for a Q & A period was also shot down there, although there were some additional complications involving late-arriving Bonhoff superdelegates and the Madia supporters wishing for an earlier vote. (Franken did not actually use that time. Instead he had his 4th grade teacher give a sort of surrogate speech after he introduced her.)
In the 5th Congressional District, which meets next Saturday, the original rules committee proposal was for a mere 3 minutes, although I understand that the time limit may have been increased to 6 in a second committee vote.
It is clear to me that the Franken campaign is attempting to limit how much time he speaks, particularly in the company of Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. It may seem odd that an individual who has spent nearly his entire adult life entertaining large audiences should fare so poorly in a public forum. No more debates. No long interviews with unruly journalists. Not even any long speeches and particularly no response to questions, even in front of the very delegates whose votes he needs to win the endorsement.
So it makes sense for his campaign to limit that sort of public exposure, if he is not strong in this area. Of course they should emphasize areas of greater strength, like television ads which he can buy with the greater financial contributions he has received.
You do have to wonder how this will play out against Norm Coleman in November, if Franken is picked as the DFL nominee. It looks like he had better avoid a debate against Coleman as well, or he may have his “head handed to him,” to use Amuseinc’s expression. Personally, I have to wonder if Franken can win that Senate seat on the basis of television ads alone.
Charley an eloquent and thoughtful defense of JNP’s candidacy vis a vis Franken and The Devil Himself (Coleman.) And about as valid as “the meek shall inherit the earth.” Nice in the Bible, clever in a Sermon but completely foolish in real world situations.
The niceties of the man or the blemish free academic life are just meat for the maw of Republican slime merchants. They’ll have the girl he didn’t call back the next morning talk about his lack of commitment to women… in that world I would prefer a worldly Franken over the saintly Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. Perhaps my years have made me a cynic… no, they have convinced me that an innocents’ crusade ends up sold as slaves in the markets of North Africa and not triumphantly entering a freed Jerusalem.
I’ll back Franken from the perspective of Money and backers and a smart campaign.
Chris,
freeing Gilad Shalit, would totally change my opinion of Jimmy C. that is all it would take.
the situation couldn’t get worse than it is right now, it could only get better.
Some interesting analogies, amuseinc.
What if the real problem with the Children’s Crusade was having it in the first place, not just the unintended consequence of having the kids end up as slaves?
The fundamental mistake you make, in my opinion, is that relying on war and pre-war bluster is somehow more worldly and realistic than using diplomacy to solve differences. Then many in your camp (I don’t know if this would include you) dismiss war’s rapes and destruction and innocent death as usual conditions of all wars. Last, in the middle of the carnage, we have people telling us that the war was a mistake but that “we just can’t leave now.”
You have been watching this war. You tell me if you think the invasion, occupation, and destruction of I