With Coleman falling in all reputable polls and Franken taking the lead, Coleman held a risky press conference today. Considering the last two press conference failures that became international YouTube hits, they held it at the campaign office so they’d have the option of disallowing trackers but more importantly, they could pick and choose what members of the media were allowed to cover it:
Norm Coleman’s campaign has denied access to Minnesota Independent and The Uptake, two local journalism organizations hoping to cover the senator’s much-anticipated 10:15 press conference.
…
While the Uptake and Minnesota Independent are undeniably left-favoring organizations, they are members of the Society of Professional Journalists and subscribe to its ethics code.
What did Coleman say during this press conference? In alignment with what MNpublius posted about this morning about discovering that most negative ads from Coleman’s YouTube page were removed, they are suspending negative attacks ads on television. Here’s some questions:
- What about the NRSC and third party groups? Are they asking them to stop negative campaigning? Seems like an easy choice to make: let them continue to do negative. UPDATE: Coleman said, “I am suspending all negative campaign ads and am calling on those who support me to do the same.”
- What about negative rumors, personal smearing and whisper campaigns by right-wing operatives with websites? What the heck is that job going to entail for four weeks? More Ashwin Madia lies?
- Are personal, negative attacks off the table for debates and public speaking engagements too?
It’s clear that the Coleman campaign is desperate and this is a pretty funny stunt. How similar to Coleman suspending its negative ads going to be to McCain’s fake suspension of his campaign?
UPDATE: Want to know the reason Coleman gave for suspending negative ads? He says it is the economy. ROFL.
Loading ...
I was so disappointed. I was reading his comments and I was ready for the bombshell….I’m doing what’s right for Minnesota and withdrawing from the race. DIdn’t come. sigh.
He just doesn’t want to see “Suitgate” hit the airways, and he thinks that this will stop that from happening.
Suitgate had better hit the airwaves. The buying the suits received government contracts!!! It won’t die today! Norm’s gotta go, he’s gotta go. Bye Norm.
What an A-hole! He is stopping negative campaigning!
LOL. Stunt or not, I welcome the move to go clean on messages.
“I’ve been throwing crap at Franken since last March; now I’m behind ‘cause it’s gettin’ tossed back at me. So, I say “stop all the negativity!!!”
Sorry, Norm - your record is fair game; you’ve been a lapdog for Bush and you let thieves steal from American Taxpayers simply because they are GOP benefactors.
You’ve compromised your ethics with your apartment, your utilities, and now your clothes.
You simply need to go. Now.
Is it really and truly possible that the stink we have all smelled for so long is finally going to be pinned on Coleman? I so want to hope that it will be, but it’s so hard to get anything to stick to him. Oh please please please let it be true!
He’s skipping the McCain townhall thing today too to “dedicate his time to implementing his suspension” of negative ads. Is McCain becoming the new Bush? Too toxic to be on the same stage with?? The media should ask, where does Norm line up on recovery plans: with Obama or with McCain?
Also, I think Coleman could order his ads be taken down with one phone call or memo. What a lame excuse to skip McCain’s event.
McCain campaign will pull this stunt in 2 weeks.
Perhaps the Franni Franken ad and the Paul Wellstone ad showing the Coleman campaign for who they really are is helping to tank Norm, so he has to now try to look like the good guy. Those are powerful, positive ads, and Norm can’t complain about them, so he has to try and change the subject.
Too little too late!
Senator Al Franken — has a nice ring to it!
Remember the kid on the playground who would punch someone in the stomach and then yell TRUCE and run behind the teacher?
Guess what? He grew up to be a one term senator.
Well, this is a great stunt to pull when you’ve been uninvited to your party’s campaign event for the best person they were able to get on the ticket to be the 44th President of the United States.
Funny, isn’t it, how Norm has become a Comedienne in his quest to be re-elected to a second term in the U.S. Senate?
Comedy in a sort of tragic Twenty-First Century style . . .