I’ve been sitting on this all day and I can’t come up with any kind of intelligent discussion on the matter because it just comes out as the disgust I have for the NRSC and Norm Coleman. This is how desperate Norm Coleman is to be Senator. Why won’t Norm Coleman at least stop the negative coordination with the portion of the NRSC he can legally coordinate with? Rachel E. Stassen-Berger even stared compiling a list of links of Political Animal mentions of Mr. Positive’s inability to “get things done.”
See the full, disgusting NRSC mailer at AMERICAblog and there’s more conversation at Gawker, MNspeak, and MinnPost. This is appalling.
If Team Franken doesn’t want to talk about rape jokes, maybe Franken shouldn’t have run for the office. In their endorsement of U.S. Senator Norm Coleman, the Mesabi Daily News expressed outrage at Franken’s rape jokes:
“Franken also has a public record from his job that as a satirist. He has made a good living from writing jokes and performing skits on ‘Saturday Night Live.’
Some of those jokes he penned included ones about rape. During the campaign, Franken said some of his jokes were over the top and not funny and he has apologized for them. However, why would anyone at any time think there could even be a humorous punch line when the subject is rape? That’s just repulsive.” Source: Mesabi Daily News, October 25, 2008
If Team Smokescreen doesn’t want to talk about unethical behavior and utility bills, maybe Norm shouldn’t have broken senate rules (at the minimum) AND maybe Team Smokescreen Spokestool Mark Drake shouldn’t have promised to try and get an actual utility bill for the media to examine.
But, that’s a tangent.
The point of this thread that Michael is so desperately trying to spin away from, is Norm Coleman’s promise to climb out of the gutter he’d been in, and encourage others to climb out, too.
Obviously, this latest NRSC “cartoon” is despicable - but then again, Coleman’s campaign has been nothing but despicable.
There’s no excuse for a mailer that might attract children. NONE. So, what’s Michael to do? Pivot, and make the subject Franken - AGAIN.
Sorry, Michael - two wrongs (Franken’s distasteful jokes and the NRSC’s despicable mailer)don’t make it even; and the second wrong only goes to show how wrong today’s “right” is.
Michael,
He told some crappy, offensive jokes. Horrible. But your kind voted against equal pay for equal work for women. What hurts women more? Don’t even try to pretend you give a rat’s ass about equality or women’s rights. To you, they are a political tool.
Take care,
Alec
Franken joked about rape. If you want to be upset at someone, be upset at Franken. Once again, he joked about rape.
As a Woman, I’m more offended by the mailing than by any joke. At least None of Franken’s jokes were delivered to my home. Disgusting behavior by the Republicans. This negative personal attack is an extreme attempt to divert attention away from the issues that effect working families. And it won’t work.
Voters are tired of the negative distraction game.
This smacks of desperation. Incumbents are NOT supposed to look desperate.
Any fence I was sitting on has been blown over by this display of bad taste and bad campaigning. When you as an incumbent, as a damn senator for God’s sake, can’t stand tall and defend your record and your vision for the future…You do not deserve re-election.
Time to find a new job Norm, try something in corporate.
Al Franken’s “joking about rape” was during a brainstorming session at SNL. The “joke” was never used in a skit. In brainstorming, you throw a lot of ideas out there, some of them admittedly dumb. And you try to pick the ones that aren’t dumb. They did not choose to use this admittedly dumb and offensive “joke.” The only reason we know about it is because a reporter decided to write it up in a behind-the-scenes story on SNL.
That’s a completely different context than this mailer. Even if this “joke” had made it onto SNL (and it didn’t), SNL is an adult show. The Playboy article, even if it was dumb, was in an adult magazine. The Republican party created a mailer that **invites children to read about rape and pornography.**
You can say what you will about the “joke” and the article, but they were not targeted to children. Of all these mailers sent out, there will assuredly be at least some — and maybe many — kids who open this up and then ask their parents about rape and pornography.
That conversation will happen because of the action of Republicans, not because of the actions of Al Franken. Al didn’t put that material in front of children: Republicans did.
It’s disgusting. Republicans should be ashamed of themselves.
And if Norm can’t even convince his friends on his side of the aisle to stop doing stuff like this, then why should we believe he can work across the aisle?
Whatever previous career Al had, Norm would be tearing it down. Reason: Some professional politicians only want to run against other professional politicians. They were smearing Jim Webb for his writings, too, trying to equate him to his characters. Norm exemplifies the type of politician who really has no ideology: he’ll be Democrat one day, Republican the next, whatever “suits” his career as a professional politician.
Say, is Norm pursuing some other potential career options - like being a cartoonist? Like, just in case he loses his current job?
We also received this in the mail. I have a 9 year old daughter and she often goes to the mailbox for the mail. The most disgusting thing about this ad is that the outside of the mailer clearly says…”Come on in kids…Senator Franken’s going to tell a few jokes…” Tell me this is not targeted at kids! I managed to intercept it, but my child thought it was mail for her. I don’t want to have to explain adult subjects like rape jokes, that were never targeted or exposed to children, to my 9 year old child. I’m outraged by this mailer and feel that the Republican Senatorial Committee has crossed the line with this one.