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IN NEW ATTACK AD, TEAM FRANKEN MOCKS RETURN OF THE NHL TO MINNESOTA
By Michael B. Brodkorb | July 21, 2008
I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. The rocket scientists over at Team Franken have released a new attack web ad that mocks the return of the National Hockey League to Minnesota, an effort pushed by then Mayor Norm Coleman.
Last week, Coleman’s campaign released a new campaign TV ad that highlighted aspects of Coleman’s long record of accomplishment on behalf of Minnesota. In the ad, a man keeps shouting that Coleman “brought hockey back.â€Â Click here to the view the ad.
Coleman’s bio on his campaign website discusses his efforts to bring the NHL back to Minnesota:
“[Coleman] spearheaded the effort to bring hockey back to Minnesota, securing a National Hockey League franchise in St. Paul, along with the construction of the Xcel Energy Center—the premiere events arena in the country. Norm proudly dropped the puck at the first game of the Minnesota Wild in September 2000.” Source: Coleman for Senate website
Trailing in the polls by double digits, Team Franken must decided that by mocking the return of the NHL to Minnesota, they can hopefully damage Senator Coleman’s standing in the polls.
Team Franken can’t run an ad praising Franken’s accomplishment on behalf of Minnesota because he doesn’t have any accomplishments. Even one of Franken’s rivals for the DFL endorsement, Mike Ciresi, said Franken hasn’t “delivered for Minnesota”:
“Let me ask you, what has Al Franken delivered for Minnesotans? The answer is self-evident: He hasn’t. … I have got things done for Minnesotans my entire career, and Al hasn’t.” (Matthew R. Perrine and Matt Suoja, “Minneapolis Lawyer Mike Ciresi Discusses His Bid For U.S. Senate,” Budgeteer News, October 12, 2007)
Sadly, the mocking of Minnesota’s proud traditions like hockey is something we Minnesotans should expect more of from Team Franken. This happens when you have a candidate like Al Franken, who moves from his home in New York to run for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota and when you have east-coast transplants and Washington D.C. staffers parachuting into Minnesota to run his campaign.
I hope Coleman’s campaign reminds the roughly 18,000 people that attend each regular season home game of the Minnesota Wild later this year that Team Franken mocked the return of the NHL to Minnesota.
UPDATE: Even a blogger at the liberal blog MN Blue thinks the ad is mocking the return of hockey:
“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.â€
Topics: Uncategorized | 23 Comments »
23 Responses to “IN NEW ATTACK AD, TEAM FRANKEN MOCKS RETURN OF THE NHL TO MINNESOTA”
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July 21st, 2008 at 12:50 am
Nice try on spin. I think Minnesotans are smart enough to figure out what the video is mocking – and it’s not hockey.
July 21st, 2008 at 1:09 am
I wonder if TEAM VENTURA would have wondered if Norm Coleman was too skinny for the nhl DRAFT?
July 21st, 2008 at 5:46 am
I don’t think talking about Norm’s willing to finance taxpayer sponsored sports boondoggles is a net plus for his campaign.
July 21st, 2008 at 7:08 am
Michael–
So, why don’t you link to the ‘offending’ video? Let us see for our own eyes the vulgar way Team Franken ‘mocks’ Minnesotans and hockey.
Sean
July 21st, 2008 at 8:00 am
SOB, Brodkorb. Every time I try to post something on your F-ing blog, I get error messages on both Firefox and explorer. You afraid or something?
July 21st, 2008 at 8:01 am
That is more like it:
Michael: do you expect people to only read your title? In what way does the ad seem to mock hockey, in your opinion? It seemed very positive on that front to me, and only negative on other aspects of Coleman’s record. In fact, the actor’s final line is “let’s keep the hockey, but let’s get rid of Norm Coleman.”
Since Michael took down his link:
http://www.alfranken.com/content/video_detail/?id=52
July 21st, 2008 at 8:09 am
Say, Sean? You want the link? Here’s the link to the ad, called “”A Few More Things”
Now, Michael – of course – is claiming that the ad “mocks” the Wild. Team Franken says the ad highlights ol’ Smokescreen’s rubber stamp record in W.D.C. And here’s what the ad is about, straight from Team Franken:
“Titled “A Few More Things,” the ad features a man in a bowling alley discussing Norm’s many failings as Senator, like voting for giant cuts in student aid, selling out to Big Oil, and rubber-stamping the Bush policy in Iraq. As he hears about more of Norm’s record, he realizes that although hockey will always be Minnesota’s favorite pastime, Norm Coleman hasn’t represented Minnesota well in Washington. “
July 21st, 2008 at 8:39 am
Spending hundreds of millions to bring a single business to St Paul is hardly conservative, even if it is popular. Not sure Norm should be using this as a talking point.
July 21st, 2008 at 9:19 am
Wow. This is the most ridiculous post yet I’ve seen on this website (and, given this week’s posts, that’s saying something). That ad has nothing to do with mocking the return of hockey. The only thing it really mocks is Coleman’s stupid bowling commercial (and, it does a pretty good job at it I think).
July 21st, 2008 at 9:23 am
Even a blogger at the liberal blog MN Blue thinks the ad is mocking the return of hockey:
“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.”
July 21st, 2008 at 9:50 am
If anyone is dumb enough to watch that ad and see it as anti-hockey, I am pretty sure they were already functioning at a low enough mental capacity that no amount of public debate would sway them from voting for the wrong person, Norm Coleman.
July 21st, 2008 at 10:51 am
This is a pretty good example of what I hate about blogs. Rants by loud individuals who have little knowledge of the subject they’re going off about.
The east coast transplants parachuting in? I know this is a blog dedicated to hating democrats, but let’s not ignore the “truthful” part up there. I’ve seen enough of Franken’s staff to know that they’re mostly (maybe completely) from Minnesota. Even if I did have some weird xenophobic tendency towards Americans from other states it wouldn’t I wouldn’t appreciate this junk reporting.
July 21st, 2008 at 11:08 am
“Let’s keep the hockey, but let’s get rid of Norm Coleman.”
I don’t get it Goopers, how is that slamming hockey and not Skinny Norm?
“Let’s keep the hockey, but let’s get rid of Norm Coleman.”
Pretty straight-forward, unless you’ve taken too many pucks to the head.
“Let’s keep the hockey, but let’s get rid of Norm Coleman.”
Minnesotans to Norm: Get the puck outa here!
July 21st, 2008 at 11:58 am
#3 Hiram and #8 Jay. I third that!
July 21st, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Sorry to dissapoint you dolts, but the Excel hasn’t cost the city of St. Paul a dime. Norm negotiated to guarantee the bonds, not to finance the construction.
Norm oversaw eight years of unprecidented growth and prosperity while holding taxes in check. Today, the hapless citizens of St. Paul are reeling under the second year of double digit tax increases and a foundering business climate.
Unfortunately, they brought this upon themselves by either actively electing, or standing by while others elected a full slate of barking moonbats to the mayor’s and city council offices.
I know many that wish with all their hearts that Norm ws back in control.
July 21st, 2008 at 12:33 pm
It seems to be that the Norm Coleman for Minnesota Senate Ad is also giving the message IF YOU PLAY HOCKEY YOU MAY GET ONE OF YOUR TEETH KNOCKED OUT.
No dental insurance for the bowler/hockey player?
However, NORM COLEMAN has enough $$$ so HE can get HIS teeth fixed.
July 21st, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I’d be careful about making teeth jokes, whe Al Franken is basically a buck-tooth moron. Funny, I seem to remember a book by that title…
July 21st, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Now Michael, I am sure you are also going to have a post up about your friend, King Banaian, belittling Minnesota as the “State of Hockey” given that you are so offended by this Franken piece. Right?
Coleman Brings The Hockey While Banaian Belittles It
July 21st, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Swifty: True, things do seem to have gone down the crapper in St. Paul since Norm left.
And please correct me if I’m wrong (or a dolt, heh) but I thought the state issued the bonds or St. Paul issued them and the State backed them? Ether way some public money is paying some interest on some loan somewhere or tied up in a trust, is it not?
July 21st, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Swiftee, ManGenius-
How many precincts in St. Paul voted for Norm six years ago after his tenure as the world’s greatest Mayor?
I’ll give you a hint, the number rhymes with Nero.
Not one single precinct came out to support this visionary thinker whose grasp of politics makes Thomas Jefferson, Cleisthenes and Abraham Lincoln seem like a bunch of rank amateurs.
July 21st, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Norm also brought the FALSE FRONT TOOTH BUSINESS to Minnesota.
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Leroy, how many Republicans do St. Paul precincts vote for…ever?
I don’t know myself but I’m guessing it ain’t a lot.
El P: Heh. good stuff.
August 2nd, 2008 at 7:42 pm
[...] Team Franken mocked the return of NHL to Minnesota and then they attacked Senator Coleman for going fishing. Team Franken is filled with east-coast [...]