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COLEMAN FOR U.S. SENATE PRESS RELEASE: “AL FRANKEN ATTEMPTS TO ERASE HIS 30-YEAR RECORD IN LATEST AD”
By Michael B. Brodkorb | July 24, 2008
St. Paul – Coleman for Senate Campaign Manger Cullen Sheehan released the following statement today in response to Al Franken’s new television ad in which he attempts to erase his 30-year record:
“Rape wasn’t funny 13 years ago, when Al Franken thought it was. Not paying his taxes for at least five years wasn’t funny and not paying his workers’ compensation insurance for three years wasn’t funny. A commercial released on the same day a poll shows him down by 15 points, much like his ‘apology’ on the day he needed his party’s endorsement, simply isn’t credible. Al Franken the satirist wasn’t funny joking about rape, Al Franken the comedian wasn’t funny joking about rape and Al Franken the U.S. Senate candidate isn’t funny trying to apologize for a 30-year record of this type of humor. Minnesotans are not going to be fooled by a 30-second commercial trying to cover up 30-year record.â€
FLASHBACK: Franken Repeatedly Claimed Career As ‘Satirist’ Was “Good Training†For Senate
“Franken made light of his lack of political experience, saying his background as a comedian and satirist is a perfect take-off point for a second career in politics. ‘My job has been finding inconsistencies and absurdities,’ he said. ‘We’re trained to home in on those things. I wish I could’ve cross-examined [embattled U.S. Attorney General Alberto] Gonzalez. You would’ve seen how a little scorn and ridicule can go a long way.’†(“Minnesota Bar Buzz,†Minnesota Lawyer, July 2, 2007)
“’I’ll tell you what a satirist does,’ [Franken] says. ‘A satirist sees the hypocrisies and absurdities in the world and cuts through the baloney to get to the truth. I think that’s good training for the U.S. Senate. Don’t you?’â€Â (Andrew Romano, “Getting To Know You,†Newsweek, September 17, 2007)
Franken: “And I think that my work has been in satire. What I like to say about, you know, you called me a comedian and that’s very fair but I also have been a satirist and what a satirist does is size up a situation… And I think that’s pretty good training for a U.S. Senator these days, and I think that’s a different type of training than Jesse had.â€Â   (“Midday,†MPR, Jan. 23, 2008)
Franken: “‘There’s not necessarily a contradiction certainly between satire and being serious,’ [Franken] continued. ‘To me they’ve always been part and parcel of the same thing. What a satirist does is looks at a situation, finds the inconsistencies, hypocrisies, absurdities, and cuts through all the baloney and gets to the truth. That’s pretty good training, I think, for the United States Senate.’â€Â (Monica Davey, “Comedian Says Minnesota Run Is a Serious One,†The New York Times, December 5, 2007)
“Franken, who moved back to his native St. Louis Park in 2005, explained his reason for announcing his candidacy nine months ago. ‘A satirist looks at a situation and finds all the inconsistencies, hypocrisies and absurdities and finds the truth,’ [Franken] said. ‘That’s good training for a senator.’â€Â (Elena Grimm, “Comedian Al Franken brings Senate campaign to Winona,†Winona Daily News, November 4, 2007)
Topics: Uncategorized | 36 Comments »
36 Responses to “COLEMAN FOR U.S. SENATE PRESS RELEASE: “AL FRANKEN ATTEMPTS TO ERASE HIS 30-YEAR RECORD IN LATEST AD””
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July 24th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Desperate. Franken comes out with yet another ad sticking to the issues, MDE/Coleman/MNGOP comes back with distorted distractions.
Wanna talk about our troops? $4 gas? Nah. Minnesotans need to spend the time to analyze every joke Al Franken has ever told. That’s what Minnesotans care about!
July 25th, 2008 at 3:05 am
el pres,
i think he went home, took a bong hit, and talked about protesting the war with his smoking buddies (but didn’t, cause he got high)
July 25th, 2008 at 4:08 am
Aaron, you want to talk about the $4 per gallon gas that Democrat policies have delivered? Do you want to talk about the sky rocketing heating bills we’ll see this winter, thanks to Democrats blockading of energy exploration — and DIVERTING existing supplies of natural gas to electricity generation?
Do you really want to talk about the fact that Democrats HAVE NO PLAN for improving our energy supplies? That it will be more than 50 years before any of the “alternatives” that Democrats support will make a dent in our needs?
Do you really want to talk about the mass poverty, starvation and degradation of our lives that Democrat energy fantasies will cause?
Do you really want Al Franken to talk about his plan to cut off funding for our military, hang our allies out to dry, and take America back to the Clinton years of terrorist attacks on our homeland and interests with increasing violence and frequency.
If that’s what you want to talk about, o.k., game on.
July 25th, 2008 at 6:38 am
What $4 gas, 3.67 and falling. Oh by the way 3 years ago gas was at 3.20 which means the inflation rate is 5%
July 25th, 2008 at 6:39 am
The experience issue is an odd tack to take. I mean Norm’s basic political experience is of an ability to retailor his politics and his personality to ease his move into the next step up. It’s hard to find any other politician in America whos stands for as little as Sen. Coleman. For all his faults, Al Franken has been on the national scene and dealt with national issues a whole lot longer than Norm.
July 25th, 2008 at 6:47 am
But I did forget the arena. Maybe Norm would like to tell us more about his experience in getting taxpayer financed boondoggles mostly benefitting expense account financed downtown St. Paul businessmen? I am sure that’s an inspiring story?
Do you think any of those bowlers in the commercial can afford to take his family to a Wild game in the arena he paid for?
July 25th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Do you think any of those bowlers in the commercial can afford to take his family to a Wild game in the arena he paid for?
Oh snap.
July 25th, 2008 at 7:42 am
For all his faults, Al Franken has been on the national scene and dealt with national issues a whole lot longer than Norm.
That may be the most singularly stupid comment ever posted here.
How, exactly, has Al ever “dealt with” anything of national importance? Al can’t even deal with his own issues. Unless you define “dealing with” as “blaming someone else”.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Forget Franken, this is good Satire. From the times online
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/gerard_baker/article4392846.ece
The first two paragraphs will give you the gist.
And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness.
The Child was blessed in looks and intellect. Scion of a simple family, offspring of a miraculous union, grandson of a typical white person and an African peasant. And yea, as he grew, the Child walked in the path of righteousness, with only the occasional detour into the odd weed and a little blow.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:13 am
Hiram blurted: “But I did forget the arena. Maybe Norm would like to tell us more about his experience in getting taxpayer financed boondoggles mostly benefitting expense account financed downtown St. Paul businessmen?”
Chris Coleman, the current far left Democrat mayor of St. Paul calls the Excel center downtown’s anchor hiram. Chris Coleman says that the Excel is responsible for bringing $23 million in non-resident income to the city each year.
Yes, Hiram, I think Norm would love to talk about the Excel center.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:13 am
The premise of MDE’s and MNGOP’s “good training for a senator” argument is stupid.
It’s good training because as a satirist, and a political commentator, he’s been exposed to and has thought extensively about issues that are important at a policy level and he’s spoken extensively about those issues (whether you agree with him or not). That doesn’t mean he’s saying ALL of his work as a satirist prepared him for being a senator.
It’s no different than saying, being a lawyer has helped prepare me to be a senator. That doesn’t mean filling out timesheets or answering discovery requests necessarily prepared someone to be a senator (all part of being an attorney). There are components of the job that help prepare you for a position (ie, arguing a motion, writing an argument, etc.). You can insert any previous job experience into the same argument.
I get that the objective of MnGOP and their lapboys like MDE are trying to wave their hands and confuse the less intelligent voters, but, to anyone with a brain you clearly lack any concept of a logically sound argument.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Hiram
You have taken the lead as the biggest dumb ass DEM in Minnesota!!
Have you ever been to a Wild Game?
90% of the fans there are middle class hard working people. As a season ticket hold since day ONE you don’t have a fricken clue what you’re talking about.
Experience in getting taxpayer financed boondoggles mostly benefitting expense account financed downtown St. Paul businessmen
Sporting events is were Business gets done. I take customers all the time to events and my company is rewarded.
Typical DEM no one is aloud to have fun.
AARON
Your supposed to be the smart blogger from the DEM side… you are a buffoon!! Don’t spout off about 4.00 gas or 4.65 diesel when the Dem controlled house and senate passed the gas tax. Yes there were six defectors and they were dealt with swiftly. Than there is the Sierra club ( DEM CONTROLLED) blocking energy exploration at every turn. You all call Norm a boot licker and say he is a lap dog for BUSH… HA .. The DEMS from Minnesota will do what ever Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean cry’s for. Aaron you a one sided HACK.
Get a clue Al Franken could give two shits about Minnesota he is running to be the third senator from California because that’s were all the campaign money is coming from.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:49 am
“Don’t spout off about 4.00 gas or 4.65 diesel when the Dem controlled house and senate passed the gas tax. Yes there were six defectors and they were dealt with swiftly.”
It’s been a while since I was in math class, so, you’re going to have to go ahead and tell me how again the 3 cent increase the gas tax to date has resulted in ~$1+ increase in gas YTD?
July 25th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Here we go again. My favorite two arguments from the conservatives:
1. The 2-cent increase in the gas tax is somehow responsible for the entire $2.50 increase over the last five years.
2. By drilling every last square inch of available land, we can reduce gas prices back to $2/gal.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:20 am
PD
Please address the fact that Dems are responsible for blocking Emery exploration the last 20 years?
.3 cents a gallon equates to about 37000.00 extra a month my company pays in taxes for fuel.
Everyone thinks the gas tax only costs each person 5-10 dollars a month… Think again.
The Dems of Minnesota are anti business. When the fuel tax rate is raised in states across the country over the road carrier limit the amount of miles they will travel in these state due to the high cost of doing business there. Minnesota, Oregon. Vermont, Massachusetts, New York to name a few have the highest transportation costs in the country.
Jeff
In your statement 2. please provide Proof of this?
Also questions to you know it alls? Were do we get the majority of our Oil from in the midwest?
It’s Canada. The Canadians are raking in the money and there transportation cost to move the oil into the US in Peanuts compared to bringing it in from the Middle East.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:28 am
“Please address the fact that Dems are responsible for blocking Emery exploration the last 20 years?”
Please address the fact that if we had drilled those areas 20 years ago they would be long gone.
Please address the fact that if we drill those areas now they’d provide little relief and only years from now.
“.3 cents a gallon equates to about 37000.00 extra a month my company pays in taxes for fuel.”
Then why aren’t you flipping angry at Republicans for jacking up the price of gas the last 18 months because of instability in the middle east? The price of oil didn’t shoot up because people suddenly realized, “shit, we should have drilled ANWR.” It went up because of our foreign policy. Bush gambled that he could secure oil in the middle east by creating a tranquil iraq. He lost that bet and now your company is paying 1.2 million more (based on your calculation).
July 25th, 2008 at 9:46 am
As a matter of fact, to add to what PD just said, every time the price of gas goes down, the Bush administration seems to have some new warmongering to drive it right back up.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Please address the fact that if we had drilled those areas 20 years ago they would be long gone.
Wrong!! We would be way ahead of the curve.
Also if the country went to one blend of fuel (gas) the price would plummet. The California standard is the way to go.
There are many different fuel blends state by state get congress to accept one standard and get rid of ethanol all together.
I do agree with Bio diesel we have used it and it works. But ethanol is not cost effective with the repair cost on the injection systems.
Oil spiked after Katrina and the oil companies smelled blood and the speculators have taken over the market.
The extra 1.2 million we spend is the fault of the Dems in Minnesota not Bush. Everyone that works for our company knows why there are no raises in pay this year.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Then there is the question of Norm Coleman’s 30 to 40 year non-military record, sparked by failing to pass the USA military draft physical.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:00 am
“The California standard is the way to go.”
This is somewhat shocking from a Republican. As someone who lived in California, the price of gas was significantly higher because of the lower emission blends and the impact that rotating the winter/summer blends caused. But, I guess I really have no great argument against increased nationalization of the blends, especially if we apply the California environmental standards
“he extra 1.2 million we spend is the fault of the Dems in Minnesota”
How do “Dems in Minnesota” have any impact on any of the issues you stated above (speculation, state by state blends, choice of biofuels, etc.?). Speculation now is not being driven by Katrina. It is being driven by middle east instability. Anytime Bush rattles his sword in the Middle east or anytime something bad happens in Iraq oil spikes. Bush adopts the Democratic policy of engaging Iran and suddenly the price of oil drops off its highs.
You also are forgetting you are paying more in gas because of the dropping dollar under the Bush administration’s fiscal policies. Oil, being pegged to the dollar, means everyone else is getting cheaper oil (driving up supply) while the U.S. suffers. I don’t see how you possibly blame Democrats for either executive foreign policy or fiscal policy.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:03 am
“You have taken the lead as the biggest dumb ass DEM in Minnesota!!”
An honor I can only hope to deserve.
“Sporting events is were Business gets done. I take customers all the time to events and my company is rewarded.”
I would prefer that business on a business-like basis, not through a form of stockholder financed, and taxpayer subsidized bribery taking the form of tickets to sports events.
Do your customers bosses and stockholders know that you are giving them tickets to Wild games?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:17 am
I would prefer that business on a business-like basis, not through a form of stockholder financed, and taxpayer subsidized bribery taking the form of tickets to sports events.
What a crock of shit!! It’s my money being spent and I will spend it as I see fit!
Do your customer’s bosses and stockholders know that you are giving them tickets to Wild games?
Same response as above.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Ply DEM
You missed what I was trying to get across completely AGAIN!!
If the whole country went to the California standard the price would fall!! Even in California. I also lived there and know what the cost of living is there.
The Minnesota House passed a new gas tax and my extra tax cost it solely due to the New Minnesota fuel tax not Bush or the Feds.
So the 1.2 mil is directly the fault and caused by the Minnesota elected.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:39 am
“The Minnesota House passed a new gas tax and my extra tax cost it solely due to the New Minnesota fuel tax not Bush or the Feds.
So the 1.2 mil is directly the fault and caused by the Minnesota elected.”
Again, of your 1.2M / mo. increase in cost, as you said, only 37k / mo. is because of the gas tax. How again is the other nearly 1M / mo. the result of Minnesota DFL?
As for standardization of fuel mixtures, you have to be willing to accept Federal authority over fuel standards which Republicans have long railed against. You can’t be pro federalism and then complain that all of the states are doing it differently.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:58 am
“It’s my money being spent and I will spend it as I see fit!”
It isn’t your money I am concerned about, it’s your customer’s money, or more precisely, the stockholder’s money which has been entrusted to him.
July 25th, 2008 at 11:31 am
rather than focus on franken’s qualifications, or lack thereof, for the senate because he is a satirist, why not look at his qualifications for running an organization.
1. He does not pay workers compensation insurance for his employees so we can deduce he does not care about their welfare on the job.
2. He does not pay income taxes to a whole bunch of states so we can deduce he believes the “rule of law” does not apply to him until caught.
3. He has hired 1 black person out of 121 hires so we can deduce he does not believe in giving minorities an opportunity.
4. He blames his accountant for his tax problems, but does not allow the press to talk to the accountant so we can deduce he does not believe in accepting responsibility for his actions.
5. He believes in tax increases so we can deduce he thinks the government can make better decisions to spend your money better than you can.
6. He has hired mostly out-of-state campaign advisors so we can deduce he thinks minnesotans are incompetent.
7. He believes using satire is the most important qualification for a senator so we can deduce he believes the senate is made up of a bunch of clowns–actually, he is correct about this issue.
July 25th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Leroy: Please keep your comments limited to the subject of the post.
July 25th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Michael-
You say joking about rape and degrading sex is bad, and I provide an example of how republicans say one thing and do anther. When Tim Pawlenty’s former spokesperson gets picked up for prostitution, I think that is terribly relevant to the debate of where republicans stand on the issues.
July 25th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Hotip,
You concede that speculation is a large chunk of the problem with gas prices. How you link that to the fault of MN Dems I don’t know, but, surely you should be furious that the GOP refused to rein in oil speculation today:
http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/25/news/economy/congress_energy.ap/index.htm?postversion=2008072512
July 25th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
PD
Were having two different conversations.
Keep UP
The Minnesota Gas tax it the Fault of the DEM controlled House. And I checked with our controller and our Minnesota Fuel tax will go up a minimum of 850,000.00 due to the increase in the Minnesota tax pushed threw by the Dems. Are you with me!!! NEW Minnesota fuel tax imposed on Minnesota Business and anyone who purchases Fuel in Minnesota.
The cost of the Crude oil is pushed up by speculators. This is a Global market problem. Our oil comes from Canada and my point was that the Canadians are getting richer.
July 25th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Say Leroy?
When Pawlenty’s former campaign spokesman files for office as a Republican, let us know won’t you?
We’ll be all over it.
July 25th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Say Hiram?
You might have missed the news, but Democrat Saint Paul mayor Chris Coleman said in a press release that the Excel center is the anchor to downtown.
Coleman said that the Excel center brings in $23 million of new revenue into the city each year.
You might not know it, Hiram, but Democrat mayor Coleman has also been trotting up to the legislature to shake a tin cup for the past couple of years. He’s also raised taxes 23% in two years.
Kind of ironic, isn’t it?
Former Republican mayor, Norm Coleman, left a legacy which brings in $23 million in new revenue each year and current Democrat mayor Chris Coleman raised taxes on citizens by 23%.
July 25th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Go Wild!!!
July 25th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
“The Minnesota Gas tax it the Fault of the DEM controlled House. And I checked with our controller and our Minnesota Fuel tax will go up a minimum of 850,000.00 due to the increase in the Minnesota tax pushed threw by the Dems. Are you with me!!! NEW Minnesota fuel tax imposed on Minnesota Business and anyone who purchases Fuel in Minnesota.”
Well, now your changing your numbers. Let’s say your controller is taking into account the entire gas tax hike: 9 cents (which doesn’t come into effect for years).
You still have ~90 cents of increases that have NOTHING to do with the gas tax which account for approximately 8 Million in expenses to your company. What’s the bigger problem here?
“The cost of the Crude oil is pushed up by speculators.”
Exactly. Why are you not outraged that the Republicans stopped efforts to curtail speculation ?
July 25th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
“You might have missed the news, but Democrat Saint Paul mayor Chris Coleman said in a press release that the Excel center is the anchor to downtown.”
I am sure it is, but then why doest downtown St. Paul need an anchor dragging it down?
“Coleman said that the Excel center brings in $23 million of new revenue into the city each year.”
That may be case what is that a good deal for the portion of the community the 23 million dollars comes from.
I know, politicians like big buildings. They live in hope that some day one will be named after them. But in reality, they are monuments to misplaced public priorities. We are quite literally building stadiums while our bridges are collapsing.
Norm, for some reason known only to Norm, wants to remind of us in his role in perpetrating this boondoggle, and he chose peculiarly well suited to drive the point home. When the issue is pork barrel spending, Norm has ;roven he is able to waste money with the best of them.
July 25th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
PD
You must be a collage professor??
The numbers are based on the new tax hike only. The 850,000.00 is the increase NOW at .03 cents Just for Minnesota. And is tacked on to what we are already paying.
We pay millions a year in IFTA taxes to the feds and every state we run in.
People don’t get the fact that trucking companies have to pay IFTA taxes for every mile run in every state.
PD you talk a big game but you don’t have a clue who really pays the highway taxes in this country.
Spout off all you want that it’s the Republicans fault but ask any truck driver or company owner and you will hear who is to blame… Minnesota DEMs and the democratic controlled congress.