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COLEMAN FOR U.S. SENATE PRESS RELEASE: “FRANKEN TAX PROBLEMS: “ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 3RD GRADER?”
By Michael B. Brodkorb | August 25, 2008
This release was sent out on Friday morning. The ad is hilarious.
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ST. PAUL – The Coleman for Senate campaign today released a light-hearted ad pointing out the absurdity of Al Franken’s excuse for failing to pay taxes in at least 18 states for at least five years. Franken has lately attempted to evade responsibility by saying it is not his fault because no one told him he had to pay taxes in the states where he earned income. In the ad, “Excuses,” eight-year-old Allison tells the camera that, like Al Franken, she doesn’t pay taxes, but unlike Al Franken, she knows that Al’s excuse for not paying taxes doesn’t work – not even in third grade.
“Al Franken’s excuse for not paying his taxes is that nobody told him to. Well, as Allison points out, nobody is going to believe that excuse, regardless of which grade you are in or how old you are,” said Cullen Sheehan, campaign manager. “Al Franken has yet to give any real or honest answers about why he and his accountant did not report income or pay taxes in at least 18 states for at least five years. And, instead of standing up and giving Minnesotans these answers, Al Franken remains delinquent in telling the truth about his failure to pay his taxes. What’s worse, he continues to refuse bringing his CPA forward to answer the question about whether he reported his income and paid all of his taxes prior to 2003. It’s time for Al to come clean and give Minnesotans a full accounting of all his financial dealings since he formed Alan Franken Inc. in 1991.”
“Excuses” can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmh3t95mh1A.
“Excuses” Script:
Announcer: “The following is a satirical dramatization.”
Allison: “I’m a kid, I don’t pay taxes. Al Franken doesn’t pay taxes or workers comp either. I have an excuse, I’m eight years old. Al Franken’s like a hundred. You know what his excuse was? He said no one told him to do it. That excuse doesn’t even work in the third grade.”
Sen. Coleman: “I’m Norm Coleman and I approve this message.”
Allison: “Hey Al! Next time, tell ‘em your dog ate it.”
Backup for “Excuses”
“The following is a satirical dramatization.”
Franken Claims His Satire Gets Is Good Training For The Senate. “’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?’” (Andrew Romano, “Getting To Know You,” Newsweek, September 17, 2007)
“I’m a kid, I don’t pay taxes. Al Franken doesn’t pay taxes or workers comp either.”
Franken Failed To Pay Workers’ Comp For His Employees. “The state of New York fined the personal corporation of Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken $25,000 for not carrying workers’ compensation insurance for almost three years. The New York Workers’ Compensation Board levied the fine against Alan Franken Inc. in August 2006 for failure to carry the insurance from June 2002 to March 2005.” (”Al Franken Company Faces $25,000 Fine,” Associated Press, March 5, 2008)
Franken Failed To Pay Taxes In At Least 18 States. “Coleman wants the race to be about Franken and his past, which includes an accounting problem that resulted in him failing to pay taxes in 18 states.” (Rachel Stassen-Berger, “With money to spend, Minnesota’s U.S. Senate candidates spend it on mud,” St. Paul Pioneer Press, August 17, 2008).
“You know what his excuse was? He said no one told him to do it.”
Franken Didn’t Know That NY Workers’ Comp Board Was Attempting To Contact Him. “DFL Senate candidate Al Franken owes a $25,000 penalty to the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board for failing to carry workers’ compensation insurance for employees of his namesake corporation from 2002 to 2005, state officials said. New York officials have made numerous attempts to contact Franken about the matter since April 2005 but have gotten no reply. Campaign spokesman Andy Barr said that neither Franken nor his wife, Franni, were aware of the matter before Tuesday. They have lived in Minneapolis for the past few years and did not know about the state’s attempts to reach them in New York City, he said.” (Kevin Duchschere, “Franken faces penalties for lack of workers’ insurance,” Star Tribune, March 5, 2008)
Franken Says Accountant Told Him To Pay Taxes Where He Lived. “Most of the income at issue was from speeches and other paid appearances by the comedian-turned candidate, who said he got bad advice from his accountant but takes responsibility for the errors. The Minnesota Democrat told The Associated Press that he and his wife, Franni, ‘paid taxes on every cent of income we ever had.’ He said that during the years in question, he followed the accountant’s advice and paid his entire income tax bill to the city and state where he lived at the time. He lived in New York City from 2003-05 and Minnesota in 2006. ‘What happened is our accountant made a mistake, and all of these are repercussions of that same mistake,’ said Franken. ‘His mistake was not understanding the law, the obligation to pay these state taxes.’” (Pat Condon, “Comedian-turned-candidate Franken to pay $70K in back taxes,” Associated Press, April 30, 2008)
Topics: Uncategorized | 26 Comments »
August 25th, 2008 at 10:20 am
I think this is a fantastic ad. Minnesotans are going to love it.
August 25th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Ha. I love it. Senate ads are always great.
Have to admit, I wished they coul’ve found a way to incorporate the bowlers.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:01 am
This is the best ad he’s done so far.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:01 am
It’s pretty dumb to have a 3rd grader talking about a Senate race.
Time for Coleman’s team to make some better ads.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:11 am
bowhuntdude- Nah, I think this ad perfectly reflects what Coleman’s campaign has come to. It’s great.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I guess the ad about Al not voting where he lived or voting where he didn’t live or voting where he really lived and lied will be next.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Since the party of scrubs is filled to bursting with mental midgets and degenerates, they have come to the conclusion that everyone in the state of Minnesota found fourth grade too much of a challenge.
How else do you explain Al “Porn-O-Rama” Franken for Senate?
August 25th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
[...] the shameless Republican operative Michael Brodkorb said publicly: “The ad [...]
August 25th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
before you libs criticize a child being in an ad, suggest you go back to 1964 when one of the most effective ads of all political campaigns was launched: the daisy ad where a young girl picked the petals off a daisy with nuclear blasts going off in the background. it was run by lbj and even i recall it despite being too young to vote.
August 25th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
I saw it and loved it! The third grader understands being an adult better than Al Franken.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
August 25th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
walter makes an excellent point. how many libs really act like children? wanting something for nothing, always wanting their way, being taken care of without working?
August 25th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
More gimmicks from Coleman, when is going to tell us why he deserves to be re-elected?
When voters learn the real story about Coleman’s record, he will lose this election.
August 25th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I’d like to know what you think is so funny about exploiting an eight-year-old girl. I don’t think Minnesotans find it very funny, and it is disgusting that you find it “hilarious.” You should be ashamed.
Also, Franken paid all of his taxes. Why won’t Coleman release his taxes from the last, oh, let’s say, last thirty years? How can we be 100% certain that he didn’t fraud New Yorkers, Minnesotans and the IRS? No surprise that Coleman isn’t releasing those tax records.
August 25th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Am I alone in wishing that we could talk about the freakin’ issues for just one hour in this country? This campaign is getting disgusting on both sides, and will continue to get worse.
Would anybody like to talk about the economy? Healthcare? Social security? Hello?
August 25th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
talk about character? or no longer relevant?
August 25th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Nice to see Mr. Coleman, exploiting children in his ads again, just like last election. I guess it’s hard to find an adult (other then Larry the bowler) who actually likes this guy.
August 25th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Aaron, you’re more pathetic than I gave you credit for. Nice job, dip shit.
August 25th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Looks like Aaron’s thought police are running the show over at MN Publius. I posted two comments defending the ad in completely non-offensive language. Both deleted.
August 25th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Brunda and Aaron,
Tell us how exactly she is being exploited…
August 25th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Andel, we’ve discussed character to death. How about the issues for once? We all know why you dont want to talk about the issues but well, humor us and fuddle your way through them, just once!
August 25th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
And you’re exploiting the 8 year old because we can safely assume she doesnt know much about politics, or current events, or what Franken is really guilty of, and that is accidently goofing on his corporate taxes and workers comp. She walked in, read some lines, and that was that.
August 25th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
When voters learn the real story about Coleman’s record, he will lose this election.
Let’s see – Norm’s “so-so” record or a potty-mouthed, porn-writing, carpetbagging tax cheat who hasn’t lived here in 36 years.
Hmmm, tough call.
August 25th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Who would you rather listen to, a little girl or a rubber fish? Not paying your taxes is not paying your taxes, period.
August 25th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
I have an idea! Why don’t Aaron and Michael join together is a mutual effort to get both of these candidates to release their tax records?
August 26th, 2008 at 7:03 am
You want to discuss issues, Jeff?
Well, my suggestion is that next time you encourage your friends not to run a candidate whose resume highlights are bilking children’s charities, bungling one man tax shelter corp’s and writing pornographic short stories that include beastiality and his 12 year old son.
Too late this time around though, old bean. You and the party of scrubs made this bed, you lie in it.
October 27th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
[...] Remember, this is the same creep that was stalking and videotaping himself harassing a woman in a Perkins parking lot at night after planting illegally placed signs next to Madia’s office. It’s the same guy who finds exploiting an eight-year-old girl in a negative attack ad “hilarious.” [...]