Coleman campaign says Franken ad on D.C. apartment is misleading

I have come to detest politicans. However, I vote in every election.

In the last general election, I voted "none of the above." After months of negative ads, I had no intention of voting for any Democrat, or Republican. Instead for each position, I voted for the first person on the ballot that was not affiliated with either major party.

If there were only major party candidates, I wrote in one of my in-laws.

Not a single person I voted for won, but I never felt better about casting my vote.

Yesterday I got the fake email going around about McCain versus Obama on taxes. So, being that it was a slow day, I looked each of them up myself. False, false, false.....

I can't believe you people who vote republican actually believe this garbage. Unless you are making $250K or more per year, you are basically shooting yourself in the leg by voting for these a-holes. They will not lower your taxes. You are fools if you believe it!(And they won't overturn Roe v. Wade either, because guess what? THEY DON'T REALLY CARE!)

P T Bull wrote:

<quoted text>
Thanks for the thought provoking insights. I can see your concerns about name-calling have been resolved completely.

Norm is a public figure.... and a turd. I think it's entirely appropriate to call him a turd. If you'd like I can call him something else, but I probably can't type it here, unfortunately.

Golly, Downtown Resident. You sure showed everyone, didn't you! Look how much everything has changed because you (tee hee!) wrote in your in-law last election cycle.

Change what?

Did Democratic control of Congress change much over the last two years? Do you feel more confident about your future today than you did in 2006.

Oh, there is one big recent Congressionally directed change in my life: I had to make room in one of my closets to horde incandescent light bulbs. I already have florescent bulbs in all of the fixtures that they will work in. I am not ready to spend a lot of money on new lamps made in China.

My vote did make it easier for independent and third party candidates to run in this coming election. That I did not not vote for low life trash talking Democrats and Republicans made me feel good. The only wasted vote is one that is not cast.

As for how I voted being a waste of time, not any more so than those that are going to travel great distances to protest the RNC and be roundly ignored. It would have a much bigger impact if nobody showed up. Who cares about the Republicans!

I am leaving town.

The current Congress as a group has one of the lowest approval ratings of all times, currently lower even than Bush's! Lets put a Democrat in the White house so we can finally get some change. Change what?

If I recall, one of the last times that this country had Democrats firmly in control of Congress and the White House was with Johnson. He made Bush look like Mary Poppins.

Be careful what you wish for.

The Hawk wrote:

We own a $1m plus value home on a prominent st Paul street. We rent out some space, as do many homes in our area. We rent an efficiency room for $600/month (w/ cooking and full bath). Does "Al the Comic" want me to double the rent on our poor tenant?

Are you a registered lobbyist? Is your tenant a politician who can do political favors for the causes that you lobby for? Does your wife work for your tenant?

Reggie wrote:

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Are you a registered lobbyist? Is your tenant a politician who can do political favors for the causes that you lobby for? Does your wife work for your tenant?

Reggie, The issue that you are harping on is a petty issue that has little to do with anything other than to district you and others from the real issues that impact us as citizens.

And there you are with the hook firmly secured in your gums. Moron.

Even the Dumbocrats are disappointed with "foulmouth Al".
Now that he’s running for office, Franken’s every public utterance is under the same scrutiny, and ordinary Minnesotans are meeting the Al Franken that news junkies, bloggers and authors like Peter Schweizer have known about for years: a mean spirited man given to volatile, foul mouthed outbursts.
frontpagemag.com

Boy, Norm. For such a mudslinger, you sure have thin skin. Boo-hoo!

jcf817 wrote:

<quoted text>
I think he should let it go...but only if the republitards agree to drop the "Franken evaded taxes" lie.

It's not a lie when Franken admits to not paying taxes in his ad. Open your eyes to the facts and stop being so frickin partisan!!

If paying 600 dollars a month in rent is all that Franken has on Coleman, He's in trouble. Franken failed to pay workers comp and payroll taxes in numerous states and the whole porngate thing. Makes it easy for this Independent to choose the lesser of both evils...Coleman get the Vote. Still undecide for president.

Dear Norm,

You're a public figure, paid by Minnesota taxpayers. Get use to scrutiny by Franken and the DFL. Quit acting like a crybaby and grow up!

Sincerely,

The common state voter

Wow, I just find that so hard to accept. A republican or democrat trying to mislead us about their opponent? Isn't that just a little far fetched?

Independent wrote:

<quoted text>
It's not a lie when Franken admits to not paying taxes in his ad. Open your eyes to the facts and stop being so frickin partisan!!

The lie is the word "evaded". Does EVERYTHING have to be spelled out for you morons?

My kids live in DC, and 600 bucks a month is about what they pay for a bedroom in a 5 br house with central air, a nice kitchen, 2 living rooms and two parking spaces behind.

Seriously, Al - get with it. Norm may be a disappointment as a senator, but he is known for his personal frugality. His home in st paul is modest, he used to buy his suits at Banks.

If Franken wants to go after Coleman, go after something he did or didn't do in the Senate. They guy's got solid credentials as a manager, and he's been such a putz in terms of opportunism that he still lives in a central urban area - a city, the urban core, a diverse place. Crookedness? You won't get Coleman that way - grow up, Al; you want to be a Senator, at least find out what things - like tacky rooms with no view - cost, and be sure you pay for them. There's no law against paying your landlord or utilities late - now taxes, Congress makes 'em and expects to get 'em.

The point about the Franken tax ads is that Franken wants to join a cadre of 100 people who manage the nation and the nation's budget. Maybe we want the guy to be able to hire a competent tax advisor?

Call the Franken campaign, looking for info - and then call the Coleman campaign. Even Norm's campaign staff make contact easier than manufactured Al --- Al's phone message is a homage to himself and Franny.

If the DFL wanted me to vote for a dem, they should have run Ciresi - but no, the 40-somethings are starry eyed over Al - I want a competent manager, a realist, someone who can kick **** without having to make an **** of himself. I hope Ciresi comes back and runs - if not, it's Norm for me again (once a democrat, always a democrat - unless the Party chants you away shouting "ABC, ABC)

jcf817 wrote:

<quoted text>
The lie is the word "evaded". Does EVERYTHING have to be spelled out for you morons?

So what is your explanation for the worker's comp insurance he didn't pay and got fined for?

"More taxes for everyone but me, I am Al Franken, and I approved this message."

Downtown wrote:

If paying 600 dollars a month in rent is all that Franken has on Coleman, He's in trouble. Franken failed to pay workers comp and payroll taxes in numerous states and the whole porngate thing. Makes it easy for this Independent to choose the lesser of both evils...Coleman get the Vote. Still undecide for president.

That's absolutely right. The Franken people should get over taking pictures of their enemies' homes, and pay attention to this little progressive fact: failure to have worker's compensation or to pay payroll taxes is theft from the worker.

Theft from the worker - and betrayal of two of the central progressive innovations that protect the worker - The People - from the vagaries of the employer.

Why isn't the DFL - especially Union DFL - more upset about this?

Coleman may have paid his utilities bill late - I did too, the past three months - and it turns out not to be either illegal or unethical.

And it's not theft from the Worker -

Mom wrote:

My kids live in DC, and 600 bucks a month is about what they pay for a bedroom in a 5 br house with central air, a nice kitchen, 2 living rooms and two parking spaces behind.
Seriously, Al - get with it. Norm may be a disappointment as a senator, but he is known for his personal frugality. His home in st paul is modest, he used to buy his suits at Banks.
If Franken wants to go after Coleman, go after something he did or didn't do in the Senate. They guy's got solid credentials as a manager, and he's been such a putz in terms of opportunism that he still lives in a central urban area - a city, the urban core, a diverse place. Crookedness? You won't get Coleman that way - grow up, Al; you want to be a Senator, at least find out what things - like tacky rooms with no view - cost, and be sure you pay for them. There's no law against paying your landlord or utilities late - now taxes, Congress makes 'em and expects to get 'em.
The point about the Franken tax ads is that Franken wants to join a cadre of 100 people who manage the nation and the nation's budget. Maybe we want the guy to be able to hire a competent tax advisor?
Call the Franken campaign, looking for info - and then call the Coleman campaign. Even Norm's campaign staff make contact easier than manufactured Al --- Al's phone message is a homage to himself and Franny.
If the DFL wanted me to vote for a dem, they should have run Ciresi - but no, the 40-somethings are starry eyed over Al - I want a competent manager, a realist, someone who can kick **** without having to make an **** of himself. I hope Ciresi comes back and runs - if not, it's Norm for me again (once a democrat, always a democrat - unless the Party chants you away shouting "ABC, ABC)

It's true, it is more than possible to pay $600 for the hole in the wall Norm lives in while in DC and a million dollar house in Washington - or a $3m one - isn't much - think MacGrove 4 bedroom 2.5 bath with a dumpster outside the master bedroom window.
Guys who live in the suburbs maybe don't understand what we city dwellers will tolerate to live in a city. If the Franken ad guy had ever lived in Washington, he'd know that the lower level or Garden Apartments are also usually full of roaches and silver fish, no matter what price the house.
I have a hard time figuring out why they are so mad at this guy for being cheap -? I hear he lives on plain hamburgers, too, so he can send his kids to good schools. Is that why he' s such a skinny little dude?
And not an Ivy Leaguer - well, he's got that against him, hard to think why they'd let one into the Senate.

Pragmatist wrote:

<quoted text>So what is your explanation for the worker's comp insurance he didn't pay and got fined for?
"More taxes for everyone but me, I am Al Franken, and I approved this message."

It is evil not to pay worker's comp and payroll taxes. These are not rightwing ideas - these are Wobbly doctrines. The very first concern any businessperson is supposed to have is to pay payroll and workers comp TO PROTECT THE WORKER.

I wonder why Coleman's people aren;t going after Franken for betraying the principles of the Democratic Farmer Labor party? I am a lifelong DFL voter and Minnesotan. When Coleman was in office as mayor, things improved in the city. I was **** when he was driven out of the party and became a republican, but we didnt give him muhc choic.e.

Franken may have to be voted for to get a Democratic majority in the senate, but we should be holding him accountable for treating the Worker like a second thought. Iam dispappiointed in the DFL for not being more upset about this. I don't think either Ciresi or Coleman or that Lord daughter would allow such a thing in their own business.

I don't think either one is above lying does anybody else? There are no free lunches, is not true in politics. It is a shame that a senator from Minnesota cannot rent a decent apartment, is he that destitute? Think he should start flipping hamburgers on the side if things are that tuff. He gives that away here in Minnesota
to welfare recipients all over the united states, wonder how many are residents of Minnesota he doesn't care,where checks are cashed. What is the salary of a senator? Maybe poor guy needs raise. Attorney around here won't even talk to you for 600 bucks. Watch the cat Hilda when you see me shrinking down into a rat.