Facing Campaign Financing Fraud Charges, Sen. Norm Coleman Tries to Smear Minnesota DFL Challenger Al Franken

This week, a Republican businessman in Texas by the name of Paul McKim filed a lawsuit this week against Nasser Kazeminy. Kazeminy is one of Sen. Norm Coleman's biggest donors and closest friends. In fact, he's the same man who flew Coleman on his private jet to vacations in the Bahamas and Paris.

Only a small portion of the lawsuit has anything to do with Norm Coleman -- but the part that does is incredibly serious. McKim's sworn affidavit, since corroborated by a second lawsuit, describes an effort to funnel $75,000 to Sen. Coleman's wife.

So, are the allegations true? That's yet to be determined. Still, no one at the Al Franken for U.S. Senate campaign reportedly knew a thing about this lawsuit, and had never even heard of this company or Paul McKim, until they read about it in the newspaper.

Then came yesterday. Instead of answering these very serious allegations, Norm Coleman released a TV ad, blaming DFL challenger Al Franken for the lawsuit. It shows Coleman, seated on a couch next to his wife, Laurie, as he looks directly into the camera and says, "This time, Al Franken's crossed the line... I'm fair game for his ugly smears. My wife and family are not."

"It's his most dishonest ad of the year," wrote Andy Barr, Al Franken for U.S. Senate's communications director, to campaign supporters today. "That ad is up on TV right now. And it's a despicable lie. Franken had nothing to do with this lawsuit. Norm Coleman, faced with sworn allegations of a conspiracy to funnel him improper payments, is trying to deflect blame by lying about Al Franken in a TV ad."

According to the Star Tribune, Coleman called this an "11th-hour attack" on his re-election campaign. The Star Tribune also reported that, "within an hour [of the ad's airing], Franken abruptly canceled an appearance at a campaign rally in Minneapolis to hustle over to a DFL Party news conference, where he denied the accusations and called Coleman's remarks 'insulting to voters.'"

There, Franken looked directly into the camera and flat-out discredited the notion of any wrongdoing. "Senator Coleman looks the people of Minnesota in the eye and lies," he said. "I'm being blamed for crossing a line and I didn't do a thing. And our campaign didn't do a thing."

"It has been a long campaign, and a tough one," noted Barr. "Norm Coleman has sunk to historic depths to smear Al Franken and make this election about something -- anything other than his own record and the issues that affect the people of Minnesota."

DSCC Issues Memo: "It's Time for Norm to Go"
These lawsuits come within days of a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee memo, rhetorically asking, "Does Norm Coleman deserve to be re-elected?"

It goes on to highlight a handful of compelling numbers reflecting Coleman's service as Minnesota's senior U.S. Senator in the seat once held by the late Paul Wellstone:
* 52 free trips paid for by special interests
* Over $600,000 from big oil and drug companies
* Living almost rent-free in the $1,000,000 home of a Washington insider
* Ranked the 4th most corrupt senator in Washington
* Coleman voted nearly 90% of the time with George Bush -- together, running up a $10 trillion national debt

The DSCC memo cites dozens of credible sources -- including specific votes that Coleman has cast -- and then concludes, "It’s time for Norm to go."

GoodBiz113's take: We agree: It is time for Norm Coleman to go. After all he's done for George W. Bush, big corporations and myriad special interests, he should be able to land at least one or two consulting and/or lobbying gigs. Now, it's time for small businesses, entrepreneurs, farmers, etc., in Minnesota and across the nation to have real champions in the U.S. Senate. Al Franken will aptly fill Paul Wellstone's seat with integrity, vision, ingenuity, compassion and, very likely, some terrific post-Bush era humor, too.

SOURCES: Al Franken for U.S. Senate, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Star Tribune
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Franken Demands Immediate Congressional Hearings re Banks' Abuse of $700 Billion Bailout

Minnesota DFL candidate Al Franken -- the only U.S. Senate candidate who opposed the $700 billion Wall Street bailout -- today called for immediate hearings in light of reports indicating that banks may not be using those funds to unfreeze credit markets but, rather, for other purposes -- with the encouragement of the Treasury Department.

"Washington sprung into immediate action when Wall Street was in trouble, but there's been no help for struggling homeowners on Main Street and no solutions for middle-class families and small businesses hurt by the failed economic policies of the last eight years," said Franken. "And now we find that the $700 billion bailout is being used not to solve the problem, but to handpick winners and losers on Wall Street. That's an outrage.

"Taxpayer dollars should be helping taxpayers, not going to pad the bottom lines of the Wall Street bankers whose bad bets got us into this mess. This is exactly why we should never have passed this bill without proper accountability. And it's time for Congress to take action."

Earlier this month, the Bush administration announced that it would use bailout funds to inject capital directly into banks. They claimed that this would allow credit to start flowing again as banks lent that money to other entities. But recent reports indicate that, instead, the banks receiving these funds are using them to buy up other, smaller banks. And the Treasury Department, according to a column by New York Times financial columnist Joe Nocera, is encouraging the practice.

Meanwhile, Wall Street financial institutions like Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch continue to pay out billions in bonuses, despite receiving bailout funds.

This morning, during his statewide "For The Middle Class, For A Change" bus tour, Franken stopped at Bouquets by Carolyn, a small business located in St. Paul, Minn. There, he called for:
* Immediate hearings into potential abuses of the $700 billion bailout by Wall Street banks
* Straight answers from the Bush administration on its real plans for these taxpayer dollars
* An administration guarantee that banks receiving bailout funds will use them to lend
* A revocation of U.S. Treasury Department Secretary Henry Paulson's authority to implement the bailout if he cannot explain how his plan is serving taxpayers

In an editorial today, the New York Times wrote, "Shortly after the bailout was enacted, The Times's Mark Landler reported that Treasury officials also wanted to steer the bailout billions to banks that would use the money to buy up other banks. Now, lo and behold, with $250 billion in bailout funds committed to dozens of large and regional banks, it turns out that many of the recipients of this investment from taxpayers are not all that interested in making loans. And it appears that Mr. Paulson is not so bothered by their reluctance."

Case in point: Merrill Lynch. Two days ago, Bloomberg reported that, while Merrill Lynch is laying off employees, the financial institution is paying out billions in bonuses. According to Bloomberg, "Five straight quarters of losses and a 70 percent slide in its stock this year haven't stopped Merrill Lynch & Co. from allocating about $6.7 billion to pay bonuses ... The money Merrill has set aside for bonuses equates to an average $110,000 for each of its 60,900 people, up from $108,000 a year ago because more than 3,000 jobs have been cut."

Apparently, Merrill Lynch isn't the only bailout recipient that's utilizing taxpayer funds to reward its employees. Bloomberg also reported that Morgan Stanley and Lehman are both setting aside billions for bonus payments. According to Bloomberg, "Even some employees at Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., which declared the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history last month, will get the same bonus they received a year ago ... Morgan Stanley, the second-biggest securities firm until it also converted to a bank, has $6.44 billion for bonuses, or $138,700 per person, down 20 percent from last year."

GoodBiz113's take: Al Franken is right: Congressional oversight is needed, post-haste, to hold the Wall Street bailout recipients accountable for seeing that taxpayer funds are used to help fuel America's economy [e.g., small businesses, homeowners, working families], as intended -- not to lavishly reward their own fat-cat executives and employees.

SOURCES: Al Franken for U.S. Senate, Bloomberg, New York Times
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'Jobs, Baby, Jobs': Al Franken Wins Fourth Debate by Focusing on Minnesota's Middle Class, Small Businesses; Kicks off GOTV Bus Tour

By all accounts, Al Franken won his fourth consecutive U.S. Senate debate last night -- not by yelling the loudest or throwing the most elbows at his opponents, but by focusing on his middle-class economic agenda.

"Al Franken is proving that you don't need to be a career politician to win debates if you're the candidate of change in an election that's all about change," said Andy Barr, Al Franken for U.S. Senate communications director, just after the debate ended.

"Tonight, Minnesota voters saw that it's Al Franken who will be a strong voice for the middle class," Barr noted. "It doesn't matter how slick his opponents' rhetoric is, or how many elbows come his way. Al Franken won this debate for the same reason he'll win this election: He's the candidate of the middle class, and the candidate of change."

Perhaps in recognition of Al Franken's recent lead in public polls, both Norm Coleman and Dean Barkley frequently attacked Franken. But Franken stayed focused on his core economic message.

"The reason I voted against -- or would have voted against -- the bailout package, is that it didn't really do anything on golden parachutes and bonuses," Franken noted during the dabate. "That's one of the many reasons...

"Look, people are hurting, and we need to get the economy working again. Now my mantra is 'jobs, baby, jobs,' and here are the things that I would do to keep the jobs that we have and create new jobs:

"One, build. Build new bridges and roads and schools... infrastructure. We've always built infrastructure, and it always has a multiplier effect and creates good jobs.

"Secondly, let's address the housing crisis head-on. I agree with Barack Obama: We have to help families -- who, through no fault of their own, are in trouble -- stay in their homes.

"Third, let's stop rewarding companies that are offshoring our jobs, American jobs, overseas. They're getting tax breaks; we should stop that.

"OK, let's get credit into the hands of small businesses. That's fourth.

"Fifth, a green economy. Let's make Minnesota the epicenter of a green economy that can create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

"Finally, [get] tax cuts into the hands of the middle class. The middle class is the engine of our economy. We have to stop tilting all these tax cuts and tax giveaways to the special interests."

"For The Middle Class, For A Change"
This morning, Al Franken kicked off his "For The Middle Class, For A Change" get-out-the-vote bus tour at a DFL get-out-the-vote rally in St. Paul. The rally launched a statewide barnstorm of Minnesota for the last 10 days of the campaign.

Franken called for fundamental change in Washington, detailed a bold economic agenda for Minnesota's middle class, and urged supporters to take action as part of the DFL's grassroots GOTV campaign. The unprecedented campaign will involve 77,000 volunteers making 1.5 million phone calls and 2.8 million door-knocks before Election Day.

"Folks are frustrated, they're anxious, and, frankly, they're outraged -- and they have a right to be all three," Franken declared. "Washington just isn't working for Minnesota's middle-class families. And if we want change, we're going to have to work for it.

"I want to go to Washington and work with President Barack Obama and Sen. Amy Klobuchar to stand up for Minnesota's middle-class families. And I'm calling on everyone who's ready for change to stand with me in this campaign."

Al Franken also detailed his plan for rebuilding the middle-class economy:

* Bring back oversight on Wall Street and address the housing crisis
* Cut taxes for middle-class families
* Make health care and college more affordable
* Protect Social Security
* End giveaways to special interests, like big drug and oil companies
* Repeal tax breaks for companies that ship American jobs overseas
* Create jobs by investing in infrastructure and renewable energy
* Make credit available to small businesses

Today, Franken headed to St. Paul, Albert Lea, Austin and St. Peter; Vice President Walter Mondale joined Franken in Austin and Albert Lea. Tomorrow, Franken will campaign with Congressman Keith Ellison in St. Paul and Minneapolis.

On Monday, Franken will visit St. Cloud, Morris, Crookston, Climax, Moorhead, Brainerd and Bemidji. Congressman Collin Peterson will join Franken for several events throughout the 7th Congressional District.

GoodBiz113's take: It's no wonder that Al Franken carried the day with his strong, clear and focused economic agenda for Minnesota's middle-class families and households, and small businesses. Franken truly is the candidate of change for Minnesotans, and all Americans will benefit from his win-win-win vision and service in the U.S. Senate.

SOURCES: Al Franken for U.S. Senate, Twin Cities Public Television
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Not sure where your polling place is? At VoteForChange.com, you can find out exactly where to vote and get crucial voting information.

Franken Frames U.S. Senate Race at Farmfest Debate

As today's three-day 27th Annual Farmfest kicked off at the Gilfillan Estate in Redwood County, Minn., U.S. Senate challenger Al Franken took on incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman [D-Minn.] during their first debate of the general election.

During the course of the debate, Franken effectively framed the race while making his case that Minnesotans need a senator who will stand up for them -- not the myriad special interests with which Coleman has been linked. The upshot: Franken's strong performance demonstrated that he's ready to bring change to Washington as a United States Senator.

"Al Franken kept this debate focused on the issues -- the economy, energy prices, farm policy -- and on Norm Coleman's record of selling out the middle class," said Andy Barr, communications director of the Franken campaign. "That's how Al won the debate, and that's how we'll win this election."

Franken discussed his vision to create new opportunities in Greater Minnesota by supporting our family farmers, revitalizing rural Minnesota, and investing in education, health care, R&D, and infrastructure. Franken believes farming is vital to Minnesota and to the country's well-being. He highlighted the need to strengthen the middle class and change the broken system in Washington.

Franken also effectively used the debate as an opportunity to hold Norm Coleman accountable for his record of backing George W. Bush, putting special interests ahead of Minnesotans, and supporting Big Oil.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Coleman has received more contributions from the oil and gas industry than any other senator in Minnesota history. Coleman has taken at least $244,900 from the oil and gas industry since 2002 -- over $60,000 more than the next senator, Rod Grams.

Coleman Has Supported President Bush Almost 90% of the Time
On June 29, 2008, shortly after interviewing Sen. Coleman, award-winning WCCO-TV reporter and Sunday morning news anchor Esme Murphy spoke on-air with Larry Jacobs, a University of Minnesota professor and esteemed political analyst.

"Let's talk about the campaign ad I mentioned, in which the senator's wife brings up the point that a lot of people think that he is a rubber stamp for the Bush administration," said Murphy. "If you look at the record, definitely for the first four years, he was. I mean, he really did vote with the president. In the past two years, he has clearly distanced himself."

Want proof? Check out CQ Vote Studies, a service provided by Congressional Quarterly's CQ.com. On the site's "Bush Era Scores" chart, one can see that, during his time in office, Norm Coleman has supported President Bush an average of 83% of the time -- including a whopping 98% of the time in 2003, his first year in the Senate.

Rubber stamper? You decide.


GoodBiz113's take: U.S. small businesses fuel nearly 75% of our nation's economy -- and family farmers play no small part in that. Al Franken's common-sense proposals are good for all small businesses -- including farmers -- and for America as a whole.

SOURCES: Al Franken for U.S. Senate, Center for Responsive Politics, Congressional Quarterly, WCCO-TV
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Franken Announces New Labor Endorsements

Today, the Al Franken for U.S. Senate campaign announced that four new labor organizations have joined its ever-growing coalition that's fighting to send a senator to Washington who will stand with Minnesota's middle class.

The endorsements come on the heels of a false negative ad produced by a Norm Coleman front group, attacking Al Franken for his support of the Employee Free Choice Act. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Coleman continues to repeat publicly the lie that EFCA "eliminates the secret ballot" for workers.

Today's new endorsements include:
* Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Union
* Minnesota State Council of UNITE HERE!
* Minnesota Postal Workers Union
* Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, Local Union 1

"Minnesotans need a senator who understands the needs of Minnesota families, and who won't abandon them in a time of need," declared Mark Froemke, education director of the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Union, Local 167G.

"Norm Coleman had a chance to support the families of the Red River Valley on CAFTA and, instead, he supported President Bush," Froemke noted. "Al Franken will stand with farmers and workers and Minnesotans, and that's why we stand with him in this election."

"Unlike Norm Coleman, Al Franken is a candidate who will never privatize social security and will continue to fight for the middle class and workers' rights," added Jim Lundquist, president and secretary-treasurer of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, Local Union 1.

For a complete list of Franken's endorsements , including elected officials, visit: Al Franken for U.S. Senate.

SOURCES: AFL-CIO, Al Franken for U.S. Senate, Wikipedia
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Minnesota Native Al Franken Files to Run for U.S. Senate

Today, Al Franken officially filed with the Minnesota Secretary of State to run for the U.S. Senate.

Franken was joined by his wife, Franni [pictured], his daughter, Thomasin, and more than 100 cheering supporters on the steps of the Minnesota State Office Building.

"I would say I'm excited to get to work," said Al Franken. "But we're already working hard to spread our message of ending the war, rebuilding our economy, and fixing our broken health care system across the state. I'm so proud to have my family, my team, and my coalition for change standing alongside me -- and I'm ready to go to Washington to stand up for the people of Minnesota."

DFL-endorsed Franken -- a true ally of small business, farmers, labor, environmentalists, educators, students, soldiers, veterans, consumers and countless others seeking a new direction for our nation -- was born in St. Louis Park, Minn. He's challenging Sen. Norm Coleman, a Democrat-turned-Republican from Brooklyn, N.Y., for the seat once held by the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, who died in a plane crash in October 2002.

SOURCE: Al Franken for U.S. Senate
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To learn more about Al Franken's politics, check out his New York Times bestseller, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right."

Al Franken Wins Minnesota DFL Nomination to Run for U.S. Senate in 2008

Editor's note: This weekend, during Minnesota's DFL convention at Rochester's Mayo Civic Center, Al Franken won the nomination to challenge Republican Norm Coleman for the U.S. Senate in 2008. Following, is the acceptance speech delivered by Franken -- a true ally of small business, farmers, labor, environmentalists, educators, students, soldiers, veterans, consumers and, well, everyone else seeking a new direction for our nation.

Thank you.

I want to start by thanking my family. I think you all know Franni, don't you? My daughter Thomasin. You might not know Joe, he's been kind of -- he's been doing a lot of work. And my sister-in-law Carla, who looks suspiciously like Franni.

I also want to thank my staff, my volunteers, the interns. We've been at this awhile, we've been at this awhile. Thank you, guys, thank you. I want to thank my supporters, elected officials who supported me, stuck by me. I want to thank all of you, most of all. But first let me say something about Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer.

You know, earlier in the questions-and-answers, I was asked why am I a Democrat. You know, I'm a Democrat because this is the only party that would have a Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. This is the only party that would have a man of such compassion and wisdom and energy, such a pure heart, and such a strong soul. It has been an honor to share the stage with you, sir, and I hope to do so for the next five months and beyond.

And the same goes for Jack's supporters, to his staff, to his volunteers, to his interns. I'd be honored to share a stage, or share a convention, or share a meeting, or share a campaign rally, or share anything with you. You are fantastic.

I want to thank Amy Klobuchar, who will make a great senior senator in Washington. And I want to thank our congressional delegation, from whom I will continue to learn so much.

But most of all, I want to thank you delegates who have put your faith in me. And it is in that spirit, with tremendous gratitude and tremendous humility, that I accept your endorsement.

You know, we have been waiting for eight years to take this country back. And this year, we have seen the emergence of a new progressive majority in this state and in this country.

You saw it on Feb. 5, Caucus Night, when over 215,000 DFLers showed up for the caucus, to say they're ready for a new direction. And a lot of you hung out in hot, crowded rooms for a few hours, and I thank you for going through that process and being here today.

We have a new progressive majority in this country, and we know what we want.

We want universal health care.

We want an economy that works for everyone, not just the special interests.

And I want to thank my friends in labor, who have been through me with this all the way. Thank you.

We want to address global warming and create "green" jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

We want a world-class education for all our kids so they can compete in a 21st century economy.

And we want to restore our standing in the world, starting with getting out of Iraq and bringing our troops home.

We have a lot of work to do together.

We're going to canvass until our feet hurt, and when our feet hurt, we'll start picking up the phone, start phone-banking. We're going to get up early and stay up late.

And we're going to do it because five million Minnesotans need a voice in Washington, and they don't have one in Norm Coleman.

On issue after issue, he hasn't brought people together to get things done. He's sold people out to get ahead.

Minnesota has the second-highest rate of subprime foreclosures in the country, and families I talk to every day are worried about losing their home equity and their chance at building wealth. These families need help. But Norm Coleman doesn't work for them. He works for the mortgage companies. That's why he voted against helping people who have gone bankrupt because of health-care crises from keeping their homes.

Minnesotans are paying four dollars a gallon at the pump. But Norm Coleman doesn't work for them. He works for the oil companies. That's why he voted to give them billions of dollars in tax subsidies while they were already raking ridiculous profits.

Minnesota seniors are paying too much for their prescription drugs -- so much that they can't afford to take the medications that they need. But Norm Coleman doesn't work for them. He works for the big drug companies. That's why he voted to prohibit Medicare from negotiating with the pharmaceuticals for lower drug prices.

Minnesota veterans need the health-care benefits they were promised. Minnesota students need the loan aid that will help them to make tuition payments. And the young Minnesotans serving bravely in Iraq need a senator who will bring them home. But Norm Coleman doesn't work for them.

Norm Coleman went to Washington to play a game. The game works like this. Norm Coleman accepts hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign checks from corporate interests. He votes to give them special handouts and tax breaks that come out of our pockets. Then he comes back to Minnesota and pretends it didn't happen. Everybody wins, except the people of Minnesota.

It's time we had a senator who took this job seriously. And that's what this election is about.

It's not enough that we take back the White House. It's not even enough that we take more seats in Congress. We have to take back this government. We have to tell the special interests, you're not so special anymore. We have to elect people who will stand up to the oil companies, stand up to the insurance industry, stand up to the drug companies, and stand up for the working families across this state.

So, to the people of Minnesota, let me say this: I'm not a perfect person. And I'm not going to pretend to have all the answers.

But I'll tell the truth. I will keep my spine and I will work for you.

I will wage a campaign you can be proud of, whether you're a DFLer, or a Republican, or an Independent, or somebody who's never even thought about what party you might belong to.

And I'll be a senator you'll be proud to have working for you in Washington.

Last fall, I went on a 10-college tour. Some of the kids I met with were 11 years old when this president took office. They don't remember that the federal government is supposed to work. They saw Katrina. They saw Iraq. And even sadder, they don't remember when we were once the most respected country on the face of this planet.

After all, we are the country that sent a man to the moon, the country that mapped the human genome, the country that beat fascism and communism, the country that re-built Europe after World War II, and still had enough juice left over to invent rock-and-roll and the Internet.

I believe we can be that country again.

Paul Wellstone said, "The future belongs to those who are passionate and work hard."

I don't think I have to tell you how passionate the people in this room are about taking back our country. Tomorrow, we get to work.

Thank you.

SOURCE: Al Franken for U.S. Senate
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To learn more about Al Franken's politics [and satirical style], check out his latest best-selling book, "The Truth [With Jokes]."