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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'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.

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."