| Employment
Norm tried to fool Minnesota voters into thinking he was a moderate when it comes to workers. He voted to allow workers to lose their eligibility for overtime pay, and he voted against increases in the minimum wage. Then, once 2007 rolled around, he voted to increase the minimum wage. It was too little, too late, and he didn't fool anyone.
Education
Coleman tried the same thing on education. He spent 4 years voting against proper funding for education -- including a vote in 2003 against properly funding the No Child Left Behind law. Then, in 2006, once the Democrats gained power and the election was getting closer, he finally started voting for things like Pell Grants. Once again, it was too little, too late, but I guess better late than never.
Environment
Norm has been crystal clear about his positions on the environment. He's reaffirmed them time and time again. He voted twice against capping greenhouse gas emissions. He also voted twice against the superfund program, a trust fund for environmental cleanup. These votes were particularly ridiculous, because the superfund is largely funded by the polluters themselves. The only explanation would sem to be that Norm may actually be opposed to protecting the environment.
Transportation
Norm seems to have decided to simply vote "no" on anything transportation-related whatsoever. For example, Norm voted against a Surface Transportation bill that would authorize $318 billion in federal aid for highways, highway safety programs and transit programs over six years. But he also voted against an amendment to reduce the total cost of the surface transportation measure from $318 billion to $256 billion, to match the president's fiscal 2005 budget request. So what exactly does Norm want? Who knows?
Transportation security
Coleman has consistently voted against securing our planes, trains, and cargo ships. Even when he has voted in favor of transportation security, it was usually because he was trying to avoid a more comprehensive bill. For instance, he wrote an amendment that would require the screening of all high-risk maritime cargo inbound to the United States. Sounds good, right? It would, except he wrote it because he voted against an amendment that would require the Homeland Security secretary to develop a plan for scanning all of the cargo containers destined for and departing from the United States
Veterans
Coleman's record on veterans' issues, particularly healthcare, is horrific. In 2005, in what may be the most callous vote he's ever made, he voted against an amendment which would allow health care funding for veterans to be adjusted to account for changes in population and inflation. In 2006, he voted against four different bills to increase funding for veterans' health care.
Bankruptcy
The 2005 Bankruptcy Overhaul Bill ws a great example of Coleman's attempts to weasel his way into looking like a moderate. He voted for the bill, which reformed bankruptcy laws to make them more favorable to moderate- and low-income households. But, while the bill was on the floor, he made some mean-spirited votes against consumers and victims of credit fraud. For instance, he voted against an amendment that would prohibit high-cost mortgage lenders from collecting on their claims in bankruptcy court if they extend credit in violation of the Truth in Lending Act. You read that correctly - Norm voted to allow predatory lenders engaging in mortgage fraud to collect on their illegal loans.
Foreign affairs and peace
Norm has been a consistent supporter of new nuclear weapons, which The Federation of American Scientists warns "risk blurring the now sharp line separating nuclear and conventional warfare, and provid[ing] legitimacy for other nations to similarly consider using nuclear weapons in regional wars." In addition to countless bad votes on the Iraq war, Coleman voted AGAINST protecting civilians from cluster bombs. Simply put, he's a warmongering neoconservative through and through. |
