MN Progressive Project - Norm Coleman

He's back ... Anyone remember Jeff Larson? Updated

The Big E — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:01:00 GMT

Does anyone remember Jeff Larson? I do. He and Norm Coleman are close friends. He runs a political consulting firm, FLSConnect. FLS did about $1.5 million in business with former Senator Norm Coleman's campaigns. He was Norm's landlord in DC and gave him a below market, sweetheart deal on an apartment. He was also Sarah Palin's personal shopper. He bought her wardrobe after she became the VP pick for John McCain.

A prominent Republican consultant has launched a new political organization aimed at helping "pro-business candidates" in Minnesota.
Jeff Larson of the political consulting firm FLS Connect said Wednesday his "Minnesota Future" fund registered with the IRS is gearing up. The 527 group -- named for a section in the tax law -- is exempt from limits on campaign fundraising and spending that apply to party-affiliated groups.
(WCCO)

Larson never did answer the question of who paid Norm's utility bills for his below-market apartment.

-- UPDATE --

Jeff Larson's FLS Connect also had (may still have) a contract to lobby for the brutal military dictatorship of Burma.

Why is Team Emmer retooling?

The Big E — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 22:15:00 GMT

... or was Ole Savior that tough of a primary opponent?

Wasn't Republican 2010 MN-GOV candidate Tom Emmer supposed to have a huge advantage because he didn't have a primary? Wasn't he supposed to be taking advantage of this fortunate luck to get out his message? How is it that his campaign is claiming that they're retooling for the general election? Was Ole Savior a tougher candidate than he expected?

David FitzSimmons (Campaign Mgr #1) and Rep. Mark Buesgens (CM #2) had no statewide campaign experience before taking the helm. Team Emmer squandered their advantage and are now behind to any Democrat in the polls.

Emmer didn't help himself with frequent gaffes. First he claimed servers made 100K+ and we should penalize them. Then he tried walk it back saying he didn't want to cut anyone's wages while in the next breathe saying people should accept pay cuts to keep their jobs. Thirdly, he said he'd like a tax cut for vets just like Pawlenty proposed. Except it'd already passed and he voted against it. Fourth, he couldn't remember his previous position and vote on ethanol.

So is Emmer a crappy candidate or is he just that poorly prepared?

We've had our answer from the Republicans (unless we have a "Grunseth" moment coming up). It's out with the teabaggers and in with the RINOs. Cullen Sheehan, famous for his refusal to answer a question about who bought Norm Coleman's suits, is in to steer Team Trainwreck back towards somewhere less crazy.
However, let's consider this retooling of Team Trainwreck in a slightly different manner. Republicans characterize Dayton as emotionally unstable and ineffective. They remind everyone of Dayton's own review of his own job as a Senator; he gave himself an 'F'. They characterize him as a job-killing, tax raising, illegal alien coddling, effeminate rich guy. Or they will if they haven't already.

So how is it that the guy with the most baggage is crushing Emmer. After nearly 4 months of chances to establish good relations with the media and really build some messaging for Emmer, Dayton crushes him.

Every time Emmer has tried to talk about the issues he wants to talk about the following happens (and it is good to see journalism alive an well in MN):

"Get Out Popcorn..."

TwoPuttTommy — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:17:53 GMT

OK, if you saw this tweet:

@dbrauer Cullen Sheehan might be coming back to rescue Emmer? Get out popcorn for first good @rachelsb grilling! htp://bit.ly/baFi1j #everygiftever
about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck

This just might be what MinnPost's David Brauer was referring to - let's watch!

As MPP's very own The Big E tweeted:

@eric_pusey Cullen Sheehan in as @tomemmer campaign mgr? htp://bit.ly/cd7GIN #facepalm #fail please please please please please please please please?
41 minutes ago via HootSuite

Sheehan, joining Tom "I don't think you can call yourself a freedom-loving American and be a Democrat" Emmer?

#facepalm #fail please please please please please please please please?

Norm Coleman as RNC chair?

Joe Bodell — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:34:30 GMT

Far be it for me to call Politico an unbiased, non-rumor-mill-based media source...but this report actually sounds reasonable enough. Norm Coleman became the personification of the GOP's firewall against a nearly veto-proof majority in the U.S. Senate in the last election cycle, and despite their base's great gnashing of teeth over the controversy that ensued, it sounds like top-level leaders in the Republican Party recognize that Coleman might have something yet to offer.

A recent appearance on CNN alongside Democratic pundit Paul Begala was likely a piece of this puzzle. Always political and usually pretty strategic about it, Coleman made sure to bash the Obama Administration's deep-water drilling moratorium while finding a way to get in a line about agreeing with Begala on a piece of the issue. It was curious to see Coleman on TV discussing the oil spill and related issues until the question of the RNC chairmanship came up -- then it made perfect sense.

For one thing, Coleman wouldn't be saying some of the stupid things that Michael Steele has said in his tenure at the helm of the RNC. Coleman probably wouldn't be too friendly to the Tea Party base either, a thing that, while it might make the GOP more viable in some swing districts, is likely a good thing for our nation's political discourse. In the Senate Coleman was a generic conservative Republican, but he generally didn't go to the lengths that the Palins, Bachmanns, Bartons, Kings, et. al. have taken to advance their political agendas.

Of course, who knows -- the RNC chair race was wide open last time. Lots of things could happen. Should be fun to watch.

Minnesota Majority releases "study" and Fox News declares vote fraud in 2008 MN-SEN election

The Big E — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:06:00 GMT

How bad does Al Franken's 312 vote victory over Norm Coleman in 2008 burn in conservative craws? Pretty bad. Some of them just can't seem to let it go. Since they can't do anything to Franken until 2014, the only other target is MN Sec. of State Mark Ritchie who is up for reelection this year.

Minnesota Majority, a right wing group with white supremacist flavorings, got the Republican's communications department, Fox News, to report on a "study" they concocted:

The six-month election recount that turned former "Saturday Night Live" comedian Al Franken into a U.S. senator may have been decided by convicted felons who voted illegally in Minnesota's Twin Cities.
That's the finding of an 18-month study conducted by Minnesota Majority, a conservative watchdog group, which found that at least 341 convicted felons in largely Democratic Minneapolis-St. Paul voted illegally in the 2008 Senate race between Franken, a Democrat, and his Republican opponent, then-incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman.

The funny thing is, convicted felons did vote in the 2008 election. He voted for Norm.

I suppose it is a waste of my breathe to remind everyone that three MN courts all ruled unanimously that Franken got the most votes and that the election and recount were fair and square. Even Republicans like Tim Pawlenty and Norm's legal team stated that there was no vote fraud in the election.

Later, Justice Paul Anderson asked [Norm's attorney Joe] Friedberg bluntly whether he was alleging outright criminality by election officials: "Is there any evidence of any fraud, any favoritism, or anything other than the election officials in Minnesota tried to do the best job possible to apply the law?"
"Absolutely not," said Friedberg. "And there's no voter fraud, there's no election fraud."

According to MPR, the Ramsey County Attorney will prosecute 28 cases as a result of this "study." A far cry from the amount needed to invalidate Franken's victory.

Republicans will by trying to use this "study" as a cudgel with which to pummel Ritchie. Therefore, I suggest we all drop a few coins in Ritchie's campaign fund:

Donate to Mark Ritchie

Dan Severson claims Mark Ritchie elected Al Franken

The Big E — Mon, 03 May 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Last Thursday at their state convention, Republicans picked Dan Severson to run against MN Sec of State Mark Ritchie (DFL). What is remarkable is Severson's (and the whole party's) divorce from reality. Severson claims that the sole reason that Al Franken was elected to the US Senate was Mark Ritchie.

Here's an excerpt of the transcript of Severson's speech at a April 15th Tea Party rally in Rochester, MN:

In November of 2008 you cast a vote. And when you went to that poll you believed that that vote counted one vote. But you know, it didn't. When we had the count off that took place 8 months later, a guy got put into office that we didn't elect. His name was Al Franken. And you know what? (boooing)yeah. You know what? When you go to the other 49 states and say that name, they laugh. They go how in the world could you have elected a comedian to the 60th seat in the Senate? And you know what? You didn't elect him. Mark Ritchie elected Al Franken.

Tim Pawlenty said that the recount was fair and square. Every step of the recount was televised live by The Uptake. What happens when reality differs from what Republicans need to believe? They make **** up.

Severson and the Republicans have no factual ground upon which to stand, but the Republican party and reality haven't been getting along very well for a decade now and Severson's claims are sad, cynical and all too predictable.
Below is the full transcript of Severson's remarks in Rochester on April 15, 2010.

In these remarks, he makes up some **** about 17,000 ballots.

He is astounded that "37 counties who have more ballots than there were registered voters in those counties." Apparently, Severson is unaware of our same day registration. More likely, he chooses to ignore it.

He also makes some questionable claims about whether 80% of Minnesotans want photo IDs and that 71% of DFLers want it, too.

He also seems to be claiming that there was rampant vote fraud (the last paragraph). Vote fraud is a federal offense and Republicans always claim it occurs ... or at least could occur ... but cannot provide any proof that it actually occurs.

This is awesome to see people who love America gather together for one cause.
You know in our founding fathers we have a heritage. We have a heritage of those who gather together on an important day to sign the declaration of independence. And on that last line on the declaration of independence they say to this cause we commit our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. That's our heritage and that's our inheritance. Will we spend our inheritance foolishly? Or will we invest in the next generation? Will we give our children the freedoms that we have enjoy because of the sacrifice of our founding fathers and because of those that came before us or will we squander it by health care and by spending our children's future?
I'm here to talk about a very important part of what we do as citizens, a very important part of who you are and your responsibility as citizens.
In November of 2008 you cast a vote. And when you went to that poll you believed that that vote counted one vote. But you know, it didn't. When we had the count off that took place 8 months later, a guy got put into office that we didn't elect. His name was Al Franken. And you know what? (boooing)yeah. You know what? When you go to the other 49 states and say that name, they laugh. They go how in the world could you have elected a comedian to the 60th seat in the Senate? And you know what? You didn't elect him. Mark Ritchie elected Al Franken.
When we have 17000 ballots, 17000 ballots that we can't figure out who cast those ballots, you think that's a problem? When we've got 37 counties who have more ballots than there were registered voters in those counties, you think we have a problem? When we have less than 25% of our war fighters, We have 13000 military men and women that were able to vote absentee. Of those, 13000, 3200 actually cast a vote that counted. Less than 25%. You think that's a problem? That's a major problem.
Those ought to be the first votes that get counted. And we ought to be......(clapping)......????
That's what we need to do.
I spent 22 years, the lord blessed me with, this is America. When I was 4 years old I had a dream. I lived up in Duluth and I looked up and saw an F105 flying over and thought that's what I want to do. 25 years later I was sitting in a f(l)ight. You know why? Because America gives us opportunities to live out our dreams. Because we each one of us has the freedoms and the opportunity to take the risks and to invest in that future that we believe is the heritage from our founding fathers and our fathers before us.
But that's in jeopardy.
I want to go back to the issue of fighting for freedom. I went from there for 22 years and got elected in the Minnesota house of representatives in 2002. I've been serving for the last 4 terms in the Minnesota house and we have been fighting for those same freedoms in the Minnesota legislature. And I'll tell you what. It doesn't stop there. We have a responsibility as citizens and patriots as those of you who stand here today to make sure our system has integrity. This system, the broken system that Mark Ritchie came down here and said there's nothing wrong with it. It's kind of like Sergeant Schultz who said I hear no evil I see no evil. You know I hear nothing. Well the problem is it's broken. I did an investigation and I came to find out from that investigation if I as a sitting legislator couldn't get the right answers, what chance does that average citizen have? None. We've got to fix the system. And you know what the answer is? Photo ID. Photo ID is the answer to fixing our system.
80 percent of Minnesotans believe that photo ID ought to be enacted. In fact 71% of the democrats believe it. We took two votes on the house floor this year, and by a 56 to 74 vote the democrats voted down photo ID. And let me talk about photo ID and vouching.
Vouching is where you can go into the polls and you can vouch for up to 15 other individuals. They don't have to have any identification. They can just walk up there and say I know this guy and why don't you fill this out this form? How do you think we got that 17000 extra votes? We could put in a provisional ballot that gets rid of that. Photo ID gets rid of that. But you know what? We're US citizens. We're the voting system. We need election judges. We need people who are willing to be at the polls and make sure there is integrity at the polls. And when the polls are closed we need to make sure that there are people there who will maintain the security of the ballot. We've got stories of stories and stories of things that have happened in this last election and I think we probably have heard most of them. You probably have heard a lot of them. I've heard a lot about them. We've got a problem. You are part of the solution. You have to be active. It doesn't stop here. It doesn't stop in September, October. It stops November 5 after the election when we have cast the ballots that are going to put the tea party activists, that's going to put patriots that's going to put people who love America who believe in responsible government, reducing government spending and creating that inheritance for our children. That's our job. We've got work to do. And I want to say thank you so much for letting me be part of this .......... . This is a grassroots movement about taking our country back.....God bless you and god bless America.

Norm to head RNC?

The Big E — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 22:48:00 GMT

With RNC Chair Michael Steele embarrassing the Republican party in nearly every way imaginable, DC pundits have begun talking about who might replace him when and if he gets fired or in 9 months when his term is up. They mention former senator Norm Coleman among others.

Chris Cillizza has created a list which includes former senator Rick "man on dog" Santorum, former chair Ed Gillespie and Jeb Bush among others.

The insane pick would be Santorum. If he gets it, the teabaggers would be happy as Santorum will spout whatever nonsense is popular amongst them. Gillespie and Bush would be safe, boring picks.

But if Norm were to get it, he would certainly be able to give Tim Pawlenty's campaign a boost it desperately needs. I believe it would also signal that the RNC will be doing all it can to squelch a Palin candidacy.

Because Norm would push Pawlenty over the teabaggers favorite, I believe they would be unhappy with Norm as chair. Furthermore, the base in Minnesota doesn't like Norm (they consider him a RINO) and I'm sure his unpopularity would spread rapidly. With Norm, familiarity definitely does breed contempt.

Personally, I'm one of the few people fluent in Norm-speak^TM and I'd gladly lend a hand interpreting. If you're not fluent, you can listen to him speak and have absolutely no idea where he stands on the issue upon which he was bloviating or if he actually answered the question he was asked.

Hey - Who Is Paying That Guy's Electric Bill??!?

TwoPuttTommy — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:25:43 GMT

No, not ol' Smokescreen - The 4th Most Corrupt Senator - but this guy.

Seems his digs were a little bit nicer than Normie's....

Today's Example Of Republican Hypocrisy: Donations

TwoPuttTommy — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:39:22 GMT

The other day, the MN GOP got its undies in a bunch over some money Charlie Rangel (D-NY) gave to Minnesota Democrats Betty McCollum, Keith Ellison, Tim Walz, and Al Franken. According to MudSlingerMike's spokestool Luke Hellier at Minnesota Democrats Exposed, here's the breakdown:

Donations To Minnesota Democrats From Rangel's National Leadership PAC:
Tim Walz Received $15,000 In 2006 & 2008. (OpenSecrets.org, Accessed February 26, 2010)
Al Franken Received $10,000 In 2008. (OpenSecrets.org, Accessed February 26, 2010)
Keith Ellison Received $7,000 In 2006. (OpenSecrets.org, Accessed February 26, 2010)
Betty McCollum Received $5,000 In 2000. (OpenSecrets.org, Accessed February 26, 2010)

Now, there's a reason I always say "Hypocrisy, Thy Party Is GOP" - and here's today's example.

Everybody here remember ol' Smokescreen, who was essentially court-certified as The Fourth Most Corrupt Senator? Well, Big E sure does; after all, Big E chronicled Norm Coleman over at The Norm Coleman Weasel Meter.

And here's a cut 'n paste about merely one example of some really, Really, REALLY tainted dough ol' Smokescreen, who was essentially court-certified as The Fourth Most Corrupt Senator, took:

Norm Coleman got dirty money from Alaska
The Big E's picture
Submitted by The Big E on October 5, 2007 - 11:40am.
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) has received $6,000 from VECO Corp executives. Norm may complain about Al Franken getting Hollywood money, but Norm is flush with dirty Alaskan oil money.
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VECO founder Bill Allen and former company vice president Rick Smith have pleaded guilty to bribing public officials. They also admitted running a company "special bonus program" that steered money to favored candidates, violated federal tax laws and sent untold amounts of corporate money into political coffers.
...
Coleman's office said his campaign books were closed and the money was already spent. (MnBlue.com)

OK, "Coleman's office said..." Hmmm - I wonder who at Coleman's office said that? Thank God for google!

Coleman spokesman Mark Drake said the Minnesota senator is rejecting Democrats' calls that he donate to charity an amount equal to the $6,000 that his campaign got from Allen, Smith and two other Veco executives on July 9, 2002, because that money "has been spent and is not an issue." (AnchorageDailyNews.com)

Hmmm...hmmm...Mark Drake....Mark Drake.... Hey! Is that THIS "Mark Drake"??!?

Communications
Mark Drake
Communications Director
mhd@mngop.com
(MnGOP.com)

So, the same "Mark Drake" that defended Norm Coleman over campaign donations, is now the Communications Director for a GOP that is demanding that some Democrats do what Coleman wouldn't??!?

This stuff can't be made up.

"Hypocrisy, Thy Party Is GOP"

Norm Coleman not running for Governor

The Big E — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:04:46 GMT

Sigh.

It turns out we won't have former senator Norm Coleman to kick around in the Minnesota Governor's race. I guess I can re-mothball the Norm Coleman Weasel Meter.

I love Minnesota and I love public service, but this is not the right time for me and my family to conduct a campaign for Governor.
Timing is everything. The timing on this race is both a bit too soon and a bit too late. It is too soon after my last race and too late to do a proper job of seeking the support of delegates who will decide in which direction our party should go. The commitments I have to my family and the work I am currently engaged in do not allow me to now go forward.
(Norm's Facebook page)

I won't bother to translate the Norm-speak^TM.

Norm Coleman Freezing GOP Contributions

Grace Kelly — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:58:40 GMT

In the Republican party, the choosing of candidates is based less on grassroots and more on money. Right now, even the possibility of Norm Coleman running has large contributors holding back their contributions. This means a self-fulfilling prophecy because then many GOP candidates have to drop out. One of the first drop out candidates is Pat Anderson, who is announcing her change to the auditors race today. Craig Stellmacher from the Uptake captured this announcement:

Norm Coleman still has high negative reactions even among his own party. The people from the Teabag movement do not see Norm Coleman as worthy. So the Norm Coleman campaign is going to feel like a rerun TV show. Yet any other Republican might have to fight hard to stop the inertia of same old, same old Norm! I wonder if any other Republican has that kind of fighting power. What do you think?

No Ron Ebensteiner, we want Norm in the MN-GOV race

The Big E — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 23:12:36 GMT

The Star Tribune published a commentary by former Republican state party chair Ron Ebensteiner today. He admits that Al Franken "outstrategized" Norm in the campaign and in the recount. He admits that Norm couldn't win even with the "prevailing political winds" behind him. Aside from all the factual inaccuracies in his commentary, I couldn't disagree with him more.

I most definitely want former senator Norm Coleman to join the Minnesota Governor's race (MN-GOV).

As we start the New Year, there has been much conversation about the possibility of former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman entering the race for governor. As a former state Republican Party chairman and longtime observer of Minnesota politics, I believe it would be a bad idea both for Coleman and for Minnesota. I write these difficult words as one who strongly supported Norm's historic election victory in 2002, a campaign that left me with a great deal of admiration for his remarkable communication skills and sensitivity to the mood of Minnesotans. Words cannot express how emphatically I wish Norm were still my U.S. senator. Yet there are very clear reasons why Norm no longer represents Minnesota in the Senate, reasons with unmistakable relevance and consequences that resonate statewide, leading me to the inevitable conclusion that he should sit this campaign out.

Let's start with the first factual inaccuracy and this is just the opening paragraph. How could such a few number of words have so many inaccuracies?

"...as one who strongly supported Norm's historic election victory in 2002, a campaign that left me with a great deal of admiration for his remarkable communication skills and sensitivity to the mood of Minnesotans."

Isn't the only reason that Norm won in 2002 because Wellstone died a few weeks before the election? And didn't Norm and the right wing noise machine seize upon Wellstone's funeral and use it for political gain?

"Sensitivity to the mood Minnesotans?" Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that he and his fellow Republicans twisted what a grieving son said about his father into a sledge with which they bashed the Democratic replacement candidate Walter Mondale?

Ohhhh ... right ... I forgot ... didn't Ebensteiner orchestrate it?
Aside from providing more fodder for the Norm Coleman Weasel Meter, why would a guy like me want Norm in the 2010 Governor's race?

Actually, for all the reasons Ebensteiner says he shouldn't run and some which he wouldn't mention.

When word started spreading about Norm's potential candidacy, my first impression (like that of others, I suspect) was that it might be tempting to turn to Coleman, given his high name recognition statewide. However, the reality is that most Minnesotans hold a negative impression of Coleman, which in politics is something that is very difficult to reverse.

Why would Minnesotans have a low opinion of him? Could it be that he switches opinions any time the shifting winds of the polls do? I've documented 19 flip flops on major issues.

What Ebensteiner cannot say, at least in public, is that the knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers of the party base absolutely hate Norm's guts. The teabaggers would boo him if he ever appeared before them like they boo'ed him in the past.

Considering they are rapidly becoming all that is left of the MN Republican party, who would volunteer on his campaign?

As a businessman, I know something about management and strategy. The 2008 campaign revealed Coleman's shortcomings in both areas. His management team lacked a clear leader, and to this day many of Norm's supporters still don't know who was calling the shots and taking responsibility for his overall strategy. Additionally, Norm's communications strategy probably cost him a decisive margin of victory in the closing week of the race when he was ambushed by reporters in front of television cameras. The footage resulted in a devastating campaign commercial.

His campaign lacked a clear leader? Wasn't that Cullen Sheehan? Or could it be that this is your way of admitting that Norm was the 4th most corrupt Senator in Congress?

Ebensteiner seems to want to say that the "ambush by reporters" was the reporters fault or something. Typical stuff coming from a former party chair. Couldn't have been the corruption, Ron?

The same can be said for the Senate recount, which was bungled by Coleman and his team from day one. Despite Coleman's leading the morning after the election and for weeks to come, Franken's team clearly outpositioned Coleman's -- defining the key issues, sticking to message and winning round after round, while Coleman's team fumbled about in response.

Or could it be that the Franken campaign watched every single ballot, noted the judges initial judgement then compiled ALL the results in a database? Could it be that the Franken campaign knew that Al had won? Could it be that the Coleman campaign never had a ****ing clue?

It is a virtual impossibility for Coleman to win the Republican endorsement for governor -- his only path to victory is running in a costly primary that would fracture the Republican Party.

Yes. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please.

New year, same old weasely face: Norm Coleman and the MN-GOV race

The Big E — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:10:08 GMT

So much for ringing in the new year with the new. I have heard several people repeating rumors that former Senator Norm Coleman will be joining the Republican race for Minnesota Governor (MN-GOV). Consequently, I'll be bringing the Norm Coleman Weasel Meter back online and repurposing it for Norm's 2010 gubernatorial run.

The best part of all this is that Norm has already lost the MN-GOV race once. Some of you may recall a certain wrestler who beat him in a three way race in 1998.
It'll be good to see Norm lose one more time and hopefully this will be the last time we all are forced to listen to his braying impersonation of someone from Martha's Vineyard (tell me he doesn't sound like he wants to be a Kennedy?).

I believe that he has absolutely no chance of winning the party endorsement. The base hates him.

I believe that if he runs, he'll run to the primary. I also believe that he'll win the Republican primary. The result will be that the teabaggers will run an independent candidate from the right.

Do you all remember the NY-23 special election? Well ... I believe that those kind of shenanigans will be coming to MN if Norm really does join the MN-GOV race. Wouldn't it be awesome to have Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh et al weighing in on how Norm isn't far enough to the right and how whatever knuckle-dragging mouth-breather from the far right fringes who runs as an independent is for "liberty," "lower taxes" and loves America more than Norm?

Oooooh ... it sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it.

So I'm personally thrilled that Norm is considering joining the race, not just because I had a blast with the Norm Coleman Weasel Meter, but because the Republicans are likely to tear themselves apart over this and this would mean that we DFLers might actually have a chance of winning the MN-GOV seat back for the first time since the ~~1850s~~ 1980s just like in NY-23.

Norm Coleman polling the Gov race (again)?

Joe Bodell — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:58:56 GMT

A report from a reader about a political survey -- and this poll sounds legit, as opposed to the dreck the Republican Party of Minnesota has been putting out on the phones.

I thought I'd pass on a tip that I received a political survey this evening, and while they wouldn't say who paid for it, I'd put money on Norm Coleman. The number was 202-870-5104. I think they said their org was the Capitol Report or something similar (should have written that down earlier). They asked for right track/wrong track for Minnesota, biggest issue, favorable or unfavorable on Pawlenty, Emmer, Anderson, Norm, Rybak and Dayton, which Republican I would prefer, which Democrat I would prefer, head-to-heads with Rybak and Dayton vs. Norm, feelings on the recount (should Norm have dropped out? Or was it his right to challenge results?), and the claim that 11,000 ballots hadn't been counted in recount: if they had been counted, who did I think would have won?
That's my basic memory of the call. I'd take that as a strong indication that this was sponsored by Norm and was being used to gauge whether or not he should get in or not.

The fact that the head-to-heads involving Norm Coleman were asked might indeed be an indication that Coleman himself is polling the field to figure out if he should jump in -- that possibility is reinforced by the ask about the 2008 Senate race and feelings about how that ordeal ended.

If it is indeed Coleman polling the race, I doubt we'll see any of these numbers published anywhere. Which is too bad, I'd love to see how this one shakes out.

As I've previously mentioned, it would be a great move for Coleman to jump into this race -- for the Democratic nominee. This is a guy who has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in statewide races twice, and a third time barely beat a recently deceased opponent and his surrogate.

Those DFL candidates mentioned in that poll should be licking their chops at the possibility of facing Norm.

Layoffs at Thompson-Reuters Business as Usual

Hegemommy — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:39:19 GMT

How do we reward steadily increasing profits, even in the face of widespread economic downturn? If you're Thompson-Reuters you eliminate about 10% of your staff.

In the face of nearly a billion dollars of profit in the last fiscal year, and hot on the heels of $61 million in bonus payments, Thompson-Reuters let go 120 workers in what the company said was a response to the "changing landscape of the legal profession."

In many ways the legal landscape is changing. The widespread economic downturn has many lawyers rethinking the benefit of the billable hour as clients are no longer willing to pay $200 for a phone call. But like many other white-collar professions, more and more legal jobs are being sent overseas meaning that local attorneys are now competing for jobs with call-centers overseas. The result has been the emergence of a permalancer culture in the law--an entire workforce of highly educated, highly trained workers forced into independent contracting jobs for $26 an hour.

That means Thompson-Reuters has joined the ranks of those lowering the bar for good jobs for Minnesotans. This matters in a metro-area with four lawschools producing hundreds of new attorneys every year. The tighter the competition for legal jobs the more these workers will spill into other professions, squeezing from the top down any available jobs. The result is to squeeze the worker of every stripe in order to maintain multi-million dollar payouts to management, appearances be damned.

It's a business model that hasn't received much attention as of late, but one that ruled the day during the previous decade. Given the current public distate for blatant corporate greed, news of the layoffs does feel a bit gauche, which makes only fitting the fact that news of the Thomspon-Reuters layoffs breaks just as buzz of a Coleman political comeback picks up. So while Thompson-Reuters may claim that this move is in response to a changing economic climate, remember that it's really just business as usual.

And as if on cue, Norm Coleman resurfaces.