(hey, I gotta keep up on the home-town news), Norm "Bush Boy" Coleman, took a few stabs at John Kerry.
(that's the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, for those not familiar with Minnesota politics) has
Norm "Bush Boy" Coleman Levels False Attack against Senator John Kerry
`Dog bites man, film at 11'
St. Paul - Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chairman Mike Erlandson had sharp words for Senator Norm Coleman's unfair news attack on Senator John Kerry today (Monday). Coleman accused Sen. Kerry of supporting a 50-cent per gallon increase in the gasoline tax. DFL Chair Mike Erlandson explains:
"John Kerry is not advocating and has not voted for a 50-cent per gallon increase in the gas tax. This false attack, coming from `Mr. Credibility,' is about as unsurprising as things get in Minnesota politics.
"What's really interesting is why Senator Coleman is not talking about George Bush's record on jobs, the economy, health care or clean air and water. Why? Because Bush's record is so terrible.
"After taking so many conflicting positions on energy policy, including flip-flopping all over on ANWR drilling, Norm Coleman has little credibility on energy issues. He should get back to work for the people of Minnesota and stop doing the dirty work for his political minders. Because his Senate seat is inextricably cemented to the Bush-Cheney regime, it's fair to assume that upon John Kerry's election as President, Senator Coleman will have to resign from the Senate."
Interestingly, President Bush's chief economist called for a 50-cent per gallon gas tax in 1999. Gregory Mankiw, Bush's Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, has argued that a 50-cent gas tax is a necessary component of income tax cuts. Mankiw explained that "cutting income taxes while increasing gasoline taxes would lead to more rapid economic growth, less traffic congestion, safer roads, and reduced risk of global warming - all without jeopardizing long-term fiscal solvency. This may be the closest thing to a free lunch that economics has to offer." [Fortune, 5/24/99]
A brief and far from comprehensive list of Senator Norm Coleman's inconsistencies on various issues is attached below.
NORM COLEMAN'S FLIP-FLOPS
"Let us come together as Democrats to re-elect Bill Clinton and Paul Wellstone." - Norm Coleman, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Convention, 1996
DRILLING IN ALASKA
FLIP:
Coleman Said That He Supports For Drilling In The Alaska National Wildlife Reserve. In an interview on the Jason Lewis Show, Norm Coleman expressed support for oil drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve "based on what the President is trying to do." Coleman went on to say: "But you really got a post-it size stamp of territory not bigger than Denver Airport and they are talking about technology that will not disturb the environment. I am thinking you got to give that a shot. I think you gotta' see if that moves forward." [Jason Lewis Show, AM 1500, 8/24/01]
FLOP:
August 2002: Coleman Said He Had Not Supported the President on ANWR. "I have not supported the President on ANWR." [Norm Coleman, at the K-Bob Cafe in Princeton, Minnesota on 8/14/02]
Fox News: Coleman Flip-Flopped on ANWR. Fox National News reported: "Coleman has also switched positions on an issue dear to President Bush: oil drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. Coleman supported drilling last year. Now he's against it." [Fox National News, Brown, 4/10/02]
DRUG RE-IMPORTATION
FLIP:
Coleman Called Drug Re-Importation a "Mistake" in July 2002. Coleman said in June 2002 that allowing drug re-importation "would be a mistake" in June 2002. "It's kind of admitting we can't solve the problem here," Coleman said. "I think the pressure is now. I don't think you ease up on the pressure with stopgap steps." [Associated Press, 7/11/02]
FLOP:
Coleman Said He Supports Importing Drugs From Canada in August 2002. "There are other things. We're talking about importing drugs from Canada," said Coleman at a campaign appearance in August 2002. "We're talking about doing that. And if it's safe, we should do that. On the other hand, we shouldn't have to do that. I think it's absolutely absurd to think that we have to send seniors up on busses to Canada to get drugs." [Coleman Campaign Stop at K-Bob Café in Princeton, MN, 8/14/02]
FLIP:
Coleman Says Unregualted, Dangerous Pharmaceuticals Mailed into U.S. In an investigation of the mails at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York with former Mayor Giuliani, Coleman deemed "importing drugs over the Internet" as "not safe." [Star Tribune, 3/18/04]
SOCIAL SECURITY PRIVATIZATION
FLIP:
Coleman Supported Bush's Presidential Campaign Proposal to Privatize Social Security Benefits, Which Would End the Guaranteed Benefit to Seniors. During the 2000 presidential campaign Coleman said George W. Bush showed "bravery and courage" by making a proposal to privatize Social Security that he knew might not be popular right away. "Leadership sometimes requires you to lead people to places they may not be prepared to go," Coleman said. Coleman also said Democratic candidate Al Gore's proposal acknowledges that his Social Security plan didn't fix the system. "You can't keep the system the way it is, because it's broken," Coleman said. Coleman [Minneapolis Star Tribune, 7/3/00]
Coleman Said "Absolutely" to Privatizing Social Security Benefits. On August 24th of 2001, Norm Coleman told KSTP Radio host Jason Lewis that he "absolutely" favors placing social security benefits in the stock market. Privatizing Social Security would end the guaranteed benefit that America's seniors have depended on since the retirement program was created. [Jason Lewis Show, 8/24/01]
FLOP:
Coleman Said He Was Not For Privatization. "I am not for privatization," [Norm Coleman, talking about Social Security in Princeton, Minnesota on 8/14/02]
NATIONAL STANDARDS IN EDUCATION
FLIP:
Coleman Called National Standardized Testing a Critical Element to Sound Education Policy. National standardized testing is another critical element to sound education policy," said Coleman in an education essay on his website. "This is simply a means for parents and educators to assess student achievement. A child's grade level should not be determined by his/her age but by his/her mastery of basic skills. These tests give us the news we need to know, both the good and the bad. For instance, Minnesota is doing pretty well in reading; 79 percent of our kids passed the basic reading skills test this year. But we also have work to do; only 45 percent of our African American children passed that same exam. Standardized testing will ensure that no child in America moves on without knowing the fundamentals. My opponent calls this "harsh," I call it metrics. Test scores are snapshots of performance that will help us determine as a nation what we're doing right, what we're doing wrong; which schools are performing and which ones aren't." [www.colemanforsenate.com]
FLOP:
Coleman Said Standards Should Only Be Done on State, Local Level. "The standards should be done on the state and local levels. I'm not for federal standards. I think they gotta' be done on the state level." [Coleman in Rochester, Minnesota: Studio Academy Charter School, 8/19/02]
CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
FLIP:
Coleman on McCain-Feingold: It's Up to the Boss. When asked by Roll Call about his position on the historic McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill, Coleman said, "there were things in it I liked and things in it I didn't like." Pressed on whether he would have supported the bill or not, he said, "If the President signs it, I would say I would support that." [Roll Call, 3/25/02]
FLOP:
Coleman Said He Would Oppose Legislation Such as Historic McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Bill. In response to a Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life newsletter candidate questionnaire in September 2002, Coleman said he would oppose any legislation (such as the McCain-Feingold bill or Shays-Meehan bill) that would restrict, regulate or ration the right of nonprofit corporations to engage in unrestricted commentary...[MCCL News, September 2002]
Now, it may be unfair to criticize Normy. After all, I think there's one area that he's been completely consistent: taking whatever action and saying whatever thing in order to advance Norm Coleman.