Anyone watching the MN Senate race may have seen Norm Coleman's ad in the MN StarTribune on Tuesday criticizing Al Franken for criticizing the ridiculous vote in the senate condemning the MoveOn.org ad last week. Coleman is trying the make Franken look bad, while the whole issue is just getting turned around in his face and making him look like an idiot.
From Minnesota Public Radio:
Coleman's ad features a photo of Franken pointing underneath the word "ridiculous." The ad says Franken used the word when asked about a Senate vote that condemned MoveOn.org's ad criticizing Army Gen. David Petraeus, the leading military commander in Iraq.
....
"You've got to choose whether you're going to stand with bipartisan coalitions or simply be beholden to MoveOn.org," Coleman said. "He's made a choice and I thought it was important for the rest of Minnesota to understand that that's the choice he's made."
Then today in the MN StarTribune, Franken wrote a Commentary piece on Norm's ad. In usual form, Franken smacks down Coleman with clear, concise rationale, unlike Norm's ridiculous tantrums. He starts the commentary questioning why this much energy is being leveraged against an ad instead of attempting to get us out of Iraq . From there it gets better. From Franken's piece:
[Coleman] voted last week against a resolution that condemned personal attacks on anyone who had served our nation honorably. That would include Democrats like Max Cleland, John Kerry and John Murtha -- proud American veterans who were the targets of political attacks not just on their character, but on their patriotism. In 2004, when Murtha (a Silver Star winner) called for better armor for our troops, Coleman himself accused him of "emboldening the enemy" and "undermining the morale of our troops."
And as his reelection campaign gets underway, it's worth noting that Coleman has hired the same media consultant who ran ads in Georgia that juxtaposed pictures of Cleland, who lost two legs and an arm in Vietnam, with Osama bin Laden.
Frankly, I'm used to this kind of smear -- it's what happens when you speak truth to power in George W. Bush's America. But I think Minnesotans have had enough of this kind of political gamesmanship. As I go around the state, I don't hear a whole lot about ads in the New York Times. What I do hear is that Minnesotans want this war to end, and that if this president won't end it, they want the Senate to force him to end it.
Bush and his allies in Washington have blocked increases to veterans' benefits, refused to be held accountable for the mistakes that ruined our military's efforts in Iraq, and dodged every effort to bring our troops home. Instead of solutions, Norm Coleman offers political games and pointless attacks.
There are also some interesting letters from readers regarding Coleman's ad (hint: none of them support it.)
Way to go Al! We in MN are tired of having a "yes man" for GW's disastrous policies. Coleman's ad was just another example of his parroting the typical useless Rethug talking points. I for one can say I will be proud to call Al Franken my senator when he defeats Norm Coleman next year!
UPDATE
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http://www.alfranken.com/