Coleman Drops NRSC Bid To Benefit Of Potential Investigator

Sen. Norm Coleman announced on Thursday that he was dropping his bid to become the next chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee -- a position he had coveted for several years.

The move, his office said, was done so that the Minnesota Republican could focus on his recount campaign against Al Franken, in which Coleman has a scant 206 vote lead.

"Sen. Coleman has chosen to step back and focus his efforts on the recount. Going forward, he gives his full support to Sen. Cornyn," said his spokesman LeRoy Coleman (of no relation).

But there is a more nefarious reading one could take away from the announcement. Coleman's main competition for the NRSC post -- the individual who stood the most to gain from Coleman dropping his bid -- was Sen. John Cornyn.

The Texas Republican, in addition to being the likely future head of GOP Senate campaigning, is also the Republican chair of the Senate Committee on Ethics. And Coleman, currently, has a potentially damaging ethics-violation allegation starring him in the face.

Two lawsuits -- one in Texas the other in Delaware -- allege that the Senator and his wife took $75,000 in payments from a GOP benefactor that they failed to report on their personal financial disclosure form.

The ethics committee has already been urged to look into the allegation -- which Coleman denies -- by the good government group Alliance for a Better Minnesota. And a Democratic aide on the committee says that it is policy to look into any grievance that has been sent their way.

"Anytime the Senate Ethics Committee gets a complaint," she said, "we take a look at it."

Additionally, ethics lawyers who have followed the issue say that, should Coleman be reelected, he would more than likely be investigated by Congress. The allegation leveled at him, after all, is markedly similar to charges made (and proved) against Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens.

Only now, the Republican chair who may oversee that investigation is the same individual whose path to the top of the NRSC Coleman just paved.

Comments

[KathyinCT]

What's he goin to do vis a vis the recount -- stand around and watch?

What a dork.

And those teeth and that hair!!!!!!!!!!!!

[milo h minderbinder]

Yeah, it makes sense to put your senate plans on hold when you STILL DON'T KNOW IF YOU WILL BE IN THE SENATE.

What a tool this guy is, I can't believe the election is even close.

[BetterDays]

The people of Minnesota have lost their souls. Bachman and Coleman!

[Rubyone78]

Because we elected Bachman and may yet have elected Coleman? I know, right?! I think you would have to be soulless to vote for those two.

Bachman and Coleman as public servants just embody the sorry state we're in.

[Carolab]

Listen, I do not believe those elections were "legitimate" and I don't think Pawlenty's was, either.

[CR46]

Bachman lives in one district that is GOP all the way. But give the rest of the state a break will you. Minnesota has always been a progressive "blue" state. The only reason he is a Senator is because of Senator Paul Wellstones "accident" ---most people don't know this but there were FBI agents on site before local rescue crews, it's a little suspicious considering the closest office was 200 miles away from the plane crash. If Paul had not died such a suspirious death Coleman would NOT be in office at all. That year all the absentee ballots already voted for Sen Wellstone were thrown out and NOT counted towards Walter Mondale who stepped in just days before the election. Rumor has it Cheney knows something about that "accident" I hope something shows up after GW/ Cheney are out of office.

[Budokan]

Does anyone else think if we had another Democratic candidate other than Franken we would have already won this seat? This is Michigan, folks. Obama won that state going away. This race shouldn't be this close, imo. What do you think?

[brynn6]

Minnesota, but your point is taken.

[planetjeffy]

Of course, Al can be offputting. However, I'd love to see him in the senate. He would drive the Repubs crazy with his sharp tongue.

[insightfulman]

Minnesota

[andyboy]

Agreed. I watched Al on Air America a couple of times and it was excruciatingly unprofessional and confused and Franken and his team always seemed to be just winging it with all kinds of screwball references and fringe lunatic conspiricy talk. Alot of folks just plain don't care for Al himself though I do think he means well he just has some sort of aberration where he has to shock people. It's the comedian in him I guess.

[freedomisnotfree]

I listened to Al on Air America for years and found him to be a principaled and caring man. Exactly what is needed in our Senate. He is trying to regain the seat that was held by Paul Wellstone. He is a student of Senator Wellstone and I believe he will do his best to honor him.

[milo h minderbinder]

It comes down to two major things.

Third parties have always been a major factor in Minnesota, and they were this time.

And this campaign was *extremely* negative. It turned people off on Coleman, but some of the mud thrown at Franken stuck.

Minnesota has some pretty crazy elections, I don't think that a different democratic candidate necessarily would have changed things that much.

[Carolab]

Actually, the "third party" thing is overblown. And there have been some strange tabulations for "third party". I think our former Republican SOS was "in on it", too. The election in 2004 was very odd--in the sixth district--too many votes for the third-party candidates in three counties and no logical explanation for why they were there on election night (I have the screen shots) and then "gone" the next day.

[GlenRast]

Why does he need to focus on the recount? Are there still some payoffs to be made?

[TurtleGuy]

My thoughts exactly. If he needs time off, apparently he is trying to make something happen behind the scenes. And since it is only counting of votes, and not getting votes, you really have to question his motives behind doing this.

[me again]

Norm will have to solace himself with his big fake teeth!

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

I know!!!! It's that whole "corncob thru a picket fence" thing with this guy....

[donbrown]

Do you think anyone on Coleman's staff has the guts to tell him those huge fake chompers of his make him look like a used car salesman?

When he speaks I always get the creepy feeling he's trying to get me to sign my name on a dotted line.

[suziq]

So will he devote the same amount of time he devoted to reorganizing his less negative campaign?

[billthinx]

Actually, the voters of MN "chose" this step-back for Coleman. I'm not much of a Franken fan either, but Coleman is really low. Hope he is eliminated once and for all.

[lagumbo]

Coleman the crook won't win this election. When the votes are hand counted he will be old news, until he is investigated and jailed.

[majorteddy]

NO SH** !!!

[buzziea]

Slowly but surely Coleman is giving up the political ghost. I'm cryin' for him. NOT.

[donbrown]

Thoght I now live in Hawaii, I am from Minnesota originally and can attest that though they may be a bit dull, Minnestotans are honest. "Nice" is their watch word.

There will be no dirty tricks like in Louisiana or Florida.

[Budokan]

That's good to hear, thanks, because having been born and lived in Louisiana I can attest that dirty tricks and shenanigans are de rigueur.

[CR46]

I agree that Minnesota is "Minnesota Nice" and there is honesty in the political structure, but since my husband is a born and bred Cajun, he has told me MANY stories of political corruption in Louisianna.

[Carolab]

Hey, I'm not "DULL".

[sunzen]

Does anyone know what type of scanners they use in Minnesota? If they are Diebold then Franken's got the hand count in the bag...ever­yone knows they rigged those machines with fuzzy math tabulation programs.

[Melizzy]

Oh, please let it be Diebold then. Wow, the dems must be paying more than the repubs this year to steal elections. Seems the last time Diebold did this nefarious work it was in 2000 for W. I guess even they are scared $h1tless after the last eight years, huh?

[HansB]

In 2004 there were weird things happening in Ohio. This time around (2008), probably they weren't willing to run the risk of a full-blown investigation. Their kind of cheating only works in reasonably close elections, so it wasn't worth the risk this time. Plus one "honest" election will put people back to sleep.

[Carolab]

WE ARE NOT STEALING THE ELECTIONS. THE REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR THREE ELECTIONS.

[CR46]

No Diebold machines involved in Minnesota

[Ranta]

Optical scanners so that means their is a paper trail.

[Carolab]

We have a mix of optiscans but mostly ES&S. We have a very good SOS and a good recount/audit system. And the SOS is "educated", okay?

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

It's gonna be especially difficult for him to be chair of the NRSC since he WON'T BE A SENATOR when he LOSES the recount.

[rdiaz921]

I was going to type that.

[MagisterLudi]

I FULLY support Franken. Although I cannot help thinking that a stronger Dem candidate would've ann ihilated Coleman.

[functor]

Hey Ludi why you are still hiding from your friend "habibi"?.­.lol

[dejayel]

As nice as your idea might have been, Mr. Franken won the DFL primary. Unlike the IR's (MN GOP party); the votes matter.
Besides, the giants in the DFL are now either old or dead. Humphrey, Mondale, Moe, etc. They have been succeeded by stars??? of far less magnitude.
Norm Coleman should NEVER been elected; nor would he have won in 2002, but for the tragic death of Paul Wellstone 11 days before that election.
I won't be real surprized when Coleman rejoins the DFL party in Minnesota to run for hockey czar. He claimed to have brought the NHL back to Minnesota.