Klobuchar’s Ode to Coleman
July 9th, 2009 – 1:15 PM by Kevin DiazIt was a tale of two star cross’d senators from different sides of the political aisle. Their bipartisanship might not have been quite so epic as Shakespeare’s Montagues and Capulets, but Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Republican Norm Coleman sometimes raised eyebrows – if not daggers — in their respective parties. In the days after the 35W tragedy, for example, they seemed inseparable in the press of daily news conferences, to the political benefit of both.
On Thursday, Klobuchar joined a parade of pols who took to the Senate floor to laud their departed colleague, who came up 312 votes short in his reelection bid against DFLer Al Franken. “Senator Coleman made a very difficult decision,†Klobuchar said, “and he did it with such grace.â€
In a distinct break with recent Democratic Party orthodoxy, Klobuchar also offered this: “He could have appealed that (Minnesota Supreme Court) decision. He could have gone to federal court. It was his right. But he made a decision which he felt was best for the state of Minnesota, and the state thanks him for that. I personally thank him for that.â€Â Klobuchar went on to give a sympathetic rendering of Coleman’s political career, crediting him as the guy who, as St. Paul mayor, “brought hockey back to Minnesota.â€
To be sure, she mentioned some of the lowlights as well, including Coleman’s 1998 gubernatorial defeat to Jesse Ventura, whom, she recalled, Coleman once described as a guy “whose previous career highlight was being killed by an alien creature in the movie ‘Predator.’â€Â She also recalled fondly how Coleman had reached out to her when she came to the Senate two years ago, and how hard they worked together. “We basically got along from the moment I started to the end of his term as a senator,†she said. Just as striking, she suggested Minnesota might not have seen the last of Coleman. “Norm hit the ground running,†she said, “and he hasn’t stopped.â€
No ancient grudges in fair Verona.
62 Responses to "Klobuchar’s Ode to Coleman"
In death as in political limbo, it seems that the character of the malefactor is suddenly elevated well beyond what we recall was his actual legacy. If he was a smarmy as a senator, a hypocritical law suit happy campaigner not above throwing mud, but hypersensitive about getting himself soiled and a crass, spiteful contestor of our fair, open, full and legal recount, then he is still that same smarmy, spiteful hypocrite after having bowed out.
I guess Klobuchar doesn’t want to speak ill of the dead, especially as a senator.
Coleman’s decision wasn’t “very difficult” if his goal was to somehow prevail in his meritless lawsuit. He had no hope of obtaining THAT after the unanimous MN Supreme Court decision.
If his goal was merely to try to delay Franken’s seating still longer, then I guess it was a “difficult” decision to finally accept the indisputable result and stop his game of meritless litigation for national Repub purposes .
But delay in Franken’s seating was only possible because of the crazy MN law that didn’t allow Franken to be seated until after any litigation from the recount had been completely resolved—a law that appears to be unique to MN.
It’s a terrible law, one that encourages national meddling in the state’s electio machinery (as we saw here with the senate Repub caucus) and results in extensive lack of representation for our citizens, as also happened here.
The law should be changed to have the election certificate issue after the state canvassing board has certified the election, and allow sore losers (like Norm) to file their contest, while the winner takes the seat provisionally. That’s how other states handle the situation of the close recount.
100 blog bucks says Parth reverses his opinion if a Republican has narrowly won an election and the Democrat is contesting it in court with financial backing from outside the state.
Parth, even if you assume everything about Norm is evil, he still had 2 choices in this instance (1) conceded or (2) continue the lititgation to keep the Dems from their 60th vote. Of the two choices, he chose the more honorable. Even if you hate the guy for everything he did until that second, give him some credit here. Otherwise it seems you can’t find a single shred of good in anyone who’s GOP.
“100 blog bucks says Parth reverses his opinion if a Republican has narrowly won an election and the Democrat is contesting it in court with financial backing from outside the state.”
Thats a suckers bet.
Hey parth what did you learn in school today?
“100 blog bucks…parth reverses his opinion….Dem contesting”
Did you spot that I was advocating changing the offending law, AA-Ron, which would then apply to all parties? That would mean this type of manipulation couldn’t happen again–by either (or any) party. Sheesh. This law should have been changed 3 months ago.
Yes, Earlsall, having gotten himself into a highly dishonorable position by baselessly challenging the recount in court and depriving the state of over 5 months representation in the senate for no legitimate reason, Coleman decided not to do even more partisan damage to the state by (finally) conceding on June 30 after having every panel and court unanimously rule against him.
Can’t see how Norm’s entitled to more than a matchstick of credit, but he elected not to continue on the horrendously obstructionist, anti-democratic path he was on to the absolute bitterest end, I agree. Thanks soooo much, Norm, you’re a real prince. A model for Repub incumbents all over the nation.
Don’t say I’m uncharitable with giving credit!
I learned that paper-pushing mid-level bank cube employees have way too much time on their hands!
DFL Dora says:
“GOP can just about kiss goodbye any support from Latinos. How happy does it make Kyl or Cornyn who have large Latino populations in their states?â€
Dora, you must be very proud of your democrat soci@list party. They are doing everything in their power to push for illegal alien amnesty and open borders despite the resulting serious economic and other consequences, simply because the libs know that they can count of their votes. Americans should be outraged.
The vast majority of immigrant latinos with vote liberal democrat in hopes of amnesty and redistribution of wealth, and this is a problem.
“When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.â€
-Benjamin Franklin
At least Klobutcher is smart enough to realize that the Border Wall is money well spent, unlike Franken.
For every dollar we spend on much needed border walls to help stop the massive flood of illegal aliens, we will save many times that in savings on welfare, incarserations, medical, and other costs to taxpayers.
“Billions in aid go to areas that backed Obama in ’08″
Payback time! The democrat vote fraud group ACORN is cashing in big time as well.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-07-08-redblue_N.htm
D2, did you actually read the article you linked, or just go with the headline? In the first place, ACORN was not mentioned in the article at all. Apparently your “ACORNitis”(ACORN on the brain) is causing you to see it everywhere. Here a few quotes from the article you must have missed:
“Investigators who track the stimulus are skeptical that political considerations could be at work. The imbalance is so pronounced — and the aid so far from complete — that it would be almost inconceivable for it to be the result of political tinkering, says Adam Hughes, the director of federal fiscal policy for the non-profit OMB Watch. “Even if they wanted to, I don’t think the administration has enough people in place yet to actually do that,” he says.”
Here’s another:
“Jake Wiens, an investigator with the non-profit Project on Government Oversight, says it’s too soon to draw meaningful conclusions about whether the type of aid in the stimulus favors Obama’s constituents.”
And the article ends with this one:
“The imbalance didn’t start with the stimulus. From 2005 through 2007, the counties that later voted for Obama collected about 50% more government aid than those that supported McCain, according to spending reports from the U.S. Census Bureau.”
Ya, D2, “payback time” started in 2005. If you’re gonna link it, I’d read it first, if I were you.
“Ya, D2, “payback time†started in 2005. If you’re gonna link it, I’d read it first, if I were you.”
You must not know him very well yet.
That’s his M.O.
Ah yes, to see parthian’s unending rudeness, and simply ridiculous policy assertions, I do at times feel some
Schadenfreuden!!!!!!!!!
while watching this policy and economic trainwreck unfold.
Panetta says CIA mislead—will we get our truth commission? Boehner is callin for it, yet again.
Debt, deficits, unemployment, recession.
Korea,Iran, Afghani, Hondo,
Biden dementia, Senate tables climate while Hanson rips it, healthcare on life support, but GM will be DOA.
All this with 60% Dem Senate, 60% Dem House, and Dem President…..
Yes, everything sucks right now, but until our leftie wingnuts eat a little crow
Schadenfreuden is in vogue…
Monty,
USA Today is a pretty liberal news source. The headline was accurate though.
If anyone thinks ACORN is anything but a corrupt organization, they have their head up their ass.
Partisan’s comrades supporting Obama. Pretty funny!
Meanwhile the Rasmussen Obama approval index has dropped to -8. As I have noted, the independents are running away from him.
Barbara Boxer is running away in from the bill to combat global warming. She is putting this off until after Congress returns from a recess that ends in early September.
Even John Murtha noted that: “he would not have created the stimulus package the way President Barack Obama designed it.”
The American public are seeing through the sea of deficit spending – also known as the failure of Obamanomics.
“All this with 60% Dem Senate, 60% Dem House, and Dem President…..
Yes, everything sucks right now, but until our leftie wingnuts eat a little crow
Schadenfreuden is in vogue…”
So all of the problems of our country and the world should be just taken care of, Poof!, because the dems are on top right now? Wow, quite a vote of confidence, Jim, but I’d like a toke of what yer smokin’.
No, I’m afriad it’s gonna take more than smoke and mirrors – which is what we’ve been going on for quite a while in this country – to see our way clear of our prediciments. The dems don’t have all the answers any more than the neocons do. Working together – what a concept! – would probably achieve more than schadenfreude. Depends on what you want though, eh, Jim? Yer team to win or your country to win.
I imagine it’s a tougher choice for a person to make if all they want to do is laugh at people and/or make sure they get their pound of flesh, but then, we are all defined by the choices we make.
Speaking of a preference for schadenfreude, I do not recall you giving us daily quotes of the Rasmussen Bush approval index, Cash. But it is good to see you’ve found something that can give you solace during your time in the wilderness.
“USA Today is a pretty liberal news source. The headline was accurate though.”
D2 raises an interesting point. In the link he provided, the headline and the article are at odds. In fact, the article refutes the headline. If USA Today is a “liberal news source”, what’s with the headline? Conversely, if the headline is accurate, what’s with the article?
More conundrums from the Age of Disinformation….
You’re on a roll, monty.
Well, we can see the swirling chaos in the mind of a typical conservative by reading 6DJ’s posts. He simply strings together a constellation of nouns and phrases, having nothing to do with each other, and leaves it at that.
He spices his nonsense with a dash of intellectual dishonesty (“health care on life support…senate tables climate”), as though he disagrees with this or supports health reform or climate legislation.
Add in his (and the dimwit 2D’s) unshakeable belief in post hoc ergo propter hoc (Dems are now in control, there are ongoing disasters, therefore Dems caused them) and you can see why having “conservatives” dictate policy or make crucial decisions was a national catastrophe.
They literally don’t understand cause and effect, cannot evaluate evidence and cannot use reason. One might as well have one’s dog propose legislation as a conservative white male. At least the dog would make a good faith effort.
Dora says:
You’re on a roll, monty
Monty may or may not be on a roll, but his beloved dems are definitely NOT.
I remember the joy of Dora’s victory dinner when the Dems had their big win in 11/2006–the joy, the joy.
Yet, it has all gone in the crapper since that time. It is funny just to see our lefties pretend on these pages they took power in 1/2009, not 1/2007.
And unlike so many leftie partisans here, I was the first to step away from the ilk of McCain and Norm. WHo are my guys, Monty?
And where is that Truth commission, Dora?
And lest anyone doubt the Palin Bashing, please read the AOL interview by award winning White house reporter Carl Cannon, available at newsbusters.com and aol:
Cannon summed up:
In the 2008 election, we took sides, straight and simple, particularly with regard to the vice presidential race. I don’t know that we played a decisive role in that campaign, and I’m not saying the better side lost. What I am saying is that we simply didn’t hold Joe Biden to the same standard as Sarah Palin, and for me, the real loser in this sordid tale is my chosen profession.
or
Sen. Biden, however, was in a place by himself when it came to bogus claims, absurd contentions, and flights of rhetorical fancy. He threw out several assertions that were so preposterous that – had Palin made them – they would have prompted immediate calls for McCain to dump her from the ticket.
The good senator from Delaware warmed up slowly, erroneously claiming that McCain voted with Obama on a budget resolution, and asserting wrongly that Obama wanted to return to the Reagan-era marginal income tax rates. He also embarked on an appallingly wrongheaded monologue about the constitutional history of the vice presidency. But when the talk turned to national security, presumably Biden’s purported area of expertise, he went completely off the grid.
or
Facts matter, the man said. But they didn’t in 2008, not when it came to Joe Biden (our guy) against Sarah Palin (odd outsider). The ladies and gentlemen of the press were more interested in her hair, her glasses, her wardrobe, he accent, her sex life, her kids’ sex lives, and her hunting habits than in whether her opponent knew anything about foreign policy, the Constitution of the United States, or the job he was running for. They still are. The relentlessly negative coverage of Palin goes on unabated — she’s the subject of a much-ballyhooed hatchet job in Vanity Fair this month — even as Biden makes minor news from time to time by continuing his penchant for gaffes, this time while serving as the second most powerful person in the federal government.
Jim says:
really quite an interview, but it shows how we elect buffoons like Obama and Biden who are clueless in how to run a country or balance a budget. The media coddles these idiots, but somehow hates a self-made person like Palin.
6DJ takes pains to make clear that he disassociates himself from any Repub who is not utterly and totally brain dead.
Of course. Purge your party of impure strains, 6DJ! Candidates must pass the Lady Sarah Birdbrain test!
Monty,
Why didn’t Americans learn from the mistakes made last time we had an extremely liberal President and a democrat controlled House and Senate? Jimmy Carter and his acomplises seriously harmed our economy, and now it’s deja vu all over again, except B. Hussein Obama is like Carter on liberal steriods.
Partisan,
At what age did you start to feel your first communist impulses?
Palin the Grifter should thank her lucky stars the corporate press spent loads of time on “her hair, her glasses, her wardrobe, her accent” etc., and not “whether [she] knew anything about foreign policy, the Constitution of the United States, or the job [she] was running for”.
That comparison would have made the election even more of a blowout.
Have you bought your Lady Sarah Pinhead lifesize cut-out yet, 6DJ? All the conservative males are buyin’ ‘em!
dare2: “last time we had an extremely liberal President and a democrat controlled House and Senate?”
I’m thinking the last time we had that was actually Reagan and O’Neil.
parth: “All the conservative males are buyin’ ‘em!”
Conservative white males are the ones buying everything……no one else has any money.
“Have you bought your Lady Sarah Pinhead lifesize cut-out yet, 6DJ?”
What do you suppose a guy like Parth puts up on his dorm room wall?
“What do you suppose a guy like Parth puts up on his dorm room wall? ”
Oh, just the Obama Hope poster.
The Nancy Pelosi picture, though, is on the ceiling over his bed with Christmas lights strung around it.
“What do you suppose a guy like Parth puts up on his dorm room wall? â€
There has to be at least one Che poster, hopefully not the one where his Rolex is prominently displayed.
Kidding aside parth,
I think Franken won, as close to fair and square as one can get in such a close squeaker of an election. I think Coleman should have accepted it sooner. I don’t know if I agree with you about changing the law. Maybe it’s wise not to seat a Senator if the dust hasn’t settled yet.
If narrowly decided elections with prolonged resolutions are too stressful for you, your party and Jim’s would have done well to run a candidate that inspired more than half the people to vote for them.
“What do you suppose a guy like Parth puts up on his dorm room wall?”
Paul Wellstone(!) and Erik Estrada…?
“What do you suppose a guy like Parth puts up on his dorm room wall?â€
The requisite Che poster, along with a life size cut-out of Barney Frank.
Ha-ha, not even close dudes.
Politics and pop culture on the walls? Oy.
“16-year old from Rio catches Obama’s eye… MORE… “
I don’t want the image of my parents doing it doggy in my head and neither do I want the image of my president doing the same either.
Anyone else with me on this?
I’ll bet Partisan has posters of Paul Wellstone, Karl Marx, Ceasar Chevez, and child molestor Michael Jackson on the wall in his room in his Mom’s basement.
President needs to learn to wear sunglasses when checking out chicks, just like regular guys do. Other than that, I have no problem with it.
Dare2; “I’ll bet Partisan has posters of Paul Wellstone, Karl Marx, Ceasar Chevez, and child molestor Michael Jackson on the wall in his room in his Mom’s basement.”
Meanwhile, dare2 proudly displays a confederate flag next to the Hamm’s bear…..and a jack-a-lope.
“Politics and pop culture on the walls? Oy.”
Probably pictures of Mommy and Daddy and his pet. Homesick Parth?
“Meanwhile, dare2 proudly displays a confederate flag next to the Hamm’s bear…..and a jack-a-lope.”
You forgot my poster of Bud Grant.
“President needs to learn to wear sunglasses when checking out chicks, just like regular guys do.”
I hear Barney Frank doesn’t have a problem with this.
Democrat Soci@list Party pushes for another failed Porkulus Bill to increase wasteful spending such as Nancy Pelosi’s $16.1 Million dollars for mouse preservation.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/10/gop-hits-pelosi-for-mouse-funds/
Frankly Dare either.
This is a video Comrade Partisan would be proud of:
Parthian says:
“They literally don’t understand cause and effect, cannot evaluate evidence and cannot use reason.”
Dear Parthian:
Coming from you that’s a keeper? It made my day!
I saw a thing on CNN yesterday about the Humvees in Afghanistan not being probably equipped for car bombings.
I look at the NY Times and its not on the Headline today
I’m confused. Nor do I see that compliant on the huffenting post site nor have it seen it MSNBC
Tiny says” I don’t want the image of my parents doing it doggy in my head and neither do I want the image of my president doing the same either.
Anyone else with me on this?”
Then which Republican candidate for president do you picture at this time?
Yes. and doggy love leads to oversize litters and other sports of nature. I’m with you there, TB.
6DJ wrote this morning:
“WHo are my guys, Monty?”
Good question. Far as I can tell from your posts your “guys” are girls: Palin and Bachmann. Photogenic? Yes, definitely. And while being photogenic is helpful in running for national office, my personal preference would put more emphasis on substance than style. But that’s just me.
“President needs to learn to wear sunglasses when checking out chicks, just like regular guys do. Other than that, I have no problem with it.”
Sunglasses would be contrary to this administrations’s emphasis on transparency. I have no problem with it either. And neither will the girl from Ipanema probably selling the rights to an “I was ogled by the Messiah” story.
And Michelle Obama need not be upset. She knows how unlikely it is that a tryst with a fox on the Appalachian trail would ever be scheduled by her husband. And it should also be reassuring to many that in at least one kind of presidential preference poll the vote is “hetero.”
Conservative white males are the ones buying everything……no one else has any money.
Well the value of my 457 plan has increased by earnings of almost 10% in the last quarter. Best perfoming were the LARGE cap mutual funds. Does that mean more hiring will happen in the near future? Or is this this just a (sustained) bear market rally as DB has suggested? I kind of enjoy seeing these kind of returns for a change. Does that make me a conservative ?
pictures are not always what they seem Jay. Check out the video. Sarkozy on the other hand…
Way to demolish the negative spin Dora, good investigation! A different camera angle suggests an entirely different moment in time.
I believe the majority of the president’s attention was on the one he was escorting down the risers, not the stranger ascending them. Not to criticize Obama’s peripheral vision but I’d be surprised to ever see his tongue hanging out, no matter where the venue.
the rw flap over that picture is hilarious. They’ve got two religious right GOP leaders embroiled in adultery scandals and they are all verklempt about a photo that isn’t even what they are trying to make it seem. Talk about desperation.
Note, however, the immense power of their propaganda 24/7 Noise Machine, which has already vomited this Obama-hating lie all over the country, which was happily ingested by every wingnut and right leaning sh*t-eater in the country.
Think the Noise Machine will will spend an equal amount of time telling their cretionous dogbrain “conservative” news seekers that the video shows their prior prejudice-inspired “interpretation” was wholly false?
And how exactly could the operators of the Noise Machine not know the story was false at the time they vomited it out, given the existence of the video?
Note also that not a single “conservative” news gulper will care that they were lied to. That concern doesn’t enter their minds—-they WANT to be lied to, as long as the lie is “conservative”. This is how 40% of the country now “thinks”, which is one reason we are doomed as a nation.
“This is how 40% of the country now “thinksâ€, which is one reason we are doomed as a nation.”
Parth I’m not down with that sentiment. I’ll agree that partisan spin creates hilarious messes. But every day here in God’s Country is chance for a do over. That’s why many other nationals continue to wish they were us…in spite of everything.
“pictures are not always what they seem Jay. Check out the video. Sarkozy on the other hand…”
I saw it and I’m a professional “looker”. That was a “nice @ss” look. Quick but a look now the less.
Tiny says: I saw it and I’m a professional “lookerâ€.
Maybe Sarkozy cued him with “catch this one over on your right.” Obama had to oblige in the interests of American-French amity?
Dora: “the rw flap over that picture is hilarious… Talk about desperation.”
??????. I guess I am a little out-of-the-loop because I’m not seeing/hearing much “rw flap” at all, much less anything that smacks of desparation. I see/hear a lot of radical left-wingers expressing false “outrage” over the reaction from the right that isn’t materializing, but that’s about it. If the guy got photographed checking out the backside of some cute little gal, so what? If it was a creative camera angle that simply made it appear that way, even less of a so what.
Unless you are defining “rw flap” as people getting a brief chuckle out of it, I’d say you are being overly defensive. And if you are defining it as that, I’d say you’re being overly defensive.
“Unless you are defining “rw flap†as people getting a brief chuckle out of it, I’d say you are being overly defensive.”
Remember the story about the reflection of a naked women in Dick Cheney’s sun glasses? That was good for a laugh too.
Drudge and Hannity: pretty right wing Jay. Don’t think they were merely “getting a brief chuckle out of it” (especially when they consistently say “apparently the girl is 16 years old”), not to mention Hannity and Fox chopping the video. But what do you expect when Fox consistently mislabels Republican lawmakers as Democrats but only when they seem to be in some kind of trouble?
And “rw flap” is the typical MO. Starts with Drudge, ricochets around the RW blogs, then makes it to the RW media like Fox.
Guess you are a little out of the loop.
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