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Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Norm Coleman: Civics Lesson Fail
A sitting United States Senator should know this little rule. It comes from Article 1, Section 7, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution (unshredded edition):
Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law.
Norm Coleman/Minnesota GOP mailer today contains these charges:
A veto-proof 60-vote majority in the U.S. Senate means the Democrats and special interests can do whatever they want, without any compromise. (emphasis in original)
...
With razor-thin margins in Senate races around the country, Minnesotans will not only choose our own Senator, but there's a good chance we may be the ones to decide whether or not there will be a veto-proof Senate. (emphasis supplied)
...
ON NOVEMBER 4TH cast your vote AGAINST a veto-proof U.S. Senate and FOR a politically balanced government. (emphasis supplied, capitalization in original)
Is Norm Coleman unaware of his mailings? Or is he unaware of the U.S. Constitution? Or does he not want to mention the Senate rule that's actually at stake here -- that if the Democrats have a 60 vote majority, then Republicans will be unable to continue to filibuster at a breathtaking rate?
After all, as a member of the majority, Smilin' Norm hated the filibuster, because every bill merited an up or down vote. That's why he voted for cloture on an energy bill that would have allowed drilling in ANWR. As a member of the minority, Smilin' Norm has felt very differently about the filibuster. Over the last 2 years, he has voted to filibuster over and over again. And now he has the gall to claim he can work across party lines?
Heaven forbid that the Senate actually be able to pass a few bills without Republican obstructionism.
Labels: Smilin Norm
0 comments
Friday, February 08, 2008
Klobuchar, Coleman vote to extend unemployment compensation
Credit where credit is due: both Amy Klobuchar and Norm Coleman voted in favor of the Senate bill which would extend unemployment compensation benefits. For a stimulus package to be effective, it has to put money in the hands of people who will spend it. The men and women who have been out of work for months need help now.
Good for Sen. Klobuchar. Good for Sen. Coleman.
I'm still voting for Al Franken.
Labels: Amy Klobuchar, Smilin Norm
1 comments
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Klobuchar's first Worst Vote Ever
I expect Smilin' Norm Coleman to vote to give the Bush Administration the power to eavesdrop on Americans without any judicial oversight, but it's shameful to see Amy Klobuchar vote to subject Americans to the whims of the NSA.
I'm appalled that Democrats in Congress let the hugely unpopular boy king dictate vast expansions of spying powers to them.
I can't find the vote over at Senate.gov so I can't confirm Klobuchar's vote as reported by the DailyKos.
Labels: Amy Klobuchar, NSA, Smilin Norm
1 comments
Friday, August 03, 2007
Smilin' Norm Coleman -- Yes on SCHIP
Smilin' Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar both voted to fund and expand SCHIP, the federal program that helps states provide health insurance for children.
Labels: SCHIP, Smilin Norm
0 comments
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Smilin' Norm Coleman -- Courage under Obfuscation
Sen. Norm Coleman has an op-ed piece in the Rochester Post-Bulletin. A taste:
On legislative matters, the Senate has a long history of filibustering. Even so, I have generally supported cloture votes when used to bring up a measure for debate and improvement on the Senate floor. For example, I've received some criticism for supporting cloture on a defense bill in 2005 that included a provision related to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), because I wanted to move the bill forward and take care of our troops. Ultimately, the ANWR provision was stripped from the bill and I was then able to support its final passage.
Unfortunately, since Sen. Reid took over as majority leader in January, he has filed cloture 46 times, compared to just 16 at the same point in 2005 or 11 at the same point in 2003 when Republicans were in control of the Senate. Nearly one in six roll-call votes taken in the Senate this year has been a cloture vote.
Darn that Harry Reid! Always trying to stifle debate. See, it's Harry Reid's fault for trying to cut off debate. You just can't blame Republicans for filibustering at a record pace.
I'm not an expert on the procedure of the Senate. My understanding is that the Senate traditionally governs debate through unanimous consent (PDF). The Senators agree on the parameters of the debate before the debate begins. Cloture For example, there was no cloture vote in the passage of the Pendsion Funding Equity Act of 2003:
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, pursuant to the order previously agreed to, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of H.R. 3108, the pension bill.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
In other words, absent unanimous consent, a bill cannot move forward without a cloture vote. One Republican senator is all it takes to require cloture. Blaming Harry Reid for following through on cloture votes is hypocrisy at its finest.
Fact is, the Republican senators have filibustered everything -- even the ethics reform package which recently passed the House again -- 411 to 8.
But at least one Republican Senator is threatening to filibuster ethics reform, as well. At the least we will see yet another vote on cloture, because Republican senators require it:
Those conservatives, led by Sens. Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) and Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) are expected to block immediate consideration of the bill, and force a vote to end their filibuster, but after the lopsided House vote, Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid(D-Nevada), asked, "Isn't it legitimate to ask the Republicans how they really want to proceed?"
Labels: filibuster, Smilin Norm
1 comments
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Smilin' Norm -- quiet on his father's passing
I very, very rarely have anything kind to say about Senator Norm Coleman. When I read the news about his father's death, I decided I had no comment on it. I try to focus on Coleman's politics, not his personal life.
Apparently the decision not to extend condolences was in poor form. I'm with Spotty on this:
Spotty, you offered your condolences, didn't you?
No grasshopper he did not. Spot has never met the senator, well maybe they did play "shake" once, and Spot doubts that Coleman reads the Cucking Stool. So what's the point?
Well, Mitch would have felt better.
And that's Spot's job?
I guess not.
I'll go one better -- the machinery that manufactured fake controversy over the deaths of Paul and Sheila Wellstone has no business telling anyone how to observe others' grief. Ever. The shameful manipulation of grief for political gain was beyond all bounds of human decency.
Labels: Smilin Norm
0 comments
Smilin' Norm's narrow lead
KSTP has detailed Survey USA results PDF with match-ups between Coleman and his 3 current challengers. Smilin' Norm leads Al Franken 49-42, leads Mike Ciresi 48-42, and leads Jim Cohen 49-37.
Surprisingly, among Black voters, Coleman leads Franken 52-40 while Ciresi leads Coleman 51-43.
Of course, when your sample size is 628 and Blacks make up only 3% of registered voters in Minnesota, the sample probably consists of fewer than 20 voters. It's hard to draw meaningful conclusions from such limited data.
In the bigger picture, though, this is very good news for Franken and Ciresi. According to MyDD, Coleman's lead over Franken has collapsed from 22 points to 7. Coleman's lead over Ciresi has shrunk like Alice slipping under the door. Coleman led Ciresi by 23 in February and leads by 6 now.
Labels: Al Franken, Smilin Norm
0 comments
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Frownin' Norm Coleman
Matt at MN Publius reports back on the latest SUSA data. It's not pretty for Smilin' Norm Coleman, who now faces a net negative 5 approval.
I don't see current numbers from SUSA, but as of November, 2006, 10 Senators has negative net approval ratings:
- Mark Dayton, retired
- John Kerry, no election
- Jon Kyl, re-elected
- Jim Bunning, re-elected
- Mel Martinez, no election
- Frank Lautenberg, no election
- Conrad Burns, defeated
- Rick Santorum, defeated
- Jim Talent, defeated
- Mike DeWine, defeated
Burns, Santorum, Talent, and DeWine were all at least -15 in net approval in November. Bunning and Kyl were at -3 and -2 respectively.
Coleman is in dangerous territory, but SUSA's polls come from a small sample, have a high margin of error (4%), and tend to be volatile. Coleman could well be +10 in August.
Labels: Smilin Norm
0 comments
National Guard: Best Care for Returning Troops
Sen. Norm Coleman and Gov. Tim Pawlenty are arguing that current policy forbidding mandatory activities for National Guard and Reserve soldiers in the 60 days following their return home. The idea is that mandatory activities can help identify soldiers with the greatest need for support and services.
Sounds like an idea with merit.
Labels: National Guard, Reserves, Smilin Norm
0 comments
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The Circle is Complete: Smilin' Norm on the Filibuster
Smilin' Norm Coleman on the filibuster yesterday with Hannity and Colmes:
COLEMAN: Listen, I don't argue, by the way, about the 60-vote rule. On issues of importance, you've got to get 60 votes. What happened here on the floor of the Senate two nights ago, in the same night where they shot down the opportunity to provide protection for citizens who simply do what they should do, which is report behavior that they're concerned about, the vote was 49-48 to make sure we don't have a Fairness Doctrine. Evan Bayh was the only Democrat who voted with me.
So Democrats had a chance to express themselves on this issue. I don't argue with getting to 60; that's the way the Senate works. But, clearly, for some reason, Democrats wouldn't step forth and say, "Hey, we should put an end even worrying about whether there's a Fairness Doctrine."
Norm Coleman press release, December 21st, 2005:
I came to the Senate to get things done. I have never supported a filibuster, no matter how controversial the issue. Our troops, the victims of the hurricanes, and the families who depend on LIHEAP assistance deserved an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor today. Yet the outcome of this vote reveals a deep dissatisfaction among my colleagues. I am angry about the process and at the direction we have forced on these very important issues that now remain unresolved. We will now have to start over from square one. My only hope is that we bring back to the table a bill that excludes ANWR and will offer real choices to our troops and families and sets politics aside to get necessary legislation passed.
Labels: filibuster, Smilin Norm
0 comments
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Smilin' Norm Coleman: Filibusters Reed-Levin
Not a surprise, but Sen. Coleman voted to filibuster the Reed-Levin amendment to the defense appropriation bill.
Coleman also voted against Sen. Hagel's amendment to limit deployments to Iraq.
On the other hand, Coleman did vote to end the filibuster of Sen. Webb's amendment to ensure soldiers have sufficient time at home between deployments.
Busy week.
Labels: Smilin Norm
0 comments
Coleman vindicated?
George Galloway, who famously pantsed Norm Coleman during a Senate investigation has now been suspended from Parliament for his dealings with Iraq.
This would not make Galloway the first public ideologue to personally profit from a corrupt, tyrannical regime. Just the first to make Coleman look a fool while doing it.
Still, this appears to be a measure of vindication for Coleman.
Labels: Galloway, Smilin Norm
0 comments
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Smilin' Norm Coleman: Fundraising with Bush
Smilin' Norm anticipates a fundraiser with President Bush. We don't know where, we don't know when:
From Minnesota, though, came a different kind of yes, one that followed a debate along these lines, according to two strategists: Democrats plan to wrap Bush around Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) no matter what, so he might as well get something out of it.
Naturally, Coleman, who declined to say when the fundraiser would take place but said it would be in Minnesota, was more diplomatic.
"I am running against two guys who are millionaires, and one of them has access to an unlimited countrywide liberal base," Coleman said of comedian Al Franken, a Democrat.
While it's true that Franken has raised a considerable amount of money from out-of-state, Coleman's claims along these lines has been challenged. For example, Minnesota Monitor found that roughly 50% of Coleman's contributions came from Minnesotans, while Coleman reported the figure to be 70%.
You can review Coleman's FEC filings here. Al Franken's are here. Note that Coleman's figures are current through the end of march, while Franken's figures are current through the end of June.
Labels: fundraising, Smilin Norm
0 comments
Dirty Bombs & Netflix
Smilin' Norm Coleman requested a sting to test the vulnerability of nuclear material for potential dirty bomb makers. The results weren't good:
Federal officials said that they did not think terrorists had the technical ability to make a bomb that spreads dangerous nuclear radiation. “It would be a tragic mistake to under estimate the capability of the enemy,” Coleman warned.
The accountability office ran a sting and found its agents could obtain a federal license allowing them buy enough nuclear material. The sting came at Coleman’s request.
“It was as easy to get this material as a DVD at Netflix,” Coleman told the Washington Post. “If al-Qaeda had set up a phony corporation in the U.S., they could have gathered enough material to make a dirty bomb.”
Our government should be vigilant. To the extent that Smilin' Norm is contributing to that vigilance, I tip my cap for a good day's work.
On the other hand, you don't actually have to set up a phony corporation to rent movies from Netflix, so I'm guessing that Netflix is still easier.
Labels: dirty bombs, Smilin Norm
0 comments
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Smilin' Norm Coleman: Pandering
While Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) prepares to re-brand himself from toady to centrist, he continues to prove his hard-right bona fides by digging into two issues of the talk radio right. First, Smilin' Norm has been offering legislation to fix a problem that does not exist -- an amendment to a defense authorization bill that would prevent the FCC from reinstating the Fairness Doctrine:
“I absolutely believe that Americans should hear both sides,” responded Sen. Coleman. “But I believe—strongly believe—that the government should not be in the position of deciding and dictating, ‘Now here is the other side.’ Americans have all sorts of options to hear the other side. All they’ve got to do is turn a dial. All they've got to do is push a button. All they've got to do is press a mouse. And they have that ability.”
In many ways, Coleman is right on this issue. There are many more sources of information available to Americans today than there were in Reagan era. While choice exists in many urban areas in the country, no such choice exists in rural areas. On the other hand, there is scant, if any, evidence that the FCC is actually considering taking the action which Coleman seeks to bar.
Likewise, Coleman continues to bang away at the United Nations. A body in need of reform, to be sure, but Coleman remains uninterested in meaningful reform and more interested in appealing to the primary voters who scan the Mower County horizon for black helicopters:
Norm Coleman, a first-term Republican senator for Minnesota, has emerged as the strongest critic of the United Nations in Congress. He charges that the council is "a platform to shield human rights abusers from criticism and launch vitriolic attacks against one country — Israel." He added that having as its members Cuba and other notorious rights violators "is akin to the fox guarding the henhouse and will only ensure that it remains irrelevant in promoting human rights."
Labels: fairness doctrine, Smilin Norm, U.N.
7 comments
Friday, July 13, 2007
Smilin' Norm Coleman: I listen to Kissinger
Smilin' Norm Coleman took a bold, unexpected position today. After announcing that he understood that the people of Minnesota wanted to bring U.S. troops home, Smilin' Norm said he doesn't listen to the little people. Instead, he listens to Henry Kissinger.
Listen to Coleman's comments here.
(3:05)If I took a poll in Minnesota right now, the majority of folks in my state would say get out of Iraq right away. I know that doing that would be a disaster. ... And it's not me knowing that, it's our ambassador [Ryan] Crocker says it, Henry Kissinger says it, so I'm not going to support that.
In other words, Norm Coleman believes what bought and paid for administration officials say, no questions asked and Minnesotans be damned.
Also at this audio report, you can hear Coleman say that there can be no firm deadlines for Iraq, then talks about significant troop draw downs in 2008. Considering that 2008 ends on December 31, 2008, it sounds to me that Coleman is setting a Dec. 31, 2008 deadline for bringing troops home. Coleman goes on to say that he will be proved right by the November election, which sounds like yet another deadline to my ears.
Finally, it's interesting that MPR finds a "centrist" and someone who will vote for Coleman "no matter what" to comment on the story. With a growing majority of Minnesotans opposed to Coleman's war in Iraq, you'd think MPR could have found 1 strong voice against this misguided war.
Labels: Iran, Kissinger, Smilin Norm
2 comments
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Smilin' Norm Coleman: Maybe filibuster!
Just to complete the circle, here's Smilin' Norm's spokes-bot on whether Coleman will vote to filibuster the immigration bill:
When asked for the senator's criteria on whether he'll vote for cloture, a spokesman for Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn), explains, "His amendment will be a factor, the Graham amendment will be a factor as well as others on border security and workplace enforcement mechanisms. The question will be, “have we strengthened the bill enough?” If we can’t do that, he’s going to vote to kill this.”
The factor that's missing? Smilin' Norm's commitment to seeing that legislation gets the up-or-down vote it deserves.
As Ba Ha Ha noted in comments to a previous post, there's nothing wrong with Smilin' Norm threatening to filibuster a bill he doesn't like. He's trying to shape the bill to better suit his needs. He ought to do that. What's wrong is that when Republicans controlled the Senate, Smilin' Norm was opposed to the filibuster on principle, because legislation deserved an up-or-down vote.
Speaking of hypocrisy...
Dear Mr. Coleman,
My friend Norman.
Years ago, in a lifetime far away, you did not oppose the legalization of marijuana. Years ago, in our dorm rooms at Hofstra University, you, me, Billy, your future brother-in-law, Ivan, Jonathan, Peter, Janet, Nancy and a wealth of other students smoked dope.
Sure, we had to tape the doors shut, burn incense and open the windows, but we got high, and yet we grew up okay, without the help of the Office of National Drug Control Policy's advice...
Damn. Even Norm's doobie brothers are turning on him. All because he blazed up then, but believes it'll turn you crazy now.
Labels: drug laws, filibuster, Smilin Norm
2 comments
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Smilin' Norm Coleman: No Filibuster!
Fresh off voting to filibuster the Employee Free Choice Act, Smilin' Norm has now flip-flopped on his filibuster of immigration reform:
Republican Sen. Norm Coleman voted today to end debate on a stalled bill to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants.
Coleman switched his vote in exchange for a promise the Senate would consider his amendment to allow local law enforcement to question people about their immigration status and share information about unlawful immigrants with federal authorities.
I guess the whole "up or down" vote principle is out the window. Once again, Smilin' Norm's only principle is self-preservation.
Labels: filibuster, immigration, Smilin Norm
2 comments
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Smilin' Norm Coleman: Filibluster!
Smilin' Norm Coleman hated that dreaded filibuster when he was in the majority party. He even hinted at his willingness to support the 'nuclear option' to prevent Dems from filibustering judicial nominees. His contempt for the filibuster even required him to vote in favor of cloture on a bill that would open up ANWR for drilling. Smilin' Norm opposes drilling in ANWR with all his soul, mind you, but he really, REALLY believes in up-or-down votes. He had to vote for cloture on ANWR, even if his vote meant that he would be breaking a campaign promise (Democrats successfully filibustered the energy bill despite Coleman's vote, which allowed Coleman to vote against drilling in ANWR after the bill had been amended.)
That was then, as they say, and this is now. Smilin' Norm voted with his party to prevent a vote on the Employee Free Choice Act of 2007. I guess if there's one thing Smilin' Norm is more passionate about that up-or-down votes, it's screwing working people.
Labels: Smilin Norm, unions
2 comments
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Empty Suit Thursday falls on a Wednesday this week
It's nice t know that we in Minnesota aren't the only ones to notice what a man of principle our senior senator isn't:
My guess is that events in Iraq combined with constituent pressure will end up pushing maybe 10 GOP senators and 40 GOP congressmembers into the anti-war camp. This will likely be a combination of moderates who are on the fence already (think John Warner); temperamental isolationists who are hawkish but were never really that thrilled with the neocon grand plan in the first place (think Jeff Sessions); and folks who simply decide that opposition is the only way they can win reelection next year (think Norm Coleman).
Labels: Smilin Norm
0 comments
