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Norm Coleman Gets Pressed on Suits
As we told you yesterday, the newest skeletons in Sen. Norm Coleman's political -- and literal -- closet are Nieman Marcus suits supposedly bought for Coleman by a political contributor.
And as we mentioned in a late update, Coleman was confronted by a member of the Minnesota press as he exited a cafe. Well it turns out the kerfuffle was caught on tape.
Take a look:
Late update: This just went up a few minutes ago. It's a pretty baffling press conference. To wit, Coleman's press flak repeats the phrase "the Senator has reported every gift he has ever received," NINE times in just under 4 minutes of questioning. This would have been a totally adequate response if the reporters had been asking him whether Coleman reported the gifts on his financial disclosure forms. . . but they were after something far simpler: Did the Senator ever receive a gift of suits?
You have to watch:
Josh
Zachary
Note to reporters covering Norm Coleman: If he or his spokespeople don't answer your questions in a straight forward, transparent method, then don't cover him at all. Stop all press conferences, stop all news coverage. Totally ignore him and when he starts whining about the lack of coverage, let him whine.
These assholes are really starting to get on my nerves. Just answer the fucking question please.
October 8, 2008 3:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Better yet, ask him why he refuses to answer a direct question. Remind Quimby (or his flack) that "...the Senator has reported every gift he has ever received..." is an evasion, not an answer, and then repeat "Why won't you answer a direct question?"
Then take (or send) a full-resolution copy to WCCO-TV (attention: Pat Kessler), KARE-TV, Twin Cities Public Television, MSNBC, and CNN. I'm leaving out KSTP, as the Hubbard family is in the tank for Quimby (and all Republicans) big time. KMSP is a Fox O&O, so no traction there either.
Also ask him about his skirt-chasing. It's widely known here, just never addressed.
October 8, 2008 4:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good idea as well. I wonder if Olberman will pick this up and put it in his Worst Person segment?
October 8, 2008 6:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
KO's got bigger fish to fry. Quimby, for all his oiliness, has reached his ceiling. Pulling him back down, crashing him to the floor, is going to have to be local.
The reporter really missed pressing him on the evasion - a simple "That's not an answer, that's an evasion!" would have been great there.
I still wonder - why does this guy get a pass every bloody time out?
October 9, 2008 1:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think this would make a great add, put together with some of the Gonzo answers, and something like "This is what republican senator Norm Coleman understands as "transparency".
October 8, 2008 4:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Coleman is parsing the ethics rules. He's obviously using the "personal friendship".
The Senate Ethics manual says:
So the answer to the question is almost certainly "yes, Kazeminy paid his Neiman-Marcus bills". But that's not listed on any of his Senate gift reports because Kazeminy is a personal friend and the Senate doesn't require him to report excluded gifts.
October 8, 2008 6:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
spot on, I'm sure. Note how, although he says "the Senator has reported every gift he has ever received" continuously, eventually they do get out of him that what he really means is that he's complied with the Senate disclosure rules, which of course don't cover "every" gift.
And what's this about his wife's job?
October 8, 2008 6:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
I meant:
Coleman is parsing the ethics rules. He's obviously using the "personal friendship" exclusion.
October 8, 2008 6:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Suitgate, who'd have thunk it.
October 8, 2008 6:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent. Reminds me of that beer commercial with the coach repeating, They are who we thought they were.
Urr, back to the topic at hand ;)
October 8, 2008 6:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
"the Senator has reported every gift he has ever received,"
That gets old really fast.
October 8, 2008 6:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
The way the reporters are openly incredulous of the blatant non-denials they're hearing really point out how awful the Washington bunch are. Kudos Minnesota media.
October 8, 2008 7:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Schadenfreude.
It's not just for dinner.
~
October 8, 2008 7:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Norm Coleman the gift that keeps on taking . . . Appoligees to the diease of a similar name . . .
October 8, 2008 11:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Norm continues to show that he is in this for himself - he switched parties when he thought the Repugs had achieved a "permanent majority"
I don't know what it will take to get him out of office - unfortunately Franken keeps finding ways to get into trouble
October 8, 2008 11:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Both he and the press look idiotic. Wouldn't it be better to get a hold of those disclosures (aren't they public record?) and then ask him about any discrepancies?
October 9, 2008 9:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
A commenter at a Minneapolis site writes in to praise Coleman's press guy: "Cullen Sheehan is an excellent campaign manager!!" Funny, said commenter's name, Brenna, seems awfully familiar? Cullen's wife or sister?
October 10, 2008 8:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
If Laurie Coleman is a business asset to Hayes Co. than I'm a model.
Also, the figures disclosed by Norm Colemans for the trip to the Bahamas and Paris are woefully low.
Norm and daughter to the Bahamas for $3,960. In 2004, Norm and Miss Blo and Go to Paris for $2,870.
Currently a private round trip to Europe is over 100,000.00
Amend your gift return Senator.
October 10, 2008 10:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
The way that they stick to the exact wording makes me suspect that Coleman received the suits before he was actually Senator, but that the amount of the gift is large enough that they think it would be more damaging than the obvious stonewalling.
October 10, 2008 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ity seems that Coleman and the Emperor get their new suits from the same tailor.
October 11, 2008 7:09 AM | Reply | Permalink