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The Senator's New Clothes
Does Senator Norm Coleman pay for any of his personal expenses?
In what is becoming a clear pattern, reports show that his political contributors have paid for an array of Coleman's basic expenses, including his rent, his utility bills, his trips to the Bahamas, and -- in the latest revelation -- even his clothes.
From Harper's:
I've been told by two sources that [local businessman and political contributor Nasser] Kazeminy has in the past covered the bills for Coleman's lavish clothing purchases at Nieman Marcus in Minneapolis. The sources were not certain of the dates of the purchases; if they were made before Coleman joined the Senate in 2003, he obviously would not be required to report it under senate rules. But having a private businessman pay for your clothing is never a good idea if you're a public official (Coleman was mayor of St. Paul from 1994 to 2002).
Oddly, the Coleman camp didn't issue a denial to Harper's inquiries, stating only, "[a]s required, any gift Norm Coleman has received from his friends has been fully reported."
Late update: Coleman gave a slightly more heated denial to the Kazeminy clothing question to a Pioneer Press reporter, who caught the incumbent senator as he was heading out of a cafe in Fergus Falls, MN:
"First of all, every gift I've ever received has been reported, ok. But the idea of responding to the things bloggers throw out is something I'm not going to get into. There are very awful things that are said about people on the blogs," he said.[Reporter Dave] Orrick then asked for a simple yes or no answer on the suit question.
"That's the answer, period. You can read it in the answer," he said.
Josh
Zachary
Free suits from Neiman Marcus? What an Elitist! He should have been scamming free suits from WalMart, or maybe Target if he wanted to be more upscale!
October 7, 2008 4:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Definitely not Target. As anyone can tell you, Target is a front for a snooty French apparatus pronounced "Tar-zhay..." No frog legs and freedom fries at Norm's cookouts... Wal-Mart or Sears... If he wanted to be more upscale, he should be shopping at that famed Christian-friendly establishment J.C. Penny's.
What do you think the J.C. stands for?
October 7, 2008 4:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Coleman is a scumbag.
Minnesota needs to flush him.
October 7, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, but Tar-zhay is headquartered in Minneapolis so it might be a good idea for Norm to shop there once in a while.
October 7, 2008 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nieman Marcus Sold Suits To An Empty Suit!
Empty Suit Incest In Minnesota!
October 7, 2008 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Calling Slimy Norman an empty suit is an insult to clothing everywhere.
October 7, 2008 5:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
If this bugs people enough to not vote for Coleman, I'll take it. For myself though, I'm much more bothered that FLS partner Jeff Larson, Coleman's DC landlord and buddy who was referred to in the Harper's article, also does lobbying for the junta in Burma. Why is Coleman buddies with someone who takes such a reprehensible paycheck?
October 7, 2008 5:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Because Coleman is a scumbag?
October 7, 2008 5:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Someone who cheats on (and possibly beats) his wife is by definition a scumbag, so the shoe definitely fits.
October 7, 2008 6:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
When Paul Wellstone decided to run for the Senate in the late summer of 1988, he didn't own a suit. Professors at Carleton didn't need them, and he didn't have other needs. But they told him he would have to wear a Suit and Tie to campaign events, so he went to K-Mart and bought four off the racks. That served his needs till he won the Senate Seat.
When he got to DC some of his collegues didn't appreciate the by that time, thread-bare K-Mart Suits, so they took him to a mid-upscale place in DC, and insisted that he buy a couple of suits and other stuff. He had to borrow the money, but eventually paid it back to Democratic Senators, and after a few months, discovered the bargin places around DC where he could shop and still meet the Senate Dress Standards. But Sheila would not give up her job of cutting his hair -- one compromise he would not make. You knew things had changed when he showed up in a truely elegant Norwegian Sweater one weekend, telling us all how he had found it on a bargin sale.
Norm gives the term "stuffed shirt" a totally new meaning.
October 7, 2008 5:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
If he is getting free clothes, why does he still dress like a weather man?
October 7, 2008 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Senate has dress standards?
It would be interesting to see an elected Senator refused permission to represent his constituents based on what he was, or wasn't wearing.
Sounds unconstitutional to me.
.
October 7, 2008 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think the dress code is a good idea. Otherwise, every time you tuned into C-Span you might be subject to viewing a bunch of folks clad in sweat pants, I'm with Stupid t-shirts, black socks w/sandals and sporting tramp stamps and muffin tops.
Sorta like a visit to the local megamall.
October 8, 2008 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, they had to pass a special rule for a recent Senator from Colorado, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, so he could wear a string tie with an Indian holder. Otherwise it is strictly suit and tie. Paul stretched things with his tweed jacket with leather patches on the sleaves. The women have their own standards that allow a little more freedom, they can choose either pants suit or a skirt.
When Paul would tell the story he always noted that he wanted to offer an amendment, requiring powdered wigs.
October 7, 2008 5:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why do you characterize Senator Coleman's response to reporter Dave Orrick as a "heated denial?" From my reading of his response, he simply refused to answer the question (of course, that constitutes an answer in and of itself).
October 7, 2008 6:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
It has to do with the testy nature of Quimby's response - the tone of someone who's been caught out and is asking who to believe, him or the reporter's lying eyes.
I've seen and heard Quimby questioned - he's pretty thin-skinned. I wonder why no one has yet asked him about his well-known skirt-chasing, or the rumors locally that Laurie had shown up in ER's with facial bruises. I wonder what his responses to those questions might be.
October 7, 2008 7:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, those bloggers just keep asking those awkward questions regarding influence peddling. How dare they?!?
October 8, 2008 2:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
I do not understand the polls that keep coming out of Minnesota. Over the years, the only kind words ever uttered about Norm is the knee-jerk response that he is registered Republican followed by lengthy quiet time . . .
October 8, 2008 9:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
Vote for Al Franken.
Do it for Paul Wellstone.
October 8, 2008 9:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, at least Target's a Minnesota company, so it would be somewhat forgivable.
October 8, 2008 2:27 PM | Reply | Permalink