Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) faced more questions from reporters about his sweetheart apartment deal.

(h/t TPM Muckraker)

There are several instances of Norm-speak^TM that I'm going to address:

1. "Minnesotans are glad I live so humbly"

"Minnesotans are glad I live so humbly," Norm said. Maybe a few people do. However, DFLers don't like it that you have a nice li'l ol' backscratching deal with a guy with whom you do business. You paid one month's rent in furniture which remains in the house and that you probably still use. You didn't pay two month's rent and only did pay it when questioned by the National Journal reporter. Finally, you have not provided any evidence that $600/mth rent is fair market value

The reason you have been forced into this situation is a Senators salary won't

• cover the mortgage, upkeep and taxes on your home in the posh Cathedral Hill neighborhood of St. Paul
• keep your wife living in her accustomed luxury in California
• pay for two kids in college
• and afford a $1,750/mth apartment in DC.

I suggested on another occasion that you ought to become a lobbyist. You'd make more than enough money then.

2. "Charles Rangel pays below market value"

Yes, Norm, Charles Rangel does pay below market value for an apartment in Harlem. He is also under scrutiny for that, but no ethics complaint has been filed as of yet. The crucial difference is that Rangel did not arrange this deal with a guy with whom he does millions of dollars in business. Rangel also has a lease and pays his utilities.

Is his deal shady? Sure. Does that excuse you because a Democrat did it to? Absolutely not.

3. "Charles Schumer and those guys have a house"

Charles Schumer shares a house with 4 other people. $750 X 5 = $3,750/mth for rent sounds reasonable on Capitol Hill. Furthermore, Schumer's landlord is not a Democratic lobbyist with whom he does millions of dollars of business. Nobody has claimed that Schumer hasn't paid his utilities.

Coleman compares his situation to that of his Democratic colleague from New York, Chuck Schumer, who he says pays $750 a month in rent. Schumer would not say how much rent he pays his landlord, California House Democrat George Miller.

"Listen, I share a house with four other people. I share a room with a person. Ask Norm if he does that," Schumer said.

The person Schumer shares a room with is the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Dick Durbin.

"I live with Schumer — that's an added burden," Durbin said. "And you know, the place is not — I don't know what Norm Coleman's place looks like. Ours looks like a goodwill store on drugs."
(NPR)

Who is Norm sharing his bedroom with? Schumer raises and interesting question. Laurie lives in California ... so it's not her.

4. "We had an informal arrangement that I said I'm going to change"

Not quite. You only changed your arrangement because of an expose' on your sweetheart deal. This is strictly a case of CYA. If you would have been concerned about accepting gifts of more than $250 from a friend and business associate you would have taken more measures to guarantee no ethical questions would arise. The fact is you didn't.

5. "I think I overpaid my utilities"

Norm thinks that $538 for a year's utilties or under $45/mth for all utilities is overpaying. Furthermore, at 1:40 into the vid, he claims that he pays a third of the utilities. $1600 a year, $400 a month for utilities in DC? Who is he kidding. Gas, electric, internet, phone and garbage do not total $1600 for a year in DC. I would believe the electric bill alone might total $1600. That sounds like a steaming pile of Buffalo pies.

Of course, Norm didn't have to pay them monthly. Norm claims that he had a verbal agreement that he pay them annually.

Of course, the real question Norm should be answering is who paid the utilities on a monthly basis? Was it his landlord Jeff Larson's company, FLS Connect? That is definitely an ethics violation. This is very likely as Norm's upstairs neighbors are FLS Connect employees.

6. "This is just election year stuff"

Exactly. You are up for reelection. You are under scrutiny. You're sweetheart deal with a guy with whom you do millions of dollars of business indicates something about your character. You are a weasel.