Flip Flops
Norm Coleman has flip flopped 19 times on important issues. I'm sure you'll notice that this list only goes up to 18, but please note that #11 is a double-back flip flop and counts as two.
Anti-War activist during the Vietnam War, Pro-war Senator at the beginning of the Iraq War then flopping to against escalation in 2007 when his 2008 reelection starts to loom ominously yet not really not supporting the escalation. Confused? You better read the Iraq War section of the Norm Coleman Weasel Meter.- Liberal Democrat in the 70s, became a conservative Republican in 1996 after he saw the conservatives climb to power in 1994.
- In June of 2003 Norm voted to reduce America's dependence upon foreign oil. In June of 2005 flip-flopped on the issue.
- Norm flip-flopped on CAFTA in June 2005. He admitted to being persuaded to vote for CAFTA just before the vote.
- In January of 2007, he said he opposed the Bush Administration's surge. By February 2007, he was opposing the opposition to the escalation. See the Iraq War section for details.
(March 2007) City Pages reports that Norm voted YES in March 2005 on the Bankruptcy Reform Bill that the credit card industry wanted. Now, closing in on a reelection year, he's had a change of heart:
- Last week, Sen. Norm Coleman opened a Senate hearing with an impassioned speech about abuses by credit card companies. "Although the practices at issue today are not criminal schemes, they clearly have a devastating impact on the many families who are mired in debt—and credit opportunities that look like a helping hand actually become snares that sink the consumer into further depths of debt," Coleman intoned. "High interest rates, hefty fees, and crippling penalties impede more and more hard-working families from pursuing their American dream."
- (4/18/07) Norm Coleman flip flops on Medicare negotiating drug prices, now he's for it!
Norm was opposed to Medicare negotiating for the lowest drug prices, doing the bidding of his contributors from the pharmaceutical industry. However, he has now changed his mind. Possibly because he's up for reelection in 2008.
Read more about his flip flop on Medicare negotiating drug prices
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(6/8/07) Now he's changed his mind on the filibuster. He has voted to uphold the filibuster of the Immigration Act that is before Congress. It must be okay this time, because its the Republicans spurred on by their conservative base who are filibustering this bill. Its clear from Norm's voting record that what the conservative base wants, is how Norm votes.
- “I came to the Senate to get things done. I have never supported a filibuster, no matter how controversial the issue."
(Norm Coleman's 12/21/2005 Press Release)
Read more about his flip flop on filibustering
(Update I: 7/27/07) Norm's staffer responds to criticsm for Norm's opposition to ending the Iraq War and flip flopping on filibusters with a letter to the editor. The problem is he makes it worse.
Mpls Star Trib prints lies from Norm Coleman staffer
(Update II: 6/13/08)) But wait, he's not done flippery-floppiting on filibustering! He apparently grumbled to some lobbyist (whose ranks he will soon be joining, hopefully) that he doesn't like the Republicans use of the filibuster. You know how brave and principled Norm is ... this is so passive-aggressive and weasely ... well ... read for yourself.
- “I came to the Senate to get things done. I have never supported a filibuster, no matter how controversial the issue."
- (7/25/07) Norm flip flops on supporting the United Nation's Human Rights Council. When it was formed after the previous incarnation was dissolved, Norm advocated continuing to support it. One year into the new organization's life, he wants it defunded.
- (8/27/07) The St. Cloud Times printed a letter from Kristina Rasmussen of the National Taxpayers Union based in Alexandria, VA. She is disappointed Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) has flip-flopped on a campaign promise to never ever raise taxes under any circumstance.
- (9/28/07) Today Norm performed a most complex double back flip flop. Not only has he reversed his position on oversight on Iraq, he has also reversed his position on arbitrary timelines at almost the same time. Until 9/28 Norm has been opposed to oversight in Iraq. As Chair of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Norm chose to ignore the corruption and incompetence in Iraq that would have embarrassed Republicans. In conjunction with his blindness to corruption and incompetence he has also been a staunch Bush Loyalist. Norm has firmly opposed arbitrary timelines for troop withdrawal until now claiming in one way or another that we need to stay the course and see how it goes.
This is a extremely difficult maneuver and the pressure of reelection must really be on. Obviously, we'll see how much of an effect the elusive double back flip flop has in November of 2008, but here are samples of what it looked like.
Norm Coleman flip flops on oversight on Iraq
Norm Coleman flip flops on arbitrary timelines - (11/07/07) How much more difficult will it be for Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) to claim he supports the troops when he voted to strip important VA funding from the Labor, Health and Human Services bill 3 days before Veterans day. The timing couldn't be worse for yet another flip-flop. He changed his position after his concrete shoes, President Bush, vowed to veto the bill.
- (2/21/08) Norm flip flopped on fuel efficiency standards. Norm criticized Paul Wellstone during the 2002 campaign for supporting higher fuel standards. In 2003 he stuck to his word and voted against increasing fuel efficiency standards to 40mpg by 2014. In 2005, he again voted against an amendment to the Energy Bill to raise the standard to 40mpg for cars, SUVs and minivans by 2016.
Now that he is battling for his political career, it's an entirely different story. Last June, Norm voted not once but twice for the Energy Bill which contained higher fuel economy standards. Then in December, he voted for its final passage and employed Norm-speakTM to fool people into believing he'd always been good on environmental issues.
- “Passage of this bill marks a major step towards ending our dependence on foreign energy. By increasing the use of renewable fuels and raising long-overdue fuel economy standards, this bill not only makes major strides in reducing our consumption of fossil fuels and lessening our foreign oil dependence, it also protects the environment. This is a bipartisan achievement that offers real solutions to the Nation’s energy security challenges, and I urge the President to sign this bill into law.”
(Norm's 12/13/07 Press Release about the passage of the Energy Bill)
- “Passage of this bill marks a major step towards ending our dependence on foreign energy. By increasing the use of renewable fuels and raising long-overdue fuel economy standards, this bill not only makes major strides in reducing our consumption of fossil fuels and lessening our foreign oil dependence, it also protects the environment. This is a bipartisan achievement that offers real solutions to the Nation’s energy security challenges, and I urge the President to sign this bill into law.”
- (3/11/08) Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) has flip flopped on immigration once again. Dump Michele Bachmann caught Norm criticizing Rep. Michele Bachmann for pushing for the police to enforce immigration law by checking for immigration status at traffic stops.
- "I don't think anyone is talking about local law enforcement being in the business of enforcing immigration."
(Dump Michele Bachmann)
This contrasts with Norm's statements from when Congress was debating Bush's immigration policy last May and June of 2007. He used to be for police checking for immigration status at traffic stops. Norm was taking significant heat from the Republican base. They were worried that he'd be for "amnesty." Norm came out against "sanctuary cities" where police don't check for immigration status.
- "I don't think anyone is talking about local law enforcement being in the business of enforcing immigration."
- Once again Sen. Norm Coleman has insisted on his right to talk out of both sides of his mouth. Norm holds no position that he will not change if the political breezes change. This time Norm was for the Wall St. bail-out before he was against it.
When the first bail-out package looked like a done deal, he indicated he was for it, but the House Republicans rejected it. After the rejection, he was against it.
- Coleman said work could continue on the plan to ensure safeguards are in place, but that expedience was critical. He recalled a conversation he had with an acquaintance about the situation. ‘He told me that we have our quarterbacks in there — (Treasury Secretary) Henry Paulson and (Federal Reserve Chairman Ben) Bernanke — and they’re calling the play. And we have to run the play,’ Coleman said. ‘We’re all there, the folks in the huddle and we’re working with them on the play. But we have to run the play.’”
[Morris Sun Times, 9/24/08]
Read the sordid details here.
- Coleman said work could continue on the plan to ensure safeguards are in place, but that expedience was critical. He recalled a conversation he had with an acquaintance about the situation. ‘He told me that we have our quarterbacks in there — (Treasury Secretary) Henry Paulson and (Federal Reserve Chairman Ben) Bernanke — and they’re calling the play. And we have to run the play,’ Coleman said. ‘We’re all there, the folks in the huddle and we’re working with them on the play. But we have to run the play.’”
- After running a classic Republican campaign, Norm is repenting and reforming his ways. After relentless negative character attacks against his opponent, Norm pulled all his negative ads and swore off negative campaigning.
- "I decided I was not all that interested in returning to Washington for another six years based on the judgment of voters that I was not as bad as the other guys," Coleman said. "I want folks to vote for me, and not against the other folks."
(WCCO)
If this desperate ploy is anything, it is a flip-flop. The reason that Republican run negative character attack ads is they work. Norm is virtually suspending his campaign as he has done little but attack Al Franken in the last months.
- "I decided I was not all that interested in returning to Washington for another six years based on the judgment of voters that I was not as bad as the other guys," Coleman said. "I want folks to vote for me, and not against the other folks."
- Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) was for the concept of allowing card check ballots before he thought it might be good to campaign against it in his senate reelection campaign. According to WCCO, while Norm was mayor of St. Paul he was for the concept.
- As the Republican Mayor of St. Paul, Coleman signed a unanimous city council resolution asking businesses to stay out of union elections and allow unions to form by signing union cards.
(WCCO)
Now as a Senator fighting for his political life, he's lying about the Employee Free Choice Act eliminating the secret ballot. The EFCA actually allows the union organizers to do whatever their constituents want ... card check, secret ballot or whatever. The legislation also has harsh penalties for employers who intimidate, harass or interfere with union organizing -- this is what Norm and his buddies really oppose.
- As the Republican Mayor of St. Paul, Coleman signed a unanimous city council resolution asking businesses to stay out of union elections and allow unions to form by signing union cards.
- Al Franken has introduced ads (here and here) that criticize Sen. Norm Coleman's poor voting record. Despite assuring Minnesotans that his record was fair game back in April, he always reserves the right to go back on what he said in the past.
- GE: So you're record is fair game?
Norm: Absolutely. Absolutely..."
(MPR's Midday)
Norm is whining that Al's ads are negative, inaccurate attacks. If this race is about Norm's record, Al Franken will win this race. So Norm's campaign roles out the Norm-speakTM to counteract the discussion of Norm's voting record:
- The Coleman camp fought back Monday in a media missive that characterized Franken as "vulgar" and "dishonest," claiming that he had distorted Coleman's record and had been the first to air an attack ad.
(Star Tribune)
If you read the entire article, you will notice that Norm can't point out what specifically Al got wrong. If you read the blog post at Norm's campaign site, they cannot refute any of the points Al makes.
Which part is inaccurate? Norm hasn't rubberstamped Bush's invasion and occupation of Iraq? I think Norm still claims that one. Norm hasn't played cheerleader while Bush drove the economy into the ditch? I'm sure Norm doesn't want to talk about that. Norm hasn't voted for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? Norm would like you to think of this as stimulating the economy. Vulgar? I didn't hear any cuss words ... maybe Republicans exist in a parrallel universe?
The sole reason Norm objects is because the claims in these ads are irrefutable.
- GE: So you're record is fair game?
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