OMG! Norm Coleman on front page of Star Tribune
Of course, the only reason Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) made the front page of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune was the Strib was defending Norm. They have never placed any unfriendly news about Norm on any of their front page. The owners and editors are determined to influence this race the only way they know how, bury any bad news about Norm and frontpage any bad news about his opponent Al Franken.
By EMILY KAISER
ekaiser@startribune.com
WASHINGTON - Norm Coleman slept here -- but the FedEx box turned nightstand, neckties tossed over the top of an accordion-style closet door and low ceilings aren't much to write home about.
(Star Tribune)
Reporters were not allowed to take photos of Norm's digs ... if you can believe the Norm-speakTM ... because of the possible security issues. Of course, Norm has no problems showing the inside of his St. Paul home ...
I've lived out in the DC suburbs and rent is insane out there. I had friends living in DC proper who paid huge amounts for tiny efficiencies ... and they weren't near Capitol Hill or Adams Morgan where the rents are the highest.
Get this straight ... Norm is getting a sweetheart deal. The Strib and Norm are just conspiring to poo-poo it as nothing to see here ... move along ...
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Give it a rest, no one cares but you!!
Give it a rest already. This story is dead and Coleman has been unusually open about this issue. Why don't you talk about his record of partisanship rather than his living that has NO traction.
Patrick, this story is NOT dead
There's a reason why an Ethics Complaint was filed.
And watch for Jeff "Landlord" Larson's problem with his Homestead Exemption, too.
Organization
What is really obvious is that all the Republicans hit the comments as soon as the story came up. This is not a reflection of readers, it is a reflection of organized writing. I think it is time to organized our alert comment team. Constant letters to the editor would be nice too.
Republican?
I don't think I'm a Republican, but I'm fair. Coleman wouldn't risk an ethics violation over a crappy little basement--I can't believe I'm defending him.
Coleman has a history of getting away with stuff
Actually, there seems to be a game over how much can be done without getting caught, of if caught to not be held accountable.
Do you think that if a Democrat had way below market rent from a lobbyist that had received legislative favors from the Democrat that we would have the same coverage?
Probably the Fed-ex box was added and stuff in rooms was re-arranged prior to the viewing. People, especially mainstream media reporters are so gullible. I would have looked for dust under the bed. I would have noted if everything seemed especially clean in strange nooks, as in everything just suddenly moved. But then I am just a citizen journalist.
That is probably why there was not video taping. Sharp eyes would have caught stuff. People who have been there would have remarked that stuff changed.
The reporter did give us a hint that this was a setup -lots of pillows. What guy do you know uses a bed every night and keeps lots of pillows?
This is all speculation
I don't like speculation. Find hard facts before you make wild theories of lies and deceit.
Hmmmm
I was mostly commenting on what I would have reported on and the Star&Tribune reporter did not - whether this setup looked recent. The speculation is important to show why the reporting fell short. The "tall full-sized bed, covered with a mound of pillows" is in the article.
So basically the questions still are
- was more of the basement available than presented
- is this underpriced for the market
- how often was actual rent paid and cashed
- did the owner of this house get legislative benefits from Coleman
So far the answers
- don't know
- yes
- not consistently
- yes
Hmmm, still looks like an ethics problem to me!
Not Good Enough
If I we're a Senator and was giving legislative benefits to a GOP operative for lodging, I would be doing it for a full DC apartment, not a little basement room. Not that I would put myself in a questionable situation at all.
Correction*
"If I was...*
"not good enough" hrmph
I live the in the city that St Paul was mayor. Did you notice that St Paul does not support Norm Coleman, that his neighbors do not support Norm Coleman. That is because his history of what he did as mayor and what he did as a person was that bad. Fortunately for Norm, in time he was mayor, people did not go to social function with a camera or video in those days.
I can see that a few historical articles are needed.
You're not listening
I do not like Norm Coleman at all. He is a sleaze ball who puts himself first. He is partisan and not a moderate. I am a Democrat and I supported Ciresi. I just don't see apartmentgate as that big an issue.
Well, some of the rest of us do
Paying $600, and sometimes no rent or "furniture" when a basement apartment goes for $1200 - $1600, means that Norm Coleman gets $12,000 a year tax benefit which is equivalent of $24,000 before taxes. That Norm Coleman appears to have given this landlord significant legislative favors is a big deal.
I'm tired
$24,000 is really not that much money in the grand scheme of legislative favors. Whether or not you think this is a big deal, no one else does, so it's a null point. Move onto something like who donates to Coleman's campaign-- that it full of documented wrongdoings. I'm tired of defending Coleman, let's see what Jesse and Ciresi do before we get embroiled in specifics about apartments.