Norm Coleman's Calculated and Cunning Comeback

[a kennedy]

* Commentary

BILL BERKOWTIZ FOR BUZZFLASH.COM

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision allowing an unlimited flow of corporate money into electoral politics, the former Minnesota Senator has launched two new ‘center-right’ political organizations focused on traditional conservative principles’ and dedicated to battling liberal think tanks.

When the long drawn out fight for the Senate seat from Minnesota between Democrat Al Franken and Republican incumbent Norm Coleman was finally decided – many, many months after Election Day – no one really expected the vanquished Coleman to ride off into the sunset.

And Coleman didn’t. These days Coleman is hoping to carve out some new political territory for conservatives that is just far enough away from the racousity of the Tea Party movement not to alienate them, and is a healthy distance from the Religious Right and their social agenda.

Last month, after having done everything in his power to delay the seating of Franken, and after being out of the spotlight for a few months, Norm Coleman, along with businessman Fred Malek, McCain presidential campaign advisor Douglas Holtz-Eakin, and Rob Collins, a former staffer for Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), announced the launching of two non-profit enterprises, the American Action Forum (501(C)(3)and the American Action Network (501 (C)(4)). Coleman, who will serve as chairman of both groups, claims that they are being established as an ideological counterbalance to the Center for American Progress, an important liberal think tank.

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “The ‘Forum’ will be a think tank focused on policy work and the ‘Network’ will be geared toward spreading that message through forums, education, advertising, etc (not to mention some possible lobbying). Coleman is the CEO of both organizations.”

"We will support center-right principles. Our focus is going to be about principles. We will support policymakers that espouse those principles," Coleman said. Coleman eschewed the possibility that he would also engage in lobbying saying that was not his “purpose.”

full: <http://blog.buzzflash.com/contributors/3028>

[Mister Ed]

1. This article has a serious grammatical error

It uses "Coleman" and "principles" in the same sentence.

[Foo Fighter]

2. Yes, but the same could be said of Klobuchar.

Keee-riihist. She's Norm Coleman in a skirt. She may be a very bit slightly less smarmy but the smariminess is still there. Those two could very easily belong to the same party.

[becxx]

3. Accurate assessments, I'd say

I agree on the assessment of these pathetic senators from Minnesota.