Coleman Gets By with a Little Help from His Friend(s)

08/21/2007

Rewarding Coleman’s Unwavering Loyalty on Iraq War, President Headlines Eden Prairie Fundraiser; While Coleman Welcomes Bush, His Supporters Advise Keeping Distance


St. Paul, MN (August 21, 2007) President Bush arrives in Minnesota this afternoon to headline an exclusive fundraiser for Senator Norm Coleman’s reelection campaign, a reward for Coleman’s unwavering loyalty to the president and his failed war strategy. Coleman’s supporters, however, are urging that the senator keep his distance from the president who hand-picked him to run for the Senate in 2002.

Coleman has supported Bush 90 percent of the time since he went to the Senate more than four years ago. As a senator, he has consistently stood in the way of progress, including ending the war in Iraq. Voting five times since the beginning of 2007 against a timeline to bring the troops home from Iraq, Coleman has yet to take action to reverse America’s course in the Iraqi civil war.

A recent poll shows that Minnesotans disapprove of Coleman’s near-perfect support of Bush. Only 41 percent approve of the job that Coleman is doing as senator, and only 37 percent would vote to reelect him. Minnesotans’ opinions of Bush are even lower: only 24 percent approve of his actions as president, while an overwhelming 75 percent disapprove. [DSCC, 8/16/07]

Now nervous about Coleman’s reelection prospects, the Republican Party of Minnesota and other prominent Republicans are putting distance between Coleman and Bush, while at the same time the senator is expected to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars with the president’s appearance in Eden Prairie today.

“While President Bush is in town raising money for Senator Coleman, Minnesotans are still waiting for the senator to stand up to the president and take action to end the war in Iraq, to bring our troops home safely, and to move America forward,” said Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez.

“And while we’d like to think that everyone can change,” continued Melendez, “we don’t have much hope for Senator Coleman. His loyalty to the president who hand-picked him for the Senate has trumped his concern for Minnesotans for almost five years. Today’s exclusive fundraiser shows both where Norm Coleman stands, and that Minnesotans need a new voice in Washington — a voice that speaks for us, not only for the wealthy and the powerful.”

Bush Rewards Coleman for Firmly Backing Failed Policies; Minnesotans Disapprove

Coleman Voted Five Times Against Withdrawal This Year Alone. In July, Coleman voted against the Levin-Reed Amendment, which established a timeline to bring most U.S. troops home from Iraq by April 30, 2008, with the withdrawal beginning within 120 days. Coleman voted against similar withdrawal plans four times in March and April. [Vote #252, 7/18/07; Vote #147, 4/26/07; Vote #126, 3/29/07, Vote #116, 3/27/07;, Vote #75, 3/15/07; NPR, 7/17/07]

Coleman Refused to Support Timelines for Bringing our Troops Home. Senator Coleman said in July, “We are going to be in Iraq for a long time. I am not supporting date, specific dates, timetable for withdrawal.” [Pioneer Press, 7/14/07]

Coleman Said “Whatever the Future Brings, We Must Stand With This President.” In September 2004, Coleman praised President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq and said, “Whatever the future brings, we must stand with this president.” [Star Tribune, 9/22/04]

Minnesotans Disapprove of Coleman’s Near-Unwavering Support of Bush. Fifty-eight percent of Minnesotans rate the job Coleman has done as senator as poor or, at best, fair. [Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, 8/16/07]

Bush, Cheney and Rove Hand-Picked Coleman to Run for Senate in 2002. “Rove called Coleman's expected primary rival, Minnesota house majority leader Tim Pawlenty, and asked him to step aside. After Pawlenty turned Rove down, Cheney called him with the same message — less than two hours before Pawlenty was set to announce. Pawlenty is now running for Governor.” [Time, 3/10/02]

While Coleman Gratefully Accepts Bush’s Money, Minnesota Republicans Back Away

Republican Party of Minnesota: Bush is History. “Republican strategists are pronouncing the lame-duck president a non-issue in next year's Senate race. ‘We're entering into a post-Bush world,’ said Mark Drake, a spokesman for the Minnesota Republican Party…By next fall, said Drake of the Minnesota GOP, “George W. Bush is going to be on his way to Crawford.’” [Star Tribune, 8/20/07]

Tom Horner: Coleman Should Keep His Distance. “’Sen. Coleman is going to leverage George Bush where he is useful and valuable, and that will be in raising money and energizing a portion of the base and staying away from him the rest of the time,’ said Minneapolis GOP consultant Tom Horner, a Coleman supporter.” [Austin American-Statesman, “GOP candidates happy to have Bush raise money for them — at arm's length,” 8/11/07]

Sarah Janacek: Take the Money and Run. “Coleman's best option, according to Janacek and other Republican strategists, is to take the money and absorb the early PR hit now…‘George Bush becomes a bit player in '08,’ Janacek said. ‘It ain't about him anymore.’” [Star Tribune, 8/20/07]

Republican Blogger: Good Luck with That. “Coleman supporters feel compelled to walk a familiar tightrope — cashing in on the president's fundraising prowess while defining their candidate as an independent thinker focused on getting practical results for Minnesota…‘Coleman will have to differentiate himself from Bush in some way,’ said Gary Miller, a conservative blogger…‘I don't know how he's going to do it. It's really a dilemma.’” [Star Tribune, 8/20/07]