Bush-Coleman 08

Franken launched a new ad and a website dealing with Senator Coleman's allegiance to President Bush and his 8 years of foreign and domestic failure.



Brodkorb and the right wing blogosphere are quick to point out that President Bush is not on the ballot this year.

Trailing in the polls by double-digits, Team Franken has released a new attack TV ad and website connecting President Bush to Senator Coleman. The attack ad and website contain no positive message about Al Franken. If Franken wanted to run against President Bush, he should have ran for president in 2004.

Phew, glad these guys are around to let us know important tidbits like that!

They tried the same arguments with Mark Kennedy back in 2006. I remember the 2006 MPR debate at the State Fair between Klobuchar, Kennedy and Fitzgerald. Despite Mark Kennedy having supported Bush initiatives 92% of the time, he made sure to point out to state fair goers that "President Bush is not on the ballot" and wondered about a liberal obsession with Bush.

The same holds true for Norm Coleman. Regardless if Bush were on the ballot or not, the fact that Senator Coleman has sided with failed Bush Administration policy time and time again calls into question Coleman's ability to advocate for Minnesotans. He's surely not the independent that he's trying to paint himself as.

8 years of failed policy have consequences. Franken calling Coleman out on his voting record is not an attack ad. It's not negative. It's presenting the public record. Furthermore, with John McCain as the Republican candidate for President, the foreign and domestic failures of the Bush Administration would most likely continue.

Try as hard as you can, but you will not be able to shield GOP candidates from the failures of George W. Bush.

He's not on the ballot, but his policy and puppets are.

Congressional Bulk Mailings

Dump Bachmann has an interesting post up.

The Grand Forks Herald has the Minnesota connection.

Minnesotan's mail

Ex-U.S. Rep. Mark Kennedy spent $152,000 in taxpayer-funded mailings last year, more than any other House member from Minnesota.

Kennedy, a Republican who lost to Democrat Amy Klobuchar in the 2006 Senate race, was 13th of all House members in mailing expenses. Three other Minnesota House members - Republicans Jim Ramstad and John Kline, and Democrat Jim Oberstar - were also among the top 100.

Some critics call the mailings a waste of taxpayer money, and a way to help incumbents cement their place in Congress by showcasing the members' accomplishments.

Kennedy was out of the country and unavailable for comment, a former campaign spokeswoman said. But the other three House members all defended use of the mailings - also known as franking.

Seventh District Congressman Democrat Collin Peterson spent $9,600 on mailings.

13th out of over 400! Good job Mark!

Now if he could just get his sign down in Buffalo. A year later, after he last used his office in Buffalo, his Congressional sign still stands near the intersection of Hwy 55 and Hwy 25, near the Pizza Hut.

The Mark Kennedy sign that won't go away

It's a good thing Buffalo is paying more attention to the signage celebrating its Boys Basketball Championship and not the political types.

I am not sure how to feel about going from a Congressman that did not represent us to a Congresswoman who not only fails to represent us, but embarrasses us as well. Ok, so I completely know how I feel...anyway!

As I have reported before, Mark Kennedy's Congressional sign is still up at the intersection of highways 55 and 25 in Buffalo.

Sorry for the Zapruder film quality, it's real!

Since Bachmann's team serves its constituents out of one office in Woodbury, about as far East of Buffalo as one can go and still be in Minnesota, the Western section of the 6th is neglected.

Is Kennedy planning on running again in 08?