COLEMAN APOLOGIZES FOR LTE SCANDAL

[onehandle]

Source: MNP

Mere hours after we originally reported on the issue, Norm Coleman’s campaign is featured in a front page article on MPR’s website apologizing for the inappropriate seeding of two identical letters to the editor. MPR reports:

Republican Sen. Norm Coleman’s re-election campaign is apologizing to two Minnesota newspapers for two nearly identical letters to the editor that ended up published under two different names. The campaign acknowledges a staffer was behind the letters.

The letters, critical of DFL Senate candidate Al Franken, appeared in the Minnesota Daily and the Winona Daily News.

Read more: http://mnpublius.com/2008/02/mpr-coleman-apologizes-for-lte-scandal/

---

Original story:

COLEMAN SUPPORTERS DEFRAUD LOCAL PAPERS WITH CAMPAIGN DISTRIBUTED MATERIALS

On January 25th the Minnesota Daily published a letter to the editor from Abul-Rahman Magba-Kamara, chairman of the UMN College Republicans. The letter’s a bit too long to post in the body here, but you can find the whole text below the fold or on the paper’s site here. But, just to give you a taste, here’s the first paragraph: "Al Franken’s traveled around the state to college campuses trying to get the votes of young people. He has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on television commercials trying to portray himself as a nice guy. He even enlisted his fourth-grade teacher to give a testimonial about what a nice boy he was in elementary school."

A week later on February 7th, The Winona Daily News published a letter to the editor from Samantha Gronlund, a Winona State University student. Again, the letter’s a bit too long but the text is below the fold and can be found on the paper’s site here. And, again, here’s the first paragraph: "Al Franken’s travels around the state to college campuses trying to get the votes of young people are well documented. He has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on television commercials trying to portray himself as a nice guy. He has even enlisted his fourth grade teacher to give a testimonial about what a nice boy he was in elementary school."

Sound familiar? I think the sum total difference between the two paragraphs amounts to three insignificant changes… The startling thing is that they are virtually identical the whole way through and the thing’s 10 paragraphs long! Seriously, I’ve included both below the fold, it’s startling, but let me restate where we’re at: Two papers published identical letters to the editor attacking Al Franken within a 2 week span but attributed to two entirely different individuals.

http://mnpublius.com/2008/02/coleman-supporters-defraud-local-papers-with-campaign-distributed-materials/

[trotsky]

1. Man, and even if they had only sent out one version of that...

what a pathetic attempt at an attack. An unverified anecdote? Some poor "conservative student" was (in all likelihood) given a little ribbing by Al, and his feelings were hurt? THAT'S why we should re-elect Normie? HA HA HA HA!

[sellitman]

2. More "Repiggy Family Values" : CHEATING

:rofl:

[sellitman]

3. Duplicate post

Browser hung up

[mwb970]

4. If Coleman is this desperate *now* he must really be in trouble.

Go Al!

[LynneSin]

11. I was thinking the same exact thing

Coleman is heading for the unemployment line in January 2009. It's a shame my tax dollars are giving this creep top-notch health insurance for the rest of his life.

[Mabus]

5. This helps prove that they all share one brain

and none of them know how to use it.

[pattmarty]

6. Onehandle, do you live in Mn? If so, how's the Senate campaign going?

[onehandle]

12. I do not, but recent polls have Al ahead. I've been giving to him since Edwards dropped out.

I can't Wait to hear Bill "Captain Phonesex" O'Reilly say, "Senator Al Franken."

[pattmarty]

14. Well that in fact may be the "death" of O'Reilley.............

.......... as he chokes on the words "Senator Al Franken".

[Robbien]

7. This type of spamming is getting to be SOP for the GOP

The only surprising part is that Coleman owned up to being guilty and apologized.

[gratuitous]

8. Duplicated lame letters

Oh noes! Al Franken is traveling around the state! He's spending money campaigning! He's getting personal testimonials from people who know him! Will Al Franken stop at nothing in his lust to win a Senate seat???

I can haz smelling salts now?

Those Republicans sure are a timid bunch anymore. Just the sight of someone running against them for public office is enough to send the poor dears to the fainting couch, overcome by the vapors. Maybe it's time for Norm Coleman to get out of politics altogether since it has such a deleterious effect on his supporters and campaign workers.

[mtnester]

9. Whoops

forgot to give instructions did they?

[tekisui]

10. Read: Hello, Sen. Franken!

[fascisthunter]

13. More Republican Corruption...

Jesus, even you can't help them, for they constantly use your name in vain. They seem so obsessed with religion yet so lacking in morality. Hmmmm... people without a moral compass need religion the most, I suppose. Too bad they just use it for politics.

[Tempest]

15. The college students who submitted the letters should be expelled

Universities have student codes of behavior and plagerizing is specifically mentioned.

It doesn't matter if it happened outside the classroom. It demonstrates a lack of ethics on the part of the student. They they cheat outside the classroom, they're going to cheat inside as well.

[Zorra]

16. Coleman is a weasel. Only a fool would vote for him after this.

He's plainly a dishonest person.

[Muttocracy]

17. he can always switch parties again

if that's what seems politically expedient at the moment :eyes:

[booley]

18. This is not the first time

.. that a republican has gotten into trouble for robo-letters (the exact same letter under different names, thus giving the illusion of a consensus)

We should start a data base or something to store every time the cons try a particular dirty trick. Otherwise this will just go down and memory hole as another "isolated incident"

[Supersedeas]

19. Ooops, sorry