You can expect a highly entertaining comment thread to result from the Star Tribune's ahistoric Norm Coleman endorsement. But who has time to plow through 193 reader comments (as of 7 a.m. Sunday!) — especially with the paper's thimble-like 10-comments per page?

Well, having a blog means experimenting, so here is the first — and possibly last — "Curated," where I plow through the feedback and present to you the hoi polloi's greatest hits.

Like a museum, let's organize the exhibition.

The "Yes, Mrs. Cleaver" Gallery of Bipartisanship Doubters

If Coleman wins and is made the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee I will remind the Strib editors regularly about his partisan attacks on Democratic senators across the country beginning in two years.

When Bush was riding high, Coleman was the first to hop into his lap; now that Bush is a pariah, Coleman can't run away fast enough. That's opportunism, not political courage, and certainly not bipartisanship.

Coleman sided with his party with every opportunity that he was given, until he saw the election around the corner. Then, he carefully shifted in the wind as he has done so well in his career. If he continues, expect him to go right back to blindly following the party for 5 more years.

Mr Coleman stopped negative campaigning only after he smeared his opponent, and then because he simply realized it was hurting him strategically. Coleman suspended his five plus years of strict right wing partisanship simply because the approval rating of President Bush was horrible.

The Policy Wonk Reading Room

Seriously, what's happened to the Star Tribune? Over the last 6 years, Norm Coleman has: 1) dutifully helped George Bush fight an illegitimate and disastrous war, 2) failed the country by abdicating his responsibilities as chairman of the permanent subcommittee on investigations, 3) sold out the environment by voting for cloture on ANWR, 4) committed numerous, serious ethical lapses by accepting gifts and discounted rental rates from friends/lobbyists.

$10 billion a month being spent on an unjustified, wrongly-justified war that has torn the country and the world apart and claimed the lives of over 4,000 Americans fighting on foreign soil. ... Yet not a mention of the War, or the $10 billion a month spent on it, or Norm Coleman's support of it and George Bush's policies, in the Strib's endorsement.

The Powerline Gift Shop

The Strib endorses a Republican. Does this mean the Vikings can now win the Super Bowl?!?

"Lizabeth, I'm comin' to join ya honey ... the Strib endorsed Coleman." Now, where's those nitroglycerine tablets?

The Strib picking a Republican in a close election. The earth will soon spin off its axis.

No doubt you upset many in the newsroom and among your partisan readership, but you are absolutely correct in finding we should not support Al Franken for Senate any more than Rush Limbaugh if he were running for this office.

I never would have guessed the Trib would back a Republican. And all those who bash this paper for finally showing bipartisanship shame on you.

A pleasant surprise, but judging from Norm's competition not really such a hard call.

The Memorial Plaque

Today that loss was deeply felt as the Tribune endorsed Bush's buddy, Norm Coleman, on the anniversary of Senator Paul Wellstone's tragic death.

The Conspiracy Theorists Exhibition Hall

Now that Chris Harte and Avista have chased the liberal voices off the editorial board and put their yes-men in place, I guess this is the kind of cowardly endorsement we can expect from the Strib.

Did the Star Tribune forget about the last six years of Coleman? Sounds like this editorial was copy and pasted from Coleman's campaign site. I guess Coleman is someone this dying newspaper can depend on when they ask for a bailout.

Frankly, I think this endorsement was a marketing ploy on the part of the Strib so as to remain viable with Republican-leaning suburbs where its been getting tougher to sell papers lately.

I can't wait for the Star Tribune to be merged with the Pioneer Press. It's coming right after the election so all the monkeys on the editorial board should get their resumes ready.

The Star Tribune endorses a Senator who voted for a $700 billion bailout of Wall Street firms. The editorial cites Norm Coleman's vote for the bailout and Al Franken's opposition as a reason. The bailout bill may be good for Avista Capital Partners, owner of this newspaper, but it isn't good for Minnesota.

They obviously endorsed Coleman in some spineless hope that they would appear more "independent" or "balanced" or "bipartisan" or something. ... But you know what, StarTribune? It won't work. The hateful right-wingers will still hate you.

So is the new business plan to alienate all of the urban readers of the Strib? This endorsement is not going to win the paper any suburban/exurban readers.

Donor Comment Box

I recently re-subscribed to your paper-- breaking my vow to never to have the ST again after you hired the neo-fascist Katherine Kersten, but no one pays attention to that crazy woman anyway. I will again canx the subscription

In endorsing Norm Coleman, the Strib has departed from a long-standing commitment to caring for those of the edges of society and instead have caved into business interests. ... . I think I will have to cancel my subscription.

The Graffiti in the Bathroom

Coleman is an absolute tool and a bald-faced opportunist who goes wherever he thinks the political winds are blowing. He's the definition of an empty suit, with a fake smile, a fake image and a fake wife.

I hope the print version of the Star/Tribune contains a barf bag on the editorial page endorsing Coleman.