UPDATE: Read a correction to this post here.
Is Sen. Norm Coleman going to bring back the Independent Republican Party?
In his first campaign commercial, Coleman makes no reference to being a Republican. Rather, the senator, who was hand-picked by the Bush White House to run against Paul Wellstone, stresses his independence, his ability to work with both Democrats and Republicans. The commercial never mentions President Bush, but it does mention DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar and how Coleman and Klobuchar worked together to get funding to replace the I-35W bridge.
In the wake of the Nixon Administration’s Watergate scandal, Minnesota Republicans became Independent Republican from 1975 to 1995 before becoming simply Republicans again. At least in his opening campaign themes, Coleman seems to be emphasizing independence over Republican.
If Coleman wants people to think he is a so-called “independent republican”, he should have acted that way in office. In contrast, he’s been a die-hard Bush supporter, voting Bush’s agenda 95% of the time, which I believe qualifies him as a dyed in the wool neocon that’s anything but independent.
I hope a commercial isn’t enough to convince Minnesotan’s about his “indepenedence”.
And btw, is this the ad you’re talking about? Would be nice if you’d put a link in the post. It should be noted the Ad is not paid for by Coleman’s campaign, but by a PAC, the American Future Fund, that is of questionable legality. The DFL has filed a FEC complaint against them, in fact.
If it’s not the AD, I can’t find it on Coleman’s site…