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Franken: Election Workers Broke Election Law

Published by Gary Gross November 18th, 2008 in Al Franken and Press Release. 0 Comments

That title isn’t a direct quote from Franken. After you analyze their 11th hour attempt to get additional ballots include, though, that’s their unintended message. Here’s what Coleman for Senate Campaign Manager Cullen Sheehan said in his press release:

“In a last minute attempt to stop the recount, directly contradicting what they said yesterday, the Franken campaign has now clearly shown they will do anything and everything they can to turn this Minnesota recount into another Florida. They insultingly charge the majority of Minnesota county boards with failing to comply with state law, and denigrate the legal ruling of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. The Franken Campaign’s scorched earth legal strategy is now fully in view for all Minnesotans. Win at all costs, regardless of who or what laws get in their way. Minnesotans expect a legal and transparent recount, and it is time for the Franken Campaign’s legal team to give way to the thousands of volunteers and dedicated election officials who are to begin the recount tomorrow across our state.”

Here’s what the Strib reported yesterday:

The 18-page legal brief that the campaign filed Monday with the state Canvassing Board included four examples of absentee voters said to be disenfranchised when their ballots were rejected. Jessup Schiks, of Kandiyohi County, had his absentee ballot rejected because officials ruled the signature didn’t match the registration card; campaign officials said Schiks later signed an affidavit confirming the ballot was his.

In another case, Bruce Behrens, a Goodhue County resident, said his absentee ballot was rejected because officials believed his girlfriend, who vouched for him, wasn’t a registered voter even though she is.

Rejecting those ballots would either be an act of incompetence or a criminal act. Neither explanation is bound to please the officials charged with overseeing elections. Let’s remember that Franken has already lost credibility on this issue.

Check back here later this afternoon for more updates.

Rasmussen Reports Dramatic Pro-Coleman Movement

Published by Gary Gross October 29th, 2008 in Al Franken. 0 Comments

According to this Rasmussen Reports article, Rasmussen’s polling is showing a distinct pro-coleman trend:

Coming off what many view as his strongest debate performance of the campaign last Thursday, Coleman leads Franken 43% to 39% in the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of voters in the state.

Independent candidate Dean Barkley is favored by 14%. Four percent (4%) remain undecided.

Coleman’s lead is within the margin of error and the race has additional uncertainty due to the presence of a solid third party candidate.

A week ago Franken had a four-point lead, 41% to 37%, and Barkley, the wild card in the race, registered 17% support. The lead has gone back and forth between the two major party candidates since July, but the comedy writer and longtime Democratic activist has been ahead in all surveys in October.

That’s an 8 point swing in just a week. Franken’s support dropped by 2 points. During that same timeframe, Sen. Coleman’s support has jumped 6 points. I suspect that much of Sen. Coleman’s increased support is a result of him ‘going positive’ with his advertising.

But the latest survey, taken Tuesday night, shows Coleman solidifying his GOP base by taking votes from Barkley and also pulling Democratic votes away from Franken. In between the two surveys, the Republican, who is seeking a second term in the Senate, also picked up a surprise endorsement from the state’s leading newspaper, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

The Strib denying Al Franken their endorsement has hurt Franken. While it’s wrong to say that this swing was caused by the Strib’s endorsement of Sen. Coleman, the truth is that Sen. Coleman’s campaign event have rallied voters. I’ve been to at least 4 of Sen. Coleman’s events, including one this afternoon. Each event has been stronger than the previous one. Norm got a couple standing ovations at last night’s Talk the Vote event.

Today’s event was the raucus event that last night’s event was but applause for Sen. Coleman was still strong today.

I’d be remiss to not talk about Norm’s closing argument. He’s brilliant in working in this question: How can you tell if someone will fight for you in Washington, DC? His answer cuts to the heart of the matter: Because he’s already fought for you. I’m convinced that people are making a final decision and they’re noticing that Al Franken talks alot but that he hasn’t done anything for Minnesotans.

That’s a stark contrast from Sen. Coleman. That’s finally sinking in. That’s why I expect Sen Coleman to win Tuesday.

Fargo Forum Endorses Sen. Coleman

Published by Gary Gross October 20th, 2008 in Al Franken and Iraq. 0 Comments

The Fargo Forum endorsed Sen. Norm Coleman for a second term in the United States Senate. Here’s the key portion of their endorsement op-ed:

On the economic front, Franken has spent too much time assigning political blame for the nation’s current downturn. Coleman worked overtime to secure the rescue legislation that is showing early positive results.

Temperament and demeanor are important in a senator. Coleman is a seasoned Minnesota politician, whose life of public service has been exemplary, whether as the successful mayor of St. Paul, a long stint with the state attorney general’s office or as a U.S. senator. He knows how to build consensus and work with bipartisan coalitions, both in and out of the Senate. He’s developed a sharp ear for the concerns of Minnesotans, and his constituent service is responsive.

Franken’s undisguised disdain for the senator is both unwarranted and revealing. The former comedian/satirist seems unable to leave the mean streak of his former work behind. Politics is tough business, but it need not be as unpleasant as the stuff coming out of the Franken camp.

The candidates and their surrogates have not covered themselves with glory regarding the character of their campaigns. But Coleman has tried to clean it up while Franken has opted for the low road.

Franken has not come close to making a case that Coleman should be replaced. Indeed, the campaign has drawn sharp distinctions between the two men, with the senator emerging as a strong and decent voice for Minnesotans and an effective member of the national legislature.

Sen. Coleman has earned a second term.

Indeed he has. I’ll first say that I’ve disagreed with Sen. Coleman on several things, such as drilling in ANWR and funding the surge in Iraq. Sen. Coleman explained to me in emails why he opposed drilling in ANWR and why he supported the surge in Anbar Province but not in other areas.

In explaining why he’d voted this way, he showed that he’d thought things through, had consulted the appropriate experts before saying no. That’s the picture of having the right temperament. That’s something that Al Franken can’t say about how he decides his positions on the issues. I could make a reasonable case that Franken’s position on the issues are mailed to him from the DailyKos and less-than-benevolent special interest groups. (See Card Check.)

The last thing we need is a bitter ideologue in the Senate. I didn’t say representing Minnesotans because he’s more likely to represent factions of the unions that are out of touch with union rank-and-file. Franken’s most likely to represent DailyKos. It isn’t likely that he’ll represent Minnesotans, at least outside the narrow band of stubborn ideologues that constitute his base.

It’s time for Minnesotans to vote for the man that has represented them and that shares their priorities. Now isn’t the time to vote for a carpetbagger who will represent a narrow ideological view.

Different Pollster, Same BS

Published by Gary Gross October 4th, 2008 in Al Franken and Press Release. 0 Comments

Rob Davies isn’t conducting the Strib’s Minnesota Poll. These results just make it look like he is. Let’s be clear about this: this poll is fiction. This headline gives that away:

Franken bypasses Coleman as voters react to attack ads

Here’s what the poll is reporting:

DFL U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken has moved into his first solid lead over incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, according to a new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll.

The survey, conducted Tuesday through Thursday by Princeton Survey Research Associates International among 1,084 likely Minnesota voters, shows Franken leading Coleman 43 to 34 percent. Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley is supported by 18 percent of respondents.

This memo from Glen Bolger nails it perfectly:

Let me walk you through the facts.

In the September edition of the Star Tribune Minnesota “Poll,” Senator Coleman led Al Franken 41% to 37%, with former Senator Barkley pulling up the rear with 13%.

Three short weeks later, Franken pulls ahead with 43%, Senator Coleman at 34% and former Senator Barkley at 18%.

Coincidentally, or not, in this poll not only did Franken’s standing increase by a net of 13 points, the sample saw a net increase 13% for the Democrats.

I’ve long maintained a rule of thumb with polls is that media polls are generally junk. The only polling done for media companies that have been accurate have been the SurveyUSA polls done for KSTP-TV. Speaking of which, they have a poll out that flips the totals:

Q1: If the election for United States Senator were today, would you vote for: (choices rotated) Republican Norm Coleman? DFL candidate Al Franken? Or Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley?
A: Norm Coleman 43%, Al Franken 33%, Dean Barkley 19%, 5% undecided.

Here’s what I find interesting in the SurveyUSA poll:

Norm Coleman gets 83% of Republicans, a healthy 10% of Democrats and 39% of Independents. By comparison, Al Franken is only getting 65% of Democrats, 6% of Republicans and 26% of Independents. It isn’t that shocking that Al Franken gets less support amongst Independents than Dean Barkley. What’s shocking is that Dean Barkley gets 19% of likely DFL voters.

This is worth remembering:

The reality is that since mid-July there have been 11 public polls conducted on the race for the United States Senate in Minnesota. During that time, all but 3 of those polls have shown Norm Coleman leading Al Franken in the race for the U.S. Senate.

Of the last 5 polls that have been conducted, Norm Coleman has held leads in each and every poll–including the most recent KSTP/SurveyUSA poll that has Norm up by 10 points.

It has not been since August that a single public poll (up until the Star Tribune poll) had Franken leading Norm Coleman.

Mr. Bolger is right in calling the Minnesota Poll the “outliers of outliers.”

Let’s not forget that Doug Johnson, an influential Democrat from northern Minnesota, just endorsed Sen. Coleman. That’s sure to carry alot of weight with DFL voters in northern Minnesota.

Let’s remember that Al Franken posted pathetic numbers in the Sept. 9th DFL primary. He even lost 4 counties from western and Central Minnesota. As I pointed out here, he only pulled 55% of voters from Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties. Most of the voters that voted against Franken are cultural conservatives. It isn’t likely they’ll support someone as far to the left as Franken.

I’ll leave you with a question worth pondering: Considering the fact that the Minnesota Poll is the only poll to put Franken in the lead in several political lifetimes and considering the fact that most of the other polls have had Sen. Coleman leading by high single digits to low double digits and considering the fact that the Minnesota Poll’s history is questionable at best, shouldn’t we ignore the latest Minnesota Poll?

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Another Ethical Dilemma for Franken

Published by Gary Gross September 15th, 2008 in Al Franken, Press Release and Ethics. 0 Comments

Al Franken must feel like he’s got big red bullseyes painted on his back and chest. Just when he was hoping his troubles were over, the Minnesota Republican Party is asking for an explanation of his role in the Gloria Wise scandal:

At a State Capitol press conference today, Republican Party of Minnesota Chair Ron Carey called on Al Franken to provide more detailed answers to his role in the cover-up involving nearly $900,000 that was stolen from the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club by Franken’s Air America company.

“Al Franken did nothing to help return nearly $900,000 to the New York Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club while his employer, Air America, continued to use the money to possibly pay Franken’s salary and benefits,” said Carey. “At a time when Franken’s temper tantrums and bad behavior could have been put to good use by publicly demanding and threatening to expose his employer’s role in this massive fraud, Franken remained silent. But, while he negotiated for a multi-million contract, he was well aware that his nearly bankrupt Air America employer had stolen money from the Boys and Girls Club and he did nothing and said nothing to get the money returned.”

I remember this scandal because it was so despicable in nature. I remember thinking that it was pretty repulsive that Franken would negotiate a big contract when Air America was financially strapped and likely appropriating funds from the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club. I remember thinking that Mr. Franken didn’t have a shred of integrity.

To re-inforce Chairman Carey’s statement that “Al Franken did nothing to help return nearly $900,000 to the New York Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club while his employer, Air America, continued to use the money to possibly pay Franken’s salary and benefits”, I refer you to Brian Maloney’s initial post breaking this scandal. Of the many questions Brian Maloney asks in his article, this one stands out the most:

Are the network’s hosts, such as Al Franken and Janeane Garofalo, willing to apologize for the severe damage done to community programs for inner-city youth and seniors, as a result of this sleazy scandal?

Here’s another noteworthy question several updates later:

Did any of Air America’s hosts address the scandal today, or are they trying to pretend this didn’t happen?

Thirty-eight months later, I’m confident in answering that at least one Air America host didn’t address the scandal then because he’d rather ignore it now.

At this point, I have to think that Al Franken feels like the character from Li’l Abner who has the rain cloud permanently positioned overhead. Franken must think that he’ll never get out from underneath this cloud of scandals.

The good news for Franken is that these clouds will lift a day after Norm Coleman defeats him. That defeat will free Franken to return to being one of the least funny comedians in show business.

This is the most damaging part of Chairman Carey’s official statement:

“Al Franken said his company had no legal obligation to pay back the money they stole. So, while kids, senior citizens, and thousands of people who were looking for services from the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club weren’t getting them, Al Franken remained silent, and never once called for an audit, or an investigation or any type of oversight in the matter. Why did Franken stay quiet? Was he afraid of jeopardizing his contract negotiations? Or, was it because he didn’t want to raise any suspicions about how deeply involved he was in the station’s financial situation? He needs to answer these questions.”

Here’s what Maloney posted on January 25, 2006 about Franken’s contract negotiations:

Happily waltzing through the middle of this mess nearly unscathed, however, is Franken himself. Fawning press coverage almost everywhere was the result of his recently-completed book tour.

And why shouldn’t Franken be smiling? While repayment was delayed until it was too late to save Gloria Wise and its afterschool programs for disadvantaged youth, Al got everything he wanted and then some.

Did his greed greatly contribute to the problem, by keeping Air America financially-drained and unable to return the money? Quite possibly, according to newly-obtained documents.

Not only does Al Franken owe the people of Minnesota an explanation but he also owes the disadvantaged children who otherwise would’ve benefited from the programs that should’ve been run as a result of the initial $875,000. That isn’t all, either. Mr. Franken also owes the seniors who would’ve benefited from the programs that were supposed to be part of the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club.

At minimum, it’s safe to say that Mr. Franken isn’t a man of integrity. It’s equally safe to say that this information puts into question what Mr. Franken’s priorities would be if elected. It isn’t a stretch to think that Mr. Franken puts Mr. Franken first, everyone else second.

Mr. Franken’s record can’t be compared with Sen. Coleman’s record of compassion and integrity and putting Minnesota first.

Norm Gets It Right

Published by Gary Gross September 5th, 2008 in Al Franken and Press Release. 0 Comments

Sen. Coleman issued a statement on Sen. McCain’s acceptance speech. Here’s the text of that statement:

“This evening the American people are reminded of the call to duty of an American president nearly fifty years ago, who asked us all to do first for our country above all else. John McCain is the embodiment of country first, above all else, and for that, I am proud to be an American, and proud to support John McCain for President. In a dangerous world, we need the courage and leadership of John McCain. His bipartisan approach to solving problems, recognizing that some problems and challenges are just too big for one party, is something we need in today’s divisive political environment. John McCain will guide America through great challenges for the next four years with steady, proven hands and with the courage and convictions that we need from our national leaders in this 21st Century.”

Sen. Coleman’s statement speaks for many Americans. Americans, by nature, believe in sacrifices if that sacrifice leads to increased prosperity or increased freedoms for the next generation. That’s what Sen. McCain is calling for.

Sen. Coleman should be commended for recognizing that trait. His strength is that he understands people. That’s why he’s as popular with voters as he is.

It’s the defining difference between himself and Al Franken. Al Franken can’t be bothered by actually listening. Unlike John McCain and Norm Coleman, Al Franken has a history of putting himself first. Unlike John McCain and Norm Coleman, Al Franken isn’t interested in being a public servant. He’s only interested in being a senator.

There’s a huge difference. It’s a difference so big that Minnesotans will notice this November. That’s why Norm Coleman will be elected and why Al Franken will be rejected.

KSTP Poll Highlights Franken’s Troubles

Published by Gary Gross August 18th, 2008 in Al Franken. 0 Comments

The most recent KSTP/SurveyUSA poll shows a tightening race but that Al Franken still having significant difficulties. Here’s one thing that should have Franken’s campaign worried:

Seventy-four percent of likely DFL voters said they support Franken.

I’m confident that more than 74 percent of Democrats will vote for Franken, though I don’t know if it’ll be significantly higher than that. The reason why this statistic should worry Franken is because it suggests there isn’t a positive enthusiasm gap between Republicans and Democrats.

Let’s remember those early primaries where GOP turnout was less than half of the Democrats’ primary turnout. Talk swept through the punditocracy that this would be a disastrous year for Republicans, that Democrats might gain the trifecta of holding the White House, increasing their majority in the House and having a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.

Then came the Jeremiah Wright tapes and Rush’s Operation Chaos. Rush’s Operation Chaos lengthened the primary process. The Wright tapes put Obama back on his heals. Suddenly discord appeared in the Democrats’ ranks. That dissention still exists.

Factor in Mr. Franken’s offputting jokes and his temper and you’ll have problems connecting with voters, even from your own party.

Here’s another statistic that should worry Franken:

Republican incumbent Norm Coleman leads DFL challenger Al Franken by seven points, 46 to 39.

I’ve been tracking these polls for months. Franken has difficulty reaching the mid forties. In fact, he’s occasionally had difficulty reaching the forties. It’s difficult to take a challenger seriously if they can’t break the forty percent mark.

The important thing going forward for the Coleman campaign is to just keep doing the solid thing. Sen. Coleman got a significant bump in the polls when he announced his pro-drilling, pro-nuclear power bill. That told Republicans that he was serious about solving the energy crisis.

His next step forward is to avoid joining in any Gang of 10 ‘compromise’ disasters. If Sen. Coleman steadfastly opposes major tax increases like those found in the Gang of 10 bill, he’ll be on the right side of the energy issue.

By itself, that’s a big deal because it’s the most important issue this year.

Here’s one final statistic that should worry Franken:

Coleman leads Franken by 11 points among men 50-39. He also leads by three points among women, 42 to 39.

Here’s an old joke about Democrats and women: What do you call a Democrat that doesn’t win the women’s vote? Out of work. Granted, it isn’t a funny joke but it’s accurate. Democrats that don’t do well with women are toast because they historically lose the male vote by double digits.

This race isn’t over but I’d rather be in Sen. Coleman’s shoes than Franken’s.

The Worst Economy In…….

Published by Gary Gross July 25th, 2008 in Al Franken and Economy. 0 Comments

Every couple years, Democrats trot out the line about the Republican economy being the worst economy in whatever amount of time. In 1992, it was the worst economy in fifty years. In 2004, it was the worst economy since 1932. This year, it’s the worst economy in eighty years. It’s getting rather old. It has the same impact as saying “Liberal, liberal.” Here’s the opening paragraph of the DFL post:

Today, Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez held a press conference to present a new report entitled: “The Cost of Coleman: A Report on the Effects of the Bush–Coleman Economy on Middle-Class Minnesotans.” As gas prices skyrocket, wages fall, and the economy continues to worsen, the DFL Party issued the report to highlight Republican Senator Norm Coleman’s support of failed Bush and Republican policies that have generated the worst economic circumstances for the middle class in 80 years.

Chairman Melendez is pretending that the skyrocketting gas prices are Sen. Coleman’s fault, which they clearly aren’t. It’s becoming apparent to everyone that the current escalation is driven by Speaker Pelosi. Even the Washington Post takes her to task in this editorial:

WHY NOT have a vote on offshore drilling? There’s a serious debate to be had over whether Congress should lift the ban on drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf that has been in place since 1981. Unfortunately, you won’t be hearing it in the House of Representatives; certainly, you won’t find lawmakers voting on it anytime soon.

I can’t blame Chairman Melendez for pretending like the high gas prices are Republicans’ fault. If I were the state party chairman who had to defend obstructionists like Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, I’d be forced into full spin mode, too. People are noticing that Reid and Pelosi are obstructing a vote that would drop the price of gas.

What Chairman Melendez characterizes as the failures of the Bush-Coleman economy can be laid directly at the feet of the current Speaker and Senate Majority Leader.

“Times are tough, and we owe it to the people of Minnesota to debate the serious issues that affect them daily. But while Al Franken has toured Minnesota this week to promote fresh, specific ideas for actually helping middle-class Minnesotans improve their lives, we have seen Senator Coleman and his surrogates, including special-interest front groups, do everything that they can to avoid talking about the issues that Minnesotans care most about.

Chairman Melendez obviously wants to ignore Sen. Coleman’s bill that would increase energy production and shrink people’s energy bills. If I had to defend the least qualified candidate in Minnesota history, I’d want to ignore Sen. Coleman’s common sense legislative agenda.

It’s Coleman Vs. Franken

Published by Gary Gross July 14th, 2008 in Al Franken. 0 Comments

According to this CNN article, we now know that this year’s Minnesota Senate race will be between Sen. Coleman and Al Franken. I wouldn’t have been surprised with either decision but I had a hunch that Jesse wouldn’t jump in. I thought that Jesse’s ego couldn’t tolerate losing, which is why he didn’t run for re-election in 2002.

Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura has decided not to run for U.S. Senate in that state, he told CNN’s “Larry King Live” Monday night. Ventura, a former professional wrestler, had said last week he was weighing whether to run. The deadline to file for the race is Tuesday.

Ventura said he was “close” to running against incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, but he decided against it because he didn’t want to submit his relatives to the kind of media scrutiny they endured when he was governor.

As an independent, Ventura won a single term as Minnesota governor in 1998. He beat Coleman and Hubert Humphrey III, a scion of a Minnesota Democratic dynasty.

The only thing that’s standing in the way of a certain Coleman vs. Franken race is Franken’s primary challenge:

“An attorney from a well-known family in Minnesota legal circles says she will challenge Senate candidate Al Franken in a Democratic primary. Priscilla Lord Faris says she will file the paperwork to run in the September primary.

Lord Faris is the daughter of retired federal judge Miles Lord, who remains active in DFL politics. She is managing partner of a personal injury law firm.

Lord Faris says she has given money to Franken but isn’t persuaded he can take the seat away from Sen. Norm Coleman, the Republican incumbent. She says a primary campaign will sharpen the Democratic candidates and give Coleman a tougher challenge in November.”

I don’t know what kind of candidate Ms. Lord-Faris is but her dad is a longtime Hubert Humphrey associate.

At any rate, Jesse’s announcement marks the start of a very uphill climb for Mr. Franken. That’s verified by this SurveyUSA-KSTP poll:

Incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman thanked supporters after officially filing for office Monday. And he’s got a reason to be optimistic.

Our exclusive SURVEY USA/KSTP Poll shows Coleman with a 13-point lead over Franken, 52 to 39 percent. The margin of error is 3.9 percent. Eight percent is still undecided.

Don’t hold me to this but I don’t think that Franken has cracked the 40 percent barrier in quite awhile. It goes without saying that a candidate that can’t top 40 percent faces major obstacles between now and Election Day.

Heres’ the breakdown of the poll:

Q: Minnesota will elect a United States Senator in November 2008. If the election for United States Senator were today, and the only two candidates on the ballot were Republican Norm Coleman and DFL candidate Al Franken, who would you vote for?

Overall:
Coleman 52 percent, Franken 39 percent

Men Only:
Coleman 55 percent, Franken 38 percent

Women Only:
Coleman 50 percent, Franken 41 percent

It’s a bad sign anytime that a Democrat can’t crack 50 percent with women. That’s because Democrats almost automatically lose the men vote.

The other impressive thing from this poll is that Norm tops 50 percent with every age group. That’s a significant accomplishment that must rattle the DFL. Rest assured that Brian Melendez won’t be out spinning this poll.

Which Is It?

Published by Gary Gross July 10th, 2008 in Uncategorized and Al Franken. 0 Comments

Al Franken has an advertisement that suggests that lobbyists are to blame for high gas prices. Meanwhile, the STrib’s Nick Coleman has gotten out his crayons and scribbled a column that says that we’re screwed in terms of high gas prices at the pump. First, here’s Franken’s money quote from yesterday’s press conference:

“Right now hundreds of former Senators and Congressman are lobbying for big oil and special interests in Washington,” Franken tells viewers in the TV spot, “No wonder gas is at $4 a gallon.”

According to the gospel of Franken, special interests and unethical politicians are why gas is expensive. Let’s see what Mr. Coleman has to say about high gas prices:

We think we could solve our troubles if we started drilling on the outer continental shelf. Then we might be able to lower the price of gas to $3.98 gallon. Twenty years from now.

That’s because oil is priced in a global market, where the extra production would amount to a tiny drop in the world’s bucket, about 200,000 barrels a day. Whoopee.

Contrast that miniscule difference with what might be achieved by improving fuel efficiencies for cars and light trucks.

According to the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research, the United States could cut consumption by 3.3 million barrels a day (16 times the effect of expanded drilling) if the average auto fuel efficiency was 32 miles per gallon.

It sounds like Nick Coleman thinks it’s more of a supply and demand thing. While Mr. Coleman’s ‘facts’ sound like they’re straight from the liberal mantra songbook, it’s impossible to say that this isn’t a supply and demand problem. In other words, Nick Coleman is closer to the truth than Al Franken.

It’s a sad day when Nick Coleman is closer to the truth than a US Senate candidate. That isn’t to say that Nick Coleman is right. His statistics are flimsy at best. Suggesting that opening the OCS would add “200,000 barrels a day” to world oil production is plain irresponsible. It’s obvious that Saint Nick’s factchecking team didn’t bother running that through the truthmeter. Continue reading ‘Which Is It?’

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