Top Business Lobbyists Vow To Raise Big Bucks For Coleman Appeal
A group of several dozen of the most influential business lobbyists in Washington is vowing to raise and spend whatever it takes to bankroll Norm Coleman’s upcoming appeal fight, in the wake of a three-judge ruling declaring that Al Franken defeated Coleman in the Minnesota Senate race.
The group of lobbyists, which calls itself “Team Coleman,” is made up of some of the biggest players in D.C.’s permanent lobbying establishment, and includes executives from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, the National Restaurant Association and others.
“We will raise as much as is necessary,” Dirk Van Dongen, a leading member of Team Coleman and the president of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, told me in an interview. “We’ll keep raising money as Norm needs it. We continue to be active in raising resources for Norm to carry out this fight to the end.”
Van Dongen’s vow suggests that Coleman’s most powerful supporters haven’t tired of raising and spending on the battle, and could make it easier for Coleman to bankroll an expensive and protracted appeal to the state’s highest court. Van Dongen said that Team Coleman had already raised “well over a million dollars” for Coleman’s Senate race and ensuing legal battle, and promised to keep it up.
But Democrats are likely to point to the lobbyists’ fundraising as proof that they’re merely keeping this battle alive to keep the seat vacant and prevent Dems from getting a leg up in the big upcoming policy battles involving the business lobbies, such as the battle over the Employee Free Choice Act.
Van Dongen (who is the father of WhoRunsGov editor Rachel Van Dongen) rejected that claim.
“That’s a side benefit,” Van Dongen said, when asked if the goal was to keep the seat vacant. “But this is all about us doing everything we can to be sure that Norm has had a fair election and to get him back in his Senate seat. We’d be doing exactly the same thing if the Republicans were in the majority.”
In case you thought this fight was gonna end anytime soon…
Update: The Democratic National Committee unloads on Coleman over our story.
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Oh man, the things Sevugan can do with this annoucement. Please tell me you are going to call him for comment Greg.
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They could put an attack ad up with Coleman being in the back pocket of lobbyists in Washington. The possibilities are ENDLESS.
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“The people pushing Norm Coleman to appeal aren’t the citizens of Minnesota, but the greedy lobbyists from Washington. One can only wonder what Norm Coleman is promising in return….”
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We the people or We the lobbyists?
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Will Norm Coleman accept “Pay To Play” legal donations from Washington Lobbyists in order to keep Minnesota from being fully represented in Congress?
Interesting chap, Mr. Van Dongen. Lots of information available via google, of course.
Via TPM, polling of Minnesotans suggest the great majority of them would consider Mr. Van Dongen’s lobbying on this electoral contest to be as partisan and obstructionist as it looks. Fair enough he might work in aid of his personal ideology and at the behest of those for whom he gets his lobbying bucks but it tends to make his claims in that second last paragraph less than credible.
“By a 63%-37% margin, voters say that Coleman should concede the race, rather than continue to appeal.”
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/04/poll-minnesotans-want-coleman-to-concede-franken-to-be-seated.php?ref=fp1
“We’d be doing exactly the same thing if the Republicans were in the majority.”
Somehow I really really doubt it.
“Mr. Coleman. How do you respond to the notion that that American People now suspect that what you have been engaged in, here, with the Election Contest and the subsequent appeal and threat to take the matter on to the Supreme Court, is nothing but a GOP Conspiracy, involving you, members of the Republican Senate Committee and Governor Pawlenty?”
You’ve come-up considerably more than short in all the Motions and Rulings. Pawlenty has conveniently gone-along for the ride, making comments about issuing the Certificate to Franken that are contrary to what the Judges have said and Ordered. It seems like you, Pawlenty and the GOP have a good thing going. The Republican Senate Committee sent you a quarter million dollars over the Holiday Season. Did any of that money go to Governor Pawlenty? Is he being paid to keep the Minnesota Senate Seat vacant? Why would a sitting Governor, with the Nation in the grips of a historic economic collapse, not want to have his constituency and the Nation fully represented in the Senate? What kept Pawlenty from sending a Provisional Senator until your Election Contest got decided? Lastly, why isn’t the Election Contest OVER and your legal battle with the State? The Election Contest was to see who, between you and Franken, got the most votes. That Case is decided. That matter closed. Anything you want to complain about should now be “Coleman v Minnesota”, Coleman v Something other than Franken because Franken won the Election Contest you brought and the GOP bought. The Election Contest is OVER.
It’s NOT an Election Contest, anymore! It is a GOP-Funded, Un-American, Bad Faith, Civil Rights Violating, Un-Constitutional, perpetuation of a Fraud and an obvious Conspiracy to keep Al Franken tied-up in Court while Governor Pawlenty keeps the Senate Seat Vacant for the GOP Senatorial Committee who did everything but Earmark Stimulus money to pay-off all the alleged Conspirators. Nice work, Norm. Talk about disenfranchisement. Mister. When it comes to disenfranchisement … You wear the Gold … Pawlenty: Silver … and, the GOP Senate Committee: Bronze (But, they’re having theirs Gold Plated). The stench of this alleged Conspiracy is drifting out of Minnesota and all across the Nation. You’d think you guys would be embarrassed by how you are stinking-up the place. But, you’re not. You guys just laugh and high-five and see if the smoke from you taking a match to The Constitution will somehow obscure the reprehensible assault you have executed on Democracy. Shame on you!
In fact, the election contest is not over, and that makes these lobbyist’s donations much more difficult. This process is part of the election, at least until it is certified as final (by Gov Pawlenty). Until that time all donations are restricted by the same rules that applied before the vote. It is only if Mr Coleman attempts to overturn a certified decision that the restrictions do not apply. So he has to admit (a technical) defeat before he can access their money.
Quite the conundrum for Mr Coleman and his cronies, no?
Mr. Coleman has the legal right to appeal the Election Contest Court decision to the Minnesota Supreme Court. That doesn’t mean he should appeal however. His legal right should be balanced against the right of Minnesotans to have full representation in the Senate. A transparent fair and neutral recount showed Mr. Franken received more votes. A transparent, fair and neutral Election Contest Court trial resulted in Coleman claims of election problems being rejected completely. He doesn’t have the votes, and he doesn’t have the evidence to show malfeasance that would create an equal protection concern.
When will Republicans quit showing their anti-republic, anti-fairness, anti-everything mean streak to the public? Those rich lobbyists think it’s fair that they obstruct my right to representation because they – who don’t get a vote in Minnesota – don’t like the choices I and my fellow Mn citizens made?! They’ll use their wealth to obstruct my right to representation?
There will be a reckoning – and they WILL pay a price for their anti-American conduct.
Really, do they have NO friggin shame?
I will let that #sshole Coleman do his worst; and that lobbyist van Dongen spend money on this frippery. The days are gone when lobbyists did good things in Washington. Nowadays too many of these guys are self serving numbskulls without a moral compass to guide them.
Lobbyists and big money…
http://www.amazon.com/Damn-Much-Money-Corrosion-Government/dp/0307266540
Tomasky has a review on this in the last NYRB but unfortunately it’s one the editors chose to make you pay for if you don’t get the periodical (which you should get).
the truth is that no-one will donate to the cause of helping norm even if the website is titled colemanappeal.org
Check it out it looks like a beginner put the site up. ha ha
The fact that lobbyists are involved in a partisan way is no great revelation. However, this story presents another glowing example of why “the lobby” should be made illegal as an operation within any political body, be it, local, county, state and/or especially federal government.
Making it illegal for any paid and/or elected government official to have contact with a lobby member and/or any lobby member to make contact with a paid/elected official should become the law of the land.
Government would work more quickly and efficiently.