Watch Out, MN: Coleman's Got Symptoms of Blago-itis

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Meg White

One of the first things I learned about Chicago when I moved here from Minneapolis in August 2007 was that the rumors were true.  This is a corrupt city, people told me, perhaps worried that my upbringing in Minnesota would make me a naïve consumer of local news. The events surrounding yesterday's arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich have done more than just cement the idea, however, they've made me fear for my home state.

The Minnesota Independent came out with a somewhat shaky comparison between the wives of Blagojevich and Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) today. The strongest connection there is that both have been accused of being a conduit for their husbands' supposedly illicit cash. However, it seems to me that the Independent is being  optimistic. Consider this a warning from a fellow Minnesotan who watched this go down in Illinois: Blagojevich and Coleman have more in common than you think.

The logic operates on the well-worn idea that where there's smoke, there's fire. By the time I moved to Chicago in August 2007, academicians, elected officials -- yes, even Democrats -- would tell me the Gov. was in serious legal trouble. How were they so sure? All the smoke. "This is how it happened with Ryan," they'd say.  "This is how it will happen with Blagojevich."

Everyone was talking about George Ryan at the time. The former governor of Illinois, now jailed, was prosecuted for bribery schemes he perpetrated before becoming head of the Land of Lincoln. He wasn't indicted until after he left office. But, with all the rumors swirling, it wasn't a huge surprise when he was. And it's not like the office of Illinois governor was thought of as particularly pure anyway.

However surprising the Blagojevich arrest was to the rest of the world, the fact that he got picked up was more of a relief to Illinoisans than anything else.  Of course, the timing of the arrest, and extent of the corruption, were a jolt to us, but it seems like everyone but Blagojevich saw it coming.

It started with his buddies. Tony Rezko and Bill Cellini were mere canaries in the cave.  Thus, the federal probe into Coleman's "longtime friend and benefactor" Nasser Kazeminy reported by the St. Paul Pioneer Press should be taken as a warning shot. Two lawsuits accuse Kazeminy of trying to funnel $100,000 to Coleman illegally via his wife's employer.

TPM Muckraker reports that after at least ten detailed voice messages were left for Coleman's Washington press secretary over several weeks, they've been told nothing about whether or not the senator is being investigated, leaving them to all but conclude that he is under investigation:

"You'd assume that, had Coleman not been contacted, his press secretary would take 30 seconds to call us back and tell us that."

But that's not all. In October, Coleman was accused of accepting as gifts high-end suits that Kazeminy bought from Neiman Marcus. Any gift over $250 must be reported by U.S. senators, and while Coleman has reported thousands in free flights from the Iranian businessman, he never said anything about suits Kazeminy bought him.  According to calculations by The New Republic, the Kazeminy family has donated "at least $119,800 to Coleman."

Before finally blogging that only his wife buys suits for him, Coleman spent a lot of time and energy dodging questions about the origins of his menswear, only fueling the speculation. According to Mary Ann Akers at The Washington Post, Coleman and his team have been skirting the question and frustrating the press corps when asked legitimate, yes-or-no questions about alleged improprieties.  Then they issue flat-out denials, as if to say "Scandal?  What scandal?"

Maybe it's just me, but that sounds a lot like Blagojevich, who said the day before the FBI brought him handcuffs for breakfast that everything he says is legal, and that nothing but sunshine hangs over his head.

But even before any of these federal investigations and lawsuits popped up, Coleman was already suspected of wrongdoing. This past summer, an article in the National Journal led to a complaint filed by Citizens for Responsibility in Washington inquiring about a possible sweetheart deal on Coleman's Capitol Hill apartment. He rents a room from influential Republican strategist Jeff Larson well under market value, and reportedly failed to pay rent several months.

In response, Coleman went on the attack, calling the accusation partisan, through Citizens for Responsibility in Washington had filed several complaints against Democrats around the same time at which the Coleman complaint was filed.

On the seamier side, there are dozens of accounts (many gathered here) of Coleman's alleged philandering and total lack of respect for women, which we've seen blossom into full-blown scandals in similar situations. Even I can recall at least one story from a friend who witnessed public drunkenness and inappropriate behavior from Coleman, shortly after his election to the U.S. Senate.

Here is where Coleman most closely mirrors Blagojevich's arrogance. Despite the fact that he is in a public place, and despite the fact that his philandering and unwanted advances are the worst-kept secret in St. Paul, he continues to run around like a frat boy.

Obviously, Coleman has not been charged with any crime, but neither was Blagojevich when he was reelected. I just don't think we've gotten to the bottom of this story yet, and I know how Minnesotans hate surprises.

I'm not saying this because I think Minnesotans can do anything about this; there's no re-vote, just a recount. However, it is unfortunate that during the election season the local media was more interested in Franken's satirical essays from years back than in current allegations regarding Coleman's inappropriate exercise of power. 

The heads of Illinoisans who reelected Blagojevich to the governorship have hung increasingly lower as the extent of the governor's misdeeds becomes more apparent. I just hope to give Minnesotans who voted for Coleman a chance to avoid some of the back problems that could be in their near future by giving them a heads up.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

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