July 13, 2008 08:45 AM
MN Senate Race: "Reality Check" Pwns Anti-Worker Astroturf Ad Against Al Franken
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MN's WCCO CH4 news' "Reality Check" segment destroys, point-by-point, a new intentionally misleading Sopranos-spoof TV ad by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, which is actually a cartel of national business groups including the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and Wal-Mart, masquerading as a pro-union, pro-worker group on behalf of Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) against his Democratic challenger Al Franken.
The ad exploits "a distorted stereotype of the Mafia, and of labor unions as tools of organized crime" to misrepresent legislation that, despite what the ad implies, would actually make it easier for workers to organize unions.
Corporations (Republicans) lying through their teeth and completely distorting the truth? Well now I've seen it all. Who woulda' thunk it! I'm shocked that a group of Amerikuhn business people from the "family values crowd" would do such a thing.
What about the children?
Yep, leave it to Walmart to create a business model that makes things cheap by using cheap shit and cheap shots.
That was the best review I have every seen.
Great job Ch 4.
I wish we had you in Cleveland.
At least there's one local news program that's doing some real reporting and fact checking. Kudos to WCCO
I'm a big fan of Al, so I would advise him to stomp them on this ad as much as possible. He was hurt enough with that news about the tax thing.
I'm surprised it was on the news.
http://blog.alfranken.com/2008/07/10/franken-campaign-raises-226-million...
Wow. Over 80% of Franken's individual donors don't even live in Minnesota.
Great Job WCCO. I think that this is the only local News that would expose this kind of Attack Ad. Go Pat.
Really now it's just one groups point of view...the lying, stealing, murding, filthy rotten Republican scoundrels point of view but oh well.
Nada @ 6:
This station has done this sort of campaign ad dissection every campaign season for a number of years now -- and they do cover all sides. It's a great service -- if this is not done nationally it should be.
When a desperate Reslug is losing they start the normal Right Wing-nut lies, distortions and false ads.
I wrote about this this morning too: here.
The thing I think is funny is, since they want "democratic workplaces", how about let's have democratic ballots to assign the CEO (and upper-management) salary levels. How about that? Let's get all the workers together and democratically assign a value to the CEO and upper-management. What? Bad idea? Yeah, I didn't really think they'd like that.
peaceful easy feeling @ 7:
The American people as usual are way ahead of the politicians and the media on this. People live reality, and the reality is that things are not better today then they were 7+ years ago. They know their money doesn't go as far, they know how long the war has gone on and what it costs, they know the price of gas, food, etc....they have seen their discretionary income decline and decline, their wages stagnant, their jobs disappearing. "Mental recession"..ha...the people are going to show the politicians what a recession is...when they put them all out of work.
There is going to be a real shakeup in Washington this fall, even bigger than the '06 elections. The GOP is on the losing side of that equation...and they know it. Listen to their strategists and their "wise old men"...they know what is coming.
Reality [check]...... on US TV ....... oh that's too funny.
displssd @ 2:
That's the american dream though, cheap at any cost, force out competition, control the market, then buy a stake in the government and control the laws to ensure your position.
Wow, imagine that, Norm Coleman is a lying liar that is telling lies. Who would have guessed? I live in MN and I hope like hell Al kicks the shit out of Norm. I hope Al asks Norm every time he sees him why he tells such blatant lies to the good citizens of Minnesota. Remember the 'I stand with W' stickers they had, I want one that says "I piss on Norm'!
peaceful easy feeling @ 7:
So the people against elections and unions are now called: "Coalition for a Democratic Workplace."
Wow, now that is Orwellian...
I know I'm getting old, but by the end of the segment I didn't quite understand who was doing what to whom....oh, well.
He's good enough.
He's smart enough
And gosh darnit, I hope people vote for him!
Seriously though...I think Al will bring a LOT of common-sense to the Senate. Something which is sorely needed.
That Coleman ad is S.O.P. for union-busters, chambers of commerce, and their slimy law-firm allies. Three cheers for WCCO! Why isn't "Reality Check" S.O.P. for the MSN?
(Hint: Maybe they don't want their journalists and producers getting organized?)
-dp
that was awesome!!!!!!! fair and honest reporting.....wow...
good going!
Why do they hate American workers?
Only 12% of America is unionized? Is that like, 99% of the auto and food industry? Because they sure seem to bitch and moan about unions every second of every day.
Holy smokes, the media acting responsibly and providing some measure of truth? My kids won't know what to make of this. Makes me kind of nostalgic.
NoGWBpolicyleftinplace @ 1:
It's the ol' "Do as I say, not as I do" school of parenting. They need to present Jesus Christ as a role model for their kids because they themselves have exempted themselves from many forms of ethical behavior due to the "complicated" nature of modern life. You know the drill: "It's complicated... Anyone who hasn't walked a couple hundred miles in my shoes couldn't possibly understand..."
I am just overwhelm of how low Norm Coleman would sink to win an election. It is so intentionally misleading in pretending to stand for something when your really against it. I am more surprise that a TV actor from "Soprano" would even want to be associated with this ad. I never watch the Soprano, so tell me is he really from that show? or is the actor a look alike?
Great Piece!!
This is encouraging!!
If only he had mentioned that the "Coalition for a Democratic Workplace" was actually trying to enforce fascist ideology and STOP democracy.
Still... it's a great informative segment.
There are laws against false advertising, why the hell are there no laws against false campaign ads. We elect our supreme court justices in Wisconsin and because of this same kind of bullshit false claims by an out of state dominated "Wisconsin Manufactures & Commerce", the court now leans heavily right in a State that used to be known for its progressive values.
This should be a huge priority for a Democratic majority as soon as they take office. Make these jerks start proving their claims before airing their bullshit.
As far as that goes, I wonder if WCCO discontinued airing the ad after finding out it was nothing but lies...
Hey sitemonitor, isn't the troll:
peaceful easy feeling@7
Off topic, I don't see the relevance of its post to this thread.
devildog21 @ 28:
Courts have given Fox the right to broadcast falsehoods vs. facts by citing the freedom of speech.
All waiting to have a secret vote does is give companies time to fight the union . I worked at a plant in North Carolina a few years ago were we had over seventy percent signed up, but months later when we voted we lost by 2 votes. In the mean time the company held mandatory meetings were they told lie after lie, started rumors that the company headquarters had bought land in Tennessee to move the plant to if they lost , hired temps just in time to be eligible to vote and trumped up excuses to fire or transfer certain union supporters to lesser jobs ( to try an shame them into quiting). When the labor board reviewed these violations they smacked the company's wrist and told us we could have another vote. It didn't happen. They spent we estimated at least a million dollars to keep the union out by hiring 1000 dollar an hour attorneys and producing an anti-union movie made just for our plant filled with every anti-union cliche and urban legend imaginable. It's time the laws in "right to work" states like North Carolina favored the workers and not the corporations!
The Dude @ 17:
I'm sure the worst has yet to come.
WCCO was the only union shop back when I lived there, my buddies dad was an IBEW member working for WCCO radio...I don't know about now
Ron @ 30:
That may be, but you can't shout fire in a crowded theater and I think it is possible to legislate this kind of crap off the airwaves if stations don't have the spine to reject them in the first place.
Floridiot @ 33:
I have an idea. Why can't WCCO do live streaming? C-SPAN can and if there are debates thw major networks and cable can. John and Nicole, can you research this for us? I would sign up in a hesrtbest. We need news we can rely on.
Ron @ 35:
correct spellings.
Norm Coleman, Franken's Republican challenger, actually approved a resolution by the St. Paul City Council on 9/10/97 supporting the basis of the Employee Free Choice Act and "card-check" recognition while he was mayor of St. Paul. Coleman signed off on it 9/11/97.
The ad never mentions that little tidbit, either.
Snowball @ 29:
Sitemonitor, is Snowball the screen name for Noel Shepard here? Or maybe Snowball could explain how peaceful easy feeling's post is off topic.
Forgive me, at 64 I sometimes feel addle-brained, thought never as bad as John McInsane, but I see a post about a Senate race that mentions both candidates and features a republiscum ad filled with lies, presented deceptively.
peaceful's post supplies additional information about one candidate's financials, an important aspect of politics today, and the number of donors. The post includes a reference to another site that I have not visited, but I suspect that site provides additional demographic information about this one candidate's donors from the comment that follows.
I don't see anything off topic here. Is it me or is it Snowball that is loony?
Al Franken could be the best thing that could happen to Minnesota in recent memory and to U.S. as a whole if elected to the Senate. I don't see him playing with special interests and other corrupted Senators(probably majority of them if not all) on important fundamental issues. In holding onto his honesty and principles, I am concerned how long he will last as Senator. Frustrations takes a toll on a person.
Kudos for WCCO CH4 news’ “Reality Check”
I sincerely hope they don't suffer any budget cuts any time soon.
Saint Augustine @ 38:
Neither of you are loony. Snowball's point is well taken that the subject is false advertising by a group misrepresenting themselves and peaceful's post goes off topic about a small part of the quoted from Franken's team regarding funding. I don't know what peaceful's intent was, but the fact that 80% of Franken's funding is from out of state is meaningless in the face of his refusal to accept pac money.
Now, back to the topic du jour! {:->
Forget Franken and Coleman, VOTE JESSE VENTURA.
Al - you funny guy - must be doing something right to get this reaction?
Wow! Considering how awful most local news stations are, that was all the more impressive.
Jack @ 3:
I wish we had you in Orlando.
Razzamatazz @ 37:
Yeah, Norman was a Dem Mayor turncoat.
Did a Zell Miller on his Union supporters
Al would stand up for the working man in the Senate and continue the tradition that Wellstone started. Coleman is just a rubber stamp for Bush and would be the same for McBush. But wait, Al was a comedian and has told dirty jokes in the past. I guess we just have to vote against him and against our own self interests, then. (snark)
The real shame of all this is the Norm Coleman is sitting in Paul Wellstone's MN Senate seat.
I was in the IBEW in New Haven, CT. They were great!
I can't even get into the IBEW in Moncton, New Brunswick,Canada. I've heard and caught them in every lie in the book as to why they have no openings for me. They should be investigated!
All you have to tell Norm Coleman is there is a ribbon cutting ceremony and he will be there with his own 14kt. gold scissors to take credit despite his voting record. He is a slimey, opportunistic, womanizer who does his dealings on Lake Minnetonka and Fletcher's.
Finally, a responsible journalist. Too bad the major networks can't produce anything of this quality.
I completely expect to read that WCCO will be bought by the Rupert Murdoch or Sinclair Broadcasting. Currently they are owned by CBS, but who knows what might happen.
peaceful easy feeling @ 7:
And some of the most crazy-assed right wing nutjobs in Michigan got 95% of their money from outstate sources like the fascist "Club for Growth" entity. Been doing it for years.
I am proud to support Al, and hope he wins. Al would do more for the people in Michigan (as a Senator from Minnesota), than any of the self-serving repukes have done in their years of representing their corporate owners.
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