Al Franken’s worst nightmare: Conservative bloggers
Two years ago, Radio Equalizer blogger Brian Maloney blew open the Air America financial scandals–embarrassing both Al Franken and the laggard MSM. Maloney continues to publish must-read blogging on the media, talk radio, and liberal double standards. (See here for his latest on the MSM’s disparate treatment of Rush vs. Roseanne.)
Another conservative blogger has been doing yeomen’s work in Minnesota dogging Franken and doing the investigative work the MSM won’t do. He’s Michael Brodkorb of Minnesota Democrats Exposed. I’ve pointed you to his work previously here and here. Now, the national MSM is catching up:
Senate candidate Al Franken wants to talk about jobs, health care and global warming. Republican blogger Michael Brodkorb wants to talk about Franken’s failure to pay all his income taxes on time.
Guess what everyone is talking about?
From the kitchen table in his tranquil suburban neighborhood, Brodkorb for the last year has used his blog “Minnesota Democrats Exposed” to launch a furious political assault on Franken. He’s labeled the former comedian and liberal commentator a “mean-spirited and un-Minnesotan” candidate who’s running a “desperate and ridiculous” campaign.
That’s routine stuff in the world of political blogging, but in the last two months Brodkorb has scored two direct hits that have the Franken campaign reeling. Brodkorb scooped the traditional media by detailing extensive bookkeeping problems in New York and California that ultimately prompted Franken, this week, to pay about $70,000 in back taxes to 17 states.
The stories have knocked Franken off balance as he prepares to take on Sen. Norm Coleman, in what’s expected to be one of the most expensive and toughest-fought U.S. Senate races this year.
Democrats have tried to downplay Brodkorb by portraying him as part of coordinated Republican attacks.
“When people talk about the right wing noise machine, that’s what it is,” said Franken spokesman Andy Barr.
But even some of his harshest critics admit Brodkorb, who has no real counterweight on the left, has been effective.
A typical Brodkorb scoop is splashed across his Web site under bold- faced banners like “Shock!” or “Breaking News!” The items are often followed soon after by a news release from the state Republican Party on the same subject, and many of his themes find their way into Coleman’s talking points.
In person, Brodkorb is a dark-haired, soft-spoken and polite 34-year- old whose infant twin daughters sometimes nap not far from his laptop.
…Brodkorb’s critics suggest some of his best stories are leaked from Republican campaigns, the state party and Republican-affiliated groups as part of a coordinated effort against Democrats. That includes Dave Colling, who managed the 2006 congressional campaign of Keith Ellison, a regular Brodkorb target.
“It’s about making them talk about something they don’t necessarily want to talk about,” Colling said.
Brodkorb won’t detail his methods, except to say he “gets tips all the time from Democrats and Republicans” and independently researches them before posting anything.
Brodkorb wouldn’t reveal how he first got the notion to check up on Franken’s business dealings in New York and California, but said simple searches on government Web sites delivered the goods: New York had levied a $25,000 judgment against Franken’s private corporation for failing to carry workers’ compensation insurance, and the corporation was in forfeiture in California.
Brodkorb often covers news conferences and other planned political events, but does most of his blogging from his home in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan.
Kudos to Brodkorb for afflicting the comfortable through good, old-fashioned journalism in a 21st-century medium. May he continue to provide Franken with many more sleepless nights.
***
Related: Scott Johnson at Power Line notes the beginning of a cover-up:
Observers naturally want to know how if Franken’s tax problems result from an oversight or something more serious, and whether they are confined to the period acknowledged so far (2003-2006). Franken has refused to release his tax returns and filed for an extension on his 2007 return.
Franken has blamed the problems on Allen Chanzis, his New York accountant. In an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, Franken said Chanzis told him he needed to pay taxes only in states where he lived.
Yesterday the Star Tribune contacted Chanzis to get his side of the story, but the Star Tribune found that Franken seems to have been one step ahead of them. Someone had already instructed Chanzis not to talk with reporters…
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Trackbacks
- Al Franken Failed to Pay 70K in Back Taxes | The Patriot Room
- Hot Air » Blog Archive » DFL remains loyal to Al “Stonewall” Franken — for now
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Categories: Al Franken
Confederate Yankee
» Obama: Hezbollah and Hamas Have "Legitimate Claims"
Bench Memos
» Activism? What Activism?David Frum
» Sauve Qui PeutJustOneMinute
» Profiles In Courage (Self-Portrait Sub-Division)Jawa Report
» McCain Campaign (Finally) Invites Michelle MalkinNewsBusters.org
» Politico.com Mistaken on McCain Advisor 'Ouster'Redstate
» The Politico and Sensationalism
LOVE IT!
What’s good for the goose….my momma always said.
Yep! Nothing to see here move along, just another foot soldier of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy trying to confuse everyone with the facts. Without the “Army of David’s” we have in the new media we would be the clueless sheeple the elites want us to be. Keep up the great work Mr. Brodkorb!
who?
Talk about a “Culture of Corruption”! Seventy K in back taxes!? That’s about double what I make in a year!
Not to mention that Al sends his kids to a very expensive, very exclusive and very private school in NYC. Why not a public school in Minnesota with the great unwashed Al? More “Do as I say” liberal hypocrisy.
Franken’s a joke. The DFL should be embarrassed that he’s the only candidate they can foist on the people of Minnesota.
lol.
has someone asked Frankin why he chose to run in Minn. as opposed to CA or NY? the man is conniving, and not very good at it.
it’s time for Frankin to learn that an intellectual in Hollywood is no more learned than a 4th grader in the real world.
Didn’t he have somthing to do with Airless America? I can’t seem to remember.
Al was a joke long before he began his foray into politics. He’s as unimportant now as ever.
This is strange, considering that in the state of Georgia you can’t run for public office at any level if you owe taxes to anyone. Period. I guess Minnesota is more forgiving of tax cheats.
Al Fraken funny? Not for over 25 years. But isn’t it funny how Mr. Liberal - soak the rich - Fraken is a apparently a tax cheat? Isn’t that a crime? Wesley Snipes just went to jail for 3 years for tax evasion. Fraken-stein is just so typical of his caste: blessed with fabulous wealth, living in the best country at the best time in history, famous and connected with the rich and powerful, yet he is bitter, angry, malicious, despises most Americans and slanders the country that made his success possible, and then cheats the poor and needy by failing to pay his fair share of taxes - the same taxes he wants to raise on everyone else. Al -how many kids went to school hungry because you didn’t pay your taxes? Did it make you laugh? Are you laughing now???
Let us not start patting each other on the back too soon. Two words for MN to remember, JESSE VENTURA….
I’m rich enough, liberal enough, but doggone it why don’t people like me?
Actually, Franken is his own worst nightmare. He’s a twit.
Now thats rich. Oh boy, hahaha, ,wait wait ,,,hahaha.
Only the entire MSM, left wing blogs, like the Ditsy Kooks and others.
Boy is that article a hoot.
This is strange, considering that in the state of Georgia you can’t run for public office at any level if you owe taxes to anyone. Period. I guess Minnesota is more forgiving of tax cheats.
This is True about the State of Georgia but this law does not have an enforcement element. This was law written and passed by a Democrat controlled State Legislature many years ago.
Currently there are more than 2 dozen office holders in Georgia owing between $5,000 and $500,000 in various local, state and federal taxes.
When it hits the newspapers sometimes they pay. 90% claim they are disputing those numbers with the various governing authorities.
Not one of these Georgia politicos are facing litigation, indictment nor fear of any “in regard” to this specific statutue. The State does place liens however.
I didn’t think he was the least bit funny on SNL 30 years ago in his “Franken & Davis” appearances.
Typical liberal. Wants everyone else to pay taxes—except him.
OMG Weird Al is being “Swift Boated” hahahahaha! Telling the truth about a POS!
Yes he is a typical liberal but I’m afraid he has a pretty good chance of winning. I don’t know what has happened up in MN lately but it seems to me he’s got a great chance of being Sen. Smiley come January. It doesn’t really seem to matter to too many people that he’s not really lived there and that he’s a common criminal. I mean Wesley Snipes is headed for the Big House, Frankenstein should be too, and add Willie “Pot Head” Nelson to the mix. Why should Wesley be the only one?
You gotta admit it, Franken played a spot-on dumb baggage handler in “Trading Places”. It just couldn’t be acting.
I agree with TERRIG. He’ll win because the people’s mindset has gone on vacation, and can’t find it’s way back. If you’re a liberal you can get by with just about anything as for as the average person in the country is concerned. The Mn. voters will reap what they sow.
Unfortunately, if he is elected to the U.S. Senate, all of the U.S. will have to reap what the Minnesota voters sow.
Al Franken, the typical liberal, calling for taxes on thee, but not me. You must give up your wages for the common good but I must not, for I am the common good.
“Franken said his accountant told him that he only had to paid taxes in states where he lives”. That shows two things about Franken. First it shows his lack of decency. Rather than accept any blame, he just threw his accountant under the bus. Franken simply accuses his accountant of malpractice and names his accountant, possibly wrecking his accountant’s career. Second it shows just how little Franken knows about federal and state tax law. He wants to be a US Senator and make tax law yet he does not even know the rudiments of tax law. Everybody but Franken knows that you generally pay state taxes where you earn the money. You can make appropriate adjustments when you prepare your taxes in the various states where you earned money. If I make money in California, I pay my taxes there and if I live in New York, most of the year, I can make the correct adjustment when I do my New York taxes and my federal taxes. It is not brain surgery. And Franken must be the only person in New York State who thinks that an employer does not have to have workers comp insurance. Funny that Franken calls himself a working class hero yet thinks that workers compensation is not mandatory for employers. Hypocricy, thy name is Franken.
That’s demspeak for “truth.” The DFL is all about the synonym.
I get the mental picture of the MSM as having their hands over the ears and screaming, “SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I DON’T WANT TO KNOW THIS!!!!!!”
It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad and pathetic - and just a touch scary.
The Peoples Republic of Minnesota went ‘Kalifornia’ years ago. They elect jokes like Governor Turnbuckle and Paul Welstone, and socialists and communists like Amy Klobuchar and Betty (McCommie) McCollum. Occasionally they have a moment of sanity and elect fine folks like Michele Bachmann.
I expect Frankenpuff to get elected. Why not? The US Congress is nothing more than a circus, so why not send in another clown?
And “swiftboating” is confronting a democrat with a truth for which he/she has no answer.
The highpoint of Franken’s career was when he played a brain damaged and heavily medicated drooling moron in a Franken and Davis skit on SNL.
I think he is still milking that role.
Al Franken is a Big, Fat, Stupid, Tax Evading idiot.
Somebody should write a book about it.
Who needs the drive by media for anything anymore except spin — Democrats lie of the day?
Ya know, he just might have a chance at a decent life if he could just quit failing the 12 Step Program. Little drunk!
Thank you, Granite. I guess I was thinking it was a State Office.
This harkens back to “The Al Franken Decade”. Maybe he can explain it away in a campaign speech…
Recently I was surprised to find out that I owed $70,000 in back taxes. The source of surprise was that during the 1980s, also known as “The Al Franken Decade”, I thought a law was passed that those taxes applied to everybody but me, Al Franken. It is just obvious that Republicans are now using tax laws to embarass me, Al Franken, in a futile effort to try to prove that “The Al Franken Decade” did not happen. Do not believe those lies. I, Al Franken, do indeed have the tapes that prove “The Al Franken Decade” did exist. Please keep paying your taxes so it does not place a greater burden on me, Al Franken.
Chuck and Terrig
Aw, never fear, there are a few of us conservatives here in MN. We’re just so outnumbered we have to be saboteurs….. ” Wolverines”… and I don’t mean Michigan
The possibility of national politics getting even more ridiculous…
Enter Al Franken from stage left.
Mr. Franken is just your “typical, liberal politician.” He’ll raise your taxes but he won’t pay his own.
Isn’t that right, Teddy Kennedy?
MNUSMC David, what has happened up there? When I was a kid, it was a pretty normal state where the state past-time was hockey. Now I hear about the Muslim cabbies not wanting to take people with wine bottles or who’ve had too much too drink or people with service animals. I don’t get it. When did all of this happen?
Chuck-I think the Ringling Brothers has unloaded the Clown Train at the Capitol Building. That’s the only explanation, they gotta be short clowns.
Terrig
Well, I moved here from PA back in 78…. to me, it was always a liberal state. I’d have to say that Perpich got the ball rolling and Jesse trashed it. Our welfare rolls have exploded, we’re one of the top two states with Somali immigrants and the illegal south of the border people are making a big surge with sanctuary cities like Minneapolis and St . Paul
MNUSMCDavid, I guess I always thought it was normal (a lot of my male cousins played hockey and secretly hoped for scholarships to the University of MN-never happened) and a lot of the hunky hockey players from the 1980 Olympic team were from there.
I guess I forgot about Hubert Horatio Humphrey though, or as Dimmy Carter called him Hubert Horatio Hornblower.
Oh the hunky hockey players are still here… but, I am a hetero male…. lol soooooooooo ….
Please keep kicking his ass!
This man is not senator material and never will be senator material!
MNUSMCDavid, at 15 I was more impressed with how handsome they were, then their hockey skills, until the Russian game.
If Alf can not manage his own business, how can he manage the people’s business?
I’ll go ahead and supply th obvious answer: Lie, cheat and steal until you get caught, then blame someone else.
Liberal SOP.
Al will not win. His poll numbers are flagging heavily, and a former opponent who dropped out may be stepping back in…just in time to take away the nod from him.
That means Norm Coleman gets a win.