YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES
Contributors in Minnesota: Jennifer Brooks, Baird Helgeson, Mike Kaszuba, Patricia Lopez, Jim Ragsdale, Brad Schrade and Rachel E. Stassen-Berger. Contributor in D.C.: Kevin Diaz.
resize text 
subscribe via RSS
Former Sen. Coleman says GOP must embrace moderates: "If there were a few less, we’d really be gone"
Posted by: Rachel E. Stassen-Berger under Minnesota U.S. senators Updated: November 10, 2009 - 2:15 PM
In a lengthy interview on the Patriot radio, former Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman gave a spirited defense of Republicans who don't always agree with the party and advised the GOP to "seize the moment."
Strom, best known for his reign as the head of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota, told Coleman that "
Coleman, who has been called moderate by some, said allowing room for moderates may be the only way Republicans can get back into the majority.
"We just can’t win in Alabama and Tennessee…It’s not enough," he said. "If we want to be a majority party, we’ve got to figure out a way to make sure we’ve got the Susan Collinses in the U.S. Senate. I’ve got to tell you, Susan Collins is a friend of mine, so’s Tom Coburn.…Across the board there is enough that kind of ties us together as conservatives, center right Republicans… If we want to govern and be a majority party, we need folks there."
"Let them disagree on a few things…because if there were a few less, we’d really be gone," he said.
Coleman said the New York special congressional election "revealed some fissures on the Republican side." In that race, prominent Republicans -- including Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty -- backed the Conservative Party candidate over the Republican candidate. The GOP candidate then dropped out and the Democrat won what had historically been a Republican House seat.
The former Senator said the Republican was a "terrible candidate" and the Conservative "wasn't really a great candidate." No matter, the party needed to unify around a candidate, he said.
"We really do need to be unified. It gets back to my earlier discussion," he said. "If it is just us being angry, if it is just a part of our party, then we are going to find it really challenging to actually be in office and to be able to deal with issues like extensions of tax cuts and strong national security and a whole range of issues."
And will Coleman run for governor next year? He's not saying.
He repeated that he'd decide sometime early next year.
"I’m not jumping into anything and I’m not jumping out of anything," he said.
Here's the complete interview.
ADVERTISEMENT
recent posts
- Kline saves Fort Snelling rifles
- Bachmann, Walker to speak at Conservative Political Action Conference
- Cravaack denounces birth control benefit
- Group opposed to photo ID for voters links business donations to the issue
- And the winner is...
- Paul urges Maple Grove GOP to join his fight
- Arden Hills caucuses: Republicans and DFLers agree on no Vikings stadium
- In Arden Hills, an early -- and lonely -- Romney supporter
- Here are your predictions for Minnesota's Republican Party caucus vote
- Dueling pigs, cheering crowds and a glitterbomb at Santorum rally
- Franken introduces legislation to combat courthouse violence
- Close race at caucuses? No provisions for a GOP recount.
- Hot Dish: Santorum, Paul doubling down in Minnesota
- At Minnesota rally, Paul calls for 'renewal of the spirit'
- Gingrich makes first pre-caucus appearance in Bloomington
- Ellison announces effort to defeat a photo ID requirement for voters
- In advance of Tuesday's caucuses, a Santorum-Romney smack down
- Minneapolis rallies support for new Vikings stadium
Post By Category
- Brief Late Week Cold Snap (since Dec. 1: warmest winter since 1878)
- "A Useless Winter" (4th warmest January on record, but why?)
- David Lauren and the tech driven world of Ralph Lauren
- Edina's Galleria announces new stores, departures
- Shades of March (have we seen the last subzero weather of winter?)
ADVERTISEMENT
inside the StarTribune
-
425 Portland Av. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55488
(612) 673-4000
- Company
- Subscriber Services
- Website
- Buy Ads
- Store
- Connect with Us
© 2012 StarTribune. All rights reserved.
StarTribune.com is powered by Limelight Networks
Newspaper Subscriptions
eEdition
RSS
Newsletters