‘Superstitious’ Coleman returns to Quality Circuits

By Lauren Radomski (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Photo by Zak Holtan

Wayne Dirkman, owner of Quality Circuits, introduces Norm Coleman Tuesday morning at Quality Circuits in Fergus Falls. Coleman was in town on his “The Hope Express” tour.

As Sen. Norm Coleman will tell you, candidates for U.S. office are not without their quirks.

“I’m a little superstitious,” Coleman said Tuesday, speaking in the cafeteria of Quality Circuits in Fergus Falls. “I like to come back to the places that helped me win last time.”

Coleman stood in the same room six years ago during his first Senate bid, and on Tuesday, Quality Circuits President Wayne Dirkman said the business has added 75 new jobs and three additions since that visit.

“What we need is Norm to go back to Washington and keep doing what he’s been doing for the past six years,” Dirkman said.

Coleman’s visit was part of what he calls “The Hope Express,” with the senator showcasing optimistic views toward economic growth and bipartisan cooperation.

“It’s not enough to blame,” he said. The question is, “Who has the capacity to fix things?”

Speaking to a room full of employees and supporters, Coleman promised to start the process by holding Wall Street executives accountable for their contributions to the economic crisis. He also called raising taxes “one of the worst things you can do during an economic downturn or recession.”

When Coleman asked his audience whether they believed “the federal government should live within its means,” one person responded, “But you haven’t done that.”

Congress as a whole has not shown a commitment to reducing spending, Coleman said, but he has.

Coleman described small businesses as “very, very precious to me and to the country.” The candidate is a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

“I have always been passionate about growing jobs,” he said, citing the thousands of jobs created in St. Paul during his eight years as mayor.

Coleman also stressed bipartisan cooperation in addressing the nation’s most pressing issues, and recounted the compromises achieved by the Founding Fathers.

Recent polls suggests Coleman’s emphasis on the positive may be resonating with voters. Gone is the nine-point difference that separated Democratic challenger Al Franken from Coleman two weeks ago, according to a Star Tribune poll. A new poll released this week showed 36 percent of respondents chose Coleman, while 39 percent favored Franken. With results within the poll’s margin of error, the race is a dead heat.

Coleman’s campaign says the candidate plans to visit roughly 90 Minnesota communities in the two weeks leading up to the election.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.