The Coleman Files

George W. Bush has been one of Norm Coleman's biggest fans and the relationship goes both ways. Having been hand picked by Bush, Cheney and Rove to run in 2001, Coleman happily showed his appreciation and loyalty. In his first year in the Senate, Coleman supported the President 98 percent and boasts a career average of 86 percent. Coleman has said, "George Bush is a leader for our times. When we sing ‘God Bless America,' it is a prayer, and I believe this person is part of God's answer." As Bush's approval ratings sink lower, (75 percent of Minnesotans disapprove of Bush's job performance), Coleman admitted he would still be happy to have the President campaign and raise money for him like he did six times before in 2002. Note: See Dick Cheney, Karl Rove

One of Coleman's biggest supporters in Washington, Cheney worked with Karl Rove to clear the way for Norm Coleman's race in 2002. Cheney got what he was looking for in Coleman — a Senator who voted with the Bush administration 98 percent in his first year. As a Bush-Cheney '04 spokesman put it, "Senator Coleman is one of the party's most effective spokesmen and advocate for the president's message." Note: See George W. Bush, Karl Rove

The DCI Group is a lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C. Tom Synhorst was a co-founder of both DCI Group and its sister company, FLS-DCI. DCI Group clients include corporate giants such as AT&T, Visa, Exxon Mobil, and PhRMA. The DCI Group and its employees have contributed nearly $10,000 to Coleman’s campaigns and political action committees. Nine DCI clients have donated over $50,000 to Coleman’s campaign and political-action committee while simultaneously retaining DCI council. Recently two DCI lobbyists, Doug Davenport and Doug Goodyear resigned from their roles on the McCain campaign due to their involvement representing the oppressive military regime of Myanmar. [DCI Group Website, Our People; Center For Responsive Politics, Accessed 5/13/08] Note: See Financial Services Industry, FLS-DCI, Tony Feather, Jeff Larson, Oil and Gas Industry, Pharmaceutical Industry (Big Pharma), Tom Synhorst

The finance and credit card industries have two strong advocates in Washington: Norm Coleman and the DCI Group. US Bancorp paid DCI Group $180,000 to lobby on banking issues while donating $10,000 to Coleman’s campaign and political-action committee in 2004. Coleman consistently supported financial services by voting for an industry-backed bankruptcy bill that toughened laws on borrowers and made it harder to protect their homes. Coleman voted against setting credit card interest rating ceiling. Finally, Coleman sided with the banking lobby by voting to kill a plan to let judges ease burden on borrowers trapped in subprime mortgages. [Center For Responsive Politics; S256, Vote 44, 3/10/05; Pioneer Press, 4/26/05 (emphasis added) S.256, Vote 20, 3/3/05; Associated Press, 3/3/05; Vote #88, 4/3/08; Los Angeles Times, 4/3/08] Note: See The DCI Group

Founded by Tony Feather, Jeff Larson and Tom Synhorst, FLS-DCI is a political consulting firm with deep Washington D.C. connections. First hired by Coleman in 2001, FLS-DCI has provided over $1.5 million in telemarketing, consulting, management and rent services to Coleman’s senate campaigns. FLS-DCI and its sister company, the DCI Group, have been key operatives in both Bush campaigns and several shadowy pro-Bush 527 organizations, including Progress for America and the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign. [FEC Disclosure Reports, Accessed 5/14/08; Coleman for Senate FEC Reports, 2003-2007; Center for Responsive Politics] Note: See The DCI Group, Tony Feather, Jeff Larson, Tom Synhorst

Tony Feather is a founding partner of FLS-DCI, the same firm Coleman has paid $1.5 million in campaign service fees. At the same time FLS-DCI was working on Coleman’s 2002 campaign, Tony Feather was a registered lobbyist with the DCI Group, the Washington D.C. lobbying firm founded by his friend and colleague, Tom Synhorst. Feather’s major clients included corporate giants such as General Motors, AT&T and PhRMA. Feather founded the shadowy 527 organization, Progress for America, which worked to advance President Bush’s agenda, whom he worked for in both 2000 and 2004. [Center for Public Integrity, The Rise of 'Revolving-Door' Consultants; Pioneer Press, 8/5/07; National Journal, 5/29/04] Note: See The DCI Group, FLS-DCI, Jeff Larson, Tom Synhorst

Part of Coleman’s “inner circle of advisors,” Jeff Larson is a founding partner of FLS-DCI, the same organization Coleman paid $1.5 million for campaign services. He also serves as the treasurer of Coleman’s political action. Larson has been described as “probably better known in the White House than in St. Paul ... which is exactly the way he likes it” and counts Karl Rove among his colleagues. Coleman and Larson are old friends, going back to at least 1999 when Coleman hired Lawson’s firm in an unsuccessful bid to help bring the Minnesota Twins to St. Paul. [Pioneer Press, 8/5/07; Federal Election Commission; Pioneer Press, 7/3/99; Pioneer Press, 8/4/07] Note: See The DCI Group, FLS-DCI, Tony Feather, Karl Rove, Tom Synhorst

The oil and gas industries found a reliable friend in Norm Coleman. The oil and gas industries donated more than $210,000 to Coleman’s campaigns. Coleman and these industries also share a good friend in common, the DCI Group, which Exxon Mobil retained for lobbying services to the tune of $480,000. Meanwhile, Coleman voted to protect $5.1 billion in tax breaks for an industry that continues to rake in record profits during a slowing U.S. economy. Since Coleman took office, the average price of a gallon of gas in Minnesota has climbed over $2.31. [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 5/22/08; Vote #118, 5/11/06; Boston Globe, 5/12/06; Vote 331, 11/17/05; Vote 341, 11/17/05; Houston Chronicle, 11/17/05; Energy Information Agency, Accessed 4/29/08; AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report, Accessed 5/22/08] Note: See The DCI Group

In 2002 and 2003, pharmaceutical and insurance companies paid the DCI group over $200,000 to lobby on the Medicare prescription drug bill and reimportation. Additionally, in 2002, the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) contributed $25,000 to Coleman’s soft-money Victory Committee. In 2003, Coleman came through for his friends at the DCI Group and Big Pharma by voting for a Medicare prescription drug bill that barred the re-importation of cheaper drugs from Canada. [Federal Election Commission; Star Tribune, 2/28/02; Federal Election Commission; Senate Office of Public Records, DCI Group 2003 Lobbying Reports; Vote 459, 11/25/03; In These Times, 1/5/04; New York Times, 2/3/04; The Hill, 11/19/03; NAACP Legislative Report Card, 2003-04] Note: See The DCI Group

George Bush likes Coleman so much, he even loaned him his top political strategist. In 2001, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney convinced Tim Pawlenty to back out of the Senate race, clearing the way for Norm Coleman. Despite leaving the White House, Rove has remained busy getting "up to his eyeballs" in creating outside 527 organizations to boost the Republicans in the fall. In this endeavor, Rove will be working closely with his "old associate" Tom Synhorst while their colleague, Jeff Larson, remains in the "inner circle of advisors" for Coleman's 2008 campaign. Note: See George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Jeff Larson, Tom Synhorst

Tom Synhorst is a founding member of FLS-DCI, the firm Coleman hired to the tune of $1.5 million to run his senate campaigns. Synhorst is also a founding member and chairman of the The DCI Group, a Washington D.C. lobbying firm which represented an oppressive military regime in Myanmar, among many corporate clients. During DCI’s Myanmar contract period, Synhorst continued to run FLS-DCI. In 2004, Synhorst was heavily involved in several pro-Bush 527s, including Progress for America. Synhorst is working with his “old associate” Karl Rove to head the GOP soft money effort in 2008. [DCI Group Website, Our People; Pioneer Press, 8/5/07; National Journal, 5/29/04; Center For Responsive Politics, Accessed 5/25/08; CongressDaily, 4/18/08] Note: See The DCI Group, FLS-DCI, Tony Feather, Jeff Larson, Karl Rove