Coleman the flip flopper

Senator Norm Coleman was going to vote against Michael Chertoff's nomination as Homeland Security chief in order to protest the fact that Saint Paul didn't get Homeland Security funding. Chertoff has some issues other than this that deserve careful scrutiny, but at least this was something. However, Coleman recently decided that this issue had been resolved to his satisfaction, and he voted for his confirmation.

Did Saint Paul get more money? Did Chertoff promise to move funds from, say, Wyoming, to a more populous state? No. Instead, the problem was "solved," according to Coleman, by allowing Saint Paul to share money with Minneapolis and Hennepin County. No more money will be allocated, of course; they will just have to share the pot, which is itself decreasing.

Norm Coleman: looking out for the interests of his constituents.