The latest Republican to get caught in a scandal is Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota. He seems to be getting hit with a bunch of scandals all at once. Of course this will come as no suprise to those who know that Coleman is good buddies with Alaska's Ted Stevens, currently indicted for corruption and who I have dubbed the most corrupt politician in America. Seems some of Ted Stevens' greedy mentality has rubbed off on Norm Coleman.

Scandal number one is a violation of the Senate Ethics rules. Seems that Norm Coleman's Washington, DC home is rented to him at well below market value by fellow member of the Republican Culture of Corruption, Jeff Larson. And when I mean rented at well below market value, I mean when Coleman even bothers to pay his rent. Larson generally lets Coleman skip his rent, basically giving him free lodgings. Now this COULD be just kindness on Larson's part, except it directly violates the Senate ethics rules regarding gifts.

But Coleman's violations of the Senate Ethics rules goes even further. Coleman basically receives vacations to the Bahamas and Paris, suits and other goodies from Minnesota businessman Nasser Kazeminy. And just who is Norm Coleman's wonderful patron? You guessed it. He's a government contractor. Norm Coleman is receiving gifts from someone whose company gets government contracts. This kind of thing is frowned upon in any political position, but it is an outright violation of the ethics rules for Senators. Coleman, of course, is denying any wrongdoing, but let's remember that when a Democrat, Senator Bob Torricelli of New Jersey, did the exact same thing, he was reprimanded by the Senate Select Committee on Ethics and retired. Funny how the Democratic Party actually fights corruption within its ranks while Republicans circle the wagons and defend even their most corrupt members.

Norm Coleman may not be around much longer, though. Democrat Al Franken is catching up fast in the polls. And with Minnesota voters increasingly seeing Norm Coleman's behavior as "shameful," I think Franken has a good shot.

Here are a couple of powerful videos from Al Franken's website showing how people view Norm Coleman.

First, Iraq War vet Sam Scott calls Norm Coleman's attacks "the same old shameful Washington politics" and tells Minnesotans why he's proud to stand with Al Franken.

Next, after the Star Tribune and KSTP-TV blasted ads from the Coleman campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee as false and misleading, the Al Franken for Senate campaign today released a new television ad featuring Minnesota women expressing their disgust and outrage at the depths to which Norm Coleman has sunk.

Norm Coleman: just another shameful Bush Republican who stoops to corruption, lies and smears.