First, let me say that I am a lifelong conservative, and member of this website since 1998. I've also been very involved in Minnesota politics, and know of what I speak. I also voted for Coleman, so I'm not just bashing him.
Coleman, as I've said on many threads previously here on FR, has been heavily rumored to have a zipper problem for years, particularly chasing after waitresses at the St. Paul Grill. I've discussed this with other elected Republican officials here in MN, and they have said the same thing.
Regarding Laurie, she was "sent" to California back in 1998 when Coleman was running for governor. She does not like politics, and there is nothing worse for a married male politician than to not have the wife by their side campaigning. She had work found for her by Republican operatives, and has stayed out there working. What the true nature of their relationship is, I don't really know - but look at Bill and Hillary, and don't think that doesn't happen to officials on both sides of the political spectrum.
Coleman is also not that conservative, aside from the tax and abortion issues, and will have votes that will leave you scratching your head. He is, at best, neutral on the homosexual issue, having initially signed the "homo-day" proclamation at least once while mayor, and, after losing the governor's race in 1998, hiring a known DemoRat transsexual to his staff (whether "it" is still there, I don't know). I remember a humorous incident during the 1998 primaries in St. Cloud, where one of the candidates running against Coleman was passing out copies of the "homo-day" proclamation, and witnessing two of his younger aides scurrying around attempting to pick them all up as soon as handed out or taped up.
In answer to the question of "why hasn't this come out", I can only say that Minnesota is a different place. Former Sen. Rod Grams was openly having an affair with his top aide after he was initially elected to Congress in 1992. In fact, his entire congressional staff quit over this, and split up to staff his two challengers in the Republican primary to the Senate in 1994 (of which I was a part of one of them). We were all told to keep quiet about it and not mention it during the campaign. It was well known that Rod's now-former wife (unlike Hutchinson, Grams waited two years after being elected to dump his wife, and didn't marry the aide until after his defeat) would never go out to Washington, and the aide would never come back to Minnesota. Could go on, but really quite sad. Suffice to say, this never made it out into the media, even after Rod's divorce. Also, former governor candidate Jon Gruenseth (he of the alleged swimming pool incident) was also carrying on an affair during his campaign, and also never reported. Same thing with several other Republican politicians. In sports, it's the same thing - aside from Randy Moss, malcontents are never written poorly about until after they retire/leave town. It's just the Minnesota way.
So there you have it. No hard proof about a zipper problem, but I've heard enough, and from credible people, to know that it is probably true. Their marriage is unconventional, at best, but again I wouldn't be surprised to hear that it is actually Clintonian in nature. Sorry to disappoint.
Thank you for your post which I took to be an attempt to outline the facts as you know them. It was complete in this respect and it acknowledges that you have "no hard proof" Let's compare Keillor:
Norm got a free ride from the press. St. Paul is a small town and anybody who hangs around the St. Paul Grill knows about Norm's habits. Everyone knows that his family situation is, shall we say, very interesting, but nobody bothered to ask about it, least of all the religious people in the Republican Party. They made their peace with hypocrisy long ago. So this false knight made his way as an all-purpose feel-good candidate, standing for vaguely Republican values, supporting the president.
Keillor has something to insinuate but nothing to allege "his family situation, shall we say is very interesting". What the hell is that supposed to mean? He has no proof but, rather than acknowledge that omission, he blames its absence on "religious people in the Republican Party" who are "hypocrites" for not "asking about it" and presumably providing the proof which he assures us "everyone knows" anyway.
This is a vicious kind of smear made all the more malevolent because Keillor has marketed himself as such a folksy down home way which dissarms critical analysis by unsuspecting listeners to his publicly supported radio program. His reference to "religious people in the Republilcan Party" borders on despicable anti - christian religious bigotry and should not be condoned.
Keillor is an unfortunate example of the mean spiritedness to which his pary has descended. Shame on NPR.