Two gubernatorial campaigns released figures yesterday saying they have a lead in committed DFL delegates. Can they both be right?

In a statement Sen. Becky Lourey said she was in the lead with about one third of the delegates chosen:

The Lourey campaign released a spreadsheet identifying the statewide count of delegate preferences showing State Senator Lourey with support from 132 delegates followed by Attorney General Hatch with 130 and State Senator Steve Kelley running third with 86. This count is comprehensive, including Senate districts and county convention units where no subcaucusing took place.

“The most important thing to notice in the delegate count so far,” said Lourey campaign spokesperson John Blackshaw, “is Senator Lourey's support is statewide. Not all of the other candidates can claim that fact. And anybody who counts delegates will tell you, candidates without statewide support cannot win a statewide election let alone a convention endorsement.”

Sen. Steve Kelley released a statement saying HE is in the lead with half the delegates counted:

Steve Kelley: 131.5 (21%)

Mike Hatch: 129 (20%)

Becky Lourey: 74.5 (12%)

Uncommitted: 206 (33%)

So can both campaigns be right? It doesn't look like it, given that Lourey has counted fewer total delegates and claims to have such a big lead. It is interesting that Hatch comes in second in both counts. Stay tuned until June.

The DFL party is criticizing Rep. Gil Gutknecht for some remarks he made. Here's part of the statment from the DFL:

Republicans defeating Democrats in the 2006 mid-term elections is as important to our country as the Minnesota 1st Regiment turning back the Confederacy at the Battle of Gettysburg in the Civil War, according to Rep. Gil Gutknecht. The MSU Reporter reported yesterday that Gutknecht made the comments at a campaign rally on behalf of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kennedy.

“To compare beating Democrats to defeating the Confederate Army is either an absurd display of historical ignorance or an insult to the intelligence of Minnesota.” Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez said. “Such an insinuation raises serious concerns about Gil Gutknecht’s win-at-all-costs mentality. He should be ashamed of himself for stooping so low, apologize to Democrats across the country and get on with running a more positive campaign based on the issues.

“Mark Kennedy, on the other hand, should be embarrassed that his good friend and ally used such tactics on his behalf. Representative Kennedy has said repeatedly that he wants this campaign to be about the issues. Well, he has a choice to make right now. Will he run a positive campaign, come clean about where he stands on the issues and let the voters decide based on merit? Or will he employ the insult-and-divide strategy he learned from the Karl Rove playbook, while following the orders of President Bush 92 percent of the time?

Did you catch how they went from slamming Gutknecht to slamming Kennedy? Well, the Gutknecht folks weren't impressed, as evidenced by this item in the Star Tribune:

Gutknecht's campaign office said his remarks were meant as a reference to a "pivotal moment in U.S. history," not to slaveholders. Gutknecht also issued a prepared statement saying, "Rumors of my comparing DFLers to slaveholders have been greatly exaggerated."

Heidi Frederickson, a Kennedy spokeswoman, called the DFL complaint "a pathetic attempt by the DFL to distort Congressman Gutknecht's remarks."

Now I'm sure they'll all let bygones be bygones.

And remember the statement by Sen. John McCain, Gov. Tim Pawlenty and other members of that bipartisan delegation to Iraq calling on President Bush to push for a unity government? Is it working? Look at this item from the Associated Press:

President Bush expressed frustration that Iraqis have so far failed to form a unity government, but he said withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq too early would damage U.S. security.

"I want the Iraqi people to hear I've got great confidence in
their capacity to self-govern," Bush said Wednesday. "I also want
the Iraqi people to hear - it's about time you get a unity government going.

"In other words, Americans understand you're newcomers to the
political arena. But pretty soon it's time to shut her down and get
governing."

I think it's time to shut this page down and get back to work. But if you missed Don Gonyea on Midday Wednesday you should give it a listen. He's NPR's White House correspondent and had some good stories to tell.