Polinaut: July 28, 2006 Archive

The Daily Digest: 7-28-06

Posted at 11:20 AM on July 28, 2006 by Tom Scheck

The Strib says the U.S. Senate candidates agree "that Israel has the right to use massive force against Hezbollah and a right to create a buffer zone in southern Lebanon."

DFL Senator Becky Lourey talks the state budget and brings up the "T" word.

Speaking of taxes, The Wall Street Journal says several states are considering efforts to impose spending limits on budget increases.

One issue the next governor may have to address is nursing homes. It looks like they're losing money.

MPR and the AP have stories on Governor Pawlenty's efforts to identify meth dealers, makers and traffickers on a website.

MPR's Lorna Benson also has a story on how much it would cost to insure every Minnesotan.

The U.S. House will vote on the minimum wage increase.

The Washington Times has a story on Minnesota's U.S. Senate race.

KARE-11 has an ad watch on Amy Klobuchar and Mark Kennedy's ads.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is also running ads in support of Congressman Mark Kennedy's U.S. Senate bid. The ads thank Kennedy for voting for the Medicare prescription drug benefit. The National Journal reports that the ads are an attempt to:

"neutralize attempts to make the issue a political liability. "It's creating awareness and thanking members who voted for this," he said. Miller also said that by stressing the drug benefit, the Chamber is targeting seniors, who are more reliable voters in low-turnout midterm elections. Miller said the Chamber was rolling out the ad campaign over the August recess to stay outside the federal 60-day "blackout" restrictions against mentioning a candidate for federal office in broadcast ads before the general election."

The Rochester Post Bulletin has a story on the costs of the D, M and E Railroad.

Finally, Governor Pawlenty announces the appointment of the Executive Director of the Minnesota Boxing Commission in Coon Rapids today.

Tammy Lee hits the airwaves next week.

Posted at 11:37 AM on July 28, 2006 by Tom Scheck

Tammy Lee, the Independence Party candidate running for Congress in Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District, will start running tv ads next week. Lee says the ads will start running on August first. She isn't running the ads on the major network stations but bought time on cable. Lee wouldn't say how many times the ads will run or the total cost of the buy. She says the ads will run on Comedy Central's The Daily Show and the Colbert Report, The Home and Garden Network ESPN's SportsCenter and WWE Smackdown (it is the party of Jesse, isn't it?). You can watch some of the ads here.

We'll also post an interview with Lee regarding some of her policy positions later.

Lee dismissed the notion that MN's 5th is a DFL stronghold. She says voters haven't had a credible alternative. 7 DFLers are headed to the September primary. The candidates include State Representative Keith Ellison, former State Senator Ember Reichgott Junge, former party chair Mike Erlandson and Minneapolis City Council member Paul Ostrow. Republican Alan Fine and Green Party candidate Jay Pond are also running. The 5th District includes Minneapolis and several suburbs.

U.S. Chamber needs a fact checker

Posted at 12:02 PM on July 28, 2006 by Tom Scheck

Note to Chamber:

Make sure a candidate voted for the Medicare Prescription Drug benefit before you thank them for voting for it:

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. Chamber of Commerce began running ads Thursday praising Republican Rep. Steve Chabot for voting for the newly implemented Medicare prescription drug coverage.

One problem: Chabot voted against it when the plan passed in 2003.

The Cincinnati-area congressman is in a close re-election race with Democrat John Cranley, and the Chamber of Commerce's $10 million television and radio campaign thanks mostly Republican lawmakers across the country, including Sen. Mike DeWine.

The ads say 1.5 million Ohioans have saved an average of $1,100 on their annual prescription drug costs because of the new benefit, which took full effect this year. The ads for Chabot are running on Cincinnati-area broadcast networks.

Chabot's office said the business group was acting independently and the congressman has asked the ads to stop, even though they were meant to help him. When told that Chabot voted against the bill the chamber was praising him for supporting, spokesman David Felipe said he would have to check on the details.

The chamber did not immediately call back with comment.

Chabot's chief of staff, Gary Lindgren, said the same false claim about how Chabot voted was used by an independent labor group, Working America, to attack the congressman in automated phone calls to his district in March.

Chabot resisted pressure, including a late-night phone call from President Bush, to vote for the Medicare overhaul and ended up one of the few Republicans to oppose the plan.

Web ads are all the rage!

Posted at 2:13 PM on July 28, 2006 by Tom Scheck

The DFL Party issued a web ad mocking Republican Congressman Mark Kennedy's first two tv ads. You can view it here

The DFL ad comes just two weeks after the MN GOP issued a web video making fun of the relationship between Mike Hatch and Matt Entenza.

Both ads are funny. They will also never hit the tv airwaves. The ads are aimed at bloggers and journalists with the hopes that we'll write about the ads. I guess that's what I did right here. Doh!

The bottom of the ticket

Posted at 3:35 PM on July 28, 2006 by Tom Scheck (6 Comments)

MPR has been taking a look at some of the state legislative races coming up this year. MPR Capitol Bureau Chief Laura McCallum and I examined the races, talked to officials with both parties and prepared this list. The list doesn't mean every seat is in play or that those considered vulnerable will lose. Some of the races are swing districts, some incumbents are vulnerable and some just have interesting stories. Take a look and give us your perspective. You can also check out Minntelect and Pollytick for more analysis on the legislative races. We don't know who writes those blogs so take that into consideration (pollytick sent us a note saying they prefer to remain anonymous when we asked them their identity).

Senate races

District 4 -
Dems are targeting GOP incumbent Cari Ruud of Breezy Point
DFL challenger Mary Olson - attorney, former Air Force attorney
Ruud worked with DFLer John Marty on ATV issues, which may not play well in the district.

District 8 -
OPEN SEAT (DFL Sen. Becky Lourey running for governor)/PRIMARY RACE
Not sure whether this is really in play, but former GOP Senator Dan Stevens is making another run for the Legislature - Two Dems in the race, Lourey's son Tony - DFL-endorsed - and lawyer Tom Skare

District 11 -
GOPs are targeting DFL incumbent Dallas Sams
GOP challenger is Bill Ingebrigtsen, Douglas County sheriff. He's making that case that he's more accessible, since he lives in the heart of the district. Sams lives on the edge of the district after redistricting. Sams is also being targeted by groups pushing for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Sams voted against a motion to bring the bill to the floor.

District 12 -
PRIMARY RACE
GOP incumbent Paul Koering of Brainerd faces primary challenge from Kevin Goedker. Koering may be vulnerable because he's openly gay in a conservative part of state. He received plenty of support from some of his GOP colleagues in the Senate when there was an endorsement battle. DFLer is Crow Wing County Commissioner Terry Sluss

District 13 -
PRIMARY RACE
DFL incumbent Dean Johnson of Willmar faces primary challenge from Michael Cruze
GOP challenger is Joe Gimse, who challenged Johnson before. Johnson is the top target of groups opposed to gay marriage.

District 15 -
DFL incumbent Tarryl Clark
GOP challenger Jeff Johnson's web site says "easy to remember, hard to forget. He's a college professor. The district leans GOP.

District 23 -
OPEN SEAT (DFL Senator John Hottinger retiring)
Mankato/St. Peter area
This is a fascinating district because the Senator and both reps are retiring.
GOP Mark Piepho (ran against Hottinger before, filed lawsuit over Hottinger's residency)
DFL Kathy Sheran - nurse, former Mankato city council member, dad was former chief justice Bob Sheran

District 27 -
DFL incumbent Dan Sparks barely won in 2002 (recount), GOP challenger is George Marin, a Latino minister.

District 30 -
OPEN SEAT (DFL Senator Sheila Kiscaden retiring) Rochester
DFL Ann Lynch - Rochester school board member
GOP Scott Wright - Mayo cardiologist, can self-finance
Dems admit this is a tough district for them

District 31 -
OPEN SEAT - Winona area
(GOP Senator Bob Kierlin retiring)
GOP Brenda Johnson - Vice Mayor of Chatfield, economics prof at Rochester Community and Technical College
DFL Sharon Ropes - nurse, former school board member, narrowly lost to Kierlin in 2002

District 41 -
GOP incumbent Geoff Michel of Edina
DFL challenger Andrew Borene - former Marine, served in Iraq.
Michel has a big target on his back. The district voted for John Kerry in 2004, but the GOP say that was anti-Bush sentiment and Michel fits district.
Green Party candidate Julie Risser

District 43 -
REMATCH of special election -
DFL incumbent Terri Bonoff faces GOP challenger Judy Johnson. Republicans think the Bonoff victory was a fluke and the western suburbs are GOP country.

District 44 -
OPEN SEAT (DFLer Steve Kelley is running for AG)in St. Louis Park/Hopkins area
DFL Rep. Ron Latz is odds-on favorite
There are two GOP candidates. Dave Carlson and Darrell Brown.

District 47 -
DFL incumbent Leo Foley - He's 78 years old and is targeted by the GOP.
GOP challenger is Scott Schulte, a Coon Rapids city council member. His family owns mechanic shop

District 51 -
DFL incumbent Don Betzold - targeted because of gay marriage issue
GOP challenger Pam Wolf - teacher, ran against Connie Bernardy before

District 53
GOP incumbent Mady Reiter won the seat with 51.88% of the vote in 2002.
The DFLer is Sandy Rummel, a small business owner.

District 57 -
OPEN SEAT (DFL Sen. Sharon Marko is retiring).
DFL Rep. Katie Sieben appears to have the edge and benefits from a well known political name.
GOP challenger is Ron Kath, who works for Schwan's

House Races:

District 1A - Thief River Falls
OPEN SEAT (GOP Rep. Maxine Penas is retiring)
DFLer is Dave Olin, longtime Pennington county attorney. Republican is DelRay Flom, an agribusinessman.

District 1B - Crookston
Longtime DFL incumbent Bernie Lieder had a close race in 2004. He now faces a better-known and more-experienced challenger in Republican Doug Oman, a school board chair.

District 2B - Park Rapids
Rematch
DFL incumbent Brita Sailer, who won by less than 2-percent in 2004, and former GOP Rep. Doug Lindgren.

District 4A - Bemidji
DFL incumbent Frank Moe got 52-percent of the vote in 2004. GOP challenger is minister David Myers. Independence Party candidate is Adam Steele, who's calling for "charitable prostitution" (his lit says it can be as wonderful, wholesome and beneficial as gambling!).

District 8B - Mora/Hinkley
Rematch
GOP incumbent Judy Sodorstrom defeated DFLer Tim Faust by fewer than 100 votes in 2004. DFLers believe this is a pickup.

District 12A - Brainerd
GOP incumbent Paul Gazelka, who beat former Senate president Don Samuelson in close race in 2004. DFL challenger is John Ward, a teacher

District 13B - Willmar
Yes, the infamous "Al Juhnke is vulnerable" race. DFL incumbent being challenged again by GOP Bonnie Wilhelm, who got 47-percent of the vote in 2004. Juhnke insisted two years ago that he wasn't vulnerable. Some Democrats say he better campaign a little more or he'll be in trouble.

District 14B - St. Joseph
DFL incumbent Larry Hosch is running for reelection in the district with the worst DFL index in the state. GOP challenger Nate Stang has a well-known name - nephew of former GOP Rep Doug. Republicans say this is a pickup for them.

District 17A - Isanti area
Dems are targeting GOP incumbent Rob Eastland. DFL challenger is Melissa Jabas, an Air Force veteran and stay-at-home mom

District 22B -
Rematch of GOP incumbent Rod Hamilton, who won by less than 2-percent in 2004, and DFL challenger Richard Peterson, a farmer

District 23A - St. Peter area
OPEN SEAT (DFL Rep. Ruth Johnson is retiring)
GOP candidate is Iraq/Afghanistan vet Andy Davis. DFLer is Terry Morrow, a Gustavus Adolphus professor.

District 23B - Mankato
OPEN SEAT (DFL Rep John Dorn is retiring)
GOP candidate is attorney Luke Robinson. DFLer is Kathy Brynaert.

District 25B - Northfield
The infamous Bly's pies seat. This is a rematch of GOP incumbent Ray Cox and DFLer David Bly (it was very close last time).

District 26B -
DFL incumbent Patti Fritz won with 49-percent of the vote in 2004 (beating GOP incumbent Lynda Boudreau). GOP challenger is Otto Luknic, owner of Grumpy's antique's (his late wife was a GOP Rep from 1978-82).

District 27A - Albert Lea
OPEN SEAT (GOP Rep. Dan Dorman retiring)
GOP candidate is Matt Benda, a former county GOP chair and attorney. DFL candidate is Robin Brown, a teacher. DFLers see this as a pickup.

District 27B - Austin
Rematch of DFL incumbent Jeanne Poppe and former GOP Rep. Jeff Anderson, who lost to Poppe

Rochester races -
The GOP is working Rochester really hard.
Districts 29B, 30A, 30B
(29A isn't predicted to be close - GOP Randy Demmer's seat)
29B is Bradley's OPEN SEAT - GOP Rich Decker and DFLer Kim Norton. DFLers say Bradley got out because he was spooked at how close the 2004 race turned out to be.
30A is a rematch between DFL incumbent Tina Liebling and former GOP Rep Carla Nelson, who lost to Liebling
30B is a rematch between DFL incumbent Andy Welti and former GOP Rep Bill Kuisle, who lost to Welti and says his health is good now. GOP sees this as a pickup but we're told Welti is a campaigning machine.

District 31B - Preston
GOP Rep Greg Davids is always targeted. This time it's DFL challenger Ken Tschumper, a dairy farmer who was opposed the tire burning plant.

District 33B - Wayzata area
OPEN SEAT (GOP Rep. Barb Sykora retiring)/PRIMARY BATTLE
There are three GOP candidates. Former Senator Ed Oliver (who says he's healthy now), John Berns (GOP-endorsed, works for Pawlenty as director of board and commission appointments) and John Hollander. DFLer is Mary Shrock who the dems love. They say she's well known in the district and won't abide by spending limits.

District 36B - Farmington
Freshman GOP Rep Pat Garofalo might be vulnerable for his support for the Twins stadium. DFL challenger Paul Hardt is a teacher.

District 41B - Bloomington
PRIMARY RACE
GOP incumbent Neil Peterson faces primary challenge from Mark Chamberlain because of Peterson's support for new Twins stadium. DFLer is Paul Rosenthal.

District 42A - Minnetonka
Freshman DFLer Maria Ruud being targeted by GOPs. GOP candidate is Bill Cullen, president and founder of Cullen Homes. GOP sees this as a pickup.

District 43B - Minnetonka
(OPEN SEAT - GOP Rep. Ron Abrams retired after receiving a judicial appointment).
DFLer is John Benson, a teacher. GOP candidate is Dave Johnson, who works for Medtronic

District 47A - Champlin/Coon Rapids
SWING DISTRICT
Freshman DFLer Denise Dittrich is being challenged by GOP John Tomczak. The voters in this district are fickle and divided.

District 47B - Brooklyn Park
SWING DISTRICT
Freshman DFLer Melissa Hortman is being challenged by GOP Andrew Reinhardt, a vet of first Gulf War.

District 53A - Shoreview
Dems think they have a chance (which may be a long shot) to unseat GOP incumbent Phil Krinkie. They say he looks ambivalent about the Legislature after his unsuccessful bid in the 6th District. DFL challenger is Paul Gardner, head of the Recycling Association of MN.

District 54B - Little Canada
Rematch of DFL incumbent Bev Scalze, who beat GOP Ryan Griffin last election - he's a former MCCL lobbyist.

Other tidbits - House Minority Leader Margaret Anderson Kelliher being challenged by Alex Whitney, grandson of Wheelock, who has some money to throw at the race.

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Independence Party questions Hatch's use of office

Posted at 4:34 PM on July 28, 2006 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

The Independence Party sent out this news release earlier. Attorney General Mike Hatch's comment is at the end of the release. Here's the release:

Another Question for Hatch What’s up with Letterhead?

It remains well known in political circles that incumbent office holders have an immense advantage over challengers when it comes to holding their job while campaigning. This perk becomes even more glaring when incumbents are challenged by a candidate from the private sector. Quite simply, a private sector employer would require a detailed accounting of time dedicated to a political campaign and would not allow corporate assets and staff to be diverted toward campaign activities.

In light of Mike Hatch’s recent complaint about the Star Tribune filed with the Minnesota News Council, one question becomes conspicuously apparent:
How much can a candidate rely on his public office to support his political campaign efforts?

In his letter to the Minnesota News Council, Mr. Hatch pointed out four separate times that the questioning initiated by the Star Tribune and the basis of his complaint was related to the governor’s race. He did so with Office of the Attorney General (OAG) letterhead instead of campaign letterhead. This fact also begs further questions:

1. Did OAG staff help in preparing this complaint (despite its date of Sunday
7/23/06)?

2. Was OAG equipment (computers, printers, etc.) used in preparing this
political campaign document?

3. Was the use of OAG letterhead designed to use the power of the OAG to
intimidate the news media from pursuing further political questions of Mr.
Hatch?

4. Is OAG spokesperson Leslie Sandberg also serving as a de facto spokesperson
for the Hatch for Governor Campaign?

5. Are OAG staff members also involved in the Hatch for Governor Campaign? If
so, how do they publicly account for their time away from OAG while engaging in campaign activities?

“It is time to recognize that strong line must be drawn between a candidate’s campaign and the public office that the candidate currently holds” opined Jim Moore, Independence Party State Chair. Moore continued, “Minnesotans should receive the full efforts from all public servants they hire. All time away from public service for campaigning should be fully disclosed and the difference in pay should be promptly returned to the public coffers.” “More importantly, the assets of the elected office held by a candidate should never be used for campaign purposes.” Moore concluded.

-30-

Hatch said he wrote the News Council complaint on a Sunday from his computer at home. He says the News Council letter was sent on attorney general letterhead is because the data practices request and Star Tribune e-mail were made to that office. Hatch said he's very careful about using office resources for campaign stuff.

The issue of using a state office for a political purposes is likely to be an issue throughout the campaign since an incumbent governor and acting attorney general are running for governor.

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This should be an interesting conversation

Posted at 5:01 PM on July 28, 2006 by Tom Scheck

Becky Lourey will appear on David Strom's radio show on KTLK on Saturday from noon until 2 to discuss "her primary challenge to endorsed candidate Mike Hatch for the DFLs gubernatorial slot on the ballot in November.". Lourey is a DFL candidate for governor. Strom is president of the Taxpayers League. Lourey proposed a tax increase to pay for some state programs at a news conference on Thursday. It's fair to say Strom doesn't like tax increases.