Kennedy campaign questions Klobuchar/Entenza relationship

Posted at 5:22 PM on July 19, 2006 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)

The Kennedy campaign sent out a news release criticizing DFLer Amy Klobuchar for raising money with Matt Entenza. We'll see if this sticks. It could go two ways: Entenza could be too toxic for candidates to be around. It could also be perceived that the GOP is piling on after the tackle.

Klobuchar Raising Money with Embattled Matt Entenza As Controversy Swirls, Klobuchar Fundraiser Is Still Planned

(St. Paul, Minnesota) - Nearly a week after news broke that Attorney General candidate Matt Entenza had done opposition research on a fellow Democrat and now Governor candidate Mike Hatch, Entenza is still slated to host a fundraiser for Senate candidate Amy Klobuchar. The fundraiser raises some serious questions about Klobcuhar’s allegiance within the DFL, which has quickly fractured between those supporting Mike Hatch and those supporting Matt Entenza.

“If Amy Klobuchar is going to raise money with Matt Entenza during the middle of this controversy, this raises serious questions,” said Heidi Frederickson, press secretary for Mark Kennedy 06. “Given today’s reports of Entenza’s wife funneling money back to the Minnesota DFL from some obscure PAC in South Dakota, Amy Klobuchar should do the right thing and not raise money with Entenza until all the evidence is out in the open.”

Today’s Pioneer Press said it received documents including, “Copies of canceled checks through which Entenza's wife, Lois Quam, gave $55,000 to two South Dakota political action committees in early 2003. The documents purport to show that much of the $55,000 went through the PACs to the South Dakota Democratic Party, then to the Minnesota DFL Party and eventually to the Minnesota House DFL campaign committee that Entenza led.” (Patrick Sweeney, “Entenza takes hits from all sides,” Pioneer Press, July 18, 2006)

“Amy Klobchar and her friends have been quick to point fingers at others when it comes to fundraising,” continued Frederickson. “Will this be another example where we need to watch what Amy Klobuchar does, not what she says?”

Comments (3)

Puh-lease. Matt Entenza = Karl Rove and Dick Cheney? I don't think so. Ron Carey's extreme mock anguish over the DFL's stumbles is going to be worth a lot to the Independence Party. Keep it up, and the IPs may have to file a campaign finance report crediting the other two parties for their contributions of free media.

Posted by charlieq | July 19, 2006 5:45 PM

Stunts like this would have had traction had Matt not exited the race, which is why Matt had no choice but to exit the race.

Posted by Mantooth! | July 19, 2006 9:29 PM

I'm watching what Mark Kennedy does, and not what he says. He says that he's independent. Then Karl Rove comes in for a fundraiser. Like someone else commented on this blog, "Nothing says independence like Karl Rove."
Try again, Ron. Maybe one of these days you'll get lucky and something will actually stick.

Posted by Mike | July 20, 2006 7:59 AM

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