Capitol View: September 17, 2008 Archive

Study: McCain floods Minnesota TV market as Obama spends in other states

Posted at 10:50 AM on September 17, 2008 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)

The Wisconsin Advertising Project found that Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama spent $15 million on TV ads since the Republican National Convention. The study found that more than half of Republican John McCain's ads are in conjunction with the RNC. The study also found that Obama's ads are taking a more negative tone.

The most interesting aspect of the study is that McCain spent nearly a half a million dollars on ads in Minnesota. Obama spent just $18,000 in Minnesota. Obama's ads ran in the Rochester market which could be an effort to target both Minnesota and northern Iowa.

Four interest groups have also gotten into the fray since September 4th. The conservative leaning Veterans for Freedom is the only group to spent money in Minnesota. They spent $9,000 in Minnesota.

Note: I could not find a link to the study. I'll post it when I find one. Here's the report.

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Presidential candidates talk with Field and Stream

Posted at 11:22 AM on September 17, 2008 by Tom Scheck

Both presidential candidates are taking aim at the sportsmen vote in a big way. Both John McCain and Barack Obama have established "Sportsmen for..." groups.

They also sat down with Field and Stream to talk about the issues affecting the group. Read it here.

Rinse and Repeat

Posted at 2:04 PM on September 17, 2008 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)

GOP Sen. Norm Coleman started running this ad questioning Democrat Al Franken's temperment.

Franken responded today with this ad asking why Coleman isn't more outraged.

Coleman responded to Franken's ad with this statement:

"Standing up and fighting for Minnesotans isn't a contest to see who can lose their self-control as evidence of their passion to serve. Each and every day I fight for Minnesotans, respectfully, across party lines with my colleagues. Sometimes we disagree passionately with one another, but we don't taunt, we don't point fingers, we don't scream and we don't lose control. There is virtue in passion, but, there's also the need to be able to control yourself and to serve the people of Minnesota with dignity and respect."

I have a feeling the campaigns will rinse and repeat until November 4th.

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Pawlenty headed to Iowa

Posted at 2:15 PM on September 17, 2008 by Tom Scheck

Gov. Pawlenty is headed to Iowa this weekend to keynote the Polk County GOP Dinner. Here's the release from the Iowa GOP:

Pawlenty to headline GOPfest '08

(Des Moines) -- The Polk County GOP has released details for GOPfest '08, their annual informal fundraiser. This year's event will be headlined by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.

GOPfest '08 will take place on Saturday, September 20th at 7 Flags Event Center, 2100 NW 100 St in Clive. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with dinner service beginning at 6 p.m. Entertainment will provided by the Sunny Humbucker Band.

Speakers for GOPfest '08 will include Polk County Chairman Ted Sporer, U.S. House candidate Kim Schmett, U.S. Senate candidate Christopher Reed and 5th District Congressman Steve King. Governor Pawlenty is expected to make his keynote remarks at 7:30 p.m.

"We are very pleased to have Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty come to Polk County for GOPfest '08," Sporer said. "Governor Pawlenty is one of the nationally recognized figures in the new generation of Republican leadership and GOPfest is a great opportunity for the people of central Iowa to see and meet him."

The event is open to the public and tickets can be reserved by email at ExDir@polkgop.com or by calling 515-280-6438. Cost is $25 for adults, $15 for students and children five years or under admitted free.

Forget 2008, Let's raise money for 2010!

Posted at 2:49 PM on September 17, 2008 by Tom Scheck

Just saw an invite for a fundraiser for DFL Sen. Tom Bakk, who is running for governor in 2010. Here's a copy of the invitation:

Please join us for the Presidents Circle PAC Fundraiser

Hosted by:
Ray Waldron - President MN AFL-CIO
Scott Lambert - President MN Auto Dealers Association
Brad Slawson Jr. - President Teamsters Local #120

Honoring Minnesota's Next Governor Sen. Tom Bakk

Tuesday, October 14th
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Mancini's Char House
531 7th St. W
Saint Paul, MN

Please make checks payable to Bakk-Minnesota's Next Governor
$500 PAC $250 Lobbyist $100 Guest

Al Gore to campaign with Franken in Minnesota

Posted at 4:22 PM on September 17, 2008 by Tom Scheck

The DFL Party and Al Franken's campaign announced that former Vice President Al Gore will be in Minnesota on October 4th:

The Minnesota DFL Party and the Al Franken for Senate campaign announced today that former Vice President Al Gore will visit Minnesota on Saturday, October 4 to campaign for Al Franken and the DFL ticket at the annual Founders Day Dinner.

The DFL Party says the Founders Day Dinner will be held at the University of Minnesota in the early afternoon. No time scheduled yet.

Durenberger not high on Palin. Wonders whether POTUS race shifted on economy.

Posted at 5:10 PM on September 17, 2008 by Tom Scheck (8 Comments)

In his most recent commentary (no link provided) Former U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger (a Republican) didn't have flattering words for Sarah Palin. He also wondered whether the recent corporate bailouts of the financial sector has changed the race for President:

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN The ground under the campaigns for President is shifting as we the people watch the genie of Senator Phil Gramm's "you're the problem not us" escape the Wall Street - Washington DC bottle he now works in, and shift both the blame and the financial liability to we the people and our already drained pay checks and check books. An ear to the ground this week is beginning to hear, "It is no time for old men and hockey moms in America." It's these old men that got us into this problem and it stretches Main Street credulity that they can get us out. God has no plan that includes the growth of greed and the decline of governmental oversight we have experienced. A different kind of "experience" seems needed in the White House. Events, not clever campaign canards, are beginning to shape the election of President of the United States.

Durenberger wrote several items on Palin. Here's the first:

COMMUNITY A lot of people I know were quite impressed by Sarah Palin's speaking debut on a national stage in St. Paul last week. I was not. As one who has spent a lifetime in community service and 16 years in professional national service I resented being lectured by a self styled pit-bull from Alaska. I was particularly angered by her attack on Barack Obama's work as a community organizer, suggesting that it lacked "the actual responsibilities" she undertook in the course of hoisting herself into elected office. There was a day not so long ago when Republicans like me were the champions of community organizing as a responsible citizenry's alternative to government jobs and programs (" actual responsibilities" ) approaches to community development.

Here the other (check last line):

WIRED FOR THIS JOB is a phrase Sarah Palin made famous last week. In public service it means an informed belief system best articulated as principles against which leaders measure their positions on issues like the appropriate role of government in a constitutional democracy. Sarah Palin didn't blink when John McCain asked her to marry him on their second date. She says she won't blink when he prescribes reforming the country and victory in our many wars. She won't blink in delegating our security in the Middle East to Israeli politics or defining threats to our national security to Russian leaders. She would have us believe that the God who wires her life has a plan for all of the above and leaders like Bush and McCain are his capable surrogates. There must be a limit to Sarah Palin's self-confidence, but we've yet to see it.

Give Sarah credit for giving a lot of Americans someone they can relate to. Those rally crowds are real. The demand by Republican Congressional Candidates fro her appearance is greater than the supply. Interestingly that is a role John McCain played for the 14 years the GOP lurched to the far right.

This election is really about John McCain and Barack Obama's ability to change the course of this nation's history. If anything happened to President Obama we know Joe Biden is qualified to be President because he has already demonstrated what leadership and accountability for national and international leadership means. You may not agree with him, but you'll always know where he stands. Is it possible in seven weeks to qualify Sarah Palin for similar responsibilities?

After admitting she knows nothing about what a vice president is/does, she is stretching the truth of her understanding of the world we know and exaggerating her meager accomplishments in a state we don't. Whether or not there is a chance that a President McCain may not survive his term, history tells us that vice presidents are assumed to be qualified to be president or we shouldn't trust them with our vote.

Question of the Day: Does this analysis change anyone's mind?

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