Capitol View: October 20, 2008 Archive

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The Daily Digest: 10-20-08

Posted at 8:00 AM on October 20, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Daily Digest

Democrat El Tinklenberg says he's planning an advertising blitz in light of his recent cash infusion. Tinklenberg raised more than $600 thousand in the 48 hours after GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann questioned the views of Barack Obama and members of Congress.

Bachmann appeared on WCCO on Sunday morning. She addressed her comments regarding Obama but not the comments regarding an investigation of other members of Congress.

The Star Tribune says the 6th District race looks different.

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann dials down her criticism of Barack Obama but doesn't mention her proposed investigation of members of Congress. She argues that her comments were "misunderstood."

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell called Bachmann's comments "nonsense."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi campaigns for 3rd District DFLer Ashwin Madia in Bloomington today.

The Washington Post says Madia is a poster boy for Democratic hopes.

The Pi Press profiles Minnesota's 1st District race between DFL Rep. Tim Walz and Republican Brian Davis.

2008 Race for President

The Star Tribune/Minnesota poll shows Barack Obama with an 11 point lead over John McCain.

Colin Powell endorses Obama for president. Obama says he's humbled. Joe Biden, Obama's running mate, said the endorsement should end the questions about his experience.

Rush Limbaugh rips Powell but Newt Gingrich is impressed.

Obama campaigns in GOP leaning areas.

He's called a socialist and a Muslim during an appearance at Fayetteville, NC.

John McCain says he's the guardian of the middle class.

GOP VP Sarah Palin's SNL appearance gets huge ratings.

Mary Pawlenty continued to campaign in PA.

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar spoke in Wisconsin.

2008 Race for Senate

A KSTP/Survey USA poll shows the Senate race in a dead heat. GOP Sen. Norm Coleman has small lead over DFLer Al Franken but it's within MOE.

WCCO interviews GOP Sen. Norm Coleman.

I-P candidate Dean Barkley also sat down with WCCO.

RealClearPolitics says Franken has a slight advantage.

The Senate candidates square off in another debate on Friday.

AP asks "Is Norm Coleman partisan or independent?"

The Star Tribune has the second part of its profile of Al Franken.

Franken visited three Indian reservations.

Coleman campaigned in Forest Lake.

Bloomberg says Ventura haunts the Senate race.

2008 Other

The Pi Press and Star Tribune come out against the ballot initiative that would raise the sales tax increase for arts and the outdoors.

Congress

A top White House adviser says parts of the U.S. are in a recession.

The Delta Queen is planning a good-bye celebration. DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar is mentioned.

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DCCC jumps in the 6th

Posted at 9:27 AM on October 20, 2008 by Tom Scheck

An official with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee just called and said they will spend more than $1 million in TV ads against GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann. The ads start tomorrow. This is in addition to the money the political committee is spending in Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District.

Meanwhile, Bachmann appeared on Fox9 this morning. ~~I'm looking for the video.~~ Here's the video. Bachmann also appeared on KTLK-FM (listen here) and KSTP-AM.

Survey USA: Obama up, Senate race close

Posted at 12:10 PM on October 20, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

The latest Survey USA poll has Barack Obama up six percentage points over John McCain in its latest poll of Minnesota. The last Survey USA poll had McCain with a 1 point lead.

Meanwhile, GOP Sen. Norm Coleman and DFLer Al Franken are in a statistical dead heat. The last poll (taken in early October) showed Coleman with a ten point lead.

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Palin rap

Posted at 3:46 PM on October 20, 2008 by Tom Scheck

I don't want to get into the habit of posting all of these SNL videos. That being said, this one made me laugh out loud.

Cook Political Report: 6th now a toss-up

Posted at 4:18 PM on October 20, 2008 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)

The Cook Political Report moved its rating of Minnesota's 6th Congressional District from Likely Republican to Toss-Up. Cook's David Wasserman said he made the move in light of Bachmann's recent comments. He said Bachmann will be forced to defend her comments over the next two weeks of the campaign.

"Look, this is fodder for Democratic commercials regardless of how she reacts to it. She just made this race much more of a referendum on her. That is a welcome development for Democrats. Democratic ads are likely to be setting the tone and the agenda."

Bachmann's DFL challenger Elwyn Tinklenberg now reports that he has raised more than $800 thousand since Friday.

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Pelosi stumps for Madia; Pawlenty and Kline defend Paulsen

Posted at 8:27 PM on October 20, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert
Filed under: Campaign 2008: U.S. MN CD3

The two leading candidates vying for U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad's open House seat got a little help from some high-profile friends today.

DFLer Ashwin Madia appeared at an event in Bloomington flanked by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis.

Pelosi and Klobuchar both congratulated Madia on an article in today's Washington Post, which called him a "poster boy for Democratic hopes."

While the event was mostly focused on lauding Madia, Kelliher did get in a jab at Paulsen, saying he is not the rightful heir to Ramstad's moderate Republican mantle.

"[Paulsen] has a thin record of working across party lines and making progress on important issues, and in fact, for that matter, a thin record of accomplishing things on most issues," Kelliher said. "In the ten years I have served with Erik, he has been one of the most partisan members of the House."

Paulsen disputed that, pointing out that most of the bills he has authored in recent years have been bi-partisan efforts.

Paulsen defends his record on veterans' issues

Meanwhile, Paulsen's campaign called a press conference to respond to a deluge of direct mail and television ads that have sought to paint him as an opponent of veterans programs.

"This is part of a nationwide, really deceptive campaign," U.S. Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., said at the event. "It's a cookie-cutter attack against Repubicans from coast to coast to make people think that the Republicans are somehow conspiring against veterans."

The attacks in question have not come from the Madia campaign. They are from a variety of independent groups, including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and VoteVets.org.

One VoteVets flier blasts Paulsen for allegedly opposing the so-called Minnesota G.I. Bill.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn., came to Paulsen's defense on that one.

Pawlenty said he and Paulsen opposed the version of the bill referenced in the flier, in part because it had less veterans funding than Pawlenty had requested. Paulsen voted for a later version of the bill.

"To look at that chain of events and suggest somehow that Erik is systematically opposed to veterans or members of the military or their families is preposterous," Pawlenty said.

Bachmann's comments overshadow both events

While the 3rd District race is still seen as one of the hottest in the country, reporters at both events were looking for comments on the increasingly competitive race in Minnesota's 6th District.

Incumbent first-term U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., inadvertantly gave her DFL challenger a major financial boost on Friday, when she told MSNBC she believed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama may harbor "anti-American" views.

"The comments, as I have read them are not comments I would have made," Kline said.

Paulsen called them "inappropriate." So did Pawlenty, though he added that it's not the first time a candidate has said something off-base in the heat of a campaign.

"It's just the nature of talking all day," Pawlenty said. "Some words are going to come out of your mouth that you could have said better, should have said better, should have done differently. And we've all been there to varying degrees. I know I've been there."

But Pelosi was not so forgiving. She called Republicans like Bachmann "bankrupt in their ideas" about jobs, education, health care and energy policy.

"So what do they do? They question the patriotism of others," Pelosi said in response to a question from a reporter at the Madia event. "I think that a statement of the kind Congresswoman Bachmann made dishonors the position she holds and discredits her as a person."

To hear more of what the candidates and their various guests of honor said today, use the audio players below.

Pelosi on Bachmann:

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