Capitol View: October 21, 2008 Archive

Bachmann fires back

Posted at 6:51 AM on October 21, 2008 by Tom Scheck (10 Comments)

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann writes an op-ed in Politico defending herself of recent criticism. Here's part of her entry:

In a matter of 48 hours after I participated in an interview with Chris Matthews on MSNBC's "Hardball," more than $640,000 from donors across the country flooded into my opponent's campaign. Almost to a one, these are people who never would have considered voting for me if they lived in Minnesota. In fact, most of them have probably never voted for a Republican. These are strong supporters of Barack Obama who want to see more liberal policies enacted in Washington.

These are not people who know anything about my policy views. They don't know anything about my record of reaching across the aisle on issues ranging from support for small business to foster care improvements, an issue near and dear to my heart as a former foster mother to 23 troubled teens. Or about my record of standing up to my own party when the occasion calls for it -- such as opposing the $700 billion Wall Street bailout -- and standing up to members of the other party when they try to push through tax hikes or limit personal liberty.

These are not even people who know anything about my opponent or his positions on the issues -- though they are willing to donate to him based on a few minutes of listening to the political echo chamber.

They have been riled up by a spin machine in serious overdrive as we come down the homestretch to Election Day.

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NRCC hits Madia with a new ad

Posted at 8:57 AM on October 21, 2008 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

The National Republican Campaign Committee is out with a new ad criticizing 3rd District DFLer Ashwin Madia. You can watch it here.

Madia is running against GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen in Minnesota's 3rd District. It's the first ad that the NRCC is running on Paulsen's behalf. Update (It looks like the NRCC is spending $395,250 on the ads.

By the way, it looks the like the NRCC will also send out campaign lit criticizing Madia. The NRCC reported to the FEC that it spent $22,540 on printing and postage targeting Madia.

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Giuliani to campaign with Coleman

Posted at 1:48 PM on October 21, 2008 by Tom Scheck

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will campaign for GOP Sen. Norm Coleman on Thursday. Coleman's campaign said Giuliani will hold a rally for Coleman on Thursday. Giuliani will also campaign with Coleman in Mankato, Rochester and Owatonna on Friday. As The Political Animal points out, Giuliani will also be raising some serious cash for Coleman on Thursday night.

Tinklenberg hits $1 million

Posted at 3:04 PM on October 21, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

An official with Democrat Elwyn Tinklenberg's campaign said Tinklenberg has raised $1 million in the 96 hours since GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann appeared on MSNBC's Hardball. Tinklenberg is hoping to unseat Bachmann in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District.

Meanwhile, Bachmann's campaign manager said the Bachmann campaign also got a boost in donations. They're still tallying how much they raised.

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Bachmann says she regrets her comments

Posted at 7:33 PM on October 21, 2008 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann sat down with the St. Cloud Times editorial board today and said she regrets her comments on Hardball. You can watch the video here.

(Note - I took the embedded video out because the video and the sound kept playing whenever I refreshed the page).

Question of the Day: What do you think of Bachmann's comments?

Meanwhile: Tinklenberg hits the airwaves with this ad.

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DCCC brings it in the 6th and 3rd.

Posted at 10:36 PM on October 21, 2008 by Tom Scheck

Here's the first DCCC ad criticizing GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann. It focuses on the financial crisis.

Meanwhile, the DCCC also goes after Erik Paulsen for voting for voting for "huge cash bonuses for his political pals" in this ad. The vote in question was related to a House Rules Committee vote that increased pay to House staff members. Here's some greater explanation from a Star Tribune story from 12/20/2003:

The Legislature enacted record spending cuts this year and the state faces another projected budget shortfall, but those economic realities didn't prevent the House Rules Committee from approving almost a half-million dollars in bonuses for House staff members earlier this month.

The bonuses amounted to $1,750 apiece for most of about 250 staff members, or well over $400,000. The House also bumped up its monthly housing allowance, for rural members staying temporarily in the Twin Cities during the session, from $1,000 to $1,100.

The largesse was approved early in December, just a few days after state Finance Department officials announced a projected budget shortfall of $185 million. Committee leaders say they awarded the bonuses because they discovered they had overestimated the costs of health-care benefits and had money left over.

Leaders of the state's public employee labor unions, who recently settled for pay freezes for many employees, strongly criticized the bonuses Friday. (House staffers aren't unionized.) So did a leader of a group of fiscal conservatives.