Capitol View: October 1, 2009 Archive

Pawlenty's PAC

Posted at 7:20 AM on October 1, 2009 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the political team that will run his federal PAC.

Pawlenty will file the official paperwork to form his political action committee today. His website also went live this morning. The Freedom First PAC is aimed at providing financial support to Republican candidates, and will allow Pawlenty to promote his message across the country.

Pawlenty has some well known Washington names running the operation. Former Congressman and now lobbyist Vin Weber and Morgan Stanley vice-chair William Strong will co-chair the PAC.

Several members of former President George W. Bush's political team are also providing management advice. They include Terry Nelson, political director for the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign, Bush White House political director Sara Taylor and former Federal Elections Commission Chair Michael Toner.

The creation of the PAC is another step in Pawlenty's possible run for president in 2012. The first fundraiser for the PAC is in Minneapolis in November.

Update:

Here's the official news release:

Tim Pawlenty Announces "Freedom First" PAC

PAC's Leadership Team Includes Experienced, Respected, Diverse Talent

ST. PAUL, Minnesota - Seeking to help elect conservatives in 2009 and 2010, Tim Pawlenty today filed forms with the Federal Election Commission to create the Freedom First political action committee. The new federal PAC will offer financial support to candidates committed to putting freedom before government, and provide organizational support for Pawlenty to promote his innovative, conservative message. The new PAC will have an unprecedented approach to citizen engagement, and features a website at www.TimPawlenty.com, where supporters can add their voice to Pawlenty's message.

"Right now, our freedoms are being challenged on many fronts," Pawlenty said. "This organization is dedicated to putting freedom first again in America. By helping candidates and translating our ideas into policies that everyone can relate to and support, we can turn back the growth of Washington and renew the promise of freedom."

Freedom First PAC will be co-chaired by William H. Strong, the Vice Chairman of Morgan Stanley, and the Honorable Vin Weber, former Minnesota congressman, and partner at Clark and Weinstock.

"Tim is an authentic leader with a record of results," Strong said. "I'm excited to work with him to elect great candidates across the country. His record of fiscal conservatism in Minnesota makes him a credible voice on the issues facing our country."

"There's a big debate about the role of government and personal freedom raging at the moment, and I'm excited to help promote fresh new ideas, and new leaders." Weber said. "Given Tim's successful record in Minnesota, he's in a unique position to harness that energy and help other candidates."

The PAC's first Minnesota fundraiser will be held on November 4 in Minneapolis and will be anchored by a diverse and distinguished group of Minnesotans who will serve as the Freedom First PAC Minnesota Co-Chairs. They include:

Al & Cathy Annexstad, Shorewood, Minnesota
Bill Cooper, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, TCF Financial Corporation, and former Chairman of Republican Party of Minnesota.
Mark Davis, Chairman, Cambria
Megan Doyle, Founder, Hope for the City
Jeff Larson, Former CEO, 2008 MSP Host Committee and Partner, FLS Connect.
Susan Marvin, President, Marvin Windows
Tim Owens, CEO, Voyager Bank
Tom Stauber, President & owner, Edwards Sales
Bob Ulrich, Former CEO, Target

Providing management, strategic and political planning will be a cadre of campaign veterans serving as senior advisors, including Phil Musser, President of New Frontier Strategy and former executive director of the Republican Governors Association; Terry Nelson, Partner, Mercury Public Affairs and former RNC and Bush-Cheney 2004 political director; and Sara Taylor, President of BlueFront Strategies and former White House political director. Former FEC Chairman Michael Toner of Bryan Cave, LLP will serve as the PAC's counsel.

The PAC's communication director will be Alex Conant. A Minnesota native, Conant most recently served as the Republican National Committee's national press secretary and senior advisor. Online strategy and outreach will be led by Patrick Ruffini and Mindy Finn of Engage. Ruffini previously headed the RNC's online department as well as working with the Giuliani Presidential campaign and Finn oversaw Mitt Romney's online strategy during his 2008 presidential campaign. Liz Mair and Patrick Hynes of Hynes Communications will handle online communications outreach. Hynes served as blog outreach consultant for John McCain's 2008 Presidential campaign, and Mair served as the RNC's online communications director during 2008.

The Minnesota Finance Director will be Trisha Hamm, who was previously the political director for Pawlenty's gubernatorial campaign. Annie Kelly, who formerly served as the deputy campaign manager for Pawlenty's campaign in 2006, will be responsible for PAC operations, and Don Stiles will serve as Treasurer.

The Freedom First PAC is located in St. Paul, Minnesota and can be reached at 651-777-3314 or PO Box 9190, St. Paul, MN 55109.

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DNC on Pawlenty PAC: Back to the future

Posted at 12:01 PM on October 1, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Here's the DNC release on Gov. Pawlenty's team of advisers helping him with his Freedom First PAC:

Washington, D.C. -- Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) - proving that he represents more of the same failed Republican politics and policy that have bedeviled the party in two consecutive elections rather than the fresh face he'd like people to believe - formally announced the formation of his "Freedom First" PAC today. The PAC is advised and chaired by the same Washington lobbyists, insiders and former advisers to President Bush whose brand of politics and approach to policies resulted in America being less secure at home, less respected in the rest of the world and gave the United States the worst economic crisis since the great depression, including:

Terry Nelson, former Bush-Cheney Political Director; Sara Taylor, former Political Director in the Bush White House; Alex Conant, former McCain spokesman; Vin Weber, mega lobbyist and former Bush advisor; Jeff Larson, major RNC consultant and former Norm Coleman landlord; and William Strong, former Bush Ranger.

"Talk about back to the future," said DNC National Press Secretary Hari Sevugan. "Recycling advisers from George W. Bush and relying on Washington insiders and lobbyists has to be utterly disappointing for those who thought Tim Pawlenty would bring a fresh approach to the Republican Party. The fact is - Tim Pawlenty, in his recent public pronouncements and now in who he has surrounded himself with, has proven that he represents more of the same - the same failed priorities, policies and now advisers. Rather than changing the image of a tired and failed party, Tim Pawlenty is reinforcing an image of Republicans as the Party of NO and a party that has no new leadership and no new ideas."

It would be more gutsy if they bet $131 million

Posted at 1:56 PM on October 1, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle announced a friendly wager over the Gophers-Badgers and Vikings-Packers games.

Doyle bet a slate of sausage and cheese to Pawlenty's Hormel pork tenderloin and Minnesota wild race over the college football game. The NFL wager will be a selection of Minnesota beer vs. Wisconsin beer.

Since Gov. Pawlenty announced that Minnesota will end its tax reciprocity with Wisconsin, it may have been gutsier for the two to bet $131 million. That's the amount Minnesota will gain as a result of the decision to end the tax reciprocity.

Seifert announces his list of supporters

Posted at 2:54 PM on October 1, 2009 by Tom Scheck

GOP state Rep. Marty Seifert issued a news release today announcing a list of his top supporters. Some are fundraising heavyweights. Others are party activists.. The list includes Bill Cooper, CEO of TCF Bank, Micro Control CEO Howard Hamilton, former and current state representatives and a long list of GOP activists. I'll post the link to the news release on the Seifert website once it's available. Here's the list.

DFL gubernatorial candidates seek labor support

Posted at 2:59 PM on October 1, 2009 by Tim Pugmire

DFL candidates for governor offered similar views on taxes, job creation, education and other issues during a forum today in Bloomington.

Eleven gubernatorial hopefuls made a case for their campaigns and emphasized their support for organized labor during the AFL-CIO sponsored event. Several candidates explained that they had been union members.

One common thread among the DFL candidates is their apparent support for some form of tax increase. State Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, said the next governor cannot avoid the issue.

"Any candidate up here who thinks that we don't need to raise revenue has their head in the clouds or someplace else, because we need to raise revenue," Rukavina said.

Former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton said he wants to raise taxes in order to increase funding for public schools and eliminate the need for local operating levies. Dayton says the money would come from an income tax increase for the top 10-percent of earners.

"So you can read my lips," Dayton said. "Tax the rich. They can afford it. I know that. And if they don't provide the revenues that that tax increase will entail, we cannot restore the funding cuts to education. We will not be able to restire the funding cuts to anything that's essential to make Minnesota the state we want it to be again."

Former state rep. Matt Entenza said a new clean energy economy, including the building of wind turbines and solar heating systems, could provide part of the revenue needed for investments in education and human services.

"Those are good manufacturing jobs," Entenza said. "And the installation and maintenance of those will create thousands of high-paying union jobs across this state.

Later in the forum, state Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, a union carpenter, took issue with Entenza's use of the phrase high-paying union jobs.

"That's not true," Bakk said. "This notion that somehow union people are high paid people, we need to get over that. Those benefits were worked for very hard. People died for those benefits."

Bakk and other candidates stressed the need for job creation. Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner said the development of green jobs should be balanced with traditional energy sources. Gaertner also wants nuclear power on the table.

"If we can solve the storage problem, we absolutely need to move forward and at least talk about a role for nuclear energy in this economy," Gaertner said.

Several Democrats also took shots at the man they want to replace, Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Former state senator Steve Kelley, who now teaches at the University of Minnesota, blamed the Republican governor for the state's budget woes.

"I teach public budgeting, and I have thought about inviting Tim Pawlenty to take the class," Kelley said. "But I didn't do that because I really hate to flunk students."

The 11 participants included mayors R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis and Chris Coleman of St. Paul, who have yet to officially enter the race for governor. Both mayors are also seeking re-election this fall.

Update:

Problems with the hotel sound system made much of the recorded audio unusable. But here are the closing statements of 10 candidates:"

Listen

(Steve Kelley had another obligation and left early).

Bachmann warns of abortions at school

Posted at 2:57 PM on October 1, 2009 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann is warning that a health bill that includes school based clinics would allow schools to give their students abortions without the parents ever knowing.

The Hill reports that Bachmann warned that the plan could bring Planned Parenthood into schools. You can watch the video here:

Media Matters (which posted the speech on YouTube) also posted her full comments here.

For the record...

Minnesota already has a law forbidding what Bachmann is talking about. The state's parental consent law (see page 56) says both parents have to be notified or seek judicial approval for the procedure. NCSL also has a list of where other states stand on parental consent.

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Gaertner's announcement

Posted at 8:48 PM on October 1, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner has been running for governor the longest of any of the candidates (2 years!). She finally made her campaign "official" tonight when she formally announced her bid for governor.

Here's her speech to supporters:

Listen

Thanks to MPR's Jess Mador for gathering the tape.