Capitol View: January 21, 2010 Archive

Reed raises $207,800 in 4th Qtr.

Posted at 10:58 AM on January 21, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: U.S. House

Democrat Maureen Reed announced that her campaign raised $207,800 in her race for Congress. The campaign says it raised a total of $574,600 raised in 2009. Reed's campaign says it ended the year with $388,000 cash on hand.

Reed is running for Congress in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District and intends to run in the DFL primary. DFL state Sen. Tarryl Clark is also running in the race and intends to abide by the party endorsement. Clark hasn't released her fundraising numbers yet.

The winner of the primary will square off against GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann. Bachmann hasn't released her fundraising figures yet.

Several Anderson supporters now backing Emmer

Posted at 11:19 AM on January 21, 2010 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

GOP state Rep. Tom Emmer campaign for governor announced the statewide steering committee today.

Emmer's campaign manager David Fitzsimmons said at least a dozen supporters of Pat Anderson, including Bill Jungbauer, Matt Day and Tim McNeil, are now on Emmer's steering committee. Anderson dropped her bid for governor last week and entered the State Auditor's race. I'll link to the release once Emmer's campaign puts it on their site. Here's the release.

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Seifert starts running ads

Posted at 12:07 PM on January 21, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

Republican Marty Seifert is the first candidate for governor to run advertising in the 2010 race. Seifert says he's running two radio ads at roughly a dozen stations across the state including KTLK, The Patriot and the Lindner Farm Network.

Seifert said he's running the ads to remind Republicans that caucuses are being held in February this year. He said it's a part of his overall efforts to encourage his supporters to caucus on February 2nd.

"If you're going to run as a statewide candidate, we feel very strongly that you're going to have grassroots support," Seifert said. "But at the end of the day running for statewide office means you'll have to put some dollars forward..."

Seifert didn't disclose the size of the ad buy except to say it's five figures and it's closer to $10,000 than $99,000.

You can listen to the ads here.

RNC sends out mailers that look like Census forms

Posted at 3:26 PM on January 21, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor, Campaign 2010: U.S. House

MPR's Tim Nelson and Elizabeth Dunbar report today that the Republican National Committee is sending out mailings that look like Census forms:

Some Minnesota residents have received surveys in the mail called the "2010 Congressional District Census," which asks for demographic information, opinions on issues, and checks made payable to the Republican National Committee.

Here's a link to the mailer. Here's the full story.

Campaign finance ruling panned, praised

Posted at 4:12 PM on January 21, 2010 by Tim Pugmire
Filed under: Campaign 2010

Today's Supreme Court ruling that allows corporations and labor unions to spend directly from their general treasuries on campaign ads is generating praise from some and warnings from others.

Common Cause Minnesota was among the campaign finance watchdogs that blasted the ruling. Here's the group's news release:

The U.S. Supreme Court today released its decision in the case Citizens United v. FEC, striking down a provision of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 that could significantly expand the role of corporate money in elections. In doing so, the Court rejected more than 100 years of established law.

"Today's decision by the Supreme Court makes a bad situation worse," said Mike Dean, executive director of Common Cause Minnesota. "Expanded corporate political spending will fuel a campaign fundraising arms race among members of Congress and candidates who already spend too much time fundraising."

In its decision, the Supreme Court explicitly overruled Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, a landmark case in election law that upheld prohibitions on independent expenditures from a corporation?s general treasury fund. When it comes to independent expenditures, the Court held that there is no difference under the law between an individual citizen and a multinational corporation (or any other corporation) when it comes to independent expenditures.

Additionally, the Court held that corporate independent expenditures and any appearance of corruption or undue influence "will not cause the electorate to lose faith in democracy."

"The fact is that special interest money is already corrupting elected officials and causing the public to lose faith in our democratic institutions," said Dean.
Justice Stevens, reading his dissenting opinion, said it best, "The Court's ruling threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation. The path it has taken to reach its outcome will, I fear, do damage to this institution."

Common Cause will begin conversations with state lawmakers to identify ways to mitigate the impact of this disturbing decision.

But others are praising the change as a victory for free speech. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce released this statement:

A landmark 5-4 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 21 has seemingly overturned decades of campaign finance law.

"Like everyone else, we are just beginning to study the court's ruling, and we don't yet fully understand what the implications are for Minnesota," said Mike Franklin, elections policy director for the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.

"However, if the initial news reports are accurate and the opinion confirms that corporate speech is protected by the First Amendment, this is a very welcome opinion." Franklin said. "Minnesota businesses are regulated by legislation and affected by legislators' decisions; to forbid businesses from participating in the discussion has always been unfair."

The opinion, authored by Justice Anthony Kennedy, states in part that "The Government may regulate corporate political speech through disclaimer and disclosure requirements, but it may not suppress that speech altogether."

This ruling appears to level the playing field among corporations and other associations made up of individuals, like labor unions, Franklin noted. The Minnesota Chamber has long had a policy on easing Minnesota's so-called "corporate ban."

"One of the frustrations we've had with Minnesota's corporate ban is the vast amount of 'gray area' it creates," he said. "Businesses and business associations like chambers of commerce are forced into second-guessing every statement they make for fear that it might be construed as 'political.'

"Hopefully, all parties can now participate in the discussion of what Minnesota's priorities should be in the context of elections without fear of reprisal."

The Minnesota Chamber is the state's largest business advocacy organization, representing more than 2,400 businesses of all types and sizes on state public policy and regulatory issues.

Gambling on the Vikings game...

Posted at 5:48 PM on January 21, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor, Campaign 2010: U.S. House, Pawlenty travel, Tim Pawlenty

Several Minnesota politicos are wagering with their Louisiana counterparts on this weekend's Vikings/Saints game.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin are betting music.

GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen is betting a Minnesota meal (walleye and wild rice) against GOP Rep. Steve Scalise's offer of a New Orleans meal (alligator sausage and blackened redfish, as well as a pot of seafood gumbo).

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Lousiana Governor Bobby Jindal are also preparing a bet but are taking suggestions on their respective Facebook pages. Pawlenty asked on his Facebook Page which option is best:

1. Option 1:As much Lutefisk (whitefish soaked in lye) as he can eat?


2. Option 2:A Viking cooler filled with Minnesota's best microbrews?


3. Option 3:My favorite SPAM recipes (precooked meat from Austin, MN)?

Some of the responses to Pawlenty's request are funny including...

1. Al Franken
2. A chance to run as your vice-president
3. A letter of resignation.

Jindal has also been asking friends on his Facebook page what Pawlenty should wager. That posting even generated a TV story in New Orleans.

Some of the suggestions on Jindal's Facebook page include:

1. Money for education
2. Pawlenty singing Pants on the Ground!,
3. Jobs
4. Pawlenty singing Who Dat in a Saints jersey,
5. If the Vikes win, Pawlenty runs for pres in 2012. If the Saints win, Jindal runs
6. Have them endorse Bobby Jindal for President!

AP is also reporting that Pawlenty turned down an offer to join him in a Superdome suite for the game.

Update: DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) also made a wager:

If the Vikings win, Landrieu will cook a Minnesota wild rice casserole and deliver it to Klobuchar's office while wearing a Brett Favre jersey for Minnesota constituents to enjoy. If the Saints win, Klobuchar will cook gumbo and deliver it to Landrieu's office while wearing a Drew Brees jersey for Louisiana constituents to enjoy.

Entenza hits airwaves

Posted at 10:55 PM on January 21, 2010 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

Republican Marty Seifert isn't the only candidate for governor running a radio ad this week. Democrat Matt Entenza's campaign started running this introductory ad (Listen) on AM950. Entenza's spokeswoman Bridget Cusick says the campaign will be running this ad and others through April. She said the campaign is spending $5,000 on the ads.

(h/t Hotdish)

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