Capitol View: October 7, 2010 Archive

DFL to run ads supporting Dayton

Posted at 11:26 AM on October 7, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez said the DFL Party will start running TV ads in the Twin Cities metro area tomorrow supporting Democrat Mark Dayton. Melendez couldn't characterize the size of the TV buy but said it would be a positive message regarding Dayton's plans for schools.

He said the ad won't criticize Republican Tom Emmer because he believes Dayton is winning the race.

Bachmann hits "Reclaiming America" event, Clark talks Social Security

Posted at 2:15 PM on October 7, 2010 by Annie Baxter (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: U.S. MN CD6

GOP U.S. House Rep. Michele Bachmann is speaking tonight at an event called "Reclaiming America: The Taking Back Congress Tour." It's at 8 p.m. at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.

The event is sponsored by WWTC AM The Patriot. Bachmann will be joined by broadcasters Hugh Hughett Hewitt, Ed Dennis Prager, and Ed Morissey.

A press release for the event says the following:

The event is a push for local conservatives to gain momentum for the upcoming election on a nation-wide level to "take back Congress". Similar events are also scheduled for Chicago, Tampa and Denver among others. Topics to be debated include healthcare, taxes, marriage, and a look into local elections like the Governor's seat.

Bachmann's spokesman, Sergio Gor, says "the Congresswoman will focus on the importance of the upcoming election, the momentum in favor of Conservatives and what needs to be done if Republicans take over Congress in 2011."

Bachmann's DFL opponent for the 6th District House seat, Tarryl Clark, is holding events in St. Cloud, Anoka, and Oak Park Heights to discuss social security with seniors. Clark's campaign has received an endorsement from the Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare.

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GOP remark prompts letter

Posted at 3:11 PM on October 7, 2010 by Tim Pugmire (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

Two of the former Republican state legislators who are backing Independence Party candidate Tom Horner in the race for governor say they're offended by a comment made by a state GOP leader.

George Pillsbury and Bill Belanger detailed their concerned today in a letter today to Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton. Yesterday, Sutton described Pillsbury, Belanger and the other former GOP legislators supporting Horner as "quislings." He also said there was a "special place in hell" for them. Quisling is a term for traitor and comes from the name of a Norwegian politician who collaborated with the Nazis.

"Those of us who support Horner and his centrist view of governance have nothing in common with Norwegian politician Vidkun Quisling," Pillsbury and Belanger wrote. "We proudly wore the uniforms of our nation, one of us as a Marine Lieutenant in the Philippines during World War II, one of us a few years later in Korea as an Army Corporal. For you to besmirch that service is demeaning."

Here's the complete letter:

Mr. Sutton:

As veterans of the United States military and former state legislators, we were highly offended to pick up our morning Star Tribune newspaper and read that you were accusing us of being traitors to our country for supporting Tom Horner for governor. ("There's a special place in hell for these quislings.")

Those of us who support Horner and his centrist view of governance have nothing in common with Norwegian politician Vidkun Quisling, a Nazi sympathizer who collaborated with the Germans to enslave millions of his countrymen during the Second World War. We proudly wore the uniforms of our nation, one of us as a Marine Lieutenant in the Philippines during World War II, one of us a few years later in Korea as an Army Corporal. For you to besmirch that service is demeaning.

We support Tom Horner for governor precisely because we care so much about our state and our nation. We sought elective office after our years of military service because we care about our country and its future. We did not believe our service ended when we were discharged. For decades, we have continued to volunteer in our communities to make our society stronger.

We are supporting Tom Horner for governor because we believe his moderate, centrist view of government is precisely what Minnesota needs right now. We are concerned that Sutton's candidate, Tom Emmer, is too far to the right, and that Mark Dayton, the Democrat, is too far to the left. We believe it is best for all concerned to have a governor who can work with both political parties, to do what's right and not worry about who gets the credit.

We went to war to defend the Constitution, which included fighting for your right of free speech, so you are free to say whatever you want. We would appreciate it if, in the future, you were more careful not to criticize American veterans just because you disagree with our choice of candidates.

Sincerely,

George Pillsbury
First Lieutenant, United States Marine Corp (ret)
Veteran of World War II
Former State Senator, Wayzata

Bill Belanger
Corporal, United States Army (ret)
Veteran of the Korean War
Former State Senator, Bloomington

Sutton told the Associated Press that he did not intend a Nazi comparison. He said he used the word as a common term for traitor. A day earlier, Sutton was asking DFL candidate Mark Dayton to denounce Vice President Joe Biden for suggesting he wanted to strangle Republicans. The remark came at a Dayton fundraiser in St. Paul.

"If I hear one more Republican tell me about balancing the budget, I am going to strangle them," Biden said. "To the press, that's a figure of speech."

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Romney to raise money for MNGOP

Posted at 3:45 PM on October 7, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor, Campaign 2010: U.S. MN CD2, Campaign 2010: U.S. MN CD3, Campaign 2010: U.S. MN CD6, Tim Pawlenty

Mitt Romney, a possible presidential candidate and former governor of Massachusetts, will be in Minnesota on October 18th to raise money for the Minnesota Republican Party. The invitation is asking couples to give $5,000 to attend a VIP reception that features Romney. The event will be held at the Sheraton Bloomington.

The co-hosts of the event include Gov. Pawlenty (who will likely be running against Romney in the presidential race), GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann, GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen, GOP Rep. John Kline and former Best Buy CEO Brad Anderson and former Target CEO Robert Ulrich.

Here's the invite.

Update: Romney will also raise money for Republican gubernatorial hopeful Tom Emmer.

Auditor campaign flap dismissed

Posted at 4:10 PM on October 7, 2010 by Tim Pugmire
Filed under: Campaign 2010

An administration law judge has dismissed a campaign complaint that Republican challenger Pat Anderson filed against DFL State Auditor Rebecca Otto.

Otto's campaign announced today that the judge determined there was no probable cause that the auditor had violated any law. Anderson, who is trying to win back the office she lost to Otto in 2006, accused the incumbent of making false statements about her tenure. She said Otto's claim of doing three times more investigations than her was not accurate.

In a news release, Otto stood firm on the workload issue.

"As State Auditor, I have increased dramatically the productivity of the Office," Otto wrote. "We are taking better care of taxpayer money and are more accountable to the people. Pat Anderson may hate to hear it, but it's the truth and I will continue to campaign based on the truth."

UPDATE

Pat Anderson issued a news release claiming Otto got off on a technicality, because there is no definition of "investigation" in state statute. She also pointed out that the Office of Administrative Hearings had no authority to address Otto's referencing of information on her official web in campaign materials.

"According to this ruling, elected officials in Minnesota can put up whatever they want on their official websites, use that official site as a source in campaign materials and this statute - designed to confront false statements - and this process through the Office of Administrative Hearings is powerless to scrutinize how things are put on these websites and whether they are accurate - even when the very person in charge of the website is the one using it as a source," Anderson said. "The basic facts of my complaint and the evidence I presented stand."

NFIB backs Emmer

Posted at 4:35 PM on October 7, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

The Minnesota Chapter of the National Federation of Businesses officially endorsed Republican Tom Emmer's bid for governor. NFIB state director Mike Hickey says Emmer's budget plan is the best plan for his 13,000 small business members.

"When you compare the three candidates in the race, Tom Emmer is the clear choice for small business and in our view will be the candidate that will best foster an improved economy and badly needed job growth in Minnesota"

Emmer said he was pleased to receive the endorsement and then targeted his opponents Democrat Mark Dayton and Independence Party candidate Tom Horner. Emmer has pledged to not raise taxes if elected. He said Dayton and Horner would both raise taxes, which in turn, would then limit job growth.

Emmer again criticized Dayton for failing to put together a full budget plan. The centerpiece of Dayton's budget balancing plan is an income tax hike on Minnesota's top earners. He also would create a new Twin Cities casino and relies on reducing the state's private contracts. He said there's still about a $1 billion budget hole. He said he would find additional spending cuts or delay paying back the $1.4 billion school payment delay.

Emmer said Dayton should outline how he'll close the gap and he pressed reporters to push him on it.

"He has said he has a plan but he's not willing to share it," Emmer said. So clearly, I am to take from that that he's keeping it a secret other that or he's saying he doesnt' have a plan. It's either one or the other."

Conservative groups to create "voter surveillance teams"

Posted at 4:39 PM on October 7, 2010 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010

Several conservative groups, including Minnesota Majority, say they're enlisting "voter surveillance teams" to monitor the November Election. Minnesota Majority's Jeff Davis says the group says they're aiming to prevent voter fraud. He says they'll closely watch and videotape buses and vans dropping off a large number of voters at polling site and will watch for people who are vouching that voters live in the correct precinct to ensure that they know who they are. Davis says they'll also run $50,000 worth of radio ads touting their plan.

DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez says the initiative is less to do about checking for voter fraud and more to do with voter suppression.

You can read my story on the issue here.

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