Capitol View: October 20, 2010 Archive

PoliGraph: Horner's health care claim checks out

Posted at 12:00 PM on October 20, 2010 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor, PoliGraph

Minnesota's next governor will grapple with health care reform, including a new federal law that requires states to set up health insurance marketplaces.

In response to a comment made by Republican candidate Tom Emmer about increasing the competitiveness of health insurance in the state, Independence candidate Tom Horner said Minnesota needs to consider federal dollars meant to help states set up health insurance exchanges.

"Every state accepted the planning money except two: Minnesota and Alaska," Horner said. "And I think that speaks to the politics of the issue."

Horner's right: Minnesota and Alaska have so far said "no" to federal money.

The Evidence

The new health care law requires most people to have health insurance by 2014. But because some people don't have insurance through their jobs - and some people don't have jobs at all - the bill also requires that states set up so-called health insurance exchanges, virtual marketplaces where consumers and small businesses can shop for policies.

The idea is to make health insurance pricing more competitive. If the state fails to set up the exchange, the federal Department of Health and Human Services will run the operation.

Indeed, the health care bill has become a political flashpoint in Minnesota. In August, Gov. Tim Pawlenty issued an executive order barring state departments and agencies from applying for funding associated with the new law because he says it's an intrusion on state's rights. The executive order includes federal grants meant to help states get the exchanges off the ground.

On Sept. 30, 2010, the federal health department announced $49 million in such grants to 48 states and the District of Columbia.

Not included on the list? Minnesota and Alaska.

The Verdict

Horner's correct that Minnesota and Alaska are the only two states that have not applied for grants to help establish health insurance exchanges.

Sources

The UpTake, Debating at the U: MN Candidates for Governor, Oct. 15, 2010

The Christian Science Monitor, Health care reform bill 101: What's a health 'exchange'?, by Peter Grier, March 20, 2010

The Kaiser Family Foundation, Explaining Health Care Reform: Questions About Health Insurance Exchanges, April 2010

Minnesota Public Radio News, Pawlenty does about-face on insurance exchange idea, by Elizabeth Stawicki, October 8, 2010

Office of the Governor, Governor Pawlenty Signs Executive Order Directing State Agencies to Decline All Discretionary Participation in Obamacare, Aug. 31, 2010

HealthCare.gov, Health Insurance Exchanges: State Planning and Establishment Grants, accessed Oct. 18, 2010

HealthCare.gov, Grant Awards List, accessed Oct. 18, 2010

More

The Humphrey Institute

Publisher of several papers in 6th District endorses Clark

Posted at 11:49 AM on October 20, 2010 by Annie Baxter
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: U.S. MN CD6

ECM Publishers has endorsed DFLer Tarryl Clark for Minnesota's 6th District Congressional race over GOP incumbent U.S. House Rep. Michele Bachmann and Independence Party candidate Bob Anderson.

ECM serves 6 of the largest population centers outside of St. Cloud in the 6th District.

"That makes the 2 largest 6th District newspaper circulation endorsements this week," Lucking says. The other major endorsement came from the St. Cloud Times.

Here's what ECM says:

As one of the leading figures in the Tea Party movement and founder of the House Tea Party Caucus, Rep. Bachmann has expanded her national platform even more, much to the Sixth District's loss.

Rep. Bachmann's repeated absence from the district is one reason that ECM Publishers chooses to endorse Sen. Clark for election on Tuesday, Nov. 2. The St. Cloud state senator was convincing in that she will be an advocate for people and needs of the district, not a national campaigner.

She is one of the Republican Party's top rock stars, trailing only former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in national recognition. And Rep. Bachmann is a heavy hitter, too. She has raised more than $10 million in campaign contributions this year, raking in more than $5 million in the most recent quarter. And through MICHELE PAC, she has provided endorsements and campaign contributions to 46 conservative candidates from around the country, including U.S. Senate candidates Christine O'Donnell from Delaware, Rand Paul from Kentucky and Marco Rubio in Florida.

As editors from ECM newspapers that serve the Sixth District converged as an editorial endorsement panel to screen candidates in this election, we had hoped that the incumbent would grant an interview to assist the panel in its deliberation. Repeated attempts in late August and throughout September to schedule an interview were not successful. That was disappointing and the panel had no choice but to move on.

We understand that Rep. Bachmann has been part of the House minority, Still, in the four years that she has served in Congress she has authored only one piece of legislation that became law. Still worse, she has not supported important construction projects in St. Cloud and Stillwater -- projects of great value in this district.

To her credit, Clark is no rookie to the legislative process and has been willing to work in a bipartisan arena for the betterment of the state. Sen. Clark's life experiences in teen counseling, parenting, senior citizen advocacy and work with groups like Habitat for Humanity and the Minnesota Community Action Program give her a solid foundation that will help her succeed in Washington.

She demonstrated deep understanding and knowledge of national and international issues. Raised in a conservative Republican family, she has matured to form a philosophical view that draws on her upbringing and world views today.
The editorial panel also found Bob Anderson to be an interesting candidate. After collecting 10 percent of the vote in the Sixth District race in 2008, Anderson is certainly a factor again this year. As a third-party candidate, he believes he offers a choice between Sen. Clark (too far left for the district) and Rep. Bachmann (too much of a rock star).

It is clear that many voters in the district have a deep affection for Rep. Bachmann. She's likable, independent, savvy and a candidate who has gone far from her start as a school board member in Stillwater. Where Anderson draws votes from could decide the 2010 contest.

If voters in the Sixth District truly want a representative who will put them and the district first in how the duties are performed in Washington, their vote on Nov. 2 should be for Sen. Tarryl Clark. -- An editorial from the ECM Editorial Board, ECM Publishers

DCCC enters the race in MN-1

Posted at 1:57 PM on October 20, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: U.S. House, Campaign 2010: U.S. MN CD1

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced today that it will start running ads in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. The DCCC says this ad will start running tomorrow. It criticizes Republican Randy Demmer for his "support of partially privatizing Social Security."

The DCCC's Gabby Adler wouldn't disclose the size of the buy but said "it's a significant buy that will saturate the market..."

The DCCC ad comes on the heels of two ads targeting DFL Rep. Tim Walz. The NRCC is spending $100,000 worth of ads criticizing Walz for voting for the stimulus bill.

The American Action Network, run by former GOP Sen. Norm Coleman, is also running an ad criticizing Walz for federal spending.

The Walz campaign called on Coleman to disclose the source of his donors once it became know that the ad would run. Coleman declined saying he's following the law. He also said Walz and other Democrats didn't complain when outside groups ran ads supporting them in 2006 and 2008.

A recent poll by Survey USA and KAAL-TV shows Walz leading Demmer by five percentage points. Internal polling must show the race is tight.

Christie and Barbour coming to MN

Posted at 2:17 PM on October 20, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor, Tim Pawlenty

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Gov. Pawlenty will hold a GOTV rally on October 30th for Republican Tom Emmer.

MNGOP Chair Tony Sutton said on Twitter that the three Republican governors will be in Minnesota on Emmer's behalf.

A spokesman for the Emmer campaign and a spokesman for the MNGOP says more details will follow.

Pro Life groups to flood the 8th with lit

Posted at 10:02 PM on October 20, 2010 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: U.S. House, Campaign 2010: U.S. MN CD8

Two prominent groups opposed to legalized abortion are getting heavily involved in the congressional contest in Minnesota's 8th District.

The conservative Susan B. Anthony List, a Washington D.C. based Pro-life group, reported spending $32,432 on mailers in opposition to DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar.

Meanwhile, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life is spending $9417 on mailings on behalf of Oberstar's GOP opponent, Chip Cravaack. The MCCL endorsed Cravaack last week after backing Oberstar for decades.

The Susan B. Anthony List and the MCCL both say they're backing Cravaack because of Oberstar's support for the health care reform law. They say the law would allow federal taxpayers funds to be spent on abortion. At issue is the health exchanges and whether HMOs would be allowed to offer abortion coverage even to people who receive federal subsidies. Oberstar and his campaign staffers argue that there are protections in place to ensure federal funds aren't spent on abortion (Read more about it on Politfact).

Susan B. Anthony List, which was also a strong supporter of Oberstar in the past, hinted in a March news release that it would make Oberstar's vote an issue in the upcoming election:

"Congressman Oberstar can no longer call himself 'pro-life.' He has set himself with the likes of NARAL, NOW, and Planned Parenthood, and has betrayed his pro-life principles and his constituents. Seventy-four percent of voters in the eighth district oppose taxpayer funding of abortion as part of health care reform, according to a survey commissioned by the Susan B. Anthony List this week. Fifty-six percent of Rep. Oberstar's constituents surveyed also said that they would be less likely to vote for him next Election Day if he supported healthcare with abortion funding.

The key question is whether voters will continue their practice of routinely sending Oberstar back to Washington or choose to side with the Pro Life groups who now oppose him.

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