Capitol View: October 21, 2010 Archive

Pawlenty to campaign for Emmer

Posted at 9:13 AM on October 21, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor, Tim Pawlenty

Gov. Pawlenty stayed on the sidelines of the race for governor for several months after Tom Emmer won the GOP endorsement. But he's ramping up his efforts in the remaining days of the campaign. It's already been announced that Pawlenty will appear at a campaign rally on the Saturday before Election Day.

Today, the Emmer campaign announced Pawlenty will campaign with Emmer on Sunday and Monday in St. Louis Park, Rochester and Eagan.

Here's the schedule:

Sunday, October 24th, 2010
Saint Louis Park
3:00 pm (2:30 pm Doors)
Saint Louis Park Recreation Center
3700 Monterey Drive

Monday, October 25th, 2010

Rochester
8:30 am
(8:00 am Doors)
Ramada Hotel and Conference Center
Royal Room C
1517 16th Street SW

Eagan
11:00 am
(10:30 am Doors) Aerospace Manufacturing, Inc.
1045 Gemini Road

Update:

DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez says Pawlenty's sinking popularity will likely do more to hurt Emmer than help. The outgoing Republican governor is scheduled to campaign with Emmer Sunday and Monday. Melendez says Emmer's connection to Pawlenty will likely cost him independent votes.

"Obviously DFLers have always disliked Tim Pawlenty, and Tim Pawlenty's unfavorable ratings have been going up lately, so that's got to be coming from independents, which leaves me to think that tying Tim Pawlenty around your neck is not the best strategy two weeks out."

But state Republican party chairman Tony Sutton says voters like the idea of Emmer continuing Pawlenty's policies. He says the governor's campaign assistance should help Emmer peak on Election Day.

Quie backs Horner

Posted at 2:09 PM on October 21, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

Former GOP Gov. Al Quie announced today that he's supporting the Independence Party's Tom Horner in the race for governor. Quie is the second former Republican governor to support Horner's campaign. Arne Carlson is also backing Horner. Quie says he likes Horner's budget plan, his plan to improve the achievement gap in schools and his plan to invest in infrastructure. He said Horner will do a better job for the state than Republican Tom Emmer or Democrat Mark Dayton.

"Now as I look at the candidates for governor," Quie said. "I look at their solutions and I come down on the side of Tom Horner."

Horner has been peeling away support from Emmer's Republican base. Several former legislators and at least one Republican mayor say they're backing Horner because they consider Emmer's budget plan "too extreme." Quie said he was prepared for criticism from his Republican colleagues.

"If a person who votes for a Republican who is now running as an Independent and if that makes him a RINO (Republican In Name Only), I plead guilty. What I tell all of the candidates in the Republican Party is that you're not electing the Republican Party, you're electing a person."

Quie was backing Marty Seifert before he lost the GOP endorsement to Emmer.

Quie's endorsement now means two of the three living Republican governors in Minnesota are backing Horner's campaign. The announcement comes just days before Republcan Governor Tim Pawlenty will hit the campaign trail for Emmer.

MNGOP Chair Tony Sutton says he's disappointed by Quie's endorsement of Horner. Minnesota Republican Party Chair Tony Sutton said Quie's endorsement doesn't represent the vast majority of Republicans.

Dayton wants alliance with teachers

Posted at 4:19 PM on October 21, 2010 by Tim Pugmire
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

DFL gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton is promising teachers that if elected, he will work with them, not against them.

Dayton spoke today at the annual Education Minnesota professional conference in St. Paul. The statewide teachers union, has had an especially rocky relationship with Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who has often accused the union of blocking important education reforms, including new approaches to licensing and tenure. The union is backing Dayton for governor.

Dayton told teachers that he understands education is about the magic they bring to the classroom.

"It's so absurd to be talking about education with teachers somehow the obstacle or the adversary," Dayton said. "Education happens with you, through you, because of you. And I want the state of Minnesota to be an ally."

In his introduction of Dayton. Education Minnesota President Tom Dooher offered a vigorous defense of his union and a sometimes stinging indictment of its critics. Using the parlance of the No Child Left Behind Law, Dooher took immediate aim at Pawlenty.

"After eight years of patient effort, we have come to the conclusion that Tim Pawlenty has failed to make adequate yearly progress as our governor for Minnesota, Dooher said. "We recommend he be reassigned for immediate remediation."

Here's audio of Dooher: Listen

Here's audio of Dayton: Listen

Liebling makes a play for Speaker

Posted at 4:28 PM on October 21, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, MN Legislature

DFL Rep. Tina Liebling of Rochester is making a run for Speaker of the Minnesota House. Liebling wrote letters (see below) to the DFL members of the Minnesota House and asks for their support.

It's been rumored the Liebling may make a move for the position but the letter, which was given to House members during Monday's Special Session, is the first indication she's serious about it. The front runner for the job is DFL House Majority Leader Tony Sertich, who has been leading the fundraising and political efforts for the caucus. In her letter, Liebling is reminding members to not assume Sertich has a lock on the job.

"So far the press seems to assume that Tony Sertich will be our next Speaker. I hope that you will not make the same assumption but will consider carefully where we have been, where we can go and what kind of leadership we need to get us there.

Tony has served us well as Majority Leader since 2007. We all know as bright, personable, well spoken and smooth under fire. He and Margaret Anderson Kelliher worked well together and he gave her loyal support at every step. But while Tony has been a fine Majority Leader, he may not be the right person for the very different job of Speaker.

At the end of last session Tom Rukavina - a fellow Ranger - urged our caucus to support Tony for Speaker in appreciation for Tom's role in sealing Margaret's endorsement for governor. While Margaret led us well in may respects we should not make this important decision on the basis of gratitude or because we fear change. We have the opportunity to have a healthy and open conversation about our vision for ourselves as a caucus and what kind of leadership we need. We should make this decision as we make all our best legislative decisions: as representatives of our districts and the people of Minnesota."

The letter comes at a time when Democrats in the House and Senate are fighting to keep their majorities. Democrats currently hold a twenty vote majority in the Minnesota House and it's possible that a Republican Tsunami could give the majority to the GOP. That would mean it won't be a problem for Liebling or Sertich. Instead, it's likely Kurt Zellers would be Speaker of the House.

Here's Liebling's letter:

RGA drops $1 million on Minnesota's race for governor

Posted at 5:18 PM on October 21, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

The Republican Governor's Association is putting a big marker on Tom Emmer's campaign in the final weeks of the campaign. The group is giving $1 million to Minnesota's Future, an independent expenditure group, according to the fund's spokesman Chris Tiedeman. Minnesota's Future is running ads criticizing Democrat Mark Dayton's campaign.

"We believe Tom Emmer is going to win but we're going to close the election right and get that message to the voters," Tiedeman said.

Tiedeman said the money will be used for ads on TV, radio, the internet and other social media.

The donation comes on top of the $830,000 the RGA has already given to Minnesota's Future.

The RGA isn't the only group to give to Minnesota's Future in the final weeks of the campaign. Hubbard Broadcasting, which owns KSTP-TV, wrote a $25,000 check to the group as well.

Meanwhile, The Democratic Governor's Association has given $1.5 million to Win Minnesota through 10/5(reports here and here). That group is then giving a bulk of the funds to The Alliance for a Better Minnesota, which is running ads criticizing Emmer.

Small donors make big difference in Bachmann and Clark campaigns

Posted at 6:35 PM on October 21, 2010 by Annie Baxter
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: U.S. MN CD6

The Center for Responsive Politics says small donors played a major role in a number of candidates' third-quarter fundraising, including that of GOP U.S. House Rep. Michele Bachmann and her DFL challenger, Tarryl Clark.

By the Center's estimation, 2/3 of Bachmann's third quarter fundraising came from small donors. About 56 percent of Clark's third quarter contributions came from donors giving less than $200.

The center took the non-itemizable donations for the campaigns, subtracted funds from transfers and Political Action Committees, and found the number of donations under $200. Then they calculated the share of those small donations in the overall fundraising haul.

Here's what they say about Bachmann's haul:

Sophomore Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), chair of the House Tea Party Caucus, was the most prolific fund-raiser in the third quarter among House candidates, according to the Washington Post. She reported $5.04 million in receipts between July and September. Fully two-thirds of that amount -- $3.3 million -- came from individuals who gave $200 or less, according to the Center's review of campaign finance documents filed on Friday. Since January 2009, Bachmann has now raised $9.6 million, and 52 percent of that sum, or $5 million, has come from small donors.

And here's their take on small donations in Clark's campaign:

Bachmann's Democratic opponent in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District this year, state Sen. Tarryl Clark, has also successfully tapped small donors for big financial gains. During the third quarter, Clark boasted the second largest fund-raising haul among House candidates, according to the Washington Post. Of the $1.48 million in total receipts she reported for the quarter, the Center found that more than $825,900 came from small donors -- or 56 percent of her total contributions. That's the same percentage she's raised from such donors since she began campaigning for Congress. Through September, Clark reported raising a total of nearly $3.9 million since her congressional bid began. Of that amount, about $2.2 million has come from small donors.

President Bill Clinton coming to Blaine Sunday to stump for Tarryl Clark

Posted at 8:50 PM on October 21, 2010 by Annie Baxter
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: U.S. MN CD6

DFLer Tarryl Clark is getting support from a political heavyweight-- former President Bill Clinton will join her at a Vikings tailgate party in Blaine on Sunday.

Clark's camp says:

A tailgate party will begin at 7:00 PM and the game begins at 7:30 PM. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken will join Tarryl Clark and supporters to watch the Vikings-Packers football game live on the big screen as well.

Event details:
Vikings-Packers watch party and rally
Featuring President Bill Clinton
Teamsters Local 120 Hall
9422 Ulysses Street NE
Blaine, MN 55434

The press release doesn't say what time Clinton will arrive.

Clinton was in Minneapolis last month for a Clark fundraiser. At the time, he took aim at Clark's Republican opponent, U.S. House Rep. Michele Bachmann. According to Salon.com, he said the following.

"Your opponent," he told Clark, "is the ultimate example of putting ideology over evidence."

"I respect people with a conservative philosophy," he continued. "This country has been well-served by having two broad traditions within which people can operate. If you have a philosophy, it means you're generally inclined one way or the other but you're open to evidence. If you have an ideology, it means everything is determined by dogma and you're impervious to evidence. Evidence is irrelevant.

"That's how I see Rep. Bachmann. She's very attractive in saying all these things she says, but it's pretty stupid."

The Minnesota Independent says Bachmann lashed out against that characterization:

"Bill Clinton was in campaigning against me this week," she told conservative radio host Mark Levin. "This is a major effort. I've always been about the number one target for Nancy Pelosi to defeat."

"Emily's List has made me their number one target, the League of Conservation Voters has made me their number one target," she said. "But this is almost bizarre what the former President of the United States has said."