Capitol View: October 10, 2011 Archive

Brodkorb quits position as MNGOP Deputy Chair

Posted at 9:25 AM on October 10, 2011 by Tom Scheck (6 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, U.S. House

Minnesota Republican Party Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb is resigning his position.

Brodkorb announced that he's leaving his position as Deputy Chair because he agreed to serve as an adviser to State Senator Mike Parry's campaign for Congress. Brodkorb said party bylaws bar a party official from backing a candidate prior to an endorsement.

He said he couldn't do both and decided that Parry's campaign is important enough to leave as Deputy Chair. He said he's worked with Parry since Parry ran for the Minnesota Senate in a special election in 2010.

"There would not be a lot of candidates that I would do this for but Sen. Parry is one that I would," Brodkorb said. "I'm honored to do it.

Parry announced last week that he's challenging Democrat Tim Walz in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. Brodkorb, who will serve as a volunteer adviser to Parry's campaign, will keep his job as spokesman for the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus.

Barnes to challenge Paulsen

Posted at 11:36 AM on October 10, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

A businessman and Navy Reserve veteran from Edina is seeking the DFL endorsement to run against Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen in Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District.

Brian Barnes announced his candidacy today at a news conference at the State Capitol. He said Paulsen has campaigned as a moderate but sided with conservative Republicans on major issues.

"He not only broke his promise about creating jobs. He's voted against nearly every jobs bill since he's been in Congress," Barnes said. "This guy has been so reckless that he even played politics with our nation's credit rating."

When asked, Barnes wouldn't say whether he'd vote for President Obama's jobs bill. Instead, he said he wouldn't be in a position to vote for it. Barnes said, however, that there were some strong parts to it.

"It starts by putting 1.9 million people back to work. There are 14 million out so that's a good start. The other thing it does is it takes people who are unemployed and puts them to work in our public schools so people like my mother don't have to put a trash can under a leaky roof."

Barnes said he has not run for political office before but has been active in local DFL politics. He's seeking the DFL Party endorsement and will drop out of the race if he doesn't get it. He also said redistricting is unlikely to change his mind about the race.

"I will challenge Erik Paulsen regardless of where the lines are drawn," Barnes said when asked about his intentions if his Edina home is no longer included in the 3rd District when the political boundaries are redrawn.

Plymouth resident Sharon Sund is also seeking the DFL endorsement.

Paulsen was first elected to Congress in 2008. His spokesman issued a statement saying Paulsen isn't focused on politics right now but is focused on creating jobs and reducing government spending.

Poll: Bachmann would do most to hurt economy

Posted at 3:05 PM on October 10, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

On the eve of a presidential debate about the economy, a new poll shows 14 percent of those who lean Republican think Rep. Michele Bachmann would do the most to hurt the economy.

Coming in second is Ron Paul; 11 percent of voters who lean Republican said he would do the most to hurt the economy, according to the Washington Post-Bloomberg News Poll.

It's important to note that 43 percent of those who participated in the survey had no opinion on this question.

When asked who would do the most to improve the economy, 22 percent of Republican leaning participants favor former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and 20 percent favor Herman Cain. Bachmann was given the top spot by 3 percent of those surveyed.

About 45 percent of all those surveyed think the economy would be the same if a Republican were president today.

The poll results come on the day before a Washington Post-Bloomberg debate on the economy. You can read more about the survey here.

Bachmann reshuffles campaign staff

Posted at 4:00 PM on October 10, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

WASHINGTON - Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign today announced the hiring of two high-level staffers to beef up her presence in South Carolina and replace some high-level political talent after recent staff shakeouts have thinned the campaign's top ranks.

One of the hires is Guy Short, who will serve as the campaign's national political director. Short has already been working for Bachmann in various capacities, including as a political and fundraising consultant, since at least 2010. He previously worked for former Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) and has close ties to the religious conservative wing of the Republican party.

Short has helped managed Bachmann's political action committee MICHELEPAC, which organized much of Bachmann's travel before she officially entered the race.

The other new hire is Ron Thomas, who the campaign describes as a senior advisor for South Carolina. According to a press release from the campaign, Thomas served as a deputy assistant secretary for policy in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under President George W. Bush and has extensive links to the South Carolina Republican party.

Bachmann's campaign has paid increasing attention to South Carolina, with its large population of conservative evangelical voters, in recent weeks. Bachmann's recent appearances have included a hard sell to that constituency. She's argued that Republicans should nominate the most conservative candidate that they can this cycle rather than settling for a moderate compromise candidate who can appeal to independent voters.

After peaking this summer, the latest polls show that Bachmann's support has cratered. A recent nationwide Washington Post/Bloomberg poll shows her drawing 4 percent support.