Capitol View Category Archive: Campaign 2012

Peterson is the latest MN House member to announce retirement

Posted at 3:45 PM on May 23, 2012 by Tom Scheck (0 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Minn. House Races, MN Legislature

Rep. Sandra Peterson, DFL-New Hope, announced today that she's retiring from the Minnesota House of Representatives. Citing health concerns, Peterson said it was time for her to step aside and not run in 2012.

"Due to recent, unexpected health concerns, I need to refocus my energies onto recuperation and spending time with my family. I will not be able to devote the time and energy necessary to serving my constituents in the manner they deserve from their elected representative," Peterson said in a statement.

Peterson didn't specify an illness in her statement. Her decision must have come in the past 24 hours because she filed for office on Tuesday.

Peterson is the 27th member of the Minnesota House to announce that she isn't running for re-election.

Here's the list of House retirements

Democrats not running again:
Rep. Marion Greene, DFL-Minneapolis
Rep. Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Kate Knuth, DFL-New Brighton
Rep. Denise Dittrich, DFL-Champlin
Rep. Larry Hosch, DFL-St. Joseph
Rep. Bev Scalze, DFL-Little Canada (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Kent Eken, DFL-Twin Valley (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Nora Slawik, DFL-Maplewood
Rep. Bill Hilty, DFL-Finlayson
Rep. Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville
Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia
Rep. Kory Kath, DFL-Owatonna
Rep. Sandra Peterson, DFL-New Hope

Republicans not running again:

Rep. John Kriesel, R-Cottage Grove
Rep. Mike LeMieur, R-Little Falls
Rep. Pat Mazorol, R-Bloomington
Rep. Connie Doepke, R-Orono (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Ron Shimanski, R-Silver Lake
Rep. Torrey Westrom, R-Elbow Lake (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Kurt Bills, R-Rosemount (running for the U.S. Senate)
Rep. Brandon Peterson, R-Andover (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Keith Downey, R-Edina (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Mark Murdock, R-Perham
Rep. Mark Buesgens, R-Jordan
Rep. Bruce Anderson, R-Buffalo Township (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Carol McFarlane, R-White Bear Lake

Note: Rep. Tom Tilberry, DFL-Fridley lost his party's endorsement to former Rep. Connie Bernardy. Tilberry hasn't said whether he'll run in a primary.

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Bills starts dialing for dollars

Posted at 11:58 AM on May 22, 2012 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: U.S. Senate

Kurt Bills is spending his first week as the GOP endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate raising money for his campaign. Mike Osskopp, Bills campaign manager, said Bills will be focused primarily on raising money for the statewide race.

"The best use of his time right now is to raise money," Osskopp said.

Osskopp said Bills will spend most of his time this week reaching out to potential donors. Bills is scheduled to be on TPT's Almanac on Friday and will attend a parade in Zimmerman on Saturday.

The emphasis on fundraising signals a shift from winning the endorsement to winning a general election. Candidates win endorsements by spending plenty of time on the phone convincing GOP delegates that they're the best candidate to represent the party in November. Now, Bills has to ramp up his fundraising to create a campaign network that can win the general election.

Campaign fundraising reports show Bills had $33,000 in the bank at the close of the last quarter. DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar had more than 150 times that amount on hand.

The latest campaign finance report showed Klobuchar had $5.1 million in the bank on March 31. She's also holding a fundraiser tonight in Washington D.C.

Bills acknowledged on MPR News Monday that he won't be able to raise as much money as Klobuchar but said he hopes to raise roughly $5 million for the statewide campaign.

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Early bird candidates first in line to file

Posted at 8:00 AM on May 22, 2012 by Tim Nelson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Candidates for political offices on this fall's ballot were lined up before dawn today outside the Secretary of State's office. Well a candidate was anyway. Rep. Joyce Peppin, R-Rogers, actually brought a chaise lounge down to the State Office Building hallway to spend the night and make sure she was the first among equals this morning.

"This is the fifth time I've been first in line. Every time I've run," she said. "I want to show my constituents that I'm still enthused to run, energetic to start the campaign, and that it's an honor and privilege to represent them."

She was joined, as you can see above, by state Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, who's running against rival Republican Allen Quist for the nomination to face DFL U.S. Rep. Tim Walz this fall.

"It's time for us to be serious down in that part of the state about our representative. We know Washington's broken and I plan on being there next year to help fix it," said Parry. "It's good to get started early in the morning."

Former Democratic Congressman Rick Nolan was the third in line. The DFL endorsed candidate to take on freshman GOP U.S. Rep Chip Cravaack came down from the Brainerd area to submit his paperwork. It's his second shot at Capitol Hill. He was a member of Congress from what used to be Minnesota's 6th District.

"This is one of the most highly contested races in the country," Nolan said. "It's in the top 10 group for both the Republicans and the Democrats, and I believe in getting an early start and running hard and running fast. And so I decided I wanted to be here first thing this morning, get myself registered and get our race underway."

Nolan is facing a primary challenge from two Democrats--former state Sen. Tarryl Clark and Jeff Anderson.

Frequent candidate Dick Franson also made an appearance. He's planning to run for U.S. Senate -- his eighth shot at the office.

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Kath joins a growing list of retirements in the Minnesota House

Posted at 12:05 PM on May 21, 2012 by Tom Scheck (0 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Minn. House Races, MN Legislature

Rep. Kory Kath, DFL-Owatonna, announced today that he's not running for re-election. Kath, who was first elected in 2008, cited family considerations as the main reason he's not running again.

"For over four years my wife, daughter and son have sacrificed so much so I can prioritize our community needs in St. Paul, and I need to turn my attention to them now," Kath said in an e-mail to his colleagues and constituents. " I look forward to more days of tucking my kids into bed rather than hearing goodnight over the phone."

Kath is the 26th incumbent in the Minnesota House to announce that he's not running for re-election (14 Republicans and 12 Democrats).

Rep. Carol McFarlane, R-White Bear Lake, announced last week that she's not going to challenge GOP House Majority Leader Matt Dean in a primary. The two were paired in the same district when a new set of political lines were released in February. Dean won the GOP endorsement.

Here's the list of House retirements:

Democrats not running again:

Rep. Marion Greene, DFL-Minneapolis
Rep. Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Kate Knuth, DFL-New Brighton
Rep. Denise Dittrich, DFL-Champlin
Rep. Larry Hosch, DFL-St. Joseph
Rep. Bev Scalze, DFL-Little Canada (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Kent Eken, DFL-Twin Valley (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Nora Slawik, DFL-Maplewood
Rep. Bill Hilty, DFL-Finlayson
Rep. Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville
Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia
Rep. Kory Kath, DFL-Owatonna

Republicans not running again:

Rep. John Kriesel, R-Cottage Grove
Rep. Mike LeMieur, R-Little Falls
Rep. Pat Mazorol, R-Bloomington
Rep. Connie Doepke, R-Orono (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Ron Shimanski, R-Silver Lake
Rep. Torrey Westrom, R-Elbow Lake (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Kurt Bills, R-Rosemount (running for the U.S. Senate)
Rep. Brandon Peterson, R-Andover (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Keith Downey, R-Edina (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Mark Murdock, R-Perham
Rep. Mark Buesgens, R-Jordan
Rep. Bruce Anderson, R-Buffalo Township (running for Minnesota Senate)
Rep. Carol McFarlane, R-White Bear Lake

Note: Rep. Tom Tilberry, DFL-Fridley lost his party's endorsement to former Rep. Connie Bernardy. Tilberry hasn't said whether he'll run in a primary.

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Bills suggests cuts to federal workforce to reduce deficit

Posted at 11:21 AM on May 21, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: U.S. Senate, U.S. Senate

The newly endorsed Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate suggests that cutting the federal workforce is one of the ways he'd reduce the federal budget deficit.

In an interview with The Daily Circuit on MPR News, state Representative Kurt Bills, R-Rosemount, said this year's election will focus on specifics.

In particular, he wants to reduce the federal budget deficit by cutting programs. Bills didn't offer many specifics of his own but said he would look at the budget plan put forward by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc. He compared the success of North Dakota's economy to the federal government.

"One's booming of real economic growth that's natural resource-based, and the other one is booming because of borrowed money. So we have to get in and look at the federal workforce that has grown so much and pare that back so the private sector can grow," he said.

Bills won the Republican endorsement on Friday over several other candidates after receiving strong backing from delegates who support Texas Congressman Ron Paul's campaign for president.

Bills said he still backs Paul for president but will eventually back the GOP nominee. He also said he shouldn't be considered someone who agrees with Ron Paul on every issue.

"I had somebody ask me are you a Ronald Reagan Republican or a Ron Paul Republican?" Bills said. "I said I'm a Kurt Bills Republican. I think whatever your name is within the party, you're that person."

Bills said he doesn't expect a significant primary challenge. He will face DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November.

Bills said he's going to spend the day focusing on how much money his campaign needs to compete with Klobuchar. He said his campaign is looking at a budget of roughly $5 million but acknowledged he'll be outspent by Klobuchar. The latest campaign finance reports shows her with more than $5 million in the bank, much more than Bills has raised so far.

You can listen to the full interview here: Listen

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Beihoffer elected Republican National Committeewoman

Posted at 9:09 PM on May 19, 2012 by Tom Scheck (0 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Presidential Race

The Minnesota Republican Party's State Central Committee elected Janet Beihoffer as the state party's next Republican National Committeewoman. She defeated incumbent committeewoman Pat Anderson to win the position 215 to 124.

Beihoffer served as Election Day Operations Director for the state Party. She also serves as the party's Voting Integrity Director. In a statement, Beihoffer thanks the delegates for electing her.

"This is a critical time for our country, our state and our State Party, and I look forward to joining the team in this new capacity," Beihoffer said. "We must unite as conservatives and work to see our initiatives move forward and our candidates get elected. I am ready to get to work on behalf of our endorsed candidates as we head into November,"

Beihoffer will start her role after the Republican National Convention in August. Anderson, who served as State Auditor from 2006 until 2010, will represent the party at the Republican National Convention.

Anderson will leave her term as National Committeewoman after serving a year in the position. She played a big role in pushing the state party's financial problems to the forefront. Anderson pushed to have a more proper vetting of the party's books during Tony Sutton's time as chair. She also pushed to disclose all of the party's debt. The party revealed at the end of last year that it was nearly $2 million in debt.

The delegates also re=elected Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson as the state's Republican National Committeeman. Johnson was running unopposed.

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Paul versus Romney

Posted at 2:51 PM on May 19, 2012 by Mike Mulcahy (0 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Presidential Race

From Conrad Wilson:

ST. CLOUD - After nearly two full days at the state GOP convention, a Republican Party leader directly took on the divide between Ron Paul and Mitt Romney supporters.

Republican National Committeeman Jeff Johnson said everyone's avoided the "big old elephant in the room."

"There is a tension. It's a real tension. It's not perceived," he said. "It's what you're all talking about, it's what we're all taking about."

But Johnson said the party's been there before.

"We always have disagreements about what we should be focusing on or which candidates we should be supporting or maybe even some serious disagreements about the substance of actual issues," Johnson said.

To the Ron Paul supporters in the room, the "ones who are here because of Ron Paul," Johnson said, stay involved in the party.

"Don't disappear. Don't let someone else do the work. Don't lose interest."

Johnson told the "Ron Paul haters" at the convention to "get over it," he said. "If we don't grow, we die as a party ... We need to can Barack Obama and we need to file Amy Klobuchar. And we need to do it together."

Johnson will run unopposed later today to hold onto his party position.

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Paul supporters score near sweep of national delegates

Posted at 3:04 PM on May 19, 2012 by Tom Scheck (8 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Presidential Race

ST. CLOUD - Supporters of presidential hopeful Ron Paul picked up 12 of 13 national delegates chosen at this weekend's state Republican party convention. They will represent the state party in Tampa, FL at the Republican National Convention.

The audience of mostly Paul supporters erupted after they realized they nearly swept the slate. It means 32 of the 40 delegates heading to Tampa are confirmed supporters of Ron Paul. Another potential Paul delegate, Don Huizenga,dropped his bid after he didn't pick up the needed 50 percent on the first ballot. His concession means GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann, a one-time candidate for president, can be a delegate at the national convention.

"We're very happy," said Pastor Kevin Erickson, a national delegate elected out of the 8th Congressional District. "From Minnesota, we'll cast 32 votes for Ron Paul. The rest, we'll see what happens."

The strength of Paul's supporters means several well known Republicans will not be headed to Tampa. They include former Congressman Mark Kennedy, state Rep. Keith Downey, Republican Party Treasurer Bron Scherer, Republican Party Deputy Party Chair Kelly Fenton and 6th District Republican Party Chair Jen Niska.

Paul supporters have said repeatedly that they are likely to back presumptive presidential nominee Mitt Romney in November but they say they want to send a message that candidates should stick to constitutional principals.

Paul played a major role at this weekend's convention. He spoke to delegates, held a fundraiser for the party and posed for pictures for hundreds of people who backed his campaign. Romney's presence was virtually nonexistent. His wife, Ann, recorded a video message but there were no surrogates.

Three of the national delegate slots are awarded to the state party chair, the Republican National Committeeman and the National Committeewoman.

Update: Paul supporters also picked up the 13 of the 13 alternate delegates to the RNC. That means 25 of the 26 people elected delegates and alternate delegates at the State Party Convention are Paul supporters. 32 of the 40 delegates to the RNC are confirmed Ron Paul supporters.

Note: Post has been updated that Huizenga conceded and to clarify delegate totals.

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Cravaack warns of looming budget showdown

Posted at 1:45 PM on May 19, 2012 by Tom Scheck (0 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: U.S. House, Campaign 2012: U.S. MN CD8, U.S. Senate

(MPR Photo/Tom Scheck GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack addresses the 2012 MNGOP Convention)

From MPR's Conrad Wilson....

ST. CLOUD - Speaking before delegates at the state GOP convention, Eighth district Congressman Chip Cravaack warned that the GOP House could be in a budget battle later this year with President Obama.

"I can guarantee you that we are going to have one heck of a budget battle at the end of this year," Cravaack said in his speech to the delegates.

In an interview with MPR News following his speech, Cravaack said the only solution to the coming budget debate is for Republicans and Democrats to come together.

"One party's not going to solve this. We have to come together as Americans," he said. "We can't keep spending money we don't have."

If Congress doesn't pass a budget this year, across the board cuts in the current budget will get triggered. Cravaack, a former Navy pilot, said those cuts will hit defense spending especially hard.

"Sequestration is going to be absolutely disastrous for our military," he said. "Fifty-percent of that is coming out of national defense, which is only 20-percent of the actually budget in itself. So, do the math. An inordinate amount of money's being taken out of our military."

Cravaack was the only member of the state's Congressional delegation to address the convention. Republicans Eric Paulsen, John Kline and Michele Bachmann were noticeably absent.

Cravaack is facing a stiff reelection competition against three Democrats in the Eighth Congressional District. Former Congressman Rick Nolan won the DFL Party's endorsement but former state Senator Tarryl Clark and Duluth City Council member Jeff Anderson say they'll run in the primary.

You can listen to Cravaack's speech here: Listen

(MPR's Tom Scheck contributed to this report)

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Convention gets rowdy as delegate voting starts

Posted at 12:27 PM on May 19, 2012 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Presidential Race

ST.CLOUD - Thirty-five people are asking the 2,200 delegates at the Minnesota Republican Party convention to select them as delegates to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, FL.

The contest at the Minnesota convention showcases a growing divide between supporters of presidential candidate Ron Paul and the presumptive nominee Mitt Romney. Thirteen delegates slots are at stake. Both campaigns are putting forward a slate of candidates that they hope can get elected.

Clear divisions are emerging between Paul and Romney backers. Paul backers say they should back a candidate based on principles even if it's unlikely Paul will win the GOP nomination.

"Most of you know me as the Ron Paul person," Paul's state chair Marianne Stebbins said. "I will vote for Romney in the general election, but we as delegates need to take every opportunity as we go through convention processes and to nomination processes to support the candidates who really do believe in smaller government."

But several Romney supporters say they're concerned that the Paul backers could hurt Romney's chances to win the general election. Republican Party activist John Gilmore paid for campaign literature that calleded 22 candidates for delegate who back Ron Paul the "Convention Chaos Slate."

"The following candidates are running for National Delegate to create chaos at the National Convention in Tampa, and will help re-elect Barack Obama," the literature said.

Several of those listed on the sheet expressed surprise. Most said they would back the endorsed candidate, but a few declined. Some others said "if he adheres to the U.S. Constitution."

Others were mystified by the notion that they intend to cause chaos.

"As a professional wrestler, I'd like to challenge that guy to a cage match," said James McKinney, a former professional wrestler and dance instructor.

Many in the crowd booed when Kenn Cobb said that they had to unify behind Romney.

"We only get one nominee for president," Cobb told the crowd. "That's why it's time that tea party Republicans, pro-life Republicans, 2nd Amendment Republicans, main street Republicans, free market Republicans, Ronald Reagan Republicans and yes, Ron Paul Republicans come together to support our nominee who will be Mitt Romney."

Republican Party Chair Pat Shortridge tried to unify the delegates by calling the Conservative Chaos Slate "offensive.

"I don't think they'll embarrass us in Tampa," Shortridge told the audience. "If they get elected, I think they'll do a fine job. Vote for whatever slate you want to vote for."

The crowd applauded when the audience suspended the rules to allow someone to speak on Chris Tiedeman's behalf. Tiedeman was severely injured in a car accident in March.

"Chris started walking this week and he'll be ready to go in August in Tampa," Tiedeman's friend Luke Hellier said.

Delegates are now voting...

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Tin Foil Hats at Republican Party Convention

Posted at 11:25 AM on May 19, 2012 by Tom Scheck (0 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Minn. Senate Races, Campaign 2012: Presidential Race

Nathan Atkins of Minneapolis has an interesting take on those who question his love for Ron Paul - a tin foil hat. Atkins crafted a hat out of tin foil to mock those who say Paul supporters are believe in black helicopters and wear tin foil hats.

"A lot of people say the Ron Paul people are conspiracy nuts," Atkins said. "This is a play on that."

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GOP officials call for unity as national delegate vote looms

Posted at 11:30 AM on May 19, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Minn. Senate Races, Campaign 2012: Presidential Race, Campaign 2012: U.S. Senate

Minnesota Republican Party officials are urging Republican delegates and voters to unify behind U.S. Senate candidate Kurt Bills.

Bills tried to showcase that unity this morning as he hosted a breakfast fundraiser for the Republican Party of Minnesota. The featured guest was Texas Congressman Ron Paul, a presidential candidate who has quite a following at this year's convention. Paul urged the party to rally around Bills' campaign, which he says stands conservative principles similar to his own.

"He can't even get their without your support and your money and your work and your effort," Paul said. "But he's the kind of individual who will stand strong."

The event attracted 600 people and raised $12,000 for the Republican Party of Minnesota. Minnesota Republican Party Chair Pat Shortridge thanked the audience, which was dominated by Paul supporters. But Shortridge said he wanted to see them work for all Republican candidates in November.

"This breakfast would not be successful and will not be successful if you're not taking this same passion, this same energy, this same enthusiasm, back to communities, back to where you live and to persuade people to get on the bus," Shortridge said.

But unity could face a big test later today as supporters of Paul and likely GOP nominee Mitt Romney battle to decide which candidate will win the 13 remaining delegates to represent the state party at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, FL.

The state party will have a total of 40 delegates at the national convention. They include party Shortridge, the state's National Committeeman and National Committeewoman. Twenty of the 24 delegates already selected at earlier conventions are backing Ron Paul over Romney.

And even though Romney is the presumptive nominee, he has little presence at this year's convention. Despite a handful of signs plastered on the convention walls, there are few people vocally supporting him. Romney surrogates, including former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, are not at the event speaking on his behalf. The party did play a 43-second video message from Romney's wife, Ann.

"President Obama has our country headed in the wrong direction, and it is up to us, together, to get this great nation back on track," Ann Romney said on the video message. "Mitt and I would appreciate your support for the Conservative Unity Slate endorsed by Romney for President."

That Conservative Unity Slate features GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann, Deputy Party Chair Kelly Fenton, former Congressman Mark Kennedy and several state lawmakers. The Romney campaign is trying to create a slate that could be attractive to supporters of Ron Paul.

But Paul supporters have been working behind the scenes to ensure that their delegates make it to Tampa. Mark Santelman of Winthrop is one of the Paul supporters who wants to be a national delegate. He said one of the reasons he wants to be at the convention in Florida is to force Romney and other national candidates to adhere to constitutional principles.

"If Romney is the candidate, I'm going to vote for him and work for him, but we want to bind him down," Santelman said. "That's my goal as a delegate is to just get a Republican Party that says OK, we're going to vet our candidates better."

Will be updated...

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Ron Paul rocks GOP Convention

Posted at 6:21 PM on May 18, 2012 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Minn. Senate Races, Campaign 2012: Presidential Race

From MPR's Conrad Wilson...

Texas Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul spoke at the Republican state convention in St. Cloud today.

Paul affirmed his support for state Representative Kurt Bills, who earlier won the GOP's endorsement to take on US Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November.

Paul's support helped propel Bills to winning the endorsement. As he talked to delegates about his message of limited government, personal liberty and a less aggressive U.S. foreign policy, Paul also struck a chord of bi-partisanship.

"Whether liberals or conservatives or modest Republicans, come together and do the right thing. What don't we just all come together and all obey the Constitution," Paul said. "That would be a unique idea."

Four years ago Paul was not allowed to speak to the state Republican convention.

You can listen to Paul's speech here: Listen

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Severson says he has the network to win

Posted at 1:49 PM on May 18, 2012 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Minn. Senate Races

With MPR's Conrad Wilson...

ST. CLOUD - Former Minnesota Rep. Dan "Doc" Severson took the stage in St. Cloud pushing a platform backed by "new American's and minorities." A former Navy pilot, Severson was the first Republican to announce his candidacy for U.S. Senate a year ago.

"I'm the only one running with a proven track record," Severson said. "I'm the only candidate with name recognition and an effective state-wide ground game."

Severson also mentioned that he received 1 million votes in his 2010 campaign for Minnesota Secretary of State. He lost that bid to DFLer Mark Ritchie. Severson also mentioned that Republicans haven't won a statewide election since 2006. He said Republicans have to reach out to nonwhite voters in the Twin Cities.

"We need to reach out to conservative groups in the inner city," he said. "I'm the only candidate who has reached out those minority communities. And in fact I've spent the last two years forging relationships."

Severson said, if elected, he'll work to repeal the federal health care law, the Dodd/Frank financial regulation bill and push to audit the federal reserve.

Severson also said his fingerprints were on the two proposed constitutional amendments that will be on the November ballot. He was an author of the definition of marriage amendment when he served in the Minnesota House. He also pushed for requiring people to show photo identification to vote.

During a video presented to the delegates, Severson touted his work on the so-called photo ID amendment.

"In 2010, I fought for photo ID and narrowly lost that battle to a [George] Soros funded incumbent but we won the war," Severson said. "Photo ID will be on the ballot in November."

Listen to Severson's speech here: Listen

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Live Blog: Republican Party of Minnesota State Convention

Posted at 2:19 PM on May 18, 2012 by Michael Olson (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Minn. Senate Races

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Hegseth says he has experience to beat Klobuchar

Posted at 12:55 PM on May 18, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: U.S. Senate

With MPR's Conrad Wilson

ST. CLOUD- Pete Hegseth, a former Army Captain, told GOP delegates today that he has the political experience to defeat DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November.

"It will take more than courage to win this race in November," Hegseth said. "It will take the right candidate."

Hegseth said his experience as executive director of the group Veterans for Freedom will help build a campaign that can defeat the popular incumbent.

"We don't run against Democrats to make a point, we run against Democrats to win and then to govern with Republican principles."

Hegseth said he helped Republicans win federal races when he took over Vets for Freedom which has 95,000 members and raised over $10 million. He also said he'll work to highlight Klobuchar's record.

"Many Minnesotans have a warm and fuzzy feeling about her, but they don't know how she votes," Hegseth said. "Do they know she has a more liberal voting record than DFL Rep. Keith Ellison?"

Hegseth said that he stood up to liberals during his time at Princeton University, as executive director of Veterans for Freedom and while serving in Afghanistan.

"As your candidate for U.S. Senate, I will be the consistent, courageous conservative that you deserve," Hegseth said. "Not because I say so but because I always have been."

Hegseth said one of his biggest priorities will be to reduce the size of the federal deficit.
Referring to the economy, Hegseth said it's not just Democrats that got "us into this mess." He blamed Republicans for talking like conservatives on the campaign trail and then voting like Democrats in Washington.

Here's Hegseth's speech: Listen

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Bills wants to "slay the giants"

Posted at 12:45 PM on May 18, 2012 by Tom Scheck (0 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: U.S. Senate

ST. CLOUD -The endorsement battle for U.S. Senate is underway at the Republican state convention.

State Rep. Kurt Bills, R-Rosemount, used the imagery of David vs. Goliath to showcase his race against DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

"Politically the experts say Amy Klobuchar is unbeatable, she's a nice person, and have you tried her hotdish recipe?" Bills told the audience. "But we're not here to elect Miss Congeniality."

Bills said he was basing his campaign on five principles: economic freedom, incentives, competition, voluntary exchange and private property

Bills, a high school economics teacher at Rosemount High School, has emphasized lowering the federal deficit and "taming the tax code." He also said that there is a deficit of leadership in Washington D.C. Bills linked Klobuchar to President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. He called Klobuchar a "rubber stamp" for their agenda.

"These liberals have teamed up to give us years of trillion dollar budget deficits," Bills said. "The debt that Klobuchar and Obama has created are a giant we face."

Bills is relying on Ron Paul supporters who are exhibiting their strength at the convention. He has Paul's endorsement and that of more than 40 state lawmakers including Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Zellers.

State Rep. Keith Downey, R-Edina, nominated Bills at the convention. He suggested Bills background as an economics teacher would help him win over swing voters.

"Let me show you the headline," Downey told the audience."Minnesota GOP endorses public school teacher for U.S. Senate."

You can listen to Bills' speech here: Listen

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State Republican Convention prepares to endorse Senate candidate

Posted at 11:12 AM on May 18, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Minn. Senate Races, Campaign 2012: Presidential Race

(MPR Photo/Tom Scheck)

With Mark Zdechlik and Conrad Wilson

About 2,200 Republican delegates gathered in St. Cloud today. Their main job is to endorse a candidate for U.S. Senate. They will also vote on Saturday to parcel out the remaining 13 delegates that will represent Minnesota at the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

The morning's session got bogged down as delegates debated convention rules and how the convention will operate.

Some shouted "you're wrong" when Republican Party Chair Pat Shortridge announced that the party rules were mailed to every delegate. Others argued over the proper disclaimers on signs being raised on the convention floor.

Party officials are hoping that the U.S. Senate endorsement contest will start at noon.

There are five candidates vying for the party's endorsement but there are three that are getting the most attention.

State Rep. Kurt Bills, R-Rosemount, is the expected front-runner. Bills has the backing of presidential hopeful Ron Paul, Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY, and Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Zellers. Bills is a high school economics teacher serving his first term in the state House.

Minnesota National Guard Army Captain Pete Hegseth is also running. Hegseth has garnered plenty of national support including Texas Gov. Rick Perry. He was also executive director for Vets for Freedom, which supported former President George W. Bush on the war in Iraq.

Former state Rep. Dan Severson is also running. Severson is also a military veteran and has the most election experience, running as the Republican nominee for Minnesota Secretary of State in 2010. He lost that race to Mark Ritchie.

Harold Shudlick and Bob Carney are also running.

The endorsement contest is expected to start around noon. A candidate needs to win 60 percent support to win the endorsement.

Some delegates are still weighing their options. Fred Wright of Moorhead said he's not sure who he'll support for the Senate nomination.

"I think we've got three very good conservative candidates right now," Wright said. "Politically, ideologically they're all good. So I think then it becomes a question of who's got the strongest committee, who's done the most leg work, who a lot of the delegates feel is the most electable. It's going to an interesting day."

Bills, Severson and Hegseth have all agreed to step aside if one of the others wins party backing.

As MPR's Mark Zdechlik reported this morning, Ron Paul and his backers are exhibiting some strength at the convention.

Paul has announced that he's no longer actively campaigning for the White House but is still seeking delegate support at state conventions. Paul is expected to address the convention tonight. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is expected to win the presidential nomination.

Party leaders are hoping that any disputes between Paul supporters and Romney supporters is handled amicably. Arguments betwen factions at some other state party conventions resulted in shouts and fighting.

Shortridge started the convention by suggesting the group leave the convention unified and end "Republican on Republican violence."

Will be updated....

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Ortman fails to win endorsement in re-election bid

Posted at 4:45 PM on May 16, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Minn. Senate Races, MN Legislature, Redistricting, State Government

The Deputy Majority Leader of the Minnesota Senate didn't win her party's endorsement for re-election on Tuesday night.

Republican delegates in Senate District 47 chose not to endorse a candidate after neither incumbent Sen. Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen, nor auto mechanic Bruce Schwichtenberg could win 60 percent delegate support after five ballots.

No endorsement means primary voters will decide which candidate should represent the party in the November election.

Schwichtenberg says he believes his work as vice chair of the Carver County Republican Party will help him win the August primary. He said he's concerned that Ortman authored plans to tax internet purchases and make other changes that he considers tax increases.

"There's a lot of tax bills that she's authored that, quite frankly, a lot of Democrats would be proud of," Schwichtenberg said.

Ortman, who chairs the Senate Taxes Committee, did not respond to an interview request but said in a text message that she has no plans yet except to take a couple of days off.

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Common Cause Minnesota calls for state ALEC investigation

Posted at 10:02 AM on May 15, 2012 by Catharine Richert (5 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

As part of a national campaign to draw attention to the American Legislative Exchange Council's (ALEC) activities, Common Cause Minnesota is asking state Attorney General Lori Swanson and the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board to investigate whether the group has violated state law.

In a letter to Swanson, Common Cause Executive Director Mike Dean contends that ALEC, a tax-exempt charitable organization, lobbies state lawmakers, and has therefore misrepresented its purpose under state laws regarding charities.

"In view of the overwhelming evidence that ALEC is engaged in lobbying, I urge you to review its compliance with all applicable state laws or to refer this matter to the appropriate state regulatory authorities for their action," Dean wrote.

Meanwhile, Common Cause is also filing a complaint with the state's campaign finance board contending that ALEC should be registered as a lobby but isn't.

Groups organized as a 501(c)(3) under the Internal Revenue Code are allowed to lobby, as long as it doesn't constitute a substantial part of a group's activities.

ALEC is a national group with a conservative bent that caters to state lawmakers. It is best known for bringing together lawmakers and business interests to write model legislation.

ALEC's lawyer, Alan Dye, says that the group abides by legal lobbying limits, but that the organization is free to communicate with state lawmakers in ways not covered by those definitions, such as sending out research and analysis.

But Common Cause, a national liberal group that has been targeting ALEC's activities, says the group's talking points, model legislation, and other communications with state lawmakers are evidence of ALEC's lobbying efforts.

The letters sent to Swanson and the state campaign board by Common Cause Minnesota are part of the group's nationwide effort to scrutinize ALEC's activities. At least 29 state attorneys general have received similar requests, according to Common Cause.

Among other bits of lobbying evidence, Common Cause Minnesota points to memos sent from ALEC to Minnesota lawmakers regarding bills similar to ALEC model legislation, including one that would have allowed defendants to challenge whether a case should be defined as a class action suit, one that would have lowered the interest rate on judgements over $50,000, and one that urged Minnesota legislators to support the repeal of a moratorium on radiation therapy facility construction.

Common Cause recently filed a request with the Internal Revenue Service to look into ALEC's activities.

Dye called Common Cause's claims "patently false."

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Rukavina joins retirement list

Posted at 10:48 AM on May 11, 2012 by Tim Pugmire (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

During his ill-fated run for governor, state Rep.Tom Rukavina addresses delegates at the 2010 DFL convention in Duluth, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR)

Longtime Iron Range state Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, has announced he will not seek a 14th term in the Minnesota House.

Rukavina released a letter today announcing to his colleagues his decision to retire after 26 years in office. In the letter, Rukavina said his decision was expedited by what he termed "the changing atmosphere at the Capitol."

"I recall a kinder and gentler time here when even the most conservative members of our body still believed government could do good things for our people," Rukavina wrote. "But times changed, and I haven't, so it's time for a new direction."

Rukavina was well known for his passionate and often humorous floor speeches. He was a candidate for governor in 2010.

House Speaker Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, was stunned and saddened by the news.

"He is one of the all-time characters," Zellers said. "He is a true people's representative. He is great guy, a great, great friend. I will miss him deeply."

Here's Rukavina's retirement letter:

Rukavina Retirement Letter

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As session ends, liberal group launches campaign

Posted at 2:53 PM on May 10, 2012 by Catharine Richert (0 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Minn. House Races, Campaign 2012: Minn. Senate Races

Minutes after the gavel went down on the end of the 2012 legislative session, the Alliance for a Better Minnesota went live with a new website that will serve as a landing pad for the liberal group's campaign for Democrats to take back the Legislature.

"A Better Legislature" is "an online and paid media campaign to hold legislators accountable for their misplaced priorities and to make the public aware of the negative impacts of Republican leadership on Minnesota," a press release on the new website states.

The campaign will highlight homes and schools, the website says - two issues that the Republican-controlled Legislature has "consistently ignored" by "increasing property taxes on middle-class families and borrowing billions of dollars from Minnesota's schools."

If this video is any indication, "A Better Legislature" provides an peek at what ABM's strategy will be over the next few months: hammer the GOP for last year's government shutdown, two constitutional amendments that will be on the ballot this fall, and former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch's affair with former staffer Michael Brodkorb.

With financial assistance from a handful of wealthy donors, including members of Gov. Mark Dayton's family, unions and other interest groups, ABM poured all its resources into electing Dayton in 2010.

But Democrats lost control of the Legislature that year, and ABM leaders have said they plan to make winning seats for DFLers their priority in 2012.

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Pawlenty to close remnants of national political operation

Posted at 3:23 PM on May 9, 2012 by Brett Neely (0 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Tim Pawlenty

WASHINGTON - Having long ago dropped out of the Republican presidential race, Tim Pawlenty is now bidding adieu to what's left of his national political organization.

The former Minnesota governor is closing the political action committee he used to launch his failed presidential bid. In a letter to the Federal Election Commission, the treasurer of Pawlenty's Freedom First PAC said the organization "has essentially been dormant" except for minor expenses related to winding the committee down.

The news was first reported by Politico.

Pawlenty was among the first candidates to enter the Republican presidential primary and used the Freedom First PAC to develop his political organization and pay for travel. He ended his campaign after a disappointing third-place finish in the symbolic Iowa straw poll in August.

Since leaving the presidential race, Pawlenty has endorsed the now-presumptive nominee, Mitt Romney, and has served as Romney's surrogate in the national media from time to time. Romney's supporters helped Pawlenty pay off his campaign debt.

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Ron Paul to address state GOP convention

Posted at 2:13 PM on May 9, 2012 by Catharine Richert (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Minn. Senate Races

Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul will speak at the Minnesota Republican Convention in St. Cloud on May 18.

Having the Texas Congressman speak "will highlight our common Republican purpose of restoring limited government and individual liberty by electing Republican candidates who believe in those core party principles," said Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Pat Shortridge.

"It will also establish the Republican Party as the growing party that is welcoming new people and new ideas and preparing to be a long-term, conservative governing majority," Shortridge said.

Paul is scheduled after the conclusion of the U.S. Senate endorsement, according to a party statement.

Paul's Minnesota supporters are already expected to be well represented at the convention. That could help Rep. Kurt Bills, R-Rosemount, as he seeks party endorsement to challenge DFL incumbent Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Bills endorsed Paul earlier this year, and Paul returned the favor.

Bills' opponents Dan Severson and Pete Hegseth have been playing up Bills' association with Paul. The two say that Bills and Paul's anti-establishment politics are out-of-step with most Republicans, and that Bills won't be able to beat Klobuchar in the general election as a result.

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DCCC officially targets Kline

Posted at 3:09 PM on May 3, 2012 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: U.S. House, Campaign 2012: U.S. MN CD2, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - The national campaign arm of Democrats in the U.S. House has officially put Republican U.S. Rep. John Kline's 2nd District seat in its sights. It has put his DFL opponent former state Rep. Mike Obermuller on the group's "Red to Blue" list of possible districts to add to the Democratic column.

"[Obermuller] is going to have our full support," said Robby Mook, executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "We are already investing in a ground game there to help make sure we have the infrastructure to turn out the vote."

Kline's district is one of three in Minnesota that the DCCC will likely play a role in this fall. In the 1st District, the DCCC is helping U.S. Rep. Tim Walz defend his seat while the group is also engaged in the 8th District, where it hopes to topple first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack.

Despite Kline's strong showing in the past four elections and a million dollars in his war chest, the DCCC and Obermuller say that Kline's votes on the Republican budget and the 2nd District's new boundaries, which now include DFL-leaning South St. Paul, change the electoral math in their favor.

While the DCCC has been making noise about the 2nd District since the new congressional district maps were released in February, it's not clear just how seriously they intend to compete there. Mook declined to say how much material support they would offer Obermuller, and the last DCCC foray against Kline turned out to be a $100 radio ad buy.

Kline's campaign declined to comment on the DCCC's announcement.

House forced to deal with Right-to-Work Amendment

Posted at 2:25 AM on April 27, 2012 by Tom Scheck (7 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

The Minnesota House tabled a measure that would have let voters decide if union membership and the payment of union dues should be voluntary for all workers. Rep. Mark Buesgens made a motion to send the proposal to the Rules Committee. He told reporters before he took the action that he wanted to get the bill moving again.

"It's obviously not getting a hearing where it's at," Buesgens told reporters. "It is very important to a large amount of my constituents. In fact, I heard more on this issue in the crowds that I hang around with than a stadium bill."

Buesgens also told reporters that he believed his motion would be the last chance for the House to vote on the issue this session.

"If they vote against this procedural motion, they have voted to kill Right-to-work for this session," he said.

The House voted 118-9 to table the bill.

This is the second time that a member tried to move the Right-to-Work amendment in the House. Rep. Doug Wardlow, R-Eagan, made a similar motion a few months ago. He was absent from the chamber when he was called to act on his motion.

The state's labor unions have been lobbying heavily to defeat the Right-to-Work amendment in the Legislature. The Senate successfully move the bill to the Senate Rules Committee but Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem said it doesn't have the votes to get out of committee.

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Hegseth campaign takes on Kurt Bills and Ron Paul

Posted at 12:48 PM on April 26, 2012 by Catharine Richert (11 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. Senate

Between now and next month's Republican statewide nominating convention, expect Senate hopeful Pete Hegseth to distinguish himself from the competition by linking his rival, Kurt Bills, to presidential candidate Ron Paul.

Paul's message "is not one that's going to win the general election, and it's not one that's in line with Republicans and Minnesotans at large," said Hegseth's spokesman Kyler Nerison.

Bills endorsed Paul for president, and Paul has endorsed Bills, a member of the Minnesota House, in his effort to win the GOP nomination to run against DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

Nerison said the campaign's goal is to make sure delegates at the convention are well aware of the Bills' association with Paul, who supports ending the Federal Reserve, pulling American troops out of Afghanistan, and other libertarian ideas controversial in some Republican circles.

Paul's supporters are expected to make a strong showing at this year's statewide convention. His Minnesota campaign manager told MPR that Paul won 20 of the 24 national delegates elected at Republican district conventions.

Nevertheless, Nerison said that Hegseth still plans to drop his Senate bid if he's not endorsed by the party.

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June primary efforts fizzle

Posted at 8:56 PM on April 24, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Efforts to create an earlier primary in the state Legislature have fizzled tonight after a joint House/Senate conference committee stripped the measure from a broader elections bill.

The bill would have changed the state's political primary from August until June. The six member conference committee stripped the language from the bill after the Senate firmly rejected the plan earlier this week.

It means efforts to schedule an earlier primary are all but done for the year. Rep. Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, says he'll continue to push for an earlier primary.

"I will be an advocate for this issue," Daudt said. "If we don't get it through yet this session and at this point it may not be likely, we'll certainly take it up next session."

Supporters of the June primary say it would have increased voter turnout but critics complain that it would lengthen the campaign season. And since the legislative session runs until late May, critics add some state legislators would have less time to campaign. The primary language was a part of a larger elections bill.

Senate rejects June primary bill

Posted at 2:07 PM on April 23, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

The Minnesota Senate rejected an elections bill today that would have created an earlier primary date in Minnesota.

The Senate voted 35-30 to send the bill back to conference committee for further negotiations. The move doesn't kill the bill for the session, but it sends a signal that the Senate was not in favor of a June primary. Several senators, including Sen. Dick Cohen, DFL-St. Paul and Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, said the June primary would create longer election seasons in Minnesota.

"What I hear when people discuss elections is that people find the length of elections tiresome," Cohen said.

Supporters say a June primary would increase voter turnout. They complained that the current August primary comes at a time when many people are vacationing.

"We all know that there's a tradition of vacationing in August," said Sen. Terri Bonoff, DFL-Minnetonka. "A June primary allows more people to participate in the process."

Bonoff also mentioned that the leaders in the DFL and Republican Parties supported the move to an earlier primary.

Today's Senate action comes several weeks after the House voted to move the primary to June. The conference committee will have to meet again to determine whether it should keep the June primary in the bill that includes several other elections issues.

Gov. Mark Dayton said he supports a June primary.

Gov. Dayton's dad gives to Republican Parry for Congress

Posted at 3:04 PM on April 19, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: U.S. House, Campaign 2012: U.S. MN CD1

Gov. Dayton's father, Bruce Dayton, has given $1,000 to Republican Mike Parry's campaign for Congress.

Parry is seeking the Republican endorsement for Congress in Minnesota's 1st District. He's challenging former state Rep. Allen Quist for the endorsement. The winner will face DFL Rep. Tim Walz in November.

Gov. Dayton's spokeswoman, Katharine Tinucci, confirmed that Bruce Dayton is the governor's father. She said Gov. Dayton had "no idea" about the contribution and that "his father does not discuss his political contributions with him."

Gov. Dayton is a Democrat, but The Center for Responsive Politics says Bruce Dayton has given to politicians from both parties (including Republicans who ran in the Minnesota's 1st District in past cycles).

What makes the contribution to Parry interesting is that Parry and Gov. Dayton have engaged in a war of words over the past two years. For example, Dayton canceled a meeting with Parry after Parry sent out a fundraising e-mail that criticized Dayton.

Bills reports raising $50,000 for Senate race

Posted at 10:45 PM on April 16, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Minn. Senate Races

The campaign for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kurt Bills reports raising "more than $50,000" in the "first three weeks of fundraising." The campaign said he raised the money from more than 500 donors.

"The number of motivated, regular people contributing to our campaign is so encouraging because that is ultimately the key over the long haul," Bills' campaign chair Rep. Keith Downey, R-Edina, said in a statement.

Since Bills report hasn't yet been published on the FEC site, it isn't clear whether the fundraising totals released by the campaign include money raised in the 2nd quarter of the year. Federal candidates are required to report their fundraising activities from January 1 through April 1. Bills announced his candidacy on March 8 of this year.

Update: Mike Osskopp, the campaign manager for Bills, says the FEC report will show BIlls raised $47k from 470 donors during the 1st Quarter of the year.

The Bills campaign also announced in a press release that Bills has the support of 34 legislators. His campaign has not yet provided specifics on which members are backing the Rosemount Republican.

Bills is the last Republican U.S. Senate candidate to release his fundraising reports. Army veteran Pete Hegseth reported raising $160,000 in the first quarter. Former state Rep. Dan Severson reported raising $53,000 in the same time period.

Whoever wins the GOP nomination will challenge DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November.

Coleman-backed super PAC gets $5 million from casino owner

Posted at 9:45 AM on April 16, 2012 by Brett Neely (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: U.S. House, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - A super PAC founded by former Minnesota U.S. Senator Norm Coleman has received a $5 million donation from billionaire casino titan Sheldon Adelson, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Coleman founded the Congressional Leadership Fund last fall to take advantage of the unlimited fundraising and spending potential of super PACs, a less regulated form of political action committee. The Fund's goal is to back Republican House candidates and is closely allied with House Speaker John Boehner. Former Minnesota U.S. Rep. Vin Weber is also involved with the group.

Adelson, who runs the Sands Casino in Las Vegas and Macau, has become a prominent Republican donor this election cycle, contributing more than $16 million to a super PAC that backed the primary campaign of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich for the GOP presidential nomination.

The $5 million donation by Adelson represents almost the entirety of the Congressional Leadership Fund's fundraising in the first three months of the year. The Fund reported bringing in almost $5.1 million between January and March. In the previous quarter, the super PAC raised just $131,000.

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On Meet the Press, Bachmann praises Romney

Posted at 9:40 AM on April 15, 2012 by Catharine Richert (48 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Rep. Michele Bachmann, a former candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, says she is "very seriously looking at an endorsement for Mitt Romney."

Bachmann, who left the race in January a day after she lost the Iowa causes, has said previously that she would get behind the eventual nominee.

In an interview on Sunday's Meet the Press, Bachmann had much praise for her former opponent, Romney.

She defended his wife, Ann, against comments made earlier in the week by Democratic pundit Hilary Rosen. Rosen said that Ann, a stay-at-home mom who raised five children, had "never worked a day in her life." She's among Democrats who argue that Romney has trouble connecting with female voters.

For her part, Bachmann said Rosen's comments were "shocking and insulting."

Bachmann also praised Romney's professional record.

"Mitt Romney is an extremely smart guy," Bachmann said. "He's been extremely successful in creating jobs in the private economy."

Romney's campaign "has a very optimistic message" compared to President Barack Obama's, Bachmann said.

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Klobuchar takes in another million

Posted at 1:07 PM on April 13, 2012 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: U.S. Senate, U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON - DFL U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar's war chest keeps expanding. Her re-election campaign announced Friday that the first-term Senator raised just over $1 million in the first quarter of 2012 and has just under $5.2 million cash on hand.

One of Klobuchar's potential GOP rivals, National Guard veteran Pete Hegseth reported this week that he raised $160,000 in his effort for the Republican endorsement.

More than 25 percent of Klobuchar's million dollar haul came from donors giving less than $200. About 50 percent came from donors giving more than $200 and political action committees contributed about 23 percent of her funds.

Robling not running for re-election

Posted at 10:06 AM on April 13, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Minn. Senate Races, MN Legislature, Redistricting

The chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee announced this morning that she's not running for re-election. Sen. Claire Robling, R-Jordan, says she made the decision after thinking about it for the past year.

"Sixteen years in this position is long enough," Robling said in a statement. "I find my enthusiasm for doing this job for another four years is waning. I think it's time to let someone else step into this spot."

Robling also said that she's becoming more concerned that the Legislature has become more partisan over the years.

"I fear that statesmen are vanishing as partisanship deepens," Robling said in a statement. "It is very difficult to pass common sense measures into law these days because special interest groups block or promote agendas that only benefit themselves."

Robling was first elected in 1996 and didn't face a serious challenge in the upcoming election. She has represented Scott County over the past ten years.

Robling is one of the most senior members in the Senate Republican Caucus. She's also the 14th member of the Senate to announce that they're not running in November (10 Republicans and four Democrats). A court panel released a new set of political boundaries in February.

Update: Here's an interview MPR's Tom Crann did with Robling:

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Here's the list of retirements:

Sen. Keith Langseth, DFL-Glyndon
Sen. Gretchen Hoffman, R-Vergas (opted to run for Congress in the 7th District but lost the endorsement to Lee Byberg)
Sen. Doug Magnus, R-Slayton
Sen. Al DeKruif, R-Madison Lake (announced retirement after he was paired with GOP Sen. Julie Rosen)
Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca (running for Congress in the 1st District)
Sen. Amy Koch, R-Buffalo
Sen. Michael Jungbauer, R-East Bethel(lost endorsement battle with GOP Sen. Michelle Benson)
Sen. Gen Olson, R-Minnetrista
Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina
Sen. Clair Robling, R-Jordan
Sen. Chris Gerlach, R-Apple Valley
Sen. Linda Higgins, DFL-Minneapolis
Sen. Ken Kelash, DFL-Minneapolis (lost endorsement battle to Michelle Wikilund)
Sen. Mary Jo McGuire, DFL-Falcon Heights (lost endorsement battle to DFL Sen. John Marty)

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McCollum raises $123,000 in first quarter

Posted at 4:48 PM on April 12, 2012 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: U.S. House, Campaign 2012: U.S. MN CD4, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - DFL U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum raised more than $123,000 toward her re-election campaign in the first three months of 2012. The veteran St. Paul lawmaker has more than $222,000 in the bank, her campaign said Thursday.

McCollum has raised less than other members of the Minnesota congressional delegation who have announced their figures so far.

GOP candidate Dan Flood dropped out of the race for the Republican endorsement last month, and McCollum's only rival is Republican Anthony Hernandez, who has not yet filed his fundraising paperwork. Hernandez had been competing for the GOP endorsement for the U.S. Senate race but left that contest in favor of taking on McCollum last month.

Koenen wins special election to replace Kubly

Posted at 9:43 PM on April 10, 2012 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Minn. House Races, Campaign 2012: Minn. Senate Races, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, Redistricting

State Rep. Lyle Koenen, DFL-Clara City, has won a special election to fill the seat of the late Sen. Gary Kubly. Koenen received 54 percent of the vote. Republican Gregg Kulberg received 40 percent and Independence Party member Leon Greenslit was third with five percent of the vote. The district includes Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Renville, Swift and Yellow Medicine counties.

Gov. Dayton called the special election to fill the vacant seat after Kubly died from ALS in March. Koenen will serve out the remainder of Kubly's term but will also challenge GOP Sen. Joe Gimse in a newly configured Senate district. A court-appointed panel paired Gimse and Kubly when they designed the new political boundaries in February.

Koenen announced he would challenge Gimse after he was paired Rep. Andrew Falk, DFL-Murdock in the new political boundaries.

Update: Gov. Dayton spokeswoman Katharine Tinucci says Dayton will not call a special election to fill Koenen's seat. She said it's not possible to fill the seat this legislative session (based on timing). She said the seat will be filled on the Nov. 6 general election.

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Biden in Minnesota today for Klobuchar fundraiser

Posted at 6:00 AM on April 11, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Presidential Race, Campaign 2012: U.S. Senate, U.S. Senate

Vice-President Joe Biden will be in Minneapolis this morning to raise money for Senator Amy Klobuchar.

Biden will hold the fundraiser at The Hilton in downtown Minneapolis. Donors are being asked to give from $125 per person to $25,000 with the contributions shared by Klobuchar and the DFL Party. Biden has no public events scheduled during his visit.

Klobuchar, who is in her first-term, is considered a safe bet for reelection in November but Republicans say she can be beaten because she voted in favor of the bank bailouts, the federal stimulus and the federal health care law. Three Republicans are vying for their party's endorsement to challenge Klobuchar. They are state Representative Kurt Bills, Army veteran Pete Hegseth and former state Representative Dan Severson.

This isn't the first time Biden has held a private fundraiser in the state. He held a Minneapolis fundraiser for President Obama's reelection last May.

With Santorum out, MNGOP Chair expects Republicans to back Romney

Posted at 3:06 PM on April 10, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Presidential Race

The Chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party says he expects the focus of the presidential campaign to shift to a general election fight between President Obama and Mitt Romney.

Pat Shortridge says he expects Mitt Romney to be his party's nominee now that Rick Santorum has suspended his campaign. Shortridge says he expects Republicans to start rallying around Romney's campaign.

"As long as he continue to frame and hone his message in terms of offering solutions to the problems we face, I think he's going to win that conservative support," Shortridge said.

Shortridge says it's hard to predict what impact Santorum's Minnesota supporters will have at the national convention. Santorum won the party's non-binding straw poll at Minnesota's precinct caucuses in February. Minnesota Republicans will vote at the state party convention next month on which delegates go the Republican National Convention in Tampa Bay, Florida in August.

Graves jumps in the race to challenge Bachmann

Posted at 3:02 PM on April 10, 2012 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: U.S. House, Campaign 2012: U.S. MN CD6, Michele Bachmann

From MPR's Conrad Wilson...

A Minnesota businessman has entered the race to challenge Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Jim Graves told supporters today in St. Cloud that he plans to seek the DFL endorsement in the state's 6th Congressional District.

Graves lives in Minneapolis, but grew up in the St. Cloud area and says he'll establish residency there. He started Graves Hospitality, a hotel management company with hotels in Minneapolis, Chicago and New York. He says 6th District residents need more jobs and higher wages.

"This is a very serious job and I think the 6th District deserves someone full-time that can roll up their sleeves. And believe me, we will," Graves said. "I will stand toe to toe, face to face, bring out the facts and debate with Michele Bachmann what's best for the 6th District."

St. Cloud attorney Anne Nolan and Twin Cities businessman Brian McGoldrick are also seeking the DFL endorsement. Graves says he hasn't decided whether he'll seek the nomination in the primary if he doesn't get the endorsement.

You can listen to Graves announcement here: Listen

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Pawlenty terminates presidential campaign

Posted at 11:33 AM on April 10, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Presidential Race, Tim Pawlenty

The former Republican governor announced in August that he was no longer running for president but it took him eight months to officially end his campaign.

Pawlenty filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission this week indicating he erased his campaign debt and terminated his campaign committee.

Pawlenty incurred nearly a half a million dollars in debt last fall. Since leaving the race, Republican front-runner Mitt Romney has been helping Pawlenty whittle away at his obligations. By last month the amount was down to $17,500.

"It was truly an honor to run for President of the United States," Pawlenty said in a statement. "Mary and I will be forever grateful to the many supporters who inspired and sustained the campaign. I am also glad we were able to pay all campaign debts and wind down the campaign properly."

Pawlenty was once considered a top-tier candidate for president. But his failure to excite the Republican base and his third place finish in the Iowa straw poll doomed the campaign.

Pawlenty has been actively campaigning for Romney's campaign for president.

President Obama's MN campaign opposes marriage amendment

Posted at 11:48 AM on April 9, 2012 by Tom Scheck (10 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Marriage Amendment

President Obama's campaign in Minnesota has issued a statement saying the campaign will oppose the state's proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

"While the President does not weigh in on every single ballot measure in every state, the record is clear that the President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same sex couples," said Kristen Sosanie, spokeswoman for the Obama for America - Minnesota campaign. "That's what the Minnesota ballot initiative would do - it would single out and discriminate against committed gay and lesbian couples - and that's why the President does not support it."

This isn't the first instance where President Obama has spoken out about a ballot initiative that bans same-sex marriage. The campaign released a statement in March saying Mr. Obama opposed the amendment in North Carolina.

The statement comes as Mr. Obama is courting the gay community heading into the November election. He has long opposed efforts to allow gay couples to marry but said his views on gay marriage "are evolving." His administration, however, is no longer defending the federal Defense of Marriage Act and says it blocks gay rights.

It isn't certain what impact the campaign will have on the constitutional amendment efforts to ban same-sex marriage. Groups have been raising millions to both support and oppose the amendment.

Update: It should be noted that Minnesota law currently bans same-sex marriage.

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Biden to raise money for Klobuchar in Minneapolis

Posted at 12:08 PM on April 4, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Minn. Senate Races, Campaign 2012: U.S. Senate, U.S. Senate

Vice President Joe Biden will hold a fundraiser for DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar at The Hilton Hotel in Minneapolis on April 11. The fundraising letter is asking donors to give $10,000 for VIP seating, program recognition and a photo with Biden. Those who give $25,000 will be considered chairs of the event. There are a variety of other suggested contributions. The lowest cost donation to get into the fundraiser is $125.

The fundraising letter says Klobuchar's campaign will split the money raised from the event with the Minnesota DFL State Central Committee.

The White House has not announced Biden's visit yet, so it's unknown whether the fundraiser will be public. It also isn't known whether Biden will hold any other events during his time in Minnesota.

Political committees emerge on both sides of voter ID

Posted at 11:26 AM on April 3, 2012 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012

With a constitutional amendment to require photo identification at the polls all but certain to be on the ballot this fall, outside groups are lining up campaigns both sides of the issue.

ProtectMyVote.com was registered with the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board on March 27.

ProtectMyVote.com will be spearheaded by Minnesota Majority's Dan McGrath. His organization has long supported voter ID rules.

McGrath wouldn't give many details, but said there's already been some fundraising behind the effort. He said to expect more once the House and Senate approve the voter ID conference committee report.

There's another Dan McGrath in Minnesota who will be working to oppose voter ID. He leads TakeAction Minnesota, a liberal grassroots organizing group, which is bringing together a range of organizations to fight the effort.

"We're all in the process of fashioning together one overarching campaign and TakeAction Minnesota is certainly going to play a big role with it along with a lot of unions, a lot of non-profits, a lot of service providers, a lot of homelessness groups," TakeAction Minnesota's McGrath said.

McGrath wouldn't name the groups, but he added they'll be launching a formal campaign within days.

Voter ID supporters, opponents trade barbs

Posted at 1:28 PM on April 2, 2012 by Tim Pugmire
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

Officials with the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota say nobody won its cash reward for proof of a prosecuted voter impersonation case that a proposed voter ID constitutional amendment would have prevented.

Just two claims were made on the $1,000 reward, including one from the pro voter ID group Minnesota Majority and another from an individual. But ACLU Executive Director Chuck Samuelson said today that neither example met the reward criteria and the money will be used to help defeat the amendment in November. Samuelson contends the voter ID requirement could prevent thousands of eligible Minnesotans from voting.

"This amendment for example potentially could cause three quarters of a million people to be denied the right to vote, 215,000 by the fact that they either don't have a state identification card, or the state identification card that they have has an improper address," Samuelson said.

Dan McGrath, executive director of the election watchdog group Minnesota Majority, said the Anoka County case he recently highlighted would have been prevented under a voter ID law. He said the ACLU was making a carefull attempt to welch on the bet.

"I think we've won this particular point, and they're not willing to concede that," McGrath said.

Earlier in the day, McGrath and other voter ID advocates held their own news conference to criticize DFL Secretary of State Mark Ritchie over recent comments about the amendment. They take issue with Ritchie's claims that the requirement would end same-day registration and delay election results.

"At best what he's doing is unfounded, wild speculation," McGrath said.

Asked for a response to the specific allegations, Ritchie issued this written statement:

"As the lead election official in the state, who partners with local officials in administering our state's elections, the Office of the Secretary of State has the responsibility for providing public information about how proposed legislation will impact our election system, individual voters, election administrators and taxpayers. Decades of careful bi-partisan election reform has provided Minnesotans with a secure and accurate election system that is the best-in-the-nation. This office will continue to provide information to the public while we work with local election officials to administer what will be the largest election in Minnesota history this November."

Dems and liberal groups target Kline and Cravaack with ads

Posted at 11:45 AM on April 2, 2012 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

SEE UPDATE BELOW

WASHINGTON - With Congress on spring recess, opponents of Republican Reps. John Kline and Chip Cravaack are welcoming the pair back to Minnesota with ads attacking their recent votes for a Republican budget outline.

Kline is not typically a target of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which works to elect Democrats to the House. But national Democrats think that redistricting, which eliminated some conservative-leaning parts of Kline's 2nd District and added some potentially Democratic voters in South St. Paul, may make the five term member of Congress vulnerable.

The DCCC's radio ad asks, "Did you know Congressman John Kline voted twice to essentially end Medicare to give tax breaks to millionaires. Tell Kline to fight for Medicare!"

All four Minnesota Republicans serving in the U.S. House voted last week on a budget that would convert Medicare from an insurance program backed by the federal government to one in which seniors could get government vouchers to buy private health insurance with. The plan also envisions broad tax cuts but eliminates unspecified tax breaks.

Cravaack's vote for the budget plan is also a central component of TV ads airing this week in the Duluth area paid for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and Americans United for Change.

The ad says, "[Cravaack] voted to cut Medicare benefits to give millionaires and big oil companies another tax break!"

The ads against Cravaack and Kline are part of wider campaigns. AFSCME is spending $50,000 to target Cravaack and three other Midwestern Republicans. The DCCC won't say how much it's spending on radio ads against Kline, but it's also targeting seven other House Republicans who could be facing competitive races this fall.

UPDATE According to the National Republican Congressional Committee, the DCCC spent just $100 to broadcast its ads against Kline, part of a low-cost strategy designed to attract media attention.

"Minnesota families can't even buy a tank of gas on what the DCCC is spending on this campaign to scare seniors," said NRCC spokeswoman Andrea Bozek.

Dean, Marty, Byberg among those winning endorsements Saturday

Posted at 7:42 PM on March 31, 2012 by Mike Mulcahy (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, U.S. House

From MPR's Rupa Shenoy:

Party delegates endorsed candidates at a number of local conventions around the state Saturday and here are some of the highlights:

--In House District 38B incumbent Republicans Matt Dean of Dellwood and Carol McFarlane of White Bear Lake were paired by redistricting. Dean, the House Majority Leader won the GOP endorsement on the first ballot.

Afterward McFarlane stood weeping outside the auditorium while Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who had stopped by unexpectedly, tried to comfort her.

McFarlane and Dean had agreed before the convention to abide by its decision. But after the vote McFarlane told reporters she wasn't sure what she would do next.

"It's too early to say anything," she said. "I need to rest and reflect."

Candidates who pledged to abide by the GOP endorsement have to pay $2,500 to the party if they run in the primary.

Dean said McFarlane has strong support within the party and he wasn't surprised that the endorsement vote was close. He said it was "awful" to go up against a Republican colleague.

But Dean said he expects McFarlane to stand by the earlier agreement to abide by the endorsement.

--Delegates in Senate District 31 also had to choose between two GOP colleagues: first-term Sen. Michelle Benson of Ham Lake and third-term Sen. Michael Jungbauer of East Bethel. Delegates voted five times before Benson had the 60 percent to win. Jungbauer stepped aside and said he was happy to support her.

--In Senate District 54 66, DFL Sens. John Marty of Roseville and Mary Jo McGuire of Falcon Heights were pitted against each other. Marty won on the first ballot and McGuire said she'll retire.

--And in the 7th Congressional District, the Republican party endorsed Lee Byberg to challenge longtime DFL Congressman Collin Peterson. Byberg won the endorsement on the first ballot over state Sen. Gretchen Hoffman.

"Gretchen Hoffman ran a great race, and I know she has a bright future in politics" Byberg said in a statement.

Both candidates pledged to abide by the endorsement and forego a primary challenge.

"Republicans are united and we are convinced that come November Rep. Peterson will be retiring to the 7th District. We know our message of fiscal discipline, limited government, and faith in free enterprise is exactly what Minnesotans believe. Collin has been in Washington too long, and is helping impose Washington values on Minnesotans.

"It's time to bring Minnesota values to Washington instead," said Byberg.

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DFL Party leaders concerned about 8th District primary battle

Posted at 1:09 PM on March 29, 2012 by Mark Zdechlik (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Minnesota DFL Party Chair Ken Martin says he's disappointed two of the three Democrats running for Congress in the 8th District will not be abiding by the party's endorsement and instead will run in the August primary election.

In a letter to supporters today, Duluth city Council member Jeff Anderson said he will not to compete for the endorsement. Anderson writes that his support for the mining industry and job creation make the endorsement unattainable, and that a primary campaign is the only route for him.

"To win the DFL endorsement a candidate must be soft on the core issues that are most important to the voters of this district," Anderson wrote.

Of the three DFLers running, only former Rep. Rick Nolan has pledged to end his campaign if another Democrat wins the endorsement.

Earlier this month former State Sen. Tarryl Clark said she too would run in the DFL primary.

Party chair Martin says a primary battle will, "not only waste resources but also create an unnecessary distraction," from the goal of unseating first-term Republican Chip Cravaack.

Democrats consider Cravaack the most vulnerable Republican member of Minnesota's congressional delegation going into the 2012 elections.

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National GOP launches ad campaign against Peterson

Posted at 6:05 PM on March 28, 2012 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - The House Republican campaign committee thinks longtime DFL U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson may be vulnerable in this year's election and has launched a $41,000 TV ad campaign against him.

The National Republican Congressional Committee's ads say that Peterson, a founder of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, has "changed" when it comes to his support of a balanced budget.

The NRCC cites Peterson's votes against a 2011 Republican budget proposed by Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan to show that he's no longer a fiscal conservative. Further, the ad goes on to accuse Peterson, who opposed President Obama's health care law when it went through the House, of voting to uphold Obama's "takeover of healthcare." You can see the ad here.

The ad campaign comes ahead of this weekend's 7th District Republican endorsement convention to choose a candidate to run against Peterson. Lee Byberg and State Sen. Gretchen Hoffman are both running to unseat Peterson, who defeated Byberg in 2010 by 17 percentage points.

Peterson also has a considerable financial advantage against both Republicans, with $676,000 in his campaign account, compared to $128,000 for Byberg. Hoffman, who declared her candidacy recently, has not yet filed federal campaign finance reports.

WIN Minnesota director moves to Obama campaign

Posted at 4:10 PM on March 28, 2012 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Expect some changes at President Barack Obama's Minnesota re-election office.

Starting Monday, Jeff Blodgett, who was executive director of WIN Minnesota, will direct Obama's state campaign. Blodgett had the same job in 2008.

Blodgett's replacement at WIN Minnesota is Adam Duininck, who previously served as legislative and political director for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49.

"Our number one goal is to take back the Legislature for progressives," Duinick said. "We need to take back our state from tea party extremists and get the focus back on bread and butter issues such as jobs, economic fairness and building our roads, schools and infrastructure."

WIN Minnesota raises cash for political groups, most notably the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, which helped Gov. Mark Dayton win the 2010 gubernatorial election.

One of WIN Minnesota's most generous donors is Alida Messinger, Dayton's ex-wife and daughter of John D. Rockefeller III. She also serves on WIN Minnesota's board, and Blodgett is considered once of her closest advisers.

Senate passes measure that would allow alcohol sales at TCF Stadium

Posted at 1:18 PM on March 28, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

The Minnesota Senate passed a bill today that would allow the University of Minnesota to sell alcohol at college football games. Right now there is no liquor sold at the stadium and the measure would end a long-running dispute between the University of Minnesota and the State Legislature.

The U of M and the Legislature have been at odds over where and how the U of M could sell alcohol during its games. The university wanted to sell alcohol only in suites but lawmakers complained that anyone over the age of 21 should be allowed to purchase alcohol.

Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina, added the amendment to a broader liquor bill. He said the proposal has the support of both sides.

"I would present it as peace in the valley," Michel said.

The proposal requires that the U of M sell the alcohol in a place that is convenient to everyone and that those legal to purchase alcohol have access to the area. Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm, said the measure would ensure that those who legally allowed to drink alcohol can purchase it at the game.

"Part of the problem at TCF Stadium is that maybe when it was built it wasn't set up to be serving alcohol in the way that we would be normally be used to in a football stadium," Tomassoni said. "This compromise allows them to set it up in a way that it will work there."

The measure would also allow alcohol to be sold at Minnesota Vikings games played at TCF stadium.

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Senate GOP spends $561 million on bonding bill that focuses mostly on local projects

Posted at 8:08 AM on March 28, 2012 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Senate Republicans have proposed a public works bill that spends $561 million on projects throughout Minnesota. The plan focuses mostly on local projects throughout the state including $39 million for the University of Minnesota. $127 million for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, $30 million for flood mitigation, $25 million for a new building at the Minneapolis Veterans Home and funding for the Hormel Institute, the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester and St. Cloud Civic Center. (Full spreadsheet below)

The Senate also spends dramatically less that House Republicans on renovating the State Capitol. House Republicans are proposing to spend $221 million to renovate the Capitol. The Senate bill spends $25 million.

The House has two bonding bill proposals moving. The $221 million for the State Capitol Renovation and a $280 million borrowing plan for local projects.

The plan is also smaller than Gov. Dayton's plan that borrows $775 million.

Here's a breakdown of the projects in the Senate bill ($561 million total cost. State's general fund obligation is $462m)

University of Minnesota $39,060,000
-$35 million for asset preservation

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities 127,028,000
-$32 million for asset preservation
-$5.9 million for Anoka/Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids
-$13.3 million for workforce program renovation at Minneapolis Technical College
-$26 million for North Hennepin Community College Bioscience and Health Careers Addition
-$13.8 million for lab renovation at Ridgewater College, Willmar

Department of Education 1,000,000
Minnesota State Academies 1,000,000
-Perpich Center for Arts Education 263,000

Natural Resources 56,000,000
-$30 million for flood hazard mitigation
-$6 million to fight invasive species
-$5 million to develop the Lake Vermilion State Park

Pollution Control Agency 5,256,000
Board of Water and Soil Resources 12,000,000
Agriculture 706,000
Rural Finance Authority 33,000,000
Zoological Garden 7,000,000
Administration 35,867,000
-$25 million for State Capitol Renovation
-$5 million for Washburn Center for Children

Amateur Sports 375,000
Military Affairs 25,000,000
-$19.5 million for addition to Camp Ripley
Public Safety 4,037,000
Transportation 43,500,000
-$20m local bridge renovation
-$14.2 million local road improvement grantss

Metropolitan Council 12,850,000
Human Services 2,500,000
Veterans Affairs 29,816,000
-$25.4 million for a Minneapolis Veterans Home building.

Corrections 12,391,000
Employment and Economic Development 77,850,000
-$13.5 million for Hormel Institute
-$10 million for the St. Cloud Civic Center Expansion
-$32 million for Mayo Civic Center Expansion in Rochester

Public Facilities Authority 24,850,000
-$20 million for Wastewater Treatment.

Housing Finance Agency 6,000,000
Minnesota Historical Society 3,250,000

Bond Sale Expenses 560,000

TOTAL $ 561,159,000
Bond Proceeds Fund (General Fund Debt Service) 462,283,000
Bond Proceeds Fund (User Financed Debt Service) 64,676,000
State Transportation Fund Bond Proceeds (General Fund Debt
Service) 34,200,000

Here's the spreadsheet:

Capital Investment

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Dayton rips Republicans over constitutional amendments

Posted at 2:05 PM on March 26, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, Marriage Amendment, State Government

Gov. Dayton is criticizing Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature for putting measures on the ballot that they couldn't get signed into law. Speaking at a rally held by the National Association of Social Workers, Minnesota Chapter, Dayton said he doesn't support the Legislature's focus on constitutional amendments.

"This is supposed to be the center of democracy for the state of Minnesota," Dayton said. "That involves the give and take between the legislative branch and the executive branch. It doesn't mean going around a governor because I can't veto a constitutional amendment and putting constitutional amendments on the ballot that the DFLers don't have anything to say about."

He said he was especially concerned about amendments "that would take away people's rights."

Dayton also expressed confidence that Minnesota would be the first state to reject a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

The House and Senate have also each passed a constitutional amendment to require people to present photo identification to vote. A House/Senate conference committee is expected to be appointed to reconcile the differences on the bill. If the House and Senate agree on new language, both chambers would have to vote again on it for it to pass.

Other lawmakers say they'd also like to pass the "right-to-work" constitutional amendment that would make union membership and dues voluntary for all members.

The governor cannot veto constitutional amendments, so the questions would be put on the ballot if the House and Senate pass the legislation.

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Gruenhagen defeats Shimanski in endorsement battle

Posted at 4:15 PM on March 24, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

Rep. Glenn Greunhagen, R-Glencoe, has won an endorsement battle over Rep. Ron Shimanski, R-Silver Lake.

"Ron Shimanski has conceded," McLeod County Republican Party Chair  Eric Harpel announced on Twitter. 

Harpel reported on Twitter that Shimanski conceded the race after Gruenhagen was close to winning the endorsement. Gruenhagen secured support from nearly 60 percent of the delegates at the convention on the second ballot.  

This is the first endorsement battle between paired incumbents. Shimanski and Gruenhagen both said they wanted to continue to serve and decided that they would let the delegates decide who should represent the Republican Party in November.  

Shimanski currently chairs the House Judiciary Policy and Finance Committee. Gruenhagen is currently serving in his first-term in the Minnesota House.

There is one other endorsing convention today that features two incumbents.

Rep. Frank Hornstein, DFL-Minneapolis, and Rep. Marion Greene, DFL-Minneapolis are vying for their party's endorsement today at a convention in Minneapolis. The contest is still going on.

Update: There are reports on Twitter that Greene has conceded the endorsement battle to Hornstein.

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Slawik retires

Posted at 3:34 PM on March 24, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

Rep. Nora Slawik, DFL-Maplewood, announced today that she won't be running for reelection. Slawik, who was first elected to the Minnesota House in 1996, cited financial obligations for not running again.

"While I would thoroughly enjoy the honor of continuing to represent our area, the financial circumstances of having one child in college and another preparing for college make that difficult," Slawik said in a statement.

Slawik is best known at the State Capitol for her work around early childhood education.  She said she's most proud of the work she's done to help establish the Office of Early Learning, create a Quality Rating System for child care in the state and helped secure Race to the Top money for Minnesota.

Update: DFL Rep. Denise Dittrich is also retiring.

DFLers cry foul after Republicans abruptly cancel Ethics hearing

Posted at 11:55 PM on March 23, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

The Senate Ethics Committee was scheduled to meet after the Senate floor session late Friday night but the meeting was abruptly canceled by Ethics Committee Chair Michelle Fischbach. Fischbach, a Republican from Paynesville, issued a statement saying she was not going to reconvene the hearing that focused on an ethics complaint against Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina.

"At this time, I do not intend to reconvene the Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct tonight," Fischbach said in a statement. "It is under advice of counsel that we give them an opportunity to further consider the matter before proceeding with additional committee discussion."

Fischbach's statement said she will "honor Senate rules that state action must be taken within 30 days of receiving the complaint." Her action surprised the two DFL members of the Ethics Committee, Sen. Kathy Sheran, DFL-Mankato, and Sen. John Harrington, DFL-St. Paul.

Sheran and Harrington waited for an hour for an explanation as to why the committee wasn't meeting, as planned. Sheran said she's disappointed Fischbach canceled the meeting, which she said Fischbach didn't have the authority to do.

"She wants to set the agenda by herself and she wants to control the outcome," Sheran said.

The Ethics Committee, made up of two Republicans and two DFLers, was deadlocked on how to handle a complaint against Sen. Michel.

The complaint against Michel centers around whether he lied about when he knew about an affair between former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch and former Senate Republican Caucus spokesman Michael Brodkorb. The complaint also alleged Michel should have acted more quickly when he learned of the affair. Michel says he has done nothing wrong.

Part of the reason the Ethics Committee is deadlocked is that members are reluctant to discuss issues involving Brodkorb. The Senate fired Brodkorb one day after Koch resigned her leadership position. Brodkorb has said he's going to file a gender discrimination suit against the Senate because he argues female staffers who had affairs with male lawmakers did not lose their jobs.

Senate officials say Brodkorb was not fired because he had an affair with Koch but because the will was no longer there to employ the at-will employee.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem acknowledged that there appears to be some concern that the Ethics Committee could be opening itself up to additional litigation.

"Part of it (the hearing delay) is how much can be said at this hearing that could affect the other hearing (lawsuit)," Senjem said. "That's a bit of a concern."

Senjem declined comment when asked whether the Senate's outside counsel expressed concerns that the hearing could open the Senate up to additional litigation.

Senate set to vote on Voter ID

Posted at 3:24 PM on March 23, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

The Minnesota Senate is expected to vote sometime today on a constitutional amendment that would require people to present photo identification to vote. The measure, which has already passed the House, has drawn significant protest from labor unions, DFL leaning groups and others.

Before the Senate went into session, about 300 people held a silent protest outsie the Senate gallery. Some held signs saying "All of our voices count." Others had $1 bills taped over their mouths to signify that their voices were being drawn out by corporate interests.

Supporters of the amendment argue that requiring photo identification at the polls will ensure that elections are legitimate.

The measure that passed out the Senate Rules Committee is slightly different than the House ballot question. If the Senate passes legislation that is different, a joint House/Senate conference committee would likely have to reconcile the differences.

Gov. Dayton cannot veto a constitutional amendment, so the question will be put on the November ballot if it passes the House and Senate.

The Senate went into session but recessed so the Senate DFL and GOP caucuses can discuss the proposal in private.

Will be updated....

The Senate passed the amendment 36-30. Republican Jeremy Miller of Winona joined every DFLer in voting against the amendment. Every other Republican voted for it.

Swing stadium vote still listening, not committed

Posted at 8:20 PM on March 22, 2012 by Tim Nelson (6 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Vikings stadium

Minneapolis city council member Sandy Colvin Roy was huddled in the City Council chambers until just before 7 p.m. tonight, talking Vikings stadium.

She walked out with council president Barbara Johnson, one of the plan's biggest backers. But Colvin Roy said she hasn't signed onto the memorandum that Johnson and Mayor R.T. Rybak want to present to lawmakers, to show the city is ready to ratify a stadium deal.

"I had a knee-jerk reaction to subsidies for sports stadiums," Colvin Roy said, as she was leaving the building. "But I have been listening to the financial projections, I have been listening to the city attorney, I have been listening to my constituents. Nothing got signed today."

That's a crucial point. Colvin Roy is possibly THE pivotal vote on the council, which would have to approve a key detail of the city's Vikings stadium plan, diverting state-authorized sales taxes to a new NFL venue, after they pay off the city's Convention Center.

Stadium supporters sent in the plan's chief financial consultant and development director Chuck Lutz to meet with Colvin Roy. She said it wasn't a brow-beating.

"They didn't try to give me any pressure. Mark Kaplan and Chuck Lutz gave me the financial runs," Colvin Roy said. "Most of the pressure is coming from me internally, frankly. Because this is a very important decision for the city of Minneapolis for a very long time."

But with only weeks, or even days left in the 2012 Legislative session, and lawmakers insisting on a straight answer from the Minneapolis City Council, it isn't clear yet when that might happen.

As for Colvin Roy, she was finished talking for the day.

"I'm going to go home and get a good night's sleep."

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Bachmannn appeals for campaign cash to fight health care law

Posted at 11:53 AM on March 21, 2012 by Mark Zdechlik
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachman is marking the two-year anniversary of the Democratic-led health care overall with another fundraising appeal.

In the e-mail to supporters Bachmann claims to have "spearheaded" congressional efforts to repeal what opponents call "Obamacare," and she appeals for campaign contributions of $25 or more "to ensure I am re-elected to Congress in order to stand up for every American and fight for our shared conservative values."

Despite running in a congressional district that is even more conservative as a result of reapportionment, Bachmann says her re-election campaign will not be easy. She also makes it clear she plans to continue to play on the national stage.

"Fighting to repeal Obamacare and defending myself against the relentless attacks from the left is very, very expensive," Bachmann writes. " If I'm going to continue to speak out across the country I need your immediate help."

Senate tax bill cuts business property taxes, asks Dayton to make cuts

Posted at 11:15 AM on March 21, 2012 by Tom Scheck (6 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Republicans in the Minnesota Senate want to cut the statewide business property tax and pay for it through unspecified cuts.

"The bill overall reduces the state's tax burden by $102.5 million," said Sen. Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen.

Ortman, who chairs the Senate Taxes Committee, said she's leaving the decisions on what programs to cut to Gov. Dayton's administration. Ortman said the $100 million in savings will come from the state's budget reserve if Dayton's Administration doesn't find the savings.

"I think it's easily doable by our commissioners," Ortman said.

The bill's biggest tax cut is to the so-called "marriage penalty." The federal government extended a tax break and the Senate bill would make the state's tax laws conform with that change. The change helps married couples at the cost to the state treasury of $62.4 million in fiscal year 2013.

The statewide business property tax levy would be cut by $31 million and nearly $2 million would be go to homeowners to cushion the impact of property tax increases. .

The bill would actually increase taxes on some cigarettes and on motor vehicle paint.

The proposal does not make a significant dent in the state's budget this year but the cost would increase dramatically in coming years. For example, the business property tax levy would be reduced by $145 million in the next two-year budget cycle.

Several Democrats on the Tax Committee were skeptical of the proposal, especially Sen. Rod Skoe, DFL-Clearbrook

"If we're going to ask the governor and his administration to have savings then I think you have to spell them out and write them down on a piece of paper and put them in the bill," he said.

Skoe said he was dismayed that Senate Republicans were targeting the newly replenished budget reserve.

The Senate Tax bill is dramatically different from its House companion. House Republicans are pushing a bill that cuts the business property tax and property taxes for homeowners, but they pay for the cuts by reducing the tax credit for renters and by increasing taxes on corporations that operate overseas. Ortman said she won't back either of those measures.

Ortman isn't the only lawmaker who is looking at the budget reserve to potentially pay for priorities. Sen. Gen Olson, R-Minnetrista, is proposing to pay back $430 million of the $2.4 billion in delayed payments to K-12 schools that helped balance the state's budget last session.

Republicans in the House have proposed taking $430 million from the reserve to start paying back the school shift.

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Right-to-Work on the ropes

Posted at 9:24 AM on March 20, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, State Government

Supporters of the so-called "right-to-work" constitutional amendment are making a last ditch effort to get the House and Senate to vote on the measure.

Sen. David Thompson, R-Lakeville, was joined by several other House and Senate Republicans at a news conference this morning who want to see the proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot this year.

The proposal would let voters decide whether union membership and the payment of union dues should be voluntary for all workers. Thompson said he's working to convince GOP Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem to hold a hearing on the bill in the Rules Committee.

"What I'm hoping for is that we get the bill vetted in the Rules Committee and sent to the floor," Thompson said.

Thompson said he will not attempt to move the bill from the Rules Committee to the Senate floor. He took the rare step last week of forcing the Senate to vote to yank the bill from the Senate Jobs Committee to the Senate Judiciary Committee. That committee approved it last week. Thompson said he will not force another Senate vote to get the bill to the floor.

Thompson said he asked Senjem to hold a hearing on the bill but didn't receive a commitment. Senjem said late last week that the votes weren't there to pass the amendment in the House or the Senate.

No one at the news conference disputed Senjem's statement, but they said they still want a vote in the House and Senate.

"There's only one way to find out and that's to bring it to the floor," said Sen. David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, when asked if they have the votes to pass it.

The measure has not received a hearing in the House.

Union members and their allies have been lobbying fiercely to defeat the measure.

(Photo by MPR's Tim Nelson)

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House Republicans propose $221 million for Capitol renovation

Posted at 8:53 AM on March 20, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Republicans in the Minnesota House are proposing to borrow $221 million to restore and renovate the State Capitol building. The bill containing the funding, which will be heard in the House Capital Investment Committee today, aims to restore the Capitol in phases. The measure aims to ensure the structural soundness of the building and doesn't aim to improve equipment or other "furnishings."

The bill also requires that construction work has to be sequenced so the House and Senate chambers continue to operate during budget years.

The measure borrows over the next four years and is separate from a bonding bill in the House. That bill proposes borrowing $280 million that is mostly focused on asset preservation.

Here's the bill.

House GOP focuses on asset preservation in $280m bonding bill plan

Posted at 9:55 PM on March 19, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, State Government

House Republicans are putting forward a $280 million public works bill that focuses mostly on asset preservation at the state's higher education institutions, correctional facilities and local road and bridge improvement. The proposal is less than half the size of what Gov. Dayton outlined in his bonding bill proposal.

Update: The House GOP is also moving a separate bonding bill that focuses on restoring the Capitol. The plan borrows $220 million. That bill is being heard on Tuesday.

The House GOP proposal, put forward by House Capital Investment Chair Larry Howes of Walker, dedicates $35 million in bonding for asset preservation at the University of Minnesota and $20 million for asset preservation for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. The plan also dedicates $33 million for Rural Finance Authority grants, $20 million for local bridge replacement and rehab, $10 million for local road improvement.

Dayton has been pushing for $775 million in borrowing to help boost the state's construction sector. Some Republicans have argued that the state shouldn't borrow too much in light of the recent economic downturn but Dayton compared the bonding bill to a family mortgaging a house.

Some big-ticket items have been left out of the House Republican plan. The plan does not include money for the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, the Mankato Civic Center and upgrades to the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter.

House Republicans also dedicate $1 million in borrowing to the St. Cloud Civic Center (Dayton proposed $10 million), $2 million for the St. Paul Saints ballpark in St. Paul (Dayton proposed $27 million) and $2 million for the State Emergency Operations Center in Arden Hills (Dayton proposed $26 million).

The House Capital Investment Committee will hold its first hearing on the bill on Tuesday Wednesday. It may face stiff DFL opposition considering DFL House Minority Leader Paul Thissen characterized the proposal on Twitter as the "Tea Party Express strikes again." Democrats have argued for a larger bonding bill. Republicans need to garner 81 votes in the House to get the bonding bill passed since it needs a three-fifths majority to pass each chamber.

Senate Republicans have yet to release their proposal.

Here are some of the highlights of the House GOP plan:

$35 m for HEAPR at the U of M
$20 million for HEAPR at MnSCU
$13.8 million for the Ridgewater College, Willmar- Technical Instruction Lab Renovation
$33 million for Rural Finance Authority Grants
$20 million for local bridge replacement and rehab
$10 million for local road improvement
$10 million in asset preservation at Department of Corrections
$9 million for The Hormel Institute in Austin
$12 million for the St. Paul Children's Museum
$20 million for the Wastewater Infrastructure Funding program
$10 million for foreclosure remediation

Here's the full proposal:

House Bonding Bill March 19

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AFL-CIO registers PAC to fight "right-to-work" amendment

Posted at 5:00 PM on March 19, 2012 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Minnesota's unions have formed We Are Minnesota, a fund meant to raise money to oppose a proposed constitutional amendment that would make union membership and the payment of union dues voluntary for all workers.

A Senate panel approved the "right-to-work" bill last week.

We are Minnesota is backed by "public and private sector workers, nurses, firefighters, police officers, teachers, construction workers, clergy, small business owners, local elected officials, students and your neighbors," according to the group's web site.

The committee was registered March 9 with the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board by the Minnesota arm of the AFL-CIO, an organization that represents labor unions.

Minnesota AFL-CIO spokesman Chris Shields would not detail We Are Minnesota's members, but said that the group will have announcements about support soon.

Shields added that fundraising hasn't started yet; the group is waiting to see if the Legislature agrees to put the amendment on the ballot this fall, he said.

If it is, Shields said cash would be spent on ads such as this one urging Minnesotans to vote against the amendment.

DFLer Hilty hangs it up

Posted at 4:20 PM on March 19, 2012 by Tim Nelson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

Eight term DFLer Bill Hilty is leaving the Minnesota House.

Hilty announced his departure in a statement this afternoon. Hilty lives in Finlayson and represents parts of Pine, Carlton, and St. Louis counties.

"It has been a privilege to be able to serve the people of our region and to work for the good of our state. I am grateful for all the friendships that have been built across Minnesota and I will continue to be a strong advocate for the critical issues facing our state," Hilty said in his statement.

Hilty is a former chair of the House Energy Committee. His district has been renumbered to 11B and will include parts of Kanabec and Pine counties.

That makes for at least nine house members who aren't running for re-election. Here's the list so far:

Rep. Connie Doepke, R-Orono (running for state Senate)
Rep. Kent Eken, DFL-Twin Valley (running for state Senate)
Rep. Lyle Koenen, DFL Clara City (running for state Senate)
Rep. Kate Knuth, DFL-New Brighton
Rep. Bev Scalze, DFL-Little Canada (running for state Senate)
Rep. Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis (running for state Senate)
Rep. Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville
Rep. Mark Buesgens, R-Jordan
Rep. Bill Hilty, DFL-Finlayson
Rep. Pat Mazorol, R-Bloomingon
Rep. John Kriesel, R-Cottage Grove
Rep. Mark Murdock, R-Perham
Rep. Kurt Bills, R-Rosemount (running for U.S. Senate)
Rep. Bruce Anderson, R-Buffalo Township (running for state Senate)
Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake (running for state Senate)
Rep. Torrey Westrom, R-Elbow Lake (running for state Senate)
Rep. Branden Peterson, R-Andover (running for state Senate)

Note: list has been updated...

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Senate Democrats file ethics complaint against Geoff Michel

Posted at 12:45 PM on March 19, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Democrats in the Minnesota Senate have filed an ethics complaint against Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina, for how he handled the affair between former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch and Senate Republican Caucus spokesman Michael Brodkorb.

Michel was first told about the "inappropriate relationship" between Koch and Brodkorb in September and then reported it to Senate human resources . He failed to confront Koch on the matter until late November.

"Upon being made aware of an alleged inappropriate relationship between the Senate Majority Leader and a subordinate senate employee in September, 2011, Senator Michel had an obligation as Deputy Majority Leader to take appropriate action to fully and swiftly address the matter," Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, wrote in the complaint.

Pappas also said Michel brought "dishonor and disrepute" to the Senate by not taking action to fully and swiftly address the matter. Pappas said he "betrayed the public's trust by making false and clearly misleading public statements regarding when he became aware" of the relationship.

Michel initially told reporters late last year that he became aware of the relationship in early November but later admitted he found out about the affair on September 21. Koch's former chief of staff, Cullen Sheehan, told Michel about the affair at that time.

Pappas is asking the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate the details of the matter and that the hearings be open to the public.

The complaint comes less than a week after attorneys for Brodkorb announced that they intend to sue the Senate for gender discrimination. They say they will provide examples of female staffers who had affairs with male lawmakers but still kept their jobs.

Will be updated...

Here's the complaint:

Update:

Sen. Michel issued this statement:

"This is about politics and payback and has nothing to do with ethics. The DFL wants a few more headlines. The conflict of interest has been resolved. The workplace environment has improved. And, we did this while protecting whistleblowers and staff. I have asked for an immediate hearing to resolve this matter."

Ethics Complaint 03-19-12

Lobbying expenses top $59 million in 2011

Posted at 12:15 PM on March 19, 2012 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

The Minnesota Campaign Finance Board released a report that detailed the spending on lobbying of the Minnesota Legislature and the Dayton Administration in 2011. The Board reports that $59 million was spent to influence the Legislature and the Administration.

Business groups lead the spending. Xcel Energy spent $2.3 million, the most of any organizations. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce spent $2 million, the Minnesota Business Partnership spent $980,000. Minneapolis Radiation Oncology Physicians, a group fighting a moratorium on new radiation treatment centers in Minnesota, spent $900,000. The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, which represents mostly rural cities, and the Minnesota AFL-CIO, a coalition of labor unions, spent $820,000 each.

Update: An official with the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities says they made a reporting error to the Campaign Finance Board. They say they will submit an amended report that says the group spent $460,000 on lobbying in 2011.

You can read the full list here.

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AFP says it hasn't endorsed Byberg

Posted at 4:00 PM on March 14, 2012 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012

The non-profit group Americans for Prosperity wants to make this clear: it has not endorsed Lee Byberg for Congress.

Byberg, who is seeking the Republican endorsement to run against 7th District DFL Rep. Collin Peterson, includes Americans for Prosperity under the "Endorsements" section of his website. If you clink on the link, however, it takes you to an empty page.

The national organization, which has an arm in Minnesota, hasn't endorsed Byberg and doesn't make a practice of endorsing any candidates.

Here's what AFP said in a press release:

"Americans for Prosperity does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Americans for Prosperity educates citizens about economic policy on the state and national level and empowers citizens to be advocates in that process.

Despite multiple attempts by AFP's attorney over several days to contact Byberg's campaign to correct Byberg's claim of endorsement, AFP has received no response."

The press release concludes:

"Americans for Prosperity calls on Mr. Byberg to immediately cease any current or future representations of an AFP endorsement. No candidate should claim an endorsement that has not been given."

Back in 2010, when Byberg was running against Peterson, AFP applauded Byberg for signing the group's "No Climate Tax Pledge," a promise that Byberg would oppose federal climate change legislation if elected to office.

But the group made clear at the end of the press release that it does not endorse candidates.

Byberg's website lists other groups he says have endorsed his candidacy, including the 7th District Republicans and Concerned Women Political Action Committee. But both those endorsements are from his 2010 race.

Calls to Byberg were not returned

Update:

Byberg spokesman David Strom e-mailed to say that the endorsement listing is in error, and that the only endorsement the campaign is currently seeking is that of the 7th District Republicans.

Dayton lobbies Legislature as stadium hearing starts

Posted at 2:12 PM on March 14, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, Vikings stadium

Gov. Dayton sent a letter to members of the Senate Local Government and Elections Committee urging them to approve a Vikings stadium bill. The committee is the first stop for the bill and it isn't certain whether the bill will make it through committee. Dayton reminded lawmakers that the financing from the electronic pull-tab is solid despite reports otherwise.

"I believe it is sound, reliable and sufficient to finance the state's share of this project," Dayton wrote. "Anyone who says otherwise is speaking without my authorization and is seriously misrepresenting my position. Futhermore, everyone trying to dismantle this proposal, without offering a better one, is clearly trying to defeat this bill"

Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission Chair Ted Mondale and Vikings lobbyist Lester Bagley urged the committee to pass the bill. He said the Metrodome has outlived its usefulness.

"It's the smallest stadium in the league," Bagley said. "It will no longer sustain an NFL team. We're at the bottom of the NFL in stadium revenues and fan experience."

Several business and labor leaders also signaled their support for the bill.

Mondale told the committee that state's $398 million contribution will be returned by taxes from player salaries, Vikings employees, other teams and sales taxes from the games.

"The state payback in gross dollars over a 33 year period of time would be $450 million more that the state would get back than the state would put in on this particular project."

But several members expressed skepticism about those numbers. Sen. Roger Chamberlain cited studies that said sports stadiums don't generate the expected return on investment.

"I want a stadium, I want you guys to stay here but I think the impact and the return to the state has proven to be zero."

Other critics, including a lobbyist for the Minnesota Family Council, said expanding electronic gambling is bad public policy.

"We're going to build a stadium to a significant degrees on the backs of problem gamblers," Prichard said. "In fact, the state will have a vested interst in having more people become addicted to and spend more money gambling over a 30 year period in order to pay off the bonds."

It isn't certain whether the committee will approve the bill. Bipartisan supporters of the stadium were busy working legislators before the committee started.

Here's Dayton's letter:

3 14 12 GMD Local Gov Elections Commee (2)

Rybak talks business in DC

Posted at 4:29 PM on March 13, 2012 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012

WASHINGTON - Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak was at the White House on Tuesday with representatives of Minnesota companies as part of an initiative by the Obama Administration to bring together business and regional political leaders to discuss the economy and job creation.

"Mostly it was a listening session for the White House to hear from the voices of Minnesota business and the Minnesotans weren't shy," Rybak said.

According to Rybak, government relations executives from Cargill, General Mills, Thomson Reuters and Surly Brewing attended the meeting, although neither Rybak nor the White House would get more specific about other participants.

Rybak declined to discuss specific topics that were brought up at the event but said the discussion touched on, "what sorts of regulations should be cut, what kind of infrastructure to invest in, how to get more capital out to people trying to make investments."

Tuesday's event was not unusual. The White House says it's hosted more than 500 such meetings in the past year with similar groups from all 50 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico.

The Minneapolis mayor has been increasing his national profile over the past year. He also serves as a vice-chairman of the Democratic National Committee and has become a media surrogate for President Obama's re-election campaign.

Rybak wasn't the only Minnesota mayor in Washington. St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman was also in the capital for a meeting of the National League of Cities and had meetings at the White House.

Gerlach not running for reelection

Posted at 5:22 PM on March 12, 2012 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Sen. Chris Gerlach, R-Apple Valley, announced today that he won't be running for reelection. In a prepared statement, Gerlach cited family considerations as the reason for stepping down.

"While serving in the Legislature is truly an honor and privilege, the family and financial sacrifices are great," he said. "Now is the time to reassess my personal priorities."

Gerlach was criticized late last week for how he handled mailings regarding the so-called "Right-to-Work" amendment. His firm was hired to print mailings that targeted Republican senators onr the issue.

Gerlach's district leans Republican but will be another open seat that Republicans will be forced to defend.

Republicans not running for re-election to the Minnesota Senate:
Chris Gerlach
Gretchen Hoffman (running for Congress)
Doug Magnus
Al DeKruif
Amy Koch
Gen Olson
Geoff Michel

Note: Republican Mike Parry is running for Congress but has not ruled out a run for re-election if he fails to win his party's endorsement.

DFLers not running for re-election to the MN Senate:
Keith Langseth
Linda Higgins

Endorsement contests:

- Republicans Michelle Benson and Michael Jungbauer were paired in the same district and are battling for the Republican endorsement. Both say they would abide by the party endorsement.

- DFLers John Marty and Mary Jo McGuire were paired and are battling for the DFL endorsement. Marty and McGuire say they'll abide by the party's endorsement.

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Michelle Obama to visit Minnesota military families on Friday

Posted at 1:42 PM on March 12, 2012 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012

WASHINGTON - First Lady Michele Obama will visit Minnesota this Friday to meet with military families.

The March 16th event will include families with members serving in the National Guard, as well as representatives of several organizations dedicated to helping armed forces members and their families, including the Armed Forces Service Center, Defending the Blue Line, a group that provided hockey equipment and financial assistance for children of military members and GreenCare for Troops, which provides lawn care and landscaping help for wounded veterans.

As previously reported by MPR News, Mrs. Obama will also attend a fundraiser for her husband's presidential election campaign at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

Dayton puts forward supplemental budget plan

Posted at 11:52 AM on March 12, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Gov. Dayton is proposing a revised budget that would give tax breaks to companies that hire veterans and unemployed workers, restore some health care cuts and increase benefits for veterans.

Human Services Commissioner Cindy Jesson says the plan would restore cuts the governor and Legislature made last year to personal care attendants, medical research and emergency medical assistance.

"We chose to propose restoring these things because we see immediate risk of harm very much to people if we don't take these steps."

The governor's spends an extra $60 million, which would be collected by raising taxes on corporations that operate overseas and by requiring online retailers like Amazon to collect and pay state sales taxes on purchases. Republicans in the Legislature have opposed efforts to close what some call a tax loophole for corporations that operate overseas.

Dayton said the current tax break for companies with overseas operations doesn't make sense.

"Why do we want to give incentives to companies, big companies most of them, for putting jobs overseas rather than investing that money in the future of the people of Minnesota?," Dayton said.

Republicans have been reluctant to raise taxes on corporations that operate overseas. They say companies would be less likely to hire workers in Minnesota if the law were changed.

Here are the details put forward by Dayton's office.

Update:

GOP Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem released this statement:

"Governor Dayton's supplemental budget is a surprise and a shock," said Senate Majority Leader Senjem. "We have managed Minnesota's budget well in the past year from a $5 billion budget deficit to over a $1 billion surplus and the first thing the Governor wants to do is raise taxes. Embarrassing!"

The Governor's "jobs" portion of this proposal actually costs $35 million and results in a temporary program. The bottom line is this: the Governor's proposal is a temporary tax credit for a permanent tax increase.

In a letter last year, Joy Lindsay of the Minnesota High Tech Association Board said, "Minnesota's foreign royalty deduction was enacted during the Perpich administration to encourage companies to invest in research and development in Minnesota which creates high-paying, high-tech jobs here." Governor Dayton's proposal would jeopardize thousands of technology workers' jobs, whose average wages are much higher than the state's average.

In addition to the permanent tax increase, the Governor is also recommending fee increases on hunting and fishing licenses.

"What we are doing is working for Minnesota," Senate Majority Leader Senjem concluded. "I can't believe the Governor wants to retreat to raising taxes with the surplus just announced."

Dayton revises electronic pull-tab plan

Posted at 1:46 PM on March 9, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, Vikings stadium

Governor Dayton says he's revising his stadium plan to try to encourage charities to sign on to the use of electronic pull-tabs.

The stadium plan uses revenue from electronic pull-tabs to finance the state's $398 million dollar share of the stadium. Dayton said today that he wants give the state's charities an annual tax break of $10 million because earlier officials with the charitable gambling industry said their costs were so high they were unlikely to use electronic pull-tabs. Dayton said he wanted to respond to their concerns.

"The kind of increase that they're going to have in bottom line profits is very significant," Dayton said. "But one of my axioms in politics is that more is never enough. So you think more satisfies people and you find it just whets their appetite for more."

King Wilson, executive director of Allied Charities of Minnesota, said he was working with the Dayton Administration on the proposal but he had concerns that the tax break wasn't large enough.

"If the number is $10 million, I don't think that gives us the reform and relief we need that will make it work," he said.

Dayton's announcement comes on the same day he's meeting privately with the four legislative leaders to discuss the stadium.

The bill is scheduled to be formally introduced on Monday. Update: You can read the bill here.

Here are some of the documents put forward by Gov. Dayton's office:

3.9.12 Charitable Gambling Proposal

3 9 12 Gaming 2

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Senate GOP makes a power play on Right-to-Work Amendment

Posted at 2:22 PM on March 8, 2012 by Tom Scheck (10 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Republicans in the Minnesota Senate took an unusual step today by moving a bill from one committee to another before the first committee voted on the measure. The bill in question is a proposed constitutional amendment would allow voters to decide whether workers could voluntarily avoid paying union dues.

Sen. Dave Thompson, R- Lakeville, requested that the so-called "right-to-work" bill be moved from the Senate Jobs and Economic Growth Committee to the Senate Judiciary Committee. It's a simple procedural move, but it upends the typical Senate process that allows policy committees to debate and vote on bills that fall within their jurisdiction.

Several union lobbyists said Thompson made the move because there weren't enough votes in the Jobs Committee to approve the bill.

Thompson said he believes the Judiciary Committee was a better place to consider the bill, and that there would be plenty of debate.

"I don't have the least bit of concern that the public won't have an opportunity to learn about this and provide all of the input that they'd like to provide in the judiciary committee," Thompson said. "I feel that the public will in no way be short-changed by going to this committee."

The Senate voted 34-30 in favor of Thompson's request to move the bill. Sen. Joe Gimse, R-Willmar, switched his vote from no to yes to reach 34 votes. Gimse said that he switched his vote to help move the amendment along.

"They needed my vote to see the bill progress on to the Judiciary Committee," Gimse said. "My protest was heard but I want it to go to the Jobs Committee also and follow the legislative procedure."

Gimse said he hopes the bill goes back to the Jobs Committee at some point. Gimse said he wasn't sure how he would vote on the amendment.

Every Democrat and Sen. Jeremy Miller, R-Winona, voted against it.

Sen. Jim Metzen, DFL-South St. Paul, said he was disappointed that Jobs and Economic Growth Chair Geoff Michel was willing to give up control of the bill and worried about the precedent that the vote set.

"Let's find the time and do it the right way," Metzen said. "I think we're going down the wrong path here and if we continue to do this it's a terrible slippery slope."

The state's labor unions have been actively working to defeat the proposed constitutional amendment.

If the House and Senate both pass it, the question would be put to the voters this fall.

UPDATE: The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear the bill on Monday, March 12 at 8am in Room 15 of the State Capitol.

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House GOP plans to tap budget reserve to reduce K12 shift

Posted at 7:48 PM on March 7, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Republicans in the Minnesota House are proposing to tap two thirds of the state's budget reserve to pay back a portion of a K12 school shift they used to balance the budget in 2011.

Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, says the measure is part of a K12 bill that will be heard in committee tomorrow. He said paying back schools with $430 million from the state's budget reserve is a better use of the money.

"If you look at accounting principles, it's better to reduce your debt and reduce your liabilities than to have that cash sitting around," Garofalo said.

A nonpartisan budget analyst in the House said the proposal could force the state to enact short-term borrowing to meet cash flow needs. DFL House Minority Leader Paul Thissen says they're open to the option but would prefer Republicans find a way to pay the entire $2.4 billion shift back.

"This is one way to do it and I think it deserves consideration," Thissen said. "But I also think we ought to be putting a plan in place that is paying back the school shift over time and getting that into law."

Thissen said they're proposing to eliminate a tax break for corporations that operate overseas to pay back the schools over time. Governor Dayton and GOP legislative leaders relied on the accounting trick to erase part of a $5 billion budget deficit.

The K12 school shift is expected to be a major talking point during the 2012 campaign.

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Dayton vetoes gun bill

Posted at 7:37 PM on March 5, 2012 by Tom Scheck (20 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Governor Dayton has vetoed legislation that would have expanded the use of deadly force in Minnesota.

In his veto letter to the Legislature, Governor Dayton said he vetoed the bill because most major law enforcement agencies raised issues about the bill. Dayton said he appreciated the efforts to craft the bill to ease worries by law enforcement but said their concerns "must be honored."

The bill would have given gun owners significantly more latitude to use deadly force for self defense. It would have allowed the use of deadly force with a weapon if people believe they are in imminent danger in a home, hotel room, car, boat or tent. The National Rifle Association issued a statement saying it was disappointed with Dayton's veto.

The GOP-controlled Legislature didn't pass it with enough votes to override Dayton's veto.

Here's Dayton's veto letter:

3.5.12 HF 1467

State Sen. Gretchen Hoffman, R-Vergas, issued this statement. Hoffman, who is also running for Congress, is the chief author of the bill in the Senate:

"I am very disappointed with Governor Dayton's decision today to deny law-abiding citizens their right to defend themselves and their families. While current law enables the aggressor, my bill focused on protecting the victim. Unfortunately, with the Governor's veto, violent criminals will continue to have the advantage over law-abiding citizens," said Senator Hoffman. "I was hopeful, because Governor Dayton made such a strong statement on the campaign trail about Minnesotan's right to bear arms and use them for lawful purposes such as self-defense, that he would follow through with his actions and sign this bill to enhance public safety."

Here's the statement from Chris Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association:

The National Rifle Association (NRA) is deeply disappointed in Governor Dayton's veto of House File 1467 - an omnibus bill that included a number of key firearms law reforms in Minnesota. This bill passed both chambers of the Minnesota legislature with broad bi-partisan support.

House File 1467 contained vital common-sense reforms that would have enhanced self-defense laws for the law-abiding residents of that state. It would have removed the duty to retreat for crime victims currently mandated under Minnesota state law and precluded victims from facing prosecution for lawfully defending their lives. This bill would have also enhanced self-defense rights by recognizing the Right-to-Carry permits of those visiting and those traveling through Minnesota with valid Right-to-Carry permits from the other 48 states that issue them (Illinois does not issue Right-to-Carry permits of any kind).

Furthermore, House File 1467 would have prohibited gun confiscation in times of declared emergencies. The NRA led the way at the this key change in federal law following Hurricane Katrina, when New Orleans authorities went door-to-door confiscating legally owned firearms and depriving residents of their solitary means of self-defense. It is exceptionally disappointing that Governor Dayton vetoed this provision after having voted in favor of similar legislation while a member of the U.S. Senate.

Moving forward, the NRA remains resolute in bringing rational and reasonable reforms to Minnesota's firearms and self-defense laws.

Here's a statement from Joan Peterson, Protect Minnesota board member and member of the Brady Campaign Board said:

"This bill could give the claim of self-defense to any domestic abuser engaged in a dispute with a partner or spouse. When only two people are involved in a dispute and one of them winds up dead, who is left to disprove the claim of the shooter that s/he was the one threatened? As someone whose sister was shot to death in a domestic case in Minneapolis, I am grateful that Governor Dayton vetoed this bill that could have allowed domestic abusers to get away with murder. "

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Magnus joins a growing list of retirements from the Legislature

Posted at 2:12 PM on March 5, 2012 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Redistricting

Sen. Doug Magnus, R-Slayton, announced today that he's not running for re-election.

"Eight to 10 years is really what I feel is a limit as to what a person should serve as public servant," Magnus said. "I've reached that 10 year time period and it's time to move on."

Magnus chairs the Senate Agriculture Budget and Policy Committee. He said he's proud of his work on ag and veterans issues. He said he's most focused taking care of his farm in southwestern Minnesota.

Magnus is the eighth incumbent senator to announce that he isn't running for re-election. Thirteen members of the Minnesota House have announced they're leaving after this year.

Here's the list:

Republicans not running for re-election to the Minnesota Senate:

Gretchen Hoffman (running for Congress)
Doug Magnus
Al DeKruif
Amy Koch
Gen Olson
Geoff Michel

Note: Republican Mike Parry is running for Congress but has not ruled out a run for re-election if he fails to win his party's endorsement.

DFLers not running for re-election to the MN Senate:

Keith Langseth
Linda Higgins

Endorsement contests:

- Republicans Michelle Benson and Michael Jungbauer were paired in the same district and are battling for the Republican endorsement. Both say they would abide by the party endorsement.

- DFLers John Marty and Mary Jo McGuire were paired and are battling for the DFL endorsement. Marty said he will abide by the party's endorsement. McGuire wouldn't make the same commitment when she spoke with MPR News a few weeks ago. told me on Tuesday that she would abide by the DFL endorsement.

Republicans not running for re-election to the Minnesota House:

Mark Murdock
Torrey Westrom (running for state Senate)
Bruce Anderson (running for state Senate)
Mary Kiffmeyer (running for state Senate)
Connie Doepke (running for state Senate)
Branden Peterson (running for state Senate)
Mark Buesgens

DFLers not running for re-election to the Minnesota House:

Kent Eken (running for state Senate)
Lyle Koenen (running for state Senate)
Kate Knuth
Bev Scalze (running for state Senate)
Bobby Joe Champion (running for state Senate)
Mindy Greiling

Endorsement contests in the Minnesota House:

- Republicans Glenn Gruenhagen and Ron Shimanski will battle for their party's endorsement. Both candidates say they will abide by the endorsement.

- Republicans Matt Dean and Carol McFarlane will battle for their party's endorsement. Both candidates will abide.

- Democrats Frank Hornstein and Marion Greene will seek the DFL party's endorsement. Both candidates will abide by the endorsement.

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Geoff Michel not running for reelection

Posted at 9:30 AM on March 5, 2012 by Tom Scheck (5 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina, says he's not seeking reelection. Michel, who has served ten years in the Minnesota Senate, said he couldn't commit to serving another four years. He said his family obligations are taking greater importance.

"I have four daughters under the age of 16," Michel said. "I haven't been around much over the last ten years. I want to be better to my family."

Michel said he started thinking about his decision last summer when the state government shut down. His announcement comes just months after he revealed that he approached Senate personnel about an "inappropriate relationship" between then Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch and an unnamed staffer. Koch resigned her leadership position and isn't seeking reelection. Michel said the incident has nothing to do with his decision.

Michel said his greatest accomplishments were working with the University of Minnesota and helping the school build a new football stadium. He was also the author of the Abigail Taylor Pool Safety Act that required safer drains to prevent suction and drowning injuries in pools. He was also instrumental in helping Republicans take control of the Minnesota Senate for the first time in 38 years.

Michel is current chair of the Senate Jobs and Economic Growth Committee.

He says he's confident Republicans will hold on to his seat. Democrats, however, see the seat as a possible pick-up.

Here's the letter Michel sent out to delegates:

Ten years feels just about right.

Thank you for the honor of representing you in the Minnesota State Senate. This is the best senate district in the state and it is now even better with the new redistricting maps.

After ten years and three terms in the state senate, I will not be seeking reelection this November.

Annie, our four daughters and I have been discussing our options since the state shutdown last summer. I have also been speaking with my colleagues at Securian Financial Group. Both my family and my employer have been very patient, flexible, and supportive of me for the past ten years. It's time for me to return their support and focus on a family future that is getting busier every year and may include four college tuitions.

We cannot commit to another four-year term. I also want to allow time for candidates to emerge before the endorsing convention at the end of the month.

I plan to finish strong and focus on the fundamental fiscal and economic concerns facing our state during the remaining months of this legislative session.

Thank you for all your support and kindness over the past decade.

Warmest regards,

Geoff

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All but one paired incumbent settles on political future

Posted at 4:54 PM on March 4, 2012 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Redistricting

Sen. Al DeKruif, R-Madison Lake, announced today that he will not seek reelection. DeKruif, who was paired with Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, announced last week that he would not challenge Rosen but left open the possibility of moving to a new district. He decided against taking that step today.

"I need to do what is best for my family and businesses," DeKruif said in a statement. "After all, it is Minnesota families and job creators that led me to serve in the first place."

DeKruif is one of the final incumbents to announce a decision about their political future.

The new political boundaries were released late last month. 48 members of the House and Senate were paired together. The only paired incumbent who hasn't said what he'll do is GOP House Majority Leader Matt Dean (you can read more about that here).

Here are the latest details in the Senate:

The new maps mean there will be two endorsement battles in the Minnesota Senate. Sen. Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake, will challenge Sen. Michael Jungbauer, R-East Bethel.

Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, will challenge Sen. Mary Jo McGuire, DFL-Falcon Heights. Marty says he'll abide by the endorsement. McGuire hasn't made the same commitment.

There will be one general election battle between incumbents in the Senate as well. Sen. John Carlson, R-Bemidji, will face Sen. Tom Saxhaug, DFL-Grand Rapids.

One member of the Senate will seek higher office. Sen. Gretchen Hoffman, R-Vergas, said she's running for Congress in Minnesota's 7th Congressional District.

Sen. Ted Lillie, R-Lake Elmo, announced on Friday that he's moving into an open seat. Sen. Ken Kelash, DFL-Minneapolis, also announced he'd move instead of challenging another incumbent.

Here are the latest details in the House:

There will be at least two endorsement battles in the Minnesota House. Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen, R-Glencoe, and Rep. Ron Shimanski, R-Silver Lake, say they'll let GOP delegates decide which one of them will continue on.

Rep. Marion Green, DFL-Minneapolis, and Rep. Frank Hornstein, DFL-Minneapolis, will also have a convention battle and will abide by the DFL endorsement.

Note: There could be another convention fight between Rep. Carol McFarlane, R-White Bear Lake, and Rep. Matt Dean, R-Dellwood, if Dean decides to run for reelection.

There will be three general election match-ups among incumbents. Rep. Larry Howes, R-Walker, and Rep. John Persell, DFL-Bemidji, will face each other in November. Rep. Carolyn McElfatrick, R-Deer River, will face Rep. Tom Anzelc, DFL-Balsam Township. Rep. Roger Crawford, R-Mora, will challenge Rep. Bill Hilty, DFL-Finlayson.

Nine incumbent House members will run for the Minnesota Senate. They are DFL Rep. Kent Eken, GOP Rep. Torrey Westrom, DFL Rep. Lyle Koenen, GOP Rep. Bruce Anderson, GOP Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, GOP Rep. Connie Doepke, GOP Rep. Branden Peterson, DFL Rep. Bev Scalze and DFL Rep. Bobby Joe Champion.

Two members announced on Friday that they'll move into different districts. Rep. Paul Torkelson, R-Nelson Township, was paired with GOP Rep. Tony Cornish. Torkelson said he'll move into an open seat. Rep. Bob Barrett, R-Shafer, also announced that he'll move into an open seat rather than challenge Rep. Bob Dettmer, R-Forest Lake. Rep. Linda Slocum, DFL-Richfield, also announced she's moving rather than challenging Rep. Jean Wagenius, DFL-Minneapolis.

Every member of the Legislature is up for reelection this November.

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Sen. Gary Kubly dies

Posted at 2:54 PM on March 3, 2012 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

Sen. Gary Kubly, DFL-Granite Falls, died on Friday. Kubly, who was battling amyotropic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), was 68 years old. He was rushed to Regions Hospital this week after suffering an undisclosed medical incident.

Kubly's a former Lutheran pastor who was first elected to the Minnesota House in 1996. He was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2002.

"Senator Kubly was a man who embodied every ideal as a person and in public service," DFL Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk said in a statement. "He worked hard. He was honest. He shared credit even when he was the one who did the heavy lifting. To Gary Kubly, it simply did not matter where you came from, only where you ended up. He got a lot of things done that way, and everyone in Minnesota is better for it."

Funeral services are pending but Christine Almeida, former chief of staff to DFL Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson, wrote on Twitter that services will be held in Granite Falls on Wednesday.

Gov. Dayton released this statement:

"I am deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Senator Gary Kubly. Gary was a dedicated public servant and an outstanding leader. He lived his life with quiet strength and principled dignity, as evidenced by the remarkable courage with which he faced his final illness. He is an inspiration to all of us, who knew and worked with him.

I extend my deepest condolences to his devoted family."

Here's Bakk's full statement:

We were all deeply saddened to learn of Gary Kubly's passing yesterday. Senator Kubly was a man who embodied every ideal as a person and in public service. He worked hard. He was honest. He shared credit even when he was the one who did the heavy lifting. To Gary Kubly, it simply did not matter where you came from, only where you ended up. He got a lot of things done that way, and everyone in Minnesota is better for it.

I had the honor of serving with Senator Kubly in both the Minnesota House and Senate. As a Lutheran minister, he often led the Senate in our opening prayer, and I will always remember his inspiring messages. But Senator Kubly didn't just talk about cooperation and respect for all people. He lived it.

He met his final challenge--a grueling and agonizing diagnosis that sapped his strength--with grit and the determination to serve his constituents to the very end.

He was a man who managed a career in faith and politics in a way that few could ever match. He leaves us now with thousands of friends, and not an enemy in the world.
Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. Details of the arrangements will be forthcoming.

GOP Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem released this statement:

"On behalf of Senate Republicans, I want to express deep sadness for the loss of our friend and colleague, Senator Gary Kubly. He was a man of intellect and compassion, whose presence alone often reminded us of the special honor of public service.

"Senator Kubly met his challenges bravely and with the power of faith, making us
stronger by his example. It was an honor knowing and working with him, and
we will keep him and his family in our hearts and prayers."

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar released this statement:

"We will all miss State Senator Gary Kubly who died after a brave battle with Lou Gehrig's disease. A pastor, he was kind, witty, humble and served with grace to the end. I was with Gary and his friends and family last month. He served his rural district like he served his church, always listening and quietly getting things done. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Pat and his family."

DFL Party Chair Ken Martin released this statement:

"Senator Kubly's dedication to our state and public service is a true testament to the life he lived. I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with Sen. Kubly over the years, his impact on this state and his constituents is immeasurable. He was a tireless leader through the toughest months of his life.

"We honor and remember a true Minnesota leader in Senator Gary Kubly. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."

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House passes St. Croix bridge bill

Posted at 10:17 AM on March 1, 2012 by Mark Zdechlik (5 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

The House of Representatives Thursday passed an exemption from the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act allowing for construction of a new $690 million bridge over the St. Croix River to replace the aging Stillwater Lift Bridge. The vote was 339-80.

The bill was sponsored by GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann and DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar. It had bipartisan support in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Two House Democrats from Minnesota, 4th District Rep. Betty McCollum and 5th District Rep. Keith Ellison, opposed the bridge project calling it too big and too expensive.

The Senate passed the bill in January. Bachmann said she was looking forward to President Obama signing the bill so construction can begin.

"The St. Croix River Crossing Project is an incredible project that has incredible, bipartisan support. It is not very often that we get all four senators from Minnesota and Wisconsin, the governors from Minnesota and Wisconsin, and a diverse group of representatives on board with the same issue," Bachmann said.

Klobuchar said Obama would sign the bill.

"After 30 years of debate and delay, we finally got it done," said Klobuchar. "Today is a victory for the residents and businesses along the St. Croix River Valley who have waited long enough for a safe, new bridge. This effort is an example of what can get done when people put politics aside and do what is best for our state. I appreciate the work of my colleagues in the House and Senate as well as Gov. Dayton who helped get this project over the finish line."

Ellison also reacted:

"I have consistently supported replacing the Stillwater Lift Bridge. However, the design the House of Representatives authorized today is both oversized and overpriced. Many bridges in our state need repair. Limited transportation funds should be used responsibly for projects throughout the state. For example, the Interstate 35W Bridge, which tragically fell into the Mississippi River four years ago, cost $234 million to rebuild in its entirety and carries 140,000 vehicles daily. By contrast, the St. Croix Bridge is expected to cost $700 million and carry 18,000 vehicles a day.

"Minnesota has 1,400 neglected bridges statewide that need repair, including in the Fifth Congressional District. A right-sized St. Croix bridge would allow other communities to repair the bridges they need, creating good Minnesota jobs and preserving our state's scenic river areas. By exempting the bridge from the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, Congress is also setting a precedent that would justify building bridges over any of the country's Wild and Scenic Rivers. I join Former Vice President Walter Mondale, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and local and national environmental organizations in opposing this bill.

"I will continue to work for smart investments in Minnesota's roads and bridges that create good jobs for our state."

Gov. Mark Dayton also issued a statement.

"I am delighted to see this important project move forward; this new bridge is urgently needed. The project will put thousands of people in the construction industry to work. "I am very grateful to the House Leadership for expediting the bill. Thank you to Congresswoman Bachmann, Senator Klobuchar, Governor Walker of Wisconsin Stillwater Mayor Harycki, and all of our partners on this project."

Rep. Betty McCollum's reaction:

"Every policy debate has two sides and I worked hard to reflect the voices of Minnesotans in the 4th District, as well as those Stillwater and Oak Park Heights residents who are deeply concerned about this mega-bridge project.

"Congress' passage of this $700 million bridge bill doesn't diminish its excessive cost, size, negative effect on Highway 36 traffic congestion, or its adverse impact on the St. Croix River.

"Supporters of this legislation, including Senators Klobuchar and Franken, and Gov. Dayton, assume responsibility for protecting communities along Highway 36 from crippling traffic congestion and the families and businesses of Oak Park Heights from property tax increases - the direct consequences of the project they so strongly championed.

"I want to thank my friend and Minnesota colleague, Rep. Keith Ellison (MN-05) for his eloquence on the floor of the House in opposition to S. 1134. I share Congressman Ellison's concern that replacing one bridge at a cost of $700 million to the exclusion of more than 1,100 other structurally deficient bridges in Minnesota places too many communities and motorists at risk. I am committed to working with Rep. Ellison, Gov. Dayton and all Minnesota members of Congress and state legislators to repair or replace these substandard bridges."

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Michelle Obama coming to Minnesota

Posted at 7:24 AM on March 1, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Political parties

First Lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to be in Minnesota on March 16 to raise money for President Obama's presidential campaign. Mrs. Obama is scheduled to hold the fundraiser at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

Donors are being asked to give between $250 and $10,000 to attend the reception. Donors who give $1,000 will get "preferred viewing." Couples who give $5,000 will get a photo with the First Lady. $10,000 donations will include a "host greet."

Mrs. Obama has been more active on the campaign trail in recent months as it gets closer to the 2012 election. For example, she attended a fundraiser for the Obama campaign in Louisville last week.

The fundraising letter, sent by Lou and Carol Frillman, suggested this may be the only opportunity for donors to see Michelle Obama this election cycle.

"We believe that this is a (sic) excellent opportunity to meet the most loved, admired, and respected First Lady of our time. Will she be back in Minneapolis before November?

Who knows? So why take the chance?"

President Obama last visited Minnesota in August. He held a town hall rally in Cannon Falls to tout his proposal to boost the economy.

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Kubly in the hospital

Posted at 9:30 PM on February 29, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

From MPR's Rupa Shenoy and Nancy Lebens

A spokeswoman at Regions Hospital says state Sen. Gary Kubly, DFL-Granite Falls, remains in critical condition after being taken to the St. Paul hospital earlier today.

DFL Senate Caucus spokesman Amos Briggs says Kubly had a medical crisis this morning and is at Regions Hospital. Briggs says Kubly's family is asking for the public's prayers.

Kubly, a retired Lutheran pastor, announced in late January last year he'd been diagnosed with ALS, the degenerative neuromuscular condition also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Kubly's legislative career started with his election to the House in 1996 and was elected to the Senate in 2002. He has said he doesn't plan to run for re-election in 2012.

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Knuth not seeking re-election to MN House

Posted at 3:38 PM on February 29, 2012 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Redistricting, State Government

Put in a tough race due to redistricting, Rep. Kate Knuth, DFL - New Brighton, says she will not seek re-election to Minnesota House.

The state's new political boundaries would have pitted Knuth against fellow DFLer Rep. Tom Tillberry of Fridley.

"I am proud of the work we do together to make Minnesota an exceptional place to live," Knuth wrote in a press release announcing her decision, pointing to her work on environmental and energy issues.

"While I will not be seeking re-election, I look forward to serving my neighbors through this term. I will continue to seek out ways in which to contribute to making Minnesota, and the world, a healthier and more sustainable place. I consider myself lucky to love Minnesota, my home state, more than I can fully describe. My service, leadership, and life's work will always be firmly rooted in this place and its people."

Meanwhile, DFL Rep. Lyle Koenen announced he will run for the Minnesota Senate for GOP Sen. Joe Gimse's seat. Koenen was paired with DFL Rep. Andrew Falk who plans to run again this year.

Tom Scheck contributed to this report.

Two GOP Senate hopefuls end campaigns against Klobuchar

Posted at 12:09 PM on February 27, 2012 by Mark Zdechlik (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Two of the Republicans who had announced earlier they would seek the party's nomination to run against DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Monday they are ending their campaigns.

Anthony Hernandez said he's decided to abandon his campaign and instead will try to run against DFL Rep. Betty McCollum in Minnesota's 4th Congressional District.

St. Bonifacius City Council member Joe Arwood also ended his campaign for Senate today.

The announcements come two days before Minnesota Army National Guard Capt. Pete Hegseth is set to formally launch his Senate campaign against Klobuchar. There's been a lot of buzz about Hegseth's candidacy. He is a graduate of Princeton University who served in Iraq and recently returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Hernandez indicated he will focus on economic issues in his campaign for Congress.

"In a lot of ways Congresswoman McCollum has served this district well, however I think the issues that she champions such as environmentalism and protecting the global environment is not what's resonating with your common voters here in St. Paul and the surrounding areas," Hernandez said. "So I think what people are yearning for are decisive and bold economic solutions."

In a posting on Facebook, Arwood indicated he was ending his campaign for financial reasons.

"I can no longer devote adequate time and financial resources to this endeavor and do what is best for my family," his post said.

The first Republican to launch a campaign against Klobuchar, former four-term state Rep. Dan Severson, has no intention to end his campaign, according to a campaign official. Severson is also a veteran, having served 22 years in the Navy.

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Redistricting Roundup: McFarlane forces Dean to make a choice

Posted at 10:50 PM on February 26, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Redistricting

Rep. Carol McFarlane, R-White Bear Lake, announced on Sunday night that she's running for reelection. Her decision puts House Majority Leader Matt Dean, R-Dellwood, in a difficult position. Dean, the second highest member of the Minnesota House, now has to decide whether he wants to challenge a member of his party to come back to the Minnesota House.

The new political boundaries paired McFarlane and Dean in the same district. McFarlane hedged on whether she would run for reelection until today. She emphasized that she represents the bulk of the new district.

"The new district (HD38B) retains approx. 80% of what was HD53B which I have had the honor of serving for 3 terms," McFarlane wrote in a statement. "The new House district will add Precinct 1 in North Oaks, Dellwood and some of Hugo. When I served on the White Bear Lake Area School Board (2000-2006), I represented many of the Hugo residents from the new district."

Dean has not said whether he would run for reelection in the current district, move into a new district, run for a different office or retire.

McFarlane wasn't the only incumbent who made a decision over the weekend.

Sen. Al DeKruif, R-Madison Lake, announced tonight that he wasn't going to challenge Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont. Rosen announced last week that she would run for reelection when the maps were released last week. DeKruif, who was paired with Rosen under the new map, said he won't challenge Rosen. He said in a statement that he may move into a new district.

"I have always felt that a senator or representative belongs to a district and it's citizens, rather than the opposite," DeKruif said in a statement. "Because I will have to make a significant change for my family, I want to make sure its right. Regardless of the outcome, I'm proud of the work I've done for and with my constituents."

DeKruif told MPR News last week that it was unlikely that he would move into a new district.

Meanwhile, the Republican Party Chair for Minnesota's 6th Congressional District announced on Saturday that he's running for the Minnesota House. David Fitzsimmons said he's running in House District 30B.

"As a proud conservative I will work tirelessly to represent this district with strong convictions based on the beliefs of life, liberty and smaller government. My vision is to make Minnesota government limited and less intrusive to create a stronger environment for Minnesota job growth."

Fitzsimmons was also the campaign manager for Tom Emmer's campaign for governor.

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Incumbents in the Legislature continue musical chairs as a result of the new map

Posted at 5:52 PM on February 24, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Redistricting

Incumbent lawmakers in the Minnesota House and Senate are starting to make concrete decisions about their political futures, and many of those decisions could impact party control of the Minnesota Senate.

Two incumbents paired in the same Minnesota Senate District have decided to run against each other.

Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, and Sen. Mary Jo McGuire, DFL-Falcon Heights, both announced today that they are running for re-election. The two were hoping to avoid an endorsement battle, but that's not going to happen. The new district, which includes St. Paul, Roseville, Lauderdale and Falcon Heights, is split nearly halfway between Marty's current district and McGuire's current district.

"It's a tough one," McGuire said. "Because sometimes with redistricting you say 'Who got moved into who's district?' but it's both of our districts."

McGuire wouldn't commit to abiding by the DFL endorsement. Marty said he would. Marty said he'll emphasize his record of standing up to interest groups when he speaks with voters.

"It's a question of not just being there but standing up to the most powerful interests," Marty said. "It doesn't matter what the group is, I've been willing to stick my neck out."

State Sen. Ken Kelash, DFL-Minneapolis, announced today that he will move into Senate District 50 rather than have an endorsement fight with Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis. The two were paired this week after a court appointed panel released the state's new political boundaries. Kelash said today that he's in the process of hiring a real estate agent to help him move into the district that includes Richfield and Bloomington. He said SD50 includes more than half of the district he currently represents.

"I know the district well, and I think I can continue serving there," Kelash said. "I think I'll give voters a chance to see if they want to keep me there for awhile."

Kelash said he has spoken with Rep. Ann Lenczewski, DFL-Bloomington, about her intentions but decided not to wait for her to make up her mind about running there. Lenczewski has reportedly been interested in running for the seat. She hasn't returned calls to discuss her decision. Update: Bloomington School Board Chair Melissa Halvorson Wiklund announced that she's running for the seat. She's seeking the DFL endorsement.

Meanwhile, Rep. Connie Doepke, R-Orono, announced that she's going to run for an open Senate seat that's being vacated by Sen. Gen Olson, R-Minnetrista. Doepke says the district includes many of the areas that she represented during her time in the Minnesota House and as a member of the Wayzata School Board. She said she has the experience needed to represent the district. She said she sits on the House Taxes Committee, was a member of the school board, was endorsed by Conservation Minnesota and is a member of the Twin West Chamber of Commerce.

"Business, taxes and the environment are the three key things in that district that are important to may folks," Doepke said. "And I've got it all."

Rep. Steve Smith, R-Mound, has also reportedly expressed interest in running for the seat. I wasn't able to speak with him about his decision.

Rep. Bruce Anderson, R-Buffalo, also announced today that he's running in an open Senate seat in the northwest suburbs and exurbs. The new district includes Buffalo, Rockford, Delano, Monticello and Annandale.

"It has been an honor to serve Wright County in the Minnesota House," Anderson said in a statement. "I will bring that same principled voice to the Minnesota Senate."

Rep. Kent Eken decided that he's going to run a Senate seat that's being vacated by Sen. Keith Langseth, DFL-Glyndon, instead of running for re-election in the Minnesota House. Eken was paired with Rep. Paul Marquart, DFL-Dilworth. Eken said that he'll continue to stress issues like agriculture, jobs and property taxes as he campaigns. He said he'll just have to campaign in twice the area.

"In no way do I see this as a slam dunk," Eken said. This is a district that you're going to have to work hard in to win in."

Eken and Marquart announced earlier this week that they would not run against each other. Marquart said he's running for the House seat.

Rep. Torrey Westrom, R-Elbow Lake, said he's also running for an open Senate seat in western Minnesota. Westrom said he considers the senate run as a new opportunity.

"This district is a big part of western Minnesota which I'm in the center of," Westrom said. "There are eight counties in this district. There are 87 in the state so this district is about 10 percent of the state."

Scott Dutcher, a member of the Republican Party of Minnesota's executive committee, announced that he's running for the seat being vacated by Westrom.

Hoffman announces run for Congress in 7th District

Posted at 11:06 AM on February 24, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Redistricting, U.S. House

State Sen. Gretchen Hoffman, R-Vergas, announced this morning that she's running for Congress against DFL Rep. Collin Peterson.

"Like many of my neighbors, I've grown increasingly frustrated with Washington politicians who continually fail to clean up the mess they've created with their mountains of wasteful spending," Hoffman said in a news release. "Collin Peterson has simply been in Washington too long and has lost touch with his Minnesota values. I look forward to the coming campaign and building a winning coalition of Minnesotans who want to see fiscal responsibility return to our nation's capitol."

Hoffman made the announcement in the same week that redistricting forced into a pairing with Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria.

Hoffman is in her first-term in the Minnesota Senate. Her campaign said she's received a 100% rating from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and a "Best Friend of the Taxpayer" award from the Taxpayer's League of Minnesota for her work in the state Senate.

The Senate Ethics Committee has also forced Hoffman to apologize for comments she wrote on Twitter about Sen. Barb Goodwin, DFL-Columbia Heights.

Hoffman will challenge Lee Byberg for the GOP endorsement. The winner will face Peterson in the general election. Republicans have been focusing on the 7th District because the voters tend to vote for Republicans. Peterson, however, has been the exception to that rule. He's the leading Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee and has been active in delivering federal aid to flood stricken communities in northwestern Minnesota.

Redistricting fallout continues

Posted at 4:46 PM on February 23, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Redistricting

There has been more fallout among incumbents who were recently paired in the same districts as a result of redistricting.

The biggest question is what GOP House Majority Leader Matt Dean intends to do. Dean has been paired with Rep. Carol McFarlane, R-White Bear Lake. McFarlane told MPR News that she's not sure whether she's going to run again.

Dean said he too was undecided about his political future.

"I certainly hope to be," when asked if he want to come back to the Minnesota House.

Dean later declined to answer whether he'll challenge McFarlane or move into a new legislative district.

"I haven't talked to Carol," Dean said. "It would be inappropriate for me to say anything publicly."

When pressed about whether he intends to challenge McFarlane, Dean said "I haven't made any decisions."

Dean wasn't the only one trying to make up his mind. Rep. Andrew Falk, DFL-Murdock, said he hasn't decided whether he intends to run for re-election. He said he needs to talk with Rep. Lyle Koenen, DFL-Clara City, who is now in the same district.

Koenen said he hopes to run for re-election but doesn't want to be in an endorsement battle with Falk.

"It's my intention that Rep. Falk and I work this out to a mutual agreement," Koenen said. He said one option is for one of them to challenge Sen. Joe Gimse, R-Willmar, but they both prefer to stay in the House. Koenen says he'd like to make a decision quickly.

Meanwhile, two Republicans paired in southern Minnesota say they'll leave the decision up to the delegates. Rep. Ron Shimanski, R-Silver Lake, and Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen R-Glencoe, were paired in House District 18B.

"This is one that neither Ron or I would seek out, but it's what we have to accept," Gruenhagen said.

Rep. Bob Dettmer, R-Forest Lake, said he's decided to seek the GOP endorsement even though he was paired with Rep. Bob Barrett, R-Shafer.

"I'll be running," Dettmer said. "My wife and I have already decided that we're going to run for office and we're going to ask for the endorsement."

Barrett said he hasn't made a decision. There is an open seat roughly a mile from his home.

In the Minnesota Senate, Sen. Ted Lillie, R-Lake Elmo, says he's still trying to decide what to do. Lillie is paired with Sen. Ray Vandeveer, R-Forest Lake. Lillie said it's possible that he'll move into an open seat in Woodbury.

"There is a possibility of running in that district," Lillie said. "It is a home base for us. My wife is the medical director at the hospital there."

Lillie also said he could run for Congress against DFL Rep. Betty McCollum. Vandeveer was unavailable to comment.

Two Republicans paired in a west Central Minnesota Senate District say they hope to decide about their political future within the next day. Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria, and Sen. Gretchen Hoffman, R-Vergas, have been paired. Both said they hope to announce some sort of plan by Friday.

Rep. Bev Scalze, DFL-Little Canada, hasn't been paired with an incumbent, but she says she's going to give up her House seat and run for an open seat in the Minnesota Senate. Scalze said redistricting left her in a district that has an open Senate seat and an open House seat. She said she felt that running for the Senate will help her deliver on her agenda.

"There is going to need some experience in that district," Scalze said. "I can give that to them"

One lawmaker who was paired in redistricting announced today that he's retiring. Rep. Mark Buesgens, R-Jordan, said he'll leave the House after seven terms. Buesgens moved from his home in Jordan and now lives in Savage. That means he was paired with Rep. Pam Myhra, R-Burnsville.

Buesgens said he was proud of his work on K-12 issues and his ability to slow down or defeat legislation he disliked. He was often the only no vote on bills

"If people are looking for a laundry list of new laws that they put in the statute books as their measure of success then I'm pretty unsuccessful," Buesgens said. "But if you're looking for someone who would stand up and champion liberty and freedom then I think I've been very successful for that."

Buesgens said he has no intention of running for office again.

UPDATE:

There will also be an endorsement battle in Senate District 31. Sen. Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake, and Sen. Michael Jungbauer, R-Ham Lake, were paired together. Both say they want to stay in the Senate.

Benson said she's committed to abiding by the decision of the Republican delegates. The first-term Republican said she'll stress her work on the estate tax, energy policies and health care

"You hope through steel on steel that the delegates pick the best candidate."

Jungbauer said he's looking forward to running in the district. He said he already represents a large portion of it and said he has the opportunity to represent family members that he didn't represent before.

"It was like a no brainer for me, Jungbauer said. "It's like I have to try to run."

Jungbauer initially said on The Late Debate radio that he would run in a primary if he didn't win the endorsement. But he backed off of those comments on Thursday.

"There is no way on this earth that I will walk out of a normal, fair endorsement convention where somebody says to me 'Jungbauer, you're not our guy' and I would go ahead."

Jungbauer predicted that the upcoming convention will be a "tough endorsement fight."

Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, announced that she's also leaving her House District to run for an open seat in the Minnesota Senate. Kiffmeyer, who also served as Minnesota Secretary of State, said she'll continue to focus on the same issue in the Legislature but will be representing a larger district.

"I'll work on the same issues but I'll represent a larger distrit than I would as a House member," Kiffmeyer said. "Especially with a brand new district, I'll be able to give some experienced leadership to both sides of the district."

Kiffmeyer also said making a quick decision will allow Republicans to run for the two other open seats in the district.

Here's a list of the lawmakers who have announced their retirements so far:

Rep. Mark Buesgens, R-Jordan
Rep. Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville
Rep. Mark Murdock, R-Ottertail
Sen. Linda Higgins, DFL-Minneapolis
Sen. Amy Koch, R-Buffalo
Sen. Gary Kubly, DFL-Granite Falls
Sen. Keith Langseth, DFL-Glyndon
Sen. Gen Olson, R-Minnetrista

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Paired incumbents start pondering political future

Posted at 7:00 PM on February 22, 2012 by Tom Scheck (7 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Redistricting

48 of the 201 incumbents in the Minnesota Legislature have been paired together under the new redistricting plan. Some have quickly made decisions about their political futures. Others are taking time to ponder their options. Here's a look at where things stand among the members who were paired:

Senate District 5

Sen. John Carlson, R-Bemidji, says he's running for reelection. He's paired with Sen. Tom Saxhaug, DFL-Grand Rapids. Saxhaug told the Duluth News Tribune that he'll run in November.

Senate District 8

Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria, told MPR News earlier this week that he intends to run again. He's paired with Sen. Gretchen Hoffman, R-Vergas. Hoffman said she's not sure whether she's running for reelection.

Update: Ingebrigtsen and Hoffman both say they'll make a decision by Friday night.

Senate District 17

Sen. Joe Gimse, R-Willmar, is expected to run unopposed not face an incumbent since Sen. Gary Kubly, DFL-Granite Falls, is not expected to run for reelection.

Senate District 23

Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, says she intends to run for reelection.

"That's my district and I worked very hard," Rosen said. "I ran unopposed last time and I think I have good standing there. I did some good things for that district."

Rosen has been paired with Sen. Al DeKruif, R-Madison Lake. He said he'll speak with his family and supporters before making a decision. DeKruif, however, said he won't move into another district. If he runs he'll run against Rosen.

"If I get the nod from everybody that I should do this and then in my guy I feel right then I'll go," he said.

Senate District 31

Sen. Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake, said she's talking with supporters about her political future. She was paired with Sen. Michael Jungbauer, R-East Bethel, who said he's running. Jungbauer told Late Debate Radio on Tuesday night that he will run in a primary.

Senate District 39

Sen. Ted Lillie, R-Lake Elmo and Sen. Ray Vandeveer, R-Forest Lake have been paired. I haven't caught up with either of them yet. Lillie told the Woodbury Patch that he's keeping his options open. They include moving to Woodbury or a possible run for Congress against Rep. Betty McCollum, DFL-MN.

Senate District 61

Sen. Ken Kelash, DFL-Minneapolis, sent out an e-mail saying he's thinking about running for an open Senate seat instead of challenging Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis. Dibble is running in the district.

Senate District 66

Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, and Sen. Mary Jo McGuire, DFL-Falcon Heights, both say they want to run again but want to talk about it first. Marty said he doesn't want a nasty endorsement battle.

"I would like to run again and she would like to run again too," Marty said. "That's the issue. We don't have that choice. We cannot both run for Senate in the same district."

McGuire said she probably won't make a decision until next week at the earliest, and she plans to discuss the situation with Marty.

"We, on policy issues, are very similar. So, it's hard, because I want to see John there and I want to see me there. I don't want to see either of us leave the Senate," she said.

House District 4B

Rep. Paul Marquart, DFL-Dilworth, and Rep. Kent Eken, DFL-Twin Valley, say they won't run against each other.

"We're good friends and we're going to work this out in a way that works out best for the both of us," Eken said.

The two say they'll decide within a week. Eken and Marquart both said it's possible that one of them runs for a Minnesota Senate that is being vacated by Sen. Keith Langseth, DFL-Glyndon, who is retiring.

"Kent and I have some options that others don't," Marquart said. "That's in our favor."

Marquart was careful to note that he has stated publicly that he would like to stay in the House which makes it likely that Eken could run for the Senate seat. He was meeting privately with former DFL Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe before he talked with MPR News.

House District 5A

This district pairs Rep. John Persell, DFL-Bemidji, with Rep. Larry Howes, R-Walker. Both are expected to run for reelection. I didn't catch up with Howes yet but Persell said he's confident considering he currently represents a large portion of the new district.

"You look at the map and it looks like my district," Persell said. "I have a comfort level with that so if you campaign hard on the issues. Nothing has changed for me."

House District 5B

Rep. Tom Anzelc, DFL-Balsam Township, says he's running. He's paired against Rep. Carolyn McElfatrick, R-Deer River, told the Duluth News Tribune that she's running again.

House District 11B

Rep. Roger Crawford, R-Mora, has been paired with Rep. Bill Hilty, DFL-Finlayson. I didn't catch up with either of them today.

House District 17A

Rep. Lyle Koenen, DFL-Clara City, and Rep. Andrew Falk, DFL-Murdock, have been paired. I didn't catch up with either of them today. Neither returned calls to the West Central Tribune on Tuesday. One idea floated is that one of the candidates could challenge GOP Sen. Joe Gimse.

Update: Falk didn't commit to whether he would run for reelection. He said he needs to discuss it with Koenen but hasn't scheduled a meeting yet. Koenen hasn't called me back yet.

House District 18B

Rep. Ron Shimanski, R-Silver Lake, says he intends to come back to the Legislature.

"Absolutely," Shimanski said when asked if he's running again. "It will be up to our delegates to vote on our records."

Shimanski was paired with Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen, R-Glencoe. Gruenhagen wouldn't say what he intends to do.

"We're just taking a couple of days to let the dust settle on it," Gruenhagen said. "I'm just taking it a couple of days to think it through."

House District 23B

Rep. Paul Torkelson, R-Nelson Township, has been paired with Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder. Cornish told The Mankato Free Press that he's running for reelection.

Torkelson said he intends to run for office but wouldn't give more specifics.

"I'm committed to coming back here," Torkelson said.

His options include challenging Cornish or running in an open district that includes a large portion of his current seat.

House District 35B

Rep. Branden Peterson, R-Andover, says he'll run for an open state Senate seat instead of challenging Rep. Peggy Scott, R-Andover. Peterson said the growing population in their area made it likely that there could be another seat in that district. He said he and Scott discussed it prior to the maps coming out this week.

"We kind of already knew what our approach was going to be," Peterson said. "That's why you saw my announcement so quickly."

Scott is running for reelection.

House District 38B

Rep. Carol McFarlane, R-White Bear Lake, has been paired with House Majority Leader Matt Dean, R-Dellwood. McFarlane told MPR News on Tuesday that she's still weighing her options. Dean wasn't available to comment on Wednesday.

House District 39A

Rep. Bob Dettmer, R-Forest Lake, and Rep. Bob Barrett, R-Shafer, have been paired together. I didn't catch up with them yet.

House District 41A

Rep. Tom Tilberry, DFL-Fridley, says he intends to run for reelection.

"I'm forging ahead as if nothing is different," Tilberry said. "I'm planning on going to an endorsing convention."

Tilberry was paired with Rep. Kate Knuth, DFL-New Brighton. Knuth says she hasn't decided what she's going to do. She said she's going to talk with a lot of people before she decides.

"Redistricting is a time where people reassess their personal futures," Knuth said. "But I would like to do that in the context of my community and my state."

House District 56A

This one wasn't on the initial incumbent pairings because the court put in an old address for Rep. Mark Buesgens. Buesgens now lives in Savage and has been paired with Rep. Pam Myrha, R-Burnsville. I didn't catch up with either of them yet.

Update:
The Jordan Independent is reporting that Buesgens is retiring.

House District 61A

Both Rep. Marion Greene, DFL-Minneapolis, and Rep. Frank Hornstein, DFL-Minneapolis, say they will seek their party's endorsement.

"We both wish it weren't this way," Greene said. "But it is what it is and it's about continuing our work here. It's not about any strife between us. He and I continue to get along."

Greene said she's just getting going as a lawmaker and has a lot more to do. Hornstein said he'll emphasize his experience to delegates.

"I have lived in the two areas for 23 years," Hornstein said. "I have represented the area on the Met Council and, of course, in the Legislature for ten years."

House District 63B

Rep. Linda Slocum, DFL-Richfield, says she intends to move from her current district into an open seat in Richfield. She said she was looking to downsize from her family home now that her children are older and moved out of the house. She said the open seat in 50A includes roughly half of her current district.

"I have been looking at houses while waiting for the map to drop," Slocum said. "It's mostly the same district in 50A." Slocum joked the mayor of Richfield offered her a room in his her home if she doesn't close on a place by May 1st.

Slocum was paired with Rep. Jean Wagenius, DFL-Minneapolis.

House District 66A

Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, is running for reelection. She has been paired with Rep. Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville. Greiling announced her retirement before the new maps were released.

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New court plan pairs 46 incumbents in the Minnesota Legislature

Posted at 3:08 PM on February 21, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

The new redistricting maps put forward by the court pairs 30 members of the Minnesota House and 16 members of the Minnesota Senate.

I'll post analysis later.

Here are the Senate pairings:

Senate Incumbents

Here are the House pairings:

COURT 2012 House Incumbents

Court panel pairs Bachmann, McCollum in new 4th District

Posted at 1:13 PM on February 21, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Redistricting, U.S. House

The panel charged with drawing the state's new political boundaries made few changes to the new Congressional map. The plan pairs DFL Rep. Betty McCollum with GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann and creates an open seat in Minnesota's 6th District. Every other incumbent is protected. The big question is whether Bachmann decides to run in the 4th District or in the 6th District.

Bachmann has a round of interviews scheduled this afternoon to respond to the new maps.

Bachmann's staffers tell MPR News that Bachmann has decided to run in the new 6th District and not take her chances in the 4th District. They note that she's not required to live in the district and didn't say whether she'll move into the new 6th District.

Will be updated:

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Dayton urges Bachmann to get Stillwater Bridge bill passed

Posted at 12:43 PM on February 21, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, State Government, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

Gov. Dayton sent a letter to Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann today urging her to get the House to pass the bill authorizing a replacement for the Stillwater Bridge. He warned that failing to get the measure passed would mean the state would have to use the money currently set aside for the bridge for other projects.

"Everyone must understand, however, that if the March 15th deadline cannot be met and the federal and state monies are reallocated to other Minnesota transportation projects, there will no longer be sufficient funding available to undertake the St. Croix Crossing Project in the foreseeable future," the letter reads.

Dayton's letter may be meant to put some political pressure on Bachmann. Dayton, a Democrat, praised DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar for getting the bill passed in the U.S. Senate.

Klobuchar, Bachmann and Dayton are all pushing for a new bridge. Their plan would exempt the state from Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and some critics argue the proposed new bridge is too big and too expensive.

Not all of the members of Congress are backing the legislation. Democrats Betty McCollum and Keith Ellison are opposed to the plan.

Here's Dayton's letter:

20120221103128471

Racism alleged in voter ID campaign

Posted at 1:37 PM on February 20, 2012 by Tim Pugmire (30 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

The debate over a proposed voter ID constitutional amendment took a new twist today when opponents accused supporters of using racial imagery to push their agenda.

TakeAction Minnesota and other anti-amendment groups accused the pro-amendment group Minnesota Majority of using its web site for "race baiting." Minnesota Majority is leading the effort to require citizens to show a photo identification in order to vote. An image on the group's website shows people lined up at a voting booth, including three in what appear to be Halloween costumes, along with an African-American man dressed in a striped prison uniform and another person in a mariachi costume. During a news conference, state Rep. Rita Rena Moran, DFL-St. Paul, said she was sickened by what she views as racial stereotypes.

"They presume to call out certain groups of voting constituencies -- African Americans, Latinos in particular -- and compare them to the fearful characters of Halloween," Moran said. "This is wrong."

But Dan McGrath, executive director of Minnesota Majority, rejected the claims as "ridiculous." He said the images are a political cartoon, and he described it as "coincidental" that the felon attempting to vote is an African American. McGrath explained the person in the mariachi costume is "supposed to be an illegal immigrant, and it's kind of difficult to convey that."

McGrath also rejected TakeAction Minnesota's request that Minnesota Majority remove the images from its web site. He said the message is about ineligible voters and has nothing to do with race.

"These kind of groups use that tactic all the time," McGrath said. "When they don't have an intellectually valid argument to make, they resort to ad hominem attacks and accuse their opponent of being a racist. I think it's wearing thin, and I think the public doesn't buy that kind of stuff anymore."

UPDATE
The pro-amendment group changed the impage on its web site.

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Cook Political Report: 8th District race a toss-up

Posted at 4:27 PM on February 17, 2012 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

The Cook Political Report is characterizing the upcoming election battle in Minnesota's 8th Congressional district as a "toss-up."

GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack currently represents the northeastern Minnesota district which was considered a DFL stronghold until Cravaack defeated DFL incumbent Jim Oberstar in 2010. Three Democrats; former Congressman Rick Nolan, Duluth City Council member Jeff Anderson and former state Sen. Tarryl Clark, are vying to run against Cravaack.

Democrats in Minnesota and nationally have said that winning the 8th is a priority. Minnesota Republican Party Chair Pat Shortridge said keeping the district in Republican hands is one of his goals. A competitive race means voters in that district should expect a lot of TV ads and campaign mailings in October.

The political handicapper is also rating Minnesota's 1st Congressional District and Minnesota's 7th Congressional District "Likely Democratic" and Minnesota's 6th Congressional District "Likely Republican."

DFL Rep. Tim Walz represents the 1st District, which includes Rochester, Mankato and other southern Minnesota cities. Two Republicans; state Sen. Mike Parry of Waseca and former state Rep. Allen Quist are vying to challenge Walz.

DFL Rep. Collin Peterson represents the 7th District which includes Moorhead and the bulk of western Minnesota. Republican Lee Byberg is running for that seat.

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann represents Minnesota's 6th District. No Democrats have announced that they intend to challenge her.

One big caveat is that the congressional boundaries are unlikely to stay in the current shape. A court appointed panel is expected to release a new set of political maps next week that could dramatically alter the state's political boundaries.

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Obama campaign manager to hold rallies, raise money in MN this week

Posted at 6:00 AM on February 19, 2012 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

President Obama's campaign manager will be in Minnesota this week to raise money for the campaign and encourage get out the vote efforts.

Jim Messina will join DFL Congresswoman Betty McCollum and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak for a town hall and "organizing discussion" at Macalester College in St. Paul on Wednesday at 1pm. He'll be holding a similar event with Rybak and DFL Congressman Keith Ellison at the University of Minnesota at 2:30 on the same day.

Messina is also in town to raise money. A Prairie Home Companion host Garrison Keillor is hosting a fundraiser at his home for Messina. Keillor is an independent contractor for American Public Media, Minnesota Public Radio's parent company.

clarification-- Keillor's production company, Prairie Home Productions, produces A Prairie Home Companion, which is heard on MPR and other public radio stations across the country. The program is distributed by American Public Media, sister company to Minnesota Public Radio.

Messina is also hosting a higher dollar fundraising dinner at The Lexington restaurant in St. Paul on Wednesday night.

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Dayton's State of the State strikes a cooperative tone (with an eye towards November)

Posted at 9:21 PM on February 15, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

With MPR's Rupa Shenoy...

Governor Mark Dayton politely asked legislative leaders to pass his job creation plans. But in his second State of the State speech last night (Audio and written document below) he also told them that the voters would judge in November who has the right approach on the state's finances.

In a speech that was part conciliatory and part confrontational, Dayton outlined his priorities for the legislative session. Dayton called for lawmakers to pass a bonding bill, a new Vikings stadium and a tax credit for businesses that hire new workers.

Dayton said the bonding bill would repair buildings, upgrade classrooms, improve state parks, and finance downtown revitalization projects. He cited a national study that said the bill would create nearly 22-thousand jobs.

The governor also called for passage of a bill to fund a new Vikings stadium.

"Some of you reportedly want to avoid voting on a stadium until after next fall's elections," Dayton said. "That would be terribly unfair to the several thousand unemployed Minnesotans, who could be working on that project this year, and to the Vikings. Pass the Stadium Bill this session. Please."

Dayton also mentioned the November elections several times during his speech. He said voters would decide whether his approach to raise taxes on top earners to fix the state's budget situation or the GOP plan that relied on spending cuts.

Republicans praised Dayton for striking a mostly cooperative tone during the speech. GOP House Speaker Kurt Zellers said Republican House Speaker Kurt Zellers said he's ready to have that discussion.

"We lived within our means and we didn't raise taxes on business owners," Zellers said. "If that's the choice going into this fall's election, absolutely."

GOP Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem said he expects the legislature to pass a bonding bill but Republican leaders didn't commit to Dayton's other job creation plans.

Listen to Dayton's speech here: Listen

Listen to the news conference from Zellers and Senjem here: Listen

Senjem released a video message that you can watch here.

You can read Dayton's speech here:

2012 State of the State

Teamsters Union backs Nolan's bid for Congress

Posted at 6:16 PM on February 15, 2012 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

The Teamsters Joint Council 32 announced today that the union was backing Democrat Rick Nolan's bid for Congress. The union, which represents 62,000 working and retired members in Minnesota, said they believed Nolan was the best candidate to represent Minnesota's 8th Congressional District.

"We believe that our members will make the difference and take this election seriously enough to campaign and vote for a fellow Union brother to represent working families," said Sue Mauren, Teamsters Joint Council 32 President, in a statement.

Nolan is vying to win the DFL nomination against Duluth City Council member Jeff Anderson and former state Senator Tarryl Clark. Nolan has committed to abiding by the DFL endorsement. Clark and Anderson haven't made the same commitment which means there may be a primary battle in August.

The winner will challenge GOP Congressman Chip Cravaack in November. Cravaack, who is serving his first-term in Congress, is being targeted by Democrats nationally.

The big question is how a court appointed panel will redraw the state's political boundaries. The panel is expected to release its set of maps next Tuesday. Those new boundaries could alter the race if the maps are changed dramatically.

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Dayton suggests there's always OT for stadium solution

Posted at 5:53 PM on February 10, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, State Government, Vikings stadium

Gov. Mark Dayton says he'll make a Vikings stadium deal a priority next year if it doesn't pass this session. Dayton says he's still committed to seeking passage this year but in an interview with MPR News he said he's upset that a financing plan isn't in place yet. He said he wants the Legislature to vote on the measure this session but suggested it will be a priority regardless of the outcome.

"If we don't get it this session, I intend to bring it up next session and I'm optimistic we'll get it then," Dayton said. "I tell people that we'll get it this year or we'll get it next year."

The legislation has been stymied by a failure to get a financing plan in place. Minneapolis city officials are squabbling over whether there's enough support for a plan to build the stadium in that city. Ramsey County officials came forward with another plan today that relies on stadium-related taxes and fees. MPR's Tim Nelson covered that story today and you can read it here.

January tax collections below forecast

Posted at 5:48 PM on February 10, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Minnesota Management and Budget says general fund revenues were $107 million below forecast in January. The agency says revenues are $45.5 million less than forecast for the fiscal year that runs from July 1 to June 30. The latest revenue forecast details the state's tax collections for the past month.

The revenues, however, are only a portion of the state's overall financial picture. The unknown piece is how spending is tracking. The December budget forecast said Minnesota had an $876 million surplus for the current two-year budget cycle.

Gov. Dayton and the Republican-controlled Legislature are waiting for the Feb. 29 budget forecast to determine if they'll need to address any budgetary and spending decisions in the current session.

Here's the document from MMB:

January 2012 Revenue Collections Memo (2)

DFL debt deeper than disclosed in December

Posted at 2:10 PM on February 9, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Political parties

The DFL Party is facing a debt of $581,000. That's about $350,000 more than what DFL Party Chair Ken Martin told reporters late last year.

Martin acknowledged that party's books show a deeper debt than what he disclosed in December. He said his initial figure was aimed at the $750,000 in red ink he's been erasing since he took the top job in February of 2011. Martin said he doesn't consider the additional red ink debt because the party has a plan to pay it off.

"It would be unfair to say the party is $581,000 in debt," Martin said. "Some of that has been paid. Some of that is in the process of being paid. The stuff that's old debt, that's been on the books for many years, is about $250,000."

Martin said a large part of the debt comes from legal fees for redistricting work. For example, the party owes the Washington D.C. based Perkins Cole law firm $110,000. Martin said they plan to pay that legal bill quickly.

The DFL Party is paying its attorneys through the party's campaign account.

Republicans set up a separate fund to pay for their redistricting efforts. Officials representing the group called Minnesotans for a Fair Redistricting say they will not disclose their bills or fundraising activity.

Minnesota Republican Party officials said in December that the GOP has a debt that could be as high as $2 million.

Nolan wins DFL Straw Poll in Minnesota's 8th District

Posted at 1:09 PM on February 8, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Redistricting, U.S. House

NOTE: This story was updated with new vote totals.

Former DFL Congressman Rick Nolan won a straw poll of DFL caucus-goers in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District.

Districts are still reporting results, but Nolan has so far picked up 1531 votes. Duluth City Council member Jeff Anderson received 991 votes. Former state Sen. Tarryl Clark received 406 votes. At least 262 voters said they were uncommitted.

I'll update with final results when they come in (Itasca County and five precincts in Chisago County are still out). (All but roughly six precincts have reported)

"If the straw poll is any indication, and I believe it is, we are on the road to the endorsement and to victory in November," Nolan said in a statement.

The three DFL candidates are vying to win the DFL nomination and challenge GOP incumbent Rep. Chip Cravaack.

Nolan is the only candidate who says he will abide by the endorsement. Anderson hasn't said whether he'll abide by the endorsement, and Clark, who lost her first bid for Congress to GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann, said she'll abide by the endorsement but only if the process is "fair."

Though it appears she will take third place in the DFL's straw poll, Clark has raised more money than the other Democrats. In this cycle, she raised $530,000 and has $275,000 in the bank. Nolan raised $125,000 thousand, and has $35,000 in the bank. Anderson raised $74,000 for the cycle and has $13,000 thousand in the bank.

Redistricting is complicating the DFL endorsement process. A five-judge panel has been tasked with releasing a set of congressional and legislative boundaries as a result of the once-a-decade redistricting process, and the new map could change the makeup of the race.

Here's Nolan's statement:

Our campaign made a strong statement last night with a convincing win. Our message is obviously resonating because people want to matter again in Washington, and they know I will fight for them everyday. That's why people across northern Minnesota are embracing our campaign and giving us the clear momentum in this race.

As DFL'ers, we're uniting on the issues. We are determined to end wars of choice, establish universal single payer health care, protect Medicare and Social Security, re-invest in infrastructure and rebuild our economy to generate the good paying jobs we need in northern Minnesota and across the country.

For those things to happen, we now need to unite behind one Congressional candidate to defeat Chip Cravaack and take back the 8th for progressive values. If the straw poll is any indication, and I believe it is, we are on the road to the endorsement and to victory in November.

Moving forward, I am determined to unite our party and marshal the resources we're going to need to defeat Mr. Cravaack and make working families, seniors, students, small businesses and all of us in the 99 percent matter again in Washington.

Clark issued this statement after the results:

"Yesterday's caucuses marks the beginning of the election process, much like the coin flip at Sunday's Super Bowl. We have a long way to go, and I'm excited about all the volunteers and grassroots donors that are joining the campaign every day. The stakes are too high to let "politics as usual" determine the fate of Minnesota and our country. We need real leadership in Washington, leaders who will not rest until the priorities of Minnesota families are put before Wall Street and big corporations. We need someone with a track record of service to our community, and the energy and commitment to stand strong in these tough times."

Here's a statement from Anderson:

"We are very pleased with the results from last night's straw poll. With district lines still unclear, we concentrated our efforts on the heart of the current Eighth District, and our efforts were rewarded with overwhelming support in Duluth and on the Iron Range. We won St. Louis County, including Duluth, Cloquet, Chisholm, Virginia, and Aurora by two to one margins. Despite being heavily outspent, the results clearly show that the momentum is on our side. We remain confident that once we finally know what the district will look like, our message of progressive homegrown leadership will see us through to a November face off with Rep. Cravaack."

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Groups start push to stop Voter ID

Posted at 4:34 PM on February 6, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

Opponents of a proposed constitutional amendment that would require people to show photo identification to vote want to make it an issue at Tuesday's precinct caucuses. DFL Congressman Keith Ellison said today minority groups, college students, senior citizens and disabled people could all be disenfranchised if the so-called voter ID requirement is added to the constitution.

"The biggest problem that we have is sort of easy assumption that 'oh everyone has an ID, don't they?" Ellison said. "That's the problem because we have to sensitize the population about the needs of the 1, 2 or 3 percent of the population that doesn't have an ID but that very same person may be your mother or your grandmother."

A group of faith leaders have also scheduled a Tuesday morning news conference to speak out against the measure.

Supporters of the voter ID measure say it would ensure integrity in the election system. GOP legislative leaders say they're confident the Legislature will vote to put the constitutional on the 2012 ballot.

A Senate Committee held a hearing last week on the plan but didn't vote on it.

Pawlenty rips Santorum for Romney

Posted at 12:27 PM on February 6, 2012 by Tim Pugmire
Filed under: Campaign 2012

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Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty is trying to give Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney a boost heading into Tuesday's precinct caucuses in Minnesota.

Pawlenty held a conference call with reporters today to specifically criticize Rick Santorum, who made a campaign stop earlier in the day in Rochester. Pawlenty highlighted what he described as Santorum's long history of pork-barrel spending. He said it's a record that should be concerning to conservatives, who are expected to make up a big share of Republican caucus attendees. Pawlenty predicted a close contest in Minnesota.

"I think Mitt will be competitive," Pawlenty said."But it's hard to tell who's going to be the person on the top of that pack. Turnout and small variations in turnout can have a big impact when you're dealing with such a small group of people."

Pawlenty was scheduled to host a late afternoon get-out-the vote rally for Romney, along with former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton. Romney was not scheduled to attend the event in Edina. Newt Gingrich has a campaign stop planned tonight in Bloomington.

More details on Gingrich's Monday visit

Posted at 1:47 PM on February 5, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012

MPR News has learned that Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich will hold a rally at the Ramada Mall of America in Bloomington. The event starts at 7:30pm. Gingrich is scheduled to speak at 8pm. The event is open to the public.

Gingrich will be the fourth presidential candidate to visit Minnesota in the run up to Tuesday's precinct caucuses. Mitt Romney campaigned in Minnesota on Wednesday. Ron Paul campaigned in the state on Saturday and is scheduled to be back in Minnesota tomorrow. Rick Santorum is campaigning in Minnesota today and tomorrow.

A recent poll shows that it's a tight race to determine who will win Minnesota's precinct caucuses. The candidates are hoping to win the state to showcase momentum even though the caucuses are non-binding. That means the results from Tuesday's GOP straw poll won't bind the delegates at the Republican National Convention.

Poll: Minnesota GOP presidential nomination a toss up

Posted at 11:28 AM on February 5, 2012 by Catharine Richert (10 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

A new survey by Public Policy Polling shows that all four Republican presidential candidates have a shot at winning Tuesday's caucuses.

According to the Democratic polling firm, Rick Santorum has a slight lead with 29 percent of the vote. Mitt Romney has 27 percent of the vote, while Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul follow with 22 percent and 19 percent respectively.

PPP says Santorum's lead in Minnesota and in Colorado, which also holds its caucuses on Tuesday, can be attributed to two factors: likability and the fact that no other candidates are attacking him.

In Colorado 68 percent of voters see Santorum favorably. In Minnesota, 72 percent of voters view him favorably - the highest of all the candidates.

"Wins for Santorum in Minnesota and Missouri would make it clear he's a more viable alternative to Romney than Gingrich and give him a lot of momentum for the road ahead," the firm reports.

There's a lot more detail on the polling firm's website, including analysis of Paul's chances in Minnesota, which will largely depend on how many Independent voters show up on caucus night, and how well he does with older voters.

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Romney announces support from Minnesota politicians

Posted at 3:43 PM on February 3, 2012 by Catharine Richert (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

A few days before the state's caucuses, Mitt Romney has announced a slate of support from Minnesota lawmakers and Republican activists.

Among them are House Speaker Kurt Zellers and House Majority Leader Matt Dean.

"This wide-ranging support shows that my message of a smaller, simpler, and smarter federal government is resonating with Minnesotans as it is with voters across the country," Romney said in a press release. I'm counting on these leaders to help me spread this message in the months to come."

Romney won the state's 2008 caucus handily with 41 percent of the vote.

Zellers said he was endorsing Romney because "he will work to improve the economy, reduce burdensome regulations and reverse economic policies that expand government rather than private sector job growth."

Here's the full list of Romney's support:

Speaker of the House Kurt Zellers

House Majority Leader Matt Dean

Senator Roger Chamberlain

Representative Kurt Daudt

Representative Dan Fabian

Representative Joe Hoppe

Representative Jennifer Loon

Representative Linda Runbeck

Representative Tim Sanders

Former Executive Director, Minnesota College Republicans Tara Anderson

Former Mayor of New Brighton and former 4th district GOP Chair Bev Aplikowski

Former National Committeewoman Evie Axdahl

Republican Activist Dirk Bak

Former Republican Candidate for Minnesota Attorney General Chris Barden

Republican Activist Andy Brehm

Republican Activist Ward Brehm

Former State Representative Laura Brod

Republican Activist Mike Campbell

Former Chairman, Republican Party of Minnesota Ron Eibensteiner

Republican Activist John Frydenlund

Republican Activist Matthew Gall

Republican Activist and co-founder, Cool Conservative Betsy Gall

Former Chairman, Minnesota College Republicans Jake Grassel

Minnesota Republican Party 4th Congressional District Officer Mary Igo

Former Minnesota Republican Party 4th Congressional District Chair Pat Igo

Small Business Owner Gary Iocco

Former Minnesota Republican Party Vice-Chairwoman Chris Jacobson

Republican Activist Greg Johnson

Minnesota Republican Party BPOU Chair Pat Kaluza

Republican Activist Matt Kirkpatrick

Republican Activist Carrie Kirkpatrick

Former State Representative Paul Kohls

Republican Activist Lisa Laliberte Belak

Vice President of Trade Marketing, General Mills Lohr LeSueur

Minnesota Republican Party 8th Congressional District Chair Ted Lovdahl

Mayor of Brooklyn Park Jeff Lunde

Republican Activist Lynn McHale

Former National Committeeman & Chairman of Romney for President Steering Committee Jack Meeks

Former Executive Director, Minnesota Republican Party Corey Miltimore

Republican Activist William Opsahl

Republican Activist Andy Post

Republican Activist Jeff Quinnell

Chairman of the BPOU Chairs Joe Salmon

Former Treasurer, College Republican National Committee and 7th Congressional District Vice Chair Chris Tiedeman

Former Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Bob Weinholzer

Former BPOU Chair Janet Weir

Former BPOU Chair Gerald Woodley

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Former MN Republican Party Chair backs Ron Paul

Posted at 4:46 PM on February 3, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Ron Paul's campaign for president announced today that former Republican Party Chair Chris Georgacas is backing the Texas Congressman's campaign.

"In my many years in politics, I have learned that most candidates talk about small government and personal freedom, only to turn around and work for the exact opposite after election," Georgacas said in a statement. "But there is one man who is an exception to this depressing rule -- and that's Ron Paul. He has been thoroughly consistent to his principles throughout his service in Congress. What Ron Paul says exactly matches what he believes and what he does."

Georgacas was chair of the Minnesota Republican Party from 1993 to 1997. He is also an active fundraiser for Republican candidates and Republican causes. He chaired Tim Pawlenty's first campaign for governor in 2002 and Tom Emmer's unsuccessful campaign for governor in 2010.

He also directs Minnesotans for a Fair Redistricting, the non-profit group that is raising money for the Republican Party's redistricting efforts in Minnesota.

Ron Paul to campaign in Minnesota

Posted at 11:45 AM on February 2, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul is making a big push to win Minnesota's precinct caucuses.

Paul's campaign announced today that the Texas Congressman will campaign in the state on Saturday and Monday. He has town hall meetings scheduled for Rochester and Chanhassen and a rally at Bethel University on Saturday. Paul has also scheduled a town hall meeting in St. Cloud and a Minneapolis rally for Monday.

Paul is the third presidential candidate to visit the state in the lead up to the caucuses. Rick Santorum campaigned in Luverne on Monday. Mitt Romney visited Eagan on Wednesday.

Santorum is also scheduled to be in Bemidji Sunday.

Paul is working to secure his first statewide victory in the race for president. AP is reporting today that Paul is gambling on caucus states like Minnesota to amass delegates to support him at the Republican National Convention in August.

Minnesota's precinct caucuses are mostly a beauty contest since Tuesday's straw poll results do not bind the delegates at the convention. But a strong showing will help candidates usher their supporters through the caucus system.

Here's the schedule of Paul's events:

Saturday, February 4, 2012

11:00 a.m.
Rochester Town Hall
Mayo High School
1420 11th Avenue SE
Rochester, MN 55904-5306

2:00 p.m.
Chanhassen Town Hall
AutoMotorPlex
8200 Audubon Road
Chanhassen, MN 55317

5:30 p.m.
Bethel University Rally
Sponsor: College Republicans of Bethel University
Bethel University
3900 Bethel Drive
Arden Hills, MN 55112-6902

Monday, February 6, 2012

4:00 p.m.
St. Cloud Town Hall & Rally
St. Cloud River's Edge Convention Center
10 4th Avenue South
St. Cloud, MN 56301

7:00 p.m.
Minneapolis Rally
Minneapolis Convention Center
1301 2nd Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55403

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Coleman and Weber's Super PAC raises just $130,000

Posted at 10:15 AM on February 2, 2012 by Brett Neely (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - While some super PACs supporting Republican presidential candidates are reporting fundraising hauls in the tens of millions of dollars, a super PAC created by two plugged-in Minnesota Republicans to maintain GOP control of the House of Representatives has so far reported lackluster fundraising.

The Congressional Leadership Fund (read more about it here) raised just $130,000 since opening for business in October, according to the report the political action committee filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission. Its founders include former Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman and former Rep. Vin Weber, who both now work as lobbyists in Washington, DC.

Unlike regular political action committees, super PACs can raise and spend unlimited funds.

Of the money raised by this group, much came in the form of in-kind contributions from the American Action Network, another outside group founded by Coleman that played a big role in the 2010 midterm election. Other donors appear to be primarily lobbyists and trade associations. So far, none of the group's expenditures have been on campaign ads or House races.

The low haul is surprising insofar as the super PAC's inaugural fundraiser included appearances by top members of the House Republican leadership, including Speaker John Boehner. While the group is legally independent of the GOP and not supposed to coordinate with party's campaign committees, its chief political strategist served in the same role for House Republican campaign committee in 2010.

In a January interview, Coleman said he launched the fund as a response to a similar vehicle created by Democrats, the House Majority PAC. That group has raised $3 million and been running ads in numerous districts nationwide, including ads targeted at first-term Minnesota Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack.

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Anoka-Hennepin teacher, school board member to run for MN Senate

Posted at 10:58 AM on February 1, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

From MPR's Tom Weber...

One of the first teachers in the Anoka-Hennepin school district to publicly criticize a controversial sexual orientation policy is running for Minnesota State Senate. Jefferson Fietek, of Anoka, also has been active in efforts to combat bullying, especially the bullying of LGBT students.

Fietek became an oft-quoted source for reporters over the past two years, as the district rose to national media attention in the wake of student suicides, which critics have partially blamed on the so-called 'neutrality policy.' That policy requires teachers to remain neutral if the subject of sexual orientation comes up in class; it has since become the subject of two federal lawsuits.

Supporters maintain the neutrality policy assures a 'pro-homosexual agenda' will not infiltrate district classrooms. Opponents say it's a vague policy that creates a hostile environment for gay and lesbian students. School board members will consider a replacement for that policy this month, though they say the lawsuits are not the reason for the replacement.

Jefferson Fietek teaches at Anoka Middle School for the Arts; he plans to run as a DFLer in District 49. The seat is currently held by first-term Republican Sen. Michelle Benson.

Another person with ties to the Anoka district also plans to run for senate, in a separate district. John Hoffman, the vice-chair of the Anoka-Hennepin school board, plans to run as a DFLer in the 47th district.

Hoffman, of Champlin, has created a campaign committee with the state campaign finance board. He says he plans a formal announcement soon, though he posted his first campaign video this week.

The District 47 seat is currently held by first-term Republican Benjamin Kruse, who unseated longtime DFLer Leo Foley in 2010.

Bachmann camp says it has no plans to endorse Romney

Posted at 9:40 AM on February 1, 2012 by Mark Zdechlik (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty

UPDATE: Statement from Congresswoman Bachmann:

"Let me be absolutely clear -- there are absolutely no negotiations between me and the Romney campaign regarding any pending endorsement of Governor Romney. I continue to speak with all the candidates and plan on uniting behind the presumptive nominee. The Boston Globe article today is completely false and I call on the Globe to retract their article."

Original post:

A spokesman for Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is shooting down speculation that Bachmann might endorse former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

"There is no truth to any of the rumors that Mrs. Bachmann is going to endorse Romney today or in he near future," said Bachmann political advisor Guy Short.

Short said Bachmann is not in Minnesota today and that, "there are no negotiations going on between her and the Romney campaign."

Bachmann dropped out of the presidential race in early January after a poor finish in the Iowa causes. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty dropped out of the in mid-August, and then endorsed Romney in mid-September. Since then Pawlenty has been campaigning for Romney.

Pawlenty is set to appear with Romney early Wednesday afternoon at a business in Eagan.

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Congressional fundraising numbers streaming in

Posted at 4:10 PM on January 31, 2012 by Brett Neely (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON - Incumbents and challengers for federal offices are filing their required quarterly fundraising reports.

Here's a quick summary of what's in the filings. One caveat: these numbers don't include contributions to leadership political action committees and joint fundraising committees. Those are separate legal entities that many of the Minnesota delegation members have but those figures are reported separately.

As reported by MPR News, the biggest news out from the reports is that GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign ended 2011 deep in the red. Just a few days into 2012, she dropped out and will now have to dig out out of at least $447,000 in debt as she runs for re-election in the 6th District.

Minnesota's other Republican House members remain strong fundraisers. Rep. Erik Paulsen pulled in more than $316,000 in the last quarter of the year, raising almost $1.4 million for the year. His campaign war chest now holds $1 million.

Paulsen's DFL challengers, Brian Barnes and Sharon Sund, have not yet filed reports with the Federal Election Commission.

Republican Rep. John Kline raised $260,000 in the last quarter and topped the $1 million mark for the year. He's sitting on $860,000 and currently has no declared DFL opponents.

First-term Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack grossed $206,000 from October to December and over $750,000 for the year. He has $515,000 cash on hand. Only one of Cravaack's three declared DFL challengers has filed a report with the FEC. Duluth City Council member Jeff Anderson raised $22,000 and has $13,000 in the bank. UPDATE: Former state Sen. Tarryl Clark reported raising $161,000 in the fourth quarter ($530,000 for the year). Clark's campaign did not report how much cash it had in hand and its report was not immediately availave from the FEC. Clark's campaign said she has $273,000 on hand. Rick Nolan reported $60,013 in the 4th Quarter. He has $35,867 in the bank.

On the DFL side, Sen. Amy Klobuchar's campaign for re-election this November has not yet released her quarterly report but had $4 million in the bank as of Sept. 30. UPDATE: Klobuchar's campaign reported raising a million dollars* in the last quarter and just under $6 million across her election cycle. She has $4.6 million in the bank.

Dan Severson, one of her three declared GOP rivals, raised $45,000 in the fourth quarter and has $34,000 in cash.

Minneapolis DFL Rep. Keith Ellison pulled in $243,000 in the last three months of the year and has $142,000 in his campaign war chest. Ellison raised about $820,000 for the whole year.

First District Rep. Tim Walz raised $210,000, making 2011 a million dollar fundraising year for the former teacher. His campaign has $617,000 in the bank. Two of Walz's three Republican challenger Allen Quist raised $6,200 for the entire year. A third opponent, Mike Parry, has not yet released his fundraising totals. Republican Mike Parry's FEC report says he raised $32,585 in the 4th Quarter and has $29k in the bank.

DFL Rep. Betty McCollum's haul for the fourth quarter was $128,000. For the year, McCollum pulled in more than $430,000 and has $175,000 on hand. Her only declared Republican challenger, Daniel Flood, raised less than $4,000 for the year and has $29,182 in the bank.

Longtime DFL Rep. Collin Peterson has not yet filed his reports with the FEC but raised $114,000 and sits on $450,000 in cash. Republican challenger Lee Byberg raised $54,000 ($155,000 for the entire year) and has $128,000 on hand but also reports $76,000 in debts.

*NOTE An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated Klobuchar's fundraising. The correct number is just over a million dollars, not $919,000 as first stated.

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Florida Congressman Allen West to headline Republican Party dinner

Posted at 1:11 PM on January 31, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Political parties, U.S. House

The Republican Party of Minnesota announced today that Florida Congressman Allen West will headline the party's annual Lincoln Reagan dinner in March.

Republican Party Chair Pat Shortridge praised West as a "great American" who works to control government spending.

"His commitment to our conservative principles and dedication to getting to work in Washington, not to mention his distinguished military service, have earned him the admiration and respect of Republicans throughout our country. We are pleased to announce that Congressman West will join us in March to speak at our annual Lincoln Reagan Dinner, and we are anxious to hear from him,"

West has been a controversial figure who is beloved by Tea Party members but is criticized by Democrats. He said last year that Rep. Keith Ellison, DFL-MN, represents the "antithesis of the principles upon which this country was established." He also called Islam a "totalitarian political ideology." Ellison, who is a Muslim, issued a statement after the criticism calling for a more "respectful and productive dialogue."

The annual Lincoln Reagan Dinner is a key fundraising event for the Republican Party. It typically features high profile Republicans.

Campaign Finance officials dismiss complaint against Thompson

Posted at 12:49 PM on January 31, 2012 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Political parties

The Minnesota Campaign Finance Board has dismissed a complaint against state Sen. Dave Thompson, R-Lakeville. The DFL Party filed the complaint after MPR News reported that Thompson received $78,000 in consulting fees since 2009 from the Republican Party of Minnesota. Democrats said Thompson should have disclosed the income to the finance board.

But the board said it won't investigate the complaint. In a letter, Gary Goldsmith, executive director of the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board, wrote that Thompson didn't have to disclose the funds because he wasn't "an employee" of the party.

"The Board has recognized that self-employed individuals operating as sole proprietors do not typically have one of the statutorily required relationships with their clients. In view of that recognition, the Statement of Economic Interest form provided by the Board indicates that disclosure of independent contractor income is not required."

Thompson issued a statement praising the decision.

"I complied with all disclosure requirements. Therefore, I am not surprised by the Board's decision. Still, it is gratifying to see a clear statement from Mr. Goldsmith concluding that the Complaint does not even provide a basis for an investigation."

DFL Party Chair Ken Martin issued a statement saying Thompson used a "legal loophole" to avoid disclosure.

"Today's ruling by the Campaign Finance Board draws attention to a legal loophole that has allowed elected leaders like Senator Thompson to sidestep disclosure requirements that are there to make campaigns and government more transparent. This loophole needs to be closed immediately."

Martin said he wanted to see the Legislature change the law to require lawmakers to disclose all income. Rep. Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley, said today that he would push for such a measure.

Here's the letter from the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board:

Finance Board Letter 120131

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Romney to campaign in Minnesota on Wednesday

Posted at 10:04 PM on January 30, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Tim Pawlenty

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has scheduled a campaign stop in Minnesota on Wednesday. Romney, a former governor from Massachusetts, will hold a campaign event in Eagan on Wednesday afternoon. He's making the appearance with former Gov. Tim Pawlenty at the FreightMasters building in Eagan.

Romney's visit comes two days after Rick Santorum touched down in Minnesota. Santorum made a campaign stop tonight in Luverne, MN. It will also be the day after Florida's primary.

The GOP presidential hopefuls are making Minnesota a priority as the state's precinct caucuses approach. The Republican Party of Minnesota will hold a nonbinding straw poll at the Feb. 7 precinct caucuses. The event will be important for candidates looking to showcase their viability but will mean little in the all-important delegate count. That's because the straw poll will not bind the delegates at the national convention.

You can find more info on Romney's event here.

Brodkorb hires another lawyer

Posted at 1:50 PM on January 30, 2012 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

Former Minnesota Senate Communications Director Michael Brodkorb has hired the legal firm of Villaume & Schiek. Even though he has yet to file a lawsuit, the firm says it will serve as co-counsel with attorney Greg Walsh.

Philip Villaume, who is an expert in employment law, told MPR News today that Brodkorb is reviewing his legal options regarding his dismissal.

Brodkorb was fired a few hours after it was revealed that former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch had an "inappropriate relationship" with a male staffer. Koch resigned her position as majority leader one day before the allegations surfaced. The identity of the staffer has not been disclosed. Walsh said "no comment" when asked if Brodkorb was the staffer in question.

Villaume said Brodkorb will not be filing a lawsuit against Koch but may sue the Minnesota Senate and the State of Minnesota.

"We're in the process of looking at the option of litigation but we'd like to mediate the matter before we litigate it," Villaume said. He also said Dayle Nolan with the law firm of Larkin Hoffman is representing the Minnesota Senate as outside counsel in the matter.

Cal Ludeman, who serves as the Secretary of the Minnesota Senate,was unavailable to comment on the hiring of outside counsel and how much it's costing the state. Senate Republican Caucus spokesman Steve Sviggum said he didn't know about the hiring of the firm but would look into it.

Update:
Cal Ludeman, who serves as Secretary of the Minnesota Senate, confirmed to MPR News that he hired Nolan to represent the Senate. He said he has the authority to hire outside counsel in his role as Secretary of the Senate. Citing attorney/client privilege, Ludeman said he didn't have to provide a copy of the contract. But he said he would have to detail any public money that is spent on the attorney.

"We're not to the point of receiving any invoice or any billing about that," Ludeman said. "When we do we'll be telling the leadership of the State Senate and the rest of the world what those costs are."

Ludeman also responded no when asked whether they would pursue mediation regarding Brodkorb's dismissal. He said they're still trying to figure out what, if any, legal action Brodkorb will take.

"We don't even know what this is about," Ludeman said.

Ludeman told MPR News last month (and again today) that the Senate dismissed Brodkorb because he was an "at-will" employee who worked for Sen. Koch. He said the will was no longer there to keep Brodkorb on staff when Koch stepped down. "At-will" means employees can be fired at any time, without warning for nearly any reason.

Here's the release from Villaume's firm:

(Bloomington, MN) - Today, the law firm of Villaume & Schiek, P.A. announced they have been retained by Mr. Michael B. Brodkorb to serve as co-counsel in representing Mr. Brodkorb in potential legal action related to his employment at the Minnesota Senate. Attorneys with Villaume & Schiek, P.A. will work with Gregory Walsh with the law firm of Walsh & Gaertner, P.A., as was previously announced.

"As stated by Mr. Walsh, we've been ascertaining details surrounding events leading up to and immediately following Mr. Brodkorb's departure from the Minnesota Senate and our client has been reviewing his legal options," said Mr. Villaume.

"If the decision were made to purse legal action against the Minnesota Senate, former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch would not be the defendant of any litigation. Our firms look forward to working with counsel recently retained by the Minnesota Senate to resolve any legal issues related to Mr. Brodkorb's employment with minimal disruption to the current legislative session," concluded Mr. Villaume.

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Super PAC targets Cravaack

Posted at 10:01 AM on January 30, 2012 by Brett Neely (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - Super PACs, the lightly regulated political action committees that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, have landed in Minnesota and first-term Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack is the target.

A liberal group called CREDO Mobile says it's launching a "multi-million dollar" organizing campaign in Minnesota to unseat Cravaack, along with five other House Republicans in other states. The group is affiliated with Working Assets, a for-profit company that offers phone service and credit cards that promises the profits from those businesses are invested in liberal causes.

In a press release, the group called Cravaack one of "the worst members of Congress" and cited Cravaack's family's move to New Hampshire last year as evidence that he is not committed to Minnesota. Other targets of the group include Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffey and Iowa Rep. Steve King.

The group raised more than $567,000 in 2011, according to Federal Election Commission data and spent $331,000.

MPR News has contacted Cravaack's reelection campaign for a comment.

"It's no surprise that Nancy Pelosi and San Francisco progressives are attacking Chip for standing up for the interests of Minnesota middle-class families," said Cravaack political adviser Ben Golnik in an email. "Chip has stayed above the fray and remains focused on creating more jobs for the 8th District. He will continue to work with his colleagues on bipartisan, common-sense solutions to the problems facing our country."

Cravaack unseated long-time DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar in 2010 in a surprise upset. Democrats see him as one of the most vulnerable House Republicans in next November's election, and his district was also singled out recently by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as part of its "Red to Blue" campaign to win more Democratic House seats.

Outside groups began launching ads for and against Cravaack in the 8th District not long after he took office last January.

DFLers Jeff Anderson, Tarryl Clark and Rick Nolan are vying for the DFL nomination to challenge Cravaack.

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Santorum to campaign in Luverne, MN on Monday

Posted at 10:28 PM on January 29, 2012 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Presidential candidate Rick Santorum will be campaigning in Minnesota this week. The former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania is scheduled to hold a town hall meeting at a Pizza Ranch in Luverne, MN.

Santorum's trip comes one day before the Florida primary. He has decided to stop campaigning in that state and start campaigning in other states. He's making campaign stops in Missouri, Minnesota, Colorado and Nevada over the next two days. Santorum took a break from campaigning over the weekend to be with his child in a Philadelphia hospital.

Santorum is the first candidate to make a campaign stop in Minnesota in the lead up to Minnesota's Feb. 7 precinct caucuses. Texas Congressman Ron Paul made a stop in the state in November.

Minnesota's precinct caucuses are not expected to garner a ton of attention from the presidential hopefuls. That's because the party's straw poll is nonbinding, which means delegates at the Republican National Convention do not have to stick with the decisions that are made during the state's straw poll.

Here are the details of Monday's visit:

7:30pm CT: Senator Santorum will host a town hall meeting in Luverne, MN.

Location:
Pizza Ranch
110 East Main Street
Luverne, MN

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Poll: Dayton gets high marks, state lawmakers not so much...

Posted at 4:42 PM on January 27, 2012 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, Marriage Amendment, Vikings stadium

The latest Public Policy Polling survey says 53 percent of those polled approve of the job Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton is doing. Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature are faring much worse. 23 percent of those polled view them negatively. The poll says Democrats in the Legislature are winning in a generic ballot against their GOP opponents but the DFL approval numbers aren't much better than Republicans. Just 31 percent of those surveyed have a favorable opinion of Democrats.

The poll also shows that the constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman is close. 48 percent of those surveyed say the support the ban on same-sex marriage. 44 percent are opposed to it.

59 percent of those surveyed also don't support any public money going to a new Vikings stadium but that's only if the team stays in Minnesota. Public opinion appears to shift if public money is the only way it will keep the team in the state. 46 percent of those polled say they'd support public money for a stadium if "that's what it took to keep the Vikings in Minnesota."

Read the full poll here.

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Gen Olson confirms she will retire

Posted at 4:11 PM on January 26, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

From MPR's Tom Weber...

State Sen. Gen Olson, R-Minnetrista, confirmed to MPR news on Thursday that she will retire at the end of her term this year.

"That's old news at this point," she said, adding that she had announced her plans at her party caucuses two years ago. Indeed, her plans were well-known to education lobbyists and other politicos at the Capitol, but there had never been a formal announcement. "It wasn't a press release, or anything like that," she said. "It was to the people in my district, and word has spread since."

This marks Olson's 30th year in elective office, a "pretty long time," she noted, "for something I never aspired to do."

Olson, whose district includes a portion of the west metro, became chair of the Senate Education Committee in 2011, when the GOP took control of the Legislature.

She ran for U.S. Senate in 1994 but lost the nomination to Rod Grams at the state convention; in 1998, she was the endorsed candidate for Lt. Governor, running with Republican Norm Coleman, who lost to Jesse Ventura.

Olson also had significant health issues late last year; she was in intensive care for several days after having her spleen removed. She says she's recovering, adding the surgery helped restore her energy.

Olson isn't the only key voice on education matters leaving the Legislature this year. State Rep. Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville, announced her retirement last week. She's the top-ranking Democrat on the Education Finance committee, a panel she chaired before the GOP won control of the Legislature in the 2010 election.

Poll: Obama leads Romney and Gingrich in Minnesota

Posted at 3:35 PM on January 26, 2012 by Brett Neely (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

WASHINGTON - Minnesota has given its electoral votes to Democrats in every presidential election since 1972, and at least so far it looks like 2012 might stick to that pattern. A new poll shows that President Obama has a commanding lead in Minnesota over his two most likely rivals for the Republican nomination.

The latest Public Policy Polling survey of 1,236 Minnesota voters shows that Obama leads former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, drawing support from 51 percent compared to 41 percent for Romney. Obama leads former House Speaker Newt Gingrich 54-39 percent. The president also leads former Sen. Rick Santorum 52-40 and Texas Congressman Ron Paul 51-38.

PPP notes that Obama's support has declined since the firm last surveyed Minnesota voters in May 2011. The firm is considered Democratic-leaning but has a reputation for accuracy.

While Obama has begun to visit potential battleground states and his campaign has also begun to purchase ads in those states, this latest round of polling suggests Minnesota will remain a peripheral part of the presidential campaigns this year.

You can see more about the poll here.

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Poll: Gingrich leads in MN

Posted at 1:14 PM on January 25, 2012 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

Public Policy Polling says former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is leading the field of Republican presidential candidates. The poll of 303 likely Caucus goers found that Gingrich has an 18 point lead over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

The poll found that Gingrich has the support of 36 percent of those polled. Romney garnered support from 18 percent. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum received 17 percent support. Texas Congressman Ron Paul received 13 percent. 15 percent of those polled said they aren't sure.

Pollster Tom Jensen says the poll is good news for Gingrich since he's winning among several groups including self-described Tea Partiers, non-Tea Partiers, self-described Republicans and independents. But he said Gingrich shouldn't get too comfortable because many of those polled are open to changing their minds.

"The race in Minnesota is incredibly fluid," Jenson wrote. "15% of voters are undecided and out of the 85% who do have a current preference, 63% say they could change their minds between now and the caucus in two weeks. That leaves almost 70% of the electorate up for grabs in the closing stretch and it seems likely that the Florida results could have a significant result on the psyche of Minnesota voters. If Romney comes back to win in the Sunshine State it could result in significant improvement in his Minnesota numbers."

You can read the full poll here.

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Bachmann to seek fourth term in U.S. House

Posted at 11:38 AM on January 25, 2012 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Marriage Amendment, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House

Bachmann campaigns in Iowa. (AP Photo)

With MPR's Brett Neely.

Rep.Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., announced today she's running for re-election to Congress after ending her presidential bid earlier this month. The announcement ends weeks of speculation that Bachmann might leave Congress after her term ends.

Bachmann ended her presidential bid earlier this month after a fifth place finish in the Iowa Caucus. After the defeat, there was speculation that she might leave Congress when her term ends. Bachmann told reporters today that she plans to focus on her work in the House of Representatives.

"I laid everything on the line in the last election because I saw how severe this spending crisis is in the United States," Bachmann said. "This debt crisis, it's impacting national security. I think people recognize that I'm an extremely hard worker and that I've represented their values."

When asked if she would seek a leadership position among House Republicans, she said no.

"I'm more concerned about the issues," Bachmann said. "I'm more concerned about turning the economy around and protecting the safety of the American people than I am about a leadership position."

But Bachmann does face hurdles - she's lost some key staffers, her campaign coffers are likely close to empty and a recent statewide poll suggests that Minnesota voters have developed a negative impression of her.

Another factor is what her congressional district might look like. A court panel is scheduled to release a new set of political boundaries next month as a result of the once a decade redistricting process. Bachmann currently represents the 6th District which will see significant changes because of its fast growing population.

(Listen to what Bachmann said to reporters this morning: Listen)

DFL Party Chair Ken Martin issued a statement criticizing Bachmann.

"Rep. Michele Bachmann has done absolutely nothing for the people of Minnesota's Sixth District in the last year. Since September 2011, she has missed over 90 percent of the votes in Congress.

Instead, she was flying around the country and catering to her Tea Party friends as part of her failed bid for president. The American people have overwhelmingly rejected her extreme right wing agenda, and the people of Minnesota have shown the same dissatisfaction.

It is time for Michele Bachmann to put her Tea Party initiatives aside and finally start working for the people of her district.

Recent poll numbers show a record high disapproval rating for Representative Bachmann because her right wing agenda, radical policies and extreme rhetoric are not what Americans or Minnesotans want. The poll numbers are clear, almost 60 percent of Minnesotans say Bachmann should not run for re-election."

National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) issued a statement praising Bachmann for her decision to run again.

"Michele Bachmann is a powerful conservative voice in America, and I am very pleased that she has chosen to run for re-election to the House of Representatives in 2012. Michele is a dedicated public servant who will continue standing up for the Constitution and free enterprise principles on behalf of hard-working Minnesota families.

Michele understands that the greatness of America lies in the freedom and opportunity of its people - not the size of its government. I applaud her tireless fight to repeal ObamaCare and reduce the size and cost of government so that Americans can create their own prosperity. I join House Republicans in welcoming Michele's continued service in Congress and look forward to working with her in the years ahead."

Bachmann's decision brings some certainty to a Republican Party that has been speculating about her future. She could help deliver votes for state and federal candidates in 2012, since she has worked to elect them in past election cycles. She is also heavily supported by Christian conservatives and could help deliver votes for a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

Update: Minnesota Republican Party Chair Pat Shortridge issued this statement on Bachmann's decision:

"Congresswoman Bachmann has worked extremely hard on behalf of Republican principles for the past three terms in Congress. She continues to fight for limited, Constitutional government, personal freedom, traditional values, and a strong and secure America. We are thankful to have her on our side and confident in what she will continue to accomplish on our behalf in Washington," said MNGOP Chairman Pat Shortridge.

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Senate starts session with partisan fight over finances

Posted at 3:57 PM on January 24, 2012 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

Lawmakers were hoping to start the 2012 legislative session in a less contentious manner than they ended the 2011 session (which resulted in a 20 day government shutdown).

Leaders had hoped to get off on a good start. Newly elected Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, started session welcoming the Senate's three new members.

"Welcome to the Senate family," Senjem said on the Senate floor. "This is family. This is the mother church of state government as far as I'm concerned and it is and will always be."

The pleasantry lasted less than two hours. Following the pomp and circumstance of the opening floor session, Senjem chaired a Senate Rules Committee that voted to cut $2.6 million from the Senate budget. The cuts, which were enacted last summer, come at the expense of Democrats. The committee voted on a party line vote to cut $444,400 in minority staff over the next two years. The fight over internal finances angered some Democrats who said Republicans were cutting the Senate budget at their expense.

"You can sugarcoat this all you want," Sen. Keith Langseth, DFL-Glyndon, said. "It's an unfair action being taken by the majority against the minority just because you have the votes to do it."

Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk says the budget cuts will result in a cut of 12 to 14 members. Republicans say DFLers can manage the budget in a way that would not result in staff cuts.

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DFL Party files complaint against state senator

Posted at 1:14 PM on January 23, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Political parties

Minnesota DFL Party Chair Ken Martin has filed a complaint with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board against Sen. Dave Thompson, R-Lakeville, for failing to disclose money he received from the state Republican Party.

MPR News reported last week that the Republican Party paid Thompson $70,000 over the last two years. Martin said Thompson should have disclosed the income, which is required by law. He also said he finds it questionable that the Republican Party paid Thompson while he was running for office.

"I don't think political parties should be putting candidates for office on their payroll," Martin said. "I don't know what the illegalities of that are but clearly I think there are some ethical questions that need to be answered there."

The Republican Party of Minnesota started paying Thompson before he announced he was running for the Senate.

Thompson said today he was reviewing the complaint, but told MPR News last week that he was paid to do media consulting and write opinion pieces for the party. He said he did not view it as a conflict of interest.

Update: Thompson released this statement:

"On Monday, January 23, 2012 Chairman Ken Martin filed a complaint against me with the Campaign finance and Public Disclosure Board, alleging failure to properly disclose income earned from The Republican Party of Minnesota.

"I started work as an independent contractor on October 1, 2009. Of course the fees paid to me were fully disclosed by the Party as required by law, and therefore were public knowledge. However, independent contractor income is not to be disclosed by candidates. The form specifically states, 'do not include payments for services as an independent contractor, social security payments, unemployment compensation, workers' compensation, pension benefits, income from rental property, or insurance benefits.'"

Senate staff say non-partisan Senate Counsel confirmed for Senator Thompson that payment for independent contractor services was not to be disclosed.

Walz raises $210K in fourth quarter, tops $1 million for 2011

Posted at 11:15 AM on January 23, 2012 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - DFL Rep. Tim Walz's congressional campaign raised $210,000 in the last quarter of 2011 and collected just over a million dollars for the entire year. The 1st District congressman's campaign says he has $617,000 cash in the bank.

While official fundraising numbers aren't due to the Federal Election Commission until Jan. 31, some campaigns release their numbers early to demonstrate to supporters, donors and rivals the strength of their fundraising.

Walz was first elected to in Congress in 2006 after defeating Republican incumbent Gil Gutknecht. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee views Walz as a "front line" candidate who gets additional financial and staff support from the national party to defend his seat.

State Sen. Mike Parry, R- Waseca, and former Republican state Rep. Allen Quist are seeking the GOP nomination to run against Walz.

Ron Paul campaign to make 'substantial' ad buy in MN

Posted at 4:17 PM on January 20, 2012 by Brett Neely (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

WASHINGTON - Even as all eyes are on tomorrow's Republican presidential primary in South Carolina, Texas Rep. Ron Paul has set his sights on Minnesota, where his campaign plans a "substantial" TV ad purchase ahead of the state's caucuses on Feb. 7. Paul's campaign is also buying ads in Nevada which holds its caucus on Feb. 4.

The heavy metal-themed ad entitled, "Big Dog," asks, "What's up with these sorry politicians? Lots of bark but when it's showtime, whimpering like little shih tzus."

Unlike his GOP rivals, Paul's campaign strategy is to accumulate delegates loyal to him at this summer's Republican convention by performing well in caucuses. Paul has an army of devoted supporters who he's hoping will turn out and support his insurgent candidacy.

In contrast, other candidates such as Mitt Romney are hoping to secure the nomination by winning big in primaries, which often feature winner-take-all delegates.

"Running ads in the key early voting states of Nevada and Minnesota is part of our delegate strategy to secure the Republican nomination. Both states present opportunities for a strong top-three showing in their upcoming caucuses," said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton.

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Labor union targets Cravaack with radio ads

Posted at 1:55 PM on January 17, 2012 by Brett Neely (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - The Communications Workers of America union has launched a series of radio ads to pressure first-term Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack to break ranks with the GOP and oppose several union-related provisions to a bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration's work.

The FAA bill has been held up in Congress because House Republicans want the measure to include new rules on union elections that would count non-participating voters as "no" votes. The Democratic-controlled Senate opposes that change to the union election rules.

The CWA ads blame Cravaack, along with fellow freshman Republican Sean Duffy, who represents a neighboring district in Wisconsin, for the standoff and say the pair are "weighing down this important bill with an unrelated, controversial provision."

Before coming to Congress, Cravaack worked as a pilot for Northwest Airlines and was a union steward who took part in labor negotiations. In his year in office, Cravaack has occasionally voted for some union-backed provisions and outreach to union voters will likely be a major component of his re-election campaign this fall.

MPR News contacted Cravaack's office for a comment about the ads but has not yet received a response.

Here's Cravaack's response to the ads:

"This labor provision should not hold up a long-term funding bill that American workers desperately need. We're going to have to find middle ground to get this done. It's unfortunate that a long-term funding bill that will create jobs and give workers some certainly in their family budgets has been held hostage by special interests. I urge the CWA to give Senate leaders permission to negotiate a compromise for the sake of American workers and families."

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Sviggum to Minnesota Senate Caucus

Posted at 5:17 PM on January 16, 2012 by Catharine Richert (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

Former Minnesota House Speaker Steve Sviggum will be spokesman for the Minnesota Senate Caucus.

He starts his new job on Tuesday, Jan. 17. In the position, Sviggum will also serve as executive assistant to the caucus.

Sviggum will keep his position on the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents through the end of his six-year term. He was elected to the position in 2011.

The caucus lost its top spokesman, Michael Brodkorb, late last year. Brodkorb was fired a day after his boss, former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, stepped down from her leadership position amid allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a staffer.

Here's the press release:

The Senate Republican Caucus announced Monday that former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives Steve Sviggum will officially serve as Executive Assistant to the Majority Caucus and as caucus Communications Director.

Senate Majority Leader David Senjem (R-Rochester) announced the appointment today as the Senate prepares for the 2012 legislative session to begin next week. Sen. Senjem stated, "Speaker Sviggum served with credibility and honor for many years. His experience and leadership is unparalleled, and he will be an invaluable asset to the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus. This unique opportunity gives us the ability to capitalize on Steve's experience, knowledge of the press, successful decision making skills, and relationships he has created over many years of service."

"The Senate Republican Caucus is a governing body that is managing Minnesota very well," Mr. Sviggum commented after the appointment. "They have helped take Minnesota from an over $5 billion budget deficit to a significant surplus. That's good news for Minnesota and Minnesotans. The Senate Republican majority is definitely moving our state in the right direction; this is an exciting opportunity."

Steve Sviggum was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1978, and served as Minority Leader from 1993 to 1999 and as Speaker from 1999 to 2007. In 2007, he was appointed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty to serve as Commissioner of Labor and Industry. In December 2010, he was appointed to serve as Commissioner of the Minnesota Management and Budget Office, where he served until Gov. Pawlenty left office in January 2011. Mr. Sviggum is currently a member of the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents, where he will continue to serve his six year term.

Majority Leader Senjem added, "We will begin the session next week with a continued focus on prudent decision making concerning the state budget and fiscal situation. That, coupled with job growth, government redesign, and accountability to the citizens, will be the themes of this legislative session. It's our desire that the legislature adjourn before the May deadline, with the best interests of Minnesotans having been in the hearts and minds of every decision-maker at the capitol."

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Watchdog group files complaint against state Republican Party

Posted at 11:59 AM on January 11, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Political parties

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint today with the Federal Election Commission against the Republican Party of Minnesota. The group says the Republican Party of Minnesota and its former chair Tony Sutton hid the party's debts. The complaint said the party failed to adequately report its debt even though it admitted in August that it committed the same violation in 2006.

"The Republican Party of Minnesota's FEC reports haven't reflected the party's actual financial condition for nearly a decade and make a mockery of the public's right to know," said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan. "There appears to be ample evidence Mr. Sutton, repeatedly lied to FEC investigators for years to achieve the party's political goals."

Sutton resigned from the state party in early December after widespread criticism about the party's finances. Party officials announced later in the month that the Minnesota GOP could be up to $2 million in debt including $415,000 that was not previously reported.

Sloan also criticized the Federal Election Commission for failing to fully investigate the party's finances earlier.

"When CREW filed its initial complaint back in 2007 we asked the FEC to conduct a full audit of the RPM's finances, but the FEC declined," Sloan said. "If the commission had done its job, we wouldn't have to ask them to restart yet another botched investigation. Allowing such conduct to go unpunished reinforces the public's view that politics is a dirty, rigged game. The FEC continues to fail the American public."

No word yet on the Republican Party's response to the complaint, but RNC Committeeman Jeff Johnson said in December that the party would own up to its problems. He said party officials hired an attorney to work with the FEC on the problems and hoped that they wouldn't be fined because party officials brought the issue to light.

UPDATE:
Here's a statement released by Republican Party Chair Pat Shortridge:

"As part of the Republican Party of Minnesota's internal review of party finances, which we reported to the State Central Committee and released to the media on December 31, we discovered additional party debt. Following on that disclosure, we contacted the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) to self report that debt and seek guidance on how we should proceed. We are in the process of following those recommendations."

Common Cause Minnesota says the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board is also investigating the party's finances to see if there were any violations.

Democrats win big in special elections

Posted at 8:48 PM on January 10, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

Democrats running in special elections for the Minnesota Senate and the Minnesota House won convincingly tonight.

Democrat Kari Dziedzic garnered nearly 80 percent of the vote in the Minneapolis district that includes northeast Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota. Dziedzic replaces Democrat Larry Pogemiller who left his position to direct the Office of Higher Education.

Democrat Susan Allen won 55 percent of the vote in her Minneapolis district. Allen, who will be the first Native American woman to serve in the Minnesota Legislature, replaces Democrat Jeffrey Hayden who was recently elected to the Minnesota Senate.

Tonight's elections don't change the makeup of the Legislature. Republicans continue to hold the same majorities in both the House and Senate.

Disgusted by politics, Bill Cooper steps back a bit from political giving

Posted at 5:05 PM on January 2, 2012 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Political parties

Bill Cooper hasn't been shy about his political beliefs. The CEO of TCF Bank has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican causes. He's the former chair of the Minnesota Republican Party and has helped finance the conservative Taxpayers League of Minnesota and The Freedom Club.

But now, Cooper isn't as excited about giving to Republican causes.

"I've become more and more disgusted with the process," Cooper told MPR News.

His comments are bit jaw-dropping considering Cooper gave more $700,000 to the MNGOP, the Republican National Committee and other state Republican parties between 1994 and 2006. Some of those checks were for $100,000 or $200,000 a pop. But campaign finance records show that while Cooper still donates to individual candidates, he hasn't given to a political party since 2006, .

"The whole process bothers me," Cooper said. "We can't balance the budget here in Minnesota. Even though the (state) constitution requires it, we don't do it. We can't balance the budget in Washington. Both Democrats and Republicans. I'm frankly fed up with the whole process. I'm probably more of a libertarian than a Republican these days."

Cooper still gives to GOP candidates, however. He's given nearly $10,000 to GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann and her leadership Political Action Committee in 2011 and $5,000 to former MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty's federal PAC. Cooper's bank, TCF Bank, was a major donor in the 2010 cycle. TCF Bank gave $250,000 to The State Fund for Economic Growth. That committee donated the money to MN Forward, which worked to get Republican Tom Emmer elected governor, and the conservative Taxpayers League of Minnesota.

Cooper has also donated to Democrats over the past few years. He gave $1,000 to DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2009, $1,000 to Sen. Tim Johnson, D-SD, in 2010 and $500 to Sen. Jon Tester, D-MT, in 2011.

MPR News first contacted Cooper to discuss the Republican Party of Minnesota's finance problems. He said he didn't know enough to discuss the situation, but speaking as a former party chair who inherited a debt back in the 1990s, Cooper said it's harder to raise money to pay off loans than to support candidates.

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Republican Delegates elect Pat Shortridge MNGOP Chair

Posted at 12:06 PM on December 31, 2011 by Tom Scheck (5 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Political parties

Republican delegates elected political consultant Pat Shortridge as the next party chair of the Minnesota Republican Party. Shortridge won on the first ballot, receiving 66 percent of the vote. He defeated Second Congressional District Chair Terry McCall and businessman Todd McIntyre.

Shortridge will have some heavy lifting to do. He'll be expected to eliminate a party debt that could be as high as $2 million at a time when lower level contributions are down. Republicans are also heading into the 2012 election without a top tier U.S. Senate candidate to challenge DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

During his speech to delegates, Shortridge said he's optimistic the party will reverse its recent shortcomings.

"We have some management and structural and organizational issues that we can fix and fix them we will," Shortridge said. "Starting this afternoon and for the next ten months and the next ten years so we grow this party to be the long-term governing majority in Minnesota."

Shortridge has not specifically addressed how he would fix the party's debt. He said, however, that he would focus on identifying key Republican voters, improve the party's message and improve party research for candidates.

"We have to get back to the blocking and tackling that make us so successful and lets our guys win at the polls," Shortridge said.

Shortridge also said his top priorities are protecting Republican control of the Minnesota Legislature and protecting the four Republican incumbents in the U.S. House.

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GOP Party leaders urge unity as they confront debt

Posted at 11:14 AM on December 31, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Political parties

Minnesota Republican Party leaders are urging party unity today as they face a frustrated group of party activists who are wondering how the party ended up with a debt of nearly $2 million.

Roughly 350 GOP delegates are attending the State Central Committee meeting in St. Cloud this morning. They are scheduled to elect a new party chair but it comes as party officials are disclosing that the party's finances are much worse than previously reported.

"I know we have a trust issue," RNC Committeeman Jeff Johnson told the delegates. He said the party is working to disclose everything to ensure greater accountability.

"Even though that might not be politically smart, we decided we had to do that," Johnson said.

Johnson and Mike Vekich, an accountant who voluntarily did a financial review of the party's finances, discussed the party's debt to the delegates. They released the information on Friday with the hopes of giving delegates enough information to digest the information.

They say the party is roughly $1.9 million in debt. It includes $415 thousand in unreported debts, $717 in legal fees from the 2010 gubernatorial recount, $120 thousand in remaining FEC fines and $430 in previously reported debt.

Party leaders say they don't believe they're obligated to pay the legal fees from the recount but say "it's under legal review."

Members of the party's executive committee ramped up a review of the party's finances this month after Tony Sutton abruptly resigned earlier this month. Sutton hasn't returned calls to discuss the party's finances but issued a statement saying 2010 was a hard fought election in a difficult fundraising environment.

He has reportedly signed a letter obligating the party to pay the legal bills from the 2010 recount but party officials dispute that.

Vekich announced that the legal fees are $330 thousand to Trimble and Associates, $212 thousand to Briggs and Morgan and $175 thousand to Brian Cave and Associates.

Some delegates said they wanted greater detail.

"Where are the receipts? Where are the vouchers?," Bloomington delegate Jim Taylor asked party leaders. "I want to examine it now. I want to see it all. And can the other past chairs be held personally liable?"

Party leaders didn't say if they'll sue former leaders over the party's finances. They also said they are working with the Federal Election Commission with the hopes that the fines are not as severe because they're being open and honest.

"The hope is if we're coming to them that it would be a little bit more favorable," Johnson said.

Other delegates expressed frustration that the party's debt could be worse.

"Are all of the unknowns known?" Spring Lake Park resident Brian Senn asked.

Vekich said he believed they know all of the party's debts.

"There may be some unknowns but I believe the bulk of what is known is known," Vekich quipped.

Vekich also said they are working to see whether the party is responsible for any payments to a corporation created to host the Midwest Leadership Conference. Acting Chair Kelly Fenton also said she has written documentation that the party isn't responsible for any legal bills related to redistricting which was set up as a corporation as well.

Several delegates also questioned why a complete financial audit was not done on the party's books.

"We're going to have to find some money to do that," Johnson said about doing an audit. "It won't be cheap."

Johnson said, however, that they may do a spot check of any questionable receipts that have already been reported.

Acting Chair Kelly Fenton started the meeting by urging the delegates to come together as they head into 2012. It's a critical election year since the race for President, a U.S. Senate race, all eight congressional races and every legislative seat is on the ballot.

Fenton, who was elected Deputy Chair earlier this month, was forced to become Acting Chair when Sutton stepped down.

Fenton warned that the party has to do things differently in light of the party's difficult finances.

"We can't be all things to all people," Fenton said. She said the party needs to work better with grassroots activists and groups.

Sturrock resigns as Secretary-Treasurer of the MNGOP

Posted at 9:01 PM on December 30, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Political parties

Acting MNGOP Chair Kelly Fenton announced tonight that Secretary-Treasurer David Sturrock resigned his position today. Sturrock's role in the party has been heavily scrutinized over the past month as criticism mounted over the party's debt.

There was heavy speculation among GOP delegates that they may try to remove Sturrock from his position as tomorrow's State Central Committee meeting. In his resignation letter (below) Sturrock says he wasn't informed on some key financial decisions that were made over the past two years.

Delegates are scheduled to elect a new chair at tomorrow's meeting. Tony Sutton abruptly resigned as party chair earlier this month.

Sturrock's resignation means there is a completely different slate of party officials at the MNGOP heading into 2012.

Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb resigned in October (Fenton replaced Brodkorb). RNC Committeeman Brian Sullivan and RNC Committeewoman Evie Axdhal announced last January that they were resigning their positions as RNC Committeeman and RNC Committeewoman. (Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson replaced Sullivan and former State Auditor Pat Anderson replaced Axdahl.)

Here's Sturrock's resignation letter:

I am writing to inform you I will be resigning as Secretary-Treasurer of the Republican Party of Minnesota, effective upon the selection of my successor or January 19th, whichever occurs first.

The first and biggest job facing our new Chairman and Deputy Chair is to regain the confidence of activists, donors and voters in our ability to manage party finances. To that end I can offer continuity, experience and institutional memory, but our constituencies will be more interested in clear signs of rebuilding and renewal. A new Secretary-Treasurer will send a powerful message that such change is underway.
Given the work we face the party would do well to have a Secretary-Treasurer who can be present at key meetings, especially those called on short notice. This is a tall order when one lives 160 miles from RPM headquarters. Also, we would benefit from having someone with significant financial management experience. My departure will create the opportunity for such new leaders to emerge.

If future Secretary-Treasurers are to be meaningful assets to the Republican Party they will need to be informed more fully, and consulted more frequently, than has the been case over the past few administrations. In particular, they need to know when the party is entering into major financial commitments. For example, I was neither consulted nor informed about the attorney's regarding 2010 recount costs. Also, the unreported obligations identified by the current financial review were not known to me. If this resignation ensures that future Secretary-Treasurers receive the access and authority their position merits, then my departure will be a sacrifice happily borne.

A final thought: Never forget you are leaders in the Republican Party. Among other things, leadership means respect, courtesy, and self-restraint. Before you fire off a barbed e-mail or Facebook post, send a snarky tweet, leak a wild, unconfirmed rumor to the press, or phone in your fury to a late-night radio show, ask yourself: "Will this help build my party? Will it advance the conservative agenda?" If the answers are no, stop there. If it feels good, don't do it.

Thank you for the honor of serving as your Secretary-Treasurer. I am grateful for the chance to be part of our many recent accomplishments. Rest assured I will always be ready to answer the bell and help elect Republicans who will bring strong, principled conservative leadership to a state and country which deeply need them.

Sincerely,
David E. Sturrock

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A MNGOP executive committee member calls for wider audit

Posted at 5:25 PM on December 30, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Political parties

One of the members of the Republican Party of Minnesota's executive committee says he's going to push for a compete audit of the party's finances. Party leaders announced today that the MNGOP could be facing a debt of nearly $2 million. They were careful, however, to say that it was a financial review of the party's books and not an audit to see whether payments were appropriate.

Rick Weible, who sits on the 14 member executive committee, says he wants an audit done to ensure that donations to the party were appropriately spent.

"I don't have a warm and fuzzy feeling that everything is on the up and up," Weible told MPR News. "I can be completely in the wrong here but I'm not comfortable because a review has not been completed that gives me at least a comfortable feeling."

Weible also said he confronted MNGOP Treasurer/Secretary David Sturrock about the party's finances earlier this week. He said Sturrock told the executive committee that he didn't know the true extent of the debt because he didn't have all of the party's financial information.

"He basically stated that the invoices were hidden from him, he didn't review them and he didn't review bank statements," Weible said. "He then threw out a weak argument that distance was an issue."

Weible's comments were confirmed by other members of the executive committee. Sturrock, who lives in Marshall, did not return calls to MPR News. (Update: Sturrock resigned after this post was written).

Party leaders say they'll wait to see what the delegates and the new party chair want to do before considering a full audit.

Delegates are scheduled to elect a new chair tomorrow in St. Cloud. The three candidates for chair, Pat Shortridge, Terry McCall and Todd McIntyre did not return calls to MPR News to discuss the party's finances.

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DFL in the red too

Posted at 5:15 PM on December 30, 2011 by Tom Scheck (6 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Political parties

There has been a lot of attention given to the finances of the Republican Party. It should be noted, however, that the DFL Party is also facing a debt.

DFL Party Chair Ken Martin said the party has a debt of roughly $210 thousand heading into 2012. Martin said the party had a debt of $750 thousand at the start of 2011.

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Sutton says party debt a result of 2010 election

Posted at 3:29 PM on December 30, 2011 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Political parties

Former Minnesota Republican Party Chair Tony Sutton, who abruptly resigned his position earlier this month, issued a statement on his Facebook page defending the party's finances during his time in charge.

Sutton's statement came a few hours after members of the party's executive committee said the Minnesota GOP is nearly $2 million in debt.

Here's Sutton's statement:

"The Party's debt situation is a reflection of a hard fought election combined with a difficult small dollar fundraising environment. The legislative majorities won in 2010 were worth it and the people of this state are better off for those GOP majorities. I am confident that the Party will overcome its debt and have a successful 2012 election cycle."

Note: Sutton did not return a call today to discuss the party's finances.

Update: Sutton sent me an e-mail that included his statement. He also said he won't provide additional comment.

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Gingrich takes tough questions at Java Joe's

Posted at 1:30 PM on December 30, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa -- At Java Joe's, a coffee shop in downtown Des Moines decorated with pictures of presidential candidates past, Newt Gingrich said he's changed.

"I would say that I am a sadder and slower person than I was 25 years ago," Gingrich said in response to a question that alluded to his past marital problems. "Twenty-five years ago, I thought that if you just kept moving fast enough, somehow everything would always work. And I've learned a lot of limitations in life, that in fact, sometimes it doesn't work."

"I don't ask people to vote on whether they approve of my entire life," Gingrich said. "What I ask you to look at is a 68-year-old grandfather who has spent 53 years studying what this country needs and how to get it done."

Indeed, some voters in the audience say that Gingrich's personal past doesn't mean much to them.

"None of us can throw a stone, ok?" said Maria Murphey from Des Moines. As long as Gingrich has asked God for forgiveness and isn't continuing with his past behavior, then he's good in Murphey's book.

Others, including Georgia Musfeldt from Ankeny, say that other aspects of his past, including his consulting work for Freddie Mac, could come back to haunt him during Tuesday's caucuses.

"Considering how high he was in the polls to where he is now, I think Iowans have had a chance to think about it," she said. "They're tired of the corruption."

Gingrich was the leading candidate in Iowa just a few weeks ago, but he has dropped in the polls. In early December, some surveys had Gingrich snagging as much as 30 percent of the Republican vote here. Today, his Real Clear Politics average is 14 percent, coming in third or fourth place.

A barrage of negative ads airing here against Gingrich may have contributed to his decline. During his talk, Gingrich said he would be "ashamed" to run any of those spots.

One points out that he once supported a cap-and-trade plan to curb global warming, something the largely female group at Java Joe's wanted to hear more about.

In response to a question about how Gingrich would assure the mothers in the room that he would preserve a clean environment for their children, Gingrich said that he's all for preserving clean air and water.

"But I'm for cleaning them up at a rational level, in a way that's economically sustainable," he said. "What I wouldn't do is allow the [Environmental Protection Agency] to crush the electricity industry in this country, which will drive all manufacturing out of the United State and kill several million more jobs."

Another question came from a teacher who said she belongs to a union only for legal protections. Otherwise, she's not happy that some ineffective teachers are able to keep their jobs.

In response Gingrich said that states should adopt co-op insurance programs that compete with insurance offered by unions.

"That way you wouldn't have to be a union member in order to get the protection you need," which artificially boosts union membership, Gingrich said.

With the all-important "electability" question defining this year's Iowa caucuses, the audience also wanted to know how Gingrich planned to attract both Democratic and Independent voters in the general election.

Gingrich said he will draw on his past experience campaigning: keep things positive and pick issues that most Americans can agree on.

Take federal food assistance, Gingrich said.

"President Obama has been the most successful food stamp president in history," he said. "I don't mean that as an attack, I mean that as a fact."

MNGOP Party debt: "There is some ugly stuff in here."

Posted at 11:40 AM on December 30, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Political parties

The Republican Party of Minnesota is heading into 2012 facing a debt of nearly $2 million, although they say they're contesting more than $700 thousand in legal bills that make up part of that total.

Party leaders released an internal financial review today that shows the debt is much worse than previously reported. It includes $415 thousand in payments from the last three years that had not been reported and a $120 thousand fine from the Federal Election Commission. Republican National Committeeman Jeff Johnson says party officials wanted to get the full story out.

"The debt number is honestly higher than anyone wants it to be," Johnson said. "There is some ugly stuff in here. And Kelly (Fenton) and Mike (Vekich) both agreed strongly with this that we decided we were going to disclose everything that we owed, ugly or not ugly."

Former party chair Tony Sutton abruptly resigned last month. Republican Party members meet tomorrow to discuss the party's finances and to elect a new chair.

Listen to the full news conference here: Listen

In Ames, Romney is light on policy, heavy on personality

Posted at 8:27 PM on December 29, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Iowa

AMES, Iowa -- Mitt Romney showed up to his Ames, Iowa, campaign rally like most contenders for the Republican presidential nomination: in a bus.

But unlike the others, Romney's bus drove right into the warehouse where the rally was taking place. The former Massachusetts governor and his wife, Ann, emerged directly on to the stage.

Romney's Ames event was decidedly high-tech compared to the meet-and-greets of Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign, the coffee shop question and answer session Rick Perry held in Creston, and the straight forward policy talk Ron Paul gave at the Iowa Motor Speedway in Newton.

In contrast to his dramatic entrance, Romney kept his speech to several hundred people low-key and personal, with few details on the policies he'd implement as president. He opened his speech by talking about he met his wife and Romney family road trips.

Such personal tales are becoming regular fare during Romney's campaign stops; he's been criticized for being too stiff in person.

Still, Romney criticized President Barack Obama for instituting government policies that encroach on individual liberties. Those policies go against what the Founding Fathers had in mind for the country, Romney said.

"The dreams of the patriots, the way they crafted this country, what they built with our founding documents was not something just temporary," Romney told the crowd. "They would see beyond the years."

Romney then turned his rhetoric to the current administration.

"I think [Obama or the people around him] want to change America," Romney said. "This is not an election just to change presidents, it's an election to save the soul of America."

Romney also tried to paint himself as a political outsider, a tactic meant to separate him from some of his rivals, such as Newt Gingrich, who have long political careers. Though he gave few details, Romney argued that his business experience leading the private equity firm Bain Capital would help him grow jobs and the economy.

"I spent my life in the private sector, I spent my life in business," Romney said. "I've only spent four years in government. I didn't inhale."

Romney is at the top of the polls in Iowa, running neck-and-neck with Texas Rep. Ron Paul.

Marilyn Schager of Ames, Iowa says she's leaning toward voting for Romney for his stance on expanding jobs, rebuilding the economy, and spending less in Washington.

Romney's shifting views on abortion and health insurance mandates don't bother Schager.

"This was so many years ago. Our whole world has changed since 9/11. You cannot hold these people responsible because we had unlimited spending," Schager said after the event. "I want the one who is going to address the problems we have now, not what it was before 2001."

After taking a government class in high school this year, Kaiden Billings, 18, is excited to participating in the Iowa caucuses for the first time.

He's also leaning toward Romney for being detailed with his plans for the economy. Billings agrees that the government should be smaller and regulations should be eliminated to let companies grow.

And there's another reason: Billings went to the Salt Lake City Olympics, which Romney managed. And he was impressed.

"He did a great job with the Olympics," Billings said. "I think he could also fix our economy."

Photo by Jeff Thompson. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney addresses the crowd during a rally in Ames, Iowa, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011.

Sorenson speaks about departure from Bachmann campaign

Posted at 4:13 PM on December 29, 2011 by Catharine Richert (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Iowa, Michele Bachmann

This just in from Sen. Kent Sorenson, Rep. Michele Bachmann's former Iowa chair, who defected to the Ron Paul campaign last night.

Bachmann said yesterday that the move was financially motivated, which Sorenson said are "ridiculous allegations."

Here's the rest of his statement.

The Ron Paul 2012 Presidential campaign released the following statement from Iowa State Sen. Kent Sorenson. Last night Sen. Sorenson defected to the Ron Paul camp, endorsing the 12-term Congressman from Texas before a crowd of more than 600 Paul supporters and media. Moments before his endorsement and in past months, Sen. Sorenson had served as Iowa Chairman for U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign for the presidency. In the minutes that followed the endorsement, Rep. Bachmann made baseless claims suggesting the Ron Paul 2012 Presidential campaign provided Sen. Sorenson with a financial incentive to join the Paul camp - and, that this was a deciding factor in the senator's decision to endorse Paul. Below please find comments from Iowa State Sen. Kent Sorenson: "I have to say, I've been saddened by the way Congresswoman Bachmann's campaign has decided to handle my decision to endorse Ron Paul for President of the United States. "Like many folks here in Iowa and throughout the country, I simply came to the realization that Ron Paul is the candidate for true pro-life, pro-gun, pro-limited government conservatives. "The recent smears from the media and the national political establishment motivated me to rush to Congressman Paul's aid because he did the same for me in both of my races for the Iowa General Assembly. "As for the ridiculous allegations that Congresswoman Bachmann and her surrogates have made, I was never offered money from the Ron Paul campaign or anyone associated with them and certainly would never accept any. "Financial reports come out in just days which will prove what I'm saying is true. "Even Congresswoman Bachmann's political director issued a statement defending my character. Since then, he's been fired by the Bachmann campaign for daring to tell the truth. "Sadly, the values I most appreciated in Congresswoman Bachmann appear to have gone out the window in a last-minute effort to salvage what's left of her campaign. "On the other hand, Congressman Ron Paul's track record of standing up for constitutional principles and traditional values is unmatched. "He's proven he is the one candidate who can take on defeat both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama."

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Warren Co. GOP leaders like Bachmann, but worry about her chances

Posted at 10:07 AM on December 29, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Iowa, Michele Bachmann

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Less than a week before the Iowa caucuses, Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign has suffered two back-to-back blows: the defection of her Iowa chair and a request from a church leader to drop out of the race.

Late Wednesday, news reports surfaced that two evangelical pastors asked both Bachmann and Rick Santorum, who has also been courting the religious vote here in Iowa, to drop out of the race. They fear the two could split the evangelical vote and give front-runner Mitt Romney a leg up in the race.

Just hours later, Bachmann lost her Iowa chairman, Sen. Kent Sorenson, to the Ron Paul campaign, which has gained significant ground here in recent weeks.

Still, Bachmann has pledged to continue her race, pointing out that she has widespread support among other church leaders. And despite poll numbers that indicate Bachmann will not finish at the top in next week's election, she is clearly well-liked among voters here.

Nevertheless, concerns about Bachmann's campaign continue to come up in conversations with other members of Iowa's Republican party.

At a corner table of the Indianola Pizza Ranch restaurant, Rick Halverson and Steve McCoy, who chair the Warren County Republicans, talked about Bachmann's chances in Iowa.

To be clear: both men like Bachmann. But Halverson, who is likely to back Rick Santorum next week, is among those who have asked Bachmann to change the direction of her campaign. He says he isn't sure that America is ready for a woman president.

"I asked Michele today, 'you and one or two of the other candidates need to team up and get in the same car and drive it all the way to the White House,'" Halverson said. "I don't care who's in the front seat or who's in the back seat, but you're splitting the good conservative vote too many ways here, and I'm afraid that's going to put somebody like Mitt Romney in the White House."

Halverson worries that Romney can't beat Barack Obama in the general election, and his party will once again have missed an opportunity to put a conservative in the White House.

Some Iowa voters also worry about Bachmann's electability in the general election.

McCoy says that the perception that Bachmann couldn't do well in nationally is the result of a poorly constructed campaign. Her handlers, he said, have prevented her from being herself.

"Why did she win the straw poll? Because at that point early in her campaign she was connecting," McCoy said. "I think that her handlers have handled her terribly."

Bachmann hasn't gotten the proper exposure, she's been given the wrong advice by her staff, and her campaign speeches have become canned, McCoy said.

Case in point: In nearly every speech, Bachmann brings up her family and children. Halverson said the talking point got tired; voters, he said, want to hear something new from a candidate, or they will lose interest.

"People said, 'we don't want that, we want more of you,'" McCoy said. "That's one of the things I told one of her campaign managers: tell Michele to go be Michele again. Quit telling her what the national consultants out of Washington D.C. want her to be."

As Ron Paul surges in the polls, crowds grow, too

Posted at 6:36 PM on December 28, 2011 by Catharine Richert (21 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Iowa

INDIANOLA, Iowa -- Iowa is buzzing with talk of Ron Paul.

The Texas congressman appears poised to win the Iowa caucuses, and excitement about his candidacy was palpable at a standing-room only event in Newton, Iowa on Wednesday where Paul quipped that he'd never seen so many cameras at one of his campaign stops.

"I've been talking about freedom for a long time," Paul said. "For many years, the crowds were very small. But they've steadily grown."

Paul has experienced an unexpected surge in the polls here in recent days; his Real Clear Politics average is 22.5 percent, meaning he's neck-and-neck with Mitt Romney and leading the rest of the pack.

And on Wednesday night, Paul snatched Sen. Kent Sorenson from Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign. In a statement, Bachmann blamed the defection of her state chair on "a large sum of money to go to work for the Paul campaign."

Paul covered a lot of ground during his Newton stop, promising to ax the Patriot Act, to cut $1 trillion from the budget in the first year, and pull United States troops out of the Middle East.

One of the toughest questions from the crowd focused on Paul's pledge to eliminate a handful of federal departments, including the Department of Energy, which oversees security of the nation's nuclear stockpile.

Paul conceded that the National Nuclear Security Administration ought to be preserved but put in a different department.

Meanwhile, Paul's stance on foreign affairs has come under fire from other candidates for being too isolationist

Bachmann is among the critics.

"Ron Paul would wait until one of our cities in the United States is wiped off the map before he reacted," Bachmann said at a campaign stop in southern Iowa. "I won't wait. I'll act."

But that's among the many things that Jack Church of Blakesburg, Iowa, likes about Paul.

"A lot of the other Republican candidates seem to be on this drive, this march to go to war with Iran," Church said. "I think that is insane. I'm sick of young men and women coming back with missing body parts, missing legs from the [improvised explosive devices]."

Paul didn't leave the stage without reminding the crowd to vote next Tuesday. Iowa has same day registration, and some of the Democrats and Independents who say they'll support Paul this time around could turn the caucuses in his direction.

Paul argued that if voters are sick and tired of the status quo, he's the quintessential outsider candidate.

"A message is going to be sent," Paul said. "There are a lot of status quo politicians out there... if you pick another status quo presidential candidate, nothing is going to change."

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Ad wars in Iowa

Posted at 1:00 PM on December 28, 2011 by Catharine Richert (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Iowa

The heated battle for Iowa's GOP presidential nomination is playing out on state's airwaves.

Iowa's networks are loaded with standard positive election ads paid for by the campaigns, peppered with pictures of the candidates with their families or hard at work looking very presidential.

What's different this year is the emergence of ads paid for by super political action committees. Super PACs are sponsoring ads that do the dirty work of political mud-slinging so the candidates don't have to.

Super PACs, which emerged in 2010 after the Supreme Court ruled that corporations and unions can spend unlimited amounts of cash on campaigns, can't coordinate messaging with campaigns, but they can air ads supporting or opposing a candidate.

Together, these groups and the campaigns have reportedly spent $8 million so far.

This spot paid for by Restore Our Future, a PAC aligned with Mitt Romney, never mentions Romney, but rather goes after Newt Gingrich's work for Freddie Mac and his previous support for a cap-and-trade plan.

"You know what makes Barack Obama happy? Newt Gingrich's baggage," the ad states.

So far, Restore Our Future has spent $2.6 million since Dec. 15 attacking Gingrich through direct mail and television advertising, according to OpenSecrets.org, a group that tracks campaign finance data.

Make Us Great Again, a pro-Rick Perry super PAC, is going after Gingrich and Romney together in this ad, painting both candidates as closeted liberals.

Perry, on the other hand, has cut taxes and created jobs as governor of Texas, making him the "proven conservative." It's a theme Perry's been playing up in person as he makes stops in Iowa this week. While his rivals have been tainted by politics, Perry argues he's the proven conservative with outsider experience.

Meanwhile, ads paid for by the candidates are generally positive.

For instance, this one, which was paid for by the Romney campaign, is meant to play up Romney's character.

"If you really want to know how a person will operate, look at how they've lived their life," says Romney's wife Ann. It's an subtle jab at Romney's rival, Newt Gingrich, who has been divorced twice and married three times.

Meanwhile, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who's come from behind in the polls recently, is airing this ad about his career as an obstetrician.

"More than 4,000 babies delivered," a woman's voice says in the ad. "A man of faith, committed to protecting life."

In Iowa, where social conservatives dominate the Republican party, voters scrutinize candidates' abortion records, and Paul has some marks on his. Earlier this week, Personhood USA, a group trying to advance policies that give fertilized eggs the same rights American citizens, questioned Paul's pro-life credibility.

For her part, Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign announced last week that she would be running television and radio ads in Iowa as well. They feature Iowans who've come out to meet Bachmann on her tour of the state's 99 counties. Here's one from Bachmann's YouTube page.

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Perry talks immigration, small government

Posted at 5:02 PM on December 27, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Iowa

CRESTON, Iowa -- With a week to go before the caucuses, many of the GOP candidates for president are in Iowa today.

At a stop in Creston, at Adams Street Espresso, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said that, as president, he would do all he can to make Washington, D.C., as inconsequential as possible.

The federal government's role in local education?

"It's none of their business," Perry said.

Incentives for alternative energy?

Let the markets dictate what works, and let states determine incentives, Perry contends.

Perry even wants to cut the salaries and work hours of members of Congress. And if legislators couldn't balance the budget, Perry said he would slash his own salary "in a heartbeat."

"Not a problem at all," Perry said.

While Perry's small government approach on a range of issues prompted loud rounds of applause from the crowd, voters at the coffee shop were especially receptive to Perry's words on immigration.

Perry, who has gotten flack for allowing the children of those in his state illegally to get state college tuition breaks, showed up with Sheriff Joe Arpaio, an Arizona law enforcement officer whose stance on illegal immigrants is controversial with some and beloved by others.

The Mexican border is not safe because weapons and drugs are being smuggled across it, Perry said. As president, Perry said he would send thousands of National Guard troops to the border. It will be secure within a year after taking office, Perry promised.

But those words may not have impressed some at the Creston event who said Perry's stance on illegal immigration in Texas has been too soft.

"I like Perry's record," said Larry Mark, who lives in Creston. "I don't like his comments about immigration concerning the tuition issue."

"I like his family values, I like his Christian background," said Lori Jeter also of Creston. "Not too thrilled about the immigration comment. But you're never going to like everything about any of them."

In fact, that's why choosing a candidate this caucus season is tougher for Jeter than in the past.

"There's maybe two or three or four of them that if you could put them together, you'd really have something," she said. "It's really been really hard to choose."

Meanwhile, Bob Eklund of Afton came to the event unsure about Perry. But after hearing him talk, Eklund said he's likely to vote for Perry next Tuesday - and for reasons that are difficult to pin down, he said.

"I don't know if there's any one thing," Eklund said, adding that he hadn't been too impressed with Perry in debates. "I expected polished politics, but I thought he was genuine. He fooled me if he isn't."

Perry also tried out a talking point that will likely be heard a lot in the days leading up to the caucus. Perry said he's an outsider who hasn't been tainted by Washington.

His rivals, however, are Washington insiders.

"I've got all the respect in the world for the folks they identify as the front-runners in this race," Perry said. "You just ask yourself: if we replace a Democrat insider with a Republican insider, is that going to change Washington, D.C? No. It's not."

Mixing caffeine and campaigning in Council Bluffs, Iowa

Posted at 10:43 AM on December 27, 2011 by Catharine Richert (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Iowa, Michele Bachmann

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- A week before the Iowa caucuses, Rep. Michele Bachmann is back in the state.

Her first stop on this chilly Tuesday morning was Scooter's Coffeehouse in Council Bluffs for a skinny white chocolate peppermint mocha.

Bachmann wasn't just there to get her caffeine fix, though. She was shaking hands and trying to win votes.

"One week from today, Iowans will send a signal to Barack Obama that they are now going to see the end of his liberal policies," she said during a press conference outside the tiny coffee shop. "We need a candidate for president who will show the distinct differences that there are like Ronald Reagan did with Jimmy Carter did in 1980."

It's a message the Bachmann hasn't wavered from since the early days of her campaign. Of all the GOP candidates in the race, she argues she's the most consistently conservative on a range of issues.

Take changes to the nation's health care system, Bachmann said. While Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, two of Bachmann's chief rivals here in Iowa, previously supported a mandate that all people have health insurance, Bachmann hasn't.

"That's why I've been calling them Newt Romney," Bachmann said. "Neither of them is conservative."

Still, a few of the voters who showed up to meet Bachmann aren't sold on her as a candidate.

"I have a top three," said Naomi Leinen, who is the Republican co-chair for Pottawattamie County.

Leinen likes what Bachmann has to say on everyone paying some amount in income taxes, but Rick Santorum's stance on family issues and Gingrich's intellect also appeal to her.

Ultimately, Leinen says she's going to vote for the candidate who is the most electable, and she isn't sure Bachmann is that person.

Still, Bachmann sounded confident while autographing a picture of the White House for two children who came to the event.

"Are you going to come and see me when I'm there," she asked the kids. "Our first party is going to be the Iowa party."

Texas Gov. Rick Perry also started the day in Council Bluffs, with a brief speech at another cafe.

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Will taxpayers pay legal fees in redistricting battle?

Posted at 12:54 PM on December 24, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, Redistricting, U.S. House

One interesting part of the legal battle over redrawing the state's political boundaries is who is paying the attorneys in the case. A five judge panel has oral arguments over the proposed maps on Jan. 4. The court appointed panel is likely to determine the makeup of the state's political boundaries for Minnesota's 8 congressional districts and the 201 legislative districts. The state has to redraw the state's political boundaries once every ten years to ensure that each citizen is guaranteed equal representation under the U.S. Constitution and the Constitution of Minnesota.

Attorneys representing the Republicans and the Democrats have been working to influence the court to adopt their proposed set of maps and redistricting criteria. MPR News has already reported that the public may never know who is paying the bulk of the legal fees in the battle. It's also possible that the high-profile attorneys in the case could receive taxpayer money for their efforts.

Arguments are being made before the panel to declare the state's current political boundaries unconstitutional because the boundaries don't provide equal representation under the U.S. Constitution. If the court declares the boundaries unconstitutional, federal law could allow the court to order "a reasonable attorney's fees as part of the costs" under the Civil Rights Act. (Note: It shouldn't come as a surprise that the boundaries don't meet constitutional muster since the entire point of redistricting is resetting the boundaries after the once-a-decade census is taken).

There is some precedent for the court to award fees to attorneys involved in the redistricting battle. In 2002, the redistricting panel at the time ordered the state of Minnesota to pay $368,430 to the four sets of attorneys in the case. The panel relied on the argument that the all of the parties "prevailed" in the case and were awarded the funds. The panel put forward a set of maps that relied on input from all of the parties involved.

One key question for the current five-judge panel is how they will interpret which party prevails in the case. It's unlikely that the panel will adopt a set of maps that are identical to the proposals put forward by the parties. If history is a guide, the court will draw a new set of boundaries that relies on input from all of the parties involved. If that's the case, all of the parties could be eligible for attorneys fees from the state's treasury.

To date, the five-judge panel tasked with drawing the state's political boundaries has been reluctant to address the issue. The court heard arguments on the matter in October but declined to act at the time. Presiding Judge Wilhelmina Wright issued an order Friday saying she will not allow arguments on the constitutionality of the current boundaries at its hearing on Jan. 4.

One group that could prevent taxpayer money from being spent on attorney's fees is Gov. Dayton and the Republican-controlled Legislature. The two sides have until Feb. 21 to agree on a set of maps. If that happens, the court won't have to step in and take over the process. Gov. Dayton and GOP legislators have said, however, that it's unlikely they will reach an agreement.

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Bachmann to start running ads in Iowa

Posted at 1:42 PM on December 23, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Michele Bachmann's campaign for President announced today that they're going to start running TV and radio ads in Iowa this week. Bachmann, who won the Iowa Straw poll in August, is working to rally support for her candidacy at the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses. The campaign says the ads will run statewide through Jan. 3 and will feature "Voices from Iowa."

This is the second ad campaign Bachmann has run in Iowa. She ran ads right before the Iowa Straw poll.

Bachmann is just the latest candidate to start running ads in Iowa. Texas Congressman Ron Paul and Texas Gov. Rick Perry are spending heavily in Iowa. Super Pacs backing Perry and Mitt Romney are also reportedly spending heavily in the state.

Dayton talks Vikings stadium, Koch's conduct and his son's wedding

Posted at 5:26 PM on December 22, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

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Tom Crann, host of MPR's All Things Considered program, interviewed Gov. Dayton about the controversy surrounding Sen. Amy Koch, the prospects for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium and his track record during his first year in office.

Dayton declined to discuss how he thinks the Senate should handle the Koch matter.

"I don't know if that's something I can be commenting on," Dayton said. "It's up to the Senate to resolve this and the Republican caucus to resolve. Their choice of a new leader will say a lot about how they view what's occurred and how they intend to proceed in the future."

Koch issued a statement last night that apologized for having an inappropriate relationship with a male staffer. Senate Republicans are scheduled to meet on Tuesday to elect a new majority leader.

Dayton declined to say whether the next majority leader will have an impact on his push to get a new Vikings stadium built.

"It depends on who the next majority leader is," Dayton said. "Obviously the Senate majority Leader and the Speaker of the House have almost complete control of the agenda of their respective bodies, if one or both of them want to duck the issue and avoid dealing with it until after the next election then they owe that explanation to the people of Minnesota."

Dayton said some of his accomplishments in his first year in office were enacting legislation that spent money on public works projects, saved $500 million in taxpayer money from requiring HMOs to big competitively for people on subsidized health insurance and praised the state's Education Commissioner for winning federal money through a Race to the Top grant.

Dayton says one of his biggest regrets was not getting his income tax hike on top earners enacted into law.

Dayton also told MPR News that his son, Eric, is getting married next week to Cornelia Oehler in San Francisco.

You can listen to the entire interview here: Listen

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Shortridge says he'll serve as MNGOP Chair through '12 in volunteer role

Posted at 5:03 PM on December 22, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Political consultant Pat Shortridge sent an e-mail to GOP delegates today saying he intends to only serve through 2012 if he's elected chair of the Minnesota Republican Party. He also said he doesn't intend to take a salary if he's elected, a question many delegates are pondering since the party is more than $500,000 in debt.

"I am not running to build any kind of personal empire," Shortridge wrote. "I'm not running to help any particular candidate, faction, or group within the party. In fact, one of my greatest strengths, I believe, is my ability to be an honest broker and unify us in our mission to move this state in the right direction, so we don't become a basket case like New York, Illinois or California."

Shortridge says he's going to emphasize fundraising to help get the party out of debt. He said his goal, if elected, would be to keep and expand the Republican majority in the in the Minnesota House and Senate, re-elect the state's four Republican members of Congress and "take advantages of any opportunities that present themselves" (race for President, U.S. Senate and the remaining Congressional races).

Shortridge also said he intends to focus on identifying and contacting GOP voters, focusing on Republican messaging and improving researching and tracking.

"If Chip Cravaack needs to know the 5 worst tax votes Tarryl Clark ever cast, we should have it for him in minutes," Shortridge wrote. "If Tom Bakk gives a speech on the budget, we should be there recording it."

Shortridge most recently served as an advisor to Marco Rubio in Florida's 2010 U.S. Senate race. He also ran Republican Mark Kennedy's failed U.S. Senate race in 2006 and served as an aide to former House Majority Leader Dick Armey from 1991 through 2002.

Zellers to speak at U of M's Humphrey School

Posted at 3:58 PM on December 22, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Republican House Speaker Kurt Zellers is scheduled to speak at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs on Jan. 19. Zellers will preview the 2012 legislative session which begins on Jan. 24. The event takes place from Noon - 1:15 p.m. at the Cowles Auditorium on the University of Minnesota's campus.

McCall running for MNGOP Chair

Posted at 10:02 PM on December 21, 2011 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Terry McCall, the Republican Party of Minnesota's 2nd District Congressional Chair, is getting into the race to replace Tony Sutton as chair of the Minnesota Republican Party. McCall issued a statement on Facebook tonight saying he's the best person to bring the party together after Sutton abruptly quit his post earlier this month.

"This is a critical time for our party," McCall said in the statement. "We have the opportunity to renew a great brand."

McCall said his goal in 2012 is to maintain the majority in the Minnesota House and Senate and elect a Republican President in 2012.

Political consultant Pat Shortridge and Todd McIntyre are also running for the position. Shortridge, who confirmed to MPR News that he's running for the post, didn't return repeated calls to discuss his candidacy. The conservative blog, True North, has more about McIntyre's candidacy and Shortridge's campaign.

Whoever is elected chair of the party will have some work to do. The Republican Party of Minnesota is more than $600,000 in debt and doesn't have a top tier candidate to challenge DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

MPR examined the problems facing the MNGOP in this story.

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Koch apologizes for her behavior

Posted at 4:35 PM on December 21, 2011 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

GOP Sen. Amy Koch issued a statement today apologizing her behavior. She issued the statement after MPR News contacted her today to comment that her former chief of staff, Cullen Sheehan, said Koch and the unnamed male staffer acknowledged the relationship to him. Read the story here.

Here's Koch's statement:

In a letter dated 12.15.11, I announced that I was resigning as Majority Leader for personal reasons. I have made some mistakes and errors in judgment for which I am deeply sorry by engaging in a relationship with a Senate staffer. While I have not violated any laws or Senate rules, nor misused any state funds or property, I want to express my deep regret and apologies to my constituents, the Republican party, my fellow legislators, friends and most importantly, my family. I regret more than words can express the hurt that I have caused to the people that I love, and to those who have worked and served with me over the past years.

The events of recent days have been very difficult for me and those close to me. It is important that I spend time now focusing on the challenging days ahead as I work through some very personal issues.

###

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Senate GOP to elect Koch replacement on Dec. 27

Posted at 4:00 PM on December 20, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Republicans in the Minnesota Senate will hold a private caucus on Tuesday, Dec. 27 to elect a new Majority Leader of the Minnesota Senate The group has to get together for the vote since Sen. Amy Koch, R-Buffalo, announced on Thursday that she was resigning from her leadership position. Koch quit one day after four Republican Senators confronted her over an inappropriate relationship that she allegedly had with a male staffer. The staffer has not been released and Koch has not returned calls since the allegations surfaced.

The majority leader is the most powerful member of the Senate and is responsible for appointing committee chairs, organizing floor hearings, setting the Senate budget and assembling staff. Several people, including David Hann of Eden Prairie, Geoff Michel of Edina, Dave Thompson of Lakeville and Bill Ingebrigtsen of Alexandria, have expressed interest in the position.

Meanwhile, a Wednesday hearing scheduled to discuss the Senate budget has been canceled. Senate GOP spokesman Chris Van Guilder says the Rules Committee hearing was canceled to allow the next majority leader to have input. Koch currently chairs the committee and there were some uncertainties as to whether anyone else could call the hearing. Van Guilder says Koch and Interim Senate Majority Leader Geoff Michel decided to cancel the meeting. Michael Jungbauer of East Bethel is also lobbying the public for the job.

"Sen Michel spoke with Sen Koch and they decided together to move the date to allow the newly-elected leader the opportunity for additional input," Van Guilder wrote in an e-mail.

GOP Senators confronted Koch about alleged inappropriate relationships

Posted at 7:49 PM on December 16, 2011 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Republican leaders in the Minnesota Senate today said Amy Koch stepped down as Senate Majority Leader yesterday after they confronted her about allegations that she engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a male staffer. Koch abruptly resigned on Thursday, surprising some of her closest colleagues. She said at the time that she felt it was time to resign her position.

Interim Senate Majority Leader Geoff Michel said they confronted Koch after several staffers complained Koch's inappropriate relationship with a male staffer caused them considerable discomfort.

"None of us are perfect," Michel said. "We don't claim to be. We want to be proud of the Minnesota Senate and how it's run. We understand that's a special obligation on those of us to maintain the high standards."

Michel said Koch did not confirm or deny the allegations. She did not return calls to MPR News today.

Michel would not identify the Senate staffer in question except to say it was a man.

Here's the audio from today's news conference that included Senator Michel, GOP Sen. David Senjem, GOP Sen. David Hann and GOP Sen. Chris Gerlach: Listen

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Sawalich backs out of race for top GOP party spot

Posted at 3:52 PM on December 16, 2011 by Catharine Richert (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Political parties

Less than a week after declaring his candidacy for the Republican Party of Minnesota's top spot, Starkey Laboratories Senior Vice President Brandon Sawalich has dropped his bid.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to have met and spoken with many wonderful people during my candidacy for Chair," he said in a statement.

"The time and dedication you put forth from the ground up is immeasurable and cannot afford distractions for the uphill battle our party has in store," he said.

"It is for that reason I am respectfully withdrawing my name from this process. Our party must continue the path to unity and become one that is inclusive not exclusive. I intend to fully support the endorsed candidate for Chair and will continue to work hard to get republicans elected in 2012."

Sawalich was arrested on Dec. 15 by the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport police for expired license plate tabs.The police thought Sawalich's tabs had been expired for a year and a half, which is a gross misdemeanor offense.

But due to a clerical error, the police were wrong; Sawalich's plates had only been expired since June, 2011. He'll now only have to pay a ticket.

Sawalich may have replaced former chair Tony Sutton, who resigned earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Sawalich's statement hints at a separate crisis playing out this week within the state's top Republican leadership. Late Thursday afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch stepped down from her post and said she would not seek reelection. She has been accused of an inappropriate relationship with a Senate staff member.

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On Midday Dayton talks taxes, stadium and cell phone ban

Posted at 1:28 PM on December 13, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Gov. Dayton said on MPR's Midday program today that his biggest regrets of his first year in office are the 20 day state government shutdown in July and his failure to increase income taxes on Minnesota's top earners. Dayton said he would continue to push for his tax increase proposal in 2013 regardless of whether Republicans or Democrats control the Legislature.

He also said he's interested in getting a bonding bill and Vikings stadium plan passed in the upcoming legislative session. He said he would do everything he possibly can to ensure the Vikings stadium issue is resolved next year.

"This one has been festering for so long," Dayton said.

The governor defended his push for a new Vikings stadium saying it would provide jobs for construction workers. He said that he's also considering spending some state money to redevelop the Arden Hills ammunition plant even if a proposed Vikings stadium is built elsewhere.

Vikings owners and Ramsey County are pushing to build the stadium in Arden Hills and say cleaning up the site is one of the benefits of the project. Dayton hasn't taken a position on whether the new stadium should be built in Arden Hills or Minneapolis but said it's worth cleaning up the site so it's available for other uses.

"It's the largest unused plot of land in our entire metropolitan area," Dayton said. "What's standing in the way is an estimated $30 million of cleaning it up, and that's a good thing to do for the residents in the area as well as future development."

Dayton also said he was pleased to see the state is showing a surplus in the current budget cycle. He said the law requires the $871 million surplus to be put into the state's reserves but suggested that he may look at trying to pay back some of the K-12 school funding shift if the February forecast continues to show a surplus of that size or more.

Dayton and lawmakers enacted a budget in July that relied on delayed payments to schools and borrowing against future tobacco payments to erase a $5 billion deficit.

Dayton also said he'd have to study a recommendation by a federal agency that says states should ban drivers from using cell phones except in emergencies. The National Transportation Safety Board made the recommendation today to improve safety. It would apply to both hands-free and hand-held phones and would also ban texting.

Dayton says the measure would improve public safety but said he'd have to determine whether the public would accept the ban and if such a law could be enforced.

"One of my philosophies about government is that we need to set rules or laws that we can enforce," Dayton said. "One of my frustrations with the HOV lanes, for example, is that people ignore it with impunity."

Minnesota law already bans drivers from texting. It also bans permit holders and those who have had their license for less than a year from talking on a cell phone while driving.

Dayton also said he intends to run for re-election, a claim he's made to several news organizations over the past few months. He said he also considers President Obama "a slight favorite" to win re-election next year but said an Obama victory depends on whether the economy continues to improve.

Dayton said he's going to work to get more businesses involved in K-12 schools, a pledge he made in his inaugural address in January. When a caller asked if his push was successful, Dayton responded that his office "dropped the ball" on the initiative. He said he'll continue to make the case for the initiative in the coming months but said he also learned several businesses already work with schools with little fanfare.

You can listen to Dayton's appearance here: Listen

and here: Listen

Sawalich running for MNGOP Chair

Posted at 7:36 AM on December 12, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Starkey Hearing Technologies executive Brandon Sawalich announced this morning that he's running for chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota. Sawalich, who unsuccessfully ran for party chair in 2009, sent out a letter to Republican delegates announcing his decision.

"The next Chairman will need to have the same skills as a successful business leader. If elected I am committed to strengthening our party through:

-Electing endorsed candidates
-Fundraising
-Financial integrity and transparency
-Effective leadership
-Re-energizing our grassroots movement.

Sawalich will meet the criteria put forward by some delegates that the next party chair have a business background but the key question is whether he'll be acceptable to grassroots activists who are more interested in electing a party chair that holds key conservative principles.

Sawalich is expected to be one of several candidates who will run for chair. Others mentioned included former state Rep. Mike Osskopp, 2nd District Congressional Chair Terry McCall and political consultant Pat Shortridge.

Update: Shortridge tells MPR News that he's not running for the post. He's backing Sawalich.

Osskopp told MPR News this morning he's "leaning towards" running for MNGOP Chair. He said he'll announce decision later this week. Update

Whoever wins will have a lot of work to do. Former Chair Tony Sutton, who abruptly resigned on Dec. 1, left the party's finances in disarray. Party officials say the party has a debt of more than $500,000 heading into the 2012 election.

Here's Sawalich's letter to delegates:

The Way Forward [5]

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Dayton rips Parry for fundraising letter, cancels meeting

Posted at 12:03 PM on December 9, 2011 by Tom Scheck (10 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, U.S. House

Gov. Mark Dayton and Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, are having another war of words.

This time, Dayton is taking issue with a fundraising letter that Parry sent out. Parry, who is running for Congress in Minnesota's 1st District, says Dayton was engaged in political payback when he issued an executive order that allowed a vote for some in-home day care providers to join a union.

"It's no secret that the labor unions helped buy the Governor's Office for Mark Dayton," Parry wrote in the fundraising letter. "In the past few months, he began to return the favor, most recently by trying to help unionize some of Minnesota's in-home, private child care providers."

Parry also called the measure a "backdoor-unionization attempt" and worked to tie 1st District DFL Rep. Tim Walz into the issue. Parry said Walz, his possible opponent for Congress, also wants to "expand union control."

Dayton wasn't happy with the fundraising letter.

"Sen. Parry, this email is inaccurate and deeply offensive," Dayton wrote in an e-mail to Parry and Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa. "This is the second time you have falsely accused me in writing of actions which, since untrue, wrongly malign my character and integrity."

Dayton canceled his meeting with Parry and Drazkowski as a result of Parry's fundraising letter and suggested he won't be meeting with Parry in the future.

"I will not meet with you and provide further fodder for your political activities," Dayton wrote. "If you have questions of me, submit them in writing, and I will respond in writing to them."

Parry, who chairs the Senate State Government Innovation and Veterans Budget and Policy Committee, responded to Dayton by saying the two need to work together to put the state on a sustainable fiscal path. He suggested they meet for coffee in the coming weeks to "bury the hatchet."

This isn't the first time Dayton and Parry have clashed. The two had a deep disagreement over the impact of the GOP budget plan on the state's Veterans programs.

I contacted the governor's office to get more details on the letter and this morning's meeting. I'll post an update if/when I get one.

Update: Gov. Dayton sent a follow up letter to Parry defending his executive order. He also said Parry's e-mail "slurs against my ethical conduct and my character." The governor said Parry should provide proof that Dayton is "returning the favor" to labor unions or retract his statements.

Dayton also said he's be willing to host a breakfast with Parry and Drazkowski on Dec. 14 or Dec. 15.

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Trump criticizes Bachmann for saying no to his debate

Posted at 10:55 AM on December 9, 2011 by Mark Zdechlik (7 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Donald Trump says he's disappointed Michele Bachmann is declining to participate in a NewsMax debate he will moderate later this month in Iowa.

Speaking Friday morning on the Fox Business Network Trump noted Bachmann has spent a lot time courting him and that he's tried to help her.

"She'd come up to see me four times... she'd call me, she'd ask me for advice, " said Trump. "She said if she wins, she'd like to think about me for the vice presidency....all of these things and most importantly, I did like a two-hour phone call for her...after all of that, she just announced she's not going to do the debate." said Trump, "How do you do that?"

Bachmann is not the only candidate who's chosen to stay away from what's being called the "Trump Debate."

Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, and Jon Huntsman have all declined to participate in the debate. Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum appear to be the only candidates willing to take part in the forum.

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Emmer to head Faith and Freedom Coalition

Posted at 5:50 PM on December 8, 2011 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Republican Tom Emmer will head the Minnesota chapter of the Faith and Freedom coalition.

"I'm excited about this opportunity to work with the Minnesota Faith & Freedom Coalition toward building a stronger conservative grassroots movement in Minnesota as we seek to restore America's greatness and founding principles." Emmer said in a news release.

Emmer, who lost the race for governor in 2010 and has been blamed by one MNGOP official for driving up the party's debt, will lead an organization that is working to build it's organization in the state. The group says it was responsible for making more than 890,000 voter contacts in the state during the 2010 election cycle.

The group, which was formed by former Christian Coalition executive director Ralph Reed, works to increase restrictions on legalized abortion, opposes same-sex marriage, supports "limited government" and opposes tax hikes.

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Bachmann makes pitch to Jewish Republicans

Posted at 5:00 PM on December 7, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

WASHINGTON - Rep. Michele Bachmann made the case on Wednesday that her commitment to Jewish causes makes her the best Republican presidential candidate in a still crowded and fluid field.

In a speech before the Jewish Republican Coalition, the last cattle call-style event involving most of the GOP's presidential candidates before voting begins next month, Bachmann promised the crowd that one of her first acts if elected President would be to move the U.S. embassy from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem, a promise echoed by many of the candidates who spoke before her.

"I've even found a donor who would put up the money for the move," Bachmann said. "So the boxes could be unpacked on day one."

Bachmann's speech mostly touched on familiar themes. She said the Obama Administration had "forgotten the importance of Israel to America" and "confused engagement with appeasement and has inspired Israel's enemies." The three-term congresswoman also called on Obama to order the Navy to begin preparations for a naval blockade against Iran and said covert operations to prevent the country from building a nuclear weapon should be stepped up.

On the domestic political front, Bachmann called the Occupy Wall Street movement "the Obama re-election team" and said Obama stands with that group but not with Israel.

During a question and answer session with the audience a pediatrician asked Bachmann about her views on vaccines, especially in light of her controversial statements from the summer when she falsely linked the HPV vaccine to mental retardation. Bachmann ducked the question, arguing that her opposition to a plan for universal HPV vaccinations of young women in Texas was based on the allegations of "crony capitalism" between fellow candidate and Texas Gov. Rick Perry and pharmaceutical companies.

Bachmann's trip to the Capital also enabled her to stop by Congress and vote in the House chamber. She last voted in the House on Nov. 18.

Bachmann book sells just 3,000 copies in two weeks

Posted at 4:17 PM on December 7, 2011 by Brett Neely (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

WASHINGTON - Michele Bachmann's weak poll numbers may be showing up in slow sales of her memoir, Core of Conviction. In the two weeks since the book was released, it's sold just 3,000 copies despite a media blitz and numerous book-signing events by Bachmann.

Those numbers come from Nielsen BookScan, which gets the information directly from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and most other retailers. The company estimates its sales numbers capture 75 percent of the book market although it currently does not get information from discount retailers Wal-Mart or Sam's Club.

As of 5 PM ET on Wednesday, the book ranked 4,200 on Amazon's bestseller list, although it ranked 62 on the site's political bestseller list.

The Nielsen figures also don't include bulk purchases made by political campaigns and outside groups. In the run-up to the book launch, Bachmann's campaign was offering donors an autographed copy of the book for $75.

A representative of the book's publisher, Sentinel Press, declined to comment about the sales figures, citing a long-standing policy.

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Huntsman to hold Minneapolis fundraiser

Posted at 10:27 PM on December 5, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman will be in Minnesota on Friday to raise money for his campaign. The former Utah Governor will be holding an event at the Minneapolis Club at 5pm. Donors are being asked to give $1,000 to attend.

Huntsman is doing a lot of his presidential campaigning in New Hampshire - the first in the nation primary. The most recent poll in that state shows Huntsman in 4th place behind Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul.

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Republican leaders call for unity after Sutton resignation

Posted at 2:23 PM on December 3, 2011 by Tom Scheck (6 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, State Government, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

Roughly 350 Republican delegates and staffers are assessing the fallout less than 24 hours after Tony Sutton abruptly resigned as state party chair. Sutton cited personal reasons for his resignation but it came at a time when several activists were upset with how he handled the party's budget. Party officials announced at a meeting in Bloomington Saturday that the party was $581,000 in debt.

"Let's all take a deep breath," state Sen. Dan Hall, R-Burnsville, said during the invocation.

Delegates elected a new deputy chair on Saturday but were also facing a party that lost its chair, deputy chair and executive director over the last two months. The vacancies forced the delegates to even elect two convention chairs to run the meeting.

Delegates worked relatively quickly to elect new leadership. They elected Woodbury resident Kelly Fenton to the position of deputy chair. Fenton defeated four other candidates. She'll serve as acting chair until the same group, party's central committee, elects a new chair.

During a brief victory speech, Fenton alluded to the problems plaguing the party and predicted Republican candidates will do well in the 2012 election.

"We are stronger than any challenges that we will face," Fenton said.

Fenton said she will not be a candidate to replace Sutton but left open the possibility of running for party chair in the future.

Fenton's top priority over the next month will be to ease concerns about the party's financial problems and direction. She got some help from Republican Congressmen John Kline and Erik Paulsen.

"We have precinct caucuses in two months," Kline said. "We have to be organized and ready and moving out because as you may have noticed, the campaigns are underway."

Kline later told reporters that he wasn't deeply concerned about the party's leadership in the upcoming elections. Others said the party's day-to-day activities would run normally over the next month.

The stakes in the upcoming election are huge. President Barack Obama and DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar are both running for re-election. Republicans are waiting to see who wins the GOP nomination for president, and no top flight candidate has stepped forward to challenge Klobuchar.

Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson, who serves as RNC Committeeman, says he thinks President Obama's low approval ratings will help Republicans in 2012. But he said the party needs to raise money for get out the vote operations.

"We can't just stop for a month and then start up again when we have a permanent chair," Johnson said. Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Zellers also said he would be willing to help raise money to get the party out of debt.

Zellers also asked delegates to not to do any "Monday morning quarterbacking" about Sutton's departure.

But there was some disagreement over who is to blame for the party's problems. Michael Brodkorb, who resigned his position as deputy chair in October to work on state Sen. Mike Parry's campaign for Congress in the 1st District, said the party's deficit and problems are a result of Tom Emmer's campaign for governor.

Brodkorb said Emmer ran a poor campaign which hurt the party's ability to raise money.

Brodkorb referred to Emmer as the "Bill Buckner of politics" - a reference to the Red Sox first baseman who made an error that cost his team the 1986 World Series.

"I think Republicans nominated the one candidate who couldn't possibly win in 2010," Brodkorb said.

Brodkorb also said the party had difficulty raising money because many donors weren't happy that he was the nominee. He also said several Republican candidates didn't want to campaign with Emmer because he was "toxic" to their campaigns.

Emmer narrowly lost the gubernatorial election to Democrat Mark Dayton. The close election forced a recount that both Brodkorb and Sutton blame for adding to the party's financial problems.

Emmer was at the State Central Committee earlier in the day but couldn't be reached to comment on Brodkorb's statement. His former campaign manager, David Fitzsimmons, said he was surprised by Brodkorb's criticism.

"I am not going to sit here today and try to decide who is to blame," Fitzsimmons said. "We can all go around and point fingers and do everything else. I'm part of being at this convention today to figure out how to move forward from here."

Delegates decided not to set a date to hold a meeting to elect a new party chair. The party's constitution requires an election to occur within 30 days, but the party's attorney said Fenton would continue to be acting chair if no election is held.

Fenton or the party's executive committee will call the next meeting.

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Fenton is the new Deputy Chair of the MNGOP

Posted at 12:57 PM on December 3, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Delegates elected Woodbury resident Kelly Fenton as the next Deputy Chair of the Minnesota Republican Party. Fenton will assume control of the party for the next month as the party works to find a new chair. Tony Sutton abruptly resigned his position as chair on Friday night.

Fenton is inheriting a party that is divided over direction and is deep in red ink. During a brief speech, she predicted the party will survive the more than $500 thousand deficit the party is facing.

"We are stronger than any challenges that we will face," she said.

Fenton defeated four other candidates to win the position. She told reporters later that she would not be a candidate to replace Sutton but left open the possibility of running for the position down the road.

Sutton quits as MNGOP Chair

Posted at 8:40 PM on December 2, 2011 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Recount 2010

Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Tony Sutton abruptly resigned his position today setting off speculation as to who will lead the party headed into the 2012 elections. Sutton's resignation letter (see below) said he was quitting because of the impact the job has had on him and his family.

"I have worked for the Republican cause my entire adult life," Sutton wrote. "I have made tremendous personal and professional sacrifices to the detriment of my family. I cannot continue to do this."

Sutton announced his resignation in an e-mail to activists and posted his resignation on Twitter. A spokesman said Sutton declined to comment beyond his resignation letter. Sutton was first elected party chair in 2009 and helped Republicans take control of both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature. It's the first time Republicans have controlled the Minnesota House and Senate in thirty years.

But Sutton also had his critics. His resignation came on the eve of the party's State Central Committee meeting. Sutton was expected to receive serious questions about his role leading the party. Sutton's comments during the 2010 elections angered many moderates who were backing Independence Party candidate Tom Horner's bid for governor. Sutton characterized those supporters as "Quislings" who were betraying the party. The word, in reference to 1940s Norwegian leader Vidkun Quisling, denotes a Nazi sympathizer.

Other critics were openly questioning why Sutton was taking a $90,000 a year salary when the party was more than $500,000 in debt. They also said Sutton was ineffective as a party leader because Republicans don't control any statewide offices for the first time since the late 1970s. Republican activist Sue Jeffers has been one of Sutton's biggest critics. She described Sutton's resignation as "a wonderful opportunity for the party."

"It's unfortunate that he didn't have the courage to face the delegates," Jeffers said. "Who does that? What kind of leader posts on Facebook - Oh by the way? I'm going to resign at 5 o'clock?'

Jeffers said there are several people who are ready to "step up" and lead the party. She also suggested that she may run for party chair.

Sutton's departure came on the same day that the party's executive director Ryan Griffin was laid off because of budget problems. The party also doesn't have a deputy chair because the position was vacated when Michael Brodkorb announced he was leaving his party position to help state Sen. Mike Parry's campaign for Congress. David Sturrock, the party's secretary treasurer, is the only party officer until a new deputy chair is elected.

"According to the constitution, no one is in charge right now because we don't have a deputy chair." RNC Committeewoman Pat Anderson told MPR News.

Anderson said that will change when party delegates elect a new Deputy Chair on Saturday. That person will oversee party activities until a new chair is elected. Party bylaws say a new election has to occur within thirty days of being called. Anderson, who declined to comment on Sutton's resignation, said she believed the infrastructure is in place to help turn the party around quickly.

Party leaders are facing some serious decisions. Sutton proposed a budget that cut several staff members. Others, like spokesman, Craig Westover are not taking a salary during the month of December. Westover, who says he's scheduled to start receiving a paycheck again on Jan. 1, said the party will continue to operate effectively until a new chair is elected.

"When you talk about leadership, there is more to a party than one person," Westover said. "The party structure is in place. Key staff people are still in place."

The next chair will have plenty of work to do. He or she will have to hire staff and raise money to run the party's operations and help organize for the 2012 elections. Republicans are hopeful that the GOP nominee for president can win the state for the first time since 1972. They are also heading into the 2012 election without a top flight U.S. Senate candidate to challenge DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

There is also serious disagreement among party activists over the direction of the party. For example, party delegates voted last year to ban Republicans who publicly backed Independence Party candidate Tom Horner's campaign for governor from party activities. There have also been major disagreements over the direction of the party between Tea Party activists and the more moderate, business Republicans.

Brodkorb, who called Sutton's resignation a loss for the party, said he won't run for party chair. He said, however, that he will be working to make sure that the next party chair is focused on solving the problems within the party. He added that Sutton's biggest critics should help fix the party.

"Those critics of some of the decisions that have been made now have an opportunity to solve it," Brodkorb said. "I hope they come to the table with solutions because they have a clear path now to provide some of the solutions."

Brodkorb also noted that Sutton had as many supporters than critics. Several of them praised Sutton's leadership on Twitter. They'll begin the work tomorrow on finding his successor.

Here's Sutton's letter:

Sutton

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UFCW backs Rick Nolan's bid for Congress

Posted at 9:43 PM on December 1, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Redistricting, U.S. House

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 1189 are backing Democrat Rick Nolan's campaign for Congress.

"This is a very important endorsement for our union. The assault on working families has never been more aggressive," UFCW President Don Seaquist said in a statement. "We need more than someone who just supports our fight for collective bargaining rights, fair wages, and job creation. We need a champion and an effective leader at this critical hour. Rick is that person!"

Nolan, who is running in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District said he's thrilled by the endorsement.

"This endorsement is another strong sign that our campaign is resonating with working families in the 8th District and beyond," Nolan said in a fundraising letter to supporters."

Nolan is vying for the DFL endorsement against former state Sen. Tarryl Clark, Duluth City Council member Jeff Anderson and Daniel Fanning.

Whoever wins the DFL nomination is likely to square off against Republican Chip Cravaack but it depends on how the state's political boundaries are redrawn as a result of redistricting.

Quist launches campaign for Congress

Posted at 5:49 PM on December 1, 2011 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

From MPR's Elizabeth Baier...

Former Minnesota state Representative Allen Quist launched his bid today for the 1st Congressional district against Democratic U.S. Representative Tim Walz in southern Minnesota.

Quist launched his campaign with a tour of the Minnesota's 1st Districtt, which runs across southern Minnesota.

He says his campaign will focus on jobs, the economy and repealing the health care reform law passed by Congress earlier this year.

"Our national debt has doubled in the last seven years," Quist said during a campaign stop in Rochester. "Now over $15 trillion, greater than our annual gross domestic product. This cannot continue, obviously. At the same time, Washington appears to be unable to effectively deal with the problem."

Quist lost the GOP endorsement in 2010 to Randy Demmer. He also made two unsuccessful runs for governor in 1994 and 1998. He won the GOP endorsement for governor in 1994 but lost in the primary to incumbent Gov. Arne Carlson. Quist also served in the Minnesota House from 1983 until he retired in 1989.

Before he faces Walz, Quist will first have to battle state Senator Mike Parry of Waseca for the party's endorsement.

Walz is a former teacher from Mankato serving his third term. The state Democratic Party released a statement calling Quist an "extreme, Tea Party politician."

New political boundaries for Minnesota's 1st Congressional District may change in 2012, but Quist says he's ready to move if his home in St. Peter ends up outside the 1st District after the redistricting process. He's already renting an apartment in Byron.

"If the new district that Tim Walz occupies doesn't include our home in St. Peter or our place in Byron, we'll move again," Quist said. "We're going to be kind of like hound dogs, we're going to chase him wherever he goes. It'll be a matter of logistics, but that's it."

Currently, the district extends across the southern border from South Dakota to Wisconsin. It includes Rochester, Worthington, Mankato, Albert Lea, Austin, Owatonna and Winona.

A court appointed panel will release the new political boundaries on Feb. 21 if Gov. Dayton and the GOP-controlled Legislature can't reach agreement before then.

Here's Quist's speech in Rochester: Listen

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Bachmann clarifies Iran embassy comments

Posted at 9:08 PM on November 30, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

At a campaign stop in Iowa Wednesday, Rep. Michele Bachmann reportedly said that, as president, she wouldn't allow an embassy in Iran.

Trouble is, there is no U.S. embassy in Iran. The United States severed diplomatic ties with that country in 1980 as a result of the Iran hostage crisis.

Bachmann's statement started making the rounds on Twitter late Wednesday afternoon.

Later in the evening, Bachmann's spokeswoman Alice Stewart sent out a response to clarify the congresswoman's statement.

"Congresswoman Bachmann is a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence and is fully aware that we do not have an embassy in Iran and have not had one since 1980. She was agreeing with the actions taken by the British to secure their embassy personnel and was speaking in the hypothetical, that if she was President of the United States and if we had an embassy in Iran, she would have taken the same actions as the British. Her remarks are being taken out of context, given that she has spoken on this subject several times in the past 24 hours and made it clear that she knew we did not have an Iranian embassy. As she has previously stated, President Obama has taken his eye off of Iran, the most significant security threat in the region, and allowed them the luxury of time to move toward obtaining nuclear weapons. She will never allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons that would threaten our ally Israel and the United States."

The clarification is a rare move for Bachmann, who has made multiple misstatements as a member of Congress and as a Republican presidential candidate.

Frank Moe backs Fanning

Posted at 10:24 AM on November 30, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

Former state Rep. Frank Moe, DFL-Bemidji, is backing Daniel Fanning's campaign for Congress in Minnesota's 8th District. Moe, who served in the house between 2003 and 2009. He is currently an outdoor guide in Grand Marais.

"I'm supporting Daniel Fanning for Congress because he, more than any of the other candidates, understands the need to protect our Northern Minnesota natural heritage and the jobs that it provides," Moe said in a news release issued by Fanning's campaign. "Daniel is a true progressive but with an independent streak. He also has what it takes to win and I believe he will."

Moe is active in outdoors recreation. He taught outdoor recreation at Bemidji State University, is a sled dog racer and has been an outdoor guide in Grand Marais. He has also opposed some of the exploratory mining efforts in Isabella and other areas.

Fanning is seeking to win the DFL nomination in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District. Several other candidates includes former state Sen. Tarryl Clark, former Congressman Rick Nolan and Duluth City Council member Jeff Anderson are the other Democrats running for the seat.

Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack is running for reelection.

DFL party chair compares Bachmann to Wellstone

Posted at 12:16 PM on November 28, 2011 by Mark Zdechlik (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

At a news conference in St. Paul Monday, Minnesota DFL Party Chair Ken Martin criticized Mitt Romney for being inconsistent on issues such as immigration, economic policy and legalized abortion. It was part of a national Democratic Party effort to go after Romney following an ad he released last week that was widely knocked for taking President Obama's remarks on the economy out of context.

During the St. Paul event, Martin credited Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann for being an authentic politician. While Martin made it clear he opposes Bachmann's political ideology, he said Bachmann appeals to some people because she is consistent on issues, just as former DFL Sen. Paul Wellstone was.

"The reason people give someone like a Paul Wellstone some credit and give someone like a Michele Bachmann some credit is because, at the end of the day, they feel that she and someone like Paul, believes honestly what they said and they stood up and fought for what they believed in, not what they felt was the most politically expedient," Martin said.

With the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses quickly approaching Bachmann is trying to make the case that she's the only "true conservative" in the GOP nomination battle to run against President Obama next year.

While Democratic leaders around the country are singling out Romney for criticism, Bachmann seems focused on Newt Gingrich. Today she criticized the former Speaker of the House for a proposal to offer citizenship to some illegal immigrants.

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Quist making another run for Congress

Posted at 12:06 PM on November 26, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Redistricting, U.S. House

Allen Quist is making another run for Congress in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. He is scheduled to formally announce his intentions on December 1, according to a letter he sent to GOP activists. The letter, obtained by MPR News, has a banner that says "Allen Quist for Congress, 'Restoring the American Dream."

"I am announcing to you that I will become a candidate for First District Congress," Quist's letter to activists said. "I intend to announce on December 1."

The letter said Quist will be making campaign stops in Winona, Rochester, Austin, Albert Lea and Owatonna on Thursday. He'll campaign in Mankato, New Ulm, Fairmont and Worthington on Friday. Quist's wife, Julie Quist, declined to answer questions about the letter when contacted by MPR News.

"Allen will be announcing a decision next Thursday, December 1st, in Winona at 8:00 am," Julie Quist wrote in an e-mail "He won't be doing any interviews before that time."

In his letter, Quist said he's making another run for Congress because "grassroots Republicans have encouraged him to run." He also said the country needed "leaders who understand that our country is being taken over a cliff."

Quist lost the GOP endorsement in 2010 to Randy Demmer. He also made two unsuccessful runs for governor in 1994 and 1998. He won the GOP endorsement for governor in 1994 but lost in the primary to incumbent Gov. Arne Carlson. Quist also served in the Minnesota House from 1983 until he retired in 1989.

Quist's decision means there will be an endorsement battle to see who will be the party's eventual nominee. Another Republican, state Sen. Mike Parry of Waseca, is also running.

The eventual GOP nominee is expected to square off with DFL Rep. Tim Walz. Walz was first elected in 2006.

The big question mark is how the court draws the new political boundaries for Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. The current district extends across the southern border from South Dakota to Wisconsin. It includes Rochester, Worthington, Mankato, Albert Lea, Austin, Owatonna and Winona.

A court appointed panel will release the new political boundaries on Feb. 21 if Gov. Dayton and the GOP-controlled Legislature can't reach agreement before then. The process known as redistricting requires every district to be equal population based on the once a decade population count by the U.S. Census.

(MPR's Rupa Shenoy contributed to this report)

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Fischbach, Zellers appointed to GOPAC advisory board

Posted at 7:45 AM on November 23, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

Senate President Michelle Fischbach and House Speaker Kurt Zellers are among 21 new members of GOPAC's 2012 Legislative Leaders Advisory Board.

The group will "work to help promote Americans' need for lower taxes, fiscal discipline and job growth," said GOPAC Chairman Frank Donatelli. "Each Board Member was selected because of their strong leadership in promoting conservative ideas and assisting Republican candidates with getting elected. Their involvement will enable us to achieve even greater success in 2012."

Among Zellers and Fischbach's responsibilities will be addressing elected officials, candidates and GOPAC supporters, according to a press release from the group.

The appointment is a one-year gig.

GOPAC is basically a boot camp for up-and-coming Republican leaders. It teaches lower level officials conservative essentials, and provides continuing education and training to members of the party.

It's also a source of campaign cash for select candidates. In 2008, GOPAC America, the group's political action committee, donated $5,000 to Sen. Norm Coleman and $2,500 to Rep. Erik Paulsen's campaigns, among others. More recently, GOPAC has become involved in the recall efforts in Wisconsin, according to Politico.

With stance on Pakistan aid, Bachmann stands apart from GOP pack

Posted at 9:23 PM on November 22, 2011 by Catharine Richert (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Foreign aid to Pakistan has become a flashpoint between the Republican presidential candidates.

The country is "too nuclear to fail," Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann said during Tuesday night's GOP debate.

As long as Pakistan poses a nuclear threat, U.S. aid to Pakistan provides some influence in the country, Bachmann said. But she also said that "the Obama policy of keeping your fingers crossed is not working in Pakistan."

Her position is in sharp contrast to one held by several GOP front-runners, most notably Texas Gov. Rick Perry who has said he would zero-out aid to foreign countries that don't support American interests.

"I would not send them one penny, period," if Pakistan does not agree to support U.S. interests, Perry said.

It's a position Bachmann said was "highly naive" in Tuesday night's debate.

Foreign aid surfaced in a Nov. 12 debate, also about foreign policy.

"Pakistan is clearly sending us messages," Perry said during that debate. "It's clearly sending us messages that they-- they don't deserve our foreign aid that we're getting, because they're not bein' honest with us... It's time for us as a country to say no to foreign aid to countries that don't support the United States of America."

Later in that debate, front-runners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich agreed with Perry's approach.

It's a position that rankled some conservatives, including former Sen. Norm Coleman who penned an op-ed with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in favor of foreign aid, writing that so-called soft power should not be dismissed as "expensive and expendable."

"Adequate resources for the military are necessary. But so are adequate resources for global health, economic development and the promotion of democracy and human rights," Coleman and Huckabee wrote.

"When it's spent in a strategic and targeted manner, with transparent accountability, foreign aid makes a substantial contribution to U.S. security and prosperity," they wrote.

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Republicans in CD5 to square off at forum

Posted at 9:00 AM on November 27, 2011 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

Three of the Republicans looking to challenge DFL Rep. Keith Ellison are scheduled to meet at a forum on Tuesday. Chris Fields, Michael Katch and Lynne Torgerson are scheduled to attend. The debate, which is moderated by radio host Bob Davis, will be held on Nov. 29 at 7:30pm 7pm at the James Ballentine VFW in Minneapolis. The forum is sponsored by the Senate District 60 Republicans.

"We are delighted to invite these candidates together to have a friendly discussion before the residents of CD 5," Mark Johnson, SD 60 GOP Chair, said in a statement. "These days people wonder whether our elected officials are working for Washington or working for us. We believe the Republicans of this district can offer a better alternative to what we've been getting, and this debate will help us decide what that alternative will be."

Whoever wins the GOP nomination will have some work to do. Ellison won 67 percent of the vote in 2010. He represents Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, which includes the heavily Democratic city of Minneapolis.

There's more info about the forum here.

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Bachmann super PACs absent from ad race

Posted at 2:00 PM on November 23, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

It's less than two months before before the official start to the primary season, and the countdown can be measured in super PAC ad buys. As the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses creep closer, the buys get bigger and more prolific.

But absent from the ads flooding the airwaves are spots from two super PACs that earlier in the campaign aligned with Rep. Michele Bachmann.

"This is really kind of a pivotal month as voters are just starting to tune in and make their final decisions about who they want to go with," said Jason Miller, a spokesman for Make Us Great Again, a political action committee that is backing Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Super PACs are money-raising powerhouses. They can collect and spend unlimited amounts of cash in favor of a specific candidate, so long as they don't coordinate advertising efforts with the candidate's campaign.

They provide another way for very wealthy donors to support their favorite politicos. Contributors who hit donation limits for a candidate's committee can write massive checks for an unaffiliated super PAC. So, in most cases, a super PAC's earning power reflects a candidate's earning power.

The dollar figures for the latest round of ad buys are substantial.

Our Destiny PAC, which has aligned with Jon Huntsman, recently dropped $1.45 million to air this television spot in New Hampshire. (There's widespread speculation that the ad buy is, in part, supported by Huntsman's father.)

Since Oct. 31, Make Us Great Again has spent $775,000 on television and radio spots in Iowa and South Carolina. And a super PAC supporting Herman Cain ran this ad in Iowa.

Meanwhile, super PACs supporting President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich have been touting web ads. A spokeswoman for the Mitt Romney-affiliated Restore Our Future PAC said that it hasn't done any advertising yet, but to "stay tuned."

Noticeably absent from the television and web ad mix are two super PACs that pledged support to Bachmann - Keep Conservatives United and Citizens for a Working America.

Keep Conservatives United hasn't launched ads since September, when the group posted a series of spots on its website attacking Perry. Then, the Texas governor appeared to be Bachmann's biggest rival. Since then he has fallen in the polls.

Bob Harris, who leads the operation, says that fundraising has been "OK," and that he's hoping to launch ads in Iowa - a state that Bachmann has made a priority - closer to the caucuses.

If they can, the ads will highlight the message that Bachmann is " the last conservative in the race," Harris said - a message Bachmann has been touting herself.

For its part, Citizens for a Working America remains a bit of a mystery, and calls to members of the group were not returned.

The group, which played an important role in defeating long-time South Carolina Democratic Rep. John Spratt in the 2010 election, includes Bachmann adviser Ed Brookover as one of its organizers.

But so far the PAC has done no advertising for Bachmann in Iowa, South Carolina or New Hampshire. It has no website, and its chair, former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, has endorsed Perry.

And because Federal Election Commission fundraising deadlines aren't until January, it's unclear if the group is - or ever did -fundraising in support of Bachmann.

State report says costs of shutdown were minimal

Posted at 12:50 PM on November 22, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: 2011 Shutdown, Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

State finance officials say the cost of last summer's 20-day government shutdown was minimal.

"In broad terms, immediate shutdown costs were offset by estimated compensation savings," the report by Minnesota Management and Budget said.

The state agency says the state lost $50 million in things like tax collections and lottery receipts, spent $10 million on shutdown preparations and recovery costs and paid $10 million in unemployment benefits. But MMB Commissioner Jim Schowalter said the state and federal government saved about $65 million by not having to pay the 19,000 employees who were laid off during the shutdown.

"Where there was harm there was significant harm," Schowalter said. "Some places continued unaffected, others didn't continue and were completely shut down. So as a result, when you look at the impact of employees, those who continued to work were not so impacted. those who were laid off had substantial stresses and issues."

Schowalter said one reason the shutdown didn't have a bigger impact is because a judge ruled that about 80 percent of state spending had to continue during the shutdown.

The government shut down after Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and GOP legislative leaders failed to agree on a two-year budget by the end of the last fiscal year. The impasse forced state workers to be laid off, parks to close and many road construction projects to be mothballed.

Gov. Dayton issued this statement on the report:

"I am grateful that the report concludes there was no net cost to Minnesota taxpayers. Unfortunately, it also shows that the worst financial hardship fell upon state employees, who were involuntarily laid off."

Sen. David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, says the Senate GOP Caucus will push law changes to prevent any future shutdowns.

"I don't think anybody wants to contemplate additional political game playing around the state budget," Hann said. "We should be able to reach agreement to say that if we have not reached a budget agreement at the end of the time we're required, we should have the existing budget or some percentage of that budget be continued," Hann said.

Hann also said Dayton should get the blame for the shutdown - suggesting it was a political tool to get his tax hike passed into law.

But Eliot Seide, who represents the state employees union American Federation of State County and Municipals Employees Council 5, issued a statement saying the Republican majorities in the Legislature are to blame:

"State employees lost $65 million in wages because a gridlock group of tea party Republicans chose to protect millionaires instead of Minnesotans. They laid off 19,000 workers instead of creating jobs. They ruined family vacations at state parks, delayed road construction and disrupted people's lives in countless ways."

"AFSCME state employees do their part every day to make Minnesota a state that works. That's a stark contrast with the tea party Republicans who created a state that didn't work for 20 days."

Here's the full shutdown report:

Minnesota 2011 Shutdown Executive Summary

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McCollum raising money off of DFL redistricting plan

Posted at 6:00 AM on November 22, 2011 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, Redistricting, U.S. House

DFL Rep. Betty McCollum is taking a potential match-up with GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann seriously.

In a fundraising e-mail to supporters, McCollum complained about the DFL redistricting plan but also started laying the groundwork for what could be a contentious and expensive race.

"I don't know what DFL Party leadership and their attorneys were thinking - they didn't consult with me.

The congressional redistricting map submitted by the DFL to the state Supreme Court's "Special Redistricting Panel" pits Minnesota's two congresswomen against one another: Michele Bachmann against me."

The DFL Party proposed a map that would pair McCollum and Bachmann in the same district. McCollum, who lives in St. Paul, currently represents a heavily Democratic district. Bachmann, from Stillwater, represents the GOP leaning 6th District.

McCollum, who was first elected to Congress in 2000, suggested a race against Bachmann will cost millions.

"I could be in for a re-election campaign that would require me to raise $4 million, $5 million, or even more to win if Rep. Bachmann is my opponent. Remember - in 2010 Bachmann spent $11.1 million to win re-election!"

It isn't certain whether McCollum will be paired with Bachmann. A special redistricting panel will release its set of maps on Feb. 21 if Gov. Dayton and the GOP-controlled Legislature can't agree before then. The GOP plan doesn't pair any incumbents.

Another uncertainty is whether Bachmann runs for reelection. The 6th District Republican is currently running for president and hasn't said whether she'll run for Congress if she fails to win the GOP nomination. In the e-mail, McCollum characterized Bachmann as the founder of the Congressional Tea Party Caucus and a "right-wing darling."

It isn't the first time McCollum has gone after Bachmann. She criticized Bachmann earlier this year at a fundraiser.

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Budget cuts forcing staff departures at MNGOP

Posted at 8:05 PM on November 21, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

The Republican Party of Minnesota is moving into the 2012 election cycle without executive director Ryan Griffin. A look at the MNGOP's proposed 2012 budget shows that the party is earmarking $90,000 in salaries for the executive department. An addendum to the budget plan says the budget figure "represents the State Chair only" (who is Tony Sutton).

A person with knowledge of the party's budget process says Griffin is currently working for the party but is not planning on being with the party after January 1. MPR News agreed to withhold the identity of the source. The source is not authorized to speak on budget and personnel matters.

Initially the party's spokeswoman, Heather Rubash, confirmed Griffin's eventual departure but referred further questions to MNGOP Chair Tony Sutton. Sutton did not return calls but issued a statement on Twitter contradicting MPR's initial report that Griffin will not remain with the party. Another spokesman for the party, Craig Westover, would only say that Griffin is still on the party payroll and wouldn't comment further.

In his budget release to GOP activists today, Chair Tony Sutton did acknowledge that fewer staff members would be working for the party.

"As such we propose that in 2012 the focus of the State Party be on activities that provide the most value for the dollars spent and that is voter contact programs (voter ID; sample ballots, absentee ballots etc.). This will mean less staff (and lower overhead) with the savings going towards those key voter contact programs. It will also mean that we will truly need to live up to our principles of being a grassroots party and local party units will need to implement Party programs with fewer Party staff," Sutton's e-mail to party activists said.

Today's developments come as the party tries to get itself out of debt. The most recent campaign fundraising report shows the party being more than $500,000 in debt.

Sutton, who announced earlier this year that he would start taking a salary as party chair, blamed part of the party's fundraising problems on cuts to the state's Political Contribution Refund. Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty unilaterally cut funding for the program in 2009.

Sutton said in his e-mail to activists that small donors were giving an average of $60 per donation before the cut to the PCR and the economic downturn. Now he said the average donation is $28.

In his e-mail to activists, Sutton remained confident that the party would eventually get out of debt. It's listed as one of his key objectives for 2012.

"The Party will pay off its bills from the successful 2010 elections and will end 2012 with no debt," Sutton wrote.

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Five things you may not know about Michele Bachmann

Posted at 4:05 PM on November 21, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

We've heard about Rep. Michele Bachmann's Iowa roots. We've listened to her tell the story about her accidental entrance into politics (which was somewhat more calculated than Bachmann makes it seem). We've been briefed about her reading list. And her crusade to ban same-sex marriage while in the Minnesota Legislature is well known.

But Bachmann's 200-plus page book, Core of Conviction, which is out today, also mixes standard political memoir fodder with revealing tidbits about her childhood, her family, her moral, religious and political roots, and her first campaign for Congress.

For instance, there's an interesting passage that describes how Bachmann's husband, Marcus, handles counseling in his clinic; recently, Bachmann's tactics have come under fire after ABC News reported that Bachmann's clinic encourages homosexual patients to "re-orient" themselves through prayer.

Bachmann writes on page 91,

"The goal is not to shame, but to instruct, to counsel... Marcus might not immediately confront or condemn unacceptable behavior. Instead, he would remind his group that while everyone, at times, feels weaknesses and temptation, everyone can nevertheless feel strength through Jesus Christ."

Here are five other things from Bachmann's book that you may not already know about her:

1. After her parents divorced, Bachmann's family became quite poor. As a result, Bachmann worked a number of jobs as a teenager, including regular babysitting gigs. Among the kids Bachmann looked after was a young Gretchen Carlson of FOX and Friends fame. The book includes a picture of the two in a swimming pool.

2. The book focuses quite a bit on Marcus, who has remained a relatively mysterious member of Bachmann's political life, making few appearances and speeches. It's widely known that the two met at Winona State University, but Bachmann's given little detail about their courtship. Now we know that the two met in 1976 while supervising recess at a nearby elementary school and became fast friends.

But there wasn't any romance until 1977, Bachmann writes when Marcus asked her over ice cream if she'd be "interested in a... more romantic relationship."

3. Long before she entered politics, the Bachmanns were staunchly opposed to abortion. So committed to the movement that the duo helped young, single women through pregnancy; for instance, Bachmann assisted one woman through a child-birthing class and held another woman's hand as she gave birth, she writes on page 47 of her book.

On page 57, Bachmann writes,

"Marcus and I decided we didn't want to be pro-life in name only. We wanted to live our lives and our careers being fully and actively pro-life. So we began counseling single mothers, praying with them and helping them in any way we could. We volunteered to drive these expectant moms to crisis-pregnancy centers, where they could be offered a safe and saving alternative to abortion."

4. In 1979, Bachmann enrolled in law school at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But she didn't finish right away because Marcus wasn't comfortable there. So, after Bachmann's first year of school, the couple moved back to Minnesota. Four years later, the Bachmann family moved back to Oklahoma so Bachmann could finish her law degree.

5. During Bachmann's first run for Congress, former President George W. Bush came to campaign for the up-and-coming conservative. Bachmann's mother insisted that she wear pink gloves with the pink "deeply discounted after-Easter dress and jacket" Bachmann wore for the event.

She did, but the gloves don't show up in pictures of the pair from later that day because, according to Bachmann, Bush suggested she ditch them.

Poll: Most voters say 'super committee' will fail

Posted at 12:39 PM on November 21, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MPR in D.C.

President Barack Obama and a congressional 'super committee' tasked with crafting a plan by Thanksgiving to reduce the nation's deficit will fail to reach an agreement, say 69 percent of voters.

The statistic is part of a nationwide poll conducted by Quinnipiac University. Just 24 percent of Americans say that the administration and the panel will be able to come up with a plan.

Republicans and Independent voters are more likely to predict failure than Democrats, according to the poll. Still, a majority of Democrats - 54 percent - say there will be no agreement.

About 49 percent of voters want only spending cuts and no revenue increases to close the deficit gap, while 39 percent favor a mix of spending cuts and tax increases. Those figures change depending on party affiliation. For instance, most Republicans want spending cuts, while Democrats are more likely to want a mix of cuts and tax increases.

The super committee was formed last summer as part of a final deal on a plan to increase the debt ceiling. The idea was for Democrats and Republicans to agree by Nov. 23 on a strategy to trim at least $1.2 trillion from the nation's debt over 10 years or face automatic spending cuts to programs that both parties hold dear.

The Quinnipiac University survey include 2,552 registered voters and had a margin of error of 1.9 percentage points.

DFL Chair: I did what's best for the party

Posted at 10:58 AM on November 21, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Redistricting, U.S. House

DFL Party Chair Ken Martin says the party submitted a redistricting map to the courts late Friday that is in the best interest of the DFL Party and not what's best for the state's current elected officials. The proposal upset DFL Rep. Betty McCollum and DFL Rep. Collin Peterson, who both characterized the map as political. Martin said he understands their frustration, but he said the party put forward a proposal that serves the public interest and the best interest of the DFL Party.

"My job is to do what's in the interest of the party for the long-term and to make sure that we're putting forward a map that reflects the will of the court panel in terms of the criteria established as well as the public testimony," Martin told MPR News. "We want to do what's in the best interest of our elected officials and our stakeholders, but it's very tough to make everyone happy in this process and our job as a party and legally is to make sure that we're doing what's in the best interest of the party for the long-term."

Martin declined further comment about the criticism from McCollum and Peterson.

A five-member judicial panel tasked with creating a set of redistricting plans will now study the maps submitted by the state's political parties and other groups. The panel will use those proposals and review public testimony before it starts drawing the state's political boundaries. The judicial panel will take over the process on Feb. 21 if Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and the GOP-controlled Legislature fail to reach agreement on a set of maps.

Dayton, who vetoed the GOP plan during the 2011 session, said he didn't think the two sides would reach agreement. The state has to redraw Minnesota's eight congressional districts and 201 legislative districts to ensure equal population after the 2010 Census.

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Bachmann to sign her book at MOA on Black Friday

Posted at 10:12 AM on November 19, 2011 by Tom Scheck (6 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, Redistricting, U.S. House

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann is scheduled to hold a book signing at the Mall of America on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

The Barnes and Noble store at the Mall of America says Bachmann will sign her book "Core of Conviction: My Story" at the Mall of America at 8am on Nov. 25. AP obtained an advanced copy of the book and wrote about it here.

Bachmann, who is seeking the GOP nomination for president, will be signing the book at a time when shoppers are ramping up their holiday purchases.

The book signing will be a rare Minnesota appearance for the 6th District Congresswoman. She has been spending a large part of her time campaigning for president in Iowa and South Carolina. Bachmann has not said whether she intends to run for reelection if she fails to win the GOP nomination for president.

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McCollum takes aim at DFL Party over redistricting plans

Posted at 5:10 PM on November 18, 2011 by Tom Scheck (6 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Redistricting

MPR News is still trying to access the DFL Party's proposed redistricting plans - but one of the state's Congressional members is not pleased with the map. DFL Rep. Betty McCollum's chief of staff Bill Harper issued a statement blasting DFL Party Chair Ken Martin and the members of the DFL Party's legal team.

"The DFL Chair and his high paid lawyers have proposed a congressional map to the redistricting panel that is hyper-partisan and bizarre. Their plan ignores the judge's redistricting criteria and it insults established communities of interest, particularly in the East Metro. Congresswoman McCollum has faith in the judges on the panel to draw fair political boundaries that will serve the best interests of all Minnesotans."

MPR News could not reach Harper to comment on why he's upset with the DFL map. A call to McCollum's spokeswoman has also not been returned.

One factor could be that McCollum would end up in the same district as GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann if the DFL map is approved by the court. The DFL map pairs McCollum and Bachmann.

MPR News viewed one proposed map by DFLers that paired the two together. A person with knowledge of that map said that the DFL map would submit that proposed map to the courts.

Will be updated...

Here's the proposed map:

Martin Intervenors Congressional Map_Minnesota-2

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Romney Minneapolis fundraiser postponed

Posted at 3:40 PM on November 17, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Tim Pawlenty

Remember that Mitt Romney fundraiser former Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Sen. Norm Coleman planned to host in Minneapolis?

It turns out the Nov. 21 event has been postponed due to a scheduling change, says Pawlenty adviser Brian McClung.

Look for the event to be held in early 2012 instead.

As a reminder, Pawlenty is national co-chair for the former Massachusetts governor's campaign and Coleman is a Romney adviser.

National Turkey will hail from Minnesota

Posted at 1:35 PM on November 17, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

As a part of the national Thanksgiving turkey presentation at the White House next week, President Obama will pardon two Minnesota turkeys. Steve Olson, executive director of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, says Rick Huisinga, with the Willmar Poultry Company, raised the two birds that will be pardoned by Obama. He said Huizenga has the honor of raising the birds because he is the president of the National Turkey Federation.

"It's very special, especially for the grower, to take a Minnesota turkey to Washington D.C," Olson said.

Why two turkeys? Olson said they send two in case one of them is injured or gets sick during the trip.

He said Huisinga identified roughly 35 birds that hatched in July. Huisinga and others then raised the birds separately. He said they started preparing the group of birds for the trip and next week's press conference.

"Some Future Farmers of America members worked with the birds to be used to noises and flashes as well as being picked up because we want to make sure the birds are comfortable when they get to the White House," Olson said.

The two birds will receive a Minnesota sendoff before they depart for the White House. Gov. Dayton, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and others will host a Friday news conference to honor the birds and recognize the Minnesota Turkey Growers' annual donation to Hunger Solutions.

Minnesota is the number one producer of turkeys in the country (and that's not a joke about politicians).

You can read more about the Turkeys here.

Higgins to hang it up

Posted at 5:34 PM on November 14, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

Democratic state Senator Linda Higgins says she won't run for re-election next year in her Minneapolis District. Higgins, who was first elected to the senate in 1996, represents downtown and north Minneapolis. She said she's announcing her retirement now so candidates have enough time to prepare for the February precinct caucuses.

"It isn't a lifetime job," Higgins said. "It is a situation where you do your public service and then you hand it off with a big smile on your face to the person who will go on and serve in that capacity and hope that he or she doesn't undo all of the good work you did."

Higgins said she's most proud of her work to reduce predatory lending, reduce electronic waste and to ensure that courts were referring veterans to the VA health system for care. She chaired several committees until the DFL lost control of the Senate in 2010. She said it's more difficult being in the majority.

"It's really frustrating to go from being the chair of a committee and being responsible for $2 billion of the state's budget to being in the capacity where no one really cares what you think and have different ideas on how to do things," Higgins said.

Higgins said the collegiality in the Minnesota Senate has eroded since she was first elected. She said there are good people in every seat in the Minnesota Senate but complained there are fewer chances of lawmakers to gather outside of the State Capitol.

Higgins is the latest member of the Minneapolis delegation in the Senate to leave. DFL Senators Linda Berglin and Larry Pogemiller both retired over the past few months. The three members had a combined 85 years seniority in the Legislature.

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Bachmann suggests bias at GOP presidential debate

Posted at 12:06 AM on November 13, 2011 by Catharine Richert (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign is accusing CBS News of bias during the Saturday night debate hosted by the network.

The campaign says that the network purposefully limited Bachmann's questions during the gathering of Republican presidential candidates in Spartanburg, S.C.

As evidence, the campaign points to a string of e-mails between John Dickerson, Slate magazine's chief political correspondent and CBS News political analyst, and others, including Bachmann spokeswoman Alice Stewart, regarding Bachmann's appearance on a debate related web show.

"Ok let's keep it loose though because she's not going to get many questions and she's nearly off the charts in the hopes that we can get someone else," says the e-mail sent to the media by Bachmann's campaign.

The correspondence demonstrates "a planned effort to limit questions to Michele Bachmann at tonight's CBS / National Journal Debate," Bachmann's campaign said in an e-mail to the media.

On his Twitter feed, Dickerson said he was referencing Bachmann's low standing in the polls, linking to recent surveys on Real Clear Politics.

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SCSU Survey: Obama in tight race with Romney but crushes Bachmann

Posted at 11:53 PM on November 10, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, Michele Bachmann

The 2011 St. Cloud State University survey finds that President Obama would face the stiffest challenge from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. 45 percent of those polled say they would back Obama. 39 percent say they would back Romney. 7 percent of those polled said they would support "someone else." 9 percent of those polled are undecided. (Note: the pollster said they included a "someone else category in each question).

In a head to head with former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain, Obama received 47 percent support. Cain got 36 percent support. 8 percent said they would vote for "someone else." 9 percent said they "didn't know."

The poll also found that GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann isn't getting any home state support. Just 25 percent of those polled support Bachmann in a head to head match-up with Obama. 53 percent of those polled back the president. 16 percent said they support "someone else." Six percent were undecided.

The survey found 41 percent of those polled rate President Obama's job as performance as excellent or pretty good while 59 percent rate it as only fair or poor.

The poll also found that the state is closely divided on a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. It finds that 47 percent of those polled do not support amending the state's constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. 44 percent support the proposal. 9 percent of those polled either refused to answer or were undecided.

The SCSU researchers also tried to measure how attitudes toward religion might affect answers to the marriage question. The survey found that 57 percent of those who said religion was important in their lives were in favor of the amendment, compared to 29 percent of the group who said religion was not important.

The survey also found that 55 percent think the state is on the wrong track and also found that unemployment and job opportunities are the top issue facing the state. The budget, the economy, education funding, politics/politicians and taxes are also top concerns.

A majority of those polled, or 55 percent, blame this summer's state government shutdown on the Minnesota Legislature. 18 percent blame Governor Dayton. 18 percent say they're both to blame.

The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points.

You can read the news release on the poll here.

Here are the poll results released by SCSU Professor Steve Frank:

Fall Findings Sfrank Version 11-10

Bachmann speech gets "occupied"

Posted at 4:45 PM on November 10, 2011 by Brett Neely (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

WASHINGTON - Michele Bachmann has been criticizing the Occupy Wall Street movement while out on the presidential campaign trail. On Thursday, the movement returned the favor by disrupting a Bachmann speech aboard the decommissioned USS Yorktown in South Carolina, according to NBC News.

A group of about 20 protesters stood up during the speech chanting, "This will only take a minute... You capitalize on dividing Americans / claiming people that disagree with you / are unpatriotic socialists / and you promote discrimination."

Video of the encounter shows some in the audience trying to shout the protesters down followed by police escorting Bachmann off stage. The protesters then left the ship chanting, "We are the 99 percent."

A few minutes later Bachmann returned to the stage, "visibly rattled" according to NBC, and telling the audience, "Don't you just love the First Amendment?"

You can watch the whole incident here:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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PoliGraph: Klobuchar supported stimulus, but not specific projects

Posted at 2:30 PM on November 9, 2011 by Catharine Richert (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. Senate

Candidate attacks on earmarks and wasteful government spending are standard election year fodder. Opponents often accuse incumbents of loading up on pet pork projects with taxpayer dollars.

A recent example is an Oct. 21 press release sent by the Republican Party of Minnesota regarding DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar's spending record:

"Since she took office, Sen. Klobuchar has grazed at every opportunity at the federal funding buffet heaping her plate with tasty treats like $6 million for a snowmaking machine in Duluth and $1.2 million to build a bike trail to Target Field. In all she's supported over $1 trillion (with a "t") in stimulus spending."

"It was bad enough that past stimulus bills included things like bike trails and snowmaking facilities," GOP Chair Tony Sutton goes on to say.

There's a bit of truth to this claim. But it's been distorted to the point of making it false.

The Evidence

The Minnesota GOP contends that Klobuchar has supported more than $1 trillion in stimulus spending. That includes the 2008 Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) which, at the time, was worth $700 billion; $25 billion in federal loans to the auto industry passed in 2008 (Detroit ultimately got most of its assistance from TARP); a $400 billion bailout for home finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; and the $787 stimulus bill, according to Minnesota GOP spokeswoman Heather Rubash.

Whether these separate measures constitute wasteful government spending is a matter of opinion. But it's clear that they total far more than $1 trillion. And because all were meant to either create jobs, prevent people from losing their jobs, or prop up the economy, for this fact-check, we're taking a broad view of what "stimulus" means.

It's true that Klobuchar voted for all four bills, as did many other Democrats and Republicans in the Senate.

But from there, the GOP's statement gets off track.

Both the snowmaking machine and the bike trail are associated with the $787 stimulus bill passed in early 2009, said Rubash, who pointed to information from the National Republican Senatorial Committee for sourcing.

The stimulus bill did not include earmarks, which are pots of funding meant for specific pet projects in lawmakers' districts (though critics argue that some of the stimulus funding was specific enough, such as dollars to buy green vehicles, to be considered earmark-like).

It's true that Hennepin County got about $1.2 million in stimulus dollars to extend an existing bike trail to Target Field in downtown Minneapolis.

But, unlike the GOP's claim implies, Klobuchar did not request the money for the specific project. Rather, the state got a share of a $1.5 billion pot of stimulus money meant to fund transportation projects nationwide. In turn, Hennepin County applied to the state for bike trail funding, says Phil Eckhert, who is the county's director of Housing, Community Work and Transit. Ultimately, the project came in under budget at roughly $695,000, so the extra cash went back to the state, he said.

So, aside from the "aye" vote she cast in favor of the bill, Klobuchar had no control over specific projects supported by the stimulus bill.

Cash for a snowmaking machine wasn't in the stimulus bill, either. In fact, no stimulus cash was ever spent on such a project.

The media began buzzing about the snowmaking machine in December 2008 when mayors from across the nation compiled a report to show the incoming Obama administration what sorts of projects could be funded with stimulus dollars. That was before Obama was sworn into office and before lawmakers returned to Congress to draft the stimulus bill.

Included in that report was a snowmaking machine for Spirit Mountain, which is an authority of the City of Duluth. It was estimated to cost $6 million and create 70 jobs.

But once the stimulus was passed and federal dollars were available, no request for such funding was made, according to Renee Mattson who is executive director for the ski area.

The Verdict

There is a shred of truth in this claim: Klobuchar supported four big spending bills, including the stimulus package.

But the Minnesota GOP implies that Klobuchar was finagling cash for wasteful projects back home. The bike trail funding was not an earmark, nor did Klobuchar have a say in how that money was spent. And the snowmaking machine stalled before it even started.

On the whole, the claim is misleading to the point of being false.

SOURCES

The Republican Party of Minnesota, Sen. Klobuchar Sells Snow to Duluth and her Soul to the Unions, Oct. 21, 2011

The Senate, Roll Call vote for H.R.3221, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, accessed Nov. 9, 2011

The Senate, Roll Call Vote for H.R.2638: Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009, accessed Nov. 9, 2011

The Senate, Roll Call Vote for H.R. 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, accessed Nov. 9, 2011

The Senate, Roll Call Vote for H.R. 1: the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, accessed Nov. 9, 2011

U.S. News and World Report, A $25 Billion Lifeline for GM, Ford, and Chrysler, by Rick Newman, September 24, 2008

CNN, There goes another $30 billion, by David Goldman, June 1, 2009

Propublica, History of U.S. Government Bailouts, April 15, 2009

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, accessed Nov. 9, 2011

The United States Conference of Mayors, Ready to Go: Jobs and Infrastructure Projects, Dec. 8, 2008

U.S. News and World Report, Finding the Pork in the Obama Stimulus Bill: Is Obama's stimulus overflowing with special-interest projects?, By Matthew Bandyk, Feb. 19, 2009

Interview, Phil Eckhert, Director Housing, Community Works and Transit, Hennepin County, Nov. 8, 2011

Interview, Renee Mattson, Executive Director of Spirit Mountain, Nov. 2, 2011

Email exchange, Heather Rubash, spokeswoman, Minnesota GOP, Nov. 2, 2011

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Steelworkers back Clark for Congress

Posted at 2:19 PM on November 9, 2011 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

United Steelworkers District 11 announced today that it is backing Democrat Tarryl Clark's campaign for Congress.

"Tarryl Clark is the strongest candidate in this race to beat Chip Cravaack," said USW District 11 director Bob Bratulich. "Tarryl's years of service and commitment to the priorities of Minnestota families will guarantee that when she gets to Washington she will make sure we are no long focusing on tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires, but making sure that we are putting people back to work."

Clark has a close relationship with the USW. She serves as co-chair of the BlueGreen Alliance's Jobs 21! group. The BlueGreen Alliance is a coalition of groups that includes the Steel Workers, the Sierra Club, SEIU and others.

Clark, a former member of the Minnesota Senate, is running for Congress in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District - which includes North Branch, Duluth and the Iron Range. Former Rep. Rick Nolan, Duluth City Council member Jeff Anderson and Daniel Fanning are also seeking the DFL nomination.

GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack is running for re-election. He's serving his first-term after defeating DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar in 2010.

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Ellison, Rybak and Wasserman Schultz talk jobs in Minneapolis

Posted at 5:00 PM on November 8, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Three Democrats touted President Barack Obama's stimulus plan at a rock climbing facility in south Minneapolis Tuesday.

It would appear an unlikely spot for Mayor R.T. Rybak and Reps. Keith Ellison and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who also serves as the Democratic National Committee's chair, to spend the afternoon.

But the facility is a stimulus success story, the trio said.

"This is a great thing," said Ellison as rock climbers scaled the wall behind him. "Not only is it going to add interesting, vibrant amenities for people here...but it is going to be a place of employment."

Ellison said that Vertical Endeavors, which combined private, city and stimulus dollars to pay for the building's $1.3 million renovation, will support 35 full-and-part time jobs.

In this economic climate, job creation has emerged as a central theme to Obama's campaign. Wasserman Schultz, who's primary job will be to raise money for and campaign for Obama and other Democrats, said that the renovation would not have been possible without stimulus funding.

"These are the types of projects that remind us that in the 2012 election, our country is really going to have a very clear choice," she said. "We have Mitt Romney and Republicans who oppose job creation and investments like this one in small businesses."

Just a year out from the 2012 election, Wasserman Schultz also touted Obama's second jobs bill that has largely stalled in Congress.

Among other things, the nearly $450 billion proposal would put resources into infrastructure such as bridges.

"No one knows better than Minnesotans how important it is that our nation's bridges are sound and not failing," said Wasserman Schultz.

UPDATE: A spokesman from the Republican National Committee sent us this comment, saying Wasserman Schultz was spinning Obama's "failed record."

"Instead of sending surrogates to campaign to save the president's job, Barack Obama should be focused on jobs for Minnesotans," said RNC spokesman Ryan Mahoney. "Unfortunately for unemployed Minnesotans, campaign pitches for more of the same failed policies from the first stimulus won't put people in Minneapolis back to work."

Dayton says Hann is blocking funding for health care

Posted at 12:36 PM on November 8, 2011 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Gov. Dayton says one Republican member of the Minnesota Senate is putting the lives of sick children and the elderly in jeopardy by putting a hold on federal funds directed to the state of Minnesota.

Dayton says Sen. David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, requested a review of $25 million in federal health care grants - essentially putting a hold on the funds. Dayton said Hann's action may be unconstitutional.

"That any single legislator could arbitrarily and unilaterally block money that comes from the federal government through a competitive grant process, a lawful process, and be used for the benefit for Minnesotans all over the state," Dayton said. "To have all of that blocked by one member of the Legislature is to me just undemocratic."

Dayton says his administration will try to convince Legislative leaders to approve the funding. If they don't approve, the administration can request a hearing from the Legislative Advisory Commission and can eventually get the money. Dayton says his concern is that the federal government could choose to give the money to another state in the meantime.

Hann is holding a 1 p.m. news conference to react to Dayton's assertion. Hann is defending his decision to raise questions about federal health care grants given to the state. Governor Dayton today criticized Hann for playing politics with money that will help the sick and elderly. Hann, who chairs the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, said the Dayton Administration shouldn't have sole power to determine how to spend federal grants.

"My intent, as I said, was to make sure that we had a chance for the Legislature more than just me to look at this," Hann said. "I don't think I should be the guy that determines whether or not we should spend $60 million or not. I don't think the governor should be either. I think that's something for the public and the Legislature to do in the light of day."

Hann said state commissioners who oversee the grant money assured him that no one would be harmed if the money wasn't released immediately. He says he intends to hold a hearing on the federal funds.

In the meantime, here's his letter:

DHS_Sen Hann Ltr

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Bachmann tags GOP rivals as "frugal socialists"

Posted at 12:35 PM on November 7, 2011 by Brett Neely (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

WASHINGTON - With her poll numbers continuing to drop, GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has intensified her criticism of the other Republicans in the race.

Before a small crowd at the Family Research Council in Washington, DC, Bachmann first lashed out at President Barack Obama, accusing his administration of engaging in a "massive redistribution of wealth" before turning to her GOP rivals.

"But sadly far too many Republicans aspire to be frugal socialists," Bachmann, who currently represents Minnesota's 6th Congressional District, said. "We cannot preserve liberty for ourselves and our posterity if the choice in next November is between a frugal socialist and an out-of-control socialist."

During a brief question and answer period with reporters, Bachmann declined to elaborate further on her criticism of the other Republican candidates telling reporters, "that's part of the puzzle you figure out."

But it wasn't hard to read between the lines: her attacks focused on all of the three apparent GOP frontrunners, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Godfather's Pizza executive Herman Cain. Bachmann has criticized each candidate for not hewing sufficiently close to conservative principles, in Romney's case for the health care law he enacted while governor, in Perry's case for deviating from GOP dogma on illegal immigration and Cain for not coming out vigorously enough in opposition to legalized abortion.

This isn't Bachmann's first time lashing out at her opponents. She dubbed Perry's proposal to vaccinate young girls against the HPV virus, "Perrycare" and in a dig at Cain, who's currently engulfed in a controversy around sexual harassment allegations, has told audiences that the Republican candidate should offer "no surprises." But so far none of Bachmann's attacks has helped reverse her ebbing poll numbers.

A Washington Post/ABC poll put Bachmann at 4 percent support nationwide, a drop of 3 points from a month earlier and more than 10 points from her campaign's high-water mark in mid-July.

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McCollum town hall to focus on Veteran issues

Posted at 11:04 AM on November 7, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

DFL Rep. Betty McCollum will hold a town hall tonight to focus on issues "impacting Minnesota veterans."

Veterans, military personnel and their families residing in the Fourth Congressional District are encouraged to attend and participate.

Here are the details:

WHO: Congresswoman Betty McCollum WHEN: Monday November 7, 2011, 6:30 - 8:00 PM WHERE: Maplewood Community Center 2100 White Bear Ave. Maplewood, MN 55109

Ron Paul rocks St. Cloud

Posted at 4:32 PM on November 5, 2011 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

From MPR's Conrad Wilson...

More than 2,500 people attended a rally for Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul in St. Cloud today.

The event, which is Paul's first trip to the state during his 2012 campaign for president, featured an energetic and vocal crowd.

At one point, Paul even joked he didn't even need to give the speech, because the audience already knew what he was going to say. Not deviating from his platform, Paul called for more individual rights and a smaller federal government before an enthusiastic crowd at the Rivers Edge Convention Center in downtown St. Cloud.

"The country and the world is in a mess today," Paul said. "And I'm quite convinced that we know exactly how we got here, and we know exactly what to do, and one thing for sure is that we don't need more government."

Paul spoke out against the Wall Street bailouts, called for a repeal of President Obama's health care law, an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, while also promoting the rights of the individual.

"All we need to do is to send people to Washington who understand and are determined to follow the rule of law and respect our Constitution," Paul said.

Paul is currently running behind GOP frontrunners Mitt Romney and Herman Cain in national polling. He also delivered the speech in Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's district. Bachmann is also running for president.

The event marked the official start of Paul's presidential campaign in Minnesota.

You can listen to Paul's full speech here: Listen

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Court panel sets redistricting criteria

Posted at 6:11 PM on November 4, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, Redistricting

With MPR's Rupa Shenoy...

The five-member panel charged with redrawing the state's political boundaries issued an order today detailing the criteria they will use to draw those maps.

For the first time, the panel said the metropolitan area should be regarded as 11 counties, not seven. As a result more exurban counties could be tied into districts in suburban and urban areas.

That was an approach Republicans favored, said Elizabeth Brama who represents the Republican party on redistricting. She said it's unclear what effect the change will have.

"I don't think it's a question of one party or the other benefiting," Brama said. "I think it's more a question of just fairly representing where the people in the state of Minnesota live and how they organize themselves."

Brama said the council's decision may reflect how people in ex-urban counties formerly considered rural may now see themselves as more urban.

DFL party chair Ken Martin wasn't surprised by those changes.

"I think it's pretty pro forma and certainly establishes a lot of the same principles that were in place ten years ago," Martin said. "Again, without discussing this further with my team and being able to look at it more in detail, I can't comment any more than that. But on the surface I think it's fine. I don't think it give any party an advantage over another."

The court order also suggests that it will consider communities of interest to include "social, geographic, political, cultural, ethnic, economic or other interests." Attorneys for the DFL Party were arguing that those communities of interest are critical to redrawing the lines.

The five-member panel is tasked with creating a set of maps for the state's eight congressional districts and 201 legislative districts if Gov. Dayton and the GOP-controlled Legislature can't agree on a map. Dayton vetoed a GOP plan earlier this year and he suggested it's unlikely an agreement can be reached before the Feb. 21 deadline. The court will take over the process at that time.

You can read the full order here.

Bachmann returns to DC for a speech

Posted at 5:00 PM on November 4, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is returning to the nation's capital on Monday. But she won't be returning to Congress - the U.S. House is on recess next week. Instead, she'll be delivering a speech at the religious conservative Family Research Council.

In an email from her campaign, Bachmann says, "I will share with you my philosophy on the role of government in the lives of Americans and my thoughts on the constitutional conservative principles that would govern a Bachmann presidency."

Bachmann's return to Washington comes as her poll numbers continue to sink. The latest Washington Post/ABC poll puts her support at 4 percent nationally, down three points from a month before.

Parry schedules campaign kick-off tour

Posted at 1:37 PM on November 2, 2011 by Tim Pugmire
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

State Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, will formally launch his campaign for Congress with a tour of the First District on Thursday and Friday.

Parry is seeking the Republican endorsement to challenge incumbent Democratic Congressman Tim Walz in 2012. He has nine stops planned over the next two days.

Here's Parry's schedule:

Thursday, Nov. 3

8:00 a.m, Winona (Hy-Vee Dining Room, 1475 West Service Drive)
10:30 a.m., Rochester (Canadian Honker Restaurant, 1203 Second Street SW)
1:30 p.m., Austin (Coffee House on Main, 329 North Main)
3:30 p.m., Albert Lea (Trumble's Restaurant, 1811 East Main Street)
5:00 p.m., Owatonna (Torey's Restaurant, 685 West Bridge Street)

Friday, Nov. 4

8:00 a.m., New Ulm (Ulmer Café, 115 North Minnesota Street)
10:00 a.m., Mankato (Happy Chef, 51646 US Highway 169)
1:00 p.m., Fairmont (Perkins Restaurant, I-90 and Highway 15)
3:00 p.m., Worthington (Blue Line Café, I-90 and Highway 60)

Klobuchar hires Buoen to run campaign

Posted at 6:36 PM on November 1, 2011 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar has hired Justin Buoen to run her 2012 reelection campaign. Klobuchar promoted Buoen last week. He most recently served as Klobuchar's deputy campaign manager. He started working for Klobuchar's campaign in 2005.

"Justin started with me 6 years ago organizing parades and since then he has become a critical member of my team," Klobuchar said in a statement. "Justin knows our state well and he is uniquely qualified to lead our campaign at this time."

Klobuchar is running for her second term in office. Several Republicans have lined up to run against her. They include former state Rep. Dan Severson, St. Bonifacius city council member Joe Arwood and St. Paul resident Anthony Hernandez. Neither of those candidates currently have the statewide name identification or campaign war chest to mount an effective campaign but all three argue that Klobuchar can be beaten.

Buoen says he and Klobuchar are taking nothing for granted in 2012.

"We have to be ready," Buoen said. "Sen. Klobuchar is committed to working hard."

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Drazkowski endorses Parry

Posted at 1:14 PM on October 31, 2011 by Tim Pugmire
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

State Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazzeppa, made his future political intentions clearer today by endorsing state Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, for Congress in Minnesota's First District.

Drazkowski had reportedly been considering his own bid to try to unseat incumbent Democratic Congressman Tim Walz. Parry announced his candidacy earlier this month. In a news release from the Parry campaign, Drazkowski said he was proud to make the endorsement.

"After five years in Washington, Congressman Tim Walz has represented the values of Washington liberals like Nancy Pelosi and not the values of Southern Minnesota," Drazkowski said. "I'm convinced that Mike will build the grassroots campaign to defeat Congressman Walz. As a small business owner, he is best equipped to go to Washington and rein in wasteful government spending and jump start our economy."

DFL fills two positions

Posted at 10:48 AM on October 31, 2011 by Tim Pugmire
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Political parties

The Minnesota DFL has announced the hiring of an executive Director and an outreach director.

A news release today said Corey Day will be the party's executive director. He recently served as a partner at Strategic Field Concepts, where he designed campaigns focused on grassroots organizing. Day served as a Director on the Obama for America campaign in Florida and was the Minnesota statewide field director in 2004 for the Kerry for President campaign. As executive director, Day will help the DFL develop its Coordinated Campaign for president, U.S. Senate and Minnesota Legislature.

Mona Langston will join the DFL as outreach director. Langston previously worked for the Housing Preservation Project. She was also a campaign coordinator for SEIU and served as a field organizer for the Dean for America Presidential campaign.

DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin said he was thrilled to hire Day and Langston.

"2012 is a critical year for our state and country and the DFL will play an important role in re-electing President Obama, Senator Klobuchar and winning back the majorities in our State Legislature," Martin said. "Corey offers a wealth of experience managing campaigns, building coalitions, grassroots organizing. His knowledge of Minnesota politics will help build our Party's 2012 campaign. Mona has been a strong community organizer her whole career and we look forward to using her insight and experience to develop and strengthen our Party's relations with the community. She understands the issues facing underrepresented communities and this will allow our Party to reach out, understand the issues facing local communities, educate them on the values of the DFL and help elect leaders who will fight to address the inequality and economic gaps."

Bachmann 4th in Iowa Poll; trails Cain, Romney, Paul

Posted at 7:29 PM on October 29, 2011 by Catharine Richert (7 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Ten weeks before the Iowa caucuses, Republican presidential hopeful Rep. Michele Bachmann is in fourth place in the closely-watched Des Moines Register Iowa Poll, released tonight.

Bachmann, who trailed one percentage point behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 22 percent support back in June, now has 8 percent support among likely Republican caucus goers, according to the poll.

Her latest numbers reflect other recent polls. According to Real Clear Politics, Bachmann has an average of 7.3 percent support in Iowa based on data from a variety of surveys conducted in the state. Nationally, her average is 3.8 percent.

Bachmann has made clear that winning the Iowa caucuses is a priority, spending much of her time and resources there in recent weeks.

In a powerpoint presentation released by her campaign last month, Bachmann's campaign manager, Keith Nahigian, said that she "has to win Iowa and move on from there."

Herman Cain leads the poll with 23 percent support, closely followed by Romney with 22 percent support. Back in June, Cain had only 10 percent support.

With a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points, Cain and Romney are in a statistical dead heat.

Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has only 7 percent support, despite his initial popularity nationwide after he announced his candidacy. But his campaign has since floundered; Perry is averaging 7.3 percent support in Iowa, and 10.5 percent nationally, according to Real Clear Politics

Perry is tied for fifth place with Newt Gingrich. Coming in sixth and seventh place are former Sen. Rick Santorum with 5 percent of the vote and John Huntsman with 1 percent.

The poll surveyed 400 likely Republican caucus goers between Oct. 23-26.

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Parties make their case to court on Redistricting

Posted at 1:48 PM on October 26, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, Redistricting

A five-judge panel that's likely to end up drawing the state's political boundaries heard arguments Wednesday about the best way to do it.

Attorneys for the political parties made their case to the panel Wednesday. Republicans say the court should make population changes its top priority. Democrats argued the court should give communities of interest -- like minority populations -- equal weight.

Attorney Eric Magnuson, who is representing the Republican Party, said DFL attorneys are going too far with their recommendation.

"What he's really proposing is that you have subjective and kind of nebulous criteria so that they can maybe fashion things a little bit more the way they want them," Magnuson said. "In our view, maybe those are arguments you can make to the Legislature but when you're arguing to the court, you have to follow the constitution and the statute."

But Marc Elias, an attorney representing Democrats, said the court needs to also consider communities. He said drawing the lines on population alone hurts certain communities such as minorities.

"It's not enough to stop there because if life were that simple we wouldn't be here," Elias said. "If it was just a mechanical process of taking these higher level criteria and applying them mechanically then indeed we wouldn't need hearings."

The parties have to submit their proposed maps to the court by November 18th. The court will take over the process if Governor Dayton and the GOP-controlled Legislature can't reach an agreement on the new congressional and legislative districts by February 21st.

A reporter asked Dayton to give odds on whether he can reach agreement with the Legislature on a map before the deadline.

"Somewhere between the Vikings winning the division and the Vikings winning the Super Bowl," Dayton said. "But there's always hope."

You can listen to the full redistricting hearing here: Listen

Pool Photo provided by the Star Tribune's Glen Stubbe.

Zellers and House GOP go hunting for dough

Posted at 10:00 AM on October 26, 2011 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

GOP House Speaker Kurt Zellers and the House Republican Campaign Committee will be hunting for more than big dollar contributions today. Zellers and GOP House Majority Leader Matt Dean are headlining a Pheasant Hunt Fundraiser for the HRCC. The event, which is at the Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club in Prior Lake, is hosted by Pawn America CEO Brad Rixman. It will also feature Minnesota Bound host Ron Schara, who is also a member of the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council.

A fundraising invite obtained by MPR News says a $5,000 contribution will allow a donor to bring along three other hunters. They will also be joined by a legislator. A $2,500 contribution will allow a donor to bring along one other hunter. A lawmaker will also join them on the hunt. Individual hunters can give $1,000. Those preferring not to hunt can pay $250 to attend a cocktail reception.

Rixman has donated large sums to the HRCC in the past. He gave the HRCC $20,000 during the 2010 election cycle. Donors can give unlimited amounts to political party units and outside groups.

The hunt starts at 2:30.

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Bachmann's former New Hampshire team issues statement

Posted at 10:25 AM on October 24, 2011 by Catharine Richert (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Former staffers of Rep. Michele Bachmann's New Hampshire campaign have issued a joint statement to clarify reports surrounding their resignation, indicating that there was bad blood between members of the state staff and Bachmann's national team.

Those team members include Jeff Chidester, Bachmann's New Hampshire campaign manager, Nicole Yurek, Mattheu LeDuc, Caroline Gigler, and Tom Lukacz.

The five-person group's decision to disband came after "much soul-searching by each individual and after countless hours of discussion as a team," the statement reads. "Although the team members regret our departure from the campaign, we know there was very little choice."

The team said that even though they "collectively felt loyalty to the candidate, they no longer have faith in the national team," a view they shared with Bachmann's national staff on several occasions but that they feel was "not taken seriously by some members of the national team."

The staffers say that they were regularly ignored by the national team and not included in strategy discussions.

The statement says that the national team's attitude toward the New Hampshire staff extended to the voters of New Hampshire as well:

"The manner in which some in the national team conducted themselves towards Team-NH was rude,unprofessional, dishonest, and at times cruel. But more concerning was how abrasive, discourteous, and dismissive some within the national team were towards many New Hampshire citizens. These are our neighbors and our friends, and some within the national team treated them more as a nuisance than as potential supporters."

Members of the team were asked to temporarily go off the payroll until the middle of October, 2011 due to financial concerns within the campaign, according to the statement.

Read the entire new release here.

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Bachmann appearing on Face the Nation

Posted at 11:45 AM on October 22, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann will appear on CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday morning. Minnesota's 6th District Republican will appear on the program with Republican presidential rival Rick Santorum.

Both Santorum and Bachmann will join four other candidates in the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition Presidential Forum on Saturday night.

Bachmann camp pushes back on reports of staff departures

Posted at 4:47 PM on October 21, 2011 by Catharine Richert (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign is pushing back on a swirl of reports that her paid staff in New Hampshire has quit.

Bachmann's campaign manager, Keith Nahigian, issued this statement late Friday afternoon.

"We have a great team in New Hampshire and we have not been notified that anyone is leaving the campaign. We look forward to spending more time in the Granite State between now and the primary, but our campaign has emphasized that our main focus is the first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa and we are continuing to build efforts there. While she will campaign in other states, Michele will spend the majority of her time in Iowa, doing what she does better than all the other candidates - retail politics - leading up to the all important caucuses."

Meanwhile, Bachmann told Radio Iowa Friday that "I don't know if this is just a bad story that's being fed by a different candidate or campaign -- I have no idea where this came from, but we have made calls and it is certainly not true"

Yet Jeff Chidester, Bachmann's New Hampshire campaign manager, told the New York Times that he is leaving.

Other staffers include Nicole Yurek, Mattheu LeDuc, Caroline Gigler, and Tom Lukacz, according to initial report from New Hampshire television station WMUR, which can be found here with a subscription. MPR has not been able to independently confirm their departures.

WMUR reported that the staff quit "over deep frustration with the campaign's lack of commitment to New Hampshire."

Bachmann has been spending much of her time and resources in Iowa, a state that will hold the nation's first caucuses. Bachmann says the state is a must-win. Her platform is especially attractive to Iowa's GOP voters there who tend to be socially conservative.

Meanwhile, she's be spending little time in New Hampshire. Recent surveys in New Hampshire have her polling in the single digits, far behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is leading the pack there.

Other recent polls show that Bachmann is doing slightly better in Iowa.

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New Hampshire staffers leave Bachmann campaign

Posted at 11:05 AM on October 21, 2011 by Catharine Richert (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

WMUR, a New Hampshire television station, reports that GOP presidential hopeful Rep. Michele Bachmann's paid staff in the state have quit "over deep frustration with the campaign's lack of commitment to New Hampshire."

Bachmann has been spending much of her time and resources in Iowa, a state she says is a must-win.

Those staffers include Jeff Chidester, Nicole Yurek, Mattheu LeDuc, Caroline Gigler, and Tom Lukacz, according to the WMUR report.

Here's the rest of the story, which is available by subscription-only through this link.

They stress that this has nothing to do with their devotion to the candidate. In fact, the staff was going to leave the campaign much earlier, but did not because they felt it wasn't the best for the candidate.

Bachmann came to the state last week for the Dartmouth debate. It was her first trip to New Hampshire since late June, and it was the final straw for the local staff. They felt constantly betrayed and even lied to, one of the staffers said.

In an interview with the New York Times this week, Bachmann said she plans to spend the rest of the primary campaign in Iowa and no other state, except for debates. The New Hampshire Secretary of State's office said it was notified that Bachmann would mail in her application to appear on the ballot and not sign up in person as most candidates do.

It is expected that these staffers will join other campaigns immediately.

MPR News has contacted the Bachmann campaign for confirmation, and will update if we hear back.

UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal and Fox News are reporting that the Bachmann campaign is pushing back on the staff departure.

Per the Journal:

"Besieged by reports of a staff mutiny, Bachmann campaign manager Keith Nahigian issued a statement late Friday saying, "We have a great team in New Hampshire [and] we have not been notified that anyone is leaving the campaign."

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Klobuchar, Reid and LaHood to unveil next phase of jobs bill

Posted at 10:38 AM on October 21, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON - Later today, DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar will join Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood to unveil a new bill to fund transportation spending funded with a surtax on those earning more than $1 million, a key component of President Obama's jobs plan.

The move comes less than a day after another component of that plan, a measure to fund hundreds of thousands of police officers, firefighters and teachers, also funded by a millionaire tax, was blocked in the Senate by a Republican-led filibuster.

After unveiling his plan last month to combat persistently high unemployment, Obama has campaigned constantly in favor of the bill in the face of stiff Republican resistance. The GOP-controlled House won't take up the measure and Republicans in the Senate also blocked a vote on the bill in its entirety. As a result, Democrats have now decided to split the bill into small pieces and attempt to pass it that way.

The Democrats' strategy also presents plentiful opportunities to try to show the GOP favors the interests of millionaires over urgent infrastructure, education and public safety spending. Republicans are calling the jobs measures another government stimulus program that won't fix the economy.

We'll have more details after the conference call with Reid, Klobuchar and LaHood.

UPDATE
It's a $60 billion bill with $50 billion going to road, rail, airport and other critical transportation projects around the country. Another $10 billion will be used to seed an infrastructure bank, a proposal that's been floating around Washington for awhile. You can read more about the bank here.

Klobuchar described the collapse of the I-35W bridge in 2007 as a wake-up call to the country about the state of its decaying infrastructure.

"We just can't afford to wait any longer whether we're talking about a construction worker looking for a job or a business looking to export to foreign markets, it's clear we need to rebuild our infrastructure," said Klobuchar.

She described infrastructure spending as an area where both parties have long cooperated on and lamented the resistance by Republicans to any proposals of fresh government spending.

"There's no such thing as a Democratic bridge or a Republican bridge or a Democratic water project or a Republican water project," said Klobuchar.

But while Klobuchar may have called for bipartisanship, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was eager to taunt Republicans for resisting any Democratic proposal funded by a tax increase.

"The Senate GOP has had a love affair for many years now with Grover Norquist," said Reid, referring to the anti-tax crusader who's the chief enforcer of the party's no new taxes pledge.

Reid has scheduled a vote on the bill the week of Oct. 31 after the Senate returns from a recess. The measure's prospects are likely dim in the Senate where 60 votes are required to break a filibuster and Democrats have 53 members in their caucus.

Republicans immediately jumped on the proposal.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results, yet that's exactly what Senate Democrats are proposing today," said Brian Walsh, the spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "So when taxpayers hear Senator Klobuchar and her fellow liberal Democrats call for even more bloated government stimulus spending it serves as yet another reminder of their broken promises and failed economic policies."

Bachmann to hold a fundraiser in Minnesota

Posted at 2:50 PM on October 19, 2011 by Catharine Richert (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Republican presidential hopeful Rep. Michele Bachmann is returning to Minnesota for a fundraiser on Oct. 27.

The event will be held at the Hilton in downtown Minneapolis, according to her campaign website.

Supporters can attend for as little as $50, but that only provides admission to the town hall portion of the event. Those who want to stick around for a reception and dinner must pay more. Individuals who give $5,000 - the maximum amount one person can contribute to a presidential candidate between the primary and general elections - will get tickets to the town hall, a private reception, dinner and have the chance to get their picture taken with Bachmann.

Bachmann hasn't said if she will run again for her 6th Congressional District seat if her presidential campaign doesn't work out, but her donor pool in Minnesota is substantial. After California, Minnesota was the second most generous state to Bachmann during the third fundraising quarter, according to an analysis by MPR.

Bachmann brought in nearly $4 million in the most recent fundraising quarter, which is quite a bit more than the $1.6 million she raised in the second quarter. She's been spending a lot of her time and resources in Iowa.

Still, it appears she's had trouble widening her base of donors, which will be a challenge for Bachmann as she tries to expand her campaign to other key Republican battleground states.

Building operational capacity in those states is part of her fundraising pitch.

"We are also doing all we can to invest resources and expand our reach in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and other key states," Bachmann said in her e-mail invitation to the Oct. 27 event. "By attending this event in Minneapolis, you will help us keep up the fight in Iowa and continue to grow our base of grassroots support all across the country."

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Bachmann says 'Danke Schoen' to Wayne Newton for his endorsement

Posted at 7:26 AM on October 19, 2011 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Legendary Las Vegas performer Wayne Newton appeared on Fox News last night and said he's backing Bachmann's campaign for president.

"I watched the entire debate and I can't tell you how proud I am of this lady," Newton said. "I will support this beautiful lady as long as she wants to go."

The two appeared on Fox News with their arms around each other for the entire time they were on the air prompting host Greta Van Susteren to say "It looks like you're on a date!"

Bachmann said she'll take support anywhere she can get it.

"This is the picture of America right here," Bachmann said as she pointed to Newton.

It's difficult to know whether Newton's endorsement will have any impact on Bachmann's chances. But it could help her with fundraising. MPR's Catharine Richert looked at Bachmann's most recent fundraising report and found that more than a third of Bachmann's cash came from senior citizens - a group that is more likely to have a particular fondness for Newton's "You're nobody until somebody loves you."

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Trump joins Bachmann in a tele-town hall

Posted at 9:56 PM on October 17, 2011 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

From MPR's Matt Sepic...

Donald Trump dipped his toe back into presidential politics this evening, headlining a telephone town hall forum with GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Supporters of the Minnesota Republican's presidential campaign called in with questions. However Bachmann made it clear at the start that Trump was not endorsing her.

The two stuck to themes popular with conservatives: curbing illegal immigration from Mexico, repealing President Obama's health care overhaul and cutting taxes and regulation.

Trump reiterated his fear about China's growing economic and military might.

"We don't have the right leadership," Trump said. " We're really falling badly. By 2016 or sooner China will overtake us economically. Hard to believe. It would have been impossible to even say that ten years ago."

Trump was referring to an International Monetary Fund report that predicts China's share of the global economy will surpass the United States in five years.

Trump sidestepped a question as to whether he would be willing to be Bachmann's running mate.

Bachmann stuck to many of her key talking points on the call including building a fence along the southern U.S. border, repealing the federal health care law and expanding oil drilling in the U.S.

You can listen to a large part of the conference call here: Listen

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Bachmann raised nearly $4 million in 3rd Quarter

Posted at 3:59 PM on October 15, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign for president reports raising $3.9 million in the third quarter of the year. The 6th District Republican has $1.3 million left in the bank but she also reports more than $500,000 in campaign debt. That debt includes $313,284 in fundraising and direct mail expenses and $30,000 owed to campaign adviser Ed Rollins.

Bachmann also spent $37,500 to have country music star Randy Travis perform at the Iowa Straw Poll. Bachmann won that event.

Bachmann has raised a total of $7.5 million since she entered the race for president in June. Those funds also include money from her congressional campaign account.
Her fundraising totals don't match the funds raised by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney or Texas Congressman Ron Paul. Perry raised $17 million in the quarter; Romney raised $14 million and Paul brought in about $8 million. Herman Cain, who this week shot to the lead in public opinion polls, raised less than Bachmann, $2.8 million.

Bachmann's campaign also announced today that she will hold a tele-town hall with Donald Trump on Monday. It's the first time Trump, who considered a run for the White House himself, will hold a town hall with another candidate.

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Cravaack raises $206,000 in third quarter

Posted at 4:34 PM on October 14, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012

WASHINGTON - Freshman Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack raised $206,000 for his re-election campaign last quarter and now has just over $382,000 cash on hand, Cravaack's campaign reported Friday.

That's less than Cravaack's $224,000 haul last quarter (although summer can be a quiet time for fundraising) and less than than one of the DFLers who hopes to replace him, Tarryl Clark. Her campaign reported raising $228,000 this week and now has $235,000 in the bank.

Cravaack's district has traditionally been a DFL stronghold until he knocked off longtime incumbent Jim Oberstar in a surprise upset last year. Four DFL candidates, including Clark, former Congressman Rick Nolan, Duluth city council member Jeff Anderson and former Al Franken staffer Daniel Fanning, are all vying for the opportunity to run against Cravaack in next year's general election.

Cravaack is seen as especially vulnerable after his family moved to New Hampshire over the summer while Cravaack maintains a house in the district and completes a three-legged commute between Washington, Minnesota and New Hampshire every week.

Echoing the likely themes of Cravaack's re-election campaign, a statement from the campaign said: "While the liberal special interest groups in Washington will continue to target Chip -- Chip's primary focus will continue to be working to improve the economy and returning jobs to the 8th Congressional District."

Cravaack's relatively modest fundraising total comes despite some heavy-duty help that's come his way. Former U.S. Senator Norm Coleman held a fundraising event with Cravaack in September. Cravaack was also listed as a co-sponsor for a high-dollar fundraiser with House Speaker John Boehner over the summer.

Emmer to speak at Ron Paul event

Posted at 6:01 PM on October 13, 2011 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Mark Dayton, Michele Bachmann, Redistricting, U.S. House

Tom Emmer, the GOP nominee for governor in 2010, is scheduled to emcee an event for Texas Congressman Ron Paul in November. Paul is scheduled to speak at the St. Cloud Civic Center on Nov. 5. A news release from Paul's campaign for president said Emmer and fellow KTLK radio host Bob Davis will emcee the event. Paul is scheduled to give a speech and will participate in what the campaign is saying will be the "celebratory launch" of his Minnesota state operations.

Emmer couldn't be reached to comment on whether his appearance should be considered an endorsement. He's considered a possible candidate for Congress in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District if GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann either wins the GOP nomination for president or decides against making another run for Congress. Bachmann campaigned heavily for Emmer in 2010. He lost his bid for governor to Democrat Mark Dayton.

The shape of Minnesota's 6th Congressional District has yet to be determined. Gov. Dayton and the Legislature are required to come up with a plan to redraw the state's political boundaries. A court appointed panel will draw the lines if the two sides can't reach agreement by Feb. 21.

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Peterson has $609k heading into 2012

Posted at 7:38 PM on October 13, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

DFL Rep. Collin Peterson reports raising nearly $70,000 in the 3rd quarter and has $609,000 heading into the 2012 election.

Peterson, who represents Minnesota's 7th Congressional District, filed his campaign finance report this week. He raised the bulk of the money in the 3rd quarter, $57,000, from political action committees.

Minnesota's 7th Congressional District includes western Minnesota. Republican Lee Byberg is running against Peterson. He has not filed his 3rd Quarter campaign finance report yet.

Clark raised $228k in 3rd Quarter

Posted at 5:23 PM on October 13, 2011 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

Democrat Tarryl Clark's campaign announced today that her campaign for Congress raised $228,000 in the third quarter. The campaign issued a statement saying Clark also has $235,000 in the bank.

Clark is seeking the DFL endorsement in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District and hopes to challenge GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack in 2012. She announced earlier this year that she was moving from her home in St. Cloud to Duluth so she can challenge Cravaack.

Cravaack and Democrats Rick Nolan and Jeff Anderson have not filed their reports yet. Democrat Daniel Fanning didn't get into the race until last week so he doesn't have to file a campaign finance report until January.

Minnesota's 8th Congressional District includes northeastern Minnesota but there's no guarantee the district will keep the same shape. The 2010 Census requires Gov. Dayton and the GOP-controlled Legislature to redraw the political boundaries. A court appointed panel will take over the map if Dayton and Republicans fail to reach agreement by Feb. 21.

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Coleman to lead new Super PAC

Posted at 2:23 PM on October 13, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman is leading a new fundraising operation called the Congressional Leadership Fund.

Its mission? To get candidates "who promote the values of the center right majority" in Congress, according to the group's bare-bones website.

Coleman will serve as chairman of the so-called Super PAC's board of directors.

Politico, which broke the story, writes that Vin Weber, another Minnesota political heavyweight, will be involved in the group as well.

Both Coleman and Weber have lined up behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as advisers to the campaign.

Super PACs are fundraising operations that can raise unlimited amounts of money from corporations, unions and individuals and spend the money, for instance, on ads that favor certain candidates. However, they must disclose their donors and they may not coordinate with the campaign.

Coleman is chairman of the board for the American Action Network, a non-profit that can raise a lot of money as well, but must advocate mostly for issues.

AFSCME targets Cravaack in new ad buy

Posted at 9:09 AM on October 13, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

The American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees is targeting 8th Congressional District Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack as part of a national ad buy.

We don't know much about the ad so far, but a press release from the group says that the spot will hold "Representative Chip Cravaack accountable for blocking the American Jobs Act, and preventing tens of thousands of teachers, first responders, veterans, and construction workers repairing crumbling bridges, roads and schools from getting back to work."

The U.S. House of Representatives hasn't voted on President Obama's entire jobs bill, but leaders have signaled that they support some aspects of the plan. The bill stalled in the Senate after Democratic leaders failed to secure enough votes to overcome a procedural hurdle that would have allowed the bill to move forward.

Cravaack will be one of nine lawmakers targeted by the six-figure campaign, according to AFSCME, which is Minnesota's largest public employee union.

The group is holding a press conference this morning, so check back for updates to this story.

UPDATE:

You can watch the ad here.

It's slated to run in the Duluth market for about a week, and is part of an ad buy that nears $1 million. Similar ads will be running in Florida, Ohio and Nevada, among other states.

The aim of the buy is to put pressure on lawmakers who can go to their leaders and ask them to let the jobs bill get a vote, said Chuck Loveless, AFSCME's legislative director.

Cravaack is a freshman member of the House, but Loveless said his clout with party leadership lies in the fact that they want to see them reelected.

Andrea Bozek, a spokeswoman for the NRCC, sent us comment as well, writing that, "Instead of picking useless political fights Congressman Cravaack is focused on reaching some common ground on removing barriers to job growth."

Bachmann to vote for trade deals

Posted at 11:50 AM on October 12, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - Rep. Michele Bachmann will return to Washington, DC today to vote on a series of free trade agreements, according to her office. It's Bachmann's first appearance and vote on the floor of the U.S. House since Aug. 1. Between August and October, she has campaigned extensively for the Republican presidential nomination across the country.

During the month of September, Bachmann was absent from the Capitol for the entire month aside from a brief stop to hold a press conference after President Obama's jobs speech to a joint session of Congress on Sept. 7.

Bachmann's office confirms that she plans to vote for all three trade pacts, which will lower trade barriers between the U.S. and South Korea, Colombia and Panama.

Ron Paul coming to St Cloud

Posted at 1:54 PM on October 11, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Ron Paul is scheduled to campaign in Minnesota in November. The Republican candidate for president will speak at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Cloud Civic Center on November 5. The campaign had already announced the visit, but Paul's website provided more detail on the appearance today.

The St. Cloud event will be Paul's first trip to Minnesota during the 2012 campaign. The Texas Congressman made several trips to Minnesota during his failed run for president in 2008. He will be making the campaign stop in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District - which is represented by GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Pawlenty: Romney will get big boost from Christie nod

Posted at 1:44 PM on October 11, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty says New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's decision to back Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is a huge boost to Romney's campaign.

"He's one of the stars of the conservative movement and Republican party," Pawlenty of Christie. "His endorsement will carry a lot of weight, no pun intended," Pawlenty joked referring to Christie's weight. (He said that Christie would enjoy the joke)

Pawlenty said he also encouraged Christie to back Romney's campaign.

"It's probably the most valuable endorsement in the country," Pawlenty said. "For Gov. Romney to get Chris Christie's endorsement is a major boost to his campaign and will send a signal across the conservative spectrum; tea party types, fiscal conservatives and others, that it's time to consolidate around Gov. Romney."

Pawlenty, who endorsed Romney last month, also said on MPR's Midday program that he believes GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann is qualified to be president. In a wide ranging interview, Pawlenty discussed his failed run for president, the state of politics and his political future. He said he won't challenge DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2012 but isn't ruling anything else out, although he added it's "highly unlikely" he will run for president again.

You can listen to the Midday show here: Listen

and here: Listen

You can also listen to Pawlenty's q and a with reporters here: Listen

Photo Credit: Tim Post

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Pawlenty to hold fundraiser for Romney in Minneapolis

Posted at 12:35 PM on October 11, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Tim Pawlenty

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty will be holding a fundraiser for Mitt Romney on Nov. 21 in Minneapolis.

Pawlenty, who dropped out of the Republican presidential nomination race in August, is national co-chair for the former Massachusetts governor's campaign.

In that capacity, Pawlenty said he sent out a fundraising solicitation to his donors on Romney's behalf.

Pawlenty also said he expects to be traveling around the country in the coming months selling voters and donors on Romney's candidacy.

First stop: Washington, D.C., for an appearance Sunday on Meet the Press as Romney's surrogate.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Bachmann takes second place in the Midwest Leadership Conference poll

Posted at 6:44 PM on October 8, 2011 by Catharine Richert (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Rep. Michele Bachmann has taken a distant second place in the Midwest Leadership Conference straw poll.

Herman Cain captured 52.6 percent of the vote followed by Bachmann with 12.2 percent and Mitt Romney at 11.1 percent.

The poll was conducted during a gathering in Bloomington of Republican leaders and activists from around the region.

Earlier this year, Bachmann won a straw poll sponsored by the Minnesota Republican Party.

Ron Paul, who won the Values Voters poll with 37 percent of the vote, captured 10.7 percent at the Midwest Leadership Conference. Perry secured 4 percent, Newt Gingrich captured 3.3 percent, Rick Santorum got 2 percent, Jon Huntsman had 0.9 percent and Gary Johnson got 0.2 percent.

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Bachmann takes 5th place in Values Voter straw poll

Posted at 2:27 PM on October 8, 2011 by Brett Neely (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

WASHINGTON - Michele Bachmann's bid for the GOP presidential nomination took another blow today when she took 5th place in the straw poll at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC.

The gathering of religious conservatives represents the kind of voters Bachmann has relied upon throughout her career. Bachmann garnered 8 percent support with 157 votes cast in her favor, putting her far behind the winner, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), who drew 37 percent support with 732 votes.

Second place went to former pizza magnate Herman Cain, who had 23 percent of the votes and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) took third place. Bachmann placed behind the fourth place winner, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, whose entrance into the campaign marked the beginning of Bachmann's declining fortunes.

In a sign of how badly her campaign wanted a win from this straw poll, Bachmann asked attendees for their vote during her address to the summit Friday evening, something none of the other presidential candidates in attendance did.

Bachmann can draw one consolation from the results: she came in ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the apparent front runner in the race who's viewed with suspicion by social conservatives for past expressing some support for abortion and same-sex unions. Romney drew just four percent support from those who voted at the convention.

CORRECTION An earlier version of this post put Bachmann at fourth place before detailed results from the poll came out. Bachmann actually placed fifth.

The full results are below:

Votes Percentage
Michele Bachmann 157 8%
Herman Cain 447 23%
Newt Gingrich 54 3%
Jon Huntsman 2 0%
Ron Paul 732 37%
Rick Perry 167 8%
Mitt Romney 88 4%
Rick Santorum 323 16%
Undecided 13 1%

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Bachmann makes hard sell to religious conservatives

Posted at 9:05 PM on October 7, 2011 by Brett Neely (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

WASHINGTON - With her presidential campaign in trouble, Michele Bachmann tried to win the hearts and minds of religious conservative voters at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC Friday night.

Once again taking aim at the campaign of GOP presidential rival Mitt Romney, Bachmann said Republicans will win the White House in 2012 and have a duty to nominate the most conservative candidate in the race.

"Don't listen to these people who every four years tell you we have to select a moderate from our party and we have to settle for the sake of winning," Bachmann said. "Let's finally have one of us in the White House."

In a longer than usual 45 minute address, Bachmann promised to abolish the federal Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency. She also reiterated her call to repeal last year's healthcare overhaul bill and promised the same fate to the Dodd-Frank financial sector overhaul as well.

Faced with flagging poll numbers, unforced mistakes, reports of poor fundraising and the move of several key staff members from Bachmann's presidential campaign back to congressional office, Bachmann's bid to religious conservative voters represents her last, best hope to stay relevant in the GOP presidential race.

In a sign of the minor missteps plaguing her, Bachmann's campaign emailed out a press release about the congresswoman's speech 45 minutes before the address, telling reporters that Bachmann spoke "to a standing room-only crowd." In fact, the hotel ballroom where Bachmann spoke was never filled to capacity and rows of empty seats were visible.

But in a move that brought the crowd to its feet, Bachmann mentioned the bill she introduced in CongressThursday that would require abortion clinics to show expecting mothers ultrasound images and fetal sounds before going through with an abortion.

That message resonated with Ina Fay Nichols, a grandmother from Fairfax, Virginia, who watched Bachmann speak. But Nichols said that Bachmann's moment may have passed.

"I think she's qualified from day one," Nichols said. "But the thing about it is, what conservatives are looking at right now is someone who can win. That is what I think the problem is."

Bachmann will campaign in New Hampshire, where's she's been absent for months, on Sunday through Tuesday ahead of another GOP presidential debate in the Granite State.

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McCollum: It's time to end the war in Afghanistan

Posted at 4:34 PM on October 7, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

DFL Rep. Betty McCollum says she believes it's time to end the war in Afghanistan. McCollum issued a statement today to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the war in Afghanistan. She said the people of Afghanistan and their leaders have to take greater control of the country.

Here's the statement from McCollum:

"After ten years of war, U.S. forces have crippled the al Qaeda operations that launched the 9-11 attacks, diminished the Taliban, and given the Afghan people a chance to determine their own future. But during that time, so many sacrifices have been made by the 1,796 Americans who have given their lives in service and the thousands more who have endured injury. Another very real cost is that future American taxpayers will be paying for the nearly $450 billion borrowed for this war.

"The people of Afghanistan and their leaders must be prepared to take on the task of providing security, governance, and economic opportunity for their own fellow citizens. I would like to see the 90,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan come home and new Afghan leadership building their own country's future. Ten years is enough -- it is time to end the war in Afghanistan."

Walker says Wisconsin is a national model

Posted at 4:30 PM on October 7, 2011 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker says changes similar to the ones he made to his state's collective bargaining laws could be accomplished elsewhere as long as Republicans think about the next generation instead of the next election. Speaking in Bloomington today Walker said that the Wisconsin changes are working. He said the federal government and other states should follow suit.

"What we did earlier this year in Madison, I think resonates this year whether it's in Madison or in St. Paul or in Springfield or in Indianapolis or Columbus or Austin or in the halls of Congress in Washington D.C. We need men and women of courage and the people to stand up with them to back them up along the way. That's what we did earlier this year in Wisconsin."

Walker said Republicans in Wisconsin withstood pressure from Democrats and labor unions to punish them for the changes they made in the past year. Walker spoke to about 1,000 Republicans at the Midwest Republican Leadership Conference, which continues tomorrow in Bloomington.

You can listen to Walker's speech here: Listen

Political Strategist Karl Rove also spoke at the event. Rove, who served as political director to President George W. Bush, repeatedly criticized President Obama during his speech. He called Obama's Thursday news conference "petulant and petty."

"There he was lecturing us again, wagging his finger at us," Rove said. "We all know he doesn't really want to pass this so-called jobs bill. He really doesn't care. He'd prefer to have it as a political tool to beat up his political opponents."

Rove got his loudest applause from the GOP audience when he suggested that the federal health care law could be repealed if Republicans take the U.S. Senate and the White House.

You can listen to his speech here: Listen

While Rove got a loud applause from the audience, he got a glitter shower after his speech. A protester known for throwing glitter on Republican candidates pounced on Rove after his speech.

The attack occurred when he was signing books.

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Hennepin County Commissioner calls protesters anarchists, socialists and flower children

Posted at 3:59 PM on October 7, 2011 by Tom Scheck (9 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

A Hennepin County Commissioner criticized the hundreds of people who are protesting Wall Street and the financial sector at the Hennepin County Government Center. The protest is modeled after the protests against economic inequality occurring in New York City.

Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson told the Midwest Republican Leadership Conference in Bloomington that he was happier to be there than at his government center office.

"Because of you, I don't have to spend my Friday afternoon with a thousand or so clueless, obnoxious and frankly very messy anarchists or socialists or flower children or whatever they call themselves," Johnson said. "Instead I get to spend my time with 1,000 or so patriots."

Johnson also serves as Minnesota's Republican National Committeeman. Two members of the Independence Party, Former Governor Jesse Ventura and former U.S. Senator Dean Barkley attended the protest and hailed the efforts of the protesters.

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Parry announces bid to take on Walz

Posted at 3:00 PM on October 7, 2011 by Tim Pugmire
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

State Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, announced today that he'll seek the GOP endorsement to challenge incumbent Democratic Congressman Tim Walz in 2012.

Parry is a business owner who is serving his second term in the Minnesota Senate. He was first elected in a 2010 special election. Parry is currently chair of the State Government Innovation and Veterans Committee. Walz, a former teacher from Mankato, is serving his third term representing Minnesota's First District. Parry says he thinks next year's congressional race will focus almost entirely on the economy.

"Right now what I'm hearing from southern Minnesota is the economy and it's jobs." Parry said. "That is forefront, and I think that has to be the top priority when you move forward in your representation and heading to Washington."

Parry would not speculate on how much money he'll have to raise for the race.

A campaign spokesman for Congressman Walz was not immediately available for comment.

UPDATE

Andrea Fetherston of the Tim Walz for U.S. Congress campaign sent out this statement in response to the Parry announcement:

"Republicans will have a process to select their nominee. Tim Walz is working hard for southern Minnesotans. He's focusing on creating jobs, getting our economy back on track and advocating for our nation's veterans."

State DFL Chair Ken Martin released this statement:

"Mike Parry has proven himself to be an angry, ultra conservative Tea-Party Republican more concerned with pandering to the right wing and special interests than he is with working to improve our state economy, create jobs or build a more prosperous future for middle-class families. As Minnesotans in the first district get to know Mike Parry better, they will see his far right positions are out of line with the views of Southern Minnesotans."

Bachmann discloses personal finances

Posted at 2:15 PM on October 7, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann's assets are worth at least $1.28 million, according to a personal finances report she filed with the Federal Election Commission Oct. 6.

All presidential candidates are required to disclose their personal wealth with the commission.

Because personal finances are reported in ranges, her assets could be worth as much as $2.9 million.

A family farm in Wisconsin is listed as one of Bachmann's more valuable assets, worth as much as $1 million. She reports between $15,001 and $50,000 in income from the property.

Bachmann's husband's counseling clinic property in Lake Elmo, Minn., is worth as much as $1 million as well. She reported between $100,001 and $1 million in income from the venture.

Bachmann also carries between $350,000 and $750,000 in debt from a business loan and a mortgage on the counseling property.

Also listed on her report: a book deal with Sentinel/Penguin Group USA to write her yet-to-be-released memoir "Core of Conviction." Bachmann didn't attach a value to the deal.

Bachmann rolls out fetal heartbeat bill

Posted at 3:18 PM on October 6, 2011 by Brett Neely (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - Rep. Michele Bachmann introduced a bill today that would require abortion clinics to provide sound and images of a fetal heartbeat to pregnant women before they proceed with an abortion.

Bachmann has not voted in the House of Representatives since Aug. 1, and she has not introduced a bill in the lower chamber since April 8.

Bachmann will be speaking before the evangelical Values Voters Summit tomorrow evening in the nation's capital, where she's likely to point to her strong record of opposition to abortion. Most of the other GOP presidential candidates will also be speaking at the summit, which will culminate in a presidential straw poll.

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Cravaack gets an assist from American Action Network

Posted at 4:52 PM on October 5, 2011 by Catharine Richert (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Rep. Chip Cravaack is among more than 50 Republican congressional incumbents benefiting from a new $1.6 million media campaign launched by the American Action Network, an outside advocacy group.

The media buy is a combination of direct mail and print ads. The mailer going out in Cravaack's district focuses on President Barack Obama's Medicare record.

You can see an example here.

This is a second wave of ads from the group. Cravaack was among the congressional incumbents who benefitted from a $1 million ad campaign AAN paid for over the summer.

If AAN's name sounds familiar, that's because it was started by a familiar Minnesota Republican. After losing a drawn-out battle to regain his U.S. Senate seat, Norm Coleman helped launch the group, and he remains chairman of the group's board despite his new role as special adviser to GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

AAN is a 501(c)(4). In plain English, that means it's a non-profit group that is technically meant to advocate for issues; no more than half of its activity can be political. Such groups are attractive to big donors because, in most cases, the organizations don't have to disclose their support.

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MNGOP keeping Feb. 7 Caucus date

Posted at 12:22 PM on September 30, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Michele Bachmann, Redistricting, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

The Minnesota Republican Party intends to keep the date for the precinct caucuses on Feb. 7. State law requires the caucuses to be held on that day but can be moved if the GOP and the DFL agree to change it. (Update: law requires public facilities to be made available to the parties that day. Parties can hold caucuses on other day but will have to pay for the expenses).

"As of right now we are scheduling for Feb. 7 and we have no plans to change that," Westover said.

Minnesota's precinct caucuses are scheduled to be held one day after Iowa's precinct caucuses. That date, however, has been put into doubt after Republicans in Florida voted to hold that state's primary on Jan. 31. That upset the early primary schedule set forth by the Republican National Committee that determined voters in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada will go first. The RNC has threatened to strip Florida from half of its delegates at the national convention if they continue with the move.

The reason Minnesota isn't in violation is because the precinct caucuses are nonbinding.

"We are kosher as far as the party rules go," Westover said. "Our delegates are not bound by the decisions that are not bound by the decisions made on Feb. 7."

The party usually holds a straw poll on caucus night which could help Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's bid to be the GOP nominee.

Kristen Sosanie, with the DFL Party, says they are also planning to hold the precinct caucuses on Feb. 7. She said they asked the Democratic National Committee to approve the move and are waiting for a reply.

One potential problem with the early caucus date is how it will impact the state's legislative races. It's likely that candidates for the Minnesota House and Senate (and Congress) won't know exactly where the boundaries of their districts are. That's because the court appointed panel on redistricting won't release its map until February 21. Candidates may be forced to organize for caucuses in precincts that they may not represent after the new lines are drawn.

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New Bachmann video targets Perry on immigration

Posted at 11:02 AM on September 30, 2011 by Mark Zdechlik
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann doesn't name Rick Perry in her newly released video, but she takes issue with the Texas governor for suggesting that conservatives who don't favor giving education benefits to children of illegal immigrants don't have a heart.

Bachmann also goes after Perry for opposing the construction of a fence along the entire U.S.- Mexico border. Since Perry got into the race Bachmann's standing in most polls has plummeted. Bachmann has also criticized Perry for his 2007 gubernatorial executive order mandating the HPV vaccinations for pre-teen Texas girls.

With fundraising deadline looming, candidates ask for cash

Posted at 10:11 AM on September 29, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House

For those of you following the 2012 money race, tomorrow is an important day: It marks the end of the third quarter of this year's fundraising cycle.

In a last-ditch effort to boost their numbers, candidates across the state are flooding voter e-mail inboxes with last minute appeals for donations. The politicos aren't asking for much - Tarryl Clark wants as little as $3 to meet her goal of $10,000 - but the payoff can be substantial if enough voters contribute.

Here's a sampling of the missives we've collected this morning.

To mark the occassion, Tarryl Clark, who's looking to challenge 8th District Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack, has released a new two-minute video highlighting her Minnesota roots and her record. Watch it here.

It makes sense that Clark is focusing on her Minnesotan heritage because she's a relative unknown in the 8th; she moved there earlier this year after running unsuccessfully against Rep. Michele Bachmann in the 6th last year.

Rep. Keith Ellison is sending out at least two versions of a fundraising e-mail.

The first frames donations as one of the annoying necessities of the election cycle.

It's that time of the year where campaigns send out emails filled with words like "donate" and "contribute," with suggestions to give $10, $25, or more.

As we all know, Keith would rather talk about how we can get Americans back to work, but in order to do so, we need resources to amplify his voice and put jobs at the forefront of the debate.

The second makes a veiled attack on Lynne Torgerson, a challenger to Ellison who calls him a "radical Islamist" on her website.

In announcing their candidacy, a familiar opponent attacked me as a "radical Islamist." These divisive attacks did not work in the past, and with your help, they won't work again.

To make his case for cash, Rep. Erik Paulsen criticizes the Obama administration's links to Solyndra, a solar panel manufacturer that got loans resulting from the 2009 stimulus bill before going bankrupt. Now, Obama wants to pass another jobs bill, which Paulsen opposes.

Taxpayers are getting fleeced by so-called "stimulus" projects that are doomed to fail, yet Washington Democrats are as eager as ever for more of these projects... Now [Obama] wants Congress to pass his "Son of Stimulus" bill.

For her part, Bachmann's been pressing voters to donate to her presidential campaign. One of her latest e-mails came from her husband, Marcus, who wrote:

My wife continues to amaze me each day as she stands up to her critics to defend our values. But I know she cannot stand alone. She needs to know you stand with her. Please follow this link to generously give any amount you can afford up to the legal limit to show Michele you support her.

That "legal limit" Bachmann mentions is $2,500 per person or $5,000 per couple.

Campaign Finance Board releases guidelines on ballot initiatives

Posted at 3:20 PM on September 28, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Marriage Amendment

The Minnesota Campaign Finance Board released a draft report that details when groups are required to disclose donors who give to support or oppose a ballot initiative.

The board will consider the proposal at a time when groups are ramping up efforts on a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage.

"In the past, ballot questions haven't been as polarized or contentious as the current ballot question that we foresee in the 2012 ballot question is shaping up," MN Campaign Fiance Board Executive Director Gary Goldsmith said. "There wasn't much question because organizations were raising money and it was clear that the purpose of raising that money was to promote or defeat a ballot question."

Goldsmith says the proposed guidelines are meant to offer some guidance to outside groups that may contribute to or work on a ballot initiative. Goldsmith says the board already required disclosure for donors who wanted to give money to fund a ballot initiative or was asked by a group to contribute to help a ballot initiative.

The draft proposal would also detail how a ballot initiative donation to an outside group should be disclosed. For example, a group that details its work in other areas but also mentions the support or defeat of a ballot initiative will have to determine how much of the contribution is directed to the ballot initiative. Those groups would now have to determine how much of a contribution was used for a ballot initiative.

Goldsmith says the Campaign Finance Board will consider adopting the guidelines at a Tuesday meeting.

Here's the document released by the MN Campaign Finance Board:

A 3 B 1 Guidance BQ Disclosurel

Polling shows Bachmann losing ground in Sunshine State

Posted at 12:55 PM on September 28, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

The latest Public Policy Polling public opinion survey released in Florida shows GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann losing ground against her presidential rivals. The poll, which surveyed 472 Republicans in Florida between September 22 and September 25, showed Bachmann receiving support from 6 percent of those polled.

Pollster Tom Jensen wrote on his blog that Bachmann's support has dropped off dramatically since June.

"Florida might be the best symbol yet of Michele Bachmann's fallen star. In June she was in 2nd place at 22%. Now she's dropped 16 points and is in 6th place at 6%. You almost wonder if she's even going to make it to Iowa with those kinds of numbers."

Bachmann and her campaign manager have both predicted that Bachmann will win Iowa. Bachmann also told reporters today in Virginia that she's confident the campaign will reverse course.

"We're the comeback kid showing that we can do it," Bachmann said. "So this happens in races. You have ups, you have downs and we are on the upswing now and we can't wait to go forward and secure the nomination."

The PPP poll shows Mitt Romney leading the field in Florida. You can read the full poll here.

MPR's Brett Neely contributed to this report.

UPDATE:

Another poll from Iowa seems to indicate the criticism Texas Gov. Rick Pery has been getting over the past week is taking a toll.

The American Research Group, Inc. poll shows former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leading the pack of 2012 Republican presidential candidates among likely Iowa GOP caucus goers with 21 percent support.

Michele Bachmann came in second place with 15 percent, closely followed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry who had 14 percent. Previous polls have given Perry the lead over Bachmann and Romney, suggesting Perry's support is weakening.

The poll of 600 Republican and independent voters was taken September 22-27 and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Here are details.

Bachmann campaign manager: Bachmann "has to win Iowa"

Posted at 5:58 PM on September 27, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

The campaign manager for Rep. Michele Bachmann's presidential bid released a powerpoint presentation today that details how Bachmann can win the GOP nomination.

In the presentation, campaign manager Keith Nahigian made it clear that Bachmann has to do well in the Iowa Caucuses.

"She has to win Iowa and move on from there," Nahigian said in the 4 minute video that showed a graphic that said Iowa is a "must win state."

Nahigian emphasized Bachmann's Iowa Straw poll victory, her Iowa roots and her ability to organize supporters in the state.

"By winning Iowa she will be on a path to victory," Nahigian said.

Nahigian also said the campaign won't put as strong a focus on New Hampshire - the first primary state. The team won't "dominate their effort" like they intend to do in Iowa.

Bachmann, who has also campaigned heavily in South Carolina, also appears to be putting her focus on that state. Nahigian said the campaign will work to unite Tea Party members, social conservatives and Republicans who focus on national security.

"If she wins in Iowa, does well in New Hampshrire and wins in South Carolina, she's on a very good path to win nomination," Nahigian said.

The video also takes an unspoken shot at Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by saying this is not the year for GOP voters to choose a candidate WHO doesn't strictly adhere to conservative principles. Bachmann has been suggesting that she's the candidate who doesn't "compromise her principles." She also acknowledged last night that they have to "turn things around."

The web video comes at a critical time for Bachmann's campaign. She's been sinking in national opinion polls and the 3rd Quarter fundraising wraps up on Friday. The campaign focused a lot of time and money to win the Iowa Straw poll in August (I'm guessing Randy Travis doesn't come cheap). AP suggests that Bachmann's recent videos look amateurish and may be a result of the campaign's heavy spending at the straw poll.

The video detailing Bachmann's strategy to win the nomination may also be an attempt to revise expectations. The campaign's decision to say that she has to "win Iowa" in such public fashion may be a signal that she won't be spending as much time campaigning (or spending money) in other states. The state could be the Waterloo for the candidate who was born in the Iowa city with the same name.

Presidential straw poll planned for Minnesota GOP event

Posted at 2:07 PM on September 27, 2011 by Tim Pugmire
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Political parties

Republicans gathering next week in Bloomington for the Midwest Leadership Conference will get a chance to vote for their favorite presidential candidate.

Organizers announced today that they will conduct a straw poll during the closing reception of the event, Saturday, Oct. 8. The winner will be announced that evening. The conference begins on Oct. 7. In a news release, Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton said the poll will provide another in a series of opportunities to measure the relative strength of GOP presidential candidates.

"The road to the White House goes through the Midwest," Sutton said. "The 12 states that make up the Midwest region include several swing states, Minnesota among them, that will play a pivotal role in the 2012 presidential election. Consequently, the Midwest region will have a significant say in who the Republican candidate is that makes President Obama a one-term president."

The conference will include attendees from Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota. Scheduled speakers include Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, commentator Michael Reagan, and political advisor Karl Rove.

Bernie Sanders speaking at Founders Day Dinner

Posted at 2:05 PM on September 27, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will be the featured speaker at the DFL Party's Founders Day Dinner. The event is an annual fundraiser for the party. Sanders, a self-described Democratic socialist, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006. He served in the U.S. House from 1991-2007.

Sanders is best known as a vocal critic of the bank bailout known as TARP (which he voted against).. He also voted against the confirmation of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and held a "mini filibuster" last December on a bill that would extend the Bush era tax cuts.

The fundraiser will be held at DFL headquarters on October 29th.

Bachmann: "Sure we can turn things around."

Posted at 9:12 AM on September 27, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

In an appearance on the O'Reilly Factor, Rep. Michele Bachmann says it's not too late for her campaign.

"Sure we can turn things around," she said after the show's host, Bill O'Reilly, asked her whether she's worried about recent polling.

She conceded that her campaign had taken a hit after Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the race. But his debate performance is making voters think twice, she said.

"I won the Iowa straw poll, and we had a wonderful response with that," Bachmann said. "And then of course Gov. Perry came into the race and there was an assumption that he was going to walk away with the nomination. But now there is a re-look at that. People are looking after the debate and they are saying that they think now they need to look for their champion."

Recent polls aren't so optimistic. Two new polls - one from Zogby and one from CNN - both have Bachmann with 4 percent of the Republican vote. Back in June, the Zogby survey had Bachmann snagging between 20 and 30 percent of the vote.

Bachmann's take on the polls?

"It takes time sometimes for these numbers to catch up," she told O'Reilly.

McCollum to host Jobs Town Hall

Posted at 10:51 AM on September 23, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

DFL Rep. Betty McCollum will hold a town hall next Tuesday that will focus on jobs and the economy. McCollum's office says McCollum will also push to pass President Obama's jobs bill.

McCollum's office also said several union members will also be on hand to discuss the importance of the bill.

Republicans have criticized the bill as a "second stimulus" and say they're focused more on reduding the deficit.

Here's the info from McCollum's office:

WHO: Congresswoman Betty McCollum
WHEN: Tuesday, September 27, 6:30-7:30 PM
WHERE: North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, 700 Olive Street, St. Paul, MN 55130

Walz to host "Congress on your Corner" event in Austin

Posted at 1:36 PM on September 22, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

DFL Rep. Tim Walz will hold a meet and greet with Austin residents next Tuesday. Walz, who represents Minnesota's First Congressional District, has been holding events like this for several months. He says it's a chance to see what his constituents are thinking.

Here's the info

What: Congress on your Corner with Rep. Tim Walz
When: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM on Tuesday, September 27th.
Where: Hy-Vee, 1001 18th Avenue NW.

Former Pawlenty spokesman hired by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio

Posted at 9:07 AM on September 22, 2011 by Brett Neely (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON - Alex Conant, who ran the press shop for former Gov. Tim Pawlenty's now-shuttered presidential campaign, will be joining the staff of Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.

A Rubio staffer confirmed the news this morning, which was first reported by Roll Call.

Rubio, a Senate freshman who was elected last year, is widely seen as a potential GOP vice-presidential candidate based in part on his youth and potential appeal to Latino voters.

Conant was spotted by this reporter from afar in a Senate hallway last week. Conant is not a stranger to the Senate, he previously worked for South Dakota Republican John Thune and also served a stint at the Republican National Committee.

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Bachmann well behind Romney in New Hampshire poll

Posted at 6:44 AM on September 22, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann hasn't been spending much time campainging for support in New Hampshire. A recent Suffolk University poll shows why.

Bachmann, who won the Iowa Straw Poll last month, has just 5 percent support in the New Hampshire based poll. She trails Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry and Sarah Palin (who hasn't announced whether she's running or not).

Romney is well ahead of his rivals in the poll. 41 percent of those polled say they support him. Ron Paul polled at 14 percent. Huntsman is poling at 10 percent. Rick Perry polled at 8 percent. Palin polled at 6 percent. 11 percent of those polled say they're undecided.

Read the full poll here.

Bachmann beefs up her Iowa staff

Posted at 4:07 PM on September 21, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann has hired Eric Woolson to lead her presidential communications efforts in Iowa.

Woolson, who previously worked for former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, managed Mike Huckabee's campaign there in 2008 - the year he won an upset victory in the Iowa caucuses.

"Eric Woolson is well-known not only by Iowa reporters and party activists but he has also earned a reputation among the national media as someone who works hard, knows his state and gets things done," Bachmann said in a press release. "We're very happy to have someone with his experience and can-do attitude join us as we begin the critical push to win the Iowa caucuses."

After winning the Iowa Straw Poll in August, Bachmann's been trying to burnish her credibility among evangelical voters and those who identify with the tea party - the same types of voters who supported Huckabee in 2008.

Woolson also served as Gov. Terry Branstad's communications director and press secretary, and was Iowa communications director for George W. Bush's 2000 presidential campaign.

Norm Coleman signs onto Romney campaign

Posted at 12:02 PM on September 21, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON - Minnesota's high-profile Republicans are lining up to support Mitt Romney's presidential bid over home state candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann.

The latest Romney endorsement comes today from former Sen. Norm Coleman, according to a release from the Romney campaign. Coleman's official title will be Special Adviser on Policy.

"His advice will be critical as I lay out my vision for improving our economy at home and strengthening our partnerships around the world," Romney said in a statement.

In the same statement, Coleman, who is Jewish, picked up on an attack line that Republicans have been using against President Obama, that his policies hurt Israel.

"As a strong supporter of Israel, I am also confident that he is the best candidate to restore America's relationship with Israel," said Coleman.

Coleman, who was defeated in 2008 by DFL Sen. Al Franken, now works as a lobbyist in Washington, DC but has not ruled out running for office again.

This latest endorsement for Romney joins endorsements by other senior Minnesota Republicans in the past month, including former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, whose own presidential bid sputtered, and former Minnesota Congressman and Washington insider Vin Weber.

So far, Bachmann has not garnered any high-profile endorsements from Minnesota Republicans, including the state's three other Republicans who serve in the U.S. House.

UPDATE: In a brief interview with MPR News this afternoon, Coleman emphasized Romney's electability as a candidate compared to others, such as Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann.

"I think he [Romney] brings some things to the table that makes him the best choice, the best opportunity for our team to reclaim the White House," said Coleman.

While backing Romney, Coleman did not criticize Bachmann and went so far as to say he was a "big fan" of the Stillwater Congresswoman.

Coleman said he would play a role in actively courting the Jewish community, where Republicans see a chance to make inroads.

The former senator emphasized that his endorsement was personal and that it did not extend to the American Action Network, the outside conservative political group that Coleman founded. That is significant because the AAN was a major player in last year's midterm elections, pumping $26 million worth of advertising into crucial electoral races.

Poll: Bachmann stuck in single digits in South Carolina

Posted at 9:12 AM on September 20, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Rep. Michele Bachmann isn't doing any better in South Carolina than she was a few months ago, according to a new poll conducted by Winthrop University.

In April, 3.7 percent of Republican voters who planned to participate in the South Carolina primaries said they would support Bachmann. In the latest survey, she's captured 3.5 percent support among the same group of voters.

Bachmann's struggled to regain momentum from her Iowa Straw Poll victory since Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the race in August.

The survey also shows that Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are running a tight race among Republicans.

Perry has 30.5 percent of GOP primary voter support and Romney has 27.3 percent - within the survey's margin of error.

Read more about the poll here.

Kline hosting a Jobs Fair on Monday

Posted at 5:05 PM on September 16, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

GOP Rep. John Kline is hosting a Jobs Fair on Monday in Eagan. The event, which features 68 businesses, will be held at the Eagan Community Center between 9AM and 1PM.

Kline's office says employment assistance organizations and a several educational institutions are also scheduled to attend the event. Kline's office says more than 750 Minnesotans attended a similar Jobs Fair.

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Bachmann tests out new line: "Perrycare"

Posted at 12:10 PM on September 16, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

WASHINGTON - GOP presidential contender Michele Bachmann has released a new video equating Democratic President Barack Obama and her Republican rival Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

The Stillwater Congresswoman has dubbed Perry's attempt to require Texas girls to be immunized against the HPV virus, which causes cervical cancer, "Perrycare" in the same vein that Republican opponent's to Obama's healthcare law call it "Obamacare."

"Whether it's Obamacare or Perrycare, I oppose any governor or president who mandates a family's healthcare choices," Bachmann says in the video. "Especially if the decision-making process occurs behind closed doors, bypassing legislative action, and favors campaign contributors over families."

After landing a powerful punch against Perry in this week's GOP presidential debate about his support for the mandatory HPV vaccination, Bachmann lost the initiative after she claimed in interviews that the vaccine could cause mental retardation. That statement has been widely condemned for its inaccuracy across the political and scientific spectrum.

Two professors have even put up a reward of more than $10,000 for anyone who can come forward with credible medical evidence that Bachmann's claim is true.

Missing from Bachmann's latest ad is another Republican rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. As governor, Romney enacted a health care law similar to the federal law that mandates universal coverage by all of the state's residents. When former Gov. Tim Pawlenty was in the presidential race, he briefly took a swipe at Romney for the plan, dubbing it "Obmneycare."

Here's the video:

Weber: Pawlenty's departure from the race was a surprise

Posted at 6:25 PM on September 15, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Tim Pawlenty

Tim Pawlenty's early exit from the race for the Republican presidential nomination was as much of a surprise to the Minnesota governor's former adviser, Vin Weber, as it was to outside observers.

"I was surprised how quickly he left," Weber said during a talk at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs. "I was not part of that decision."

Pawlenty bowed out of the race on August 14 the day after a poor showing in the Iowa Straw Poll, saying his campaign had run out of money. Weber said it was a "fundamental and unfortunate error in strategy" to put all the campaign's hopes on the straw poll.

As the GOP field expanded to included Rep. Michele Bachmann and others, Pawlenty's somewhat more moderate ideology pushed him further and further to the middle, making it difficult for him to appeal to the conservative voters typically found in Iowa, Weber said.

"I think if Tim Pawlenty had been able to stay in the race he would have found that the argument he was making to Iowa, which was that he was the candidate that would unite the party and have the best chance of beating Barack Obama,...I think that our campaign would have had more resonance as you got closer to the vote."

Now Weber is working for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. He gave a peek into the campaign.

Weber admitted that so far, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is the front-runner and will pose a challenge to Romney as a result.

The question, he said, "is that a solid position that's going to hold, or is he benefiting disproportionately from the 'new guy on the block' syndrome?"

The real message that Romney will have to deliver is one of electability - and stay slightly to the left of Perry during the nomination process as a result. The strategy will work if what drives Republican voters this year is the desire to beat Obama.

Weber also talked about Romney's recent attack on Perry for calling Social Security a "Ponzi" scheme, saying that Republicans walk a fine line on the issue. On one hand, they don't want to alienate the older voters who make up a sizable portion of the party's electorate. At the same time, Republicans have long railed against government spending, but not entitlement reform.

Republicans "can't be in a position of maintaining [Social Security] as the untouchable third rail of politics" if it's ever going to be reformed, Weber said.

Weber dismissed the notion that Romney's Mormon religion will be trouble for him during the campaign. During the last election, Romney was doing well in Iowa until Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor and Baptist minister, came into the picture. Critics point to that dynamic as evidence Romney's religion will hurt him politically.

But Weber says he interpreted Huckabee's first place finish in the Iowa caucuses differently. Voters there were voting for a Baptist minister - someone like them - not against a Mormon.

Still, Romney's religion could be a challenge in the South, Weber said.

"That's not inconsequential," he said.

Coleman to raise money for Cravaack

Posted at 5:04 PM on September 15, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

Former GOP Sen. Norm Coleman is slated to hold a fundraiser for GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack. Coleman, who lose his reelection bid to DFL Sen. Al Franken in 2008, is holding the fundraiser for Cravaack at The Minneapolis Club on Friday. Individuals are being asked to contribute $500. Political Action Committees are being asked to contribute $1,000.

Cravaack is expected to face a tough reelection battle in 2012. He defeated DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar in 2008.

Democrats are hoping that they can defeat Cravaack. Four Democrats, Jeff Anderson, Tarryl Clark, Daniel Fanning and Rick Nolan are all running or are pondering a challenge to Cravaack.

One key question is how the congressional boundaries are redrawn. The 2010 Census requires Gov. Dayton and the Legislature to redraw the state's political boundaries to ensure equal representation. The state's courts will take over the process if Dayton and the Legislature can't agree on a new set of lines by February 21.

Bachmann on whether HPV vaccine causes mental retardation: 'I have no idea'

Posted at 4:47 PM on September 13, 2011 by Tom Scheck (8 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann appears to be backing off suggestions that the HPV vaccine could cause mental retardation.

Here's what she told Fox News last night:

"There's a woman who came up crying to me tonight after the debate. She said her daughter was given that vaccine. She told me her daughter suffered mental retardation as a result. There are very dangerous consequences."

She used the same anecdote on the Today Show this morning.

But Bachmann backed away from the comment later when she appeared on Sean Hannity's radio show. Hannity asked Bachmann whether side effects from the HPV vaccine include mental retardation.

"I have no idea," Bachmann told Hannity. "I am not a doctor. I am not a scientist. I am not a physician. All I was doing was reporting what a woman told me last night at the debate."

The HPV vaccine became an issue after Bachmann and other GOP presidential candidates criticized Texas Gov. Rick Perry for issuing an executive order that would require girls to get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The mandatory vaccinations never materialized because the Texas Legislature rescinded the order. Perry's Chief of Staff later became a lobbyist for Merck, which manufactures the HPV vaccine. It's been an issue that has haunted Perry's campaign.

Conservative activists have been skeptical of efforts to require the vaccine because it takes away parental rights and could encourage young women to engage in sexual activities. Efforts to require the vaccine in Minnesota have been defeated.

The medical community has been pushing young men and women to get vaccinated against HPV, a sexually transmitted disease, because it would prevent genital warts and some cases of cervical cancer.

MPR reports today that some members of the medical community say Bachmann's recent comments are troubling and potentially dangerous.

"HPV vaccine is an extraordinarily safe and effective vaccine," said Dr. Bill Schaffner, who chairs the Department of Preventative Medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and has an international reputation as an immunization expert. "It's a huge advance is women's health because it will prevent about 70 percent of the cases of cancer of the cervix."

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh also criticized Bachmann.

"That's jumping the shark on this," Limbaugh said. "There's no evidence that the vaccine causes mental retardation."

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RNC Chair says Minnesota in play in 2012

Posted at 5:32 PM on September 12, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

RNC Chair Reince Priebus is in Minnesota today to hold private fundraisers for the RNC and the Minnesota Republican Party. Priebus held a briefing with reporters this afternoon to emphasize that he believes Minnesota will play a factor in the 2012 presidential race.

"Make no mistake about it, Minnesota will be a battleground state in 2012," Priebus said over and over. "I believe Barack Obama will lose here in 2012."

Priebus is bullish that his party will defeat President Obama in 2012 but Republicans have to pick a candidate first.

The true test, however, will be to see if Priebus is right about Minnesota voting for a Republican candidate for president. The RNC Chairs that have preceded Preibus have been wrong about similar predictions since 1972.

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Begich backs Nolan

Posted at 3:06 PM on September 12, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

Rick Nolan, a DFL candidate for Congress in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District, picked up a key endorsement today. Former Eveleth Mayor and long-time Minnesota state Rep. Joe Begich backed Nolan's bid. The endorsement will carry some weight on the Iron Range, a DFL stronghold that could determine the DFL nominee.

"With unemployment across the Range and throughout the Eighth District in double digits, with hardworking middle class families losing jobs and homes and hope, Iron Rangers need a leader and a champion again in Washington, and Rick Nolan's the one," Begich said in a news release.

Nolan, who served in Congress between 1975-1981, is vying for the DFL endorsement against former state Sen. Tarryl Clark and Duluth City Council member Jeff Anderson. The eventual nominee is hoping to challenge GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack. Cravaack is serving in his first-term after his surprising upset of DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar.

One outstanding question is whether Nolan or Cravaack will live in the 8th. The courts are expected to release new set of political maps in February that will change the makeup of the state's eight congressional districts.

Pawlenty backs Romney

Posted at 7:03 AM on September 12, 2011 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, U.S. House

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who dropped his bid for the White House last month, announced today that he's backing Mitt Romney for president. Pawlenty first announced the endorsement on Fox and Friends this morning.

"Romney is running for president because he is deeply committed to our country, troubled by its current condition, and I believe he can turn it around," Pawlenty wrote in an e-mail to supporters.

The move will help Romney more with campaign structure and prospective donors. Pawlenty spent months building a national campaign structure. The support never materialized in grass-roots support for Pawlenty but could help open up more connections to Romney.

Pawlenty will also serve as national co-chair to Mitt Romney.

The Pawlenty endorsement could also help Romney in Iowa, should the former governor of Massachusetts decide to make a play to win the Iowa Caucuses. Pawlenty had a strong network of donors and campaign staff in that state.

The move is also a slight to GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann since Pawlenty and Bachmann both hail from Minnesota.

Romney has been looking to reclaim momentum since Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the race. Perry has been leading in recent national polls.

Pawlenty's announcement comes on the same day that the GOP candidates will meet in a debate in Florida. Pawlenty has been active in raising money in Florida since he's been governor.

Here's part of the e-mail from Pawlenty (full e-mail can be read here):

Romney is running for president because he is deeply committed to our country, troubled by its current condition, and I believe he can turn it around.

He's formulated an economic plan-a set of alternatives to the government-oriented programs that Barack Obama has put in place-that is unparalleled in the history of American electoral campaigns. By pressing for fundamental change in the way that Washington taxes and spends, issues regulations, uses energy, interacts with our major trading partners, and deals with our labor force, he fully envisions a way to place America back on the path toward rapid economic growth and full employment.

And at his core, Mitt Romney is a man of great character. He and his wife Ann have been married for more than four decades. She is the love of his life. Together, they have five sons and sixteen grandchildren.

But he's not only a family man, he is a man of principle. He believes in the bedrock conservative ideals of limited government and free enterprise. He will stand up for America's allies when they are threatened, with fortitude. And he will face down our adversaries. He is a formidable person, and he will certainly be a formidable president. Our allies can count on it, and our enemies should expect it.

Crises indeed produces great leaders. Sometimes it just takes awhile.

I am proud to stand with Mitt. Will you join me?

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Rybak's DNC job official

Posted at 4:37 PM on September 10, 2011 by Catharine Richert (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

It's official: Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak's been made one of five vice chairs for the Democratic National Committee.

The job will involve campaigning for President Barack Obama.

After the vote at a DNC meeting in Chicago, committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement:

"I'm so thrilled Mayor Rybak is taking on this new leadership role on our team. In 2007, Mayor Rybak was the first mayor of a major US city to endorse President Obama and he has been an ardent and vocal supporter ever since. His energy and enthusiasm for Democratic priorities are unparalleled and he will be a wonderful spokesman as we work to re-elect President Obama and Democrats up and down the ticket.

Rybak said he's "looking forward to being on the front lines of rallying Americans once again to President Obama's strong leadership and Democrats' vision for the future. I can't wait to put in front of the American people the clear choice between the President's record of fighting for the middle class and the Republicans' desire to bring back policies that would take our country backward."

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Bachmann to appear on Tonight Show

Posted at 3:55 PM on September 9, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann is scheduled to appear on NBC's Tonight Show next Friday. The appearance, first reported by the Associated Press, will be on Friday, September 16.

Bachmann will be in California that day because she's scheduled to speak before the California Republican Party's State Convention. It should be an interesting appearance since Tonight Show host Jay Leno has poked fun on Bachmann's history flubs and her stance on policy positions like same-sex marriage.

Here's a few of the Bachmann jokes that were delivered by Leno and other late night hosts.

Redistricting panel schedules public hearings

Posted at 3:33 PM on September 9, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, Redistricting, U.S. House

The State of Minnesota's Special Redistricting panel has scheduled eight public hearings across Minnesota to discuss the redistricting process. The hearings, which start on October 5, will be held in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Cloquet, Bemidji, Moorhead, St. Cloud and Mankato.

The judicial panel scheduled the hearings to gather input on the best way to draw the state's new political boundaries. The court will take over the process in February if Gov. Dayton and the GOP controlled Legislature fail to enact a set of maps into law.

The stakes are huge for politicians and political parties. The new lines will determine the state's eight congressional districts and 201 legislative districts. The U.S. Census Bureau released its 2010 Census data in March. The political boundaries have to be redrawn to ensure equal population in each legislative and congressional district.

One interesting note is that Rochester and other southeastern Minnesota cities are not included on the list.

You can read the order and find out where the hearings will be held here.

Carlbom to direct group working to defeat Same-Sex Marriage ballot initiative

Posted at 10:50 AM on September 9, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Marriage Amendment

Minnesotans United For all Families has announced that it has hired Richard Carlbom to direct the group's efforts to defeat the constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. Carlbom currently serves as Communications Director for St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. He was also campaign manager for DFL Rep. Tim Walz in 2010.Carlbom was also the Mayor of St. Joseph from 2005-2007.

Carlbom's experience stumping for votes in rural Minnesota played a factor in his hiring.

"That's a certainly a huge asset to any statewide campaign," Minnesotans United For all Families spokesman Donald McFarland said. "We need to win votes in every county to win this so that's a huge asset."

DFL Sen. Scott Dibble and GOP Rep. Tim Kelly participated in the hiring process of Carlbom.

"I know that Richard Carlbom is the individual who can lead us to victory. His work ethic is excellent, and his intelligence and insight inspire confidence," Dibble said in a news release.

"Mr. Carlbom is a fantastic choice. From my perspective, this issue is not one of partisanship but rather, one of individual freedom and choice. Richard has the ability to bring this message to all Minnesotans in a clear, concise manner, and I look forward to being a part of that effort," Kelly said in a news release.

Carlbom will leave Coleman's office to take the job. He starts the new job on September 24.

Voters in the 2012 election will decide whether the state's constitution should be amended to require that marriage is defined between one man and one woman. If a majority of those voting in that election vote yes, the constitution will be amended.

Update: Minnesota for Marriage, a group working to pass the amendment, announced today that it hired Chuck Darrell as communications director. Darrell was a spokesman for the Minnesota Family Council.

President's jobs plan gets mixed reviews from delegation

Posted at 8:17 PM on September 8, 2011 by Brett Neely (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON - Before a special joint session of a bitterly divided Congress, President Obama laid out his agenda for creating jobs and reducing unemployment through a $450 billion package of targeted tax cuts and infrastructure investments.

Lawmakers' reception to the plan was partisan, albeit somewhat more cordial than last month's legislative food fight over raising the debt ceiling.

Here are the responses from Minnesota lawmakers to the plan:

Rep. Michele Bachmann - Rep. Michele Bachmann did not arrive back in time to be present for the speech. Her staff said torrential rainfall in the Washington area delayed her flight from the West Coast, where she attended a GOP presidential debate yesterday. She did arrive in time to hold a press conference after the speech to offer a rebuttal, something the Republican leadership declined to do.

Before a small group of reporters, she said, "While the President's speech comes on the heels of a trillion dollars of failed stimulus, bailouts, and temporary gimmicks aimed at creating jobs, the President continued to cling to the idea that government is the solution to creating jobs."

Rep. Chip Cravaack - None of the four reporters for Minnesota-based outlets who were in the House chamber spotted the freshman Republican. Cravaack's spokesman, Michael Bars, via email said "Rep. Cravaack was huddling with his team listening carefully to the President's speech."

Bars emailed a short statement about the speech, writing, "Rep. Cravaack will examine all pro-growth proposals that mitigate excessive, job-destroying regulations that saddle small businesses and job creators."

Rep. Keith Ellison - "I like most of what I heard, and I'm ready to vote for the American Jobs Act," Ellison told reporters immediately after the speech. When asked whether he thought a bill could be moved through Congress, Ellison said, "There was stuff in there Republicans clapped for."

Sen. Al Franken - "Our top priority must be getting people back to work. The President presented a smart plan that will create needed American jobs and won't add a dime to the deficit. This plan will benefit Minnesota, and Congress needs to act on it quickly. This package would put lots of Minnesotans back to work, including teachers, first responders, and construction workers, and put more money in the pockets of our state's working families," according to a statement released by the DFL senator's office.

Rep. John Kline - "I was pleased to hear the President heed the call of Americans by expressing a desire to work together to promote long term economic growth," the Republican lawmaker said in a statement. "Unfortunately, his call for more stimulus-type measures ignores the reality that people - not government - are our nation's true job creators. The private sector doesn't need Washington to tell them how to create jobs; they need Washington to get out of their way."

Sen. Amy Klobuchar - "I thought it was incredibly realistic that he tied it to having to be paid for," said Klobuchar, a DFLer, referring to the President's proposal that the costs of his new stimulus program be offset with additional deficit savings by the special bipartisan, bicameral "Super Commission" that's meeting this fall. "If it's not paid for, it's not going to get done," Klobuchar told reporters.

Rep. Betty McCollum - "For the past eight months, the world has witnessed an out-of-control Tea Party majority in Congress, harming our economy and stalling job growth with their posturing and political games," said McCollum, a liberal DFL member from St. Paul, in a written statement. "The American people want jobs, not dangerous and harmful Tea Party schemes to protect polluters, bust unions, eliminate Medicare, and outsource more jobs."

Rep. Erik Paulsen - "Neither party can escape blame for our nation's economic turmoil. Republicans during the Bush years made mistakes, spending lots of money the country didn't have. But a few of my colleagues and I want to reform Washington's reckless, unsustainable ways," the Republican said in a written statement. "I'm always willing to work across the aisle on good ideas to revive the economy. Unfortunately, the President's remarks tonight were more of a rehash of previously failed policies. He and we can do better."

Rep. Collin Peterson - The DFL Congressman's office did not issue a statement on the speech.

Rep. Tim Walz - Asked about the deep political divisions in Congress, the Mankato DFLer said, "We're going to have to overcome it. The bottom line is the President was very conciliatory, he brought up big issues like Medicare reform and was willing to go there. I'm optimistic about it. I heard it in August, the American people want action, they're not concerned with the political divide other than getting it fixed."

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Bachmann to deliver response to Obama's jobs speech

Posted at 10:49 AM on September 8, 2011 by Brett Neely (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - GOP presidential hopeful Rep. Michele Bachmann will deliver a response immediately after President Obama's speech before a joint session of Congress tonight on job creation.

The event is officially being billed as a press conference but responding to the president is a role she's assumed before. Last January, Bachmann delivered a tea party response to the president's State of the Union address.

Unlike many presidential addresses, House Republicans have declined to issue a formal response to Obama's speech, offering Bachmann a chance to briefly regain the media spotlight.

Bachmann's response comes after a debate performance last night that was described by some commentators as disappointing. While the Stillwater Congresswoman won the Ames Straw Poll last month in Iowa, since then she's been contending with the entrance into the race of Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Last night's debate centered around Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. At one point, Bachmann did not get a chance to speak for 20 minutes during the nearly two hour debate.

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Rybak selected to be DNC Vice Chair

Posted at 4:33 PM on September 7, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak will become one of five vice chairs of the Democratic National Committee. The DNC will make it official at its meeting this weekend in Chicago.

"Mayor Rybak was the first mayor of a large U.S. city to endorse President Obama's presidential campaign in early 2007," DNC CHair Debbie Wasserman Schultz wrote in her nomination letter to the DNC. "He is a strong voice for mayors within the party, an an incredible surrogate for the president and Democrats."

Rybak called the appointment a "tremendous honor" and said he viewed his chief role as vice chair to campaign heavily for President Obama's re-election.

"I was basically asked to do a lot of things officially this time that I did unofficially in the last race," Rybak said

Rybak said he put every "ounce of his energy" into getting Obama elected in 2008. He said he expects to be making many campaign appearances on Obama's behalf and expects to appear on cable TV News pushing Obama's policies.

"I'm going to spend less time sitting on the couch watching TV and more time maybe going on TV and talking about the fact that we have a great man in the White House and he needs four more years," Rybak said.

Rybak said his new role will not impact his duties as mayor.

In terms of Obama's low approval ratings, Rybak said there are several Republicans who have decided they will do nothing to help Obama. He acknowledged that many Democrats, including himself, have been frustrated that the president hasn't been more aggressive in criticizing Republicans. But Rybak said Obama is working to heal a partisan country.

"We have a leader who in tough times have put his own political standing to try to heal a divided country," he said.

Rybak said he's also scheduled to speak with Obama this afternoon to discuss Obama's Thursday night speech on the economy. Rybak said Obama's policies prevented deeper economic problems for the country. He said the president's true test will be to convince a skeptical public that is frustrated with the nation's economic problems.

Here's the letter from Wasserman Schultz:

Chair's Nominations Appts Slate for 7-Day Mailing 9 2 11

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Bachmann to attend President Obama's jobs speech

Posted at 2:35 PM on September 7, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann will be in the audience tomorrow night, listening to the man she hopes to replace in the White House.

Bachmann spokeswoman Becky Rogness confirmed that the Stillwater Congresswoman would be returning to Washington from the campaign trail for President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress on the urgent need to reduce unemployment.

It's a rare appearance in Washington for Bachmann. Since declaring her candidacy in mid-June, she's missed close to 50 percent of the roll call votes in the U.S. House. By way of comparison, fellow Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), who's also running for the GOP presidential nomination, missed less than 4 percent of the roll call votes in the House during the same period.

GOP challenger ready for Ellison

Posted at 11:45 AM on September 7, 2011 by Tim Nelson (20 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

A retired Marine major says he wants to run against 3-term DFL Congressman Keith Ellison next year. Chris Fields announced his campaign today and says he plans to run against Ellison in 2012.

Fields, 44, spent 21 years in the Marines, recently as a logistics officer. He retired Aug. 1. Fields said he also worked on Wall Street before joining the Marines, earning a commission and graduating from college in the service. He grew up in New York City and moved to Minneapolis when he recently married.

He says he thinks Ronald Reagan's message of prosperity and security would serve the 5th District well.

"I grew up in the South Bronx, dirt poor," Fields says. "I know what its like to go to bed hungry. And I remember those hard times, and then there was a fellow by the name of Ronald Reagan came along, and all of the sudden, we get rid of double digit unemployment, we get ride of double digit inflation, and the gas lines of the 70s and over the course of the years, he energized people and made people feel like it was OK."

Fields said he'll be seeking the GOP endorsement to run against Ellison.

"Folks are hurting out there," he says. "Folks are hurting across the whole district, and folks are hurting particularly in North Minneapolis, and since Congressman has been in office, folks haven't gotten a lot of relief economically."

Ellison beat his last challenger, Republican Joel Demos, by a better than 2-to-1 margin.

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Bachmann wins "fun" MNGOP Straw poll

Posted at 11:33 AM on September 6, 2011 by Tom Scheck (5 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann won some home state support at the Minnesota Republican Party's State Fair booth. The MNGOP held an unscientific straw poll throughout the Fair.

There were 2,300 votes for Bachmann. Texas Gov. Rick Perry finished second with 1,901 votes. Texas Congressman Ron Paul finished third with 1,181 votes. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney received 617 votes.

Those attending the State Fair were eligible to vote in the straw poll if they visited the MNGOP's State Fair booth.

It's an unscientific poll so shouldn't be viewed as a way to gauge support in Minnesota. Republican Party Chair Tony Sutton dubbed the straw poll at the State Fair as a "fun way to see a candidate's viability" at the State Fair. in other words, it's a little bit of catnip for political watchers.

Here are the results:

TOTAL CAST: 7731
BACHMANN: 2300
PERRY: 1901
PAUL: 1181
ROMNEY: 617
CHRISTIE: 421
PALIN: 372
CAIN: 336
GINGRICH: 142
HUNTSMAN: 123
SANTORUM: 104
WRITE-IN: 234

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Staff shakeup on Bachmann campaign

Posted at 9:53 PM on September 5, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann is shaking up the staff on her presidential run. The campaign announced tonight that Campaign Manager Ed Rollins is transitioning to the position of senior adviser. The campaign says Rollins made the move because of health reasons.

"In less than 50 days and with fewer resources than other campaigns, Ed was the architect that led our campaign to a historic victory in Iowa," Bachmann said in a news release. "I am grateful for his guidance and leadership, and fortunate to retain his valuable advice even though his health no longer permits him to oversee the day-to-day operations of the campaign."

The move comes just a day after Rollins told The Washington Post that the race is now between Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

"The Perry-Romney race is now the story, with us the third candidate," Rollins told the Washington Post.

The release says current campaign strategist Keith Nahigian will assume the role of interim Campaign Manager.

The campaign didn't say in their news release that Bachmann's deptuty campaign manager, David Polyansky, is also leaving the campaign. Politico is reporting that Polyansky has a different view of the "way forward" for the campaign.

Rollins and Polyansky played a part in helping Bachmann win the Iowa Straw Poll last month. Since then, the campaign has been working to regain the momentum lost after Texas Gov. Rick Perry jumped into the race.

The moves are sure to be heavily scrutinized since Bachmann has been known for the high turnover rate in her congressional office.

Sutton officially stays on sideline

Posted at 6:00 AM on September 3, 2011 by Tim Pugmire (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, Political parties

Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton said he has no intention of endorsing a GOP presidential candidate before there's a presumptive nominee.

Sutton's pledge of neutrality made a lot of sense when there were two Minnesotans -- Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and former Gov. Tim Pawlenty -- in the crowded GOP field. Now, Bachmann is the only Minnesotan still running. But Sutton said he will remain neutral, for now.

"I choose to be neutral because I think since I administer the delegate selection process in Minnesota, I think it's important to remain above the fray," Sutton said.

Party bylaws allow a state chair to offer early support to a presidential candidate. Sutton's predecessor, Ron Carey, announced in January 2008 that he would lead the Minnesota campaign for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Some Republicans were upset with Carey at the time. Sutton, who supported Mitt Romney four years ago, said he has more important things to do than create a similar drama.

Sutton said he thinks Republicans have many strong candidates running for president.

"If I were to have a personal favorite it would probably be Michele Bachman simply because I know her, I know she's strong and she's from Minnesota," Sutton said. "I have to admit I'm a homer."

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Report: Finance sector is Bachmann's biggest industry donor

Posted at 1:06 PM on September 1, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Donors in the finance and real estate sectors are making sizeable contributions to GOP presidential hopeful Rep. Michele Bachmann's war chest, according to a new analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP), a group that tracks campaign fundraising.

According to the group, Bachmann has so far raised $3.6 million. Of that, $1.4 million came from people contributing more than $200.

Donors who list employment in the financial sector have contributed at least $129,675 to Bachmann, according to the Center's research. That's about 9.4 percent of her itemized receipts.

Coming in second are donors from the health sector, who gave in the range of $65,200 to Bachmann. General business gave her $49,600 and agribusiness gave her $40,875.

While the latter may not seem like a lot of cash, CRP notes that of all the candidates, she's the most reliant on agribusiness money.

Bachmann's still getting most of her funding from people who are giving less than $200 - donations that don't need to be itemized.

To see how she stacks up against the other candidates, check out CRP's report here.

Obama pays tribute to veterans at American Legion convention (Audio)

Posted at 11:41 AM on August 30, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

President Obama spoke this morning before the American Legion's national convention in Minneapolis. The event served as a kickoff to the administration's observance of the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Throughout his speech, Obama paid tribute to the military members and their families that served their country since the attacks.

"In a decade of war, they have borne an extraordinary burden, with more than two million of our service members deploying to the warzones," Obama said. "Hundreds of thousands have deployed again and again, year after year. Never before has our nation asked so much of our all-volunteer force-that one percent of Americans who wears the uniform."

The president also used the speech to remind the group about the troop draw downs in Afghanistan and Iraq, the veterans services he's protected during his time as president and his efforts to convince private sector companies to hire more veterans.

You can listen to the full speech here: Listen

(MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson)

Obama to address veterans issues at American Legion Convention

Posted at 2:07 PM on August 29, 2011 by Mark Zdechlik (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

President Barack Obama will be in Minnesota tomorrow for the second time this month. He'll be addressing the American Legion national convention in Minneapolis, just over two weeks after he started a multi-state bus tour in Cannon Falls.

White House Director of Veterans and Wounded Warrior Policy Matt Flavin told MPR News that the president will use his speech to address problems facing veterans and to outline steps his administration has already taken to help veterans.

"You'll hear him talk about the historic accomplishments of the administration in terms of veterans' policy: the largest percentage increase in the VA budget in 30 years, help for caregivers of severely wounded veterans, taking homeless veterans off the streets in the tens of thousands to date," Flavin said. "So there's a lot of good stuff to talk about, but at the same time, I think you'll hear form him that it's still not enough and we still have along way to go."

The main theme of this year's American Legion convention is veterans' unemployment. Flavin said finding jobs is certainly one of the biggest struggles veterans now face. But Flavin also said addressing mental illness must remain at the forefront of efforts to help veterans.

"We've seen spikes in the suicide rate that are very troubling and unacceptable and we have to do more there as well," he said. "There's obviously an issue with stigma and we've done a lot of good work on that, but it's not enough. As a symbol against the stigma, we reversed a long standing policy at the White House of not sending condolence letters to service members' families who committee suicide while deployed."

Two years ago at the American Legion's national convention, Obama's Secretary of Veteran's Affairs Eric Shinseki laid out a goal of ending homelessness among veterans in five years. American Legion spokesman Craig Roberts applauded the Obama administration for its attention to the problem of homeless veterans and for its efforts to clear the backlog of requests for veterans' benefits.

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Kline on Prez race: "I just want to see how the field develops"

Posted at 4:15 PM on August 26, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, U.S. House

GOP Rep. John Kline says he's staying out of the 2012 race for president now that Republican Tim Pawlenty has dropped out of the race. Kline was an initial backer of Pawlenty's campaign. He worked to secure support for Pawlenty among his colleagues in the U.S. House and hosted fundraisers for Pawlenty in Washington D.C.

Kline, who represents Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District, said he was surprised by Pawlenty's poor showing in the Iowa Straw poll but said Pawlenty made the right decision to drop out of the race. Kline says he's not prepared to back another candidate.

"I just want to see how the field develops," Kline told MPR News. "I had a lot vested in my friend and constituent and former governor. I'm not at all eager to just jump in someplace else."

Kline said he wasn't prepared to back GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign. Bachmann represents Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District which borders part of Kline's district.

Kline called Bachmann "a friend" who "has certainly been a powerful force in the presidential race" but Kline suggested he believes the experience of a governor or a major military commander is best suited for a presidential candidate.

"I think that's the background you need," Kline said.

(H/T Mark Zdechlik)

Gallup: Tea Party supporters like Perry

Posted at 1:42 PM on August 26, 2011 by Catharine Richert (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Here's more news on something we've been hearing all week:

Tea Party supporters like Rick Perry.

A new poll from Gallup shows that the Texas governor has 35 percent support among Republicans who identify themselves members of the Tea Party movement.

The same poll shows Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney tied with 14 percent support among the same group of voters.

It's a trend that's been developing since Perry entered the race on Aug. 13. MPR has more on the subject here.

A look back at a similar poll conducted in July shows that Perry's really shaken up the race. A month ago, before Perry announced his bid, Romney held a slight edge over Bachmann among Tea Party supporters, 29 percent to 23 percent.

What's also interesting about this poll is how Perry fares with voters when it comes to specific issues. He has 25 percent support among Republicans who say business and the economy are their most important issues. Bachmann comes in a distant fourth after Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul with 8 percent support.

Perry also eclipses her among voters who say social or moral values are their priority with 38 percent support; Bachmann has 10 percent support.

Read more about Gallup's nationwide poll here.

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MNGOP to hold State Fair Straw Poll

Posted at 6:10 PM on August 25, 2011 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

The Minnesota Republican Party is holding a State Fair Straw poll of candidates seeking the Republican Party presidential endorsement in 2012. Fair goers can cast their votes at the MNGOP booth on Carnes Ave today through Labor Day.

"Politics is as much a part of state fair tradition as Pronto Pups," said MNGOP chairman Tony Sutton in a news release. "And at this stage of the campaign there are more candidates than you can shake a stick at. A straw poll generates the kind of good old-fashioned political debate that is the foundation of grassroots politics."

The poll includes candidates who have filed the paperwork to run for president and a few who haven't. For example, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has said he will not run for President. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has not said whether she will run.

Here's who is listed on the Straw Poll:

MN Rep. Michele Bachmann
Herman Cain
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman
Michigan Rep. Thaddeus McCotter
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin
TX Rep. Ron Paul
Texas Gov. Rick Perry
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney
Former PA Sen. Santorum
Write-In

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Franken on Bachmann winning the GOP nomination: "I hope so."

Posted at 2:19 PM on August 25, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

DFL Sen. Al Franken appeared on MPR's Midday today to talk about a wide range of issues facing Congress and the nation. Near the end of the broadcast, host Gary Eichten asked Franken whether he thought GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann had a legitimate shot at winning the GOP nomination for president.

"I hope so," Franken joked. Franken appears to be in the camp of Democrats who believe that Bachmann's candidacy would give President Obama an easier path to the nomination because Bachmann is too controversial to attract moderate voters.

"So you would like to see the Congresswoman be in a position where she could become president," Eichten asked.

"Ok, now I'm having second thoughts," Franken joked.

Franken said he likes Bachmann as a person. He mentioned that Bachmann attended Franken's Hot Dish cookoff in January and they both attended several funerals for military personnel.

"We have laughed together, we have cried together. I like her," Franken said. "I disagree with almost every stance she has."

You can listen to the entire show here:

(NOTE: An initial post quoted Franken as saying he "disagreed with every stance" Bachmann has. I updated the blog to accurately reflect Franken's statement.)

Forbes: Bachmann is 22nd Most Powerful Woman in World

Posted at 2:55 PM on August 24, 2011 by Tom Scheck (5 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

Forbes Magazine says GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann is the 22nd most powerful woman in the world:

The tough-talking, steely-eyed Minnesota congresswoman has her sights set on the Oval Office. She officially announced her candidacy for the 2012 Republican nomination in June, making her one of a handful of women to run for U.S. President on a major ticket. The Tea Party favorite voted "no" to raising the U.S. debt ceiling, wants to repeal "ObamaCare" and is opposed to same-sex marriage, despite having a gay stepsister. Her Christian and family values--she and her husband Marcus homeschooled their five children and raised 23 foster children, all teenage girls--have earned her loyal supporters. However, she has so far battled questions ranging from her legitimacy to her migraine headaches and her therapist husband's controversial counseling methods.

Bachmann is the top elected official from the United States on the list. German Chancellor Angela Merkel tops the list. Several members of President Obama's Administration, including Hillary Clinton, Kathleen Sebelius and Margaret Hamburg, also rank ahead of Bachmann.

Bachmann, who is running for President, is in her third term in Congress. She represents Minnesota's 6th Congressional District.

She won the Iowa Straw Poll earlier this month but the victory doesn't appear to have given her a bounce in the polls. A new Gallup Poll says Bachmann is polling at her lowest level since June. Texas Gov. Rick Perry has stormed to the top of the poll. Mitt Romney and Ron Paul are also ahead of her in the national poll.

The New York Times also writes about the "Bachmann bubble" - a reference to the Bachmann campaign's effort to keep a tight leash on the reporters covering the campaign.

As to Minnesota's 6th District, MPR reports that Bachmann's presidential campaign activities make the future of her congressional seat uncertain."

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Cravaack reverses course, will now hold Duluth town hall

Posted at 1:00 PM on August 23, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

From MPR's Bill Catlin and Dan Kraker...

Amid mounting pressure, 8th District GOP congressman Chip Cravaack has announced he will hold an open town hall meeting at 4 o'clock tomorrow afternoon at the Duluth airport.

Cravaack has taken flack from constituents and in national publications for the meetings he's held during the August recess. The only free, open-to-all meetings were held only in relatively remote places, that are long drives from Duluth, the district's population and media center. Cravaack made the announcement to protesters outside a meeting sponsored by a business organization that was charging attendees a $10 fee for lunch.

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Public Policy Polling: Bachmann slips, Perry moves up

Posted at 11:20 AM on August 23, 2011 by Catharine Richert (6 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

With Rick Perry's entrance into the race, Rep. Michele Bachmann's lead in Iowa appears to be slipping, according a new survey conducted by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic polling company.

The Texas governor is the favorite among 22 percent of Iowa Republican voters. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is polling at 19 percent, and Bachmann has 18 percent support. When former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who hasn't declared her candidacy yet, is added to the mix, Bachmann's support drops to 15 percent.

Despite Bachmann's strong showing in the Ames Straw Poll, PPP points out that she hasn't moved up in the ranks since the group surveyed Iowa voters in June; she was in third place then, and she's in third place now. At the same time, Bachmann's favorability numbers have dropped since the June PPP poll from 53 percent to 47 percent. The percent of Republican voters who see her in a negative light has climbed from 16 percent to 35 percent.

It's also worth noting that Perry seems to be stealing some of Bachmann's far right support. According to the survey, one-third of Iowa Republicans say they are members of the Tea Party, but many of them - about 32 percent - support Perry. About 22 percent support Bachmann.

The survey was conducted among 317 Iowa Republican voters, and has a 5.5 percent margin of error. Read more about the group's methodology here.

Meanwhile, a separate poll conducted by Gallup shows that President Barack Obama is in a close contest with Romney, Perry, Texas Rep. Ron Paul and Bachmann.

According to the poll, if the elections were held today, Romney would have 48 percent of voter support while Obama would have 46 percent. Perry and Obama would be tied at 47 percent of support, and Obama would just barely lead Paul and Bachmann.

Gallup points out that Obama's approval rating is around 40 percent - less than the proportion of people who say they would vote for him.

"Obama's position of rough parity against leading GOP candidates shows that more Americans at the moment say they would vote for Obama than approve of the job he is doing -- perhaps a reflection of the continuing lack of a strong front-runner on the Republican side," the Gallup pollsters wrote in their report.

More about Gallup's methodology is here.

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Bachmann and Ellison respond to developments in Libya

Posted at 5:15 PM on August 22, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - As rebels enter the Libyan capital of Tripoli, Reps. Michele Bachmann and Keith Ellison welcomed the news.

Bachmann, who's running for the GOP presidential nomination and sits on the House Intelligence Committee, noted that she opposed U.S. involvement in the six-month long conflict and said she was "hopeful our intervention there is about to end."

As part of a NATO mission, American forces have provided air support to the Libyan forces fighting the regime of Moammar Gadhafi.

In June, Bachmann joined many liberal Democrats to vote for a failed measure sponsored by Ohio Democrat Dennis Kucinich that would have demanded President Obama halt operations in Libya within 15 days.

Ellison, a liberal DFLer who often opposes U.S. military intervention abroad, supported the U.S. mission in Libya.

In a statement, he said the new Libyan Transitional National Council's reminder to treat all its captured prisoners, including Gadhafi's two sons, with respect was "heartwarming and wise advice."

"As the country heals and transitions to democracy all Libyans should know that they have a partner in the United States," said Ellison.

Paulsen goes to Israel

Posted at 3:14 PM on August 22, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen is visiting Israel this week. His spokesman, Tom Erickson, says Paulsen is part of a congressional delegation that includes 80 members. He said the American Israel Education Foundation is sponsoring the trip and it's the only country Paulsen will visit.

Paulsen is also writing some comments about his trip on the blog, TC Jew Folk. It's mostly a play by play of the first day of this trip.

I'm excited to have arrived in Israel this afternoon. I will try and provide some updates and thoughts on my meetings periodically.

There's lots happening here, as always. In fact, it was characterized to us on my bus ride to Jerusalem, these are not only interesting times (because they're always interesting here), but these are also unusual times. Unusual because of the 8 months of the Arab Spring, which is seeing "the street" engaged in democratic decisions in these countries. A first for these countries that have been run by dictators.

Paulsen also said he was briefed on an Israeli missile defense system and mentioned the recent protests in the country.

Bachmann asks for another delay on filing financial disclosure and income

Posted at 10:00 AM on August 18, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann has asked for another 45 days to file her financial disclosure report with the Federal Election Commission. The attorney for Bachmann's presidential campaign, William McGinley, told the FEC that they were "working diligently to obtain the required information" but that they need more time. He wrote in the letter that the campaigned needed "additional time to discuss some disclosure questions with the Office of Government Ethics and to ensure that the SF-278 is complete and accurate."

This is the second time Bachmann's campaign has asked for a 45-day extension. McGinley used the same arguments when he sought a 45-day extension in July.

Lawrence Calvert Jr. with the Federal Elections Commission, approved both requests but said federal law allows candidates to request two 45-day extensions of time for filing.

"Accordingly, I will be unable to grant any further requests for extensions of time," Calvert wrote to McGinley.

Bachmann now has to file her report by the close of business on October 6.

The candidates for President are required to file Financial Disclosure reports. The information helps the public gauge where the candidates makes their money.

Bachmann also filed a report with the U.S. House of Representatives in August that detailed that she is worth at least $912,000. Her largest assets are her clinic property in Minnesota and a family farm in Wisconsin

Here are the forms filed with the FEC.

8 17 11 Extension

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No bounce for Bachmann in New Hampshire

Posted at 2:49 PM on August 17, 2011 by Tim Pugmire (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's recent success in Iowa hasn't boosted her support in New Hampshire, according to a new poll.

The latest NH Journal survey shows former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leading the GOP field for the first-in-the-nation presidential primary at 36 percent. Texas Gov. Rick Perry was next at 18 percent. Ron Paul was third with 14 percent. Bachmann followed at 10 percent.

The survey also found that 84 percent of New Hampshire respondents said the results of the Ames, Iowa, straw poll, which Bachmann won, had no impact on their candidate support.

The survey of 613 likely GOP or GOP-leaning voters was conducted on August 15-16.

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Pawlenty took $342k in book deal, $242k in speaking fees

Posted at 4:49 PM on August 16, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: U.S. Senate, Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty

Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was doing more than campaigning during his failed run for president. Pawlenty, who dropped his bid for president on Sunday, filed his income and financial holdings with the Federal Elections Commission today. Pawlenty disclosed $714,635 in assets over the past year which included his $121,260 salary as governor, $342,000 in royalty payments from his book, 'Courage to Stand' and $242,000 in speaking fees. Pawlenty also listed more than $450,000 in assets like retirement funds.

Pawlenty hasn't said what he'll do next. MNGOP Chair Tony Sutton is lobbying Pawlenty to run against DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2012. Republican political strategist Vin Weber, who chaired Pawlenty's presidential campaign, says he thinks Pawlenty won't challenge Klobuchar but could run for the U.S. Senate or governor in 2014.

Here's the full report Pawlenty filed with the FEC:

8-16-11 Report

For those wondering, GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann has filed an extension for her report.

Obama and Bachmann scheduled to speak at American Legion Convention in Minneapolis

Posted at 3:01 PM on August 16, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

President Obama will make his second trip to Minnesota in the month of August. On Tuesday, August 30, the president will speak before the American Legion's national convention in Minneapolis. The convention will be held from Saturday, August 27 until Thursday, September 1.

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann, who is running to replace Obama in the White House, is scheduled to speak at the convention on Thursday. Gov. Dayton and other members of Minnesota's congressional delegation, including DFL Rep. Tim Walz, DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar, DFL Rep. Keith Ellison and DFL Sen. Al Franken, are also scheduled to attend the event. The Veterans Affairs Secretary and House Veterans Affairs Committee Chair Jeff Miller, R-FL, will also speak at the event.

Here's the schedule:

Minnesota Master Events Schedule 2011 Revised

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Obama enlists Cannon Falls in a fight "for the future of our country."

Posted at 12:54 PM on August 15, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

President Obama is speaking in Cannon Falls, MN this hour. He told the audience that the nation's problems aren't too big to fix if the nation's political leaders start working towards solutions. Obama also showed that he's going to use a political strategy employed by past presidents - run against Congress.

"I'm really happy to be out of Washington right now," Obama told the crowd.

Obama's Cannon Falls stop is the first of a three state bus tour to discuss the nation's economy. The president said the nation's economy has hit some rough spots over the last six months but he said some of those problems are "self-inflicted." In particular, he said the recent debate over the nation's debt ceiling was unnecessary.

Obama told the crowd that the nation's problems CAN be fixed - the question is how.

"And what's been happening over the last six months, and a little bit longer than that if we're honest with ourselves, is that we have a political culture that doesn't seem willing to make the tough choices to move America forward."

Obama also encouraged the audience to lobby their members to start addressing the nation's problems. He said he's willing to support Republican efforts to erase the nation's deficit but also wants to raise taxes on the nation's top earners. That proposal has made little headway in Congress because House Republicans oppose it.

"I'm not here just to enjoy the nice weather. I'm here to enlist you in a fight. We're fighting for the future of our country. And that is a fight that we are going to win."

Obama's trip to Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois comes just two days after GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann won the Iowa Straw Poll of 2012 candidates.

Republicans in Minnesota held a rally protesting Obama's visit. They said they hoped the eventual Republican nominee will defeat Obama in 2012.

"We're ready to fight and we're here to take back our country," Priebus told the crowd, announcing the plans for the "Obama's Debt-end Bus Tour" in response to Obama's three-day campaign tour through the Upper Midwest.

Obama is making the trip at a time when both he and Congress are suffering from low approval ratings.

You can listen to the first part of Obama's speech here: Listen

Bachmann wins Straw Poll, Pawlenty gets third

Posted at 6:48 PM on August 13, 2011 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann won the Iowa Straw Poll of GOP presidential candidates. She received more votes than any other candidate, including fellow Minnesotan Tim Pawlenty. Texas Congressman Ron Paul finished second.

Here are the results from the Iowa GOP:

1. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (4823, 28.55%)
2. Congressman Ron Paul (4671, 27.65%)
3. Governor Tim Pawlenty (2293, 13.57%)
4. Senator Rick Santorum (1657, 9.81%)
5. Herman Cain(1456, 8.62%)
6. Governor Rick Perry (718, 3.62%) write-in
7. Governor Mitt Romney (567, 3.36%)
8. Speaker Newt Gingrich (385, 2.28%)
9. Governor Jon Huntsman (69, 0.41%)
10. Congressman Thad McCotter (35, 0.21%)
11. Scattering (162, 0.96 %) Includes all those receiving votes at less than one-percent that were not on the ballot.

Bachmann held an impromptu news conference after she was declared the victor. She thanked supporters and seemed thrilled with the victory. She also talked about moving her campaign beyond Iowa. Bachmann will appear on five Sunday morning news shows tomorrow.

Update: Bachmann's campaign released this statement:

"I want to thank the people of Iowa for this tremendous victory. Together we sent a message that we intend to make President Obama a one-term president. The Iowa Straw Poll was a important first step in what will be a long race for the presidency. Now we turn our attention toward winning the Iowa Caucuses and taking our message of reining in wasteful spending, keeping taxes low, growing our economy and creating jobs to the people of New Hampshire, South Carolina and all 50 states."

Bachmann's victory makes her one of the front-runners to win Iowa's first in the nation precinct caucuses. It doesn't, however, mean she'll be considered a front-runner to win the GOP nomination. Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, didn't actively work to win the Iowa Straw Poll. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who could also draw Tea Party members and Evangelicals from Bachmann, also announced that he's running for President. Another wild card is Sarah Palin, who said she's still considering a run for the White House.

Pawlenty will be forced to explain to supporters and potential donors how his campaign is still viable with Bachmann, Romney and Perry all receiving plenty of buzz among GOP activists. He also spent a lot of time and money in Iowa over the past few months.

Pawlenty and his campaign didn't respond to questions from MPR News. He released this statement after the results were posted:

"Congratulations to Congresswoman Michele Bachmann for her victory in today's straw poll. We made progress in moving from the back of the pack into a competitive position for the caucuses, but we have a lot more work to do. This is a long process to restore America -- we are just beginning and I'm looking forward to a great campaign."

MPR's Mark Zdechlik contributed to this report.

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Bachmann hits the Sunday Show Jackpot

Posted at 4:51 PM on August 12, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann has hit the Sunday morning jackpot. Bachmann is scheduled to appear on NBC's Meet the Press, CBS' Face the Nation, ABC's This Week, Fox News Sunday and CNN's State of the Union. Minnesota's 6th District Congresswoman will make the appearances one day after the Iowa Straw Poll - an early test for the strength of the 2012 candidates.

Bachmann is hoping to do well at the Straw Poll and will use hear appearances to lay out where her campaign goes from there.

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty will also appear on a Sunday show. He's scheduled to appear on ABC's This Week.

Here's the rundown from AP:

ABC's "This Week" - Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, both 2012 GOP presidential candidates.

NBC's "Meet the Press" - Bachmann; Gov. Terry Branstad, R-Iowa.

CBS' "Face the Nation" - Bachmann; Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.

CNN's "State of the Union" - Bachmann and Herman Cain, also a 2012 GOP presidential candidate; Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa

"Fox News Sunday" - Bachmann.

Obama to hold town hall in Cannon Falls

Posted at 11:34 PM on August 11, 2011 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

President Obama will hold a town hall in Cannon Falls on Monday. President Obama will fly into the Minneapolis St. Paul Airport on Monday morning and will travel to Cannon Falls for the morning event. The town hall will be held at Lower Hannah's Bend Park at 11:45 a.m.

The event will be the first stop on Obama's three-day economic bus tour in the Midwest.

"While in the Midwest, the President will discuss ways to grow the economy, strengthen the middle class and accelerate hiring in communities and towns across the nation and hear directly from Americans, including small business owners, local families, private sector leaders, rural organizations, and government officials," The White House said in a statement. "The President knows we must do everything we can to promote economic growth, restore confidence in our nation's future and enhance the sense of optimism for future generations."

The White House says the event is free and open to the public but tickets are required and can be picked up at the Cannon Falls City Hall beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Who won the Iowa debate?

Posted at 10:01 PM on August 11, 2011 by Michael Olson (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

A few takes on who won the debate.

New York Times' Nate Silver:

National Journal's Ron Fournier:

And a Tweet from the Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes with NBC's Chuck Todd:

Did you watch the debate? Who made the most compelling case for their campaign?

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Pawlenty opts for do-over on 'ObamneyCare'

Posted at 9:26 PM on August 11, 2011 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Campaign 2012

"We're going to have to show contrast not similarities," Tim Pawlenty said during the Fox News debate Thursday evening when comparing the health plan Mitt Romney signed into law in Massachusetts to the one President Obama signed in Washington, D.C.

"I think I like Tim's answer in the last debate better," Romney retorted.

Minnesota mud fight

Posted at 8:45 PM on August 11, 2011 by Michael Olson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Going into tonight's debate the campaign narrative set the expectation that it would be a fight between the two politicians most familiar to Minnesotans. The battle between Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann certainly took up a significant portion of the debate.

In opening the debate Fox News' Bret Baier asked that candidates drop their talking points and talk openly about the problems facing the country.

Pawlenty and Bachmann mixed it up.

Pawlenty campaign workers stepped in and helped to articulate his message.

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Boehner to attend Minnesota fundraiser next week

Posted at 11:25 AM on August 10, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - President Obama won't be the only high-level political visitor to Minnesota next week. Republican House Speaker John Boehner will hold a fundraiser in Wayzata on Wednesday, Aug. 17.

According to an invite given to Minnesota Public Radio News, tickets for a round of golf at the Spring Hill Golf Club with the Speaker and a lunch cost $10,000, while lunch-only tickets run $1,000. Boehner's hosts for the event are all four Republican House members from Minnesota, John Kline, Erik Paulsen, Chip Cravaack and Michele Bachmann.

Bachmann, who's also running for the GOP presidential nomination is keeping a busy schedule. She's in Iowa this week ahead of the Ames Straw Poll. Then early next week she heads to South Carolina for more campaigning before the fundraiser with Boehner.

Group starts organizing to pass the marriage amendment

Posted at 5:26 PM on August 9, 2011 by Tom Scheck (6 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Marriage Amendment

The Minnesota Family Council sent an e-mail to supporters today encouraging them to volunteer to help pass a constitutional amendment that would ban same sex marriage. Minnesota Family Council CEO John Helmberger said in the e-mail that the group would include the Minnesota Family Council, the Minnesota Catholic Conference and the National Organization for Marriage:

For our campaign to be successful, however, we need people of faith to rise up, speak, and participate in the campaign. We know that those who want to redefine marriage to their own purposes will benefit from millions of dollars in support from wealthy donors in Hollywood, New York, and other centers of "popular culture". They will not lack for resources. We must counter that with the power of our people, who will volunteer their time, speak the truth, and contribute of their resources to help our campaign.

Our campaign plan relies on recruiting and deploying thousands of volunteers throughout the state of Minnesota. We will be conducting a massive voter education effort - speaking one-on-one with every Minnesota resident about the amendment and why it is necessary to preserve traditional marriage in our state and prevent activist judges or legislators from ever redefining it without the support of voters.
(Full e-mail below)

Helmberger also said the media "overwhelmingly against the amendment and they slant news coverage to make it seem as if we are going to lose" and suggested that they would be outspent by opponents of the amendment.

Both sides are gearing up for what is expected to be a costly battle. 31 of 31 states have voted to amend the constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. Groups working to defeat the amendment include Project 515, OutFront Minnesota and the Human Rights Campaign. The Minnesota AFL-CIO also announced yesterday that the coalition of labor unions would work to defeat the amendment.

"The labor movement is, and has always been about protecting and advancing the rights of all people," said Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson in a news release. "We will not stand by and allow discrimination to become part of Minnesota's constitution."

Voters in the 2012 election will decide whether the Minnesota Constitution should define marriage as between one man and one woman. The constitution will include the marriage definition if a majority of those voting in the election vote yes.

Here's the e-mail:

Marriage Amendment E-mail

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President Obama to travel to Minnesota next week

Posted at 4:38 PM on August 9, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012

WASHINGTON - The White House says President Obama will travel to Minnesota next week as part of a campaign-style three-day, three-state bus tour of the Midwest.

The White House hasn't released much in the way of details but says he'll be in southern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa and western Illinois to, "discuss ways to grow the economy, strengthen the middle class and accelerate hiring in communities and towns across the nation and hear directly from Americans."

The trip is scheduled to start Monday, Aug. 15 and end Aug. 17. That puts Obama near the gaggle of GOP presidential contenders, who have been tromping around Iowa this week ahead of the Ames Straw Poll this weekend.

We'll have more on the details as they come out.

Pawlenty launches "Ames All Stars" Iowa get out the vote effort

Posted at 12:35 PM on August 8, 2011 by Mark Zdechlik
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Tim Pawlenty

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty's campaign for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination is trying to build support in front of Saturday's Iowa Republican straw poll.

In an email to supporters Pawlenty's campaign manager Nick Ayers is promising "one-of-a-kind prizes" such as: signed T-Paw hockey jerseys, and signed copies of Pawlenty's book, The Courage to Stand, in exchange for help in getting undecided Iowa Republicans to support Pawlenty in the straw poll.

Ayers says supporters can help by placing calls on Pawlenty's behalf from the comfort of their own homes...even if those homes are outside of the Hawkeye State.

"The momentum is on our side and we are not letting up. With just under one week to go, we are asking each Pawlenty supporter across the country to help push us over the top in Ames," writes Ayers in the message.

Ayers also writes that no candidate is working harder for votes in Ames than Pawlenty, whom he describes as "well positioned for a great showing."

Bachmann and Pawlenty react to S&P downgrade

Posted at 4:07 PM on August 6, 2011 by Brett Neely (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty

WASHINGTON - Minnesota GOP presidential candidates Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty reacted quickly to the news that Standard and Poors downgraded the federal government's bond rating Friday, saying the move demonstrated President Barack Obama's lack of fitness for a second term in office.

S&P said the government was accumulating too much debt and lacked a solid path to stabilizing its indebtedness despite last week's agreement to cut long-term spending by more than $2 trillion.

"President Obama is destroying the foundations of the U.S. economy one beam at a time," Bachmann, who represents Minnesota's 6th Congressional District, said in a statement. "I call on the President to seek the immediate resignation of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and to submit a plan with a list of cuts to balance the budget this year, turn our economy around and put Americans back to work."

Pawlenty continued with the theme in a speech Saturday in Grinell, Iowa.

"What he [President Obama] doesn't understand is all this talk of the full faith and credit in the United States government, he needs to stop being reminded. We need to have a president who understands what it means to put our full faith and credit in the American people," said Pawlenty. "His vision for America is to take things out of the private sector and to put it into the government."

The White House responded quickly to the downgrade, criticizing S&P for faulty calculations that overestimated the amount of debt the United States would accumulate by $2 trillion.

While Bachmann and Pawlenty's statements savaged President Obama's stewardship of the economy, S&P's press release explaining its rationale for the downgrade tells a different story.

While calling for additional spending cuts, the ratings agency cited political brinksmanship and the Republican-instigated standoff over the debt ceiling as key obstacles for resolving the country's long-term debt problems. S&P was careful to note that it didn't proscribe a particular mix of spending cuts and revenue increases, but pointed to congressional Republican resistance to raising revenues as a significant factor in its downgrade decision rather than any actions by the administration:

Compared with previous projections, our revised base case scenario now assumes that the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, due to expire by the end of 2012, remain in place. We have changed our assumption on this because the majority of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise revenues, a position we believe Congress reinforced by passing the act. Key macroeconomic assumptions in the base case scenario include trend real GDP growth of 3% and consumer price inflation near 2% annually over the decade.

Once reactions from Minnesota's congressional delegation come in, we'll post them on this blog as a separate entry.

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Iowa pastors line-up behind Bachmann

Posted at 4:36 PM on August 5, 2011 by Catharine Richert (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

With the Iowa Straw Poll barely a week away, Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann is touting a list of more than 100 Iowa pastors who are backing her candidacy.

"Many of the evangelical leaders offered support after hearing her testimony and witnessing how her faith guides her strong leadership on critical issues such as marriage, life, and the overbearing impact of government policies on the family," the press release states.

One of those leaders is Pastor Brad Cranston.

"Michele has fearlessly taken a stand for life and traditional marriage, while championing fiscally conservative legislation," he said.

Bachmann's faith is at the fore of her campaign. Political analysts say it will help her woo the same conservative Iowa voters who lined-up behind 2008 GOP candidate Mike Huckabee, a former pastor. Huckabee surprised everyone by coming in second in the 2007 straw poll.

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Paulsen draws Sharon Sund as first DFL challenger

Posted at 8:39 AM on August 4, 2011 by Brett Neely (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen has his first declared challenger for the 2012 election. Plymouth resident Sharon Sund has announced that she plans to compete for the DFL nomination to challenge the incumbent 3rd District representative.

The self-described progressive will likely face a challenging campaign given Paulsen's strong fundraising to date. As of June 30, Paulsen had more than $670,000 cash on hand for his re-election campaign.

The 3rd District also has a history of electing Republicans to Congress, having sent a member of the GOP to Washington since 1961. The district did vote for President Obama in 2008, but the congressional redistricting process could move the 3rd further into the Twin Cities exurbs, adding more Republican voters.

The news was first reported by the Minnesota Independent.

Sund, who has a BA from Macalester College and an MS from the University of Minnesota, worked as a research and development scientist and as a technical communications consultant for a variety of companies.

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Pawlenty to pull Iowa TV ads before Ames straw poll

Posted at 8:12 AM on August 4, 2011 by Mark Zdechlik
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's 2012 presidential campaign said its ads will stop airing in Iowa in advance of next Saturday's Iowa Straw Poll. Spokesman Alex Conant said the decision to stop the ads was made because the campaign is "focusing our resources towards getting our supporters to the straw poll. We like the position we're in and the direction we're headed."

As word came that Pawlenty is pulling his TV advertising, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign unveiled a new TV ad that began airing yesterday throughout Iowa promoting her opposition to raising the debt ceiling.

Bachmann out with third presidential campaign TV ad

Posted at 8:01 AM on August 3, 2011 by Mark Zdechlik (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Rep. Michele Bachmann's newest ad invites Iowa Republicans to join her next week for the Ames Straw Poll and to support her opposition to increased federal government spending.

In the ad, the GOP presidential candidate reminds viewers she did not vote for the debt ceiling increase and she accuses Washington politicians of, "looting the treasury and bankrupting our nation."

"Barack Obama has driven our economy into a ditch," she said in the ad.

Bachmann 2012 says the new ad began running Wednesday, August 3 throughout Iowa.

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Pawlenty, Bachmann react to debt ceiling deal

Posted at 10:47 AM on August 1, 2011 by Mark Zdechlik (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who's running for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, is not a fan of the proposed debt ceiling solution. Pawlenty's spokesman Alex Conant released the following statement Monday morning.

"This deal is nothing to celebrate. Only in Washington would the political class think it's a victory when the government narrowly avoids default, agrees to go further into debt, and does little to reform a spending system that cannot be sustained by our children and grandchildren. While no further evidence was needed, this entire debt ceiling fiasco demonstrates that President Obama must be replaced."

Rep. Michele Bachmann, who's also running for the GOP presidential nomination, released a statement Sunday night repeating her opposition to raising the debt ceiling.

"Mr. President, I'm not sure what voice you're listening to, but I can assure you that the voice of the American people wasn't the 'voice that compelled Washington to act.' It was you that got us into this mess, and it was you who wanted a $2.4 trillion dollar blank check to get you through the election."

"Everywhere I travel across the country, Americans want less spending, lower taxes to create jobs, and they don't want us to raise the debt ceiling. The President continues to press for a 'balanced approach,' which everyone knows is code for increased spending and taxes. Throughout this process the President has failed to lead and failed to provide a plan. The 'deal' he announced spends too much and doesn't cut enough. This isn't the deal the American people 'preferred' either, Mr. President. Someone has to say no. I will."

Unlike Pawlenty, Bachmann will get a chance to vote against the deal.

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Bachmann phones it in to Iowa as debt ceiling vote nears

Posted at 9:35 AM on August 1, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - For the second time within a week, Michele Bachmann has put her presidential campaign in Iowa on hold to address the debt ceiling issue in Congress.

The GOP congresswoman's campaign announced that instead of attending in person, Bachmann will, schedule permitting, call into an event in Newton, IA from Washington, where a House vote on raising the government's borrowing authority is expected later today.

Bachmann has opposed any increase in the debt ceiling that does not gut last year's healthcare law.

Despite Bachmann's opposition, the debt limit increase appears set to pass both houses of Congress.

Debt limit debate nixes Bachmann's Iowa plans

Posted at 12:43 PM on July 30, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House

UPDATE: Bachmann is returning to Iowa on Sunday and will stay at least through Monday. Presumably if Republicans and Democrats in Washington reach a deal, Bachmann will return to vote against whatever bill they agree to.

WASHINGTON - Michele Bachmann's Iowa campaign plans have been derailed by the debt ceiling debate consuming Washington.

The Republican Congresswoman's presidential campaign announced late Friday night that instead of attending scheduled events in Iowa this weekend, Bachmann will be calling in to her events, while a surrogate, Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson, attends in her stead.

The House and Senate need to pass a bill to raise the government's borrowing limit by midnight, August 2nd. Bachmann has forcefully opposed to raising the debt ceiling and voted against a House GOP-backed plan yesterday that would have increased the debt limit while making deep, offsetting cuts.

Bachmann talks debt limit at the National Press Club

Posted at 1:36 PM on July 28, 2011 by Catharine Richert (11 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

Hours before a critical vote to raise the debt ceiling in the House of Representatives, Rep. Michele Bachmann said the White House is using "scare tactics" to build support for a plan to borrow more.

"We have to stop making raising the debt limit routine," the Minnesota Republican told a crowd at the National Press Club.

It's time for Washington to "end the illusion" that it knows how to spend taxpayer dollars correctly, Bachmann said. As a legislator and, if elected president, she said she will put her foot down.

"I have the titanium spine to see it through," she said.

Bachmann's signed a pledge to vote against raising the debt ceiling unless it's paired with deep spending cuts. She's already rejected a GOP plan because it didn't cut enough or defund the federal health care overhaul passed in 2010.

The bill did "not go far enough in fundamentally restructuring the way Washington spends taxpayer dollars," she said in a press statement the day she voted against the legislation.

The lower chamber is expected to vote on a second GOP plan to raise the debt limit later Thursday, and Bachmann's said she'll also vote against that plan.

Bachmann said that Obama's argument that Congress must raise the debt ceiling or face economic catastrophe is a "flawed assumption." Poligraph examined this argument from Bachmann when she mentioned it last month, and found that the nation does have enough cash to pay interest on the debt, but it would likely come at the cost of paying other financial obligations.

The Minnesota congresswoman also used her hour at the podium to burnish her conservative credentials, praising former President Ronald Reagan and retelling the story of how she voted for Jimmy Carter in college, but became a Republican after being disappointed by his policies.

She also deflected questions about recent news reports that her husband's counseling clinic urges prayer to rid patients of homosexuality.

"I am extremely proud of my husband," she said. "I am running for the presidency of the United States. My husband is not running for the presidency... Neither is our business."

Bachmann also talked about her experiences so far on the campaign trail. She said she hears over and over that people "fear they may have lived through pinnacle of American greatness."

"They want progress," she said. "And they certainly want that for their kids."

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Gallup poll: Bachmann moves up, Pawlenty stays put

Posted at 3:11 PM on July 27, 2011 by Catharine Richert (6 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty

The latest numbers from Gallup deliver more good news for U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann -- who speaks at the National Press Club Thursday -- and more bad news for former Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Among declared candidates, Bachmann is supported by 18 percent of Republican voters, according to the national poll, which was conducted July 20-24. That puts her second behind frontrunner Mitt Romney.

In June, Bachmann was supported by only 7 percent of Republican voters. Since then, her poll numbers have risen to 18 percent, largely on the strength of her performance in the New Hampshire debate according to Gallup.

"Most other candidates' support has held steady or shown a slight decline since June," pollsters said.

Meanwhile, Pawlenty is supported by 4 percent of Republican voters. That number is in line with other recent national polls, which are especially useful when it comes to fundraising and building visibility among voters.

Though Pawlenty has campaigned doggedly, he's had trouble expanding support among conservative voters, and it appears the recent poll numbers only underscore his challenge.

Bachmann could lose support if Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani are thrown into the mix.

None of the potential candidates have declared their candidacy, but any could shake up the field if they do, especially for Romney. For instance, if Perry decided to enter the race, he'd come in at a close second behind Romney with 18 percent of Republican support. In that case Romney's support would decline from 27 percent to 23 percent.

Bachmann is the featured noontime speaker at the National Press Club on Thursday, where she's expected to talk more about her candidacy for president.

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WaPo: Bachmann benefitted from federal home loan program

Posted at 12:01 PM on July 26, 2011 by Catharine Richert (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

The Washington Post is reporting that Rep. Michele Bachmann and her husband took out a $417,000 home loan backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac in 2008.

The loan helped Bachmann, a vocal opponent of government programs and subsidies, buy a 5,200-square-foot home, according to the story.

Just a few weeks before Bachmann called for dismantling the programs during a House Financial Services Committee hearing, she and her husband signed for a $417,000 home loan to help finance their move to a 5,200-square-foot golf course home, public records show. Experts who examined the loan documents for The Washington Post say they are confident that the loan was backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

The story goes on,

Bachmann's mortgage loan was part of a package of debt that she and her husband, Marcus, assumed to buy their home, public records show. They also have other loans, including a home equity line of credit, a business mortgage and another business loan for their Christian counseling clinics, bringing their liabilities to more than $1 million, according to the most recently available public records.

Bachmann's spokesman, Doug Sachtleben told the Post that, "The Congresswoman's personal financial disclosures will speak for themselves."

This isn't the first time Bachmann's been scrutinized for taking government benefits. In June, the Los Angeles Times reported that Bachmann received farm subsidies . (Bachmann denied that she'd received farm dollars.)

And NBC News reported that Bachmann's husband took $137,000 in Medicaid payments for treating patients at his counseling clinic.

Bachmann's now a frontrunner in the presidential race, and I suspect this won't be the last time her history, finances and legislative record are scrutinized by journalists and opponents.

(Update: The blog post initially reported that the home loan was from Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The post has been updated.)

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Cease and desist? Maybe not

Posted at 10:35 AM on July 22, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Tim Pawlenty

Yesterday, the Des Moines Register reported that ABC Sports may send Gov. Tim Pawlenty a cease-and-desist letter for using TV footage of the USA hockey team's unexpected defeat of the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics in his latest political ad, "The American Comeback."

The Iowa paper quoted ABC Sports director of rights and clearances, Louise Argianas, as saying the use of the footages was "a violation of our copyright and exclusive proprietary rights."

But is appears that officials at ESPN, which oversees ABC Sports, are hedging a bit. Here's the organization's latest statement:

"Neither ABC nor ESPN has asked the Pawlenty campaign to remove any footage from their video, although neither ABC nor ESPN licensed the video to them or authorized its use."

Pawlenty spokesman Alex Conant said that the ad was thoroughly vetted by the former governor's lawyers.

"All of our campaign television advertising is carefully reviewed by the campaign's lawyers to ensure compliance with the copyright laws, the federal election laws, and other legal provisions," Conant wrote in an email. "The campaign's 'Miracle on Ice' advertisement was carefully reviewed for legal compliance and we believe fully complies with the 'fair use' doctrine. We respect ABC's concern and look forward to responding to their inquiry."

The new TV spot features shots of Pawlenty, a long-time hockey player, in an ice rink, interspersed with footage from the epic 1980 hockey game.

"Out here, you're tested," Pawlenty says in the ad. "You face an opponent the experts say can't be beat. You fight, you bleed, you prevail."

Like the USA hockey team's early performance in the rink, Pawlenty hasn't been doing so well in polls, and the ad is likely meant to sway critics who say he doesn't have what it takes to win the Republican presidential nomination.

Here's the TV spot.

Pawlenty might have to take back "The American Comeback"

Posted at 4:42 PM on July 21, 2011 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Tim Pawlenty

It looks like Tim Pawelnty might get in a little trouble for his latest political ad.

The Des Moines Register is reporting that ABC Sports will be sending the former governor a cease-and-desist letter for using TV footage of the USA hockey team beating the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics - footage ABC sports says it owns, according to the Iowa paper.

The Des Moines Register reports,

"It's a violation of our copyright and exclusive proprietary rights," said Louise Argianas, director of rights and clearances for ABC Sports.

Pawlenty's latest ad is running in Iowa. It's called "The American Comeback," and it's probably meant to sway critics who say Pawlenty's polling numbers are too low to win the nomination.

"Out here, you're tested," Pawlenty, a long-time hockey player, says in the ad. "You face an opponent the experts say can't be beat. You fight, you bleed, you prevail."

Here's the TV spot.

Update: Pawlenty spokesman Alex Conant says the ad is in compliance. Here's his statement:

"All of our campaign television advertising is carefully reviewed by the campaign's lawyers to ensure compliance with the copyright laws, the federal election laws, and other legal provisions. The campaign's 'Miracle on Ice' advertisement was carefully reviewed for legal compliance and we believe fully complies with the 'fair use' doctrine. We respect ABC's concern and look forward to responding to their inquiry."

Cravaack and Bachmann get another financial disclosure extension

Posted at 12:10 PM on July 21, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON - Reporters and campaign operatives eager to dig into the finances of Republican presidential candidate and House member Michele Bachmann will have to wait a bit longer. Bachmann's office confirmed that she has received another extension for filing her required financial disclosure forms that were first due to be released June 15.

Bachmann's paperwork is now due Aug. 12, during the scheduled Congressional summer recess. Income from a stake Bachmann and her husband hold in a family farm in Wisconsin will surely come under scrutiny. The farm receives payments from the federal government even as Bachmann has called for cutting federal spending.

Freshman Rep. Chip Cravaack also received an additional extension, which puts his expected filing date in mid-August as well, according to chief of staff Michael Tomberlin. Cravaack, who's expected to face a tough challenge next year in his DFL-leaning district, may also see his finances come under scrutiny after announcing last week that his family will be moving to New Hampshire while he continues to represent Minnesota's 8th District.

On the Senate side, DFL Sen. Al Franken had previously asked for a longer extension and his paperwork is due by Aug. 15, said spokesman Ed Shelleby.

Bachmann releases doctor's letter on migraines

Posted at 4:08 PM on July 20, 2011 by Brett Neely
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

WASHINGTON - Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign released a letter from the Attending Physician of Congress addressing her medical record of migraine headaches, saying she is "overall in good general health."

The Daily Caller and other outlets have reported that the Stillwater congresswoman suffers from "debilitating" headaches that have required hospitalization and could impair her ability to serve as President.

Bachmann responded yesterday, acknowledging that she suffers from headaches and saying they would not affect her ability to serve were she to win the Republican nomination and the presidency in 2012,

The letter, from Dr. Brian Monahan, says Bachmann's migraines "occur infrequently," that tests and brain scans were normal nor does she require daily medication to treat the condition.

In a veiled reference to Bachmann, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty told reporters in Iowa that candidates "have to be able to demonstrate they can do all of the job all of the time." Pawlenty's poll numbers have dropped precipitously since Bachmann entered the race.

Bachmann responds to migraine story

Posted at 2:20 PM on July 19, 2011 by Brett Neely (3 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann, U.S. House

WASHINGTON - Responding to a story that alleges she's a heavy user of prescription drugs, Rep. Michele Bachmann confirmed today that she suffers from migraines and takes prescription medication to treat them. But the GOP presidential candidate said the drugs would not affect her ability to serve as president, if elected.

The report published by the conservative Daily Caller said Bachmann suffered from "debilitating" migraines brought on by stress that required "all sorts of pills" to control. The Daily Caller's story relied on three unnamed sources who were granted anonymity due to the "great professional risk" of sharing the information.

In a statement to reporters, Bachmann, who currently represents Minnesota's 6th Congressional District, said she suffered from migraines, "like nearly 30 million other Americans."

"I have prescription medication that I take whenever symptoms arise and they keep the migraines under control," Bachmann said. "Let me be abundantly clear - my ability to function effectively has never been impeded by migraines and will not affect my ability to serve as Commander in Chief."

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Cravaack gets a big welcome from NH Democrats