Pat Doyle from the Star Tribune did a piece on the DFL candidates and their reliance on tribal casinos for campaign funds. Here is the story below:
Money is the lifeblood of politics, and DFL candidates for governor are engaged in some public bloodletting to get it.
When candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher [...]
DFL State Representative Kory Kath is rumored to be a candidate for state senate in the special election for district 26. Kath, first elected to office in 2008 is also a teacher in the Owatonna school district.
When his name first surfaced as a candidate, a document about some irregularities in [...]
Last week, Mayor RT Rybak was on his campaign for Governor kick off across Minnesota. During part of his Southern Minnesota leg the Mayor was interviewed by DFL Blogger Sally Jo Sorenson. During the interview, it’s clear that the Mayor isn’t wearing a seat belt. If you remember Governor [...]
After a barage of tweets, press releases, radio ads, and blog posts Mayor Rybak responded to accusations about his inability to be a leader on crime for the City of Minneapolis. MPR has the full response.
I have focused like a laser on making Minneapolis a safe place to call [...]
Republican Party of Minnesota Calls on R.T. Rybak to Immediately Apologize for Smear Against Minneapolis Police Federation
St. Paul- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton and Deputy Chairman Michael Brodkorb today called on R.T. Rybak to apologize for Rybak for Governor Campaign Manager Tina Flint Smith’s outrageous statement that the [...]
The Minneapolis Police Federation released a radio ad criticizing RT Rybak for cutting the Minneapolis cops by 41. I have blogged extensively about Rybak’s terrible record on crime and this does not help the cause.
“Call Rybak today and tell him running for Governor doesn’t mean he can cut [...]
Comedy is defined by dictionary.com as the following:
any comic or humorous incident or series of incidentsComity is defined as:
mutual courtesy; civility
While they are pronounced the same they have two totally different meanings. In today’s Senate debate Minnesota Senator Al Franken again spat in the face of Senate comity to [...]
Earlier today, Steve Kelley sent an email out to supporters asking for money because MDE and the MNGOP were beating up on him. You can see the picture here. I broke this story on Twitter this morning. To get more news faster, follow me on twitter.
You can [...]
At many campaign stops around Minnesota, Governor Pawlenty will often tell a funny story about basketball legend Michael Jordan when he scored a career high 69 points in a single game. The essence of the message is teamwork. Pawlenty told the story again yesterday at a stop in New Hampshire. [...]
Yesterday, I posted a piece about how Collin Peterson routinely has fundraising checks sent to his campaign office in Washington DC. Which is strange considering it’s no where near Minnesota’s 7th District.
This all comes after Peterson challenged members of the media and the NRCC on how much everyone really [...]
Yesterday, Governor Tim Pawlenty made his first trip as a non-surrogate for Sen. John McCain to the first primary state New Hampshire. Check out the full coverage of his trip below:
Pawlenty told a high-powered group of Republican activists that he’s concerned about the national debt and [...]
A dedicated reader of MDE sent me this video from Friday night of Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher blaming the DFL for her campaign finance problems and claiming this event shows she is a true leader.
Check out the video below:
[...]Yesterday, Congressman Collin Peterson responded to our post and other media outlets about his possible retirement. Politics in Minnesota reported that in fact Peterson was hosting a fundraiser for his congressional committee that day at the Democratic National Committee Headquarters. Seems pretty standard.
However, I found it quite [...]
A dedicated reader of MDE has sent me a dossier that is being passed around on Rep. Kory Kath.
The document contains information on some irregular instances of per diem expenditures, as well as a vote analysis about Rep. Kath.
I have tried to contact Rep. Kath twice for comment and received [...]
Collin Peterson has responded to a post that MDE yesterday that highlighted several news stories about his potential retirement. Now Don Davis, from Forum Communications, has written a follow up story.
From Don Davis with Forum Communications:
Western Minnesotans should not believe rumors that U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson is not [...]
KELLIHER IS BIG CITY LIBERAL
Kelliher Voted For The “Dream Act” Which Provides In State Tuition To Illegal Immigrants. (SF1989, April 19, 2007)
Kelliher Called For Repeal Of State’s Concealed Carry Law. “Gov. Tim Pawlenty said Tuesday he supports changing Minnesota’s new handgun law — which goes into effect today — to [...]
KELLIHER’S TAX & SPEND RECORD
Kelliher Promises To Raise Taxes If Elected Governor. “Kelliher also offered some unusual candor. She acknowledged that, if elected, she would raise taxes to help erase a projected $4.4 billion to $7.2 billion shortfall in the state’s next two-year budget.” (Bill Salisbury, “House Speaker Margaret Anderson [...]
KELLIHER BROKE PROMISE OF FISCAL MODERATION
Kelliher: “Increasing Taxes Is Not The Top Priority.” “‘Minnesotans voted today really for the heart and soul of Minnesota, and what came out on top is education, health care and attacking those rising property taxes. I think what that means is that we will also [...]
KELLIHER HAS FAILED TO LEAD
Kelliher Failed To Pass A Credible Balanced Budget After Nearly Five Months. “Gov. Tim Pawlenty began Tuesday looking for $2.7 billion in budget cuts, a chore left undone by the DFL-led Legislature when it adjourned late Monday night. … Pawlenty pledged last week that there would [...]
KELLIHER EMBROILED IN CAMPAIGN FINANCE SCANDAL
Kelliher “Under Fire” Over Effort To Circumvent State Campaign Finance Laws
Star Tribune: Kelliher Is “Under Fire From Democrats And Republicans For A Deal With Her Party That May Trigger A State Campaign Finance Investigation.” “Margaret Anderson Kelliher, speaker of the Minnesota House and a leading [...]
An MDE Exclusive yesterday posted the sketchy relationship between State Rep. Katie Knuth and the Will Steger Foundation. In the article by the Pioneer Press Bill Salisbury stated that State Rep. Jeremy Kalin was also attending the Copenhagen Conference on his own dime.
Kalin, who is paying his [...]
Congressman Collin Peterson, a blue dog Democrat, from Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District seems to be contemplating a possible retirement.
Peterson spent more than he took in last quarter: raised 110K, spent nearly 130K. That’s a burn rate of 120% – a lot of that money was given away to the DCCC [...]
Several local media outlets have picked up on the story about Kelliher’s fundraising flap:
Star Tribune: Donations raise controversy for Kelliher, DFL
The DFL Party calls 7 donations to aid the gubernatorial candidate’s access to voter data “a blunder.”
Seven donors gave the DFL Party money that benefited House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher [...]
MNGOP RELEASE:
St. Paul- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton issued the following statement this evening regarding shifting accounts of Speaker of House Margaret Anderson Kelliher’s actions directing donors to give to the DFL Party. On Friday, Kelliher claimed she had directed only three donors to give to the DFL [...]
UPDATES BELOW -
On Friday Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher stated in her public comments Finance (CFB) board that only 3 donors (at $500 each) had originally donated to the DFL. However, according from the DFL’s letter to the CFB today there were actually more donors on behalf of Kelliher [...]
Rep. Katie Knuth, State Representative from New Brighton is currently on a cushy trip to the Copenhagen Climate Conference.
According to the Pioneer Press, Knuth’s travel is being paid for by the Will Steger Foundation. The Steger Foundation is not registered as a lobbyist but is funded by groups [...]
Tom Scheck from MPR is reporting that he recieved a letter that former Senator Mark Dayton to Dr. Paul Wilson. The letter is below:
Dear Mr. Wilson:
I appreciate the information you have provided my Policy Director, Brian Klaas, regarding your department’s Tax Incidence Study and the calculations emanating from it. However, [...]
As reported on MDE earlier, several Washington reporters are being snubbed when looking for a comment from Senator Al Franken when he pushes them off onto press secretary Jess McIntosh.
The Washington Times is now reporting they experienced the same treatment:
Recently, while covering the ongoing health care debate in the [...]
The St. Paul Pioneer Press and Minnesota Public Radio reported that Kelliher, the speaker of the state House from Minneapolis, asked campaign donors to contribute to the DFL Party to help her buy the party’s voter list. Kelliher’s campaign had already exceeded its limit for donations in [...]
Bluestem Prairie is reporting that State Rep. Patti Fritz is not running as the DFL candidate for Senate. I am still hearing rumors from that area that State Rep. Kory Kath is considering a run. I should have more information on that tonight.
There are also a few Republicans [...]
Story in today’s Pioneer Press highlights how most DFL candidates for Governor have already committed to raising taxes on every Minnesotan. A hike in taxes is exactly what Minnesota doesn’t need. Even members of President Obama’s Economic team on the Sunday talk shows said that raising taxes in a [...]
In today’s Sunday Star Tribune staff reporter Eric Roper reported on how several democrats in the Minnesota Congressional Delegation are slow to back the President’s plan to add troops to Afghanistan. What is interesting is the placement of the story. The piece is featured on A4 next to another story [...]
The Star Tribune follows up on the story on Kelliher and campaign finance problems. In this follow up, the donors are interviewed and claim they were only doing what the campaign told them to do. Read the story below:
GOP complains after campaign contribution limits law apparently broken.
Here is the press release and complaint filed by the Republican Party of Minnesota against Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL Candidate for Governor:
St. Paul- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton and Deputy Chairman Michael Brodkorb today filed a formal complaint with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board regarding [...]
Minn. GOP to seek probe of Kelliher’s use of donations
By Rachel Stassen-Berger
The Minnesota Republican Party will file a formal complaint with the state campaign finance board against House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, asking the board to investigate Kelliher’s use of coordinated donations to purchase a DFL party database.
Kelliher, who [...]
Friday, December 11, 2009
Statement from Tom Emmer
“As Speaker of the House, Margaret Anderson Kelliher has a tremendous amount of power and influence over the next legislative session. The special interests know this and are looking for any [...]
Who: Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton and Deputy Chairman Michael Brodkorb
What: Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton and Deputy Chairman Michael Brodkorb will discuss the campaign finance scandal involving DFL gubernatorial candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher
Where: Room 181 of the Minnesota State Office Building, St. Paul
When: 11:30 AM [...]
Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher, who is also a candidate for DFL endorsement for Governor, has what seems to be a pretty solid list of DFL “activists” that would come out and caucus for her. Having many supporters to caucus for you is a crucial tactic in Minnesota [...]
In an earlier post, MDE linked to a story from MPR about internal strife over a DFL database file. This situation could also potentially turn into a campaign finance violation. MPR says Kelliher contacted the DFL to start raising money for her campaign for Governor:
Kelliher wasn’t available to comment [...]
By Tom Scheck, Minneasota Public Radio
St. Paul, Minn. — Some DFL opponents of House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher in the race for governor are crying foul over a move that may have violated campaign finance laws, but officials with Kelliher’s campaign and the DFL Party say it was an honest [...]
DFL Blogger and failed Senate Candidate Hal Kimball has decided to take another shot at Senate District 18. In 2006, Hal received a mere 38% of the vote in (*And that’s after I rounded up) what was a banner year for the DFL.
Mayor Rybak is on the road kicking off his campaign for Governor and made a quick stop in Bemidji. The paper did a story about Rybak’s history with guns.
The key quote from Rybak comes early in the story:
“I have been the mayor of the largest city in the state who [...]
Mayor Rybak has hit the road and is getting ready to R.aise T.axes on Minnesotans.
My favorite line from the story from the Bemidji Pioneer is:
“I’m also an extremely tough fiscal manager. It’s your tax dollars that I’m using.”
Which seems odd to me considering Rybak championed a $500,000 pet project [...]
Brodkorb’s recipe: thick skin and a sharp tongue
by Betsy Sundquist
Published: December 9,2009
Time posted: 4:50 pm
Senate Republicans’ comm director remains a polarizing figure
The only people who don’t have an opinion about Michael Brodkorb are those who have never met him.
The man who serves as communication [...]
With Senator Dick Day’s retirement yesterday a seat will be open for special election in the next few months in the Owatonna area. The seat has been in Republican hands for years.
Any thoughts on this race? Any candidates thinking of running? I am hearing a few names, but nothing [...]
Liberals have contended that conservatives spent hundreds of thousands of dollars more than Madore and her allies on the race for State House in District 37A. However, the information below proves that to be incorrect and in fact liberal groups outspent conservative groups by over $45,000.
Democrats should end their sob [...]
From the House Caucus website:
ST. PAUL, December 8, 2009 – House Republican Minority Leader Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, and 20 other House Republicans today sent a letter to US Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken expressing the members’ opposition to the cap-and-trade bills making their way through Washington.
Excerpts:
Our agriculture [...]
