The full release is after the jump.
AFSCME endorses Bonoff and Tinklenberg for Congress
Terri Bonoff and El Tinklenberg were endorsed for Congress today by AFSCME Council 5, one of Minnesota’s largest and most politically active unions. State Sen. Terri Bonoff (SD 43) is running for DFL endorsement for the 3rd Congressional District seat being left open by U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad’s decision to not run for reelection. El Tinklenberg is seeking DFL endorsement for the 6th Congressional District seat to challenge right-wing extremist and first-term Republican Michele Bachmann in the 2008 general election.
AFSCME Council 5 recommended endorsing Bonoff and Tinklenberg because AFSCME members thought they were the strongest pro-working family candidates for the seats. David Cohoes, chair of AFSCME Council 5’s West Metro PEOPLE district and an assistant public defender for Hennepin County, said “Terri Bonoff is our best chance to elect a pro-working families congressperson who will help solve our nation’s heath care crisis.”
Marcia Provost, chair of AFSCME Council 5’s Central PEOPLE district and a financial aid worker at St. Cloud Tech, said “El Tinklenberg worked well with frontline state employees when he was Commissioner of the Department of Transportation. In Congress, he will be an effective champion for transportation funding for Minnesota — unlike Michele Bachmann who has blindly followed Bush’s policies that have hurt out state.”
“AFSCME intends to jump into these races with both feet — just like we have done successfully in other races,” said Mike Buesing, president of AFSCME Council 5 and a road design technician for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. “AFSCME is fully committed to electing more pro-working families members of Congress, like Terri Bonoff and El Tinklenberg.”
In the 3rd Congressional District contest, AFSCME also screened DFL candidates Jim Hovland and Ashwin Madia. Republican candidate Erik Paulsen did not respond to invitations to screen with AFSCME.
In the 6th Congressional District contest, AFSCME also screened DFL candidate Bob Olson and Independence Party candidate John Brockberg. Incumbent Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann did not respond to invitations to screen with AFSCME.
AFSCME Council 5 is one strong united voice for 43,000 public and non-profit employees in Minnesota. The hard work and generosity of AFSCME members across Minnesota has made the union a major force in elections. The PEOPLE program is the union’s political arm, which supports candidates who value public employees and the quality services they provide. AFSCME PEOPLE mobilizes AFSCME members to support the union’s endorsed candidates.
AFSCME’s endorsement of Bonoff will only give her money. Cohoes does what Council 5 Mucky-muck (and fellow Public Defender) Cliffy Poehler tells him to do. The bottom line is this, the CD DFL is in shambles, they have no machine. The AFSCME endorsement here is as valuable as the endorsement of the Leopard Lodge.
The MN AFL-CIO has endorsed Tinklenburg, CD6; Peterson, CD7 and Walz, CD1.
knock me overwith a feather
Sure John. Let me put it inside a bowling ball first.
The Unions have endorsed Tinklenberg….big deal. It didn’t help him last time around and it won’t help him this time around. There are way too many in the CD6 that will not support him if endorsed. Elwyn is just another Bachmann lite on social issues. Just because he favors transportation funding doesn’t mean he represents all DFLers in the district. When asked if he would be in favor of voting to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, he all but bit off his tongue before saying yes.
Sorry Ioannes but Cohoes does NOT do what Cliff Poehler tells him to do. He is quite capable of making up his own mind. Terri Bonoff is the best candidate for CD3 and will be a great Congresswoman. Ashwin Madia and Jim Hovland are both good guys and would be far better than Paulson. Here’s hoping that Hovland continues to do a great job as Edina mayor and that Madia wins a seat in the Minnesota House from Maple Grove.
The Walz one too is very shocking.
Bonoff will make a great Congresswoman? - This kind of reminds me of the Ford Bell v.s. Amy Klobuchar race. Only now its Terry Bonoff and Jim Hovland. Bonoff isn’t really all that progressive folks. Seriously, that big break to Pohlad - courtesy of a regressive sales tax…how do people justify that? Then she lets the unions down. Look at the candidates backgrounds, their educations..then try just try to look closely at Bonoff’s voting record and ask yourself isn’t she more of a moderate Republican than she is a progressive voice. Look at the issues Hoveland has championed in Edina - from strongly supporting renewable energy, being a strong voice about the serious issue of global warming, and even addressing Darfur - Hoveland is far more progressive. And the fact that he is taking these stands in Edina is significant - he won’t fold in order to appease a conservative crowd… Who will best champion Democratic principles in Washington D.C.? Seriously…
Ugh…this is getting tedious.
Jim Hovland started sounding “progressive” only when it became clear that Ramstad was opting out. Most of his “progressive” schemes in Edina were so recent that they reek …..
Yeah right - Hovland waved a magic wand traveled back in time so he could create an Energy and Environmental commission over six months before Ramstad announced - then he went further back in time to sign on to the mayors climate agreement..do your homework! Exactly what are you talking about?
This kind of reminds me of the Ford Bell v.s. Amy Klobuchar race.
Be careful with your comparisons. If I read you correctly, you’re comparing Bonoff with the 20-point winner on Election Day and Hovland with the whiny quitter.
look closely at Bonoff’s voting record and ask yourself isn’t she more of a moderate Republican
Hovland actually was a moderate Republican until a month ago. I’m glad he’s on the side of light now, but glass houses and all that…
Seriously, that big break to Pohlad - courtesy of a regressive sales tax…how do people justify that?
Ask Jim Hovland, who also supported the stadium deal and opposed an attempt to put even a non-binding referendum on the matter on Edina’s ballot in 2006. Check the February 17, 2006 minutes of the Edina city council meeting. Again, glass houses…
Look at the candidates backgrounds, their educations
Okay.
Hovland’s education: B.A. from the University of North Dakota, and a law degree from the University of Colorado.
Bonoff’s education: B.A. in psychology and sociology from Clark University in Massachusetts.
Madia’s education: B.A. from the University of Minnesota, law degree from New York University.
Hovland’s professional career: 27 years as a practicing attorney with Krause and Rollins; Edina City Council member 1997-present; Edina Mayor 2001-present.
Bonoff’s professional career: 20 years in business; marketing promotions for Tonka Toys; VP/General Manager for computer software division of Navarre; VP of marketing for three divisions of Navarre; State Senator from SD 43, 2006-present.
Madia’s professional career: U.S. Marine, tour of duty in Iraq, 2005-06; attorney with Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi, 2006-present.
Hovland’s civic engagement: member of Ducks Unlimited and the local Rotary Club.
Bonoff’s civic engagement: president of Hopkins-Minnetonka Babe Ruth Baseball League, co-chair of the Hopkins Legislative Action Coalition, member of the Minnetonka Planning Commission.
Madia’s civic engagement: tutor for low-income children, volunteer for an organization providing services for developmentally disabled children.
Hovland’s electoral record: three wins as a Republican in heavily Republican Edina.
Bonoff’s electoral record: two wins as a DFLer in a heavily Republican Senate District.
Madia’s electoral record: student body president at the University of Minnesota.
Look, they’re all good people, they’ve all given back to their communities, their personal histories in the 3rd CD all go a long way back, and their political views are all very similar, based on their campaign pitches, websites, and interviews.
It’s gonna be a long trip to the April 12th CD convention if everyone is gonna be this over-the-top about their candidates.
Yes when you start discovering your progressiveness 4 months before a long rumored retirement of your local congressman, it does smell of here i come lately opportunism.
i really like “another chris’” post. it provides evidence and is thoughtful. as for ramstad’s retirement, it came as a complete shock to everyone - local analysts and national political observers as well.
Dont be so sure SPS about Ramstads retirement being such a shock. The following is a link to “Prognosis Progressive” blog dated April 05, 2007 discussing Ramstads retirement.
“Should retirement rumors for Rep. Ramstad prove to be true, members of the 3rd CD DFL should abandon Wilde for the pitch perfect Ford Bell. ”
http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:ufoDgXKp1z4J:prognosisprogress.blogspot.com/2007/04/wilde-cant-raise-funds.html Ramstad retirement rumor&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=11&gl=us
And what a surprise thats about the same time Hovland and Edina start having progressive thoughts…so Hovland did really not need a magic wand…..he just had a hint of what was coming….
Ramstad was in trouble for voting with the democrats for so long. He had the choice of retirement or possibly not get the GOP nomination the next time around.
I am glad to have been a part of pushing him out. He was no conservative.
Thank you for representing your minority so well “big”.
Wow - thanks for the comparison there Chris… Let’s see Hoveland 10 years in public service v.s. Bonhoff’s one year….er uh two. You really think you can compare Bonhoff’s vote FOR the stadium with a mayor being asked to put a referendum on the ballot about the matter? Are you nuts? Do you know what is involved in a referendum? How many Minnesota mayors would expose their communities to this? How many did?
Ford Bell a whiny quitter? What is it with you and your faction of the DFL - rip apart the candidate who best represents your party’s platform so you can send an Amy Klobuchar type to Washington - a senator who votes to further erode habeas corpus, continues to support Iraq, and promotes investment in ethanol more than investment in conservation. Like it wasn’t obvious Amy would take these positions — I didn’t vote for Amy, I won’t vote for Terry. The DFL is so programmed to attrite. At the sign of a potential winner all of these elected DFLers jump on the band wagon - issues? votes? positions? The ability to stand up and represent the people - that is never part of the agenda.
Hovland has been taking progressive positions for several years now as a Republican, while Bonhoff has been making conservative votes for her brief tenure in office as a Democrat. Which would you rather have - somebody who realizes he isn’t a Republican and is a Democrat. Or somebody who has yet to clue into the fact that she would make a better Republican?
Hovlands progressive positions time exactly with rumors of Ramstads retirement. DO, you are welcome to read that link as to when such rumours started appearing and they coincide directly with Hovlands “environmentalism”. No magic wand needed
C’mon Hovland participated in an Edina environmental forum back in August of 2006 — - even then he was a powerful speaker on the reality of global warming. This isn’t anything new for him. He stepped up long ago - promoted the Edina Dialog events - the kick off one featured Will Steger - that was back in January of 2007. Planning for that took months.
But back to the stadium issue - I forgot to thank Chris for bringing up that referendum…many people think the stadium issue is meaningless in the Western suburbs…clearly it isn’t.