We’ve been focusing much of our attention the CD 3 race, but there is another congressional endorsement battle in Minnesota up in CD 6 - pitting Bob Olson against El Tinklenberg. We supported El Tinklenberg in 2006 (we still believe that had he won the endorsement, he would be a Congressman right now) and we are behind him again this cycle. The latest reports show Tinklenberg pulling away from Olson in the delegate battle:
In three of the largest conventions held Saturday (senate districts 52, 53 and 56 which include parts of Anoka, Washington and Ramsey counties) Tinklenberg came away with nearly 60% of the delegates chosen. Bob Olson, who is challenging Tinklenberg for the endorsement received 17% and 23% were undecided.
Overall, after a total of five senate district conventions Tinklenberg has captured 63% of the delegates to Olson’s 18%, with the remainder undecided.
Those numbers are courtesy of the Tinklenberg campaign. I called the Olson campaign, they are going to send me their characterization of the race later today and I will publish it (we support El, but we’ll try to be fair). In any case, it looks like El is cruising towards a first ballot endorsement. Look out Bachmann, here we come!
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What reports other than from Tinklenberg’s campaign?
Tinklenberg - Has votes
Olson - Who?
Just goes to show you, this race really isn’t on the rader (not yet anyway).
Nice try. But anyone looking for accounts of senate disitrct convention in Minnesota Sixth can find an abundance of first hand accounts and lots of other information about this race through a Google blog search. Give it a whirl.
Those truly interested can even attend a candidate forum this Sunday:
Anoka City Hall
2015 First Ave. N.
Anoka, Mn. 55303, lower level
Sunday, March 16.
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
Zack, for a “slightly” different take on the CD-6 race, link here:
http://www.mnblue.com/node/1270
OK, this is my third post on the race to take out Bachmann - and I got a feeling there’s gonna be more. Why, you might ask? Call it a “Good Faith Guess”.
then, here:
http://www.mnblue.com/node/1270
I personally don’t care who takes Bachmann out; I just want her out. I honestly cannot find one good thing to say about her. Just last week, following in the traditions of John Kline and Mark Kennedy, she blew off the Disabled American Veterans. No surprise there!
My only problem with the Tinklenberg camppaign is John Wodele. It really isn’t good to have a communications person that hates the press. They have updated their website, thank goodness.
Michelle (the non-representative) Bachmann, CD6 CJL(Crazy Jesus Lady), does not yet have a current website up for 2008, still the 2006 edition. Is she not running for re-election? Or is she just assuming her re-anointment from God?
Well, if Pastor Mac isn’t too busy, I’m sure he’ll put in a good word, or two….
Well if Elwyn had such a strong lead in the 6th, as indicated by his campaign email, why did Elwyn and his campaign act in such a disruptive and disrespectful manner at the Mike Starr Chili feed Sunday night?
If they had such a commanding lead, why the panic stricken campaign email Monday about Elwyn’s lobbying ties, taconite and other issues that will bite him in the tail in a General Election?
With Elwyn’s changing position on choice, the war in Iraq, GLBT issues, gun control, etc, I find it difficult to believe anything coming out of the Tinklenberg Group, much less Elwyn.
Yeah, after Michele won by 8 points in the most caustic environment for GOPers ever seen in MN, I for one am NOT AT ALL WORRIED about her re-election chances:) Bachmann has more dollars (see the million dollar club), more name recognition, and Tinklenberg has a funny name!!! Get real………if you can’t win with Patty Wetterling (translation: everyone knows her and accordingly is sympathetic), then Elwyn (who?) has no shot!!! Besides, she’s ATTRACTIVE, and he’s, well, not exactly…………..flat out in a different league!!!
Furthermore, the irony is not lost on the fact that the DFL is having to compromise (“sell out” — -sub — Tink for Olson) their core principles in the hope of having their “best shot” :)
Hey, Hal?
Were you at the Chili Feed? What happened?
I was not at the Chili Feed. However, I did speak personally to Mike Starr and his wife. Additionally, I spoke to many others present at the event, who were deeply disturbed by the conduct of Tinklenberg’s campaign manager and her husband.
If in fact Elwyn has 60% of delegates in 52 and 56, he’ll need to bank them, because his showing on Sunday night up in Oak Grove hurt him.
“You’re lying about us, stop lying about us”.
Did they spit in the Chilli? Drink too much PBR? Your second-hand account is lacking some details. Let’s have it.
Hal, ask any of the campaigns in the 3rd; they’ll tell you I’ve tried to be as nuetral as I can be. I’ve helped campaigns that have asked, but the mission is to take out Paulsen and win the seat - and I don’t care which candidate does it as long as it’s done.
I have a ton of respect for all three campaigns, and I really, Really, REALLY respect Ken Sanguin, who I got to know and work with with Veterans For Amy, and then later in the cycle.
But, let me tell you - the Tinklenberg folk make it real easy to back Olson - and the campaign manager, especially.
She left me a really nasty voice mail a little while ago.
Hasn’t anyone on Team Tink read “How To Make Friends, And Influence People”??!?
Well TPT, I hear you. Their conduct at this event was uncalled for. I shudder at the thought I supported that guy in 2006…
Google searches are an amazing tool…
Ya know, Hal - down here in the 3rd, we got a hot race, with three candidates. But, overall, they’ve managed to conduct themselves with - so far! - dignity, and some grace.
Sure, there’s been some sniping, and some bickering, but overall, when the endorsement is over, I’d bet the three camps are going to get along and get working on the mission, which is taking a seat away from the GOP.
I just got an e-mail from Captain Madia, entitled, and I quote:
***CD-3: A Fair, Honest and Spirited Discussion***
Because, overall, in CD-3 it HAS been fair, honest, and spirited.
From what I’ve seen, it’s too bad Team Tink hasn’t been playing that way. They need to get their act together.
TIME OUT - My wife and I hosted a fundraiser at our home for my run in 2010 for Senate Dist 48 Senate Seat. We had a fantastic turn out and raised money for the War Chest. I want to say “Thank You” to Everyone who attended the chili feed. We had a fun time.
Now for the mis-information being blogged about between the Olsen/Tinklenberg people. My wife and I DID NOT OBSERVE any problems between the campaigns!!! WE were so busy moving about the home talking to people, saying Thanks, keeping the food out, to our knowledge, there were no problems. We saw people talking to people yet never was there a time where we felt there was any problems. We both work in the schools and we know when trouble is at hand between kids. We DID NOT OBSREVE any problems in our home. People talked to us about afterwards, yet we did not SEE or HEAR any problems. As far as we are concerned the problem is not ours yet because our name is being pulled into this, we had to respond on the blog.
Our home is open to both campiagns to use for meeting people in our District. (on differant dates) We have not taken a position on which individual is best for our distict to take on the Bush Loving Rep who now lives in DC and on National TV embarrsed our District.
As for the Tinklenberg group making noise as they came into our home, I greeted them at the door and took their coats and walked up stairs with them, they DID NOT make any noise entering our home.
If you want the facts call us and ask, do not fall back on hear say comments. We had a FANTASTIC fund rasier on a great Sunday afternoon and we Thank all who attended.
Mike and Sue Starr
I’m still troubled by Tinklenberg’s claim to several DFL conventions last weekend to have the endorsement of Wetterling and the entire DFL congressional delegation. Both Wetterling and Tim Walz have apparently denied making an endorsement in the race, yet I have heard nothing from Tinklenberg explaining his claim. His e-mail to the 6th CD this week said nothing about it.
If he’s saying they all “support” him, that’s a far cry from “endorsing” him, which is what he’s implying, if not outright saying. Of course they “support” him, as they support Bob Olson and any other DFLer who would try to take Bachmann out.
Or is this all a matter of what the definition of “is” is? We don’t need another Matt Entenza running for office under the DFL banner.
This seems clear and definitive to me:
“Hello Eric,
My name is Chase Golding – I am one of the two Field Directors on the Tinklenberg for Congress campaign. I wanted to write to introduce myself to you, and to bring you exciting news on the state of our campaign.
I am a recent graduate of Carleton College, and I come to El’s campaign from the Iraq Summer anti-war campaign, which many of you helped with in 2007. Eventually, after helping to send Elwyn to DC, I’d like to attend law school to continue working to bring change to our country.
Our campaign received some very exciting news last night, when Rep. Betty McCollum called El and announced that she will endorse him for U.S. Congress! We are so proud to count Rep. McCollum as a supporter, and we have now received endorsements from every Democratic member of the Minnesota delegation. From Tim Walz and Keith Ellison down South to Colin Peterson and Jim Oberstar up North, Democrats in Minnesota are working to send El Tinklenberg to Washington and send Michele Bachmann home.
Rep. McCollum’s endorsement gives our campaign the final push of momentum that we need as we head into this weekend’s four important Senate District Conventions. Since February 5th, El and the campaign have been working hard to earn your support for the conventions. We have made over 5,000 calls to delegates, sent out thousands of mailings and e-mails. This, my friends, is the kind of strong, grassroots organization that can defeat the Michele Bachmann machine in November!
In case you aren’t already painfully aware of Rep. Bachman’s horrendous voting record, the Congresswoman’s vote this week against the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Act of 2008 demonstrates how wrong she is for this district. While Exxon-Mobil posted record profits again this quarter, and as the price of a barrel of oil hovers around record highs, Rep. Bachmann voted for Big Oil and against the interests of her constituents and of the nation yet again. As El often points out, this nation now suffers from the greatest disparity of wealth in our history since the Great Depression; we need a tax policy that works for the middle class and an Energy policy that works for the Sixth District and for the planet.
Thank you for taking the time to let me introduce myself to you, and to learn more about the Tinklenberg for Congress campaign. Please call or e-mail the campaign if you have any questions, suggestions or comments (see contact info below). We are looking forward to a continued dialogue with the delegates, and would love for you to be a part of our campaign!
Thanks,
Chase Golding
Co-Field Director | El Tinklenberg for Congress
Chase@Tinklenberg08.com ”
I was at the Chili feed on Sunday. I was the campaign manager for Mike Starr when he ran for the MN. Senate in 2006. I consider Mike and Sue good friends. They were and are in an awkward position in relation to the Congressional race this year. One reason for that is that I am a volunteer for the Bob Olson campaign. Mike and I were both supporters of El’s campaign the last time around. We both worked hard to help Patty when she was the endorsed candidate and even had breakfast with her on election morning. I believe that Mike didn’t hear or see any discord last Sunday. Unfortunately I did. Some of it was directed at me personally. Both Elwyn’s step daughter and son in law were involved as was a very vocal supporter of theirs. Rude comments were made and overheard by more than my wife and I. It was a bit embarrassing and uncomfortable. After all this was a party!
Feelings are running high up here in the northern burbs. Charges are flying, some valid, some not so much. Politics is the first job that I ever have had where you seem to suddenly become a target for simply saying you like someone. The hardest blows come from behind, from people you thought were colleagues.
Mistakes have been made on both sides. When they are not corrected, they are compounded. Personal attacks on or by supporters are misguided and foolish. We have an unprecedented influx of new faces in our party. Will we welcome them to our “big tent” or to a childish food fight? Will we allow our fellow Democrats to have their own opinions, without making them into our enemies? Will we play hard but fair with important issues as our field of battle? I hope so.
As to the central theme of “Elwyn has big lead in CD6”. I hope the Tinklenberg believes their press releases and your headlines because I don’t. I have been gathering the official counts of named delegates which are the only hard numbers. They account for less than half of all delegates in this congressional race. How then can Elwyn claim 60%? If he wins in the fall, keep him off the budget committee!
If Tink has sixty percent of the delegates, as he claims, he knows their identity. Otherwise he does not know he has them. It is that simple.
SO — easy answer: Name them, give email addresses, then skeptics can independently fact-check the truthfulness of what Tinklenberg and his campaign people represent to be truth.
It is the same as with lobbying. Wodele says, “…” “Trust me.”
I don’t.
SO — easy answer: Open the books and show the lobbying income and activities. Allow examination of the billings. That resolves the lobbying question.
Delegate count. Same thing. Give the underlying fact-check information to the public. It beats handing out spin doctoring.
Forget the “Trust me.”
Who should? Why?
“That’s how it is , trust me,” is both insulting and dismissive.
“Trust me” has no place in a situation where a deepening credibility gap is opening and the GOP long knives have to be aware of how to exploit that kind of thing IF, a very BIG IF, Tinklenberg gets the DFL nod.
I know a strong progressive sentiment exists favoring Olson. It seems to be held by a substantial DFL contingent. I have to doubt Tinklenberg’s unsubstantiated puffery about already having 60%, with the implication being, so don’t bother showing up at the remaining Senate District Caucuses opposing me; it’s a done deal.
Yogi Berra had an answer.
Olson is long experienced in job creation in the private sector, running a bank and growing the employee pool over several branches, as I understand things, from the web about St. Stephan Bank.
I have never met Olson. I have seen Tinklenberg once on TV. I look forward to seeing each this Sunday, in Anoka.
I wonder whether the Tinklenberg Group runs itself as employees, or independent contractors; and whether they are supplied healthcare coverage or left without that, as the Bachmann Clinic staff people were reported to be uncovered last election cycle. I have the same question for Olson, about the folks working at the bank branches.
We all should hold both candidates to a test of character, that way, where the rubber meets the road - where somebody being treated right has an out-of-pocket cost to the candidate, so where’s the answer to that “character issue?”
And, finally, I do have concerns about taconite tailings used as road agregate, etc., since it seems the asbestos question has not been definitively decided, and Miles Lord, a man deserving everyone’s respect, is quite skeptical of big steel industry funded studies, or federally funded studies where the funding is due to Oberstar, who has the piles of the stuff up there in his district. Miles Lord was quoted in a City Pages article “Brave New Highway” saying big steel wants the stuff in roads all over the state so that the cancer incidence around the Iron Range is not distinctively higher than state-wide, once the stuff is spread state wide and kicked up in traffic dust.
That Tinklenberg taconite tailings advocacy thing is another thing Tinklenberg has ducked. Does any reader know how to find out whether taconite tailings, more dense than other aggregate alternatives, was ever used in resurfacing work on the I-35 bridge? I ask the question. I do not know the answer. Does anyone have definitive evidence?
Funny thing, the Bob Olson campaign gave this Web site it’s reaction to the Tinklenberg claims of a 63% lead after last weekend’s conventions. Where is it? MNPublius reporter Zack graciously promised to include our response in the interest of “fairness”. Your’e readers are still awaiting this fairness. FOR THE RECORD: Included in our response were actual official results from both SD52 and SD56, (the two largest conventions to date). SD52 results of named delegates were 3 for Tinklenberg and 2 for Olson. SD56 results were 3 named delegates for Tinklenberg and 3 named delegates for Olson; a tie. That leaves 23 undecideds in the US Congressional race for these conventions. Try to square that with Tinklenberg campaign claims if you can. The facts are good enough without inflated claims or “embroidering the truth”. Spin is a normal but annoying trend in politics today. People are tired of verbal acrobatics and political spin. They want things unambiguous and straight. Bob Olson is not nearly so polished a speaker as Elwyn is, but, when Olson says something, it is clear and you can take it to the bank. Democrats in the CD6 are lucky to have two worthy candidates to choose from, with distinct differences. This contest between them will help us choose the best and toughest opponent to defeat Michele Bachmann. Party bosses,elites, and biased media will not determine who wins. The people will. The Olson campaign is feeling very upbeat and excited about our chances. We trust the people.
I gotta go with El on this one. I just read over at the Checks and Balances that Olson has lost his fmr. campaign manager, finance person and communications director all within the last couple of weeks. Not good for the upcoming conventions.
I’m also skeptical about the job creation thing. I believe the banks were in existence and Bob took over by buying a majority share. His energy non-profit has one employee, a part time friend from another state, for the last few years. Can you cite us some specifics Eric?
El on the other hand, is gaining financial support, delegates (both campaigns confirm he is getting more pledged delegates) and seems t be running a professional campaign. We do know that the Tinklenberg Group was created by Elwyn and those employees are in jobs created by him. Also, as Mayor of Blaine for 10 years, he oversaw economic growth and opportunity that grew the population.
D-Day, Tom, Eric and the three bloggers (DumpBachman/BlueMan/LiberalnLand) that support Bob are not doing their candidate any favor complaining about media/blogger bias, “the fix is in with the unions”, “Elwyn is dishonest”, and “the delegates are ready to anoint.” Its hard to see how they are not making the case for Michelle Bachman.
Sometimes its hard to see that people just don’t like or trust your candidate. It has nothing to do with the person running against them. I’m trying to convince friends of mine of this in regards to the Presidential Campaign.
Marc, I was surprised when Chris switched jobs, but then again, if you were a betting man, wouldn’t you make the jump to Captain Madia’s team at this point in time, too?
And I posted about El’s claims, and Rep. Peterson’s non-resonse, last Wednesday, here:
http://www.mnblue.com/node/1276
***
I personally don’t care who takes Bachmann out; I just want her out. I honestly cannot find one good thing to say about her. Just last week, following in the traditions of John Kline and Mark Kennedy, she blew off the Disabled American Veterans. No surprise there!
***
I’d like to point out, that since I asked last Monday, and posted Wednesday, Rep. Peterson’s office still has NOT confirmed El’s claim that Rep. Peterson has indeed officially “endorsed” El.
Nor has El’s campaign manager provided written confirmation of said “endorsement”, despite her promise last Tuesday that she’d e-mail it.
Now, my number one, two, and three priorities in this cycle are:
1 - Elect Franken AND CSM Walz;
2 - Take the open seat in CD-3;
3 - Get rid of that backstabbin’ SOB, John Kline.
CD-6 is down the list, for me.
That said, I am going to comment on it, and comment on it as I see it.
And I don’t see El winning the endorsement at this point, let alone the general, for the old-fashioned reason: credibility.
This one, just in:
***
From: pete4con@.com
To: twoputttommy@.com
Subject: RE: Rep. Peterson’s Endorsements
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:46:56 -0500
Congressman Collin Peterson has endorsed El Tinklenberg.
Peterson for Congress ***
Dump Bachmann has taken NO position on the DFL race for the 6th District. There are contributors who do support Bob Olson (Liberal in the Land of the Conservative and Hal Kimball of Blue Man in a Red District).
I’d like to second the challenge to Zack to print the Olson campaign’s report on how things went at the district conventions.
Recall Zack you said: ” I called the Olson campaign, they are going to send me their characterization of the race later today and I will publish it (we support El, but we’ll try to be fair).”
DDay claims that the Olson campaign has given you numbers. Are you going to keep your word?