Monthly Archive for October, 2008

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Announcing: MNpublius’ Elections 2008

by Matt Martin | 4 Comments

It’s that time of year again.

In case you haven’t noticed, we’re pretty excited about the upcoming elections.  Heck, I even just changed our logo (only for this week) to reflect how nuts and exciting this cycle is.  And now we’re announcing the return of our popular elections site.  It’s still missing a couple items, but those should be coming shortly (Zack) and I just couldn’t wait to make it live, so now it is (you can see the new tab right below the logo up top).

Why an election site?  Well, primarily for election day.  If you come to the site this coming Tuesday anytime after 5PM, you’re going to see the results page of the election site instead of this, usual, frontpage.  We’ll be updating the results live as they come in and we have a notification system built in to the results page to allow us to announce news, call races, and fun stuff like that.  This provides you, our wonderful readers, with a one-stop scoreboard for all the hottest races this cycle.  What’s more, we’ll even be counting-down to a veto proof majority in the Minnesota house (if we get there) as the results of state house races come in.

We’re making the site live today because in addition to the main feature that is the results page, we have pages dedicated to each one of the races with summaries of the race, our takes on it, the latest polling for that race, the newest posts, and all the TV ads for the DFL candidate.  It’s a pretty cool little resources and I just wanted to share it with everyone.

Like everything else, the real fun will be on election day, but for now, enjoy.

October 30, 2008, 8:05 am | Category: Election Nights |

KARE11: Anti-Madia Ad Shows Skin Color “Noticeably Darker Than Reality”

by Aaron Landry | 32 Comments

I cannot believe how shameful the Republicans have been this cycle. Watch the report yourself:

UPDATE: A release from the Minnesota DFL: 

Minnesota and national Republicans desperate to hold onto the state’s Third Congressional District seat have stooped to new lows.

A report on Twin Cities-based KARE-11 news this evening cites two independent sources who say that a new television ad from the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) darkens the skin tone of DFL congressional candidate Ashwin Madia (MN-03), who is of Asian Indian American background.

KARE-11’s John Croman filed the report. The video is available here.

Professor Clay Steinman of Macalester College, who teaches about mass-media messaging and consumer responses, is featured in the story. Steinman said:

“Even if we think that we are not racist, people of all races, when confronted with images that are darker and different, have a kind of visceral, negative response.”

Croman also quoted Dean Alger, a political-advertising expert and media consultant, as saying:

“Distortions and exaggerations are a part of the game. But in his words, the darkening of the Democrat’s photos are beyond distortion and are what he calls a subtle effort to convey the message that Ashwin Madia is different.”

The NRCC’s response to Croman? “We stand by the ad.” (You may view the ad here. The three images that the NRCC doctored in their TV ad are available on the Madia campaign’s websitehere, here and here.)

KARE-11’s report tonight follows a press conference earlier this month at which Minnesota GOP officials declared that Madia did not fit the district from a “lifestyle” or “demographic standpoint” — or, in the words of Minnesota GOP Chairman Ron Carey, Madia is “not one of them.” The Star Tribune reported:

“Meanwhile, a Paulsen surrogate, state Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Minn., took the podium at a news conference last week to question Madia’s ties to the district because, among other things, he has not raised a family there or paid a mortgage or gone to a PTA meeting. State GOP chairman Ron Carey also recently urged voters to examine ‘the demographic standpoint’ of the candidates to determine which one to vote for.” [Star Tribune, 10/5/08]

You may view video of the GOP’s comments here.

October 29, 2008, 7:41 pm | Category: CD3 | Tags: .

Norm Coleman About To Sue Again?

by Aaron Landry | 10 Comments

Dedicated readers of MNpublius have informed me that Norm Coleman is having a press conference at 2 P.M. at the State Capitol to announce he is going to sue. For people that know Norm Coleman, this should come at no surprise: this will be fourth time he’s sued his opponent for political gain.

UPDATE: Sources at the Capitol indicate Coleman cancelled this press conference at the last minute. Strange.

UPDATE: Rumor indicates it has been rescheduled for 5 P.M. today.

UPDATE: Team Coleman isn’t talking. I’ve heard a few stories and a couple different takes as to what’s going on. There certainly is something brewing and it doesn’t look very good for Coleman.

1998: Coleman filed, and later dropped, an Unfair Campaign Practices Complaint against Skip Humphrey. In November 1998, the Associated Press reported, “Republican St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman’s gubernatorial campaign has dropped the unfair campaign practices complaint he had filed in all 87 counties against DFL rival Hubert Humphrey III. Coleman had accused Humphrey of illegally distorting his position on family farms. He said Humphrey and DFL party Chairman Dick Senese violated the state’s Fair Campaign Practices Act in several ads and statements that portray Coleman as an enemy of family farmers based on comments he made at an August candidate forum.” [Associated Press, 11/25/08]

2002: Minnesota Republican Party Filed A Complaint Against Over Treatment Of Trackers. In October 2002, the Star Tribune reported, “State Republican Party Chairman Ron Eibensteiner accused U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., on Monday of inciting “union thugs” to rough up GOP video cameramen at a weekend rally sponsored by the Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition in Duluth. One of the cameramen, Jim Crea, 22, said he was punched and shoved after Wellstone mentioned ‘Republican cameras’ at the end of a list of guests he welcomed to the rally. Crea said he will turn over his videotape to Duluth police today and file a complaint against Wellstone and the unidentified assailants. ‘Wellstone called for the hit from the podium, and his union thugs carried it out with gusto,’ Eibensteiner said at a State Capitol news conference. ‘Sadly, he did nothing to stop the assault.’ He called for Wellstone to apologize and help identify the alleged assailants.” [Star Tribune, 10/8/02]

2002: Coleman Campaign Filed A Complaint Against Wellstone For Distorting His Stance On Social Security. In September 2002, the Associated Press reported, “Coleman’s campaign began the day by announcing it was asking 10 county attorneys to charge Wellstone’s campaign with illegally distorting Coleman’s position on Social Security. In short, Wellstone’s ad says Coleman supports ‘privatizing’ the Social Security system. Coleman says the term doesn’t accurately describe his plan. Democrats countered by calling Coleman compulsively litigious, noting he filed complaints against Hubert H. Humphrey III in the 1998 race for governor over his position on family farms. No charges were brought, and Coleman dropped the charges after the race.” [Associated Press, 9/25/02]

October 29, 2008, 1:37 pm | Category: MN 2008: Senate | Tags: .

Paulsen, Bachmann, Coleman Rally With Extremist Partisans

by Aaron Landry | 11 Comments

As Erik Paulsen and Norm Coleman strive to present themselves as “moderates,” Eva Young points out that Norm Coleman headlined an “fringe” event with Michele Bachmann.

Rachel E. Stassen-Berger adds:

Dennis Prager, Michael Medved and Hugh Hewitt, conservative radio superstars who Hewitt called the “three tenors of talk,” were in Minneapolis Tuesday night to “Talk the Vote” before a crowd of more than 3,000 cheering supporters at Orchestra Hall.

They were joined by Republican office holders and candidates, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Sen. Norm Coleman, Rep. Michele Bachmann, state House Minority Leader Erik Paulsen, who is vying for 3rd District U.S. House seat, and others.

Paul Schmelzer then digs into the trash talk and extreme partisan rhetoric spewed at the event. It’s rather disgusting.

If Paulsen and Coleman are trying to position themselves as the “moderates” they’re not, what made them think it was a good idea to party with the extremists and Michele Bachmann?

Matt Adds: I just wanted to note how unbelievable it is that Coleman feels comfortable appearing onstage with someone that declares, in front of Coleman’s eyes, that equality “is not an American value.”  And that just 2 years ago stated that if Congressman Keith Ellison won’t take his oath of office on a Bible, he shouldn’t be allowed to serve.  Going so far as to say that Ellison taking his oath on the Koran would embolden terrorists… which is, of course, why George Bush’s State Department immediately recruited him for a number of good will tours around the Mid-East.  I expect this of self-proclaimed far-righters like Paulsen and Bachmann, but it is just amazing that someone who has (falsely) claimed that he’s a centrist would dare appear on stage with these moon-bats under a week before the election.  I guess you can’t hide your true colors forever…

October 29, 2008, 9:29 am | Category: CD3, CD6 and MN 2008: Senate | Tags: , , .

The Last Wednesday of the 2008 Election

by Zack Stephenson | 0 Comments

A (brief) morning news roundup:

RCP Average for Minnesota: Obama +11.3

RCP Average for Minnesota Senate: Franken +0.7

New poll in CD3:

Paulsen - 45%
Madia - 44%

But Swing State Project and Minnesota Campaign Report both notice that the internals are skewed, but for different reasons.

Those damn kids, with their liberalism and their loud music…

A brand-new NBC/WSJ/MySpace poll illustrates not only McCain’s challenge come Election Day, but also the challenge the Republican Party could face in future elections. In the poll, Obama enjoys a more than 2-to-1 advantage over McCain among first-time (read: 18-21 year olds) and lapsed voters, 69%-27%. These voters have a much more positive view of Obama (64%-27% fav/unfav rating) than average voters do (56%-33% fav/unfav in last week’s NBC/WSJ survey). What’s more, they have a much more negative view of McCain (29%-59%) and Palin (23%-54%) than average voters do.

The House DFL Caucus has more money than the House Republican Caucus:

According to the latest reports filed with the state, the House DFL caucus had received $2.4 million through Oct. 20 while the House Republican committee received $1.3 million. DFLers hold 85 seats in the 134-seat House; 90 seats would give them a veto-proof majority over Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty. All 134 House seats are on the ballot this year.

Just six days left to change America. Have you done your part yet?

October 29, 2008, 9:29 am | Category: General |

SUSA/KSTP CD3 Poll Weird As Ever

by Aaron Landry | 3 Comments

Regular readers of MNpublius and other poll watchers know that polls coming from Survey USA and KSTP have consistently leaned to the right. This time, the CD3 poll just got a bit weirder: they decided to change David Dillon to “Other.” While there are a number of ideas why they may have done this, it certainly makes the poll inconsistent compared to previous polls. Joe Bodell takes another look:

That is, SurveyUSA seems to think that the electorate on Tuesday is likely to be 34% Democrats, 32% Republicans, and 30% independent-with-a-small-i. Call me skeptical. Barack Obama at the top of the ticket is carrying heavy coattails going into next week, and the electorate is more likely to be closer to 40% self-identified Democrats than it is to be 34%.

The other number I have a hard time believing in light of all the other polling we’ve seen this year is that just 79% of self-identified Democrats are behind Madia. In an environment in which the Republican brand has been so drastically damaged by corruption, greed, and George W. Bush, Erik Paulsen’s “I’ll be a moderate” message just doesn’t ring true — because it’s not. Using SurveyUSA’s composition numbers, if Madia consolidates about 9% of those 19% SurveyUSA thinks are behind Paulsen or “other”, that would be a nice margin of victory for Madia.

Point being, even though it is a weird poll, Survey USA may have said something that’s likely correct:

The contest is a jump ball at this hour.

In the last few days here, people really need to know who Ashwin Madia (and Erik Paulsen) are and you can help: Contribute, Volunteer.

October 29, 2008, 9:20 am | Category: CD3 | Tags: , .

Avista Capital Partners Endorsement Process for CD2: Just Interview the One We Like

by Aaron Landry | 0 Comments

Just when I thought I could be done talking about the Star Tribune, MN Blue’s Eric Pusey has the dirt on the Star Tribune’s endorsement in CD2:

What you probably didn’t know is that the editorial board probably already had its mind made up. Instead of meeting with the full editorial board, Steve met with two retirees. These retirees are brought back in during high politcal season to “help” when it gets busy. No members of the editorial board were present for Steve’s screening.

Huh? They gave an endorsement to John Kline without screening any other candidates? Even then, the endorsement itself even said they might have given the endorsement to Steve Sarvi:

Kline’s challenger, Democrat Steve Sarvi, easily is one of the most outstanding political newcomers this year. A former mayor of Watertown and an Iraq veteran, Sarvi is a fresh face on the political scene. His service in Iraq gives him considerable depth as a candidate. In a televised debate with Kline, Sarvi held his own on foreign policy. He’s also passionate and well-informed on veterans’ issues.

If this were an open seat, Sarvi may well have garnered the Editorial Board’s endorsement. But Kline’s expertise, seniority and growing clout — he’s the ranking member on an influential Education and Labor subcommittee — make him the strongest contender.

Meanwhile, Kline’s single main position is to remove the power gained by that “seniority and growing clout.” Again, what a bizarre endorsement. There’s more: Eric Pusey goes into more detail on how backwards this endorsement is.

UPDATE: Sarvi releases his TV ad:

October 28, 2008, 9:48 pm | Category: CD2 | Tags: , .

Barack Obama is Doing The Nation A Service And He Still Gets Attacked By The Republicans

by Sean Broom | 15 Comments

From Politico

A Fox Broadcasting executive denied that Barack Obama’s half-hour ad, scheduled for tomorrow night, forced Fox and Major League Baseball to delay the start of a World Series game.

That notion — which had been reported repeatedly, including here, has become a Republican talking point.

“No one will delay the World Series game with an infomercial when I’m president,” John McCain said today.

But the Fox account executive who negotiated the ad buy said Obama’s ad isn’t delaying the first pitch — it’s just replacing the pre-game show.

“Our first pitch for the world series is usually around 8:30 anyway – so we didn’t push back the game, it was really just about suspending the pre-game — you know, Joe Buck,” said the account executive, Joe Coppola. “That’s all we did.”

Republicans and Democrats can agree on this one point.  Listening to Joe Buck is like being punched in the face repeatedly.  Whatever else you have to say we all can agree that Joe Buck sucks, so thank Barack for his patriotic duty tonight.  It just cost him millions of dollars to spare you from 30 minutes of mindless boobery.

October 28, 2008, 5:52 pm | Category: White House '08 | Tags: .

Victoria Jackson: Denounces Writing For Playboy, Totally Cool With Hanging Out At the Playboy Mansion

by Aaron Landry | 8 Comments

This morning we discussed how much of a wingnut Victoria Jackson is and how she’s a brilliant choice for the NRSC’s showcase of washed-up B-listers from the 90’s that barely could get a seat on Hollywood Squares.

Interesting still how Victoria Jackson was so against Playboy that she has no problem hanging out at the Playboy mansion:

Sources: NRSC, Freedom Broadcast Network

Nice work, Victoria Jackson! Go Vikings!

UPDATE: More Victoria Jackson on Obama [via Marc Ambinder]

October 28, 2008, 4:35 pm | Category: MN 2008: Senate | Tags: .

Coleman to Stevens: Resign, But I’ll Keep the Cash

by Aaron Landry | 1 Comment

So… Norm Coleman asked his friend Ted Stevens to resign today.

Because… Ted Stevens was convicted of all seven charges of lying about gifts from corrupt VECO executives and is now politically radioactive.

But… Norm Coleman still has not returned all the money from Ted Stevens PAC.

And… Norm Coleman still has not returned the money received from the same, corrupt VECO executives.

So yeah. Ted Stevens: Please resign but Norm will keep the cash. Thanks.

October 28, 2008, 3:57 pm | Category: MN 2008: Senate | Tags: , .

Reminder: Brodkorb Was On The Record For Paulsen

by Zack Stephenson | 0 Comments

I just want to remind everyone, in light of the unfolding controversy surrounding some postings at Michael Brodkorb’s blog, that at one time Brodkorb was authorized to speak on the record for the Paulsen campaign.  Here is what I wrote at that time:

Anyone who has ever worked in campaign politics knows that the authorization to speak on the record in not given out to just anyone. In a typical congressional race only one (and rarely two) staffers are permitted to speak on the record. Erik Paulsen has entrusted Brodkorb with being the public face of his campaign, and that merits notice.

Now, Brodkorb has not been Paulsen’s spokesman for several months now and his stint in that job was short, but I think its important context that sheds a lot of light on the relationship between Michael Brodkorb and Erik Paulsen.

October 28, 2008, 3:17 pm | Category: General |

Harassment By Erik Paulsen’s Consultant Spawns Viral Email Protest

by Aaron Landry | 13 Comments

MNpublius just forwarded an email (with a very long list of recipients) that has been circulating for awhile today:

We must respond to this misoginistic attack on young women staffers by this blogger who is Erik Paulsen’s paid consultant.  I’m going to ask you to do several things:

1)  Click on this link to understand my outrage. http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/2008/10/26/more-evidence-of-madias-postive-and-uplifting-campaign/

2)  Write xx@paulsenforcongress.com. She is Erik Paulsen’s communications director or call Erik Paulsen at xx@paulsenforcongress.com (952) 934-xxxx

3)  Forward this request to every woman you know who will write in to express her disgust with Paulsen’s campaign and his paid minions.

4)  Keep track of how many people write. Let’s aim for 100 emails before lunch today.

5)  Please email me that you have written to Erik Paulsen.
 
Thank you. 
 
I am approaching every women’s organization I know.  We are powerful. We can make a difference.  We cannot remain silent!

While MNpublius has absolutely nothing to do with this viral email it is not at all surprising that people are outraged and disgusted with the behavior of Paulsen’s highest paid consultant. To be honest though, it would be a lot more effective to tell the media to cover this than it would be to bombard the campaign with emails.

Either way, will Erik Paulsen condemn these actions?

October 28, 2008, 2:08 pm | Category: CD3 | Tags: , .

NRSC Admits Defeat In New Video

by Aaron Landry | 12 Comments

The NRSC has released a hilarious new television ad about Al Franken. The ad features numerous actors, including former “SNL” cast member Victoria Jackson.

Good to see Cliff Clavin take time off from his stumping for McCain to show Minnesotans that he’s got more to him yet after he got eliminated from “Dancing with the Stars” last year.

But here’s the best part: after Victoria Jackson plateaued with “Toonces, the Cat Who Could Drive a Car” and started her continual decline and finally hitting a career rockbottom by ranking 9th in “Biggest Loser,” she has come to consider Obama the anti-Christ:

I don’t want a political label, but Obama bears traits that resemble the anti- Christ and I’m scared to death that un-educated people will ignorantly vote him into office.

You see, what bothers me most, besides being a Communist, and a racist (Obama writes in his book, From Dreams of My Father, “I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and and animosity against my (white) mother’s race.”) (Obama’s “religion” of the last 20 years is Black Liberation Theology. What is that? “It is simply Marxism dressed up in Christian rhetoric. But unlike traditional Marxism, Black Liberation Theology emphasizes race rather than class. It’s leading theorist is James Cone who says Jesus was black, African-Americans are the chosen people, and whites are the devil. Cone says, “What we need is the destruction of whiteness, which is the source of human misery in the world.” The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor), is that he is a LIAR. He pretends to be a Christian and he incriminates himself everytime he speaks about Christianity. To lie about being a believer in Christ is very dangerous. Lightning could strike him at any minute! But seriously, he doesn’t have a clue what the Bible says and yet he pretends to be a church- going Christian to win votes. That is sooooo evil.

Before you start drawing your Michele Bachmann anologies, there’s a lot more goodies over at Victoria Jackson’s website. (hint: do a search for “terror”)

Here’s a video of Norm Coleman being played by Dana Carvey, Victoria Jackson as herself and the NRSC being played by Toonces the Cat as they ride in Coleman’s campaign:

October 28, 2008, 11:26 am | Category: MN 2008: Senate | Tags: , .

Palin Stops Running For 2008, Starts Running For 2012

by Zack Stephenson | 12 Comments

One of the surest signs that the political punditry is convinced that Obama will win next Tuesday is the amount of stories popping up exploring the possibility of a Sarah Palin Presidential candidacy in 2012.  The Washington Post, Newsweek and Marc Ambinder have all done stories in the last week and Politico has a big one out today.

Republicans I talk to are convinced that Palin has all but given up on McCain and is concentrating on preserving her political viability for the future. Its hard not to come to that conclusion when you read things like this:

Sarah Palin may soon be free. Soon, she may not have the millstone of John McCain around her neck. And she can begin her race for president in 2012.

Some are already talking about it. In careful terms. If John McCain loses next week, Sarah Palin “has absolutely earned a right to run in 2012,” says Greg Mueller, who was a senior aide in the presidential campaigns of Pat Buchanan and Steve Forbes. Mueller says Palin has given conservatives “hope” and “something to believe in.”

The McCain campaign can’t be happy about that.

Palin, however, has a lot of work ahead of her if she expects to be the GOP nominee in 2012. A recent Newsweek poll had her in third place, behind Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee:

Romney - 35%
Huckabee - 26%
Palin - 20%

October 28, 2008, 9:38 am | Category: General |

Avista Capital Partners Endorsements For CD3, CD6

by Aaron Landry | 9 Comments

Even though I’ve been heavily cynical about the Star Tribune, I did want to note about their endorsements for tomorrow’s paper. David Brauer points out:

In the Sixth, editorialists avoid nuclear outrage by picking Tinklenberg. They weigh in for the first time on you-know-what; Bachmann’s “anti-America” paradigm “adds to the list of bizarre incidents and statements that undercut her credibility as a political leader.”

Even though the Star Tribune has gone far to the right, nobody in their right mind can endorse Bachmann. Interesting though, is that they absolutely destroy Erik Paulsen but cannot bring themselves to endorse Madia so they opt for a “non-endorsement“ instead:

But Paulsen’s endorsement interview was disappointing. His answers on energy, health care and foreign policy lacked depth, detail and vision. Paulsen performed better at debates, but did not make the case that he has the depth needed to be a strong, independent leader in Congress.

Paulsen was a fiscal and social conservative in the Legislature, voting for measures that this newspaper opposed. Why he’s casting himself as a moderate in this race is unclear. His conservative credentials are solid; he should have run on them.

Paulsen is farther right than the Star Tribune and they’re criticizing him for not running on his conservative credentials? They even point out how he’s trying to run as a moderate. While I am not at all surprised by the Star Tribune not endorsing Madia, the fact that they trash Paulsen so badly is rather telling.

October 27, 2008, 9:29 pm | Category: CD3 and CD6 | Tags: , , , .