Thissen’s campaign announced some new hires today; Chelsie Glaubitz (coming directly from Kelley’s campaign) and Mike Simpkins will be doing state convention organizing. Carrie Lucking will be Thissen’s Communications Director (last job: Kelley’s Campaign Manager). Rounding out the team are field organizers Peter Grafstrom and Ross Dybvig. Thissen is building quite a good sized staff.
Author Archive for Megan Gamble
As we know, the campaign world is cyclical and always changing - so you had to know that the Steve Kelley for Governor staff would be job hunting after he stepped out of the race. It’s turning out that a couple of Kelley’s former staff is moving over to the Thissen for Governor campaign.
In a poll that is being reported on today (here and here), what we have all suspected is now backed up by some good ‘ole hard numbers: Michele Bachmann is an embarrassment to Minnesota. You can see a great breakdown of the numbers here, which will show you that 62% of independents claim embarrassment; and her own district holds a smaller, yet solid, 39% embarrassment rate.
As a side note, if you’re looking for a way to help get Bachmann out of office (and I know you are!), check out the new fund-raising tool that Tarryl Clark’s campaign unveiled yesterday: the intimidating sounding MONEYBOMB. The idea is that you pledge to give money on a specific date - in this instance, the day when Sarah Palin comes to Minnesota to stump for (read notes off her hand for) Michele Bachmann. Turn your embarrassment into action!
Just announced today: the founder and President of EMILY’s List is stepping down and replacing her will be Al Franken’s former Campaign Manager Stephanie Schriock. Stephanie took a break from her job as Chief of Staff to Senator John Tester (D-Mont.) to head up the Franken campaign in 2008. In addition to her work getting Tester elected in 2006, she was Howard Dean’s finance director in 2004.
I’m sure that those of us who had a chance to work with Stephanie agree that she will be great in this role. Congratulations!
In an email sent out today, Senator Al Franken shows his support for Tarryl Clark’s bid for Congress by asking for donations to her campaign. The email lauds Clark’s accomplishments and her strengths as a legislator and campaigner. Senator Franken (I love saying that) could give Clark a big boost in this race, and an early start is a good indication of his intentions to help.
Full text of the email after the jump. More »
This week the office of US Representative Jim Oberstar announced that the Minnesota Men’s Action Network will be receiving $250,000 in federal grant money to combat violence against women in rural Minnesota. Representative Oberstar gives some nice quotes about how combating violence against women is good for reducing the cost of crime and the cost of broken families, which is all true, but the work of this group goes further. The MN Men’s Action Network (in partnership with Men as Peacemakers in Duluth and The Gender Violence Institute in Clearwater) focuses specifically on men’s role in ending violence against women. It is critically important to have men in this movement, and this group understands that, saying:
Men are in a particularly unique position to help change the social norms that create the environment in which sexual violence occurs. Since men commit over 90% of the violence, we need men to help with the solution. A broad network of men is needed to align with the voices and historically groundbreaking activities of women to prevent sexual violence.
Thank you, Jim Oberstar, for supporting a vital and dynamic philosophy in the great effort to end violence against women.
Listen up. This is getting ridiculous.
A “journalist” releases a heavily edited tape* of a few individuals saying some questionable things and suddenly the US Congress (and that one VERY CONSERVATIVE friend you have on Facebook) are up in arms? Yes, these folks said inappropriate things, and yes, they were fired. No, they were NOT representing the principals or values of ACORN, and NO, no one in their right mind believes that they were.
This is CLEARLY and OBVIOUSLY a concerted effort from the right to take down a progressive and successful movement that is currently focusing on working people and health care. This isn’t about a few employees’ actions, this is about using any kind of dirt that can be “found” (gathered by entrapment) to distract from much larger and much more important issues at hand.
And you know, it’s a damn shame. ACORN has done some wonderful work in our communities, and now they are going to have to fight an uphill battle against politicians who are rushing to distance themselves from the organization in this latest small-minded fad.
*He refuses to release the recording in its entirety.
Matt posted a few days ago about Margaret Anderson Kelliher making her Gubernatorial announcement on Wednesday and guess what - today is Wednesday and it happened. I know I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know (you’re so SMART!) but I wanted to share the video that was released today HERE. It’s a lovely little announcement and bio piece, mostly revolving around the family farm.
The video is after the jump
The junior Senator from Minnesota is getting some nice press. Al is opposing a part of Senator Baucus’ health care bill that would impose $4 billion in annual fees on producers of certain medical devices. Medical devices such as the kinds Medtronic makes -pacemakers for example. A letter has been sent to Senator Baucus outlining the objection.
Oh yeah, and Amy Klobuchar signed the letter too.
Way back in 2003, Zack and I and a group of wide eyed college students traipsed out to a balloon field in Iowa to hear the Democratic candidates for President. It was muddy, we embarrassed ourselves (don’t ask), we got to meet Howard Dean - but mostly we got to see a great yearly event that draws thousands of progressives and prominent candidates (for example, Barack Obama).
Well! This year, our very own Al Franken will be the esteemed headliner of Senator Tom Harkin’s steak fry. He is expected to speak about health care and maybe make some comedic satirist remarks.
El Tinklenberg is no longer running for Congress in CD6 - he has posted a Dear John letter on his website, primarily citing his desire to quell a fight among Democrats when the real fight should be against Michele Bachmann.
El, who will you be endorsing and when can they expect to hear from you?
Update: I am hearing that AFSCME Council 5 has endorsed Tarryl Clark for Congress in CD6. This is a huge benefit for the Clark campaign, and perhaps part of the reason Tinklenberg has withdrawn his name.
You may have read about it in the St. Cloud Times, but you certainly heard it here first: Tarryl Clark is gravitating towards the CD6 Congressional seat stronger than Michele Bachmann’s lips to W’s face. Clark has filed her paperwork with the FEC (though they seem to think she is running in 2000… come on FEC, I know the “0” is right by the “9”, but really); and her MN Senate reelection website is “no longer in service”.
Like we’ve said before on this blog, Tarryl is a strong candidate out of CD6, having been endorsed in every campaign she’s run there. While she has some catching up to do with Tinklenberg and Reed, I believe that she has enough time and support to do so.
Oh, and keep an eye here.
UPDATE:
Tarryl’s campaign site is up and running, including this video:
After immediately getting to work by signing on to EFCA his first day in office, Senator Al Franken is now introducing his first piece of legislation: The Service Dogs For Veterans Act. Al wrote about his intentions to partner vets with dogs in the Star Tribune a few days ago - and today he and Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) introduce the act, which will set up a pilot program within the Dept. of Veterans Affairs to pair service dogs with veterans who have physical or mental wounds, including PTSD. Al says:
“As someone who’s spent time with our troops on USO tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, and met wounded warriors at Walter Reed and Bethesda, I feel a real obligation to the men and women who have risked life and limb on our behalf. There is a huge return on investment here. Service dogs can do amazing things, and there is evidence to suggest that increasing their numbers would reduce the alarming suicide rate among veterans, decrease the number of hospitalizations, and lower the cost of medications and human care.”
My opinion: this is totally awesome. Al has shown in the past his commitment to our troops and veterans, and is only strenghening his stance by making our vets his first priority. Also, dogs are great.
The rumors are getting pretty fierce about Tarryl Clark running for Governor Congress in 2010 - one might even say she’s close to making an announcement. She has been contacting key supporters and activists, and I doubt it’s to chat about that cold spell we had in June.
It would be great to see a strong voice out of CD 6 (you know, the place where fun and sanity go to die), and of course, Tarryl would also have the advantage of a strong base there.
I’ll post when I hear more…
UPDATE: Rumors are in fact so fierce that it’s like playing a game of “telephone”. Tarryl has been contacting folks about a run for Congress, and it is believed that, while we do think she was once eyeing the Gov seat, she is now angling for the US House. Sorry for the confusion and the misspeak.
Tomorrow — Wednesday, July 1 at 12:00 p.m. — A victory rally with Senator-elect Al Franken and supporters will be held on the upper mall of the Minnesota State Capitol. Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez, Senator-elect Al Franken and Franni Franken will address the rally.
WHAT: Victory Rally with Senator-elect Al Franken
WHO: Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez, United States Senator-elect Al Franken, Franni Franken, US Senator Amy Klobuchar
WHEN: Wednesday, July 1, 2009, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Minnesota State Capitol, upper mall
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
Saint Paul, MN
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