Tracking Minnesota Politics Since 2005
Walz
Raised - $157,000
Cash on Hand - $111,000
Kline
Raised - $142,000
Cash on Hand - $103,000
Bachmann
Raised - $314,000
Cash on Hand - $224,000
That’s a pretty impressive quarter for Bachmann, and a so-so quarter for Walz and Kline. All three of these Representatives could concievably face serious challenges in 2010, but the reality is that none of them are really in any danger at this point.
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:
Still in Hiding, Paulsen Accepts Help from Embattled Republican Leader
Boehner raises money for Paulsen, Bachmann and Kline behind closed doors
St. Paul (October 14, 2008) — This evening, Republican House Minority Leader John Boehner is expected to appear at a fundraising event in downtown Minneapolis. Appearing with the embattled Republican leader will be Republican Third District Candidate Erik Paulsen and Republican Representatives Michele Bachmann and John Kline.
Minnesota DFL Associate Communications Director Eric Fought released this statement:
“Erik Paulsen has spent the past 14 years as a professional partisan politician, advancing the most radical tenets of his party’s platform and leading the charge in the Minnesota House.
“True to form, Paulsen and fellow Republicans will gladly accept help tonight from one of the most ardent champions of the failed policies of the Bush administration. And in the spirit of Paulsen’s stealth campaign for Congress, which he conducted by hiding from the public and press, Paulsen will accept Boehner’s help behind closed doors, away from public and media scrutiny.
“Erik Paulsen would have Minnesotans forget his long career of far right-wing Republican partisanship — which is why he’s refusing to meet with anyone except other partisan Republicans in private. It’s past time for Erik Paulsen — not to mention Michele Bachmann and John Kline — to level with the people of Minnesota how their ideas for the next two years are any different than the past eight.”
Anyone in the mood for a $1,000 steak dinner with Republicans not being public about how they’re Republicans tonight?
Let’s not talk about voting records, let’s not talk about veterans, let’s not talk about the bailout, and let’s not talk about that smirky grin Kline had when that woman made that offensive, ignorant race comment last Friday. Let’s talk about, um, congressional provisions:
Meanwhile, John Kline voted against the independent panel on ethics, voted against earmark reform in January 2007, and actually has been the beneficiary of earmarks many times before, as well as voting for earmarks that have nothing to do with Minnesotans. Now that Kline is an earmark, or congressional provisions protester, he refuses to support congressional provisions even if they help projects for the residents of Apple Valley, Lakeville and Eagan, for example.
Why is he talking so much about congressional provisions anyway? Does he not want to talk about his voting record with the Bush administration on the Iraq and the economy? I guess if I was John Kline, I wouldn’t.
Steve Sarvi is a solid, smart and independent guy that’s fighting for the people in CD2 (which I must remind, got the endorsement of both the DFL and the Independence Party). I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if he pulled off winning this one but he needs support to compete against Kline’s machine.
Update: The UpTake will be broadcasting the Sarvi v Kline debate live at 1:30 today.
[Kline’s] excuse for short-changing veterans? According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, his spokesman says it is because he is fiscally conservative.
Really?
It is so-called fiscal conservatives like Kline who approved runaway spending in Iraq and the Bush tax cuts which have led to huge deficit spending and a $3 trillion growth in the federal debt. Meanwhile, Kline and this Administration have presided over the greatest growth of government in our history. That is not conservatism; it is profligacy pretending to be conservative.
Who pays? Veterans, seniors, the middle class and others who can least afford to. But people are figuring it out.
Read the whole piece here.
With record unemployment, real wages declining, and living expenses and fuel costs strangling budgets, more families than ever are relying on credit cards to make ends meet. The average American family now has nearly $10,000 of credit card debt, and most of their interest rates already seem like highway robbery. It just makes sense to ensure that consumers are protected from abusive rate increases and interest charges.
First, when he was no longer in the majority John Kline whined that the earmark system was broken and that he was going to take his ball and go home, but when it comes time to stand in front of his constituents he’s happy to show off improvements made with federal money.
U.S. Congressman John Kline has been among the most vocal critics of earmarking millions of dollars in federal money for specific projects in the home districts of U.S. senators and representatives.
But the Second District Republican wasn’t shy about appearing at a ribbon-cutting last week in Prior Lake to accept congratulations for obtaining more than $2 million to remodel one of the most dangerous roads in Scott County.
Now why was it that lil’ Johnnie decided that this was a good earmark? Because it came when he was in the majority.
The reason, he said, is that he earmarked the Scott County money years ago when he was like most members of Congress, pushing for special projects in their own districts.
Hypocrisy, thy name is John Kline. But the good news is Steve Sarvi is here.
Today, as U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Jim Oberstar, MnDOT Commissioner Tom Sorel, state legislators and Hastings city councilors came together to discuss progress on planning for the replacement of the Hastings Bridge over Highway 61, one face was noticeably absent: Rep. John Kline…
DFL Party Associate Communications Director Eric Fought released the following statement:
“Representative Kline’s lack of interest in showing up to do his job is not a surprise anymore, but it’s still very disappointing.
Way to represent your district John. Fortunately, Kline’s has an opponent in Steve Sarvi who actually wants to represent the 2nd District.
UPDATE: I should have been more clear in the original post: Sarvi attended the meeting.
Minnesota Democrats have a historic opportunity this fall. Between Al Franken, Steve Sarvi, Ashwin Madia and El Tinklenberg, the DFL has strong candidates running for every single Republican-held seat in our congressional delegation. With Barack Obama sporting double digit leads at the top of the ticket and a Democratic wave building, we could win each of these seats.
Achieving a 100% DFL delegation will not be easy. To even have a chance, we’ve got to give it everything we’ve got.
In that spirit, liberal leaning blogs in Minnesota are joining together to sponsor and end of quarter fundraising drive for our DFL challengers. Together with MNCR, Centrisity, Blue Man, Chris Truscott and Power Liberal, MN Publius is asking you to donate to one of our great DFL candidates before next Monday. We’ve established an Act Blue page so we can track our efforts, called Red to Blue MN. Our goal is modest, to raise $250 for each candidate.
So please take this opportunity to make a donation (no matter how small). Its your chance to be part of something historic.
The DCCC also announced 20 emerging races. In each of these races, Democratic candidates have generated excitement in their districts for their campaigns for change:
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Steve Sarvi (MN-02)
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El Tinklenberg (MN-06)Support Emerging Candidates on ActBlue >>
As these campaigns continue to develop and demonstrate increasing strength, candidates will have an opportunity to qualify for the Red to Blue program.
The Red To Blue program netted each of it’s members about 450K dollars in 2006 and if we can get Steve and El on there it will be a major coup — but they won’t get that attention without your help: donate to the Sarge here , and help El light the bulb here .
Earlier Matt put up our first post on Steve Sarvi blog day where he gave just the overview of Steve’s service to our country, Minnesota and to the Second Congressional district. (we also asked you to go here and donate a little bit of flow to him)
19 years in the military (including a stint in Iraq that he volunteered for!) and 13 years in government, including mayor of Watertown. Can we handcraft anyone better to run against Kline?
Steve Sarvi has the experience in the military to make sure that John Kline will never be able to challenge his patriotism and his service has been well documented among our friends in the blogosphere today (check out our first post on our partners in Steve Sarvi Blog Day) but what I think makes him exceptional is his commitment to communities in the Second Congressional district and southern Minnesota.
As Mayor of Watertown Steve Sarvi saw the importance of fiscal responsibility so he enacted city budgets that either kept city tax rates flat or declining (he lead the push for a new baseball complex in Watertown including a new grandstand that was paid for by park dedication funds rather than city taxes). He instituted Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) projects in Lanesboro and Victoria where he was city administrator to help existing businesses grow and add employees. Steve developed leadership partnership meetings with City of Mayer, Watertown Township and ISD 111 to jointly discuss and plan for future growth, as mayor Steve ensured planning for transportation, water/sewer infrastructure, and parks was done before allowing further development; coordinating city growth with school district and the township to manage the impact on these growing communities. Steve helped to create the Lanesboro Chamber of Commerce, as mayor and city administrator he worked to redevelope downtown Watertown with new landscaping, boardwalk, and street lighting and he obtained Small Cities Block Grant to update existing buildings in downtown Watertown. And he pursued new infrastructure, building new fire stations and water treatment plants in Victoria and Watertown.
What was all really wonky right? Water treatment plants don’t inspire the same pride in folks that volunteering for service in Iraq does. But it’s just as important and I think it’s a better reason to send him to Congress. Steve Sarvi understands the needs and concerns of the growing suburbs and exurbs in the 2nd in ways that John Kline can only hope to. Steve Sarvi will be an advocate for the people of the 2nd and Minnesota working hard for their needs — I think it’s safe to say that Steve Sarvi will be working for the people he represents instead of fluff like putting Reagan’s face on the $50 bill.
So, that’s your choice. Someone who has worked hard all his professional life for communities and towns like the ones you live in, or someone who refuses to work hard for you who instead of helping communities in the second with their needs and issues spends his time trying to put Ronald Reagan’s face on a bill that average Minnesotans are having a harder and harder time holding on to.
So, stop reading this, and go donate to him here. The only way Steve is going to get the national attention he deserves and he needs to knock off do-nothing John Kline is if you donate to him today. $10, $15, $20 do it now. Stop thinking “Oh, tomorrow I’ll donate.” “Oh, tomorrow I’ll volunteer.” And go sign up to volunteer for him now, and gosh darnit donate to him right now! See that picture up there? Think it looks good? Well the only way it’s going to happen permanently is if you help him. Steve’s sacrificed for you and the people of the communities he’s helped, I know these aren’t the best economic times, but he deserves a little sacrifice from you now.
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