Last night, we posted about how Congressman Walz had spoken at the banquets for both the Minnesota Farmers Union and the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation conventions; Senator Klobuchar also spoke at the MFU banquet and will be speaking at a Farm Bureau convention lunch today.
Senator Coleman addressed a Saturday Farm Bureau convention lunch, but his staff apparently blew off repeated invitations by government relations director Thom Peterson to speak to MFU members.
Now, this wouldn't be much of an issue for the delegates since Coleman hasn't been to a MFU convention since he was elected to the Senate. very often since his election. [Update, 9 a.m.: we were just told that Senator Coleman has been at the MFU convention once or twice since 2002. We regret the error.]
Except for one thing: a "Coleman for Senate" placard posted by the Four Points Sheraton on the Memphis meeting room, which is right across the hall from the large salon where hundreds of delegates met all day and where their banquet would be held that night. Delegates hoped that was a sign that Coleman would be speaking to them, but no. Coleman would be in the hotel for a fundraiser associated with another group (more on this in another post).
It's one of those campaign scheduling boo-boos that squanders an opportunity to create good will and to build upon work Coleman has done in the Senate.
Nothing illustrates this better than an incident from last night. We were walking toward the banquet with a friend, talking about Coleman's campaign gaffe. Senator Klobuchar, who was walking in front of us, overheard our wise cracks, and turned around to remind us both that Coleman was one of only four Republican senators who had voted to move the Farm Bill forward. Her interest clearly lay in getting work done for rural Minnesota rather than in playing gotcha politics. Pretty classy.
More on Coleman's crossing party lines in the Associated Press report, GOP Filibuster Stalls Farm Bill.
Blogs aren't senators, however, and Bluestem Prairie will post more on this curious episode after breakfast. Who knows: perhaps Senator Coleman's schedule for today would permit him to swing by the hotel (again) and speak for himself.
Comments