Bluestem Prairie

Who is Kent Kaiser? Bluestem helps her rightside blogging brethren get to know and love him

Bluestem hasn't paid much attention to the raging arguments online about redistricting, mostly because there's only so much time in a day, regardless of how important an issue redistricting might be. Those who want to follow the game should start with Minnesota's community sites on the left and right: Minnesota Progressive Project and True North.

There's also a fine investigative piece out from ProPublica about conservative money coming into the process, mentioned by the Minnesota Independent's Andy Birkey in Undisclosed money flows into Minnesota’s redistricting process. Birkey's post also takes a look at the cash flow from the left.

The names that turn up in the ProPublica report? Annette and Jack Meeks, or at least their home address and the Freedom Foundation that they're now associated with. Readers will probably remember that Annette Meeks was once CEO of the Center of the American Experiment, before being voted out and founding that there Freedom Foundation.

That connection loops this post back the Minnesota blogosphere debate and the name in our headline. Over at True North, the blogger who wrote up DrawTheLine MN: Giving “Potemkin” A Bad Name is having a hard time matching names and places on the state's political map.

Since Bluestem believes that Mitch Berg is as fine a conservative blogger as one might find anywhere, we're here to help him as he looks --and fails--to identify Republicans on the Citizens’ Commission on Redistricting. Having failed to find more than one  Republican on the Commission, Berg quite logically concludes that Draw the Line Minnesota has constructed nothing but a progressive Potemkin Village in Citizens' Commission. Fair enough based on the research he presents.

But given Berg's completely solid credentials as a blogger and researcher, it's a bit puzzling that he missed spotting Kent Kaiser.  Having enlisted our Pretend Internet Boyfriend Mr. Google as unpaid intern on the prairie, we found a lot of connections between Professor Kaiser and Minnesota's conservative Republicans.

Berg writes:

Kent Kaiser of St. Paul is a professor of communication at Northwestern College. Previously, he served as the communications and voter outreach director in the office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. While with the Secretary of State’s office, he serviced as liaison to the U.S. Census Bureau and on the boards of Kids Voting Minnesota and Kids Voting St. Paul.

Yet again – not a single political contribution found.

Since Berg uses criteria in addition to political contributions to assess other members of the commission, it's fair to look beyond  contributions for evidence of Mr. Kaiser's political leanings.

Mr. Google reports that Kaiser is a senior fellow at the Center of the American Experiment, where he's been posting articles since 2009 or so. The bio on the latest article:

Kent Kaiser is an assistant professor of communication at Northwestern College in St. Paul, a Center of the American Experiment senior fellow, and a native of Silver Bay who formerly served as communications and voter outreach director for Minnesota Secretaries of State Mary Kiffmeyer, a Republican, and Mark Ritchie, a DFLer.

Kaiser was brought into the SOS office by Kiffmeyer and stayed trough the beginning of Ritchie's first term. His much publicized report, No Longer A National Model: Fifteen Recommendations for Fixing Minnesota Election Law and Practice, was published by the CAE in 2009.

Nancy Laroche blogged about this report on True North in Kent Kaiser: Fixing Minnesota Election Law and Practice at the time of the release in 2009, giving a hat tip to MDE's post about the report,WILL MARK RITCHIE DO THE RIGHT THING?

Kaiser wrote letters published in the Scandia and St. Cloud papers supporting Michele Bachmann's bid for Congress in 2006. Mitch Berg himself commented on a discussion of one of Kaiser's LTE's in the old 2006 election blog, Bachmann v. Wetterling. In 2009, Kaiser offered a Star Tribune counterpoint defending Bachmann's remarks about not participating in the 2010 Census.

Kaiser was also on the Late Debate with Jack and Ben, a conservative podcast that's included on True North, to discuss redistricting back in August.

Berg and Kaiser are both on @ulookgoodinred, a twitter list kept by Bridget Sutton, wife of Minnesota GOP chair Tony Sutton.  Kaiser is the adviser to the Northwestern College chapter of the College Republicans, according to his biography on the conservative reilgious private college's website. That biography also notes:

He has served as a political communications consultant to numerous first-time candidates for public office, including two who won seats in the U.S. Congress.

Berg might look into that, just in case Keith Ellison is on Kaiser's client list. That might help build his case that Kaiser has no GOP cred.

Photo: Via TCSocialscene, Kent Kaiser with Jeb Bush after the former Florida Governor's April 26 presentation on education. Kaiser is so not a Republican on True North today.

Stopping inequality: Minnesotans United begins pro-family trainings in Greater Gopher State

In Groups gear up to oppose anti-gay marriage amendment, the Minnesota Independent's Andy Birkey notes that Minnesotans United for All Families:

The coalition is also launching statewide trainings geared toward defeating the amendment and creating “the largest grassroots campaign this state has ever seen.”

The trainings will be in more than a dozen cities beginning Sept. 13, including Minneapolis, Moorhead, Duluth, St. Paul, Rochester, Mankato, Alexandria, Bemidji, St. Cloud and Marshall, as well as locations in the northern and southern Twin Cities suburbs.

The schedule is posted here beneath the fold.

Can't wait to talk back to marriage inequality fans? Put down the glitter and grab these handy guides: there's Think Progress's A Quick Guide To Debunking Minnesota For Marriage’s Talking Points and a point-by-point debunking of MFM's flier at Flier belier: Debunking MN For Marriage's latest handout, out from Good As You.

 

Golddigger of 2006?: Golnik was MNGOP ED while treasurer conducted naughty fund transfers

Upon reading Sutton was treasurer: failed burrito baron's MNGOP fined $170K for shifting party funds, a friend of Bluestem wrote to remind us that Ben Golnik was executive director of the Republican Party from 2006 until March 2007. Prior to taking the position in January 2006, he served as political director beginning in April 2005.

Golnik's tenure as state party director becomes relevant when reviewing the period during which the party committed the acts for which the FEC fined it, and for Golnik's subsequent involvement in a party affair that concealed financial activity: the 2010 gubernatorial recount.

Unlike the Dayton campaign, which has publicly reported its recount spending, the Republican Party created a special account that isn't subject to public disclosure laws, the Associated Press reported.

The heady election of 2006

Back to the series of unfortunate financial events that happened during Sutton's watch as treasurer and Golnik's gig as Executive Director. Most of the mischief took place in 2006, an election year that ushered in Tim Pawlenty's reelection and Michele Bachmann's elevation to the national stage. Perhaps Sutton and Golnik were too busy to think about bookkeeping.

The consent agreement between the Republican party of Minnesota and the Federal Election Commission was generously posted at the Hot Dish Blog by Rachel Stassen-Berger. In it, readers learn that the party violated federal election law in two ways:

1.Respondents violated 2 U.S.C. § 434(b) by failing to report debts and obligations.

2.Respondents violated 2 U.S.C. § 441a(f) and 11 C.F.R. §§ 102.5(a) and 106.7(f) by making excessive transfers from the Committee’s non-federal account to its federal account for allocated administrative expense

Read the entire document for the details. According to sources who have worked with the MNGOP, expenses have to be approved by the Executive Director, and the ED reviews campaign finance reports for the treasurer. Current MNGOP chair, failed burrito baron Tony Sutton, was treasurer at the time the violations were set in motion.

The forgotten years of Ben Golnik

Golnik left the MNGOP and its mixed up financial files in March 2007 to work for McCain's early presidential campaign, the Big Question noted, but was demoted to volunteer Minnesota coordinator when the Arizona senator ran out of money. Golnik rose from the dead with the McCain campaign, the BQ reported, serving as "regional campaign manager for a territory stretching from Minnesota to Idaho, including the Dakotas, Montana and Wyoming."

A month after Golnik left the party without helping to clean up, Darren  Bearson, now ED for the Ohio Republicans after serving as a regional political director for the RNC during the midterm elections, was hired as Golnik's replacement. The FEC reports were amended under his watch, if Bluestem reads the timeline of the consent agreement correctly.

Then Tony Sutton was elected chair in the summer of 2009. In New state GOP chairman reorganizes staff, Capitol View readers learned:

Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman-elect Tony Sutton today announced he would be appointing Ryan Griffin executive director . . .

Sutton praised the work of Carey and executive director Darren Bearson, who he says will continue to play a role in helping elect Minnesota Republicans.

"I was impressed by Darren's achievements during his tenure as executive director. His considerable skills in decision-making, political strategy and financial management have helped make our Party stronger. I look forward to continuing to work together in the future," Sutton said.

"2010 is going to be an important year for Minnesota Republicans. It will be an incredible opportunity to focus on the future of this great state, and I look forward to working with the new team," Darren Bearson said.

Ryan Griffin previously worked on Gov. Tim Pawlenty's successful 2002 race and has worked with both the House and Senate Republican Caucuses. . . .

Golnik would pop up again, working for energy concerns and Marty Seifert's gubernatorial endorsement bid, then move on to engineer the GOP senate caucus takeover of the chamber. Then the 2010 gubernatorial recount happened.

Counting them all properly in 2010

Tony Sutton quickly took over the recount efforts from the Emmer campaign, as MinnPost reported in GOP's saber-rattling Tony Sutton vows aggressive recount fight:

This time, the state GOP is taking over the legal reins for candidate Tom Emmer, and they've hired Michael E. Toner. He's the former chairman of the Federal Election Commission under George W. Bush. He is highly respected by election lawyers nationwide. But Democratic sources told me they were unaware whether he has any extensive recount experience.

Minnesota Republican Party lawyer Tony Trimble, who was one of Coleman's chief lawyers, is also on the team. . . .

A few days later, Sutton hired Golnik to run the recount effort for the Republican Party of Minnesota.  Using AP and original reporting, Minnesota Public Radio reported in Emmer attorney says no thought to waiving recount:

Meanwhile, the state Republican Party, which is coordinating Emmer's recount efforts, announced that a prominent strategist would lead the team. Ben Golnik is a former party executive director, who ran presidential candidate John McCain's campaign in the state in 2008. . . .

The Republican Party then created Count Them All Properly Inc., a separate account free from state or federal disclosure.

MPR reported in MNGOP won't disclose recount fundraising:

The Republican Party of Minnesota and Republican Tom Emmer's campaign for governor will not disclose the money it raised to help with the recount. Minnesota Republican Party Chair Tony Sutton said today that the group created a separate corporate account, Count Them All Properly Inc., for their recount efforts. He said they won't disclose the amount of money raised or by whom -- and state and federal laws don't require them to release it.

Golnik's firm does show up in the RPM's state account end of year report.  According to the amended RPM year-end campaign finance report, Golnik Strategies LLC was paid $6000.00 on November 19, 2010, by the Republican Party of Minnesota, for fundraising and political consulting. It's likely this is his fee for the recount.

But since the public doesn't get to see the secret account, Bluestem will never know what was spent, but at last Golnick and Sutton had found a way to keep those thugs at CREW off their backs while they hid money.

Golnik-Emmer tensions continue

Perhaps the story should end there, but there's a sequel every bit as dramatic as the pelf: the Great Golnik-Emmer Conflict of 2011.

Golnik's involvement in the recount didn't end tensions between the one-time Seifert supporter and Emmer. Both threw their hats into the ring for an open RNC committee seat, while political observers with a keen eye order popping corn by the dump truck load.

They didn't disappoint. A Weekly Report in PIM from reported:

We also hear Emmer and political operative Golnik mixed it up a little this week at an 8th Congressional District Republican gathering in McGregor. There's, of course, history between Emmer and Golnik. Golnik was a campaign advisor for Emmer's 2010 GOP endorsement opponent, Marty Seifert. However, Golnik also managed the Emmer campaign's recount efforts following the razor-thin general election.

The final sentence has value only if one assumes that Sutton's takeover--which ran the recount, not the Emmer campaign--was entirely welcomed and voluntary on Emmer's part. Sources tell Bluestem that efforts to extract not only the recount effort itself, but the remaining dollars in Emmer's campaign committee kitty, weren't entirely amicable.

That effort is said to have fortified Golnik when he was able enact his revenge against Emmer at the 2011 state central committee meeting when Jeff Johnson was elected RNC delegate in one ballot. Golnik himself had wanted to be a RNC committee member, but withdrew when he decided to spend more time with his young family. Bluestem looked at the politics of his departure in Disturbance at the elephant house: MNGOP party platform purity tests RNC candidates.

Upon leaving the RNC committee member race, Golnik threw his energy behind the remaining candidate Not Named Tom Emmer. PIM's Charlie Shaw wrote in RNC upset: Johnson spanks Emmer on one ballot:

. . .Johnson ran an aggressive effort that included a strong floor presence at the State Central Committee meeting. In some respects, the RNC election was a rematch of the 2010 GOP State Convention fight in which Emmer beat Seifert. Key operatives for Seifert, including campaign veterans Gregg Peppin and Ben Golnik, helped execute a thorough floor strategy. "A lot of the Seifert team was in [the Johnson campaign's] red T-shirts, and that made a difference," one attendee noted. . . .

. . .On the campaign finance front, Emmer drew the ire of some in the party by not using the $46,000 in leftover cash to help the state GOP pay off its legal expenses from the statewide ballot recount that followed last year's general election. While the issue of financial support would be mere background noise in the context of a campaign for public office, the issue was a sore spot to some party activists. . .

In many feuds, that would have ended it, but a chafing public embarrassment remained for Tony Sutton and the Republican Party. As part of the recount effort, the Republican Party--and not the Emmer campaign--had ordered every county to send copies of every election related record to it post haste, with threats of legal action if the records weren't prepared immediately.

Then the party failed to pay many of the counties.

Newspaper reports of the bad debts flowered like spring beauties in the hills, Senator John Howe pleaded for senate majority caucus members pony up, and then Cindy Brucato's column appeared MinnPost, Emmer sends checks from campaign fund to reimburse counties for recount expenses.

Bluestem used the final item in that series to ask Missing at Minnpost: Why isn't Tony Sutton talking about Count Them All Properly Inc. recount fund? because we could.

In short, the FEC fine doesn't look out of character for guys like Sutton--it only looks like an early career blunder, before they learn better ways to hide the lettuce.  If it weren't for those pesky rural counties, that is.

Update: Ben Golnik is now serving as a campaign adviser to freshman congressman Chip Cravaack, and was recently heard from in Cravaack's Campaign Disputes Legal Bill:

A New Jersey law firm has filed a claim against U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack for unpaid legal services.

Jeff Neu, of J.C. Neu & Associates of Red Bank, N.J., says his firm is seeking reimbursement of legal services provided to Cravaack during his congressional campaign. The Republican congressman reported a $32,250 claim from Neu to the Federal Elections Commission and characterized the bill as "disputed." Cravaack's campaign adviser, Ben Golnik, tells the Duluth News Tribune that it's an ongoing legal matter which they are working to resolve.

Neu says the case is in arbitration. No hearing has been scheduled before the New Jersey Arbitration Board. . . .

Popcorn, anyone?

Photos: Ben Golnik, above; Tony Sutton, below.

Total recall: county board asks Ron Shimanski to sponsor bill to boot himself from office

After meeting with the McLeod County Board of Commissioners in Glencoe on Tuesday, ALEC member Representative Ron Shimanski may be asking himself why he ever came back from the corporate bill factory's annual meeting in New Orleans.

It's not just ALEC's corporate sponsors who are asking the friendly apple grower to carry bills. The locals have an idea for some model legislation, too.

The McLeod County Chronicle reports in Bayerl in mood to 'rattle some cages':

McLeod County Commissioner Ray Bayerl is in a mood to "rattle some cages."

Bayerl told his fellow commissioners Tuesday morning that he recently attended an Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) meeting, where a great deal of frustration was expressed over the shutdown of state services this summer when the Legislature and the governor failed to reach a budget deal in May.

Bayerl has a solution: if the Legislature and governor can't get their work done by the deadline, they should all be booted out of office and a special election held to re-elect or replace them.

Bayerl would like to propose that as an amendment to the state constitution - which would need the approval of voters on a general election ballot - and to work with the AMC to bring such an amendment to the Legislature.

Shimanski was at the board meeting and took some ribbing from the board member, as well as former state representative Bob Ness, a Republican who now works as a constituent outreach workers for Congressman Collin Peterson.  The paper reports:

State Rep. Ron Shimanski, R-Silver Lake, was at the meeting and Bayerl invited him to speak to the proposal.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do," said Shimanski. But he noted that other proposals for amendments also are in the works - in particular, a "lights-out" amendment that would keep government running at a "scaled-back 75 to 80 percent function" while a budget is worked out.

Shimanski also indicated that Bayerl's proposal could backfire.

"You know somebody is going to play politics with this," said Shimanski, saying that some legislators would stall on a budget agreement in hopes of forcing a special election to get rid of other legislators.

Bob Ness, an "eyes and ears" worker for U.S. Congressman Colin Peterson, said that throwing out the government "carte blanche" would mean that "you would have no government at all."

"Some people would say that we have that already," Bayerl shot back.

Ness also jokingly asked Shimanski if he would carry the proposed amendment to the state Legislature.

"I guess it depends on how it is worded," said Shimanski.

Board members turned the tables on Shimanski's "lights on" amendment. The article concludes:

County Commissioner Paul Wright said . . . legislators may use the "lights-out" amendment as another way of delaying a final decision.

"There still has to be a heavy consequence" if a budget is not adopted by the original deadline, Wright said.

Wright indicated he also supports Bayerl's effort.

"Whether it (the amendment) ends up as final or not, it sends a formal message that we were not happy," said Wright.

"It's very vague yet, but it is meant to rattle some cages," Bayerl agreed.

The board asked County Administrator Pat Melvin to work with the AMC to develop language on the amendment to bring before the AMC's next regional meeting. If the region adopts the resolution proposing the amendment, it will be forwarded to the AMC's annual meeting.

Bluestem suspects we'll never see that one on a list of ALEC model bills.

Photo: Rep. Ron Shimanski (R-Silver Lake and ALEC)

MNGOP hating on Mayberry, RFD: anti-business property tax shifts to plague greater Minnesota

There's a steady tattoo of news in greater Minnesota newspapers these days, echoed in a Minnesota Public Radio report, Cities could raise property tax to make up for state budget cuts.

Will voters remember thse stories next fall when the Republican party and its homophobic allies beat their hackneyed drum about "rural values"?

MPR's Mark Steil reports:

According to projections by non-partisan state House legislative staff, the budget deal could lead to property tax increases of 4.6 percent statewide. Communities outside the Twin Cities would see the biggest jump, about 6 percent on average. Metro area taxes would rise about 4 percent.

Cities in south central Minnesota could see the biggest increase, about 7.3 percent. Property taxes in the Iron Range and Duluth are projected to rise 7.2 percent, while in east central and southeast Minnesota the hike will be just under 7 percent. . . .

Steil cites suburban Republican leigslators who disagree with the nonpartisan staff, but in looking at local reports around the state, Bluestem thinks the legislative staff might be on to something. And if no property tax shifts are coming, then there's belt tighten for the already slender.

From west central Minnesota, the Monte News reports in Administrators say compromise delays resolution of budget problem:

The state of Minnesota is beginning to function again following a 20-day government shutdown that was resolved last week when Gov. Mark Dayton signed into law a number of bills passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

The new biennial budget has been widely criticized by DFL legislators and the Independence Party of Minnesota as once again deferring rather than solving the chronic state budget deficit.

That perspective seems to be shared by city and school officials here. The American-News asked Montevideo City Manager Steve Jones and Montevideo Super­intendent of Schools Luther Heller for their reactions to the budget.
 
City of Montevideo
“The main impact on the city for 2011 is that we have to cut $326,000 from our existing 2011 budget,” wrote Jones in an e-mail. “Staff has sat down this week and has a plan in place.  . . .

What does that mean in concrete terms?

“We cut funds for items such as plow trucks, mowers, heavy equipment, police cars, park improvements, park maintenance, trees, computer equipment and building repairs and upgrades,” he wrote.

The city will face a similar revenue shortfall in 2012, according to Jones.

“For 2012 we will also have $326,000 less than anticipated, so the capital improvement fund will continue to be underfunded for future equipment, replacement and repair needs. Very little, if any part-time summer help will be hired, and except for needed maintenance projects, upgrades and major repairs could be delayed.

“Our real fear is for 2013 and beyond. Because the state chose to delay real reform, we will go through this same scenario in 18 months, and we will be weaker and less financially able to weather the storm in 2013 than if they had made all the necessary changes now.”

Snowplow. Streets.

The headline up in Detroit Lakes? DL prepares for disappearing state aid: A conservative budget. The news:

The ever-changing local government aid and market value credit are changing once again.

City Finance Officer Lou Guzek told council members to plan on only getting the amount for LGA that the city received in 2010, about $550,000, even though it is slated to receive $690,500 in 2012.

Guzek said if the city should happen to get the full amount promised by the state, he recommends the unbudgeted $140,000 be put into the debt service fund.

“I’d take the conservative approach and budget with the $550,000,” he said.

For market value credit, in 2011, cities will receive what they did in 2010, and next year “it disappears as a payment to the cities,” Guzek said.

The city budgeted for $202,000 in MVC in 2011.

For 2011, the city levied about $3.4 million in taxes. That came half from residential and half from commercial or “other” properties.

But with recent changes in market value, if the city levies for $3.4 million again next year, commercial properties will feel the squeeze much more than homeowners.

Homeowners won’t see much of an increase at all, but commercial property will see about a 12 percent hike in city taxes.

Guzek said that cities without LGA will also be without MVC, so it doesn’t affect the larger metro cities that already don’t receive LGA.

“We’re out fighting this battle by ourselves,” he said.  . . .

DL-Online's editorial board called it as they saw it in Mn tax shift is anti-business:

We know the state is in a tight financial bind, but this is just plain bad tax policy that could really hurt greater Minnesota, and especially businesses in greater Minnesota — and the jobs they provide.

Rural Minnesota lawmakers should push for a change to this stink bomb of a tax law when the Legislature meets again next year: Property taxes are already a major concern of small business owners, and this change just makes it worse.

Lawrence Schmumacher at PIM's Capitol Report has more (including news of the affects of the budgt here in Hutchinson) in Local governments look to hedge LGA uncertainty.

Driving Republicans to distraction

No wonder the legislative majority's leadership has to carrying on about how Ballot measures are key part of GOP agenda , as Briana Bierschbach reports elsewhere in PIM:

The passage of the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage was the defining moment of the final days of Minnesota’s 2011 legislative session, and the first modern Republican-controlled Legislature is gearing up to bypass DFL Gov. Mark Dayton’s signature again next year and add a few more to the 2012 ballot.

After a gubernatorial veto last session, a move to put voter photo identification on the ballot is already afoot. And during internal caucus negotiations on the special session budget deal, a group of hard-line House Republicans exacted a promise from leadership to pass an amendment to require a legislative “super-majority” to raise taxes in exchange for their budget votes. In addition, GOP Capitol hands say there are eager talks about throwing a right-to-work amendment into the mix.

Perhaps those distractions will prompt rural Minnesotans to pay no attention to those job-killing property tax hikes.

Photo: Mayberry RFD.

Teabagger turns carpetbagger: left off Patriot Program, Cravaack moves family to NH

Today's Duluth Tribune News reveals that Cravaack’s re-election campaign begins; family moves to New Hampshire.

Thus, Bluestem's headline isn't exactly accurate: the term "carpetbagger" entered America's political lexicon during Reconstruction, where Southerners used the power of metonymy to describe Northerners who moved in on South during that era,  reducing the newcomers to the luggage they carried into town.

In modern usage, the word describes those who run for office in a place where they don't live. But perhaps Cravaack is simply acting according to a revised definition drawn the Michele Bachmann History Channel. First, Cravaack stages an upset win by portraying 18-term Congressman Jim Oberstar as as out of touch with a district from which the incumbent was often absent. Next, a successful Cravaack moves from the district before the first year of his first term is up. He may have carpetbagging in reverse, but, hey, close enough for a teabagger.

The News Tribune reports that Cravaack is a bit whiny about having to defend his seat early:

“We’re putting our team together a little bit earlier than I thought we were going to have to, but it seems as though the campaign is just on us,” Cravaack said. “When you’re the No. 1 target  of the (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) and you’ve had three major campaign ads already run against you, it’s unfortunate, but I had to put my team together earlier than I anticipated. We had to be able to respond to some of these, quite frankly, attack ads.” [links added by BSP]

If only Cravaack hadn't moved his family to New Hampshire--had he not, the freshman legislator culd have asked third-term representative Tim Walz how he did it in the 2007-2008 cycle after upsetting Gil Gutknecht and the attacks came in early.

But since Walz's 30+ victory in 2008 came after Tim and Gwen Walz's commitment to their home in Southern Minnesota was firmly established in voters' minds, Cravaack may have to find another mentor, as well as hope district DFLers pick a candidate as hapless as Brian Davis.

Cravaack revealed the deets of the move to the DNT:

The family’s decision to move to New Hampshire was made so that Cravaack and his wife, Traci, could spend more time with their two children. Cravaack said his wife often had to spend three days a week in the Boston area for her work with a medical supply company.

Cravaack said he’s selling his home in Lindstrom and moving to North Branch, where he’ll be closer to his office.

“We have decided to move the kids closer to me in the New Hampshire area,” he said. “She’ll probably be no more than 40 minutes away from the children.”

Cravaack said he’ll spend most Saturdays in the 8th District and his Sundays in New Hampshire.

“My wife and I said, ‘Just because I’m in Congress, I’m still a father.’ And being a father comes first,” he said. “I have to take care of my children the best way possible, and still be able to serve the country at the same time.”

It sounds like Cravaack will be a once-a-week visitor, while Congress is in session, to the district he represents. One does wonder, though, how often he'll see his children, who now live in New Hampshire, during the campaign season.

Perhaps as often as a good father should. Today's news might go some distance in explaining both Cravaack's lackluster fundraising and his absence on the NRCC's incumbent protection Patriot Program. Did the NRCC know the move was coming? On June 1, the Strib's Hot Dish blog reported in Cravaack not in first round of GOP incumbent-protection program:

The National Republican Congressional Committee has released the first members of its Patriot Program —an incumbent-protection program that offers fundraising and other help — and Minnesota’s most vulnerable House freshman is not on the list.

Rep. Chip Cravaack, who won his Eighth District seat in a close upset in 2010, was not among the 10 House Republicans included the NRCC’s program.

Cravaack is considered one of the most vulnerable freshmen Republicans in 2012, as he represents a district that went Democratic for more than 60 years. . .

. . .One potential issue for Cravaack is his own first-quarter numbers: He has raised less than eight of the 10 House members on the list.

In Q1 2011, Cravaack raised $121,024.70, with $113,039.72 cash on hand and $32,550.30 in debts and obilgations at the end of March.  The second quarter numbers?  Decide for yourself:

Covering Period 04/01/2011 Through 06/30/2011

	Column A This Period	Column B Election Cycle-To-Date
6. Net Contributions (other than loans)
(a) Total Contributions (other than loans)	223703.91	406575.37
(b) Total Contribution Refunds	0.00	1800.00
(c) Net Contributions (6(a) - 6(b))	223703.91	404775.37
7. Net Operating Expenditures
(a) Total Operating Expenditures	69014.25	181196.63
(b) Total Offsets to Operating Expenditures	1213.30	2124.61
(c) Net Operating Expenditures	67800.95	179072.02
8. Cash on Hand at Close of Reporting Period	268942.68
9. Debts and Obligations Owed TO the Committee	0.00
Itemize all on SCHEDULE C or SCHEDULE D
10. Debts and Obligations Owed BY the Committee	32550.30
Itemize all on SCHEDULE C or SCHEDULE D

Image: A Bachmann History Channel carpetbag. However one reads this story, Cravaack is going to be doing a lot of packing. Just saying.

Short take: thumbs down to Kiffie-Newman VoterID dawdling

The Marshall Independent tidily dismisses the Kiffmeyer and Newman VoterID amendment in its Short takes for June 10:

Let go pursuit of voter ID

THUMBS DOWN: It's time to give up on the voter ID crusade. Republicans supporting the move that would require voters to show a photo ID in order to vote aren't giving up on the fight after Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed the bill this year. On Tuesday, Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer and Sen. Scott Newman said they'll make a push for a constitutional amendment during the next session. The amendment would be on the 2012 ballot if passed by the Legislature. Does Minnesota really need another amendment on next year's ballot? No. Voters will already be voting on an amendment to define marriage in the Minnesota Constitution next year, and since there is no widespread voter fraud problem in Minnesota, spending time on the voter ID issue is time wasted.

One wonders why Newman, my state senator, wants to waste time on things like this and his suspicions about non-profits. Does he only govern out of his vague feelings? Or to the best of his knowledge, which as Bluestem demonstrated in Republicans of genius: Newman falsely claims no governor ever vetoed a voter ID bill, seems absent a crumb of due diligence. Governing by comfort zone, anyone?

But I can't fault Kiffmeyer for that. Privileging one's comfort zone is a Kiffmeyer family value, after all. Kiffmeyer spouse Ralph, a mid-1980s one-term wonder, once tried to outlaw sex toys. Was his ill-fated legislative relief motivated by fear, loathing, envy or any combination of the three? I'm simply not close enough to the Kiffmeyers to judge.

Photo: Senator Scott Newman

Real Republicans of genius: Newman falsely claims no governor ever vetoed a voter ID bill

As a constituent in Scott Newman's district, I've learned that a little fact-checking goes a long way with the Hutchinson attorney turned lawmaker.

Take the one today during his press conference about a Voter ID amendment for the state constitution. Newman claimed that no governor anywhere had ever vetoed a Voter ID, and thus we need a constitutional change as a workaround.

A transcript of his remark:

There are a number of states that have voter ID laws already in place. To the best of my knowledge this is the first time a Governor has vetoed a voter ID bill. 

To Mr. Kessler's question about why do we need this, to be real honest I'm not buying into this notion that there isn't any voter fraud out there.  I'm buying into the notion that we don't know and this is certainly gonna be something that will help us find out whether or not it occurs or at least be a deterrent.

Newman claim about Dayton's veto being without precedence is simply false, while his faith-based notion that fraud exists quite silly. In fact, VoterID has been vetoed in the past, and since Newman doesn't seem to have bothered to get the facts about the issue for which he is proposing a constitutional remedy, I have to wonder who or what is actually driving this measure. 

While governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius vetoed a Voter ID bill on May 19, 2008. Think Progress reported at the time:

Today, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) vetoed a bill that would require voters starting in 2010 to show identification at the polls. In her veto message, she said, “[N]o elected official should support enacting new laws discouraging or disenfranchising any American who has been legally voting for years.” Sebelius added that the bill “seeks to solve a problem of voter fraud which does not exist in our state.”

Update: Reader Max Hailperin added this comment:

. . .Sebelius of Kansas is far from unique. You could add Doyle of Wisconsin, Henry of Oklahoma, Rendell of Pennsylvania, Lynch of New Hampshire, and Schweitzer of Montana. Maybe I'm missing someone. The really weird part is that Newman offered this claim unprompted; it wasn't in response to any question. [end update]

What's up with the renewed push to write solutions in search of problems into state law, a nationwide trend? Two days ago, the New York Times suggested a couple of reasons in They Want to Make Voting Harder?:

[eliminating early voting] is the latest element of a well-coordinated effort by Republican state legislators across the country to disenfranchise voters who tend to support Democrats, particularly minorities and young people.

The biggest part of that effort, imposing cumbersome requirements that voters have a government ID, has been painted as a response to voter fraud, an essentially nonexistent problem. . . . .

And the People for the American Way recently issued a report that looks at the group behind that national effort to change Voter ID and state election law.

A clip is coming from The Uptake (and thanks to Mike Mcintee for providing the transcript). Stay tuned. Update: and here it is:

 Bleg: If you enjoyed this commentary, please consider throwing some coin in Bluestem Prairie's tip jar during its early June bleg-o-thon. To learn more, read Bluestem Prairie preservation drive: help keep a different prairie voice publishing.

From Howe's Epistle to the Deadbeats: news of MNGOP debt "spreading through the political blogs"

Last night, Bluestem posted an entry looking at the last development in the sorry tale of the Republican Part of Minnesota's unpaid recount bills in Amid failed burrito baron's promises to pay counties, state senator rattles a tip jar while shaking its own begging bowl.

That's pixelated fish wrap now.

This morning, the Post Bulletin's Heather Carlson reports in Red Wing senator offers to help pay GOP'S recount bills to counties:

A Red Wing Republican senator is offering to donate money to help the Republican Party of Minnesota pay bills owed to several counties for last fall’s gubernatorial recount.

Sen. John Howe said it is time for the party to pay back these bills. In a letter he sent to members of the Republican caucus obtained by the Post-Bulletin, he wrote “ This is embarrassing and painfully indefensible. This damages us not just on the local level, but statewide as well. It is spreading through the political blogs, and must be a reason for much head shaking in water cooler conversations.” [emphasis added]

Asked about the letter, Howe said he never intended for it to be public.

Thank you, Post Bulletin, for sharing some of the deets in John Howe's epistle to the political deadbeats.

But there's more to the story that Carlson posted:

It appears that former GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer is also working to get the bills paid. Houston County Auditor Char Meiners said she was pleasantly surprised to get a call from Emmer on Monday asking for a copy of the bill telling her he was going to try and get it paid. The party owes Houston County $1,067. Emmer did not return a phone call seeking comment on Monday.

Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton said there is no need for Emmer or Howe to chip in. [emphasis added] He said the party sent out payments to eight counties last week. He said of the 87 counties in Minnesota, the party still owes money to 20 of them for a total of just under $20,000. Olmsted, Dodge and Mower counties are among those that have been paid back. He said the party plans to finish paying back counties shortly.

This is a fascinating development, especially that last paragraph. Earlier this spring, Bluestem had heard from conservative activists that Sutton was trying to get Emmer to paid for the bills with the money that remains in his gubernatorial campaign committee kitty.

Now I read in the Post Bulletin that Sutton doesn't feel the need for that, or for Howe's letter. Bluestem feels immense relief at learning that the rumors simply aren't true, not one single bit.

And Tony Sutton is a man of his word. The Post Bulletin reports:

The party owes $500,000 from the last election, which has made it tough to pay back the counties. Sutton did say a check for Houston County’s costs was sent out on Friday. As of Monday, the county had not yet received the check. . . .

Goodhue County Finance Director Carolyn Holmsten said they are still waiting for a check for $1,010 from the Republican Party of Minnesota. So far, she said their requests for payment have gone unanswered. . . .

It's a good thing to know, finally, that Sutton intends to clear this up and political blogs will no longer spread these stories.

Image: Bluestem is conducting a bleg, but please don't send us Tild's version of Tony Sutton's currency. Bluestem has plenty of those.

Related posts: Amid failed burrito baron's promises to pay counties, state senator rattles a tip jar

Winona Daily News spanks MNGOP for county recount fiscal irony

Failed boorish burrito baron's bills burden boonies

 Six months later, MNGOP failed burrito baron Sutton hasn't paid Brown County recount tab

The failed burrito baron bonus: MNGOP refries its beans about unpaid county recount copying

Mower County to Tony Sutton: Send us the $2,242 MNGOP owes for recount

New Madrid Fault moves north; or, Tony Sutton shakes it up in the Rochester Post Bulletin

"A lot of problems going on": Republican Party of Minnesota led way in letters from FEC

Google is not your friend; or, another winning strategy from MNGOP chair Tony Sutton

Career opportunities: Bridget Sutton is "no longer with" Baja Sol

Star Tribune finally notes Sutton-Baja split; Bluestem Prairie reported story March 7

 

Amid failed burrito baron's promises to pay counties, state senator rattles a tip jar

Bluestem Prairie has just learned it has competition for your coin as we near the seventh day of our bleg, or request for reader contributions.

The rival? Tony Sutton's Republican Party.

We knew times were tough, but an article in the Duluth News Tribune underscores just how tight money is. In GOP promises to repay counties’ recount costs, Forum Communications' veteran political writer Don Davis reports:

Republicans say they are paying what they owe Minnesota counties for information from last fall’s governor election recount.

“We have about 20 counties left to go,” GOP Chairman Tony Sutton said. “We have been chipping away on them.”

Sutton estimated that the party could finish paying its recount bills within four weeks. He said about $20,000 remains to be paid.

“It is about managing all the bills we have,” Sutton said.

The chairman answered questions about the issue Monday following a letter Sen. John Howe, R-Red Wing, sent to Republican legislative colleagues suggesting they contribute to pay the bills, although in an interview he thought just $3,000 to $4,000 remained.

“If we owe the money, we should pay it,” Howe said.

The first-year senator said he asked party officials more than a month ago whether a legislator or a campaign committee could make contributions. He said he had not heard back as of Monday.

Sutton, however, said that he has not talked to Howe for months and never heard the senator’s question.

The chairman said anyone can give to the party, and state campaign committees may donate to the party, although they could not earmark the contribution for any specific cause.

Why did Howe rattle the tip jar? Davis reports:

Howe said that the unpaid bills reflect poorly on the party and suggested that all 109 Republican lawmakers contribute.

Sutton said he would accept any donation.

Indeed.

Readers should respond to Howe and Sutton's appeals as they wish. And Bluestem will put the MNGOP's awkward moment to good use, and shamelessly shake our own begging bowl on the page. To our many generous readers who have already  contributed, many thanks. To those who can spare a dime, please consider contributing here.

To learn more, read Bluestem Prairie preservation drive: help keep a different prairie voice publishing.

Image: Please don't send us Tild's version of Tony's currency. Bluestem has plenty of those.

Related posts: Winona Daily News spanks MNGOP for county recount fiscal irony

Failed boorish burrito baron's bills burden boonies

 

Six months later, MNGOP failed burrito baron Sutton hasn't paid Brown County recount tab

The failed burrito baron bonus: MNGOP refries its beans about unpaid county recount copying

Mower County to Tony Sutton: Send us the $2,242 MNGOP owes for recount

New Madrid Fault moves north; or, Tony Sutton shakes it up in the Rochester Post Bulletin

"A lot of problems going on": Republican Party of Minnesota led way in letters from FEC

Google is not your friend; or, another winning strategy from MNGOP chair Tony Sutton

Career opportunities: Bridget Sutton is "no longer with" Baja Sol

Star Tribune finally notes Sutton-Baja split; Bluestem Prairie reported story March 7

Winona Daily News spanks MNGOP for county recount fiscal irony

Bluestem today willingly gives up any claims to Greater Minnesota Sass Champion to Darrell Ehrlick, editor of the Winona Daily News, who chastizes our Republican overlords in a Sunday editorial, Our view: GOP, practice what you preach:

Good grief. Where do we start? Let’s see ... what about the party that preaches fiscal responsibility running up debt and not paying it off?

Or what about the irony of wanting to cut “bloated” and “irresponsible” government, only to realize that those same nameless government workers are the people who run elections and recounts?

Oh yeah, then there’s election reform. There’s pretty rich irony there.

But maybe the most galling part is the same group of political operatives who demanded nearly immediate attention of countless government officials are the same people who now refuse to pay for those same services. . . .

. . .A report in Wednesday’s Daily News shows the party is still about a half-million short of cash, and owes three southern Minnesota counties a combined $3,000 for the recount efforts. .  .

. . .State Republican lawmakers have urged the state to live within its means. That may be good advice, but it becomes cheapened — if not discredited — when the same party can’t live within its own means. . . 

Perhaps the best sentence? Noting that the MNGOP also trashes the public employees who quickly and professionally did the work for which failed burrito baron and Republican state party chair Tony Sutton still has to pay (out of whatever fund he's drawing that cash from):

It becomes insulting when the same party that seems to look askance on any public sector employee then won’t realize that the people who helped gather all the information in such an efficient and timely manner were the very ones the party seemed intent on vilifying.

Tired of staid, Voice-of-God editorials? Start reading those in the WDN. I don't agree with all of the paper's positions (example: right to work laws) but I've never dozed off while reading them, even when I think they miss the mark. A definite contender for a BSP Hickster Award, for this is what early summer in rural Minnesota is all about: tender baby greens, rhubarb, peonies and Darrell Ehrlick unleashing a can of Sunday morning whoop-ass.

Related post: Failed boorish burrito baron's bills burden boonies

Image: The Divine Tild's Sutton peso note keeps circulating. True genius.  Someone give this woman a gallery show.

From the fascinating FEC reports of the Republican Party of Minnesota: of counties, committees, and candidates

Following up on the Star Tribune article that the Republican Party of Minnesota still owes thirty of Minnesota's counties money for recount costs, the Winona Daily News took a look closer to home and discovered GOP still owes counties for 2010 recount:

Winona County and its two southern neighbors are still trying to collect money from the state Republican Party  nearly six months after party officials requested 2010 election documents for the governor’s race recount.

Winona, Fillmore and Houston counties have all sent multiple inquiries to GOP headquarters in St. Paul, seeking a combined $3,000 for staff time and copy costs related to election documents requested after Gov. Mark Dayton eked a slim victory over Republican challenger Tom Emmer last November.

“I’m not real happy about it,” said Sue Rivers, Winona County’s  auditor and treasurer. “We did the work and expected to be paid. It took time for us to do all of that.”

Once again, failed burrito baron and MNGOP Chair Tony Sutton noted that the Republicans were saddled by $500,000 in debt related to the 2010 election.

Since Minnesota's campaign finance laws only require all sorts of state-level committees to report at the end of the year, it's hard for several reasons to get an idea of what the Republicans still owe and what they've paid--although there was a positive balance on their state account. The payments that are owed to the counties do not show up on this report, and thus must be coming from that other fund for the recount that Sutton named back in February, noted by MPR in MNGOP won't disclose recount fundraising:

The Republican Party of Minnesota and Republican Tom Emmer's campaign for governor will not disclose the money it raised to help with the recount. Minnesota Republican Party Chair Tony Sutton said today that the group created a separate corporate account, Count Them All Properly Inc., for their recount efforts. He said they won't disclose the amount of money raised or by whom -- and state and federal laws don't require them to release it.

That's on the state side. The gubernatorial race, after all, is a state-level affair.

But the party also reports to the FEC every month, so it's possible to see debts to the RPM's federal account month by month. Only some of this interesting, and none of it is related to the money owed to the counties, save that it is likely that Tony Sutton and his fundraising staff have to raise money for all three accounts.

What is interesting, however, are the debts and payments to consultant Dave Thompson, who is also a high-profile freshman state senator. While running for state senate, Thompson seems to have been paid or  contracted for $3750.00 a month. In the amended 2010 end-of-year report filed on April 25, 2011, Thompson's name appears on the list of people and businesses to whom the Republican party owes money. In this iteration of the year-end debt, Tony Sutton's federal account owed senator-elect Dave Thompson $7500 for "General Party Media Consulting."

He  also had another politically-related job. Back in June 2010, PIM's Paul Demko reported that Thompson was pulling double-duty, serving as communications director for CD7 challenger Lee Byberg. Byberg's own FEC statements show that the congressional campaign appears to be on a separate contract; Byberg paid Thompson $1500 in early October. Perhaps Thompson was doing triple duty: candidate, congressional campaign comm director and general party media consultant (whatever that is).

In the next amended report  for the RPM(Febuary 2011), also filed on April 25, 2011, Dave Thompson was owed $18750.00 during the month of January. Thus, one might infer that the Republican Party of Minnesota retained Senator Thompson for $11,250 worth of additional services for "General Party Media Consulting." Thompson was not paid in January 2011 though March 2011 for any of the 2010 debt.

This changes in the May report, which details financial activity during April 2011. Thompson received two equal payments during April for the $7500 owed for 2010, when he was a candidate and consultant, while the $11,250 of consulting work from January 2011 remains charged as a debt.

I'll leave the questions of what it means for a political party to hire a candidate during a campaign for people more versed in campaign ethics than myself. 

What's troubling here, though, is not just that the RPM can manage to pay off one of its own, while simultaneously preaching about cities and counties living within their means--and not paying bills to Minnesota counties for work it insisted had to be done. It's that Thompson performed $11,250 worth of work in the few days in January before he was sworn into office--and that the Republican Party thought this was special enough not to tighten its belt and live within its means, but worthy enough to rack up more bills as if on an extended New Year's bender.

Although he campaigned on cutting spending, Thompson had so far taken the max allowable amount of per diem, PIM's Briana Bierschbach reported in late April.

An assistant majority leader in the senate although a freshman, Thompson has been a high-profile figure in Senate Majority leader Michael Brodkorb's caucus. It's fair to say that not even Michele Bachmann commanded such attention as a first-term legislator (and she was very much disliked immediately with the caucus, I've been told by lawmakers and  former GOP staff alike). I think this is a bigger problem internally for the GOP than it is a public concern, however irritating the triple-dipping might be.

Still, the activity sends a signal to Thompson's constituents that he is more interested in serving party goals than representing the public he serves. It bolsters the point Tom Bakk made about the GOP lawmakers' cult  (and Thompson seems to be making that faith work for his own career, however late the checks may arrive).

It's most likely all legal-- though there might be so much dancing going on here it could be an ecstasy-laced rave at old man Drazkowski's farm--but the paper trail of payments and per diems undercuts the messages about austerity that Thompson was hired to craft during the campaigns and after. This is, after all, the caucus run by a communications director who is also deputy MNGOP state chair.

Oh, and it's good to be senator. (But not a county, even those that vote Republican).

Bleg: Like what you're reading? Throw a few coins in Bluestem's tip jar for the blog's June reader support drive. Need more information? Read all about it here.

Photo: State Senator Dave Thompson.

Tell me where's your heart: remembering Cpl. Andrew Wilfahrt

On this Memorial Day, I'm remembering those who defended my country, and those who died for it.

One story that's moved me this spring strikes at the core of what it means to be an American, to love this country, to honor its values: the death of Cpl. Andrew Wilfahrt and his family's standing up for equality for all people. Andrew Wilfahrt was a gay man; this was the least interesting thing about him. What those who served with him remember is a soldier who was there for his fellow soldiers. He's buried now in the national cemetery at Fort Snelling, along with one of my own uncles who died in the Malmedy Massacre and with hundreds of others who served their country.

Wilfahrt's life and death became an emblem of equality in in recent debates over a bill to amend the Minnesota constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Those opposing the bill--and now the amendment--have risen to rare eloquence, none more than that of a Republican freshman legislator who lost the lower part of his legs in Iraq when an IED exploded.

In this video, John Kriesel points toward protesters chanting during this statement, saying that that America was the one he had fought for. I'd like to believe that this is where Andrew's heart is, in the America that includes everyone, and values everyone, but there are others, equally American, who believe otherwise. This is their right; some may even object to the posting of this video on Memorial Day. That, too, is their right.

My beloved state now faces a debate and a fight over fundamentals: who we are, what we love, how a society will recognize that love, and what love will matter. This Memorial Day, I'm siding with the Wilfahrt family and Representative John Kriesel, a straight, married, conservative man, in saying Yes to a society which respects love, and on Election Day in November 2012, saying "Hell No!" to those who would deny equality for Andrew and everyone. I'd prefer that no one's fundamental rights and dignity be put up for a vote, but since vote I must, it's "Hell No."

Thank you, John Kriesel. Thank you, Jeff and Lori Wilfahrt. And thank you, Andrew Wilfahrt.

For more information about Andrew Wilfahrt's service, watch this Youtube from the Courage Campaign.

Thumbs down: Marriage amendment getting Minnesota's crazy on

The Mankato Free Press isn't weighing on the merits of the marriage inequality amendment in today's short "Thumb's Down" editorial, but the "unnecessary, uncontrollable activism" we'll see.

 In Gay marriage debate bound to get crazy, they argue that it will be enough to make both sides pour out crackers from their Cheez-It boxes, stop at a craft supplies store, and head to the lege for some shiny crazy:

Thumbs down

To all the unnecessary, uncontrollable, over-the-top activist-inspired attention Minnesota is about to receive because of the proposed constitutional amendment to limit marriage in this state to opposite-sex couples.

Without going into whether the Republicans’ determination to bring the issue to voters is a good one, few of us will look forward to the heightened emotions sure to test Minnesotans’ patience before it’s all over.

Emotions are already getting a bit raw. On Thursday, crowds swelled at the Capitol to chime in on a House vote that hadn’t even taken place yet. . . .

This is problem easily solved. Let's call the whole thing off, Kurt Zellers.

Mower County gets paid by the MNGOP; party owed $31,000 to counties three weeks ago

Friends have been wondering how big the checks have to be that failed burrito baron and current MNGOP chair Tony Sutton needs to cut to Minnesota counties in order to pay off long-overdue recount costs.

A probable answer comes from behind the paid subscribers firewall at the Austin version of the Post Bulletin in the article County receives GOP payment, lesson:

As of three weeks ago, 31 counties still hadn't been reimbursed by the GOP, said Sharon Anderson, auditor/treasurer of Cass County. The total owed is about $31,000.[emphasis added]

The GOP still owes Cass County nearly $1,800.

"We have not received it," Anderson said Tuesday. "I've dropped that ball for the last couple of weeks; the reason I put that ball away is because our leadership spoke with the state party chair and the accountant and at least had a verbal assurance that as funds were raised, counties would get paid."

It's been frustrating, she admitted, but said she's been in regular contact with the Cass County attorney.

"I've lost patience," Anderson said. "I don't feel politically at liberty to go any further than the county administrators want."

Her position is an appointed one, unlike many of the state's auditor-treasurer roles.

Anderson hasn't spoken with Tony Sutton, the Republican Party chairman.

"Our leadership and association did the homework," she said, "and their advice to us is to keep sending the bill every month. I'm going to suggest to our county board that we should be invoking an interest charge on those late accounts."

Now, that figure is three weeks old, and presumably Sutton has paid a few more bills. Has he made a specific ask to contributors--or maybe to statewide Republican candidates who had money left in their kitties at the end of 2010? Say Pat Anderson's $3283 or Dan Severson's $8781?

That's a state fund, and if I understand things correctly, "Doc" can't roll the bucks over into a federal campaign committee if the charming Navy airman decides to sacrifice himself as the Official 2012 Republican U.S. Senate candidate to challenge centrist Amy Klobuchar.

There's that other guy's 2010 money, too, but he may have other plans for the fund.

But perhaps Sutton's mind is  preoccupied with more immediate matters. The Star Tribune reports in GOP activists are questioning state chairman:

A bitter divide in the state Republican Party over expanded gambling has activists saying they want a closer look at the party chairman's ties to the anti-gambling group he helps lead and the tribal money that funds it.

Republican leaders want Party Chairman Tony Sutton to explain how GOP activists on a closely held party database began receiving e-mails from Citizens Against Gambling Expansion, a group funded in part by American Indian casino operators opposed to gambling expansion.

"If Sutton wants to be part of CAGE, then he's going to have to answer questions," said John Gilmore, a St. Paul Republican who supports Sutton.

Sutton said Wednesday there's no proof CAGE even has the list. The group's chairman, Republican operative Jack Meeks, said the group built its own database over the past several years.

"We don't give anybody the list," said Sutton, a CAGE board member. He said the latest accusations are part of a "smear campaign" by those who want to expand gambling.

Sutton and the GOP are between a couple of rocks; I will not speculate about the hard places, as we simply aren't that close.

Image: Tild's take from last summer still has currency.

Horses & committeewomen: Pat Anderson, new RNC member, runs with the wolves (and ponies)

Back in the waning days of the 20th century, the distaff version of poet Robert Bly's drumming guys Iron John movement was the archetype of the wild woman, Women Who Run With The Wolves.

Now making a run for those roses: former auditor and newly-minted RacinoNow lobbyist, Pat Anderson, who was just elected RNC committeewoman by the Republican Party of Minnesota State Central Committee.

What's the problem? As Bluestem explained in Disturbance at the elephant house: MNGOP party platform purity tests RNC candidates, a post about Ben Golnik dropping out in the RNC, there's that litle thing about no public financing of stadiums and no expansion of gambling in the MNGOP party platform. In various incarnations, the racino, an expansion of gaming, has been connected with funding sports facilities. (But as we all know now, funding for that must come from extending the sales tax to some clothing and putting a surcharge on some of Minnesota's high income earners on the part of the no-new taxes party).

But I disgress.

MPR reports in Pat Anderson now a racino lobbyist:

Minnesota's newly elected Republican National committeewoman may have already stepped off the party platform. Patricia Anderson, formerly the State Auditor and now a lobbyist, has added Canterbury Park and its racino efforts to her lobbying portfolio.

That's in spite of a party position against gambling in Minnesota. Here's the relevant section of the 2010 party platform.

We seek to eliminate all state-sponsored gambling and oppose any expansion of gambling in Minnesota. In regards to casinos already in place, current gambling laws should be changed so that Minnesota is allowed to tax profits and revenue of tribal casino gambling in the state.

Anderson registered with Canterbury via email over the weekend. She isn't officially listed on the state Campaign Finance Board website, but the board processed her filing this morning, according to staffer Patricia Waller, and Anderson confirmed she'd signed on with Canterbury.

My, oh my. Anderson is unapologetic, because a racino allowed at just one or two specific sites is, after all, free enterprise. You go, girl! Adam Smith, rapidly spinning in his grave, will take the first purse for that one.

RPM Uber-werewolf   deputy chair, Michael Brodkorb, isn't having a good day. MPR reports:

Deputy chair Michael Brodkorb said he thought the party faithful that elected her at the state central committee meeting earlier this month would be unpleasantly surprised by her new duties. He thinks she probably would have best brought this up during her campaign for the RNC.

"She is not starting off her time as national committeewoman in a very strong way," Brodkorb said. "There is an expectation that a national committeewoman can work with people and effectively communicate, and I don't think she's done a good job in this situation. I think she's got some work to do with relationships and internal discussions on these things. But ulimately, it's a conflict."

He stopped short of saying the party would take formal action against Anderson, although he did point out that she's only serving out the last year of Evie Axdahl's term, and will be back before the party sooner, rather than later. But he suggested the situation ought to resolve itself before it came to that.

"Look, I'm not saying by any stretch of imagination that she shouldn't be able to go out and work," Brodkorb said, "but the reality is that she has taken a position and handled this in such a way that I think she's ultimately going to have to make a choice. I don't believe that she can do both."

already, one RPM activist has posted I Agree With Brodkorb, Pat Anderson Must Choose.

Another plot twist in the wild woman story: one of the things that was used against unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer was his registration as a lobbyist for a professional group that is perceived to stand in opposition to Republican principles. PIM's Charley Shaw reported in RNC upset: Johnson spanks Emmer on one ballot:

Lobbying job drew resentment

Emmer’s lackadaisical bid for RNC surprised many Republicans, because the race did feature substantive accusations directed at Emmer over lobbying, campaign funding decisions and media.

The lobbying issue stemmed from the announcement this winter that Emmer had registered to lobby for the Minnesota Radiation Oncology Physicians. That rankled many Republicans - not only because Emmer was turning to lobbying, a profession not much favored among the GOP base, but because of the side he landed on. MROP has spent years lobbying to block the efforts of another group to construct a new radiation facility in the Twin Cities. In signing on with them, Emmer was thought by many to be turning his back on Republican faith in free markets and competition - and on a specific party platform plank that called for more competition as the path to health care savings.

As a legislator, Emmer voted to lift the moratorium on new radiation facilities. His choice to represent the other side as a lobbyist was a subject of discussion at State Central. The only critical piece of literature to circulate on the State Central floor, which was distributed by Tea Party activist and former legislative candidate Nathan Hansen, lambasted Emmer for lobbying for MROP.

And which faction used this to defeat Emmer? Why, the "anti-purity" people who want to win and don't like losers, by picking a guy who lost  a couple races, including his AG race to Lori Swanson in 2006 by a margin Mark Dayton would envy.

Buy yourselves a tasty soft pretzel, gentle readers, and enjoy the logic of the show.

Photo: Platus's observation, Homo homini lupus, nussles its way in RPM politics.

The failed burrito baron bonus: MNGOP refries its beans about unpaid county recount copying

It seems like Bluestem has been posting and posting and posting about how the Republican Party of Minnesota hasn't paid its recount copying bills to Minnesota counties. The first entry, KEYC-Mankato investigates: MNGOP owes So. MN counties for election data requests was posted back on December 3, 2010.

The last two BSP posts? April 14th's Failed burrito baron and party boss Tony Sutton stiffs counties, looks to MNGOP to stuff tortilla and April 17th's Mankato Free Press gives thumbs down to MNGOP for stiffing counties on recount expenses.

 

Last Friday, April 22, the Mankato Free Press reported in Counties awaiting Republican payments:

Some area counties continue to wait for money owed them by the Republican Party of Minnesota for document-copying costs following November’s gubernatorial election.

Martin County is still owed $350, Nicollet County is owed $1,300 and Sibley County is waiting on $1,623.. ..

Republican Party Chairman Tony Sutton told The Free Press last week that the party is short on cash but is paying off counties as it gets money to do so. He said all will eventually be reimbursed.

At the party’s request Nicollet County copied 3,000 pages of documents, but not before a party attorney threatened the county with a lawsuit if the documents weren’t received by a set date....

The story's been picked up by the AP, Minnpost and blogs like MPP, which boldly notes that "GOPers are always demanding "fiscal responsibility" - of OTHERS."

What we may have here is a failure to communicate. When failed burrito baron Tony Sutton was re-elected as Republican Party of Minnesota chair, RNC chairman Reince Priebus praised Sutton:

Chairman Sutton knows there is more work to be done fighting for Minnesota jobs, fiscal responsibility . . .

Given his success with the implosion of Baja Sol's franchising operations and the tortoise pace of re-paying the counties, Bluestem couldn't agree more that Chairman Sutton has to do more work to fight for jobs and fiscal responsibility. I hope he knows what work needs to be done and what he should do.

Recount: MNGOP promises to pay Olmsted County $3,050 and Mower County $2,424 soon

  The Rochester Post Bulletin reports in Recount costs to be paid soon, Republicans say:

Unpaid bills owed to Olmsted and Mower counties from last year's governor's race recount are set to be paid soon, state Republican Party chairman Tony Sutton said.

"The checks ... are going out before the end of next week," Sutton said. "By the end of the month, they'll have their payment."

The party owes Olmsted County $3,050 and Mower County $2,424 for their costs of retrieving, preparing and sending voter data requested by Republicans for the election recount. . . .

. . .County Election Administrator Pam Fuller turned over the matter to Tom Canan in the Olmsted County attorney's office this week. Canan spoke with a party official on Wednesday.

"We got a promise they're going to take care of (the bill) in the near future," he said. "We're hoping they will."

Earlier in March, the Post Bulletin had reported that the Republican Party's failed burrito baron and Chair Tony Sutton had blown a gasket when asked about the money owed to Mower County.

Prior reports in the Post Bulletin didn't include news of money the Republican Party of Minnesota owed to Olmsted County.

Mower County auditor voted for Emmer: "It's not like this is a partisan issue"

A kind friend in Rochester sent me the rest of the Post Bulletin story, GOP hands Mower County an IOU. A couple of interesting items emerge from behind the paid firewall:

"I have a duty to the taxpayers of Minnesota who expended these funds," [Mower County auditor/treasurer Doug} Groh said. "We were abiding by their wishes and accommodating (the GOP). I shouldn't have to spend my time for four months" to collect payment."We just want to get paid for something we did. It's not like this is a partisan issue. I voted for Emmer."[emphasis added]

And the other county having trouble collecting?  Post Bulletin staff writer Kay Fate reports:

Sharon Anderson, auditor/treasurer of Cass County, said the GOP owes Cass County nearly $1,800 and that the county's experience is similar to Mower County's. Some counties required a full or partial payment from both campaigns up front.

Why is a public servant and an Emmer voter being accused of "blackmail" by the chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota? As Groh explains it:

"Since December, I've had repeated conversations about when we'll get paid," said Doug Groh, auditor/treasurer of Mower County. "I had no problem with the Democrats paying, but the Republicans are fudging, because they're short of money — that's what I was told in December."

Since then, Groh said, he's been told the invoice was lost and, on three occasions, that the check was in the mail. Payment never arrived.

"We acted promptly, produced these documents they requested, added to our workload, and they don't want to pony up for the payment," Groh said....[emphasis in original online source].

"A lot of problems going on": Republican Party of Minnesota led way in letters from FEC

This week's public meltdown by MNGOP Chair and failed burrito baron Tony Sutton on the pages of the Post Bulletin lends added irony to a another unrelated story published earlier in the week by Roll Call.

Sutton stamped his little foot,  accused a Mower county official of tryong to "blackmail" him  and whined to PB reporter Kay Fate, saying:

"It's hard to raise money. It's a recession; it's the winter-time, and we're doing the best we can. They're going to get paid, that's going to happen."

On Monday, Roll Call reported in FEC Has Many Queries for Members:

A handful of Members of Congress have among them received hundreds of complaints from the Federal Election Commission about inaccuracies in their campaign finance reports over the past several years, far beyond the average of most campaigns. . . .

. . .It is not just individual campaigns that receive questions from the FEC. Including political action committees, joint fundraising committees and other campaign entities, the commission has sent out 48,000 requests for clarification in the past seven years.

“That is an alarming number,” said Craig Holman, a lobbyist for Public Citizen who monitors campaign finance laws. “When there are that many letters, it also strongly suggests that there are a lot of problems going on.”

Leading the way was the Republican Party of Minnesota with 153 letters since 2003.

“We went through a couple different accounting people and they frankly made mistakes in our reports,” state party Chairman Tony Sutton said. “It was kind of a headache to go through all of that but we fixed those mistakes and hopefully it is all behind us.”

Sutton's involvement with party finances during these years is chronicled by MNObserver here at the Cucking Stool. and his wizardry at running Baja Sol into the ground isreviewed by Phoenix Woman in a series of posts at FDL, including the classic, Tough Times at Tony Sutton’s Turkey Farm.

It's so hard to get good help these days.

Related: Read MNPublius's take on the Mower County episode here.