We submit for your consideration the case of Rev. Paul Ibisch, of LaCrescent and (sometimes) Mapleton. On July 21, the good reverend posted a comment on an article contrasting Brian Davis's and Dick Day's fundraising in Q2 2008 that began:
"I hope Sen. Dick Day will reconsider challenging Brian in a primary. I
like Dick, and think he is a great state senator. He can quote chapter
and verse about everything in state government. However, Dick has not
convinced people that he can do the same on the federal level."
The Republican Party at the state convention made clear by their
endorsement of Dr. Brian Davis on the first ballot (over an excellent
state politician) that Brian is best suited to represent our district.
Dick Day avoided embarrassment at the convention by not participating.
Demanding a primary may result in a greater embarrassment for Dick.
Brian Davis ideas are energizing voters across the district. People are
willing to back him. Brian Davis will make us proud we sent him to
Congress. "
Ibisch repeated that sentiment word-for-word in a letter published by the Albert Lea Tribune on July 29 that included the passage:
. . .I hope state Sen. Dick Day will reconsider challenging Brian in a
primary. I like Dick, and think he is a great state senator. He can
quote chapter and verse about everything in state government. However,
Dick has not convinced people that he can do the same on the federal
level.
The Republican Party at the state convention made clear by their
endorsement of Dr. Brian Davis on the first ballot (over an excellent
state politician) that Brian is best-suited to represent our district.
Dick Day avoided embarrassment at the convention by not participating.
Demanding a primary may result in a greater embarrassment for Dick.. . .
Slightly over a month later, Ibisch isn't so positive, or motivated by concern that Day might be embarrassed in the primary. He writes in a letter to the Winona Daily News:
Do yourself, Minnesota and our nation a favor, and vote for Brian Davis on Sept. 9. . . .
. . .Although Brian
Davis was endorsed as the Republican candidate, his opponent, Dick Day,
knew how to get around the endorsement.
Dick
is betting you’ll stay home on Sept. 9, and he will be able to get the
people from Owatonna and Waseca to turn out for him. Dick isn’t risking
anything, because he knows his state Senate seat is safe whether he
wins or loses. Is that what we need in Washington? Isn’t the real
problem that Washington is already full of crafty politicians? They
manage to get elected, but don’t have a clue how to solve the problems. . . .
That's possibly one of the quickest evolution creations of a "crafty politician" from a "great state senator" in Minnesota political history. Guess Ibisch doesn't like Tricky Dick.
And we're frankly puzzled by the idea that "Dick isn't risking anything" because his state senate seat is safe. We imagine Brian Davis has some job security at the Mayo Clinic--our inside sources tell us he's a pretty doggone good cancer doctor.
A National Journal headline caught our eye: House Races Heat Up Twin Cities when it Mr. Google sent it our way. Given that headline, we figured we'd be reading about the red-hot race in MN-03 that Ash Madia is running, with a dash of the Mr. El and Michele show. The lead looked promising [emphasis added]:
The presidential race isn't the only contest heating up the Twin
Cities. No less than three congressional races in Minneapolis and its
outlying suburbs are competitive this year, and they offer a microcosm
of the national political landscape. . .
Cool, we thought. Steve Sarvi as well.
. . .In one contest, the parties are battling over an open seat; in another,
a Republican incumbent is fending off a tough Democratic challenge; and
in the third, a Democratic incumbent is on the defensive.
That puzzled us, then we laughed out loud to learn that this Twin Cities suburban district is none other than our beloved Southern Minnesota:
Meanwhile, two area House freshmen are facing big challenges come
Election Day. In the 1st District, which includes the southernmost part
of the state, Democratic Rep. Tim Walz has drawn a serious challenger. Walz upset six-term Republican Rep. Gil Gutknecht two years ago, 53 percent to 47 percent.
Articles like this make us happy that the National Geographic Education Foundation gave Congressman Walz the "Geography Legislator of the Year" in honor of his "commitment to promoting improved geographic literacy." The National Journal needs some geography lessons.
The First isn't a suburban district that "includes the southernmost part of the state," dear National Journal staff, it is the southern tier of counties. It's not a suburb of Minneapolis, however outlying it might be.
We're also wondering why the staff thought this race is a "big challenge":
This time, his likely Republican challenger is Brian Davis, an oncologist at the Mayo Clinic, who won the state party's endorsement in March. However, state Sen. Dick Day,
who lost out on the GOP nod, is still hoping to defeat Davis in next
week's primary. Both emphasize their conservative principles and a
desire to restrain Washington spending. Although Walz's district leans
Republican, The Cook Political Report has rated this race "likely Democratic."
Pretty much every other political handicapper has done so as well, with the exception of CQ Politics, which puts it in the "leans Democratic" column. (The Mankato Free Press's Mark Fischenich put together a good review of the rankings last week; see the material under the subheading "A competitive race").
Incumbent Walz reported around $250,000 (two-thirds from individual contributors), putting his August 20 cash on hand at $1,263,829. By that date, Walz's grassroots army of volunteers had knocked on 60,000 doors and made 100,000 phone calls.
The "big challenge" here maybe the geographically challenged media itself. We recommend that the DC press corps come out to Southern Minnesota and check it out: Rochester's booming medical metropolis, the growing sustainability movement in Southeastern Minnesota's driftless area, the hopping college towns of Winona, Mankato, and St. Peter, the wind industry gleaning power from the very air across district, the Mayberry-esque small towns, the packing towns of Austin and Worthington, the history. . .
And some of the best beer in the country from Schell's in New Ulm. Two hours away from the airport--pick a designated driver, please.
Photo: Our mom's hometown of Madelia, Pride of the Prairie, and Minneapolis's newest outlying suburb.
We were looking up the email address of an old college friend who has spent the last dozen years or so working as a journalist in Alaska. Why not contact Bill, our thinking went, and see what he thought about his adopted state's governor.
We hadn't had contact since the spring, when we'd asked him a question about his grandmother, who is reputed to be the model for Jane Dalton in Richard Wright's Native Son. The email address we had didn't seem to be working.
August 12, 2008, Fairbanks, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today
announced the appointment of Bill McAllister as Communications Director
and Press Secretary.
“We are fortunate to have someone of Bill’s caliber joining our
team,” Governor Palin said. “His talent, intelligence and incredible
gift of communicating with the public will serve Alaska well. I am
pleased he will be part of our efforts to build an effective,
responsive and positive branch of government.”
McAllister recently served as the Capitol bureau chief for KTUU-TV
from 2004 to 2008. He has also worked as a political reporter for the
Juneau Empire, the Alaska Budget Report and KTOO-TV. His work has been
recognized by the Alaska Press Club, the Alaska Broadcasters
Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. McAllister
also covered politics in Minnesota for the St. Cloud Times and the St.
Paul Legal Ledger.
“I had been covering politics for most of the past 30 years, from
Capitol Hill to the Iowa caucuses to the city council in Winona,
Minnesota,” McAllister said. “As an Alaskan now for more than 11 years,
I’m honored to be part of an administration that’s making a pivotal
change for the better in how state government is conducted.”
McAllister received a bachelor’s degree in mass communications in
1978 from Hamline University. He resides in Anchorage with his wife and
three children.
Entertaining historical tidbit: while working for the St. Cloud Times, McAllister broke the story of Arlan Stangland's marital infidelity--a story that led to the election of Collin Peterson. We're betting that McAllister, old friendship or not, won't give us any dish on his new boss.
Another old grad school friend played point guard against her in high school. Small world.
Irony is a powerful thing. Less than 24 hours ago, the Army Times published Groups decry DoD ‘betrayal’ of vets. We're reprinting the entire article rather than have readers miss a single nuance [emphasis added throughout the text]:
In a letter going out to members of Congress next week, the
directors of two major veterans’ groups say the Pentagon’s personnel
chief has intentionally withheld benefits from wounded service members.
“We
need your immediate assistance to help end the Defense Department’s
deliberate, systemic betrayal of every brave American who [dons] the
uniform and stands in harm’s way,” states the letter, signed by David
Gorman, executive director of Disabled American Veterans, and Paul
Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of
America.
“Sadly, the 2007 Walter Reed scandal, which resulted
mostly from poor oversight and inadequate leadership, pales in
comparison to what we view as the deliberate manipulation of the law”
by David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and
readiness, and his deputies, the letter states.
Kerry Baker,
legislative director for Disabled American Veterans, said Chu sent out
a memorandum in March redefining which injuries qualify as
“combat-related.”
The definition is important because Section
1646 of the 2008 Defense Authorization Act said service members with
combat-related disabilities no longer must pay back any disability
retirement severance they receive from the Defense Department before
they become eligible for disability compensation from the Department of
Veterans Affairs, as has been the case under longstanding policy.
The
policy affects service members who receive a disability rating of 20
percent or less from the Defense Department, and thus receive a
severance payment rather than lifetime disability retirement pay.
Baker
said he has seen cases in which, for example, a veteran receives a
$30,000 severance payment from the Pentagon, uses it for medical care
or education, and then, even if subsequently awarded a full 100 percent
disability rating by VA, must pay the $30,000 back first before he can
draw any VA compensation.
Baker
said this leaves many veterans who may not be able to work in a
quagmire of debt. DAV and IAVA think no veteran should have to pay back
money he or she earned before becoming eligible for VA benefits, but
they still see the new law extending such waivers to veterans with
combat-related disabilities as a step forward.
Under a separate
program called Combat Related Special Compensation, which eliminates
the offset in retired pay required of some retirees who also receive VA
disability compensation, “combat related” is defined as any injury or
illness incurred in a combat zone or performing tasks related to
combat, such as training for deployment or hazardous assignments like
jumping out of airplanes.
But according to Chu’s memo, the
definition of “combat related” for the purposes of the new severance
pay waiver is limited only to those injured in a combat zone in the
line of duty or as a direct result of armed conflict.
In June,
Defense Department spokeswoman Eileen Lainez told Military Times that
Chu did not remake the definition to save money, as Baker has charged.
“Saving
money was not the driver in the implementation,” she said in an e-mail.
“The statutory intent of [the law] clearly and appropriately focuses
the ‘enhanced disability severance’ to those service members where the
unfitting condition is a result of direct participation and
participation of duty in the war effort.”
She also noted that the law on repaying severance money left it to the secretary of defense to define “combat related.”
But
three lawmakers have told Military Times that their interpretation puts
Baker in the right and Chu in the wrong — that they expected the
Defense Department to adopt the existing definition used for the CRSC
program.
“The Department of Defense appears to be interpreting
this law in the most narrow and tightfisted way possible,” said Rep.
Timothy Walz, D-Minn., a House Veterans Affairs Committee member. “I am
disappointed that [the department] is implementing this policy in a way
that makes as few veterans as possible eligible for the benefit.”
After
Walz weighed in, DAV sent a letter to Chu asking for an explanation.
William Carr, one of Chu’s senior deputies, responded in a letter dated
Aug. 14 by saying the intent “was to direct the enhanced benefit to
those hurt in combat.”
“Such an approach is consistent with our
strong belief that there must be a special distinction for those who
incur disabilities while participating in the risk of combat, in
contrast with those injured otherwise,” Carr wrote.
But Baker,
and the authors of the new letter, continue to insist that
congressional intent was not to make a special distinction that leaves
out service members hurt in activities defined as “combat related”
under other programs.
“The law defines such disabilities as those
caused by armed conflict, instrumentalities of war, hazardous service
and conditions simulating war,” Gorman and Rieckhoff wrote. “The
[Defense Authorization Act] did not change these definitions; in fact,
it reinforced them, and it added disabilities incurred ‘in the line of
duty in a combat zone.’ ”
The letter states that Chu “lacks the authority to change the will of Congress.”
In
an interview with Military Times, Baker laid out cases of veterans
already affected by the new memo. A female soldier in her 30s, who
asked that her name not be used, dove for cover into a pile of rocks in
Iraq during a mortar attack wearing full battle rattle — Kevlar and
body armor that can weigh 20 pounds.
Afterwards, she suffered a
fused spine and had to have her hips replaced, all of which her doctors
said was directly attributable to her dive to safety.
“The rating
was good, but they said it was not combat-related,” Baker said. “You
can see Chu’s memo confusing the issue. This is a disease process that
began in Iraq in the line of duty.”
In a second case, Marine Cpl.
James Dixon incurred a traumatic brain injury from a roadside bomb on
his third tour in Iraq. He has headaches, insomnia, short-term memory
loss, hearing loss and post-traumatic stress disorder.
According to the Pentagon, “the disability did not result from a combat-related injury,” Baker said.
Dixon’s
ruling was changed on appeal, but Baker said there should have been no
question to begin with about whether his injuries were combat-related.
Army
Sgt. Richard Manoukian served two combat tours, but when he was
diagnosed with PTSD and bipolar disorder after he tried to commit
suicide — as well as suffering a spine disability after a hard
helicopter landing in Kuwait — the Defense Department called his
injuries “not combat related,” Baker said.
“The list of cases
like this is reprehensible and growing every day,” Gorman and Rieckhoff
wrote in their letter. “Moreover, if cases like these are ruled not
combat-related, then one can only imagine how many other less obvious
cases are suffering the same fate.”
They asked Congress to look
into how many cases have been ruled not combat-related under Chu’s memo
and have them reviewed by a group independent of the Pentagon.
“Congress
should then take immediate action to ensure DoD upholds the plain and
unambiguous language of the law,” they wrote. “Most of these service
members have no representation in the military disability evaluation
system and are therefore unaware of the benefits stolen from them —
they are depending on you.”
I attended a meeting with Rep. Tim Walz and Sen. Amy Klobuchar on
veterans issues. I had to leave early and did not get to state my
thanks for how well vets and the troops have been treated in recent
years. I also wanted to point out vets are citizens and taxpayers who
do not want pandering and seeking to buy their votes with tax funds. . . .
that's ironic.
As a member of the House Veterans Affairs committee, Congressman Walz has consistently gone to bat for America's military
personnel and veterans--from making sure those National Guard members
heading to Kosovo received combat pay, to fighting to update the G.I.
bill for educational benefits, to introducing legislation to address
problems created by traumatic brain injury and working to make sure the
watchdog agency within the VA receives the funds it needs to root out
waste.
Does Schleck define any of this activity as pandering or buying votes? Schleck brought it up--he should supply the details. Perhaps Brian Davis--who has been largely silent on veterans issues--might actually break that sphinx-like reserve and discuss some details about where he stands on vets issues himself. Doing a rotation at a VA hospital while in medical school isn't exactly policy making.
We'll be watching how far down this road the Republicans are willing to go without actually saying anything substantial about veterans programs themselves.
Note: Former infantry sergeant Hal Kimball looked at the "pandering to vets" meme earlier in Republican "Pandermania".
Photo: Congressman Walz meeting with vets in the Albert Lea American Legion.
After graduating from high school, he attended the University of
Illinois and received a degree in nuclear engineering in 1982, then
given a one-year scholarship to attend college in West Germany. He was
hired by an engineering firm in Chicago working on the design and
licensing of nuclear power plants. . . .
As written, the letter makes it appear that Davis received a scholarship after graduating in 1982, then was hired by an engineering firm. However, according to the resume on Davis's Facebook page, Davis attended college in Munich on an exchange scholarship in 1979-1980. He worked for an engineering firm for eight months after graduation in 1982, and then went to MIT in 1983.
We certainly hope that letter writer Dorothy Erlandson was confused, rather than being intentionally misleading. Whatever the circumstances, Erlandson's re-mix turns an undergraduate exchange scholarship into a post-graduation award. Um: no, it wasn't.
First District DFL chair Lori Sellner--one of the hardest working and
most effective Democratic activists in the state-blogs her impressions
from Denver at the Rochester Democrat. Rebecca Otto was responsible for the dancing. Honest.
In a reaction piece to Sarah Palin becoming the veep on the GOP presidential ticket, KAAL reports that Women in Politics is motivating women in Southern Minnesota. The details:
. . .One young woman has found inspiration in this election in her passion for politics.
Minnesota State Representative Kim Norton says the Palin VP
selection is just the latest national example of women excelling in
politics.
"I think we'll see a lot in the future of women and our young
stepping out and putting themselves out there for election,” she says.
I've already seen an upsurge of young people, young women in politics
and I’ve had the opportunity to work with some dynamic Rochester high
school students in the last few years."
17-year-old Frances Bruce is one of them.
She's just beginning to explore politics.
She's volunteering for Barack Obama’s campaign. . . .
The video clip is priceless. Bruce has many local examples of women succeeding in politics in Southern Minnesota, as women have been elected to the state house and senate in growing number. Of the seventeen DFLers serving from the district, eleven are women. Three Republican women representing district residents serve in the legislature, and Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau farms with her husband near Lafayette in Nicollet County.
New campaign reports filed by the three candidates in the 1st
Congressional District show Rep. Tim Walz, D-Mankato, significantly
outpaced his two GOP challengers in money raised over the last two
months, putting him in a commanding financial position as the election
season hits the stretch run.
. . . Walz, who is running far ahead of the cash he raised at this point
two years ago as a challenger, pulled in $246,831 for the reporting
period of July 1 through Aug. 20. The total brought his overall
campaign donations to $2.18 million. The campaign previously borrowed
and repaid $126,657, leaving him with no campaign debt.
Davis, who appealed to donors to help him raise $250,000 for the
period, fell well short of that goal, with donations of $95,397. The
total included $2,749 in a personal donation, bringing his total
contributions to the campaign to $63,363.
Davis also made a $24,000 personal loan and a $100,000 loan from a
personal line of credit secured by his Rochester home, both made on
Aug. 20, the last day of the reporting period. The loans lifted his
total receipts for the period to $219,407. Davis' previous loans were
made with similar timing. A $24,000 loan was made on March 31, the last
day of the first quarter, and $100,000 was loaned on June 30, the last
day of the second quarter reporting period. Both were repaid on July
15.
So the Davis campaign routinely makes loans to itself at the end of reporting periods--and on July 15, repaid the loans, then received the same amount back at the end of the pre-primary period. Why was this done?
His campaign manager, Brad Biers, said the campaign did not need to tap
the loans during the summer and Davis refinanced the line of credit in
the interim. He added that the loans were put back into the campaign
treasury to show financial strength.[emphasis added]
Er, no, that doesn't show "financial strength." Making a goal shows financial strength. What this oh-so-clever move shows is trying to show financial strength.
However, at least the clap-trap about Davis's numbers showing grassroots strength has ceased, and for that we're grateful.
The PB's Matt Stolle reports that the Davis-Day GOP primary begins, a rather odd headline choice given that the contest has been underway for awhile. We rather like a different title Google News served up Day, Davis race has its intriguing elements but that link only leads to news that the story is no longer available.
In the remaining article, we read:
The match-up has its intriguing elements, pitting Davis' money and
organization against Day's name recognition. It also pits Davis'
conservative credentials as the endorsed candidate against Day's
reputation as an shoot-from-the hip maverick. . . .
Go read the whole thing. We are most amused by Ron Carey's claims of growing momentum for Davis (see above story on fundraising):
[Carey] said by almost every measure he can see -- money, numbers of
supporters at parades, enthusiasm -- "the Brian Davis campaign is just
growing and Dick Day is stuck in neutral."
Senator's Day response is priceless:
Day says he isn't bothered.
"It doesn't bother me. The more you could write about Ron Carey
saying, 'go get Dick Day,' the more I like it. He doesn't impress me,"
Day said.
We at BSP think that Davis's access to voter lists and volunteers will probably carry the primary, but agree with political scientist Steven Schier, who was interviewed for the article:
Some political observers say the race is too close to call. But
Steven Schier, a political science professor at Carleton College, gives
the edge to Davis.
"I would think money and campaign apparatus will trump whatever name
recognition Day has. I think it will be reasonably competitive. I
wouldn't think it would be a blowout," Schier said.
Primary advantages
Primary contests are notoriously low turn-out affairs, a situation that confers advantages on both candidates.
Read the details in the article. One thing we are hearing from friends who have been volunteering from phone banks is that Davis's name recognition is still in the cellar. Davis will do best if the turn out is very, very low.
Four years ago, when Democrats were convening in Boston with
hopes of making George W. Bush a one-term president, Tim Walz was
watching John Kerry on TV as the Massachusetts senator accepted the
party’s nomination.
A Mankato West geography teacher who had
never been particularly active in partisan politics, Walz was watching
the speech on TV at his in-laws house. His wife Gwen — apparently
something of a nut when it comes to political conventions — never
misses either party’s big party, watching the television coverage from
gavel to gavel.
This time around, Walz was a delegate at the
Democratic National Convention and Gwen was at his side for Barack
Obama’s acceptance speech before more than 80,000 people at Denver’s
Invesco Field.
“It’s not often that you get to realize that
you’re probably standing at an historic moment,” said Walz, driving
home from the Twin Cities airport Friday morning. “... It was just
amazing.”
. . .Walz, too, said he’s ready for the campaign season to begin in
earnest. A former football coach, he compared everything before the
convention to the pre-season.
“We’re ready to kick things off and see what we can get done,” he said.
Rural southern and western Minnesota will be up
for grabs. Both the 1st District in the south and the sprawling 7th
covering the northwestern quarter of the state went for Bush in 2004
but elected Democratic congressmen — freshman Tim Walz in the 1st and
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson in the 7th — two
years ago.
Democratic National Committeewoman Nancy Larson, of Dassel, a
superdelegate and lobbyist for small towns, acknowledged that
Republicans have a slight advantage in both districts.
But Obama is on the "right side" on some critical rural issues,
Larson said. McCain voted against — and Obama for — the popular
agriculture bill that Congress, led by Peterson, passed over Bush's
veto this year.
Since Pink's "Stupid Girls" YouTube embedding is disabled, we can't post it. So here's another song for women on the rise (an oldie but a goodie--and performed by the songwriter herself)
Photo: State Auditor Rebecca Otto. Everybody dance now!
While perpetual and peripatetic First District candidate Greg Mikkelson may be on the ballot as an Independence Party pick on September 9, it's not certain that he's informed the FEC of his candidacy.
Since there wasn't an electronic pre-primary report on file, we looked in the FEC's Images of All Financial Reports database, where one may "view actual financial disclosure reports filed by House, Senate and Presidential campaigns, Parties and PACs from 1993 to the present."
We found Mikkelson's original 2002 statement of candidacy for the Green Party. Next, Mikkelson ran under the banner of the Independence Party in 2004. Here's that statement of candidacy, which he filed as an amendment to his 2002 statement on November 2. In 2006, Mikkelson challenged Gil Gutknecht in the Republican primary, filing a completely separate statement of candidacy in September.
Financial reports for Mikkelson's 2002, 2004 and 2006 bids can be found here and here. Sort it out for yourself. In both the Independence and Republican Party bids, Mikkelson's campaigns were funded by relatively small contributions from the candidate.
Mikkelson may have filed a statement of candidacy and a pre-primary report, though if he did, it does not appear that he did so electronically. We have not heard or seen evidence of his campaigning, either.
It will be interesting to see if Independence Party voters in the First move down their ballot in the contested IP Senate primary ballot, to vote for Mikkelson, who has been both all over the political map--and nowhere as well--since 2002.
Over at the Winona Daily News' blogging project, the paper's political reporter looks at charges that Brian Davis's first cable ad is misleading. Mark Sommerhauer writes:
. . .when I spoke
to Davis spokesman Brad Biers on Thursday, Biers clearly misstated at
least one element of Walz's new position on offshore drilling. . . .
. . .Biers responded that
the bipartisan bill [H.R. 6709] wouldn't open up any new offshore areas to
drilling. Biers also said Walz hadn't changed his position on the
drilling issue since June.
The first claim is demonstrably
false, and if I'm wrong on my understanding of what the bipartisan bill
would do, then so is the Los Angeles Times:
Regarding
the second claim, I've found nothing to support it, and Biers couldn't
offer anything to document it. . . .
. . .Other reporters in the First District have noticed
the Davis ad, including Mankato Free Press reporter Mark Fischenich,
who wrote it "could be seen as misleading." . . .
Go read the whole thing. Sommerhauer asks for comments. This is the strongest instance we've seen of a MSM reporter calling out the Davis campaign for spreading misinformation. Go give Sommerhauer a hand.
The Post Bulletin reports on reactions to Obama's speech last night. From Denver, Seth McLaughlin reports:
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama shook the Mile High City last night,
ripping the verbal gloves off in his presidential battle against
presumed Republican nominee John McCain and bolstering the message of
hope that has fueled his historic bid to be the nation's first
African-American president.
"I think he tackled the critics," said U.S. Rep Tim Walz. "It was a rare event."
Before roughly 80,000 people at Invesco Field, Obama accepted his
party's presidential nomination and tied McCain to the "failed
presidency of George W. Bush" and "the broken politics in Washington."
The address left local patrons in many Denver bars whooping and
hollering, well-known Republicans openly awestruck, and Walz and the
rest of the local Minnesota delegation gushing. . . .
. . .Obama used the roughly 42-minute speech to spell out the agenda he
would push if elected president -- from ending the country's reliance
on foreign oil to keeping "the promise of equal pay" for women.
"The speech went right through what he would do, how he would invest
in middle class, invest in alternative fuels and help veterans," Walz
said.
. . .Andy Tollefson said his family could have watched Obama's acceptance
speech in the comfort of their own home, but they wanted the
camaraderie of the Labor Temple meeting.
"I like the idea that I'm not the only one that feels the same about this particular candidacy," Andy Tollefson said. . . .
At MinnPost, Doug Grow looks at Congressman Walz's support for human rights:
But there seems to be growing comfort among Democratic candidates that
it's OK to openly support gay issues, which would indicate that most
Dems believe that Republicans no longer will be able to turn gay issues
into wedge issues. . . .
Second example:
U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, the DFLer who represents
the traditionally conservative 1st District in Minnesota, spoke at a
LGBT function during the week.
"He knocked it out of the park,''
said Reitan of the speech Walz delivered. "He comes to a gay caucus.
He boldly stepped out for us. Tim Walz should be our governor. He has
a fundamental understanding of what's right. He gets it.''
Wasn't he taking a political risk by speaking at a LGBT function?
Walz shrugged off the question.
"I've
spent my life on the issue of human rights and equality,'' he said.
"It's a slippery slope when we say who it's OK to discriminate
against.''
He thinks most people in the 1st District get it, too.
"In
the past, these issues have been brought up only in election years to
hammer a wedge between people,'' he said. "I don't think that's going
to work again.''
The GOP tried bringing up Walz's support for human rights as an issue in 2006, and voters shrugged it off. We think the RPM bring it up again, and once again, it won't work.
Grow's article leads off with an item about Jacob Reitan's current gig working nationally to mobilize the GLBT community for Obama. Reitan, a Mankato West grad, was prominently featured in the acclaimed documentary, For the Bible Tells Me So.
We just received this press release from Walz campaign central:
In
anticipation of Labor Day, 2008, union members and labor organizations came
together to form Labor for Walz, a strong, grassroots organization that will
help mobilize southern Minnesotans to support Tim.
“Tim Walz is a champion for the middle class and
has been working hard for us in
Washington , D.C,” said Russell
Hess, President of Southeast Minnesota Central Labor Council and a Labor for
Walz member. “Labor for Walz will be working hard over the next 2 ½ months to
ensure that one of its own will be re-elected to continue changing
Washington ,
DC and working to move
America
forward.”
Congressman Walz, a member of Education Minnesota,
said, “For over a century, the organized labor movement has been working to
protect and build the middle class through safe working conditions, living
wages, and health care for workers,” Walz said. “I am proud to be a union member and
proud that so many members of the organized labor movement support my campaign
for re-election”
The following organizations have endorsed Congressman Tim
Walz:
IBEW
Minnesota
State Council
UAW
Minnesota
State CAP Council
AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education
Teamsters Joint Council 32 DRIVE Commission
NEA
AFT
Education
Minnesota
SEIU
AFSCME Council 5
AFSCME Council 65
International Union of Operating Engineers (Local
49)
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of
America
There are over 500 members of Labor for Walz throughout the
1st Congressional District.
That's a strong mix of MN AFL-CIO unions and Change to Win unions.
Congressman Walz, a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention, endorsed Barack Obama after the Illinois senator was the favorite of First District DFL caucus goers. Several sources are reporting on Walz's reaction to Obama's acceptance speech.
The warm-up speakers who most energized the crowd were a series of
"average Americans" who described exactly how they feel they've been
failed by the Bush administration. America needs a president who puts
"Barney Smith before SmithBarney," said Marion, Ind., plant worker Barney Smith to a roar of appreciative laughter. Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., said including work-a-day Americans was "brilliant."
Minnesota Democratic Congressmen Tim Walz and Keith Ellison were just as effusive [as delegate Hussein Samatar], if somewhat more succinct.
First Ellison:
"I think he knocked it out of the park."
Then, Walz:
"Fantastic. Exactly what we needed."
Added bonus for Rochester readers: a picture of 18-year-old delegate Sam Hagedorn. and he blogged about the convention for his college paper. The DC Examiner talked to the American University freshman:
Sam Hagedorn's new classmates are experiencing their very first week of
their freshman year at American University. But Hagedorn is missing out
on the initiation. At age 18, the Rochester, MN native is a Democratic
convention delegate -- and having the time of his life mingling with
Democratic Party stars who have long been his heroes. Hagedorn had to
navigate four levels of elections -- precinct, county, congressional
district, and state -- to earn his delegate spot.
"It's a progressive slate," he told the Examiner. "They believe that all voices should be heard."
Hagedorn
first got involved in politics by volunteering at age 16 for the U.S.
House campaign of Tim Walz, who won the race and now serves in
Congress. He said his political work is well worth missing the first
week of school. "The opportunities to learn here at the convention are
unmatched anywhere else in the world," he said.
Super-delegate and U.S. Rep. Tim Walz said Obama’s message of
shifting the county’s economic policies to favor middle-income
Americans will appeal to his southern Minnesota constituents.
“It’s
an exciting time and feels like being a part of history in terms of
government responding to the people,” Walz said from Invesco Field.
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama shook the Mile High City last night, ripping the
verbal gloves off in his presidential battle against presumed
Republican nominee John McCain and bolstering the message of hope that
has fueled his unexpected rise and historic bid to be the nation’s
first black president.
“I think he tackled the critics,” said U.S. Rep Tim Walz. “It was a rare event.”
As we write this post, John McCain has chosen Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate. Thus, this Paul Demko Walz tidbit from the convention has a dated feel. Pam's House Blend posted one of Congressman Walz's quotes from the GLBT caucus meeting. The MinnPost's Doug Grow caught this quip after former Rep. Tim Penny showed up in Denver to tout McCain's presidential bid:
Rep. Tim Walz directed a nifty zinger at Penny when speaking to Minnesota's delegation to the convention Thursday morning.
"I
used to say I was one of only two DFLers ever elected to Congress in
the 1st District,'' Walz said. "What I saw earlier this week makes me
think I'm the only Democrat to represent the ticket.''
Powerful testimonials and message drills at Boot Camp with DNC Vets & Military Families Council bookended by Tim Walz & Wes Clark.
The Worthington Globe had earlier picked up Walz's work with the convention's rural caucus:
Rural on agenda
Democrats gathered for their national
convention continue to hear a message their leaders say too often is
overlooked: Rural America -- and its votes -- matter.
Delegate
Andrew Falk of western Minnesota said Wednesday he was to attend a
forum on rural issues with Minnesota's Klobuchar and U.S. Rep. Tim Walz.
Falk said the topic is being discussed all week, not just on Monday
when national Democratic Chairman Howard Dean talked of the importance
of rural America.
"There is definitely a focus on rural issues,"
Falk said. "I think in many places around the country they may have
felt left behind. That’s one of the focuses – to re-engage rural
voters."
The filing for Greg Mikkelson, who is on the ballot for the Independence Party but did not seek the IP endorsement, has yet to appear online. In largely self-funded campaigns, Mikkelson has run as a Green (2002), Independence Party (2004) and Republican (2006) candidate. Representative Gil Gutknecht defeated Mikkelson in the 2006 Republican primary, only to be ousted from office by Walz.
In the short pre-primary period, the Brian Davis campaign took in $95,397.50, $88,798.00 of which were from individual contributions. Of the rest, $2350.00 was from party committees, $1500.00 from PACs, and $2749.50 from the candidate himself.
And then there's the matter of the "revolving" loan.
If we're reading the report correctly, on July 15, the committee paid back the $124,000 that Davis had loaned to himself. Davis once again loaned the committee $124,000 on August 20. By this fiscal ring-around-the-rosy, Davis took in $219,407.92 in receipts. (See Line 16 in the detailed summary).
To the naive, that might seem like Davis came close to Walz's total receipts of $255,850.27, but that picture is misleading.
What actually happened was that the endorsed candidate set a goal of $250,000 and missed by $150,000. This failure made the re-establishment of the loan imperative.
Another thing: the committee spent $165,542.0, and owes $1576.50 to vendors. Thus, the committee's cash in hand went from $381,218.72 at the beginning of the period to $311,084.63.
Without the loan that can't really go away--from Davis's personal funds and a line of credit on his house--the campaign would have $187,084.63 cash on hand, compared to the debt-free Walz committee bank account of $1,263,829.22.
Bottomline: Davis took in $88,798.00 from individuals during this reporting period.
By contrast, Congressman Walz took in $157,664.45 in individual contributions. We hope we hear a lot less about the grassroots support the Davis campaign is gathering and honest appraisals of the figures in the press.
While Senator Day's $16,867 is objectively paltry, the curious fact is that it's over $6,000 more than the $10598.53 he took in during the three-month quarter the ended on June 30. Spending remained almost the same.
Although Day doesn't have much money, or access to voter files and volunteer lists, he has been able to garner earned media throughout the district and friends who have volunteered for DFL phonebanks tell us he has high name recognition. Still, he's an underdog with a longshot.
Should he win the primary, this fundraising picture would turn around fast.
Here's the detailed summary filed at the FEC. Walz took in $249,731.45 in contributions, and with various offsets and receipts added in, the total take was $255850.27.
Contributions from individuals totaled $157,664.45; PACs pitched in $88,550. At first glance, it looks like most of the committees are leadership PACs, followed by labor and ag PACs.
The campaign spent $202,391.52, which reflects an up-and-running congressional campaign in a geographically large (280 miles long) district. No surprises that we can see.
Column A This Period
Column B Election Cycle-To-Date
Column C Post-Election
I. RECEIPTS
11. Contributions (other than loans) From:
(a) Individuals/Persons Other than Political Committees
(i) Itemized
95587.95
(ii) Unitemized
62076.50
(iii) Total Of Contributions From Individuals
157664.45
1355114.03
0.00
(b) Political Party Commitees
617.00
17125.44
0.00
(c) Other Political Committees (such as PACS)
88550.00
816580.12
0.00
(d) The Candidate
0.00
0.00
0.00
(e) Total Contributions (11(a)(iii) + (b) + (c))
246831.45
2188819.59
0.00
12. Transfers From Other Authorized Committees
2900.00
2900.00
0.00
13. Loans
(a) Made Or Guaranteed By The Candidate
0.00
0.00
0.00
(b) All Other Loans
0.00
126657.07
0.00
(c) Total Loans ((a) + (b))
0.00
126657.07
0.00
14. Offsets to Operating Expenditures (Refunds, Rebates, etc)
4939.95
69085.82
0.00
15. Other Receipts
1178.87
14219.13
0.00
16. Total Receipts (11(e) + 12 + 13(c) + 14 + 15)
255850.27
2401681.61
0.00
II. DISBURSEMENTS
17. Operating Expenditures
202391.52
1069750.46
0.00
18. Transfers to Other Authorized Committees
0.00
0.00
0.00
19. Loan Repayments:
(a) Of Loans Made or Guaranteed by the Candidate
0.00
0.00
0.00
(b) Of All Other Loans
0.00
180316.06
0.00
(c) Total Loan Repayments ((a) + (b))
0.00
180316.06
0.00
20. Refunds of Contributions To:
(a) Individuals/Persons Other Than Political Committees
0.00
1665.00
0.00
(b) Political Party Committees
0.00
0.00
0.00
(c) Other Political Committees (such as PACs)
0.00
4500.00
0.00
(d) Total Contribution Refunds (28(a) + (b) + (c))
Steve Sarvi's committee has filed its report in the Second--it's what the campaign had reported to the AP: about $77,000.
5. Covering Period 07/01/2008 Through 08/20/2008
Column A This Period
Column B Election Cycle-To-Date
6. Net Contributions (other than loans)
(a) Total Contributions (other than loans)
76976.81
328735.62
(b) Total Contribution Refunds
0.00
0.00
(c) Net Contributions (6(a) - 6(b))
76976.81
328735.62
7. Net Operating Expenditures
(a) Total Operating Expenditures
65518.62
229216.22
(b) Total Offsets to Operating Expenditures
250.00
353.43
(c) Net Operating Expenditures
65268.62
228862.79
8. Cash on Hand at Close of Reporting Period
104797.83
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
5000.00
Itemize all on SCHEDULE C or SCHEDULE D
Representative Ellison's report for his re-election bid in the Fifth has been filed as well. It's a respectable $186,000 in a very "safe" district that the freshman congressman has served well.
Covering Period 07/01/2008 Through 08/20/2008
Column A This Period
Column B Election Cycle-To-Date
6. Net Contributions (other than loans)
(a) Total Contributions (other than loans)
186244.71
1144557.46
(b) Total Contribution Refunds
0.00
2699.00
(c) Net Contributions (6(a) - 6(b))
186244.71
1141858.46
7. Net Operating Expenditures
(a) Total Operating Expenditures
135849.11
858969.12
(b) Total Offsets to Operating Expenditures
107.39
1634.45
(c) Net Operating Expenditures
135741.72
857334.67
8. Cash on Hand at Close of Reporting Period
330956.27
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
0.00
Itemize all on SCHEDULE C or SCHEDULE D
We don't expect surprises from the Walz, Davis, or Day reports (has Mikkelson tripped the threshold to have report at all? The Blue Earth County farmer, who didn't go through the endorsement process with the Independence Part, has run as a Republican, IP and Green Party candidate in the past three cycles)/
Davis' campaign manager Brad Biers said the money raised for the
period was almost entirely from donors, with no new personal donations
or loans from the candidate. He said Davis has exceeded the fundraising
of Walz and then-Rep. Gil Gutknecht, R-Rochester, at this point in
their race two years ago.
When Davis’ contributions and loans to his campaign are included
— an amount that now tops $185,000 — he’s surpassing the fund-raising
pace of Walz during his campaign to topple Gutknecht. Walz had raised
$546,000 through mid-August of 2006 compared to the approximately
$714,000 Davis will report on Thursday.
This campaign, however,
Walz has raised substantially more than Gutknecht had at the same point
in 2006 — more than $2.1 million compared to Gutknecht’s $840,000. Walz
also has more than $1.2 million in cash available for the final 10
weeks of the campaign, nearly $400,000 more than Gutknecht had in
August of 2006.
The Felker article mentions BSP's post about Davis failing to meet his fundraising goal for the reporting period. Elsewhere in the paper, Matt Stolle writes up the Davis cable commercial running on Fox News, but didn't mention the Walz ad. Really, he should get out more.
We also notice in reading Felker's piece in the Post Bulletin and Fischenich's analysis in the Mankato Free Press that while Davis campaign manager Brad Biers puts in a cameo appearance, Davis himself spoke to the Free Press.
Yesterday we asked the question Does Brian Davis have a part-time campaign manager? Since Biers accompanied the Taxpayers League's Phil Krinkie to talk to the MFU board on Saturday, we are assuming that Biers is indeed splitting his time between the Davis campaign and the TPL's anti-ballot measure crusade.
If these clients aren't part-time, Mr. Biers certainly has an enviable work ethic, especially given the demands of a serious contemporary congressional campaign.
We submit for your consideration the case of Rev. Paul Ibisch, of LaCrescent and (sometimes) Mapleton. On July 21, the good reverend posted a comment on an article contrasting Brian Davis's and Dick Day's fundraising in Q2 2008 that began:
