In A stone path? Between the lines in Quist FEC Q2 2012 report: $4000 to Al Travis Theilfoldt, Bluestem had asked where cable television political talk show host Al Travis Thielfoldt would disclose his paid consulting for political campaigns to his audience.
The answer? Yes.
Josh Moniz at the New Ulm Journals reports in Quist releases first TV ad for his campaign:
Quist contracted the work for the ad to Innovative Marketing Techniques, a media marketing company run by Blue Earth resident Al Travis Thielfoldt. Quist wouldn't disclose how much he paid to produce the ad, but his FEC report lists a $4,000 payment on June 14 for related work.
Thielfoldt, who wrote the script for the ad, contracted the production work to Stone Path Studio.
The studio is based out of Mankato and targets Christian and non-profit organizations with affordable production work. The company emphasizes employing current and recently graduated Bethany Lutheran College students to provide paid work that they can add to their resumes. The studio utilizes Bethany facilities to do work, including the Quist ad.
Thielfoldt said he used the Stone Path because he's contracted work with Bethany students and related organizations for years, mostly for filming college sports events. He also produces his own statewide politics show, "Between the Lines," by paying to use Bethany facilities. The show has featured big name politicians, including Bachmann and Al Franken. He said he plans to start disclosing on the show that he produced a Quist ad.
Kudoes to him for the transparency. Viewers will know about the business connection and be able to take that into account while they watch the show. It's a much more honest position than that adopted by Red River Valley radio personality Scott Hennen, whose communications services firm has provided over $50,000 worth of consulting services to Lee Byberg's consultant in 2012 without disclosing the contract to his audiences while discussing the MNCD7 race.
It's admirable that Quist is using young local talent in creating his ads, however one might assess the final product.
Another Quist campaign-related video is up on Vimeo, Quist4Congress, created by Jeremy Griffith and posted on his blog, The American Millennium in the post Allen Quist Outlines Quest for Congress. While Quist mentions his opponent Mike Parry, it's mostly to highlight their different positions on the federal budget. Here's the video:
The Itchy and Scratchy Show
Parry's campaign, on the other hand, released another "gotcha" moment video about Quist, supposedly confirming its talking points about Quist being a secret green candidate. From the press release, Parry Campaign Calls on Quist to Come Clean About Support for Light Rail:
Statement from Ben Golnik, Adviser to the Parry Campaign:
"In recent days, perennial candidate Allen Quist's past support for a gas tax increase and support for extending a sales tax increase have come to light. No matter how large of check Quist writes himself for glossy TV ads, he cannot run from his record. Quist repeatedly stated his support for light rail boondoggles during his losing campaigns in the 1990s - it is time Quist comes clean about his support for light rail."
As a frequent speaker about Agenda 21 in this century, Quist has probably left his pre-2000 support for public light-rail at the station.
And given that the right's objections to light rail center on the public dollars supposedly diverted from roads to rail, framing Quist as a huge light rail dude when he now talks about allowing private concerns build light rail with their own cash seems misdirected, like slapping Dagny Taggart silly for buying new-fangled steel rails for her choo-choos.
The Parry campaign does have some pro-Parry online videos up, but it's difficult to see how, with $30,000 or so cash in hand, the Waseca Republican will get anything on air in time for the primary--or create a strong GOTV ground game.
Moniz reports in Parry raises $52,000 in second quarter:
The second quarter report, which runs from April 1 to June 30, shows Parry, a state senator from Owatonna, spent $57,762 and ended with $30,608 in cash on hand.
However, $7,950 of the funds Parry raised were in-kind donations over 16 donations, primarily for food or golf tournament prizes. An in-kind donation is the donation of a service or goods, as opposed to a cash contribution.
Golf tournament prizes win elections.
Or something. Moniz adds:
In other news, Parry announced Monday that he will convene the State Government Innovation and Veterans Committee on July 20 to interrogate Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and State Attorney General Lori Swanson over their involvement with the constitutional amendments on this November's ballot. Controversy over how Ritchie has worded the amendments, particularly the marriage amendment, has been brewing. The date overlaps with the same date Quist has planned a major fundraiser featuring Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.
It will be interesting to see how deftly Parry manages to avoid using state resources for his congressional campaign. Earlier this year, The Uptake reported in MN GOP Narrowly Limits Debate On Voter Photo ID:
Right from the sound of the gavel, Senator Mike Parry (R- Waseca) let it be known that discussion of the voter photo ID constitutional amendment would be limited to just what it takes for the Secretary of State to put it on the ballot. Many times during the hearing, Senator Parry interrupted speakers on both sides of the issue who wanted to talk about other aspects of the bill.
Watch the video. It will be interesting to see how Golnik choregraphs the show hearing on the 20th. Parry certainly didn't want to hear much coming from Secretary of State Mark Ritchie--or anyone--during the earlier hearing.
Money changes everything
Moniz notes "a bleak picture for Walz's two Republican challengers," and he's not alone in his observations. Mary Juhl at the Winona Daily News reports in Dash for cash: Parry behind Quist in funds as Aug. 14 primary nears:
Mike Parry more than doubled his first quarter fundraising with $52,000 raised in the second quarter, though he continues to lag far behind challenger Allen Quist as the two Republicans vie for a chance to take on Rep. Tim Walz for the 1st District congressional seat.
. . .Quist, by comparison, nearly quintupled his first-quarter total, raising $178,000 in the second quarter. He has $165,000 on hand and plans to spend at least 90 percent of it before the primary, he said.
Mark Fischenich at the Mankato Free Press reports in Donors holding back for Quist, Parry:
Compared to Congressman Tim Walz’s previous opponents, Allen Quist and Mike Parry are struggling mightily to find donors willing to invest in their campaigns to unseat the Mankato Democrat. Even with $170,000 from Quist’s own pocket, the combined fundraising of the two Republicans is badly trailing the pace set by Rep. Randy Demmer in 2010 or Dr. Brian Davis in 2008.
Quist and Parry also have a campaign treasury much smaller than Walz had at this point in 2006 when he was still an upstart challenger to 12-year-incumbent Congressman Gil Gutknecht.
Fischenich digs into that history:
Parry, however, also has some catching up to do to match the pace of previous 1st District challengers. At this point in Walz’s 2006 campaign to topple Gutknecht, the Mankato West High School teacher had raised $441,000 ($195,000 in the second quarter) and had just more than $250,000 in the bank.
In 2008, there were two Republican candidates hoping to make Walz a one-and-done congressman. Davis, a Rochester physician who won the party endorsement, had made nearly $185,000 in loans and contributions to his campaign and had raised just less than $619,000 overall ($396,000 in the second quarter, including a $100,000 personal loan.) He had $381,000 in the bank for the second half of the year. The other Republican candidate in 2008 — then-state-Sen. Dick Day of Owatonna — had raised $237,000, although just $11,000 came in the second quarter.
In 2010, then-state-Rep. Randy Demmer of Hayfield raised $304,000 in the second quarter, bringing his total fundraising to $376,000. He had $250,000 on hand for the remainder of the campaign.
Read the whole thing at the Free Press. It's no wonder The Hill is rating this as a safe Democratic seat for now.
Image: Itchy and Scratchy, aka Parry and Quist.
Related posts: FECQ2: Freedom Force Communications continued lucrative relationship with Byberg
A stone path? Between the lines in Quist FEC Q2 2012 report: $4000 to Al Travis Theilfoldt
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