Bluestem was reviewing Tea Party activity across Minnesota--former powerhouses in Rochester and SW Metro (Chanhassen) seem inactive, while other chapters across the state seem stable--when came across Tea Part Alliance leader Jack Rogers' June 16 Facebook lament (and the invitation at the top of this post):
Good Morning America.
It appears the MN Speaker of the House Kurt Daudt is going to not only not stand with the endorsed candidate, Cal Bahr, but he is going to work against Cal and support Rep. Tom Hackbarth.
As the highest ranking Republican in the MN House we would expect the Speaker to be the best example working with the endorsed candidates.
Attached is a flyer that shows Rep Kurt Daudt's path to not support Cal the endorsed candidate, along with other Republicans. Look over the flyer and many of you may wish to contact your BPOU Chairs and ask them what some of these Republicans are doing.
One that concerns me, along with Rep. Kurt Daudt, is Rhonda Sivarajah. Why would she chose to go down this disappointing path, knowing that she is up for re-election in the very area where this election is taking place? This is of great concern to us.
Why are these people working so hard to try to stop Cal Bahr? Why do they want to stand with Rep Tom Hackbarth, who lied and broke his word, not to run if he did not receive the endorsement? What is taking place? What are these people hiding? Why?, is the question I would ask all of you to ask yourself.
Bluestem believes that "these people" are hiding nothing, since the most important part of the invitation isn't the presence of Speaker Daudt or Anoka County Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah--nor three of Hackbarth's Republican colleagues from the House Mining and Outdoor Recreation Committee.
Rather, the important figures here are those in plain sight: the sponsors. Let's review who these folks are:
Douglas J Franzen is a lobbyist for MN United Snowmobilers Assn and Bicycle Alliance of MN (Many of Minnesota's trails are used by snowmobilers in winter and bicyclists in other seasons).
Dan Larson is a pretty common name in Minnesota--indeed, so common that there are two registered lobbyists that share the name. One is Daniel G Larson, a former DFL state representative from Bloomington who jumped ship in 2008 to join the law firm of Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP.
But since one of his clients is anti-wolf hunting Howling for Wolves, we're betting it was the other Daniel Larson, who lobbies for the MN 4WD Assn.
Ray Bohn? He speaks for the All Terrain Vehicle Assn of MN.
Margaret Vesel works for law and lobbying firm Larkin Hoffman Daly & Lindgren Ltd; her outdoor clients include the Friends of American Ski Jumping and the Three Rivers Park District.
Fred Corrigan serves as lobbyist for the Aggregate and Ready Mix Association of Minnesota. Gravel and sand mining issues come are part of the domain for Hackbarth's committee.
Michael Ahern works at the Dorsey and Whitney law firm, another force in Minnesota lobbying. He reps MiningMN. Both he and Dorsey and Whitney colleague Teresa Lynch lobby for natural gas pipelines.
Goff Public's leader Chris Georgacas, a former Republican Party of Minnesota state chair, lobbies for Polaris Industries Inc a Minnesota-based manufacturer of outdoor recreational toys like snowmobiles. Linda Chilstrom (now Lynda (Chilstrom) Lisenby) also works for Goff Public; she also lobbies for Polaris Industries.
Ward Einess is also a lobbyist.
Nothing is hidden here. Why wouldn't these lobbyists want Hackbarth to win the primary (and general election) so that the pro-industry lawmaker can do his magic? Why would Daudt throwaway this revenue stream for members of his caucus?
Meanwhile, ABC Newpapers' Ryan Howard reported on Friday in Hackbarth gets no-confidence vote from district GOP:
The race for the state representative seat that includes parts of Oak Grove and Andover, along with Ham Lake, East Bethel, Linwood Township and Columbus got a new wrinkle in early June, when incumbent District 31B Rep. Tom Hackbarth was on the receiving end of a no-confidence vote by his district’s Republican Party.
The vote was passed by six members of the district party’s 10-member executive team present at the party’s June 1 meeting. The vote was cast in response to Hackbarth’s May 24 decision to file for re-election for his seat, which he has held for 10 terms. On April 2 at the Senate District 31 convention, Hackbarth lost his party’s endorsement after two ballots to Cal Bahr, who has also challenged Hackbarth in the last two elections. . . .
For Bluestem's take on the censure, check out SD31 GOP to Rep. Tom Hackbarth: drop dead!
Photo: The invite.
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