Emmer and the GOP's frivolous lawsuit

My friends over at MNpublius hit this hard yesterday.  Apparently the whiners over on Park St don't have anything better to do.  Per the Startribune...

In St. Louis County, the request seeks: tape results, tally sheets, any result revisions, polling rosters, same day registration sign-ins, the number of accepted and rejected absentee ballots, copies of all absentee ballot envelopes, copies of all voter registration applications and absentee ballot applications, any communication with the Dayton campaign, names of election judges, Election Day incident reports and names of all people who applied for absentee ballots.

But county election officials are also required by law to update the rolls for voting history and same-day registered voters, which is priority No. 1 in most offices right now. 

Patricia Stolee, St. Louis County's Director of Elections, was unaware of the suit but said some requested items cannot be made public until the rolls are updated. She has a three-person staff working on that.

Minnesota law states: "No polling place roster may be inspected until the voting history for that precinct has been posted. No voter registration application may be inspected until the information on it has been entered into the statewide registration system."

Now I find this to be pretty interesting really.  Small government conservatives want to shrink government so that it can conveniently fit into our bedrooms.  With all of the cuts that counties and small local governments have been hit with the past 8 years, I wonder how this process has been slowed by these cuts.

So while Tony and his mob hurl frivolous lawsuits and rant incessantly about election integrity, our hard working public employee's work diligently to ensure we got it right.  I can't wait for another Brodkorb/Sutton/Emmer press conference!

Fortunately, we obtained footage of Tony Sutton preparing for his next press conference.




And it gets better.  Last night I saw the following tweet from Mitch Berg.

Say Dayton wins recount. What do we get? A mentally ill alcholic who's never fnished a job in his life. Thanks, DFL.#stribpol #mn2010

Hmm...interesting.


Two can play this game...


Say Emmer steals recount.  What do we get?  DUI's, doesn't pay his bills, 7 mortgages.  Fiscal conservative my ass...#stribpol #mn2010

A good story on R.T. Rybak

From the St Paul Legal Ledger

The evolution of R.T. Rybak: From pajama-party protests to DFL gubernatorial contender

By Britt Robson, Special to Capitol Report

November 16, 2009

When R.T. Rybak first ran for mayor of Minneapolis eight years ago, he was perhaps best known for a stunt of activism. Back then he organized a group “pajama party” at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport as a member of Residents Opposed to Airport Racket (ROAR).

Challenging an entrenched DFL incumbent, Sharon Sayles Belton, in a solidly Democratic city, the then-45-year-old Rybak campaigned with a quirky panache, announcing his candidacy on the Minneapolis Issues List server before holding a formal press conference, and using a giant air freshener as a prop in the summer parades as he weaved with manic energy from one side of the street to the other.

“I’m not a caretaker,” he said proudly at the time. “I’m the change guy.”

Last week, just two days after a mayoral campaign cakewalk that concluded with his being elected to a third term with 74 percent of the vote, Rybak filed the necessary papers and declared his intention to run for governor. This time, in his first statewide race, Rybak doesn’t need pajamas or aerosol cans.

And while “caretaker” is probably not the perfect word for his current persona, his best strategy would seem to be portraying himself as the sure and steady adult in the room — the chief executive who has structurally balanced his city’s budget and repaired a prior downgrade in its bond rating despite two huge subsequent cuts in state aid to local governments; who has bucked inner-city poverty enough that the unemployment rate is lower in Minneapolis than in the seven-county metro area or statewide; and who has received near-unanimous plaudits for his calm, competent management of the emergency and rescue efforts surrounding the I-35 bridge collapse two years ago.

Whether you agree or disagree with Rybak’s method of governance — among other things, he has locked in tax increases to achieve fiscal solvency — it is hard to deny that he has matured in grappling with the core pocketbook and safety issues so integral to voters in most any contest.

This maturation process was first catalyzed during the heat of Rybak’s first mayoral campaign, when Moody’s downgraded the city’s bond rating in large part because of a $70 million deficit in the internal service funds used to buy equipment such as police cars and fire trucks.

“I questioned the finances at City Hall during the campaign, but when I got into office, it was dramatically worse than I expected,” Rybak remembers. “For the first couple of weeks of financing briefings, I would go home at night slack-jawed at the seriousness of the situation.”

Minneapolis CFO Pat Born, who was appointed a year before Rybak took over, corroborates this view, noting that, along with the bond-rating reduction from the internal services deficit, the city’s pension funds were becoming shaky — and the previous City Council had left a roughly $5 million hole in that year’s budget.

“R.T. put himself through financial boot camp right after he got into office,” Born says. “He spent two or three days per week his first few months in office with the council leadership deciding how to do this $5 million cut.”

The immersion gave him enough knowledge and context to begin asking the right questions of Born and the city’s other money people about how to prevent future deficits — and to get a tangible feel for the power of the purse strings. As Born puts it, “He learned that these budget issues were important, and a way to exert his own influence on the way government did things. It led to some of the intensive reforms we did [with council approval] over the next 18 months.”

These included a locked-in 8 percent increase in property taxes, a 2 percent increase in public employee wages, and five-year financial plans for balanced budgets. But since the property tax increase alone wasn’t going to balance costs if the deficits were to be reduced, setting priorities became part of the process — which proved enormously helpful when Gov. Tim Pawlenty and state legislators began slashing local government aid payments in 2003.

“The parts of my character I most wanted to use were to be more of a city builder, utilizing my experience with architecture and things like that,” Rybak says. “Instead, I had to learn this whole new body of work, and now it is one of my favorite parts of the job. People laugh when I tell them I have spent the last eight summers in multi-hour budget meetings and I like it.”

But finance wasn’t the only area where Rybak, who had never run for office before his first successful bid for mayor, faced a steep learning curve. The consensus of many council members and others who work in City Hall is that many of Rybak’s first-term appointments were ill-suited for the duties of their position. These ranged from his first chief of staff, former affordable housing advocate David Fey, who lacked the acute political skills to thrive in City Hall, to his fire chief, Bonnie Bleskachek, who lasted little more than two years before being demoted by the council amid allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination.

“He’s matured so much,” says City Council President Barb Johnson. “From his first term to his second term, it was like night and day. I think it was conscious, that he was racked by the criticism he was getting, particularly with his appointments.”

“Those of us who work with him began to see a real professionalism in the second term, especially in his appointing quality people with the right experience,” echoes Council Member Gary Schiff. “We talk about the I-35 bridge collapse a lot, because if that had happened a year earlier, Minneapolis wouldn’t have been the city that worked. There would have been a different police chief, fire chief, public works chief and city coordinator. Those were the people who never slept. They were the best people for the job and [they were] there at the right time.”

The competence and efficiency of these high-level workers were deftly complemented by Rybak’s own calm, compassionate demeanor throughout the early stages of the ordeal. He credits at least part of this behavior to his experience in a federally sponsored disaster management training program instituted in response to the 9/11 attacks shortly after he was first elected.

“FEMA flew about 70 of us out to this place called Mount Weather, Virginia, near Dick Cheney’s cave, for disaster simulation exercises at this secluded encampment,” Rybak recalls. “And I had to play a role as a mayor in a disaster. I was a rookie who had never held public office and I remember calling my wife Megan and saying, ‘This is a whole new ballgame.’ But when the bridge collapsed, I knew exactly what to do and how to act because of that training. I had had no background, yet I was able to act and react appropriately.”

It was early in his second mayoral term that Rybak became energetically involved — perhaps sooner than any other publicly elected official outside of Illinois — in a movement to convince Barack Obama to run for president. This prescient move is likely to pay dividends throughout Rybak’s gubernatorial campaign, helping him to assemble the political machinery necessary to raise money and carry his message across the state.

“[Supporting Obama] certainly gave him exposure, because he traveled all over the state for him,” says Johnson. “That’s really important in a race for governor, because there is something going on in every corner of the state during a campaign and you’ve got to know people. In particular it was helpful because R.T. got to know some people in the [state DFL] party. Remember, he wasn’t a party guy. He wasn’t endorsed in his first two races. So that’s an important inside game that [his early Obama support] will help him play.”

It nonetheless remains a fact that no mayor of Minneapolis has ever been elected governor of Minnesota. But Rybak likes his chances against a Republican opponent. Reminded that his five-year plan of 8 percent annual property tax increases was bumped up to 11 percent this fiscal year, he was primed with a response.

“When we discovered we had a problem with the budget,” Rybak says, “I said I would cut spending and reform services but that I would also need more money to fix our long-term problems. Then we laid out a long-term plan that has paid down $116 million worth of our debt despite all the cuts the state has made to LGA [local government aid].

“By [increasing the tax hike] this year, we are making it so the burden is not as much on the taxpayers next year, because we have more tax capacity this year. But our [Minneapolis] budget has gone from $1.4 billion to $1.3 billion — we are doing this to fix our long-term problems. That isn’t happening at the state level. Tim Pawlenty and I both raised your taxes: I just told you the truth.”

But for now, Rybak’s opponents aren’t Republicans. Rybak has pledged to abide by the party’s endorsement at next April’s convention. His fiscal management and his signature programs, such as his recent initiatives to reduce juvenile crime, probably resonate better in a general election setting than in the delegate-wooing now taking place.

As another Democratic candidate for governor, State Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, says, “Right now it is a hunt for delegates, and with me and [Rep. Tom] Rukavina [DFL-Virginia] up here, I think the chances of [Rybak’s] getting many on the Range are difficult. Plus, Mark Dayton also does well in this part of the state.” As for Rybak’s home turf, no fewer than three DFL candidates — Rybak, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Rep. Paul Thissen — hail from Minneapolis.

“The one thing I think may be a challenge for R.T. in this governor’s race is that he can be a little thin-skinned, and this will get harsher as it goes along,” notes Johnson. “The other thing is that there are two big fish who are going to a primary — [former Rep. Matt] Entenza and Dayton, and they have lots and lots of money.

“R.T. is very engaging. I’ve told him that the more people he meets, the more votes he’ll get — but I don’t think he understands the antipathy that people can have for big-city politicians. That’s where Margaret’s farm background really helps her.

“But now there is something the cities and the range really have in common — local government aid cuts. And I don’t think those in the Legislature have sung that song well enough. You read in these small-town papers, those layoffs really hurt. R.T. understands that and has done something about it here in Minneapolis.”

I first met the Mayor during the St Cloud special election in 2005. Governor Pawlenty called a special election for the seats vacated by Dave Kleis and Joe Opatz during the Christmas break at SCSU, in an attempt to stifle the college student vote.

As the student body President, I worked with a group of students to do some GOTV work around the campus. That's where I was able to meet R.T. Rybak. He came up to St Cloud to do GOTV work for the special election and he made a lasting impression on me.

When I ran for the State Senate out here in 2006, I recall numerous attempts to get other campaigns and groups to work with our local campaigns. Most looked at our conservative area and either paid lip service to us or simply didn't have the courtesy to even return a phone call or email.

Much like my support of Tarryl Clark in the 6th...Tarryl has been there for us.

I can say the same for R.T. Rybak.

Seeing him speak again at the Meeker County Chili Championship brought back a lot of strong, positive memories.

I am proud to support R.T Rybak in his bid for Governor in 2010!

Pawlenty Deer Hunting: Metaphor for 8 years of TPaw rule

Startibune had a story today about Governor Pawlenty and his deer hunting trip.

Pawlenty shot a deer!

Pawlenty, who tends to come up empty-handed during the opener, shot a small buck while hunting north of Thief River Falls on Saturday morning.

But it ran off into the brush, apparently badly wounded.

Hunters who were with Pawlenty started following the blood trail, but Pawlenty had to leave for Iowa, where he was headlining a Republican Party fundraiser.

Kind of like what Pawlenty has done with unallotment. Pawlenty made a mess for Minnesotans and is anxiously campaigning for President...leaving someone else to clean up his mess.

Governor’s race draws too few moderates

An opinion piece in the Grand Forks Herald

Stalemate in Minnesota hasn’t solved the state’s problems.

That’s the key fact of Minnesota political life in 2009. It ought to be a centerpiece conclusion not only of governing but also of campaigning for the governor’s office in 2010.

Sadly, it’s neither. Elected Democratic and Republican leaders alike talk past each other, never admitting that the other side has an intelligent thought.

And given the statements of most of the candidates for governor, the forecast seems to be “more of the same.” Granted, winning a party nomination means appealing to your party’s ideological base. But that’s the problem: This need to win the base draws candidates who are true believers and reluctant to compromise, even in a political environment that demands it.

Here’s a question that ought to be asked of the candidates: On what issue is the other party — not your own — more right than wrong?

The candidate who could answer that question honestly, even at the cost of angering one or more powerful interest groups — that would be the candidate to watch.

Minnesota’s ideological split has ground governing to a halt. On one side is Gov. Tim Pawlenty, whose approach can be summed up as, “No new taxes.” On the other side are Democratic leaders in the state Senate and House, who remain blind to the reason Pawlenty won two terms: the fact that many Minnesotans no longer believe in the government their high taxes support.

Thanks to a deft bit of political judo, Pawlenty blocked the Democrats’ proposed tax hikes and so emerged the “winner” of this year’s budget standoff. But the budget itself remains in scary shape: Estimates of the 2012-2014 deficit range from $4 billion to $7 billion, meaning the state made no progress at all in cutting the structural deficit it faced this year.

Pawlenty, of course, is not running for re-election. His would-be successors are lining up on both sides of the aisle; but one listens in vain for candidates who’d be willing to cross that aisle now and then, even if only to shake hands with the Minnesotans on the other side.

Consider the GOP candidates. Here’s one recent take by Lori Sturdevant, state government columnist for the Star Tribune of Minneapolis:

“Eight Republican candidates for governor sang in near unison throughout a two-hour forum Friday, at the state GOP’s off-year convention in St. Paul. They offered slightly varied verses, but the chorus was the same: no new taxes; make government smaller; reduce business taxes and regulations.”

As for the Dem candidates, here’s Minnesota Public Radio’s view:

“DFL candidates for governor offered similar views on taxes, job creation, education and other issues during a forum Thursday in Bloomington. Eleven gubernatorial hopefuls made a case for their campaigns and emphasized their support for organized labor during the AFL-CIO sponsored event.”

Candidate Mark Dayton, for example, made his views clear: “Read my lips: Tax the rich. They can afford it.”

How he hopes to win office — let alone govern — with that philosophy in a state that has elected Republican governors for the past 19 years, Dayton didn’t say.

One exception to the above might be Tom Bakk, a DFL state senator from Cook, Minn., on the Iron Range. Bakk describes himself as a “pro-business Democrat.” That’s not everything. But it’s a start, especially in its willingness to recognize that in American politics, the other side often has a point.

Bakk the highlight of DFL Fall Festival

I didn't make it to the McLeod DFL event in Biscay last weekend, but I did make it to the Meeker event and had a great conversation with numerous DFL Gubernatorial candidates, including on awesome chat with Senator Tom Bakk.

The McLeod County Chronicle had a very nice review of Bakk's remarks in Biscay earlier in the day.

While the other DFLers trotted out well-worn party planks - affordable health care, green energy, more money for education - Bakk seemed to zone in on the biggest issue of them all. Jobs. Good-paying jobs.

Pure and simple, Minnesota and the nation will not get out of the current recession until people are back to work, earning a decent living for themselves and their families. Working families pay taxes; taxes equate into revenues for the government.

Simply put, without jobs, the recession will not end.

While Bakk was short on specifics on how to generate good-paying jobs for Minnesotans, he was the most realistic of the field in addressing "the elephant in the room," the huge state budget deficit (estimated at $6.6 billion) facing the state Legislature in the next biennium.

He estimated the next budget deficit will be twice as big as the one just averted, and "Minnesota cannot tax our way out of this."

Wow, a Democrat who has enough sense to know more taxes are counterproductive. No wonder he stood out from the rest, and no wonder he is not likely to get the DFL nod. He makes too much sense and flies in the face of party dogma of spending our way out of a recession.

Bakk's realistic view of the looming budget shortfall was refreshing. He went on to say, "We can't raise taxes $6.6 billion. We can't get it done by taxes alone. Our biggest challenge is our economy. We don't have jobs. The deficit is a symptom of that bigger problem."

Well put.

At the same time DFLers were gathering in tiny Biscay, the state Republican hopefuls in the governor's race were meeting in St. Paul, where House minority leader Marty Seifert of Marshall won the straw poll vote. Tom Emmer, a House member from Delano, was second. Both are conservatives, and take a hard line on the budget deficit. They indicated to party faithful that only deeper cuts in state spending will address the looming budget deficit. They plan to carry on Pawlenty's conservative approach and then some if elected.

It looks as if whoever wins the nominations, both sides of the aisle will continue the deepening stalemate that has paralyzed state government for the past eight years. Bakk at least gives a sign that someone understands that the middle-of-the-road approach may be a solution.

Both sides appear to be digging in their heels instead of seeking that middle ground.

What all of these political hopefuls must realize is that Bakk is right on the mark. Until Minnesotans have jobs to go back to, this state's budget deficit will never improve no matter how many tax dollars are thrown at the problem (DFL) or taken away through deeper cuts (GOP).

Tax revenues are the lifeblood of this state's government. People do not pay taxes when they are not working. It's that simple.

Bakk seems to understand that. Do the rest of them?

He's right. Like the old Rudy Perpich sticker..."Jobs, Jobs, Jobs".

Dori and I had the pleasure of talking to candidates at the Meeker event. We both walked away extremely impressed with Senator Bakk, Speaker Kelliher, and Mayor Rybak, in a strong field of candidates.

Marty Seifert spends like a drunken sailor

Staunch fiscal conservative, Gubernatorial candidate, and Republican State Representative Marty Seifert blew the whistle on himself recently.

MPR reports that of all Minnesota House members running for Governor, Marty Seifert has claimed more expenses than any of them.

This after Seifert called other legislators out on the matter.

Seifert raised the issue last week at a St. Paul news conference. He said he was concerned that some candidates may have used their legislative leadership positions to schedule visits around the state to gain publicity.

So, Seifert is arguing that some candidates are actually holding committee meetings and other visits to further their campaign, while Seifert, no longer in a leadership position, uses the same trough to ensure his campaign coffers remain plentiful?

By the way, Marty has blown nearly $6100 in per diem and expenses since June...

At least he'll come up with some nifty one liner to explain all this...something about drunken sailors again I am sure.

Steve Kelley Op-Ed in Startribune

I can't believe this hasn't made it up at any of the other blogs...

Imagine the entire population of Mora homeless. Imagine that not one of St. Louis Park's 40,000 residents has access to health care. Imagine that all of residents of Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center and Maple Grove are living in poverty.

Now imagine that they are all children. On Aug. 9, "Kids Count" released data showing that the number of children living in poverty in Minnesota grew by an astonishing 33 percent from 2001-2007. Right now, 2,700 children are homeless, 40,000 do not have health care and at least 112,000 children and counting are living in poverty. These numbers and the challenges they create for our schools -- as revealed in the recent No Child Left Behind reports -- should be jolting Minnesotans into action. We need to act to broadly change the future for our children.

But that is not what is happening in the governor's office. Instead, Tim Pawlenty's unallotments and the damage they will do have indelibly marked his pint-sized picture of Minnesota's future. Pawlenty has offered only small ideas. As opposed to dealing with the myriad issues that our children face as they attempt to learn in our schools, the current administration has chosen the flawed path of blaming schools for our society's failures.

For the sake of our collective future and for what is right, we can and must imagine a bigger, better Minnesota where all of our children don't just survive, but thrive. To speed our recovery from this challenging recession, we must make no small plans.

We can look for inspiration to successes around the country and the world. One model of success is the Harlem Children's Zone in New York. The Minneapolis Foundation recently sponsored a visit here by Geoffrey Canada, the Zone's leader. Their goal is to have all the children who grow up in the 100-block zone graduate from college. Harlem Children's Zone offers a Baby College for new parents, universal education for 4-year-olds, good public schools, chemical dependency and health counseling, and housing stability programs. All children there are wrapped in a variety of support systems designed to help them and their families succeed.

Some communities in Minnesota, with the help of foundations, are starting to work on similar approaches. These initiatives are a laudable start, but they raise the moral question of where the boundary lines for the new children's zones should be drawn? Which kids get supported on their path to the American dream, and which kids do we leave out?

The right answer is that the whole state should be the Minnesota Children's Zone. No less than in 100 blocks of Harlem, the goal for all children in Minnesota should be that they will all graduate from college and get their chance at living the American dream.

No one should doubt that we can achieve this goal. In a competitive world, we must achieve it. Step one is to invest in innovative early childhood education, including proven ideas like age three to grade three schools. By properly funding Minnesota's schools, we can boost each child's path to success in college. And by creatively reorganizing how we spend health care and housing dollars, we can ensure that families are healthy and stable enough to help their children succeed.

The Minnesota Children's Zone can succeed. It will need the right leadership, the courage to do right by our kids, and the undaunted dedication to get numerous agencies and levels of government to work together. We'll need the help of volunteers and communities and the commitment of families most in need of help.

Our state, and especially our children, deserve nothing less than big plans for a bright future filled with opportunities to succeed. The days of small plans are over. It is time to make big dreams into reality.

Steve Kelley, a former state senator, is director of the Center for Science, Technology and Public Policy at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and is exploring a campaign for governor.

I was a strong Kelley supporter and have always admired his commitment to our kids education and our communities. In a strong field for the DFL Gubernatorial nomination, Kelley is a decided underdog...just the kind of candidate I tend to support.

Tom Emmer for Governor?

Caught a subtle change to the "Draft Tom Emmer for Governor 2010" facebook page...

It's now "Tom Emmer for MN Governor in 2010".

I left a note with Drew, hoping to hear back if something is official.

FYI, I still think he could be the GOP candidate for Attorney General but who knows?

We did hint at this back in April 2007...

Dille for Governor?

Well...the Hutchinson Leader has an editorial endorsing this notion.

Minnesotans have not elected a DFL governor in 20 years. With strong DFL majorities in the House and Senate, voters might expect to sweep a DFL candidate into the governor’s office, too. But we believe the state is closely split and the inclination toward a balanced government might prevail for a Republican of the caliber and seasoning of Mr. Dille.

Senator Dille can win elections in Greater Minnesota. Door knocking in our race against Senator Dille in 2006, we found that nearly 2/3 of the district is related to the Senator in some way, shape, or form. He's a pretty popular guy out here and as a former opponent of the Senator, I have the utmost respect for Steve Dille.

In my opinion, I think he is a cool, common sense leader. In numerous meetings with the Senator since the 2006 elections, I've been able to help him work on some important Veterans and Higher Education issues.

Republicans view Senator Dille as a RINO, especially after his vote for the Transportation Bill in 2007 and the gas tax increase. I admire his political courage on this vote, but Republicans across the State would not support him.

Mr. Dille’s term is up as senator. If he decides not to run for governor, it is our hope he will run for Senate and serve voters here for another four years. We believe residents would return him to the Senate by a wide margin.

If, and that's a big if, Senator Dille decided to run again in 2010, it would not be for a four year term, but a two year term because of redistricting that would take effect in 2012.

However IF, Senator Dille decided to run again for the State Senate in 2010, I agree, he would most likely win by a large margin...coming from experience of course!

But this story is about Dille for Governor.

Look at the GOP field: Anderson, Hann, Brod, Seifert, Kohls, etc.

Look at the DFL field: Dayton, Kelley, Entenza, Kelliher, Coleman, Ryback, Thissen, etc.

IP field: ?

So, with his moderate views and consensus building history, it would make the most sense that IF Senator Dille were looking at higher office, he would have the most success at an IP Candidate for Governor.

Pray for us in a Anderson, Dille, and Marty debate...

Entenza video

Again, it's on his facebook and at his website.

I'll have a more substantive 2010 Gubernatorial post very soon, but check out the video!

Matt Entenza introduces his team

Caught this on facebook early this morning...and I really do mean early!

A note from Matt Entenza:

As I explore a run for governor of Minnesota, I know the coming months are going to be amongst the most exciting of my life. It’s time to get Minnesota working for all of us again. Campaigning is going to keep me busy, which is why I am so thankful to have the support of my family and friends from all around the state.

I want to introduce you to a few of the folks on my campaign team who will be helping me along the way. A big reason I started this campaign was to begin a real dialogue about the future of this state -- a conversation that has been all to absent during the last 6 years. Please contact these great people (all tagged in this note so you can reach them easily) if there is anything they can do to help you get involved.

Without further ado, here’s the team:

I have been married to my incredible wife Lois for almost 25 years. We are the proud parents of my three sons – and Facebook friends – Ben, Will and Steve.

Chat with Will Howell (will@entenza.com) and Leah Solo (leahvered@hotmail.com) if you want to help recruit friends and neighbors to get involved and get to work! Leah comes to the campaign after being the political director for Congressman Tim Walz’s reelection campaign. Will was the political director for Al Franken in Minnesota’s fourth congressional district.

Liz Harens (liz@entenza.com) is the person to talk with if you’d like to invite me to meet with any local political or community groups you’re involved with. Liz, like Will, campaigned with Team Franken in ’08.

Contact Bridget Cusick (bcusick2004@yahoo.com) if you’re a member of the media or want to know more about how we are going to communicate our message about the future of this state. Bridget’s been working on campaigns since 2004; in 2006 she worked with Congressman Keith Ellison’s campaign and in 2008 for Steve Sarvi’s congressional campaign in CD 2.

If you’d like to donate or to help fundraise, Colin Laughlin is your guy. Colin helped raise money for both of Congressman Walz’s campaigns.

Jake Levy-Pollans (jlevy-pollans@macalester.edu), Julia Quanrud and Jason Hitchcock are three of my incredible interns who I’ve asked to help with social networking and media. They are always looking for the newest way to connect people to the campaign. Jake and Julia are both seniors at Macalester College. Justin is a recent graduate of Carleton College.

Diana Petty, Sarah Goldsmith-Greenberg and Alex Rosselli are also fantastic campaign interns, working on organizing and outreach. Diana is a recent Mac grad, and continuing the Macalester tradition, Alex and Sarah are both still students there.

We're working hard and hope you'll join us!

Matt

Not good for Gaertner for Governor

Caught this over at Raw Story.

There will be a lot of far left DFL activists pissed off that their potential Gubernatorial candidate prosecuted RNC protesters.

It will be interesting how this all plays out.