Is the Minnesota GOP responsible for Absentee Ballot confusion?

I was sitting around checking out the copies of the absentee ballots Coleman wants to count at the Startribune site.

It was interesting going through all the individual categories that these absentee ballots were piled into.

Right wing bloggers have used Secretary of State Mark Ritchie as their proverbial punching bag and have called for election reforms.

Dori and I get a lot of political mail, 99% from DFL candidates and the state party. Beyond the government paid Bachmann lit pieces we also got an interesting piece from the Minnesota State Republican Party.

It was a standard fear mongering mailing, raising fears over Barack Obama, Al Franken, and Elwyn Tinklenberg, and provided us with absentee ballot information.

It raised some serious suspicions on our part...

A. Why would the Minnesota Republican Party send absentee ballot information to people who identify as strong or moderate DFL?

B. We live in Cokato, in Wright County. The Minnesota Republican Party self addressed postcard would send our ballot request to Litchfield, in Meeker County.

While the chances Dori and I would be confused over something like this are extremely minimal, I often wondered about the elderly and those that are confused by the absentee voting process.

I recognized it as a deliberate attempt to confuse and disenfranchise voters, and I still see it that way.

While Ron Carey, Cullen Sheehan, and the right wing blogosphere take pot shots at the Secretary of State and county election officials, perhaps they should take a look in the mirror and acknowledge that their own party screwed Norm Coleman over.

How many Minnesota voters were confused and left disenfranchised by the Republican party's mailings?

Once we get back from our 4-5 day stay down here in the cities, we'll try to dig up the mailing in question and get it posted...

Coleman a faker?

What the hell...

The Coleman campaign is faking their website crash?

P

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E

T

I

C

Which leaves me pondering....

Ah hell, I'll let you wonder whether his marriage is fake too...

Coleman's "Hail Mary"

So, when Norm was ahead, his lawyers argued that the rejected absentee ballots didn't need to be counted.

Now, Norm wants 12,000 of them counted.

Such is the life of our political chameleon.

Coleman's antics after the recount was completed by the State Canvassing Board show that a graceful exit will certainly not happen.

"Recounts are for really the loser to understand and see and then believe that they in fact did not win the election and for their supporters to come to the same conclusion.”

"My guy" didn't win either. Time to move on...

Barkley weighs in

Meanwhile, Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley called the latest round of accusations and denials that are suddenly dominating the Senate race "a fitting end to the dirtiest campaign in Minnesota history."

There's really no exaggeration there. This has been the nastiest race in Minnesota history.

Will the Coleman scandal morph into a Rudy Boschwitz sized final stretch election mistake?

Granted, Coleman's sleaze was evident long before the last few days, however his reaction and inability to answer a question straight forward will cost him this election.

Coleman Whines Again

The editors of the Startribune need to "grow some balls" and rescind their endorsement Senator sleaze, Norm Coleman.

For crying out loud.

The Startibune endorses Coleman last weekend, and he proudly boasts the Stribs endorsement on his website.

One week later...

Sheehan also said that the Star Tribune, by reporting on the lawsuits, "is actively participating in the destruction of the reputation of Senator Coleman and his wife.''

I'll say this...

I have some pretty generous friends. Granted, they're not as powerful and Coleman's cronies, but they are generous nonetheless. However, Blueman paid for his own suits. Bluewoman isn't getting $75k funneled from friends.

The Startribune is participating in the destruction of the reputation of Senator Coleman and his wife?

Please.

Senator Coleman is participating in the destruction of their individual and collective reputations. His alleged "unconventional marriage" alone, damages the Coleman family reputation. His rent free living in Washington damages his reputation. His ties to Nasser Kazeminy damage his reputation. His ties to Senator Ted Stevens damage his reputation.

Coleman has shown significant lapses in judgement, enough so that the Startribune and other mainstream media outlets in Minnesota should reconsider their endorsements.

Coleman/Bachmann Photo Captions

What? No kiss?

Post your caption in the comments!

Coleman/Franken: Pioneer Press 4 years ago!

I stumbled upon this neat little article this morning. My how things change!

A September 21, 2004 Pioneer Press story titled "Voters Like Coleman Over Franken"

A few interesting exerpts:

Humorist and liberal talk-radio host Al Franken's first satirical book was "I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!

"They may like you, Al, but Minnesotans are not yet ready to elect you to the U.S. Senate.

A new poll shows that if Franken were to challenge U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman in 2008, the Republican incumbent would crush Franken like one of the bugs Franken used to flatten on "Saturday Night Live" during an infamous skit 30 years ago about the supposed indestructibility of cockroaches.

Asked for whom they would vote in the 2008 Senate election, 57 percent of likely Minnesota voters picked Coleman, while 29 percent supported Franken, according to a Pioneer Press/Minnesota Public Radio poll conducted Sept. 11 through 14. The poll had margin of error of 4 percent.

While Coleman's sunk like a rock, Franken is stuck somewhere in the 30's now.

The poll results were heart-warming to Sarah Janecek, a lobbyist and Republican co-editor of the newsletter "Politics in Minnesota," whom Franken criticized in his latest book, "Lies, and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them."

"As one of Al Franken's lying liars, I couldn't be more delighted that the guy couldn't even crack 30 percent," Janecek said.

With 3 days left, Franken will most likely climb above 30%, but in my humble opinion, not much more.

A Very Interesting Dean Barkley Memo

TO: Dean Barkley
cc: Names redacted

FROM: Bill Hillsman
RE: State of the Race/Closing Weekend
DATE: 10/30/08

Here’s where we believe the campaign stands entering the final weekend:

According to all the indicators we are looking at, Dean is between 22%-25% and rising. This comes from reviewing the available poll data and from key indicators like the Democratic primary vote, analysis of the Wellstone swing vote and the Ventura vote, the last two independent gubernatorial votes and Dean’s federal electoral performance.

It will be tough to win, but it’s possible if the campaign and the party pull out all the stops this weekend and on Monday-Tuesday to get out the vote and tell people why Dean is the right choice.

STATE OF THE RACE

We’ve seen this movie before. While the press and the other two campaigns seem to have concluded that Dean cannot win (and some have tried to portray him as a spoiler), independent Minnesota voters like underdogs and don’t like being told what is going to happen before any of them have cast a vote. So the reality right now is: Norm could win. Al could win. Dean could win.

Here’s why:

1. Historically, traditional polling has underrepresented independent voters in MN, especially in high turnout elections. Self-identified Independent voters approach 40% of the electorate in this state, with a baseline of at least 24%. So I wouldn’t put too much stock in any current polling, because their models have yet to reflect this reality.

2. Ten years ago, exit polls and our own analysis showed Ventura topping out in the high 20s or at 30%, maximum. But high turnout pushed him to 37%. And we know there will be not just high turnout, but incredibly high turnout this election.

Ten years ago, voters were angry at their government for what seems—in retrospect—to be no good reason. Today we have an economy in shambles, a continuing two-front war, one of the most unpopular Presidents in history, Congress with a 9% approval rating, more dysfunctional partisanship than ever, and a real demand for responsible, accountable change. There is a lot for people to be angry about.

So this is definitely a change election. Our fate rests in whether people want responsible, accountable change or if they simply decide to trade one partisan politician for another. If the candidate, the campaign, and the party can communicate that Dean represents the former, we have a solid chance at pulling off this upset despite the obscene spending deficit we are working against.

There remains a lot of elasticity in this race. Coleman, because of his ties to the Bush Administration and because of the damaged Republican brand, can’t rely on absolute solid support of much more than 28%-30%. A better Democratic candidate could count on close to 40% in these times in this state, but Franken is demonstrably not there. Al is having big problems closing the deal, and his true real core support is probably not that much higher than Skip Humphrey’s total in 1998.

There is also attack paralysis benefiting us, just as there was in Ventura’s race. One of the lessons we thought Coleman took away from 1998 is that he would attack Ventura if he had to do it all over again. In that race he was doing what he is doing now—which is to sidle up to the independent candidate and try to get rub-off from them to appeal to independent voters. That’s happening again. He will praise much of what Dean has to say, try to show how much they have in common, and then tell voters “… but Dean can’t win.”

Neither Coleman nor Franken really knows what would happen if they were to attack Dean in their ads, so they are frozen. Norm won’t attack Dean, which leads me to believe their polling shows that we have taken a lot of votes from Norm that they think they can get back late. The DSCC is attacking Dean (falsely, on Social Security privatization), and trying to tie him to Coleman and to Republican ideas, which indicates to me that their polling shows Al is getting very little support from Independents (certainly compared to Obama) and that Dean is siphoning votes from Al and continuing to do so, especially among older traditional Democrats. Al just can’t close the deal: independents and traditional outstate Democrats don’t like him or trust him. (More on the weaknesses of Franken below.

Dean has also found a message that is resonating with voters: that we have lost faith and trust in our government, our institutions, our elected officials, our economy, etc., and that it is in the hands of the people to restore that faith. Also that he is truly middle-class and most like the voters and their families.

OTHER IMPORTANT FACTORS

The debates have been important to and informative for voters.

Dean has done very well—arguably winning all of the debates to date—and we need to do well on Sunday. Coleman was much better in the Almanac debate, and Franken did not do all that well. Franken looks like he is sitting on the ball, hoping not to make a mistake in the final days, and counting on Obama’s coattails in the state and their GOTV effort to pull him through. But he is far behind both Obama and Wellstone in earning trust and winning votes among Independents and traditional Democrats; and he has looked ill-prepared for the job in many of the debates, reduced to mouthing partisan Democratic talking points. Norm knows he needs to look independent of his party to win; the same is true for Franken, but he hasn’t seemed to realize this yet. And for Dean to win, he has to continue to remind people that he is the true nonpartisan independent in the race. One of Franken’s weaknesses is that he is sharing a stage with two people who are prepared for the job—who have actually done the job—and he has been diminished in recent debates to looking more like a partisan trained seal, dodging questions and continually returning to party-approved talking points. He’s a smart guy who often comes across as too smart, so he’s been reined in, and he’s become repetitive and evasive in many of his answers. And his insistence that he will constantly “fight” for people is something that worked well for Wellstone—who had a long history of community organizing and political activism—but comes across as strained for someone who’s never been that politically active or run for office before.

The continuing onslaught of negative ads by both sides has gone far beyond the point of diminishing returns. Pulling his negative ads was a good move by the Coleman campaign, but probably too late to do him much good. Especially because the NRSC keeps hammering away at Franken, and because both the DSCC and the Franken campaign are up constantly with some of the most out-of-bounds attack ads I’ve ever seen or heard, there is strong potential for a big voter backlash. The message we have to deliver is that the only thing these two parties understand is victory: if Minnesotans never want to see this kind of campaign again, the only way to send that message is a vote for Dean Barkley.

Fear of 60. The national Republicans have moved to this messaging and it could benefit Dean’s campaign. Basically, the Republicans are arguing that if Democrats control the White House, the House, and have a filibuster-breaking 60 votes in the Senate, we will see unfettered socialism and liberals gone wild. It ignores how different many members of the Senate are, but it could be effective messaging for a desperate party in desperate times. We need to tap into this. Dean is an ideal candidate to act as the independent senator who could be a leader in bringing together the moderate, common sense centrist Senators into a bipartisan, decision-making swing vote group, and in doing so wield real power in the Senate. Senators from Maine, Arkansas, North Dakota, Nebraska, Virginia, Colorado, Montana and other states are ideal prospects. I’ve said for years that if someone could do this in the Senate, that group would control everything that goes on for at least two decades.

CRITICAL WEAKNESSES OF THE OTHER CANDIDATES

Contributing to the competitiveness of this race are the weaknesses of the other candidates:

Al Franken. It’s hard to be less authentic than Norm Coleman, but somehow Al and the Franken campaign are managing it. There is a palpable sense among independent voters and swing voters in MN that Al is not a candidate who is being true to himself—that he is being manufactured, manipulated and handled for public consumption. And the machinery is pretty visible. This is at the heart of why he is running so far behind Obama’s numbers in the state. While they can’t articulate it—and while this may seem like an odd comparison—the last time voters got sold a high-profile manufactured candidate in this way it was George W. Bush in 1999-2000. And we all know how well that turned out.

Independents and swing voters want a candidate to be himself. They prize character, individualism, and personal integrity. Al continues to try to be Paul Wellstone, and well… he’s just not. I knew Paul pretty well, especially as a candidate for office, and Al Franken is not Paul Wellstone. Paul knew how to demonstrate his independence, he knew how to resonate with traditional Democratic voters in greater Minnesota, and his swing vote (which is the independent vote in MN) would often vote for him in spite of many of his stands on the issues, just because they had a high regard for his sincerity and his personal integrity. Wellstone would be thriving in this sort of political environment; Franken continues to not get traction. Al’s a good enough guy, but Minnesotans just don’t seem to connect with him personally or trust him, certainly not in the way they did with Wellstone. He almost diminishes himself in the comparison, at least among swing voters.

We need to remind voters that Minnesota has a tradition of sending some pretty impressive people to the U.S. Senate, and for most voters, Al just doesn’t fit that mold. Minnesota deserves a Senator who is more than a performer who knows how to cry on cue or has to be told—repeatedly—when to apologize. Al hasn’t shown he can demonstrate the independent critical thinking or the good judgment that Minnesotans expect in their senators—lately he just looks like someone who is pandering to win an election, and that’s costing him with independents and older, more traditional Democratic voters.

Al is going to have to depend on the Obama coattails and a Wellstonian GOTV effort to win. If Obama came to the state, he would probably be tripping over Al trying to hold onto his coattails at every step. But I think the Obama campaign recognizes that getting too close to Franken might hold back their vote, so I wouldn’t expect to see him in the state to help Al. It’s remarkable—and confusing-- that traditional Democratic voters in this state are supporting in such great numbers an (obviously qualified) African American candidate (think Alan Page’s election) yet stiff-arming someone who has so consciously tried to remake himself as the second coming of Wellstone.

Norm Coleman. Norm is not an independent at all, and the press is letting him get away with this all too much. Some of the newspaper endorsements were nauseating in how they clung to this messaging, which is nothing more than a creation of his reelection campaign.

Norm has always come across as too slick and too personally ambitious for his own good, and independent swing voters have a good antenna for that. So voters don’t really trust him.

Where he has gotten too much of a free pass, and what we have to continually remind voters, is that he was hand-selected by the White House to run for the U.S. Senate. People forget-- and the press hasn’t really told the story enough in this campaign—that Norm really wanted to run for governor in 2002 and Tim Pawlenty was going to be the Republican U.S. Senate candidate. But Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, and George W. Bush decided otherwise, and mandated to the candidates and to the state party that they would switch positions. Coleman was given his marching orders, and he marched.

This totally undercuts his independent argument, and reinforces the notion that he does what the White House tells him to do. His “independent” votes are the usual ploys partisan incumbents use two years out from what looks like a competitive election to make themselves more palatable to the electorate, and this, too, has been grossly unreported.

One of Franken’s latest lines of attack-- that if Norm were truly independent and wanting to work in a bipartisan fashion, he wouldn’t be running for the highly partisan position of NRSC chairman—is devastatingly effective. People can’t be reminded of that too much. (That’s actually the ad they should be running against him.)

Coleman’s problem, besides the slickness and the lack of trust, is this: Minnesotans don’t like to be dictated to. The fact that we have put up for six years with two ambitious marionettes in two of our highest elected offices whose strings are being pulled by what may go down in history as the worst White House ever is something else voters can’t be reminded of too much.


WHAT WE NEED TO DO

So it may be a long shot, but enough factors are in place for another big upset. In the final days, we aren’t going to be able to count on advertising the way we could in Ventura’s race. The lack of public financing for federal races means the money just won’t be there to do the same kind of job. But this is winnable if the candidate, the campaign, and the party do everything they can to get our message out over these final 5 days. We need to continually remind everyone that the most important people in this race—the voters—haven’t been heard from yet, and we need to remind people that our candidate:

-doesn’t have to study polls or listen to political consultants to understand the middle class, he IS the middle class, and the candidate who is most like us.

-he is the one candidate who is not evasive and who is giving them the real straight talk, with realistic and common-sense answers to the big problems facing us.

-he is a candidate of change, but the candidate for people who want responsible, moderate and accountable change instead of just a different flavor of partisanship.

-he has already done the job, performed admirably, and will be much more ready to do the job than Al Franken (Dean presents a rare opportunity for voters to get change plus experience).

-he could be very effective in the Senate and could in fact wield a great deal of power by forming a centrist, common-sense bipartisan coalition of moderate Senators who truly want to make the welfare of our country more important than their political parties.

-he’s the one candidate in the race who can bring us together and start to restore faith and trust in our government, our institutions, our economy, etc.

Barkley in Waconia

From the West Central Tribune

For the next hour, Barkley talked about how to fix Social Security and the national debt – his favorite campaign topics – and fielded skeptical voters’ questions about his brief stint as a lobbyist and whether he could influence Washington when there are only two other independent senators.

“If I get there, the three of us could probably control the joint,” he said of the power they would yield.

Barkley answered all of the questions – except for the one about which presidential candidate he supports; he claims to be undecided – and made sure to take a few jabs at his opponents.

Barkley faults Coleman and other congressional incumbents for looking the other way in the lead up to the financial crisis.

“He was watching the store as this economic meltdown occurred,” Barkley said. “And he wants to go back for more.”

And Barkley has been no easier on Franken.

“Al flew in here to be our savior for the middle class,” he said of the former comedian. “He doesn’t know what it’s like to be in the middle class.”

With a laid-back, self-deprecating approach, Barkley insists he still could pull it off next Tuesday. He said he is polling only slightly lower than was Jesse Ventura at this point in the 1998 governor race.

Barkley, who led that campaign and later was appointed by Ventura to a brief Senate term after Sen. Paul Wellstone’s 2002 death, said independents are under-represented in polling.

“Ten years ago they gave Jesse a shot, and I hope they’re ready to do it again,” he said, adding that Ventura helped him raise money recently to pay for a TV ad he will begin airing today.

Barkley Campaign Responds to SC Times Endorsement

Dean Barkley Endorsed By St. Cloud Times

For Immediate Release
Contact: Christopher Truscott
ctruscott@senatorbarkley.com

PLYMOUTH—The St. Cloud Times has endorsed Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley for the U.S. Senate.

Excerpts from the Times endorsement (click here to read the entire editorial):

Our view: Barkley represents the middle class best

"In Minnesota's U.S. Senate race, incumbent Republican Norm Coleman touts the importance of finding common ground while Democratic challenger Al Franken promises to represent the middle class.

"And then there is Independence candidate Dean Barkley. His is the middle class and his positions already are common ground. Voters should elect him."
…

"That's why his stands on many issues, while far from shocking, invoke a sense of realism and moderation missing from the Coleman and Franken campaigns.

"For example, he supports capping federal spending the next four years to put America on track toward reducing the federal debt.

"Similarly, he notes that the solution to fixing programs such as Social Security and Medicare rest in one basic principle: either increase revenues or decrease benefits. He's open to ideas such as indexing benefits to life expectancy, means-testing benefits, raising the tax, reforming the health care system to reduce costs, or adopting a combination of these fixes.

"Yet would the special interests connected to either of his challengers let them examine any or all those options? It's a fair question considering Coleman's voting record the past six years and Franken's penchant for proposing new programs that lack details of how to pay for them."
Click here to read the entire editorial.

Barkley was endorsed by the Minnesota Daily last week.

* * * * *

Barkley, a 58-year-old Minnesota native, served as the director of the Minnesota Office of Strategic and Long Range Planning under Gov. Jesse Ventura. In November 2002, Ventura appointed Barkley to fill the final two months of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone's term.

The former governor said recently that Barkley is "measured minute by minute … the most effective U.S. senator in Minnesota history."

More information is available online at www.senatorbarkley.com.

DSCC / Franken Fear Mongering on Social Security

The DSCC released an ad yesterday attacking both Coleman and Barkley on Social Security and Higher Education.

Narrator: Three candidates for Senate, but only one has consistently opposed privatizing Social Security and cutting benefits.
Visual: Opposed privatizing social security and cutting benefits
Narrator: Al Franken.
He won’t let Wall Street gamble your retirement.
Narrator: Al Franken. The only choice for change.Visual: Al Franken. The only choice for change.

Narrator: Three candidates for Senate, but only one will give families a $5,000 tuition tax credit.

Visual: Give Minnesota families a $5000 college tuition tax credit.
Narrator: Al Franken. He’ll make college more affordable.

Narrator: Al Franken. The only choice for change.
Visual: Al Franken. The only choice for change.

Let's remember Al Franken at the Golden Valley KARE 11 debate.

Franken told reporters Monday that he did not think anything needed to be done with Social Security in the six-year term the Minnesota senator would serve.

Dean Barkley offered solutions.

Barkley, at a debate Saturday in Golden Valley, said solutions are available but people have to have the political will to enact them. He said the tax can be raised, the retirement age can be raised, the cap of how much the government taxes can be raised or the benefits can be means-tested.

“But if we accept the hard truths about entitlements and their funding, there’s no reason in the world we can’t save these programs. We don’t need another ‘Blue Ribbon Commission’ to study this issue again,” Barkley said in a statement issued Monday.

Barkley confronted Franken on the Social Security ad and Franken's inconsistency last night on Almanac.

Barkley faulted a Democratic ad suggesting he favors privatization of Social Security, but Franken said he had no control over that ad.

An exchange over Social Security followed, with Coleman calling for a special commission to be the architect of reform, while Franken insisted that the retirement program's problems are far in the future. That brought a rebuke from Barkley.

"It's IOUs in the [Social Security] Trust Fund," he said, adding that the real problem was the refusal to talk candidly about Social Security. "We can fix it," he said. "Let's just be honest and do it."

Franken's political courage on Social Security is similar to the political courage he exuded on the bailout bill, opposing it only after it was passed. Coleman slammed Franken for it last night as well.

"I'm going to exercise my independent judgment as senator, and I think Minnesotans expect that ... just like Paul Wellstone did," Franken said.

"Paul Wellstone never would have waited until after the vote to tell you what he thought," Coleman said.

The DSCC as is misleading and works to spread fear amongst seniors while our nation faces a great financial crisis. It's fear mongering at its finest.

The truth is that Al Franken has had an unclear position on Social Security. He wants to fix it one day, thinks it's fine for his first six year Senate term the next day.

Coleman supports the Bush privatization plan and wants another commission to study it.

Recall Barkley's discussion of Social Security:

Noting that Barkley, in Saturday night's debate at the Breck School, outlined four clear options for ensuring the program's solvency, the Minnesota Daily editors wrote:"Franken talked about his commitment to fix the situation, but said 'eventually we would have to have a solution for this,' noting that he wouldn't want to invest it into the stock market like some politicians have suggested.

Coleman attacked Franken about not stating an actual solution, but didn't seem to offer a clear solution either and then stated his absolute commitment to young people and the obligation to fund social security.

"Since Barkley outlined his four ideas for social security, we call on Franken and Coleman to clearly address the funding of social security and their plans for a solution."

On Sunday, Barkley reiterated his commitment to Social Security, which can be preserved for future generations by either:

• Implementing means-testing to determine eligibility for Social Security benefits;
• Raising the retirement age;
• Raising the tax workers pay into the program; or
• Raising the ceiling on income taxed for contribution to the Social Security trust fund.

"The solutions are only difficult if your top priorities are simply serving the AARP or getting reelected," Barkley said. "But if we accept the hard truths about entitlements and their funding, there's no reason in the world we can't save these programs. We don't need another 'Blue Ribbon Commission' to study this issue again."

In Saturday night's debate, Franken argued Social Security is solvent for decades to come, despite the concerns of many young people that the program won't be there when it's time for their retirement.

"Congress has been robbing the Social Security trust fund dry for the past six years," Barkley said. "In 2000, Al Gore talked about implementing a 'lock box' policy, but the real trouble is that too many people today have keys to the lock box."

We need solutions, not blatant fear mongering.

Is a vote for a third party candidate a wasted vote?

A letter in the Worthington Daily Globe

In the recent Senatorial debate on KARE11, the question was asked — what would you do to fix the coming crisis in funding for Social Security? Senator Coleman said that he would form a study group to seek the answer. Mr. Franken said that social security was OK for a while, and he wouldn’t change anything.

Senator Barkley said that we had already had enough studies, including one Congressman Tim Penny participated in, which came up with a few workable but tough solutions. We need to raise Social Security taxes, increase the eligible age, limit the amount of Social Security a wealthy person would receive, or a combination of these ideas.

I think the next Congress should have the courage to fix this problem, and that Dean Barkley is the best person to face the difficult problems that face our country — especially as he doesn’t have to “toe the party line” and can truly do what is best for our country. So yes, let’s really vote for a change in Washington by returning Sen. Barkley to the Senate. Also, a vote for Barkley says no to all the ads that both the other parties have run and show that outside money can’t buy a Minnesota Senate seat.

Someone's paying attention, Dennis gets a gold star!

Barkley Participates in KSTP Town Hall; Franken and Coleman Skip Event

Barkley Participates in KSTP Town Hall; Franken and Coleman Skip Event

For Immediate Release
Contact: Christopher Truscott
ctruscott@senatorbarkley.com

ST. PAUL—The Barkley for Senate campaign released the following statement Sunday evening following a KSTP town hall forum at Metropolitan State University:

"This was a great opportunity for Sen. Barkley to share his straight-forward message with people all over Minnesota," said campaign spokesman Christopher Truscott. "It's sad that Al Franken and Norm Coleman decided instead to hide behind their special interest money and focus-group tested commercials."

* * * * *

Barkley, a 58-year-old Minnesota native, served as the director of the Minnesota Office of Strategic and Long Range Planning under Gov. Jesse Ventura. In November 2002, Ventura appointed Barkley to fill the final two months of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone's term.

The former governor said recently that Barkley is "measured minute by minute … the most effective U.S. senator in Minnesota history."

More information is available online at www.senatorbarkley.com.

Coleman Runs Away From Bachmann Comments

Interesting, I bet he made his decision after they had a poll...typical Coleman courage.

Esme Murphy interviewed Norm this morning.

No word on whether Brian Davis, John Kline and Erik Paulsen endorse Bachmann's hateful anti-American commentary.

Barkley and Coleman on Ethics

Fact Check: Dean Barkley and Norm Coleman on Ethics

As a lobbyist, Barkley made no financial contributions to Minnesota state legislators; Norm Coleman, meanwhile, accepts cash from lobbyists and PACs

For Immediate Release
Contact: Christopher Truscott
ctruscott@senatorbarkley.com

PLYMOUTH—The Dean Barkley for Senate campaign released the following statement following an attack by a leading Web-based supporter of Republican Sen. Norm Coleman:[1]

"If Sen. Coleman and his friends spent a little less time manufacturing outrage and a little more doing what's right for our country, this election would be no contest.

"It is true that in 2003, 2004 and 2005, Dean Barkley lobbied the Minnesota Legislature. He launched that career after entering the job market following his tenure in the U.S. Senate.

"As a lobbyist, Sen. Barkley never made a financial contribution to a member of the Legislature and he has not accepted any contributions from lobbyists or PACs as a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

"Meanwhile, Norm Coleman has taken more than $5.1 million from PACs[2] and about $60,000 from individual lobbyists.[3] It's also worth noting that in this election cycle alone he has accepted more than $58,000 from the gaming industry[4] and another $15,000 from the tobacco industry.[5]

"Given Norm Coleman's checkered history, there's something bizarre about his supporters picking a fight when it comes to ethics."

—Christopher Truscott, Barkley campaign spokesman

* * * * *
Barkley, a 58-year-old Minnesota native, served as the director of the Minnesota Office of Strategic and Long Range Planning under Gov. Jesse Ventura. In November 2002, Ventura appointed Barkley to fill the final two months of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone's term.

The former governor said recently that Barkley is "measured minute by minute … the most effective U.S. senator in Minnesota history."

More information is available online at www.senatorbarkley.com.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Minnesota Democrats Exposed: http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/2008/10/18/dean-barkley-he-was-a-tobacco-lobbyist-and-he-is-a-hypocrite/

[2] Opensecrets.org (Norm Coleman Career Profile page): http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00013870&cycle=Career

[3] Opensecrets.org (Lobbyists/Norm Coleman/Recipient Detail page): http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/contribs_detail.php?type=r&lname=Norm+Coleman+%28R-Minn%29

[4] Opensecrets.org (Casinos/Gambling: Money to Congress page): http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.php?ind=N07&cycle=2008&recipdetail=S&mem=Y

[5] Opensecrets.org (Tobacco: Money to Congress page): http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.php?ind=A02&cycle=2008&recipdetail=S&mem=

Tinklenberg Still Hauling in $$$

About $120,000 on Act Blue, and its been what, 18 hours?

He may raise more in a couple days because of Bachmann's greatest campaign mistake than he did in some FEC reporting quarters.

Just incredible.

I've read a few right wing bloggers defending Bachmann's statement.

If what Bachmann said was appropriate, when will John Kline, Erik Paulsen, Norm Coleman, and Brian Davis issue statements in support of Congresswoman Bachmann?

Coleman and Bachmann: Frontpage Think Progress

Norm Coleman made the front page for his most recent ad.

Bachmann for her...well you know...anti-American Joseph McCarthy BS.

The Republican brand in Minnesota is severely tainted right now!

Do Erik Paulsen, John Kline and Brian Davis Agree with Michele Bachmann?

Michele Bachmann has been the poster woman for conservatism in Minnesota.

Her insane comments on Hardball and Larry King are ignited a progressive groundswell in Minnesota.

We need to ask some of Bachmann's closest friends where they stand on this.

I hope the press and voters begin to ask Norm Coleman, Erik Paulsen, Brian Davis, and John Kline what they think of Congresswoman Bachmann's comments.

BTW, El Tinklenberg has raised nearly $100,000 at Act Blue since this story broke!

Incredible.

Barkley Takes Off the Gloves!

Last night was Dean Barkley's most dominating performance at any of the US Senate debates to date.

Independence Party candidate Barkley, in particular, went bare-knuckled at his better-financed, big-party rivals, saying their campaigns have been corrupted by special interest money and negativity. He reserved some of his sharpest criticism for incumbent Coleman for, among other things, not doing more to stop the economic meltdown affecting the nation and world.

“Norm, on your watch we had the greatest malfeasance in economic history. If you were in Enron, right now you’d probably be under indictment, not running for reelection.”

Coleman responded that “It’s easy from the cheap seats to throw shots,” and said that Barkley and Franken lack his experience and his understanding of what it takes to forge deals in the hard-ball partisan atmosphere of Washington.

So is Coleman referring that any of us not a sitting member of Congress sits in the cheap seats now? We're all in the cheap seats Coleman. It's from these cheap seats that I worry about the economy, I worry about the company I work for and my job, I worry about stubborn leaders who keep sending my brothers and sisters in arms in harms way, without a plan to get them home and without the proper care once they return.

Senator Coleman, perhaps you should spend a day in the cheap seats and see what this is really like.

Coleman is bipartisan?

In 2003 he voted with President Bush 98% of the time.
2004: 92%
2005: 84%
2006: 88%
2007: 68%.

His final years he may have began to reach across the aisle, knowing he would be up for a tough election fight.

Norm Coleman is not bipartisan, he supported the Bush agenda at nearly a 90% clip.

On campaign finance reform:

Barkley told Coleman, “I’d love to hear an apology for you putting Minnesotans for the last 10 months of these negative ads.” He said public financing of campaigns would help ease cynicism over campaigning and special interests, with each voter getting vouchers to give to the campaign of their choice.

Coleman responded by stating that the people would not want their money spent on all these negative tv ads.

First of all, we already pay for those ads, one way or another, through increased costs to goods and services. Tell me that the $136,000,000 given from the financial services industry this year alone hasn't come back on the user.

Secondly, if you're stupid enough to use public voucher money on negative campaign ads, it shows the candidate's lack of intelligence and fiscal discipline.

Blueman Exclusive: Footage of Post Duluth Debate Scrap Between Al and Norm

It's a good thing I know people in Duluth!