Closing our the year strong!

Dear Friends,

We’ve had a great December!

In just a few weeks, we’ve been able to get our campaign off to a fast start and people are beginning to take notice. We’ve already put a great campaign team in place, earned a lot of attention in the key newspaper s serving Senate District 18 and begun building the amazing grassroots effort that’s going to carry us to victory in November.

None of this would’ve been possible without you. To keep the momentum going I need one more small favor this year. Please help us close out 2009 strong with a contribution of $20.10 .

I grew up in Wright County and consider myself lucky to have had the many opportunities I did. Now I want to make sure Minnesota remains as great for my family as it was for me. Doing this won’t be easy, however, since the Republicans in Senate District 18 are already working hard to ensure the Michele Bachmann wing of their party is well represented at the state Capitol.

By investing in Minnesota’s future today with a contribution of $20.10 , you can help ensure that we’ll have what we’ll need to continue spreading our positive, results-oriented message to every city and town across Senate District 18.

Thank you so much for everything you’ve done to help our campaign, our party and, most importantly, our state. By working together, we’re going to make 2010 the year in which we elect a DFLer governor, build on our legislative majorities and defeat Michele Bachmann.

Please join us today with a contribution of $20.10 so we can continue working to build the future Minnesota needs.

Thanks again,

Hal

Contribute to our campaign!

Our new campaign blog is up and running! The website will be up early next week! In the interim, we ask that you please donate from the link at the blog!

Tim Benoit announces in SD 18

Another Republican is running for the State Senate out here in SD 18!

As reported by the Enterprise Dispatch here in Cokato.

COKATO, DASSEL, MN – Dean Mahlstedt of Cokato and Tim Benoit of Dassel are both seeking the Republican endorsement for the District 18 Senate seat now filled by Steve Dille (R-Dassel). The cacauses will take place Feb. 2, 2010 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. More details to come. Two others, Randy Wilson former Glencoe mayor, and Steve Newman of Hutchinson, are also seeking the nomination.

Mahlstedt is hosting an event to answer questions about himself and his position at Dunn Bros. in Hutchinson Saturday, Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. to noon. No events are planned thus far for Benoit.

That makes 4!

See you in a bit

We'll be back in a few months...hopefully under the title "Blue man in a Blue district".

Dean Mahlstedt announces in SD 18

So far, a two way race for the GOP endorsement. I expect Scott Newman and one other candidate to announce soon.

Cokato business owner Dean Mahlstedt is seeking the Republican Party endorsement in his run for Minnesota Senate.

Mahlstedt is vying for Steve Dille’s seat as District 18 senator. Longtime incumbent Dille announced last month that he won’t run for re-election. His current term ends Jan. 3, 2011.

Mahlstedt will be at Dunn Bros. in Hutchinson from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 12. After a brief introduction, he’ll be available to answer questions and listen to comments.

Randy Wilson announces in SD 18

From the McLeod County Chronicle

Wilson to run for Senate seat

Last Friday afternoon, Glencoe Mayor Randy Wilson announced he will be running for the District 18 state Senate seat in the fall 2010 election.

The seat is currently held by State Sen. Steve Dille, R-Dassel. Dille announced last month that he will not seek re-election.

Wilson announced he will run as a Republican, and will seek the District 18 Republican Party endorsement. But he did not rule out running in the primary if he does not receive the party endorsement.

"With the opening of the Senate seat in District 18, I would like to earn your support as a Republican candidate," Wilson said in making his announcement.

"While the 2010 elections seem a long time from now, the candidates interested in the open seat do need to start the process of meeting the people they desire to serve.

"We should give everyone an opportunity to learn which candidate will best represent their interests in St. Paul. I believe my experience as mayor of Glencoe and as a business owner for 23 years has given me the background to serve as your next state Senator in Senate District 18," Wilson said.

Comcast backs health care reform

Good story at Think Progress

But on Thursday, Comcast, the nation’s largest cable provider, came out and endorsed the Senate health care legislation. CEO Brian Roberts sent a letter to President Obama saying that the “enactment of comprehensive health care reform legislation is, in my judgment, critical to putting this country on a path of sustained growth and prosperity.”

Is Michael Brodkorb still running the show at MDE?

It would appear as such.

Yesterday, a post appeared at 1:29 pm, about a South Dakota blog going after Matt Entenza.

It was posted by "Luke Hellier".

SOUTH DAKOTA POLITICAL BLOG PICKS UP ENTENZA STORY
By Luke Hellier | December 4, 2009

South Dakota War College, a political blog from South Dakota, picked up the story about Entenza’s fundraising event in Washington, DC. The post is below:

Remember this story from a couple of years ago? If I recall, I even blogged on it:

"Luke Hellier" posts a link to the story

"I even blogged on it:" back on August 28, 2006.

"I" as in "Luke Hellier".

But that story was written by Michael Brodkorb.

So who wrote the South Dakota story? Brodkorb or Hellier?

On June 24, 2009, Brodkorb announced that he would be leaving MDE because of his position as the Deputy Chair of the Minnesota Republican Party, creating separation between the tabloid arm and the leadership arm of the Minnesota Republican Party.

On June 30, 2009, Brodkorb supposedly turned over the reigns of MDE to other bloggers.

New bloggers will be added over the coming weeks, but those decisions will be made by Ryan and Aaron, as I will have no editorial role in Minnesota Democrats Exposed. The keys to the store have been handed over to the new tenants.

Ryan and Aaron posted for about 3 months before they were joined by "Luke Hellier".

Perhaps Luke does some posting at MDE. Maybe it was Luke posting back in 2006 and not Michael?

Is the real Luke Hellier just a patsy?

So, is the Deputy Chair of the Minnesota Republican Party is posting at MDE now under the alias of "Luke Hellier"? Even after he stated he would "have no editorial role in Minnesota Democrats Exposed"?

Inquiring minds want to know...

Senator Thune: Stay in your lane buddy

What's up with Senator John Thune?

"I don’t know what his [Franken's] motivation was for taking us on, but I would hope that we won’t see a lot of Daily Kos-inspired amendments in the future coming from him," said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, No. 4 in the Senate Republican leadership. "I think hopefully he’ll settle down and do kind of the serious work of legislating that’s important to Minnesota."

I'll re-state some comments I made nearly a month ago on the "anti rape" amendment.

Senator Franken didn't propose this legislation to "be the poster boy for a hard hitting campaign against the Republican Party".

He proposed it because it was the right thing to do.

So, instead of going after Senator Franken, maybe we should spend more time figuring out why 30 Republican Senators thought that the individuals that raped Jamie Leigh Jones needed protection.

Being an advocate on an issue like this DOES build the base. Being an advocate on an issue like this IS important to Minnesota. It should be important to folks in South Dakota too Senator Thune.

Rape is about power. In this case, KBR employees slipped a date rape drug into Jamie Leigh Jones drink and gang raped her while she was unconscious.

After Jones reported the criminal act committed against her, KBR armed guards placed her in a metal shipping container and denied her access to food, water and medical treatment.

Anyone reading this ever actually been in a metal shipping container? We spend hours loading these things while I was stationed at Fort Hood Texas. Imagine how hot this sealed shipping container could get on a July 2005 day in Iraq.

And yet, 30 United States Senators sought fit that KBR and other defense contractors were the ones needing protection and not people like Jamie Leigh Jones.

Obviously I'm not the only one who sees the absurdity in that.

So, my question to Senator Thune is this.

If your daughters Brittany and Larissa were raped by a defense contractor in Iraq, would it still be a bad idea to seek justice?

Would you still feel that this was a "kos inspired amendment"?

GOP wants Franken to defend them?

30 Republican United States Senators vote against an amendment that would de-fund contractors who prevent their employees from suing if they are raped by co-workers, and they want Senator Franken to defend their vote?

Really?

Do I really think these 30 gutless Senators support rape? Of course not.

They support corporations and the military industrial complex over real people.

To his credit, Senator Franken hasn't gone Bachmann on the bit and appeared on every cable news show known to mankind to hurl accusations.

He's been quiet. He's been professional. He's been a United States Senator.

And importantly, he's right.