--A collection of insider news and opinion--
One Big Win For Independent Expenditures, Thanks To The MCCL...
...means one huge victory for interest groups in state legislative campaigns. Legislative candidates be warned: Failure to answer interest group questionnaires could now be fatal to campaigns.
Last week a three-judge administrative panel ruled that Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) did not violate state campaign laws that forbid knowingly publishing and sending out material that it knew was false. The best way to understand the magnitude of this decision is to recap what exactly transpired.
Up in District 12, in the socially conservative central part of the state, former Crow Wing County Commissioner and Brainerd High School special education teacher Terry Sluss decided to run against incumbent GOPer Koering. Even though Sluss self-identified as pro-life, he earned the DFL endorsement, putting him at odds with the DFL platform.
Early last summer, the MCCL sent out a candidate questionnaire to all candidates running for the Legislature. The questionnaire contained 36 highly detailed questions that reflected every possible permutation of the abortion issue that might play out at the state Capitol.
Sluss said he did not fill out the questionnaire because he didn't want to be "hogtied" on specific issues. [Sluss did, however, fill out questionnaires from unions, environmental groups and Education Minnesota.] The MCCL followed up with all candidates who did not fill out the questionnaire to make sure they had ample opportunity to respond. Sluss said he didn't bother to fill out the questionnaire because MCCL had openly supported Koering in the highly-contested GOP primary.
So MCCL endorsed Koering and the week before the general election the group sent out a mailing to District 12 residents comparing the two candidates. The mailing was a simple postcard that said the following about Sluss: "Refused to commit to any legal protection for innocent unborn babies. Refused to respond to any questions on life issues, including abortion on demand and taxpayer funding of abortion in the 2006 MCCL State Legislative Candidate Questionnaire."
Sluss filed a complaint after he lost the election, the guts of which were that the MCCL mailing was knowingly false because he was an openly pro-life candidate. He ran as one for county commissioner; he was quoted in the Brainerd Daily Dispatch as being "pro-life from conception to death;" and he supported several local pro-life causes.
Nevertheless, the judges ruled that all this evidence was insufficient to prove that the statements made by the MCCL on the postcard were knowingly false, or that the MCCL knew the statements were false or "subjectively knew [they] were probably false." Case dismissed.
To those who know Minnesota politics, that's quite a conclusion. For better or for worse, abortion has dominated Minnesota politics since Roe v. Wade was decided. Pro-life and pro-choice groups know exactly where every candidate is on the issue--whether or not a questionnaire has been completed. Surely the MCCL knew Sluss was pro-life. But reread the statement on the MCCL postcard. Bully for the MCCL. There's nothing knowingly false about it.
Think of the ramifications. Any interest group can do the same. A candidate may agree with the interest group but if the candidate doesn't fill out the questionnaire, MCCL-like statements protect the group. Legislative candidates receive dozens of questionnaires, many of which are as detailed as the MCCL's 36 questions. Under the reasoning of the three-judge panel, failure to answer a question could mean "refused to commit" on an issue and a potential onslaught by the interest group in a campaign.
Does Minnesota politics get any richer when a pro-life interest group decides to help the reelection campaign of the state's only gay GOP member, Sen. Paul Koering (Little Falls)?! We think not.
Hillary Clinton Coming to Town June 1st
We have it on good authority that Sen. Hillary Clinton w will host her first Minnesota event June 1st. Time and location are to be determined. This will mark the first major presidential fundraiser in Minnesota on either side of the aisle for the 2008 election.
Tinklenberg Won't Run
Politics In Minnesota may be the first place that you read it. Former State Transportation Commissioner and Mayor of Blaine, El Tinklenberg, is not going to run for the Sixth District seat now held by U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R). While Tinklenberg was in the race early last time, only to be squeezed out by Patty Wetterling, he raised an impressive $400,000 before the endorsing convention. He also sent most of it back in the end, earning him goodwill among PAC's within labor and major donors.
Tinklenberg's profile as a former minister and Mayor would have been a formidable for the controversial Bachmann to contend with; however, due to a successful consulting business and family demands, Tinklenberg will not be a candidate.
First Names Emerging For Ciresi
The big names are beginning to emerge in support of Mike Ciresi's US Senate run, as illustrated by a fundraiser hosted by close Ciresi family friends and former Skip Humphrey political aide Maureen Kucera Walsh and her husband Michael Walsh. Here are the key names on the invite: Rep. Betty McCollum, Vance and Darin Opperman, Lee Humphrey (wife of Skip), Ruth Usem, and former Hatch and Humphrey spokeswoman Leslie Sandberg.
Piling On Ron
Strikes your GOP publisher that the Star Tribune's stories on GOP State Party Chair Ron Carey's involvement in the Minnesota Autism Center and its alleged over-billing practices were overblown (the first story ran on page one above the fold). Strikes your DFL publishers that $3 million is a lot of money, and that Hatch did the politically and legally appropriate thing in turning it over to the GOP-led US Attorney's office and that the story was warranted in placement and tone. Had it been a DFLer, the GOPers would be holding press conference after press conference urging resignations and further investigations.Regardless, one key piece of missing information was that then-Attorney General Mike Hatch's report on the matter included the key finding that there was no impropriety found on the part of any board member--including Carey. The second story highlighted Hatch turning the investigation over to the U.S. Attorney's office. Every politico we know assumes that the investigation was politically inspired. Carey and the GOP brutally researched every aspect of Hatch's record and kept it alive on the GOP web site, MikeUnHatched.com (now defunct).
Interestingly, the heat on Carey is actually helping his spirited reelection contest in which he is being challenged by long-time GOP activist and favored media quote, Joe Repya. Among the GOP insiders who will decide the election, being targeted by Hatch and major stories in newspapers only solidify that Carey is taking arrows for the GOP team.
DFL Challengers Lining Up In The Second
After Coleen Rowley's floundering in her 2006 attempt to defeat Rep. John Kline (R), DFLers were slightly disheartened, thinking Kline might be unbeatable. Rowley was supposed to be the national star but she flopped as a candidate.
That may have made DFLers initially reluctant to challenge Kline in 2008 but three notable names are emerging as possible candidates:
The most impressive name out of the block is U of M Regent David Metzen, brother to President of the State Senate, Sen. Jim Metzen (DFL-St. Paul) and a highly-respected bank owner. Metzen would immediately garner a significant fundraising base as well as the ability to compete with Kline on business issues. He would benefit from his brother's profile, as "Metzen" gives him a slight jump-start in the name-recognition game. He was seen making the rounds at the DFL Humphrey Day Dinner last Saturday, and the Ranger party on Monday.
Jack Haugen is the mayor of Prior Lake, one of the most rapidly growing suburbs in the Twin Cities, and in the Second Congressional District. As owner of the American National Insurance Company, he is also a small business leader. Haugen has been mayor of Prior Lake since 2001 and during that time the growth of the city ballooned. He presumably has a good relationship with the Mdewakanton Sioux, having had to work with them on many issues with the city. While Haugen had been making the rounds only a few weeks ago, we now hear that he has had second thoughts.
Stephen Sarvi, the former mayor of Watertown and former city administrator of Victoria, could be a sleeper and is considering a run. Sarvi is currently deployed in Iraq as a member of the Minnesota National Guard. He has reportedly had his father meet with staff at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) about his campaign. On paper, Sarvi could be a formidable candidate, like Rep. Tim Walz (DFL-MN1) was, or he could simply be an amateur up against the pro, Kline.
While Democrats thought 2006 was the year to defeat Kline, 2008 may be a better year. The war in Iraq is even less popular and with a strong presidential turnout, the second district could be more competitive than in other years. DFL legislative pick-ups in Eagan, Burnsville and Apple Valley in 2006 show that once-placid GOP waters could turn in the perfect storm.
Kline will have the fundraising and discipline to run a strong race but the current field could make the last two opponents quickly forgettable.
The Great Dane Goes For Growth & Justice
Your publishers have enjoyed a solid business relationship (not to mention friendship) with former Star Tribune reporter Dane Smith over the past fifteen-plus years. That said, Smith's move to lead the Growth & Justice group was a bit of a surprise, even though we knew that former DFL Senate Candidate Rebecca Yanisch and the G&J board had him in their sights.
Forget that Smith replaces former Strib publisher and G&J founder Joel Kramer (who now becomes chairman of the G&J board), Dane immediately gives G&J relevance on the policy stage. Other than last year's ad signed by wealthy Minnesotans, G&J has done little to be proactive or provoke discussion or reaction from the public or public officials. We hear Kramer doesn't like the public part of the role, although one would never have guessed that because Kramer proved to be a strong articulate advocate, always willing to venture onto conservative talk radio when asked.
Smith's timing is perfect. The House and Senate have both proposed new tax tiers that are in sync with the full-page ads G&J ran last year encouraging a tax increase and because of that, the time is now for the DFL and any Republicans who support new revenue sources to make themselves relevant.
Smith knows politics and has a deep appreciation for policy. Those qualities should allow him to shine as he enters the new stage of politics.
Still, Dane Smith has been scrupulous about not taking any positions on any issues (or perhaps more correctly, letting his views be known). Some of Smith's Capitol press corps colleagues look forward to seeing how Smith functions as an advocate rather than as a reporter.
The Center Of The American Experiment Continues To Impress
When Mitch Pearlstein was reinstalled as head for the Center last year, many wondered if the conservative Center could hold on after the staff and donor shake-up. It has. Not only has Pearlstein held on, he has made the Center a gathering place and the thoughtful policy provider that he aimed for when he founded it. And he has done it while taking on uglier (verbally) conservatives, like Ann Coulter.
A recent list of the Center's programs and publications:
St. Paul Elections, Partisan-Style
This week, voters in St. Paul should know if they will be voting for a change in the city's charter this November. The Minnesota Voters Alliance is behind an initiative to require St. Paul's city elections to become partisan. Candidates for mayor and city council would compete in their respective party's primaries and each party's designate will move on to the general election. This would ensure candidates from the Green, Independence and Republican Parties will have a voice in the general election.
In a city that is controlled by the DFL, you may ask why it matters. Well, it actually matters quite a bit. Currently, St. Paul elections usually pit liberal Democrats against moderate, pro-business Democrats. The last time a Republican made it past the primary was 1997 when then-Mayor Norm Coleman was seeking reelection. But Coleman was elected as a Democrat and switched parties in the winter of 1996-97.
The St. Paul DFL activists who control the endorsing process tend to be more liberal than the average voter and Democrat in the city. The DFL endorsements of then-Rep. Andy Dawkins, Sen. Sandy Pappas and Council Member Jay Benanav for mayor shows the party has a tendency to nominate liberal fringe candidates who were unable to appeal to the city's moderate-liberal base. If this change would have been in effect during those elections, it is safe to say that Norm Coleman and Randy Kelly would have never been elected mayor. The same could be said in several of the city's council races.
While initiative organizers believe their attempts will increase options for voters, it is likely to limit choices. Other than Coleman, a Republican has not been mayor since 1970. There is little evidence to believe that would change under this proposal. And the DFL endorsement in the open Ward 4 council seat should give organizers pause. With each of DFL candidates abiding by the endorsement, liberal community-activist Russ Stark is all but guaranteed the council seat.
Brother Speaks The Truth
Minneapolis emcee Brother Ali has just released this year's most politically provocative locally produced music video, along with his excellent new album "The Undisputed Truth." Brother Ali's locally owned label, Rhymesayers Entertainment (headquartered at 24th & Hennepin's Fifth Element record shop), has recently pushed the boundaries of politics in hip-hop, releasing albums like the critically acclaimed Coup's "Pick a Bigger Weapon" and I Self Devine's "Self Destruction," which transcend mass-market conventions to offer positivist, progressive beats and rhymes. Over producer Ant's blues/rock beat, Ali somehow spans the distance between the Taxpayer's League and Youth Against War and Racism in just one stanza of Uncle Sam Goddamn:
Watch the video on YouTube here. Ali currently headlines a nationwide tour and will return to play at First Avenue on July 8.
Politics In Minnesota: Bits & Pieces...
Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) has moved up the vulnerability scale, according to the DC-based Rothenberg Political Report. Coleman was previously on the "watch list" but now he is labeled vulnerable. The other two vulnerable seats are also held by the GOP: the open seat in Colorado from the retirement of Sen. Wayne Allard (R), and Senator Susan Collins' (R-Maine) seat.
Rep. John Kline (R-MN2) is losing his highly-regarded chief of staff, Steve Sutton. Sutton is headed to the Leadership Institute, a conservative training program, to be their Vice President of Programming. He will not leave Kline until his replacement is found.
The state GOP has named Daren Bearson as their new executive director. Bearson grew up in Hopkins, served most recently as White House Liaison at the U.S. Department of Energy, as associate White House political director, and as a field director for George Bush's 2000 campaign. He replaces Ben Golnick, who is now the Midwest political director of Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) presidential campaign.
Speaking of Ben Golnick, the news of his marriage to Middlebury College classmate pediatrician Dr. Allison Brachlow was featured (with a photo) in last Sunday's NYT Styles wedding announcements section. Dubbed "the women's sports pages," being selected for Sunday ink play is considered a high social honor. "Sex in the City" junkies may recall that the HBO show based an entire episode on Charlotte York's scheming to get her wedding announcement to Harry Goldblatt published there. Fortunately for Brachlow, her photo did not contain the Hitler-esque mustache ink spot that appeared over York's lip.
One local blogger to watch--especially on the drama that is the Star Tribune/Pioneer Press/Par Ridder affair, as well as some Avista Capital bashing--is Paul Schmelzer over at Minnesota Monitor. His constant coverage of the local media is very good; we're jealous that he has the time to cover the topic. And, of course, we've already flagged the astute perspective and usually good read on Brian Lambert's media blog at The Rake.
Congratulations to both Rep. Steve Sviggum (R-Kenyon) and the U of M Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, which announced this week that Sviggum will become a senior fellow at the school. Sviggum will teach and conduct research on legislative leadership, the legislative process and political ethics reform. It's the perfect job for him: Sviggum loves to teach and he knows his stuff. For the HHH Institute, it helps solve a long-time perception problem (based on reality) that the HHH Institute doesn't harbor any Republicans.
Jesse Ventura may have been a roadie for the Stones, but he's got nothing on St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. Coleman opened for Rod Stewart last night at the Xcel. Seriously. The Mayor plays the bagpipes and he was invited to join the Macalester College Pipe Band as the warm up act for the 70s rock icon. Yeah, I opened for Rod Stewart once. How many politicians can say that?
Best of luck and thoughts and prayers to Sen. LeRoy Stumpf (DFL-Plummer) on his upcoming heart bypass surgery. We're just glad he realized those chest pains were not caused by starting the conference committee negotiations on the all-important K-12 bill. Stumpf chairs the Education Finance Committee.
Congratulations to the University's Carlson School of Management on landing former GOP Presidential contender and Forbes magazine president and CEO Steve Forbes as this year's commencement speaker. Other commencement speakers this year are Edward Toussaint Jr., Chief Justice, Minnesota Court of Appeals, at the U's Law School and Michael Osterholm, Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) and associate director of the Department of Homeland Security's National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD) at the U's Medical School.
Our piece about the Virginia Tech tragedy elicited some interesting emails about what's going on in the mental health arena in St. Paul. NAMI-MN (National Association for the Mentally Ill) has been leading the charge (long before Virginia Tech) for greater state investments in mental health. GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty is on board, as is his Department of Human Services Commissioner Cal Ludeman However, being against mental health screening and even funding for children's mental health has become sort of an unofficial position for House Republicans. (See Rep . Mark Olson's diatribe against psychiatric medications last week.) The opposition comes from EdWatch (formerly the Maple River Education Coalition that led the charge against the Profile of Learning) and the Church of Scientology. State Senators are also getting calls stating that TeenScreen is anti-Christian.
The Northeast Citizen Patrol, the group that brought the Guardian Angels back to Minneapolis, has launched a new community newspaper to try to help stop crime. Major movers and shakers in the group are Colleen and Tom Olson, who lost their barbershop in an arson in 2005. Here's the KARE-11 story.
On Saturday from noon to 1:30, conservative stalwart Robert Novak visits the Twin Cities to host a lunch sponsored by the Center of the American Experiment and the Federalist Leadership Center at Nebraska's Bellevue University. The event, "Restoring Federalist Principles," is at the DoubleTree Park Place Hotel in St. Louis Park. There is also an all-day student seminar hosted by Prof. Donald Devine and the price of the luncheon is $30. You can register online.
Today the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and the Leadership Empowerment and Development Group are releasing "African Nonprofits Report: A report of financially active African-led nonprofit organizations in Minnesota serving African immigrants, refugees and asylees." The report will be presented from 4-6 p.m. today by Jackie Copeland Carson at the Minneapolis' Center for Families, 3333 North Fourth Street. MCN has also set up a blog at MinnesotaNonProfitBlogs.org. The event is free but organizers prefer an RSVP. "As the African population grows, so too do the number of nonprofit organizations that serve it," said Omar Fernandes, chief researcher of the report, on a press release. "It is important for us to look at how those nonprofits are structured, the groups they serve, and the programs and services they offer. By doing this analysis, we can see where this part of the sector is doing well, and where we can improve." Minnesota's African immigrant population has tripled since 2000, with 45 nationalities.
The American Collectors Association, based in Minneapolis, is looking for a legislative director of government affairs to represent members of the credit and collection industry on Capitol Hill, drive the association's federal legislative agenda and establish appropriate strategies to achieve positive legislative outcomes. Qualified candidates must have 3-5 years of actual or comparable experience as a legislative director for a Congressional office or as committee staff for either a House or Senate Committee, excellent verbal and written communication skills and be willing to travel. Legal background and experience in financial services is preferred but not required. For more information about this position visit acainternational.org. Interested candidates should e-mail a resume, cover letter, references and salary expectations to Valerie Hayes at hayes@acainternational.org. Politics In Minnesota: Setting The Record Straight Last week's report on the Minneapolis Public Library merger oversimplified MPL's complex and difficult funding situation. The major problem lies in operating revenue, which comes mainly from property taxes and Local Government Aid from the State Capitol. On the healthier side of the ledger, capital bonding funds drawn from the 2000 city referendum were directed toward Central Library construction and branch improvements. A major part of recent property tax hikes go toward paying off these capital bonds, and capital improvement funding remains healthy. Branch improvements continue today at Nokomis and Northeast branches, but three years after the severe LGA cuts, the operating revenue falls millions short of the level required to fully operate each branch. While the total capital improvement project's ultimate price tag has increased by millions since 2000, MPL staff says this is due to inflation, and each project segment has not overrun projected costs.