Politics in Minnesota: The Weekly Report - Vol. 1, Issue 20 - 9/30/2005

In this issue: Dead Man Walking? Has Mische Lost His Touch? Two Mayoral Fun Facts; EMILY Goes For Amy; The Email Rush The Day Before The Deadline; No Horsing Around; What Wellstone Would Definitely Have Done; So Much For MAC Flak; Bits From The Blogosphere; Bits & Pieces; Lobbyist Watch; Setting The Record Straight

Dead Man Walking?

[Publishers' note: PIM's Sarah Janecek was hired to lobby for St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly and the City of St. Paul for one year and she has contributed financially to his campaign. PIM's Blois Olson contributed to Kelly's campaign and subsequently to Chris Coleman's.]

That's a harsh headline. For now, we stand by it.

Yesterday's press conference by St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly was an unmitigated disaster. Political media relations 101. Do not say--verbatim--in a press release, "Mayor Kelly to make major address on the status of the Saint Paul Mayor's Race," and not deliver on the merits. Kelly's talk about the anger over his endorsement last year of President George Bush does not constitute a "major address." Do not delay a press conference for 20 minutes so that the campaign camera crew can get its act together. The real press corps becomes loaded for bear.

What a squandered chance. On the other hand, maybe there is no chance in heavily DFL St. Paul. In an era when the Governor and the state House are Republican, the city has fared quite well. Several years ago, the local government aid (LGA) formula was fine-tuned so that state cuts did not adversely affect St. Paul. All because Kelly stepped up to the plate and didn't bash the need for cuts, given the state budget deficit. He rolled up his sleeves and worked with Republicans. Quite unlike Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak, who blindly bashed Republicans on LGA cuts. For those who don't work at the Capitol, make no mistake. St. Paul has stature; Minneapolis does not. Randy Kelly accrued that stature. Unfortunately, Kelly hasn't found a way to effectively communicate this message.

Adding injury to insult was the fudging around on whether the press conference was being filmed for a possible television ad. When pressed by irked reporters, Kelly said "The campaign wasn't filming a commercial," something he later back-tracked on and said that footage may end up in a commercial.

To the widely reported fact that Kelly was wearing pancake make-up, we disagree with the universal criticism of that fact. Like it or not, we live in a visual age. And the reality is that most men in politics who know they will be under the glare of cameras do wear it. To not wear it is to look tired and drawn.

Has Mische Lost His Touch?

Over the years one of the most talented political operatives in this state has been Erich Mische. He has been the main man behind the scenes for U.S. Senator Norm Coleman, first as St. Paul mayor, then as 1998 Republican gubernatorial candidate and later as Senator. Mische also worked on other campaigns, including Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner's first race in 1994 and current St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly's 2001 victory. Mische currently serves as Coleman's chief of staff and remains a top advisor to Kelly in the current mayoral race.

One of your publishers recalls the always intense Mische outside the 2001 Democratic City Convention engineering the party endorsement of city council member Jay Benanav by sending Kelly delegates to him, because he was able to convince the Kelly delegates that Benanav would be weaker than the other contender Bob Long in the general election. Mische isn't known by many in the St. Paul DFL and certainly isn't thought of fondly, but insiders have always respected his sheer chutzpah and talent.

Yesterday's "anger disaster" press conference had Mische's fingerprints all over it. It was overscripted and reminiscent of what was wrong with Coleman's 1998 gubernatorial campaign. Certainly it's in Mische's and Coleman's best interests to get Kelly reelected, particularly given Kelly's endorsement of Bush. An endorsement engineered by Mische and Coleman. Worth noting was the open speculation in the press corps about whether Mische currently has Randy Kelly's best interests in mind or whether his ultimate allegiance is to the first King he made - Senator Norm Coleman.

Two Mayoral Fun Facts

The first comes from the U of M's Hubert H. Humphrey Institute. The Humphrey Institute's 2005 Elections Project analyzed previous elections and concluded that despite the sound victories by challenger Chris Coleman in St. Paul and incumbent Mayor RT Rybak in Minneapolis, both races remain wide open. Kudos to 2005 Elections Project director Larry Jacobs and research assistant Melanie Burns. This is exactly the kind of timely and relevant research we all want from the Institute. Please do more!

The second is this graph of the number of mayoral candidate-related searches people have performed in the major search engines during the past 130 days:

EMILY Goes For Amy

In a relatively rare move, EMILY's (Early Money Is Like Yeast) List chose one pro-choice Democratic candidate over another. The national and powerful Democratic political action committee chose Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar over child advocate Patty Wetterling.

This endorsement may signify that other Democratic institutions may begin to move in this race to try to pick a winner and avoid a contentious primary/endorsement battle. Last week we reported that the delegate polling done by the Wetterling campaign shows a pretty even split between Wetterling and Klobuchar among decided DFL delegates and that almost 70 percent remain undecided. Klobuchar has been the decisive leader in the fundraising race, which is the most consideration for Washington-based groups at this point in the election cycle.

The EMILY's List decision is certainly a blow to Wetterling who had their support in her House race in 2004. And, it's a major boon to Klobuchar. The support of this political action committee will likely mean another $1 million in total for the Klobuchar campaign between today and next September and possibly another $1 million after the primary. The group has a national roster of individuals as donors who support pro-choice Democratic women's candidates with personal checks, as well as a PAC that usually sends the maximum donation to candidates they support.

The Email Rush The Day Before The Deadline

It isn't often that you get a sense of all the campaigns in the same forum on the same day this early. But thanks to technology and Howard Dean's trend-setting online fundraising prowess, that sense conveniently comes to your email inbox. On Thursday Amy Klobuchar, Patty Wetterling and Ford Bell all sent out fundraising email blasts (the third quarter FEC reporting period is about to end).

Ford Bell's was first at 11:39 a.m., Klobuchar's was second at 2:50 p.m. and Wetterling's hit at 3:06 p.m.

• Bell has the line of the day: "...this pro-choice, pro-gay rights, evolutionist, Presbyterian elder, former teacher, community activist, non-profit executive, Democrat is heeding your message."
• Wetterling, on the other hand, had the most unlikely reference when she referred to a mention in the right-leaning Washington Times, considering her as the "strongest" opponent for Mark Kennedy.
• Klobuchar had the most partisan, with a tie to the indictment of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas).

No Horsing Around

Part of the appeal of Independent candidates is their use of the unconventional. Independent gubernatorial candidate Peter Hutchinson begins his latest fundraising letter with, "When you're riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount." Not surprisingly, given Hutchinson's consulting background, this Dakota tribal wisdom is commonly used by those employed in the government and corporate makeover fields. What a shame that Hutchinson didn't further include some typical management and government "follow-up" responses, posted all over the Internet. The best of these are "appoint a committee to study the horse," "change the requirements declaring that 'this horse is not dead'" and our personal favorite, "declare the horse is now 'better, faster and cheaper.'"

Also of note in the letter is that Hutchinson directly addresses the questions that have been on the minds of political insiders, particularly Democratic ones. Writes Hutchinson, "Can an Independent win or will I only be a spoiler in a race for governor?" Answers Hutchinson, "Good questions, but consider this: it will take 900,000 votes to win the 2006 election," and he notes:

"800,000 Minnesotans have voted for an Independent for Governor once and 400,000 people have done so twice. More than half of Minnesotans are not strongly connected to a traditional party. Most Minnesotans are frustrated with business as usual and ready for a change."

Hutchinson is right on all counts, but the gazillion dollar question is can Hutchinson be the 900,000-vote thoroughbred horse? The vote totals on the last two gubernatorial elections:

2002

• Tim Pawlenty (R) - 999,473 (44.4%)
• Roger Moe (D) - 821,268 (36.5%)
• Tim Penny (I) - 364,534 (16.2%)
• Ken Pentel (GP) - 50,589 (2.3%)

1998

• Jesse Ventura (RP) - 773,713 (37.0%)
• Norm Coleman (R) - 717,350 (34.3%)
• Skip Humphrey (D) - 587,528 (28.7%)

What Wellstone Would Definitely Have Done

First, there were the bumper stickers, "What Would Jesus Do?" Then--after the tragic death of Democratic U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone and six others on a plane on the Iron Range an astounding13 days before the election in 2002--there were bumper stickers that read, "What Would Wellstone do?"

One easy answer to that question: Paul Wellstone would have applauded (in his wonderfully effusive, emotionally charged and raw fashion) the new book, Politics the Wellstone Way: How to Elect Progressive Candidates and Win on Issues. Congratulations to chief author Jeff Blodgett, Wellstone's long-time campaign manager--and former Carleton College student of Professor Wellstone. The book is a masterpiece, explaining in great detail how "regular" (not necessarily political) people can organize a campaign on behalf of an issue or a candidate. Your publishers are betting that more Republicans than progressive liberal types buy the book. For political junkies of all stripes, it's the ultimate inside baseball playbook on how to run a campaign. Put another way, if you like politics and want to understand the basic mechanics of campaigns, buy and read this book. Visit this site or call 773-702-7000 to buy the book at the incredibly cheap price of $19.95.

Note to Republicans. You should not be offended at all by this book. Sure, it is filled with how to get progressive ideas done. But the mechanics are the same for conservatives. Gratifying to read was that Blodgett continues the Wellstone tradition of civility in political life. Writes Blodgett (and this is surely what Wellstone would have done):

"Perhaps most important, good leaders operate from a deeply held set of moral or ethical principles that are at the core of their commitment to change. As far as Paul Wellstone was concerned, it was a great compliment when someone came up to him (and many people did) to say that they didn't always agree with him but knew he was honest and knew where he stood on the issues. The importance of authenticity crosses the boundaries of ideology--even if we don't agree with their agenda, there are many conservatives whom I respect because they are honest about their beliefs and stand up for what they think is right. That's why some of Wellstone's close friends in Washington and in Minnesota were principled conservatives; he didn't need to agree with them to know if they had integrity and were authentic. Citizens want their political leaders to be real."

Beautiful. The only mystery in the entire book is including a testimonial on the inside jacket from Al Franken, who has not been shy about saying he will run against Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman in 2008. Says Franken, "This book is the next best thing to going to a Camp Wellstone if, like me, you are too lazy or too important." Such a sad commentary on the merits of the book, and such an insightful one on a 2008 Franken candidacy. Al Franken is no Paul Wellstone.

So Much For MAC Flak

Last week on talk radio, the easiest and cheapest subject matter (meaning a topic that will easily generate calls from listeners and thus fill air time) was the $100,000 bash the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) threw to celebrate the opening of the new runway at MSP International Airport.

Turns out bashing the bash was a bust. Why? Two reasons. The public sort of remembered that we also had an expensive bash when the LRT line opened; and, most regular people found the idea of walking around the new tarmac, well, cool, and not something they usually get to do. Airport concessionaires were on hand to sell food and drink. But last Saturday was a miserably cold, rainy day, and sa les were not going well. One concessionaire, Caribou Coffee, had the brilliant idea to just give stuff away. Kerry Forbes, the owner of the airport Caribous, handed out 200 gallons of coffee, gratis, and 1200 muffins and cookies to the crowd. By the way, look for Caribou to open a new store in the main common area of the Lindbergh terminal this coming Wednesday. That's the first time in yuppie coffee history that a Caribou store has replaced a Seattle-based Starbucks. A good omen, given Minnesota-based Caribou is about to become a publicly held company. [Note from PIM Publisher Sarah Janecek: no doubt about it, this story is shameless (and rare) schilling on behalf of one of her lobbying clients, Caribou Coffee. But she makes no apology. Caribou makes better coffee delivered with exponentially better service than Starbucks. Plus, do you think Starbucks would have given away coffee at the runway bash? Not a chance.]

Politics In Minnesota: Bits From The Blogosphere
--News from the Blogs--

One of your publishers had the chance to catch up on the world of podcasts this week with a three and a half hour dentist appointment with Brian the Butcher (his dentist). One of the problems with Blogs, Podcasts and Satellite radio is that it is really tough to keep up. So time on airplanes and in dentist chairs becomes the only time. Podcasts are audio recordings that are downloaded to portable devices like music - think iPod talk radio.

One local Democratic-leaning podcast, Inside Minnesota Politics with Peter Idusogie, has gotten a good number of candidates and office holders to participate in the interviews. The funny thing about it is that the lack of historical knowledge about major Minnesota political happenings as far back as 2002, gave us pause when listening. For instance, Peter questioned his sidekick Mike's recollection of the famous call from Vice President Cheney to then State Rep. Tim Pawlenty encouraging him to leave the Sen. race and join the Governor's race.

Idusogie's sidekick, Mike McIntee, is a good radio news voice. Idusogie seems to be lining himself up to run for office again (he ran for 2^nd district endorsement against Teresa Daly in 2004) by buttering up Dems.

The format and production are solid, the facts and perspective aren't, making us worry about the "everyone's an expert" world of self-publishing bloggetry.

Politics In Minnesota: Bits & Pieces...
--Tracking people and events--

Gov. Tim Pawlenty will run the Twin Cities Marathon this Sunday. The new twist this year is that First Lady Mary Pawlenty will also run the race. The gubernatorial time last year was four hours and one minute. Besides the added pressure of competing with his spouse, Tim Pawlenty is still smarting from posting a longer time than his brother, Dan Pawlenty, several weeks ago in the North Shore Online Skating Marathon in Duluth.

Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin's campaign for Minneapolis mayor may want to consult with comedian Louie Anderson. The comic is having second thoughts about opening a new comedy club downtown Minneapolis because of crime. Said Anderson, "I don't think people are going to come down here to a comedy club, you know, when it's a two stab minimum," said Anderson. Got to assume incumbent Mayor RT Rybak flinched at that comment, given what appears to be his increasing vulnerability on the crime issue.

We've been seriously remiss in not noting and congratulating the latest "Capitol Couple." Gov. Tim Pawlenty's press secretary, Brian McClung, and Liz (Bogut) McClung were married this past summer in Rice Park. Pawlenty gave the toast at their re ception at the St. Paul Hotel. They were introduced during the 2002 legislative session by then-KARE political reporter (and current Minnesota Public Radio Midmorning host and FOX 9 political reporter) Kerri Miller when Liz worked as her capitol bureau assistant and Brian was government affairs director at the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce. Liz went on to work on the '02 Pawlenty for Governor campaign and then in the Governor's communications department. She is communications director at the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

The Citizens League annual meeting is shaping up to be a "definitely do not miss" event. Mark your calendars: October 10, five p.m., Milwaukee Road Depot downtown Minneapolis. Like last year, there will be interactive games with the audience, but this year, the League is also planning a public policy version of "Minnesota's Family Feud." For those who haven't attended a League event, it's time to discover what you're missing. More information at CitizensLeague.net

Politicians and sports have all kinds of metaphors. But last week, former Skip Humphrey operative and Timberwolves Vice President of Communications, Ted Johnson, got an email from another former Minnesota political operative, Art Sasse, one of the many managers of Senator John Marty's 1994 gubernatorial race and a former Humphrey Press staffer who is the Communications Director for the Portland Trailblazers. Proving once again, it's a small world.

Look for an upcoming piece in Time about the Minnesota U.S. Sen. race.

Several weeks ago, we interviewed Minneapolis City Councilman Don Samuels, who had profound insights on race and class in New Orleans post-Katrina and in America. For further definition to these issues (and a provocative piece), read "The Hallmark of the Underclass," published in the Wall Street Journal and written by American Enterprise scholar Charles Murray.

Politics In Minnesota: Lobbyist Watch
--Who is working what issues--

From the Minnesota Campaign Finance & Public Disclosure Board:

• New lobbyist registrations:
  • Kendra Calhoun, for A.G. Edwards.
  • Lou DeMars, for Impark.
  • Mara Humphrey, for Gold'N Plump Poultry.
  • Kathleen Micheletti of Lockridge Grindal Nauen, for the MN Ambulatory Health Care Coalition, the MN Partnership for Action Against Tobacco, Rent-A-Center and the Workers' Compensation Pharm acy Alliance.
  • Rick Nelson, for American Iron & Supply.
  • Leah Sweet, for the MN Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention & Parenting.
  • Mathew Rezac, for Catholic Charities.
• Terminated lobbyist registrations:
  • Heather Peterson, for Courage Center.
  • Terri Velner, for Children's Hospitals and Clinics, Cingular Wireless, Invenergy Cannon Falls and Midwest Wireless Holdings.

Politics In Minnesota: Setting The Record Straight

Our editing process is still under construction. The Star Tribune's Steve Brandt, not Steve Berg, wrote the fascinating story in 2003 about how "the standard for notoriety at Minneapolis City Hall was set decades ago, as an era of jazz, soaring stocks and bootleg hooch neared its peak."

In the Minneapolis Ward 10 city council race, we wrote that candidate "Ralph Remington could put a cog in the wheels of development because he supports moratoriums for changes and building in the neighborhood." A Remington supporter emailed us with the following: "Ralph Remington has NEVER called for, nor does he support, 'moratoriums for change and building in the neighborhood.'"

Rep. Phyllis Kahn (D-Minneapolis) objects to the way we and other media including the Star Tribune characterize former Democratic Minneapolis City Council member Joe Biernat's criminal conduct. We hope the paper doesn't mind our reprinting of her published letter to the editor, because individual letters cannot be linked to.

Biernat's bad rap