The Republican Scott Brown campaigned out the back of a pickup truck and won the U.S. Senate seat in an overwhelmingly Democratic state of 6.5 million people.
Tarryl Clark will need to do the same for her to win in that overwhelmingly Republican 6th Congressional District with less than one-tenth the population.
Brown recruited Baggers to show up at each of his stops. Clark needs to recruit Progressives to do the same.
Failing this, Tarryl Clark will be defined by the media air war that Bachmann will be unleashing. Failing this, Clark will be another non-entity -- annointed by the state party elders as a sacrificial lamb.
Clark appears to be following in the failed and lifeless footsteps Martha Coakley -- the now forgotten Democrat loser of a race she should not have lost.
Tarryl Clark: Make Bachmann work this time around. If you cannot stand for something, at least stand inside the bed of a pickup truck and holler -- or whatever it is that Minnesotans do. And once elected, stay loyal to your Progressive base lest we vote with our feet.
My oldest son and I were returning home from a quick four store Christmas shopping trip around 4:30 Sunday afternoon. As we drove up Pilot Knob Rd toward Farmington, we approached a mini-traffic jam. After numerous cars ahead of us moved into the right lane to pass a slow driver, we were left following a white Ranger pickup going about 45 mph, and slowly swerving from side-to-side across the lane. My assumption is that he had been cheering on the Vikings or Packers with a libation or two.
I don't know if there had been any alcohol ingested, but when I approach a driver who seems to be showing signs of intoxication, I like to stay back, not in front of them, so I didn't pass. I made it the next couple miles safely home, and assume the driver of the white Ranger made it unsafely home.
I thought about that driver again this afternoon when I read a story that Dakota County is among the deadliest counties in Minnesota for alcohol related crashes. The next article I read was about earmarks requested by the each congressional representative. Among the requests was a $100,000 DUI court request for Koochiching County. It made me mad.
I know you are wondering what the maddening connection is. I got mad because Koochiching County is going to get $100,000 for an issue that is important, and that we, including our children, have a danger every day of coming into contact with, Yet John Kline didn't request any funds for the 2nd Congressional District. No funds! No transportation infrastructure improvements. No startup business funds. No hospital funds. No state trooper funds. Not even a frickin' 100K for anything DUI related, when four of the seven counties he represents: Dakota, Rice, Washington and Scott, all make the list of the deadliest DUI counties!
Please help the public option health care option by calling the highlighted light gold contacts! A minute phone call helps. All detail contact below the fold!
Senator Al Franken, DFL Representative Keith Ellison and DFL Representative Betty McCollum are truly heroes in supporting a robust public option for health care. Please call them and thank them. They need cheering on!
Senator Amy Klobuchar is fence sitting as usual, she will have a tele-townhall on Sunday. Of all people, she is most susceptible to numbers, so contact her often. Representative Tim Walz did wonders with the health care issue, he seems favorable to the public option, however he is reserving support until the final bill. Representative Collin Peterson is running town hall meetings. Representative James Oberstar wants the public option with Minnesota medicare price fixes and no abortion funding, so he almost could be in the "supports public option" column.
The Republicans are totally supportive of maintaining the profit and the total control by health care insurance companies. Republican Representative Michelle Bachmann calls this support of "Private wealth creation". And Michelle Bachmann will give more tax credits for health care insurance payments, that of course does not help if you cannot get nor afford private health care insurance. Republican Representative Eric Paulson is for greater health savings accounts, which only supports more "private wealth creation" for health insurance companies. Republican John Kline is all about demonizing the government, while ignoring the fact that health care insurance companies already do all the bad things that he is accusing government of doing. So Republicans are all about the rich get to have good health care and the rest of us can just go bankrupt or just quietly die or both. Republicans will support the "private wealth creation" for health insurance companies, even when it is death by spreadsheet for the rest of us.
The title of the post, back on February 15th of this year, was: RNC's Michael Steele: "You have absolutely no reason - none - to trust our words or our actions at this point."
And that was BEFORE the crazy "birther" stuff, and a whole bunch of other bogus stuff slung by the GOPers nationally. Well, and locally too, by FEC Tony and MudSlingerMike. So, since some things never change, here that post is again - Michael Steele telling the world there is no reason - NONE - to trust what the GOP has to say.
Yep - that's the RNC's Michael Steele talking; talking to Glenn Beck. Beck was saying conservatives can't trust today's GreedOverPrinciples party; I submit NO ONE can trust today's GreedOverPrinciples party. Let's watch, and then - below the fold - I'll elaborate:
Michele Bachmann is crazy in a lot of ways. If you're reading this blog, you probably know that. One of her most outrageous examples of that is her denialism and lies about global climate change and the cost of federal action on climate change to avoid the devastating effects of climate change.
She has been doing this by making wild and incorrect claims to scare the American people into opposing climate action. She's thrown out a lot of figures, for example in a op-ed she wrote for the Avista Capital Partners-owned Star Tribune in which she claimed the cost of climate action would be between $3,128 and $4,000 per household. To combat climate action she's called for 'Armed and Dangerous' Opposition.
But as we learned today her fearmongering is far, far from the truth. In reality the modest climate action being considered by Congress now in the form of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) would likely cost $5 dollars a year or less per household, and that's without factoring in the negatives economic impacts of climate change that would be averted with this action.
The CBO (Congressional Budget Office) released a report about the economic impacts of H.R. 2454 (ACES) at the request of Rep. Dave Camp, a Republican from Michigan. And here's what they found: the average household would spend a minuscule amount to reduce global warming pollution. Their analysis determined "that the net annual economywide cost of the cap-and-trade program in 2020 would be $22 billion-or about $175 for the average household." To put that in perspective, 48 cents per day - a tiny bit more than the cost of a postage stamp - to avoid climate change. In fact, households in the lowest economic quintile would see an average net benefit of about $40 in 2020.
But the CBO is certainly overestimating the what the costs would really be. It only estimates the economic impact of the cap and trade "title" of the bill and does not factor in the other major parts of the bill dealing with energy efficiency and renewable energy which would significantly lower economic impacts. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy estimates that the efficiency provisions alone could save $170 per household in 2020. The math is easy. That's nearly as much as the CBO estimates the total cost per household to be which makes the cost of climate action a mere $5 a year per household in America or a little bit more then a penny a day.
And even that estimate is likely far overstating the costs of action. Most environmental regulations cost much less then originally estimated, for example the actual cost of the Clean Air Act of 1990 was just one quarter of original EPA estimates.
So when you hear politicians like Michelle Bachmann lying about the costs of climate action remember what the truth is. Climate action will cost per household at most, will create 30,000 new jobs in Minnesota and prevent the worst impacts of climate change which could hit Minnesotans, particularly our farmers. Unfortunately Minnesota's Rep. Colin Peterson is leading the fight to block climate change action with some of the same Bachmannesque denialism which is sadly being enabled by Rep. Tim Walz who helping him delay progress until Peterson's demands to weaken the American Clean Energy and Security Act are met. It's too bad that Minnesota Democrats are standing in the way of climate action that will help the farmers in their districts and create new jobs for their constituents. I'll have more on that soon.
The second candidate to jump in against Bachmann in as many days is El Tinklenberg who has ran twice for the seat, in 2006 when he lost the DFL nod to Patty Wetterling and in 2008 when he won the DFL and IP nods but lost to Bachmann in the general. He has started calling local DFLers in the past days telling them he is in.
Tinklenberg has been mulling this over since his loss in November. He had over $452,898 in campaign funds left over at the end of his campaign and has been talking to local party officials, unions and the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the national party outlet for electing Democrats to the House). Since the election he's donated over $250,000 of that to the DCCC and also sponsored the Humphrey Dinner. Previously he said he would make a announcement in July but I expect Reed's entrance sped up his entry.
Lots of district DFL activists didn't think Tinklenberg ran a good campaign last time around. To his credit he has acknowledged that he made mistakes and has said he will try to avoid the mistakes made in the 08 campaign but it remains to see what that means. He will have a uphill climb convincing many DFL activists that he will be able to run a stronger campaign this time around.
A third candidate is said to be considering the race. I haven't been able to confirm this but it is rumored to be Sen. Tarryl Clark. Whoever ends up the nominee will have a tough race ahead if we are going to dump Bachmann and I think these thoughts hold whoever it is. In addition it's extremely important that whoever wins the DFL nod articulates a clear, positive case for why they should be elected to Congress not just rely on being the anti-Bachmann.
Political Muse of Liberal in the Land of Conservative is reporting (and I have been able to independently confirm) that 2006 Independence Party Lt. Governor Nominee Dr. Maureen Reed spoke to a meeting of the 6th District DFL tonight and announced that she will be running against Rep. Michelle Bachmann as a DFL candidate in 2010.
This is a very interesting development. Reed would be a very strong candidate. First. Who is she?
Dr. Maureen Reed currently serves as a diplomate in internal medicine with the American Board of Internal Medicine and a fellow of the American College of Physicians. She formerly served as medical director for HealthParners and as a member and chair of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. In 2006 she ran for Lt. Governor on the Independence Party ticket with Peter Hutchinson. If she does indeed run she would be the first candidate to announce a run against Bachmann so far this cycle. 2006 and 2008 DFL candidate El Tinklenberg is also rumored to be mulling a run.
However I don't believe a Democrat is likely to beat Bachmann unless one of three things happens: Minnesota passes fusion voting in time for the 2010 election, Minnesota passes Instant Runoff Voting in time for the 2010 election or only two major parties run candidates on the ballot in 2010.
While the entire left leaning blogosphere has been pointing our fingers and laughing at all the crazy things that Michelle Bachmann says, the Sixth Congressional district representative has been hauling in the dough. Apparently there is a method to her madness. In Q1 Bachmann raised $313,686, a 20% increase over her haul from Q1 '07 and almost 30% more than the next biggest Minnesota fundraiser, Eric Paulson. In fact the three Republican members of the Minnesota delegation collectively raised more money than the five Democratic members.
On the surface this looks like bad news for state Democrats, but there are some caveats, the biggest one being that none of the seats held by Democrats are likely to be competitive in 2010; of the five congressional races that Democrats won last November Tim Walz 62%-33% victory was the closest. So there isn't really any fundraising pressure on any of the Democrats, but for Bachmann and Paulson, both of whom can expect vigorous challenges in 2010, there is a very pressing need for cash now.
In Michelle Bachmann's case:
In addition to her growing national profile, the Republican's fundraising success likely also stems from concern in some quarters that she could be financially vulnerable in 2010.
Her 2008 opponent, El Tinklenberg, had nearly $453,000 on hand at the end of the election and still has $183,503. Tinklenberg gave away significant chunks of his war chest, returning $250,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and much smaller amounts to Minnesota members' PACs and election committees.
(MinnPost)
Regardless of that, over $300,000 in the first quarter of a non-election year for a two-term member not in any kind of leadership role is an impressive haul. For some context, Bachmann raised more money than Colin Peterson and Jim Oberstar combined, both of whom are chairmen of powerful House committees. Michelle Bachmann, all by herself, raised half as much as the five Democrats combined. Clearly her patented crazyspeak has been a boost for her fundraising just as it has also been a boost for our web traffic, so I guess it's a win-win.
Representative Michele Bachmann (MN-6) is still spreading false information regarding an MIT study on cap and trade.
She held two townhalls today to discuss proposals for a cap and trade program to abet greenhouse gasses. She was joined by Chris Horner, a lawyer for the Competitive Enterprise Institute. They gave prepared presentations and only took highly moderated pre-written questions.
For us to know if Rep. Bachmann is "willfully lying" vs "unwittingly misrepresenting" we would have to know if she knew the author of the MIT report had spoken out on the subject.
Regrettably, Rep. Bachmann refused to speak with all press today.
So instead Noah made a video to explain the situation.
The Big E might have to amend his moniker for her to the Energizer Bunny of Crazy Lies.
Last October, Michelle Bachmann went on Chris Matthew's "Hardball" show - and as could have been predicted*, said stuff outrageous, and outrageously stupid. She essentially called then-candidate Barack Obama "anti-American." Not content with smearing Obama, Bachmann went on to question the patriotism of Democratic Members of Congress, too. You can watch her screed at YouTube.
Needless to say, and I'm sure most remember, Little Miss Hiding In the Weeds, after accusing a sitting U.S. Senator of anti-Americanism, then went on by calling for the media to launch a McCarthyite expose into the anti-Americanism of her collegues in the US House. Needless to say, her antics on "Hardball" set off a firestorm.
So, Michelle went on Billo's show, on Faux Fox "News", to deliver her Mea Nota Culpa. Just for nostagia's sake, let's watch! (after the break)
(With the revelations that The Party Of Abramoff spent donor dough at Voyeur West Hollywood, a bondage-themed nightclub featuring topless women dancers imitating lesbian sex, I thought it was appropriate to revisit this one - because you couldn't trust GOPers then and NOTHING has changed. - promoted by TwoPuttTommy)
"...or our actions at this point."
Yep - that's the RNC's Michael Steele talking; talking to Glenn Beck. Beck was saying conservatives can't trust today's GreedOverPrinciples party; I submit NO ONE can trust today's GreedOverPrinciples party. Let's watch, and then - below the fold - I'll elaborate:
Michelle Bachmann spying on a gay rights rally from behind a bush.
The great national blog Crooks and Liars is running a contest to decide who the biggest wingnut of 2008 was. And guess who's in the running? Our very own Michelle Bachmann.
Now with due respect to Sarah Palin and Sean Hannity I think in Minnesota we know that Michelle takes the cake. I don't think further explanation is needed but here is some inspiration.
With the year ending and year end reviews pilling up I figure it's time to look at the aftermath of this years house races and see how things look going forward.
The races in the eight Minnesota congressional districts from the last two years can be roughly divided into 4 categories;
1 - Incumbents holding steady or strengthening their position: congressional districts 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8 in 2008, congressional districts 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8 in 2006.
2 - Open seats - CD3 in 2008, CD5 and CD6 in 2006.
3 - That rare instance when an incumbent loses a reelection bid which happened in CD1 in 2006.
