Tink Disappointed He Has Competition?
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Eric Black reported this statement from Tinklenberg Campaign Manager, Dana Houle, in a piece about the seemingly imminent entrance of Tarryl Clark to the 6th District race:

[My question to Houle: Assuming Clark does get in, how does it change the race:]

“It would distract us from running full-time against Michele Bachmann, which would be unfortunate, but if we have to fight for the nomination, that’s what we’ll do.”

First, what do you mean by running "full-time against Bachmann"? As far as I can tell and as far as I have seen the only thing that Tinklenberg has been doing is sending out fund raising emails. In fact, there hasn't even been any official announcement that he is running for 2010. Now I recognize that I am not in the upper echelon of the DFL and you may be doing some networking of which I am not aware but at this point what I see is a nationally driven campaign without much local support.

Second, you already have competition in Dr. Maureen Reed so I am not sure I understand how one can claim that a third competitor makes your path to the DFL endorsement any more distracting. Are you planning to ignore Reed?

I see, apparently you are...

Finally, as a voting member of this district I find it somewhat offensive to suggest that choice is somehow a bad thing and that we ought to just all get out of the way and let the person who has previously lost the endorsement once and lost the general election once to try for a third time.

As I have indicated previously, I am not getting behind any candidate right now but if an attitude of entitlement is what Tinklenberg and his people are going to portray when it comes to the DFL endorsement then we can quickly cross him off the list.
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An Open Letter To 6th District DFLers
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With yet another election cycle upon us, it is time once again to choose a candidate for the 6th District that can compete and win against one of the more infamous conservative representatives anywhere in the entire country today.

If the rumors I am currently hearing are true, we will find ourselves with a three way race between perpetual candidate Elwyn Tinklenberg, Dr. Maureen Reed, and current Assistant Senate Majority Leader Tarryl Clark. So, who would you choose?

With Tinklenberg you have a candidate who received national attention and loads of national money after Bachmann opened her mouth and denounced Obama and "certain members" of Congress as Anti-American. Couple that with what appears to be the addition of a big name campaign manager which Tink hopes will seal the deal and you have an organization which could be tough to beat for the DFL endorsement. Yet, for all of his national attention I am not hearing a lot of local excitement about another Tinklenberg v. Bachmann race. Are the rank and file interested in a different direction?

In Dr. Maureen Reed you have a moderate former Independence Party candidate who has been bringing in staggering amounts of campaign cash since she announced her candidacy. With all of that cash, can Reed overcome the advantages currently held by the Tinklenberg Campaign? Given the support in the DFL community for health care reform which includes a public option, how will the Reed noncommittal stance play throughout the caucuses?

Finally, there is the potential entry of Senator Tarryl Clark. At this point it is all hearsay but my anonymous sources tell me that at a recent Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation meeting she was asked and said that she "hadn't announced" but this source also said it was "pretty clear". Clark has proven that she can compete and win having been elected twice. More importantly, she won handily in the more conservative half of her district whose current representative is the ultra conservative Steve Gottwalt. With all of these electoral advantages, could Clark overcome the current money disadvantage she would have coming into the race?

At this point in the process I am not putting my endorsement on ANY candidate (I made that mistake before). So, 6th District DFLers, what are you looking for in 2010 that will defeat Michele Bachmann? Have you decided on a candidate? If yes, what makes your choice the answer to flipping the district blue?

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Bachmann Gets Auto-Tuned...
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4:39 PM | Posted in ,
If you have never heard of Auto-Tune The News, check them out HERE. In the meantime, here is their latest installment which includes our very own Michele Bachmann:

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Seifert Concedes Defeat...
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4:50 PM | Posted in , ,
With the ascendancy of Tony Sutton and Michael Brodkorb to the top of the Republican Party in Minnesota, the promise appeared to be one of rebuilding the party and regaining a majority in the Minnesota legislature. Just recently, Sutton proclaimed that there were "hopeful signs" for the party as it heads into the 2010 election cycle. Perhaps someone should have told Representative Marty Seifert...



During one of his gubernatorial kick off events in St. Cloud, Seifert heralded the belief that Minnesotans enjoy political balance in their government. It was for this reason, he claimed, that we needed a Republican Governor (presumably the Republican he is speaking of is himself).

While it may be true that Minnesotans like some balance within their government which many of us believe leads to better results through compromise, it is also somewhat strange for the leader of a party to openly concede that his party will not regain a majority and that their only hope is the Governor's office. So, at this point the argument set forward by Seifert is because we are not going to win the legislature back we really need to elect ME as Governor in order to provide that balance. One wonders, if the legislature were to be retaken by the Republican Party, then would Seifert still be heralding balance and the need for a Democratic Governor?

Also, does anybody wonder if Tony Sutton and Michael Brodkorb have given up on the legislature for 2010?
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Overheard At Seifert Presser...
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2:39 PM | Posted in , ,
Yesterday I ventured out to the St. Cloud Public Library in order to hear and video one of a series of Marty Seifert gubernatorial kick off events. Given that it is relatively early in the process, the attendees were a collection of conservative party activists and officials ready to hear from one of their own.

Seifert, for his part, made a point to work the room before his prepared remarks by meeting and briefly talking with nearly everyone that was in the room. What resulted from this meet and greet were a couple of rather interesting overheard conversations.


First, there was the man pictured above who suggested to Seifert that if he ultimately gained the Republican endorsement that it would be a good idea to get Governor Sarah Palin to come to the state and campaign with him. A good idea? Perhaps among the base, a bring in Palin strategy would work but given her rather low standing among Independents and the nature of the Minnesota electorate it may lose more votes than it actually gains.

Second, was the interesting back and forth with someone else in the back of the room in which Seifert mocked the artwork of Lucy Slivinski. When told that it was actually a piece of artwork, Seifert chuckled and proclaimed that he would make sure not to bring it up.




From the Great River website:

Slivinski designed the screen of the art primarily of automobile exhaust pipes and lenses from traffic signals. The entire model is used from recycled materials and the display will incorporate vines draping over the complete piece of art. Slivinski assembled the entire sculpture in her Chicago studio; she then transported the art in four separate truck loads to St. Cloud.

"My art will enhance the existing architecture," said Slivinski, "by creating fluid energy on this corner of the building and being further enhanced through the course of the seasons with a growing vine."


It's amazing what you overhear when waiting quietly for a press conference to start...
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Maureen Reed: $230,000 In 8 Weeks
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From the inbox this morning, it appears as though potential 6th District candidate, Maureen Reed, has raised over $230,000 in roughly 8 weeks:

Congressional Candidate Maureen Reed announced today that she raised over $230,000 in the first eight weeks of her campaign. Reed’s announcement sets a sizzling pace for DFL fundraising in the Sixth District Congressional race.

“When I talk to residents in the sixth district, it’s clear they are ready for a change and want a candidate who has the energy, commitment and dedication to improve their lives,” said Reed. “When folks see a way they can change things for the better, they are generous with their time, energy and money. I am grateful that so many people believe I am the person who will change things for the better.”

Reed added that after traveling the district and talking to numerous people from all walks of life, she found that people “…want business expansion, job growth, increased home ownership and lower health care costs, and that’s exactly why I’m running for Congress.”

Maureen and her husband, Dr. Jim Hart, have lived near Stillwater for almost 30 years. They have volunteered with the Washington County Medical Reserve Corps for several years. As a member of the Medical Reserve Corps, Maureen was part of a team that provided medical care to victims in the aftermath of the I35W bridge collapse.

In addition to practicing medicine in the Twin Cities, Maureen served as President of Aspen Medical Group and Medical Director of HealthPartners, and chaired the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. Dr. Reed was born in southern Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota undergraduate and medical schools.

Reed is challenging incumbent Michele Bachmann and seeking the endorsement of the DFL and the Independence Party. The campaign will file its official results with the Federal Election Commission by July 15.

Reed continues to bring in impressive fundraising numbers. Time will tell whether those numbers translate into endorsement and a competitive race with Bachmann...
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LitloC: Summer Fundraiser
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8:31 PM | Posted in
Last year around this time I held my first fundraiser for this site with very few expectations about whether people would want to help me continue building the resources of this blog. By the end of that effort I was pleased to raise $215 which helped to purchase some updated video and audio equipment. With those new resources I have been able to expand the video capabilities of Liberal in the Land of Conservative to bring you events such as the first glimpse at potential 6th District candidate Maureen Reed, discussions about the recent legislative session, and even the response by Representative Marty Seifert to allegations that he is conducting a smear campaign against Representative Laura Brod.

While I did not reach all of my goals from last year, my hope this year is to continue building on the video coverage I was able to accomplish through donations from last year. Ultimately, I am working towards extensive video (including interviews) of the upcoming 2010 election contests for the 6th District, State House and Senate contests in this area, and the Governor's races.

So, take a moment and click on the Chip in button found in the sidebar, give what you can, and if possible drop me a line with any suggestions or advice on how to continue building this blog into a political force in Central Minnesota and possibly throughout the state of Minnesota.
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Seifert Response To Smear Campaign
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Yesterday I noticed that potential gubernatorial candidate, Marty Seifert, would be appearing at the St. Cloud Public Library as part of the kick off for his campaign to replace Governor Pawlenty in 2010. As soon as I made it known that I would be there and hoped to ask questions of Representative Seifert, email messages and twitter messages came to me with potential questions to pose to the candidate.

One of the frequently suggested questions was about the growing story that Seifert and his allies may have been engaged in a smear campaign behind the scenes and throughout the blogs to discredit potential Republican competitor, Representative Laura Brod. For the backstory on these allegations, you can visit both Brian Falldin and Dusty Trice who have done some great work digging into this interesting series of events.

Seifert took very few questions at the event and indicated to me that my question would be next. However, on the sidelines Jim Knobloch began whispering with Steve Gottwalt and gesturing in my direction and as Seifert was about to call on me Knobloch abruptly ended the news conference and shuffled Seifert out of the room. Luckily, I was able to catch up to him out in the hall and get this response from him:



When I returned home I also learned that Representative Brod, due to health concerns, has chosen not to run for Governor. Does this only increase speculation that the smear campaign was ultimately successful or does it put this story to rest?

While I do not know Representative Brod, I wish her the best and hope for a speedy recovery...
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From The Archives: Seifert & Jungbauer
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With every passing day the field of potential gubernatorial candidates grows on both the left and the right. It is still far too early to predict clear front runners, but it is never too early to dig through the archives for potential footage of candidates.

First, we have top tier candidate, Marty Seifert, who has already gone through a bit of a firestorm with accusations swirling that he and his team are coordinating an attack on potential challenger, Representative Laura Brod.

From the archives, I dug up this little gem in which Seifert likens himself to Luke Skywalker and speculates that Larry Pogemiller could be his father. Who knows, in this convoluted little analogy Laura Brod might be Princess Leia but at this point it is clearly speculative.

Does Seifert truly believe that he is locked in a battle between good and evil and if so, has he been putting the moves on a woman who he later found to be his sister? Where does Steve Gottwalt fit into the picture? Is he Chewbacca or perhaps C3PO? Would anyone be terribly offended if we made Mark Olson Jar Jar Binks?

More importantly, who is yoda in the minority party? I'm taking suggestions...



Second, we have long shot candidate, Mike Jungbauer, who has barely registered on the radar thus far.

The only reason I have any knowledge whatsoever of Jungbauer is from a global warming denial forum he hosted in April of 2008 with disgraced representative, Mark Olson. Highlights of the event included the implication that Al Gore is, in fact, a Nazi propagandist and other such denial nonsense. You can read the full series of posts on this particular forum HERE.

Jungbauer didn't speak much apart from a brief introduction where he provided an interesting statement about never dreaming that he would get to the Capitol and be a major advocate for the poor.


what was particularly interesting was the constituency Jungbauer claimed to never think about working for in the state legislature. What might that constituency be? Gays? Liberals? Minorities? Nope, Mr. Jungbauer NEVER thought that he would be working for the poor when he got to the legislature.



So, on the one hand we have a candidate who sees himself in a mythical battle between good and evil while on the other hand there is the candidate who never thought that his public service would involve helping the poor.
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Birther Movement & Michele Bachmann
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11:22 PM | Posted in , ,
The Birthers, a small collection of conspiracy theorists desperate to delegitimize the Presidency of Barack Obama have been busy creating their own citizen grand jury with the hope of bringing charges against the President and presumably removing him from office.

You wanted the BIG time Obama — well, you got your wish from the Patriots at American Grand Jury. 172 Grand Jury members worked night and day for 10 days in session to hand down the presentments against our arrogant Usurper.


While I would not normally post on something as ludicrous as this motley collection of fools, it seems as though they have been in contact with our very own Michele Bachmann. Apparently, Bachmann was issued a "presentment" by the group:

5:44pm Presentments delivered to Senate Minority Leader McConnell, TX Senators Hutchinson and Cornyn, Ron Paul, and Michelle Bachmann [Emphasis Mine]


It begs the question: Why Bachmann? While the others hold some high level position or another, Bachmann stands out as a relatively low level Congressperson. Do these people believe that Bachmann is a sympathetic ear? IS Bachmann a sympathetic ear?

I sent off some emails and will update accordingly...
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