Kline rejects another opportunity to appear with Shelley Madore

According to the Madore campaign, former state Representative Shelley Madore received a formal response Monday from incumbent John Kline rejecting an opportunity to debate her in front of a live audience in the Second Congressional District.

"It saddens me that the voters of this district will have one 25-minute radio interview just one week before the election as their only opportunity to evaluate our ability to best represent them in Washington," said Madore discussing the incumbent's reluctance to make time to appear before district voters.

"Rep. John Kline has been in office for eight years; he seems to take for granted that his seat is secure despite the 18% public approval rating for members of Congress. I believe the voters of this district have had enough of elitist Washington politics.

I have appeared at FarmFest and the Goodhue County Veterans candidate forums and will participate in two Transportation Alliance candidate forums in the next two weeks, all of which John Kline has refused to attend. In his response, John Kline cited his conversations with voters at community events over the summer. I have spent the last nine months listening to voters' concerns about jobs, health care, transportation and education funding. These are serious times and demand a serious candidate willing to work for your vote."

Former Minnesota Representative Shelley Madore

Madore's campaign has reportedly conveyed an additional offer made Monday by the Burnsville Chamber of Commerce to host a debate, seeking an opportunity for voters to compare and contrast the two candidates and their records in a setting where the public can see and judge both.

According to Rasmussen incumbents are in trouble, and Kline's lack of initiative for projects within the district while he continues to vote for earmarks inserted by other members of his party leaves him open to questions from the voters. His record of voting against funding for veterans has led some to accuse him of supporting war without supporting the warriors. Madore's 35 Cent Tour has successfully explained to Minnesotans that not all earmarks are pork, and swing voters are increasingly suggesting that Kline needs to do more than repeat talking points if he wants to represent them in Congress again.

"Only 12% of voters believe most members of Congress are more interested in helping people than in helping their own careers. Seventy-six percent (76%) say most in Congress put their own careers first. Skepticism has remained this high since October."

From Congressional Performance

Rasmussen Reports

Kline continues to dodge voters

First Kline dodged the Farmfest candidates forum, then the former Marine officer skipped the invitation to the Goodhue Veteran's forum, and yesterday the Star Tribune revealed that GOP Congressman John Kline somehow could find no time to debate his opponent, former State Representative Shelley Madore, in response to an invitation from KSTP-TV and the League of Women Voters. The spin? Madore's campaign hadn't specifically asked.

Seriously. The Star Tribune article cites a campaign statement that Kline has been busy talking with constituents about Washington's "increasing intrusion into their homes and workplaces," echoes carefully tested GOP talking points -- but where is Kline talking? Saying a short joint appearance on MPR - less than a half hour - an open exchange of ideas with his opponent suggests Kline has nothing much to talk about. And even that came from staff.

OK, I suppose he can rationalize avoiding voters at Farmfest since it was a few miles outside the district. After all, Michelle Bachmann wasn't there. Sure, it's a big deal to Minnesota farmers, but it's not like his whole district is farms, right? There are obviously many more votes in the northern, suburban areas. Of course, Madore thinks farmers are a vital part of the local economy, but she grew up on a small farm.

Still, it starts to be a story when a former Marine officer somehow can't find time to accept an invitation to a veteran's forum that is clearly inside his district. His rhetoric tends to support military funding - well, at least funding current operations. If my record voting for spending on veteran's affairs was as shabby as his I might give the veterans forum invitation a miss, too.

But KSTP and the League of Women Voters gave him plenty of notice, and evidently the rest of his voting record isn't something he's proud of, either. Well, kudos to Shelley Madore for holding a press conference and personally delivering a letter to his office.

"Please allow the voters of our Congressional District the opportunity to learn enough about us to make an informed decision by participating in a debate with me."

Shelley Madore,

in an open letter to John Kline

Should Madore echo the late Senator Paul Wellstone's "Where's Rudy?" campaign, perhaps? Kline's spokesman says he's talking to constituents, but mostly he seems to wave from the middle of parade routes. Is a 4-term Congressman really so scared of losing his seat that his campaign has to make flimsy excuses? Is his record really that thin? Apparently so, yes.

Kline doesn't usually talk to anybody in uncontrolled, unscripted settings, and he's hoping that talking a few minutes on MPR one week before the election will convince voters in his District that he listens?

Pull the other one, John; it's got bells on.

Madore applauds President's proposed business tax credits

"...our district is already in a position to create those opportunities without a tax increase...”

former State Representative Shelley Madore

Sept. 8, 2010 (Apple Valley, MN)– Minnesota Second Congressional District Candidate Shelley Madore applauds President Obama’s plan, announced today, to provide for transportation infrastructure improvements, continued business research and development tax credits, and the extension of tax credits for middle-income earners. Madore, a former state representative, has been touting ways to create jobs, increase business development and strengthen the local economy.

“My campaign’s 35 Cent Tour calls attention to the total lack of investment in our community since Republican incumbent John Kline became the hoarder of our hard-earned federal tax dollars,” Madore said.

What does that mean for the taxpayer in the Second Congressional District?

“For every Federal tax dollar paid in our district, only 35 cents is spent here in our community,” Madore said. “Other Minnesota districts receive an average of 77 cents. At the same time, John Kline voted for the bill that included the 'Bridge to Nowhere' in Alaska, and many other bills that included earmarks for other states.”

“As the rest of the country struggles to find ways to finance job creation, our district is already in a position to create those opportunities without a tax increase,” Madore continued. “If we had a Representative who would ask for our money back, we could bring back to this district millions of dollars and thousands of jobs. Mr. Kline has a grip that won't loosen, despite the loss of more than 10,000 manufacturing jobs in our district. While we were losing those local jobs, John Kline was bailing out Wall Street banks and leaving Main Street behind. I support small business growth. John Kline’s continued lack of support for small businesses is evident, most recently in his vote against the Small Business Lending Fund Act. I look forward to working with local leaders to address our long term economic strategy and put hard-working Minnesotans back to work.”

For more information about Shelley Madore and the 35 Cent Tour, please visit madoreforcongress.com

 ###

John Kline avoids veterans forum

John Kline was conspicuously absent from the VFW in Cannon Falls last night, skipping the chance to address veterans face-fo-face at the Goodhue County United Veterans Organizations "Candidate's Forum." My theory is that he didn't want to have to explain the disconnect between his rhetoric and his votes.

Why would a former Marine officer serving in Congress not vote to support funding for Veterans Affairs?  I don't know; you'll have to ask him yourself, but since action speaks louder than words maybe you already know enough about how little he cares for the honest, working Minnesotans in his adopted District.

Former MN Representative Shelley Madore: Cannon Falls VFW
Goodhue county United Veterans Organization Candidate Forum

Kline's opponent, former State Rep. Shelley Madore was certainly there, joining candidates at all levels from Governor through county offices to meet with vets and their families and talk about needs and priorities.  Her record in the Minnesota House shows a dedication to Veterans that you might expect Kline to want to counter for such an audience, considering either his startling votes on spending for Veterans Affairs or the fact Madore's "35 Cent Tour" is gaining traction with the media and the voters.

Republicans, following President Bush's lead, led this country into an economic quagmire pursuing wars of choice while protecting big banks and special interests, but that's no reason for Kline to dodge his military family constituents.  Leaders get out and talk to voters, and if necessary explain why they made bad decisions, but Kline evidently lacks the commitment to the veterans in the district to face those tough questions.

True leaders don't sit back and spout ideology when the chips are down, they roll up their sleeves and take ownership of the challenges and problems.  They lead by example, not by talking points.  The men and women who put on this country's uniform deserve the respect of all of us, but a former officer couldn't be bothered to attend their forum?

The November election will be a choice between a marine officer who voted against defense department funding and now deliberately dodges veterans and a former legislator who's visiting every community in the district at every opportunity to make sure her constituents know how hard she works.

The choice for voters is increasingly clear: Kline's content to sit at home, while Shelly Madore continues to show she'll do more.

Myths & Ideology Undermine Business

Who figured voters would have a pro-business DFLer on the ballot in the Second District?  Incumbent John Kline's got to be worried, because as I pointed out back in early July, former State Rep. Shelley Madore is just that.

Shelley's winning message for the primary was wrapped up in her "35 Cent Tour" highlighting that the imbalance of federal tax dollars is undermining job creation and business investment, the facts tell the tale. While the state averages 77 cents back for every dollar we spend in federal taxes, the Second is only getting back 35 cents - which moves the burden for key projects in the community onto other revenue sources, such as property taxes.

Among the myths about John Kline is that Republican ideology has just got to be good for the business climate here by favoring lower taxes and fighting pork.  Here's the thing:

In "How does Minnesota stack up in business taxation? Pretty well, it turns out" by Sharon Schmickle yesterday at minnpost the facts and figures indicate our effective tax rates for businesses are somewhat less than Wisconsin, Iowa, or South Dakota, and substantially less - approaching HALF - the effective rate in North Dakota.

Factor in that North Dakota's unemployment rate is the lowest in the country right now.

I'm not about to tell you that there's no waste in government spending. There's waste in virtually every business, too, and controlling it is essential to efficiency and - ultimately - success.

But if lowering taxes and keeping federal dollars out of the state or the District is the secret to creating jobs, why have 10,900 manufacturing jobs moved from the Second District to China?  That's the worst record for any Congressional District in the state.  Our population is growing, but we're shedding jobs on John Kline's watch, and he's not doing anything but throwing political double-talk at the problem.

And if sounding reasonable meant a Representative was good for the District, Kline would be just fine: his rhetoric is polished, and persuasive. But the fact is he's quietly voting for his ideological theory, not the people of the Second District.

MPR: Bachmann, Kline, and Powers spurn Farmfest invitations

OK, to be fair, according to the MPR story Ms. Bachmann's staff said her absence was due to a sudden undisclosed illness, but after watching Tarryl Clark's reception she may regret the decision to give her District 6 opponent the chance to address Farmfest unchallenged.

One DFLer, Powers, joined Bachmann and Kline in skipping Farmfest 2010

Kline (R) and Powers (D), though, evidently have no interest in this traditional election year opportunity to get their message out to the most politically interested rural and farm voters in advance of the August 10th Primary, so the only voice for the 2nd District was former State Rep Shelley Madore, who has recently been criss-crossing the sprawling 2nd on her 35 Cent Tour as her campaign gains momentum while Powers struggles instead to counter negative stories in the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press.

Voters not certain where to cast their ballots on August 10th can visit the Secretary of State's website to find polling locations based on zip codes in advance of the Primary. Traditionally low turnout in "off" years may be countered this year by the prominent contest among three DFLers, Former U.S. Senator Mark Dayton, and former MN Legislators Margaret Anderson-Kelliher and Matt Entenza, all seeking the party's gubernatorial endorsement There has been extensive coverage of the MN Governor's race..

DFL voters looking to compare and contrast Madore and Powers, however, are left scratching their heads, as Powers has gotten limited media coverage and avoided invitations to debate since before the party's convention, including one from Alan Miller of Access to Democracy.

CANDIDATE FORUMS HIGHLIGHT FARMFEST

Candidate Forums have been a feature at FARMFEST in every even numbered year for two decades, and 2010 will be no exception, according to Kent Thiesse, FARMFEST Forum Coordinator. Thiesse said that FARMFEST has hosted Candidate Forums for every statewide race for Governor and U.S. Senate since 1990, as well as holding a Congressional Candidate Forum every two years for potential Congressional Candidates in Minnesota Districts that have a major emphasis on the agriculture industry, and a significant rural population.

The focus of past Candidate Forums has been on agriculture and rural issues, and that emphasis will continue again in 2010. Thiesse points out that many Forums during the length of the campaign season cover the vast breadth of issues facing candidates, but the FARMFEST Forums are one time when the focus is much more “fine-tuned” on the issues that are critical to farm families, small businesses, and rural communities.

The "Governor Candidate’s Forum on Rural Minnesota", which will be held at FARMFEST on Wednesday, August 4, at 10:30 AM, has garnered considerable statewide attention, and even some national focus. All five of the major Candidates for Governor of Minnesota have confirmed to participate in the FARMFEST Forum. This includes Tom Emmer, Republican candidate, Tom Horner and Rob Hahn, Independent Party candidates, and DFL candidates Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Mark Dayton, and Matt Entenza. A panel of Minnesota agricultural and rural leaders will pose questions to the Gubernatorial Candidates on a variety of issues affecting farm families and rural communities. The statewide Primary Election is on August 10, and the General Election is on November 2.

The "Congressional Candidate’s Forum on Agriculture and Rural Issues" will be held on the first day of FARMFEST, which is Tuesday, August 3, at 10:30 AM. All Congressional Candidates from Minnesota’s First, Second, Sixth, and Seventh Congressional Districts have been invited to participate in the Forum. Thus far, former MN Rep Shelley Madore (D) who is challenging John Kline (R) in the Second District, Congressman Collin Peterson (D) and Lee Byberg (R), his opponent in the Seventh District; Congressman Tim Walz (D), along with Randy Demmer (R) and Steven Wilson (I), his opponents in the First District; and Tarryl Clark (D), who is challenging Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R) in the Sixth District, have confirmed to participate in the FARMFEST Forum. A panel of agriculture reporters for radio and newspaper will pose questions to the U.S. House Candidates on a variety of issues affecting agriculture and rural communities.

Ideas for questions may be submitted via e-mail to Kent Thiesse, FARMFEST Forum Coordinator, at kent.thiesse@minnstarbank.com. That information will then be forwarded to the panel members that will be posing the questions to the candidates during FARMFEST.

FARMFEST Forums will be held throughout the day on August 3, 4, and 5, in the Forum Tent on the FARMFEST Site, which is located at the Gilfillan Estate, 7 miles southeast of Redwood Falls, Minnesota. In addition to the two Candidate Forums, the 2010 edition of FARMFEST will include special forums ranging from ideas for Minnesota’s next Governor, to understanding carbon credits, to the future of the livestock industry, and strategies for agricultural education. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty will be the keynote speaker at the Forum on Thursday, August 5, at 10:30 AM. All of the Forums will provide ample time for questions, and follow-up discussion by Panel members.

For more information on the Forums at FARMFEST, please contact Kent Thiesse, FARMFEST Forum Coordinator (507-381-7960).

Bungled termination decision bolsters Madore's media profile

With just over a week until the Minnesota Primariy Elections, Sunday's Saint Paul Pioneer Press gave a black eye to the Minnesota Virtual High School by revealing they recently terminated Shelley Madore, a candidate for Congress, after she reported taxpayer fraud at the charter school. Madore's campaign provided little comment about her charges or the school's reactions, noting the investivation was on-going.

Former MN Representative
Shelley Madore

"When I shared it, I was terminated..."

former MN State Rep. Shelley Madore

Voters along the south Twin Cities Metro have a choice between the former legislator/watchdog and an unemployed former contractor who "fell into politics" (after falling from a roof) in the looming August 10th primary, after which the winner will challenge the incumbent Representative John Kline (R-MN) in the November 2010 election.

FEC filings by Madore's opponent Powers, including his late-filed Personal Finance Discolsure have omissions and/or inconsistencies that might well be a telling story in and of themselves, but what is there reveals he has ample personal assets to loan his campaign $35,000 dollars, giving him the edge in money raised and cash on hand - though both campaigns are struggling to attract donations with so much press attention on other Minnesota races. Twin Cities media in particular has focused on both Tarryl Clark's high-profile, possibly quixotic bid to unseat Tea Party diva Michelle Bachmann and the hotly-contested 3-way gubernatorial primary contest, devoting scant coverage to the Congressional primary on the other site of the metro.

The Pioneer Press story characterizes both 2^nd District Democratic campaigns as limping into the primary. The Star Tribue ran a brief article in late July describing Madore's opponent as having a "sketchy résumé" in their first coverage of the primary in months.

"His only income in 2009 was $28,000 in unemployment insurance, according to a financial disclosure report filed in Washington."

from: DFL candidate has sketchy résumé as contractor

24 July 2010

Madore's campaign has made little reference to her opponent's extended unemployment or his campaign's reliance on his life story to influence voters rather than policy statements, preferring to highlight concrete differences such as Powers failure to hire union workers back when he ran his small business versus her solid voting record as an effective state legislator and endorsements from local and national organizations.

Teacher's unions seem particularly delighted to have a candidate with experience in both the legislature and public education on the ballot: Madore counts endorsements from the National Education Association (NEA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and Education Minnesota among her growing list.

This story is cross-posted from Zennie's Zeitgest.

Pro-Business Democrat Shelley Madore racking up endorsements

You may not spend much time thinking about the connection between a vibrant small-business climate and how that benefits your community, but Shelley Madore brings real pro-business sensibility to the Congressional race in the 2nd District: she connects the dots between building roads and infrastructure to attract business to locate and expand in the district and what that means for working families, because investing in our business community means we have jobs and the crucial benefits they provide heading into the future. Shelley Madore gets it.

During her time in the state legislature, Madore authored dozens of bills, and left her imprint on dozens more with ideas such as the Madore amendment that corrected a long-standing imbalance in road transportation funding. She understands that potholes are more than an annoyance during your daily commute, they send a message to business owners that we aren't investing as carefully in our community as they would in their parking lots.

Shelley Madore brought common sense ideas to the table, and then built the necessary consensus to keep bills moving forward so voters saw real results instead of partisan gridlock. Now she's bringing her razor sharp pencil to the campaign process, running a tight, fiscally responsible campaign that's picking up steam as she picks up endorsements such as the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and Education Minnesota. She'll bring that same common-sense leadership to Washington.

Maybe it's because she's had to deal with the enormous burden of medical costs as a special needs mom, but her understanding of how the complexities of interconnected budgets work also impressed the President of South Central College, Keith Stover.

 

President Stover had seen his plans to expand the Faribault campus, remodel the lab nursing students use and facilities to train for manufacturing jobs skipped over in favor of funding projects elsewhere in the state. Stover's impressed. "You really did your homework," he told Madore and her staff at a recent meeting as she explained what the one missing piece was when the state considered allocating precious MNCSU funds.

Stover knows Shelley Madore sees more than just the big picture; she gets the way the system works, and can make it work better on behalf of the working people who live and raise their families in the district. Madore understands that we've got to provide the training our employers need and deserve right here in the district - that we've all got to work together to get Minnesota back to being the great place to live and work that we remember it from 10 or 20 years ago when people were moving here for the great schools, great jobs, and unparalleled quality of life.

Shelley Madore touring South Central College's carpentry training facility

with President Keith Stover

DFL's Dan Powers Dodges Debates

While interviewing former state Representative Shelley Madore, Alan Miller of Access to Democracy offered to moderate a debate between Madore and her opponent Dan Powers - the two DFL candidates in the upcoming primary. I'll publish excerpts from the show in the next few days. 

Powers had dodged debate prior to the convention so it comes as little suprise that his campaign manager, Mary Breitenstein, has opted to decline on his behalf.  Her statement concluded:

"Dan will be focusing his time on beating John Kline and bringing the people of CD 2  the sort of representation they deserve."

~Mary Breitenstein

Whoever wins the DFL primary will surely want to debate Kline, relying on that most traditional tool of challengers to draw contrasts between themselves and a well-known incumbent.  Logically it might seem an excellent opportunity to practice a skill he's never needed before, and create a little more buzz for the party, much the way the Obama-Clinton contest helped keep Democrats in the news after it had become a foregone conclusion who would garner the 2008 GOP presidential nomination.

So much for "practice makes perfect."

Evidently Powers fears debating a fellow DFLer could outweigh the media exposure he'd get going into the primary. The only conclusion voters and pundits can draw is he worries that revealing how he handles himself in front of the media would convey significant advantage to Shelley Madore.

In this case, I agree with his fear despite her much greater name recognition; having spent time with both candidates I'm hard-pressed to see how he could possibly outshine Madore.  I've donated time and money to both campaigns, and I know it's much safer for Powers to rely on talking points and spend money on slick ads than it would be to engage in a debate. 

A debate would obviously reveal how relatively difficult it is for a rookie to talk issues, policy, and procedure on the same stage with a former legislator.

Still, I'd like the chance to see Powers fielding questions in an unscripted appearance, and see if he can think on his feet. As a voter in the District and the former chair of the Rice County DFL unit I can't help but wonder if he's scared Shelley Madore might reveal something about him that Congressman Kline wouldn't. I find that unlikely, because she's been taking the high road so far, and if there's one thing we've learned about Kline's campaign style it's that he will research his opponents thoroughly, and attack relentlessly.

© All photographs copyright Thomas Hayes, 2010

Joe Barton as the "Chair Apparent" on Energy and Commerce

Veteran Texas Congressman Joe "BP" Barton is the ranking GOP member (and former chair) of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.  That means if the Republicans gain a simple majority of seats in the House, he's the heir-apparent for the chairmanship, and you can bet your BP that big oil is hoping for just that outcome.

Of course, here in the 2^nd District we have one of those below-the-radar Reps, John Kline.  As challenger Shelley Madore has been saying since she announced her campaign for U.S. Congress here in January of this year, Kline is no less extreme then Michelle Bachmann if you look at his votes. Kline is just Michelle in sheep's clothing.

And I choose sheep's clothing with all seriousness, because our current Congressman has done almost nothing but follow the GOP herd during his entire time in office.  He's so predictable that even political rookie Dan Powers has begun echoing Shelley Madore's observations about how similar Kline is to Bachmann as he tries to build credibility against the former state legislator with a long record of accomplishments.

We all know that the "off years" are when the party that doesn't hold the presidency traditionally gains traction. People realize the President can't actually get done everything they hoped he could, and so they decide to make it harder for him.

What? You were expecting logic from the voters?

Here's a simple truth: Most folks vote for a gut reason, not a head reason.  They can cite reasons that sound logical, but the truth is they mostly vote for politicians they like, or they think they'd like to have a beer with.

Here's another simple truth: The GOP is about to spend a lot of money in key races, and the more headway they make the more gridlocked Washington becomes.  No small part of that will be big oil money. The GOP has decided to prove that government is ineffective, as part of their "small government" platform that sounds so good until you realize that only our elected leaders -- our government -- is sufficient to stand up to BP and hold them accountable.  The Free Market sure the heck can't do it.

So do you want the party of Joe "BP" Barton and Michelle Bachmann, with their faithful followers like John Kline to be put back in charge?  Opinions vary, but I'd rather see folks running the government who not only know how to get things done, but who believe there's more to being in Congress than saying the government should apologize and get out of BP's business.

That's why I like Shelley Madore's track record, and leadership. Proven, effective leadership is why I'll vote for Madore in the DFL primary on August 10th, and again this November in the General Election.

Business climate in MN obviously excellent

The annual Fortune 500 list is out, and Minnesota looks like a great place to do business.

Minnesota has 21 of the elite “Fortune 500,” based on total revenue in the past year. That might sound insignificant, since California and Texas each host 57 and New York has 56. But if you relate it to state population, Minnesota takes first place on a per capita basis.

Lee Egerstrom, writing at Hindsight 20/20, said:

So how do the great examples of so-called “good business climates” fare on the Fortune 500 list? South Dakota, zero companies; Mississippi, zilch; Wyoming, zippo; Alabama, one, and South Carolina has three.

The Minnesota list of companies is a little misleading. Fortune only use “public,” not private companies on the list and that eliminates Cargill Inc. ($116.6 billion in 2009 revenue!)

So, in the absence of Cargill, the MN list is topped by UnitedHealth Group, Target, and Best Buy - an impressive array.

Now I'll be the first to admit we still need more jobs to rev up the state economy, and that the roads and infrastructure within the 2nd Congressional District aren't exactly enticing. But as a result of former State Representative Shelley Madore's initiative and hard work while she was a state legislator we are getting $5 million/year for improvements via the Madore Amendment to the transportation bill.

It's no wonder the GOP targeted Shelley Madore when she ran for re-election. She was authoring about one bill per week on average while the MN House was in session. Compare that to the anemic pace of John Kline's work on our behalf - about one bill per year - and you can see Madore did more for this district at the state level in one term than our U.S. Congressman has done in many, many years in D.C (with the exception of fund-raising for his campaign, of course, where the incumbent Congressman clearly has a significant edge.)

If Madore secures the DFL endorsement in the August 10th Primary, she'll be up against an incumbent who hasn't done much for the district, in a year when the latest Washington Post survey reveals a strong anti-incumbent mood. I'm not sure we can expect anything new from Kline; he's had 8 years to help the district, and he's mostly kept a low profile.

Shelley Madore? She'll do more.

Staff update: Madore for Congress

Shelley Madore's campaign has announced that veteran campaign staffer Dave Griggs has joined Team Madore as Campaign Manager.

"Dave brings vision and experience that will benefit the campaign through the endorsement on April tenth and to victory on November second against John Kline," Madore said.

Griggs, a native of St Louis Park and 2007 graduate of the University of St. Thomas Law School, recently finished working with the Bakk for Governor campaign. He has worked three election cycles for DFL campaigns with extensive experience in field organizing. His first job after graduating from New York University was as a Second Congressional District field organizer with U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone’s 2002 re-election campaign.

With just a few days until the first quarter fund-raising deadline and less than two weeks until the Congressional District endorsing convention, Dave spent his first few days on the job reaching out to staff, delegates and donors.

“I am looking forward to working with a dynamic candidate who has the experience, passion and commitment to beat John Kline in November. Shelley will be a tireless advocate for the people of the Second Congressional District, something that has been sorely lacking the past eight years.”

~ Dave Griggs

Is the Tea Party a strong force south of the metro?

The Star Tribune, reporting on the Republican endorsing convention in Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District, says that the...

"...party's Second Congressional District convention in Red Wing on March 20 came within two votes of supporting a resolution supporting what state party chair Tony Sutton described as "the right of states to secede from the union."

The resolution was defeated, but only after Sutton, who was functioning as the convention's chair, departed from the usual neutrality that role requires by reminding his fellow Republicans that opposition to secession by states was a founding Republican principle in the late 1850s..."

One has to wonder what Mr. Sutton and Congressman John Kline make of this.

What's John Kline been doing about job losses?

According to the Alliance for American Manufacturing Minnesota's Second Congressional District is ranked 22nd of the 435 Districts nationwide in terms of net job losses to China due to growing trade losses from 2001-2008. That's the worst in the state, either raw net loss of as a percent of total jobs within the district.

They calculated the following losses:

Total Employment 389,200
Net Jobs Lost 10,900
Share of Total Employment 2.8%

Here's how that stacks up against the other seven Congressional Districts statewide:

CD 1 lost 9,000 net jobs (2.7%)
CD 3 lost 9,100 (2.6%)
CD 4 lost 5,700 (1.9%)
CD 5 lost 5,800 (1.8%)
CD 6 lost 8,300 (2.1%)
CD 7 lost 6,100 (1.9%)
CD 8 lost 3,800 (1.2%)

For a discussion of data sources (which include a new Economic Policy Institute report by Robert Scott,) methodology, and analysis, there's a downloadable PDF.

Unfair China Trade Costs Local Jobs

Now I don't fault Congressman Kline for his vote on the TARP bailouts of big banks and Wall Street, but I think we need to ask this Texas transplant why he's not doing more for the Minnesota workers he was elected to represent. We need to bring our share of the reinvestment/recovery stimulus money into the district, and I can't find any evidence that Mr. Kline's putting any energy into that.

What has Congressman Kline prioritized? In 2005 he introduced legislation to place former President Ronald Reagan on the $50 bill. In fact, Kline's only authored 8 bills since getting elected to Congress.

He's not too worried, perhaps, since he's served long enough to qualify for a lifetime pension. But the families in his district are struggling while he votes against bills that would make it easier for our kids to afford college and insure all of us can afford health care rather than go bankrupt. We're talking about the hardest hit district in one of the hardest hit states - we need a representative in Washington who'll do more.

Committee on Energy and Commerce facts on health care reform impact - District by District

The Committee on Energy and Commerce of the U.S. House of Represenatives has prepared, for all 435 congressional districts, a district-level analysis of the impact of health care reform legislation. This analysis includes information on the impact of the legislation on families, small businesses, seniors in Medicare, health care providers, and the uninsured.

The bill caps annual out-of-pocket costs at $6,200 for individuals and $12,400 for families who purchase insurance through the exchange or who are insured by small businesses. It also eliminates annual and lifetime limits on all insurance coverage. These changes mean no family will have to face financial ruin because of high health care costs.

The highlights from the report on MN's Second District, Represented by Republican John Kline:

• Improve coverage for 578,000 residents with health insurance.
• Give tax credits and other assistance to up to 117,000 families and 16,300 small businesses to help them afford coverage.
• Improve Medicare for 75,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.
• Guarantee that 5,800 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.
• Protect 1,200 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
• Allow 57,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents’ insurance plans.
• Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $43 million annually.

Under the legislation, small businesses with 100 employees or less will be able to join the health insurance exchange, benefiting from group rates and a greater choice of insurers. There are 17,900 small businesses in the district that could benefit from this provision.

Tax credits for truly small businesses:
Small businesses with 25 employees or less and average wages of less than $50,000 will qualify for tax credits of up to 50% of the costs of providing health insurance. There are up to 16,300 small businesses in the district that could qualify for these credits.

Curious how other districts will fare? The full report is at: Benefits of Health Care Reform, District by District Impact, where the Committee notes the cost of health care reform under the legislation as currently formulated is:

"...fully paid for, in large part by eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and excessive profits for private insurers. The legislation will reduce the deficit by $130 billion over the next ten years, and by about $1.2 trillion over the second decade."

Open Letter to U.S. Representative John Kline (MN-2)

Dear Congressman Kline,

With the Congressional Budget Office having determined that revenue in the Health Care Reform package and savings from program cuts will outpace the cost of coverage, I'm excited by the prospect of reducing the federal deficit by $138 billion over the next 10 years.

The savings would continue to accumulate in the decade thereafter, the CBO said, eventually slicing around $1.2 trillion from the nation's budget gap. That's good for MN, good for the USA, and most importantly, good for future generations including my son.

I look forward to your support for this fiscally responsible bill, particularly during these challenging economic conditions. I know you're a fan of reducing the costs of operating the U.S. Government, and being able to do so in a way that also benefits the residents of your district by simply voting in support of a bill is a golden opportunity.

Shelley Madore seeks DFL endorsement

The news out of Massachusetts, where the GOP won another U.S. Senate seat in the special election to fill the balance of Ted Kennedy's term underscores that voters are neither satisfied to hope for change nor burned out on politics. The large turnout shows voters are actively following events inside the beltway, and there's no such thing as a "safe" seat, regardless of how a state has voted recently.

Shelley Madore strode into this tumultuous political climate on Martin Luther King Day to officially make the anticipated announcement that she's seeking the DFL endorsement to run for the seat currently held by John Kline, joining local contractor Dan Powers who announced his candidacy nearly two months ago.

"I'm ready to fight to bring jobs and economic security back to the hardworking people and families here in Minnesota..."

Madore, a long-time resident of Apple Valley with a degree in Business Administration, has served a term in the MN House as the representative from District 37A and sits on the Board of the Minnesota Council for Independent Living.

Following testimonials from supporters and elected officials within the district, including current state Representatives Sandra Masin (38A) and David Bly (25B), Ms. Madore took to the podium with her children beside her and focused on jobs, education, and the need for bi-partisan cooperation as her motivation to run:

"We need a strong leader who will work with other members of Congress to bring jobs back to our community.

We need a strong leader who will create opportunities for workers to gain the skills they need to compete in this new economy.

And we need a strong leader who realizes that education is an ongoing commitment because the world does not stop changing once we graduate.

I am that leader..."

The hunt for the DFL endorsement has begun in earnest, with caucuses less than a month away: February 2.

While the DFL state convention isn't until late April, frankly either Powers or Madore will ascend after the DFL's 2nd Congressional District Convention to campaign to replace Kline. The current Representative seems unlikely to have any challengers from within the GOP, but he's reportedly already begun robo-calling within the district.

The campaign website can be found at MadoreForCongress.com

Two now seeking DFL endorsement to run againt Kline in CD2

Former State legislator Shelley Madore will be kicking off her campaign for the DFL endorsement to run against John Kline in the 2010 Congressional race to represent Congressional District 2 on Monday, 18 January 2005. A press release on the announcement event went out Wednesday and several sites including MinnPost immediately released the news.

“Minnesota deserves leadership that puts us first,” said Madore. “We need a strong leader who will work with other members of Congress to bring projects back to our district. It’s important that you have someone who will show up and talk with you about your priorities and needs. And, when times are tough, it matters that you have someone who understands what it is like to live here and struggle to keep your family afloat.

I am that leader and when you elect me to serve you in Washington, I will fight to bring jobs and economic security back to families here in Minnesota."

That brings the count on the DFL side to two, since small-business owner Dan Powers has been officially in the race since late 2009. There appear to be neither challengers on the GOP side to Kline's incumbency, nor any independent candidates in the race thus far.

The campaign has announced the kick-off event on facebook as well as through the more traditional channels.

DFL voters will caucus around the state on Tuesday, February 2nd, and residents of the 2nd District are likely glad to have fewer choices for Congress than are presently seeking their endorsement for the Governor's race.

John Kline's Dec 17 Town Hall: phoning it in

On the evening of December 17th, 2009, current CD 2 Representative John Kline conducted a tele-conference town hall. Participants had to be called by the system, so the make-up of the listeners probably tended to come from a list of known supporters - one can infer that the Congressman was using it mostly to shore up his support.

While hammering on the notion of massive federal spending bills, Kline did allude to the fact that there had been excessive spending during the Bush administration. But his closing point on spending was to suggest citizens should "be alarmed" when they hear the term "omnibus" associated with a spending bill, implying it was a somehow a new tactic of the majority party although the term has been in use in Congress for decades.

The Congressman is unsurprisingly opposed to the current health care cost reform initiatives, he glossed over the steep increases in the cost of health care which have gone on at triple the rate of inflation for the past 30 years - you could say he stuck to the GOP talking points, which would be consistent with his vote on the House bill.

He left a lot of ambiguity on military policy, though, in response to a caller suggesting we should withdraw from both Iraq and Afghanistan rapidly. Complimenting the impressive logistical undertaking already in progress on the Iraq withdrawal, he pointed out there are mixed opinions from the military brass regarding the best course of action in Afghanistan, including the setting of a date to begin the turnover process, but noting we cannot let the country "collapse" by a precipitous departure. Kline did not specify or even outline what policy he'd advocate with regard to the Afghan deployment or the larger War on Terror.

Perhaps the most puzzling exchange came in response to a caller who evidently wanted tax policies to create domestic jobs, recalling when "Made in America" meant top quality and noting that it was tax breaks for corporations that had led to the outsourcing of jobs while lamenting what he described as buying televisions from China that end up in our land-fills in a year. Kline responded that taxes push jobs overseas, which resonates well with the GOP's traditional tax rhetoric, but failed to address how he'd reconcile additional tax cuts with the cost of the growth of a "huge bureaucracy with enormous power" over the first decade of the century (largely under a Republican administration which had, in fact, enacted massive tax cuts simultaneously with massive military spending commitments.) As a former small business owner I'm wary of folks who think we can have our budgetary cake and eat it, too.

In general callers seemed concerned about the obvious talking points, though often seemed to lack any substantive rationale as they cited Tort Reform, Cap-and-Trade, and partisan bickering (which most seem to blame on the Democrats.) These are legitimate matters for Congress and the White House to debate and address - we need to deal with the costs of medical malpractice even though it pales in comparison to the amounts flowing to the insurance companies, just as most agree we need to find a way to deal with the impact of climate change globally.

Most, that is, except for a woman from Lake City who expressed confidence that climate change is a complete hoax as one of her points. Evidently Kline agrees with her: he started his response by noting she was, "...right on point across the board..."

Still, this reluctance to consider human impact on climate runs close to the GOP mantra, and so on the whole the only news was the former Colonel's apparent support for Obama's decision regarding a surge in Afghanistan - and even that is in accord with the GOP strategists' guidance to avoid taking any position which could be construed as anti-military.

Hopefully at his next Town Hall Congressman Kline can open up to any interested voters, and tell us what he'll actually do on behalf of the the district, state, and country, instead of targeting certain constituents for a pep talk.