The Daily Digest: 9-26-06
My tardiness leads the digest today. I apologize but donut holes with Amy Klobuchar, a visit to the local tv stations and a front row seat to the unreleased Kennedy ad kept me busy. Maybe that should lead the digest.
Kennedy's campaign has released the ad that led to the brew ha ha over the last week and led to the dismissal of Democrat Amy Klobuchar's chief spokeswoman. Interested in the ad? Watch it here. Here's an AP story on it as well.
The Kennedy campaign also believes Klobuchar's campaign used the ad for political advantage before they announced the firing/resignation. Kennedy campaign manager Pat Shortridge says someone (unidentified) was push polling on Klobuchar's career as a lobbyist one day before Klobuchar revealed the firing:
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"I think it basically says they took the information and somebody used it. So my guess is this was, if it wasn't their campaign polling, someone was sent this information and they polled."
Shortridge says the poll is a smoking gun even though Kennedy has been criticizing Klobuchar on her lobbyist background since early August. Klobuchar's campaign director called the accusation "absurd." The National Review does a write thru about the ad flap here.
If the digest was earlier the Pioneer Press story on former St. Paul Police Chief Bill Finney's relationship with a longtime friend would be at the top. Mara Gottfried did a helluva job digging on that story especially since the two main actors wouldn't talk to her. Mad props to Mara.
MPR also has a profile of the Ramsey County Sheriffs race between Finney and Bob Fletcher. The Star Tribune has a story on today's debate between the two.
Mad props also to Mike Kaszuba with the Star Tribune for his story on Rich Stanek. Some local African American leaders in Minneapolis have forgiven Rich Stanek for making racist comments in the early 1990s.
Tim Pugmire, with MPR, has a story saying not too many people really know who is running for attorney general. The Pi Press also has a story. It's based on the MPR/Pi Press poll.
Former Governor Ventura is gettin' Kinky, says the Star Tribune.
Patty Wetterling, the DFL candiate for Congress in Mn's 6th District, gets endorsed by former General Wes Clark. The NRCC also started running ads saying Wetterling will raise taxes if elected (see earlier post for full text). Wetterling is running against Republican Michele Bachmann and Independence Party member John Binkowski.
MPR has a story on the tax/budget plans offered up by the candidates for governor.
Not too much else on the governor's race. Governor Pawlenty will hold a news conference tomorrow after an "executive level avian and pandemic influenza tabletop exercise." He then goes to a debate in the evening. SIDE NOTE: Is there a coincidence that Pawlenty is watching out for the bird flu on the same day he's participating in a debate with a candidate who brought in people in duck customes to accuse Pawlenty and DFLer Mike Hatch of "ducking debates?" --
By the way did you see that picture in Sunday's Star Tribune of Hutchinson with the ducks? One photo credit to yours truly. My mother would be so proud of me. That year as a photojournalism major at Syracuse paid off.