DFL leaning group targets Pawlenty and GOP gov candidates over renter’s rebate

The Alliance for a Better Minnesota is running web ads criticizing Governor Pawlenty and Republican Reps. Marty Seifert, Tom Emmer and Kurt Zellers for scaling back the renter's credit in Minnesota. The ad banner, which is on the top of the National Review's blog right now, says "Tim Pawlenty and the GOP stole money from renters."

The weblink sends you to a website that determines how much money renters may lose under the action. It also allows viewers to contact their lawmakers to fix the problem.

The full website, Return My Rebate, says Pawlenty and other Republicans "stole over $50 million from renters in Minnesota when they slashed the renters' credit over the summer. They are forcing over 300,000 working Minnesotans to get by with a greater financial burden in a tougher economic climate than ever before."

Pawlenty scaled back the size of the renter's credit from 19 percent to 15 percent when he unilaterally cut the budget in July. He took the action after he failed to reach a budget deal with Democrats in control of the Legislature.

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Denise Cardinal, with the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, said they decided to start the campaign after several of her younger staffers complained about the reduction in the credit.

"We're trying to make the point that this was money that was taken," Cardinal said. "That's real money that going into the communities."

Cardinal said the ads started running earlier this week. She said her group is also targeting Seifert, Emmer and Zellers because they support the governor's action. Seifert and Emmer are both running for governor.

The Alliance for a Better Minnesota is funded by several DFL leaning groups including labor unions, Native American Tribes and a now defunct Democratic 527.

I contacted Pawlenty's spokesman for a comment and haven't heard back from him. I'll post his reply when I do.