Papa John and the AG’s office

I just talked to the Green Party's candidate for Attorney General John Kolstad, better known as Papa John Kolstad. He and his campaign are concerned that MPR isn't mentioning him along with the other candidates for AG in our newscasts.

We have a general policy of covering the major party candidates, and the Green Party lost that designation in the last election. Kolstad makes the case that he is well known outside of the political realm because of his career as a musician, and that he is making a serious run at the office even though he is not a lawyer (the Ag isn't required to be).

Kolstad was a longtime active DFLer, but he says he broke with the party and accepted what he called a Green Party draft over the stadium issue. He says he's disillusioned with the Democrats' support of public money for the new Twins ballpark.

"Somebody's got to stand up to this," he said. "These people are so totally out of touch with reality."

Kolstad has already won the first showdown of his campaign. He got Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer to back down from her opposition to allowing him to appear as "Papa" John Kolstad on the ballot.

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