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Dan Powers To Challenge John Kline For Congress, Calls Kline “Worst”

May 30, 2011 by Michael McIntee CD2, Minnesota Comments Off

Dan Powers Candidate For Congress

Congressional Candidate Dan Powers at the 2010 DFL State Convention

Minnesota Republican Congressman John Kline already has a Democratic challenger for 2012. It’s the same challenger he almost faced in 2010. Dan Powers who waged a year-long plus campaign in 2009-2010 against Kline announced this morning he is running again. Powers lost out in the primary to late-comer DFL candidate Shelley Madore. Madore lost the party endorsement to Powers and said she wouldn’t run against him in the primary. But a few days later changed her mind.

In 2010, neither Powers nor Madore was able to raise much money to face Kline. Democrats have not been able to make the race even a close election since the area was redistricted and Kline was elected. The area is about to be redistricted again, but Governor Mark Dayton and the Republican controlled legislature have not agreed on the lines.

Powers referenced those past losses when he made his announcement to DFLers this morning by email. “I am not running to make a statement. I am running to make a difference. I am running to win,” Powers wrote.

Powers also issued an open letter to Congressman Kline questioning who Kline is representing — an ideology or the people of Minnesota.

“The fight you are waging in Washington is on behalf of an ideology that really doesn’t have anything to do with the day to day challenges people of Minnesota are facing,” wrote Powers. “You represent the worst in politicians. I think these actions show at every level how you do not represent the people of this district. For these reasons and many others I will work hard every day to make sure that this is your last term in office.”

Dan Power’s letter to Congressman John Kline … Continue Reading

Witness For MN GOP Has History Of Making Inaccurate Claims

November 18, 2010 by Michael McIntee CD2, MN Recount 2010 Comments Off

MN GOP is relying on testimony from Diana Bratlie

Minnesota’s Republican Party didn’t have to go far to find witnesses for its pre-recount petition that the Minnesota Supreme Court is considering. Many, and possibly all of the 11 election judges who submitted sworn statements saying that proper counting procedures may not have been followed on election night are known Republicans. That’s not surprising since generally there is a Republican election judge and a DFL election judge at each polling place.

But what is surprising is that one of the sworn statements comes from a consultant paid by Republican Congressman John Kline (Minnesota’s Second Congressional District), who has proven to be an unreliable witness in the past.


As The UpTake documented in 2008,
Diana Bratlie has been paid thousands of dollars by Representative Kline for political research, and has a history of making inaccurate claims about facts, figures and DFL candidates’ stances on issues. In 2008, The UpTake witnessed Bratlie attempting to tell the media that the DFL candidate running against Kline had just said he didn’t want to drill for oil anywhere. She then repeated that claim in a letter to the editor published in the Eagan “This Week” newspaper. A replay of the news conference on which Bratlie based that statement clearly showed that not to be the case. Here’s the video of that story from 2008:

Video transcript and related stories about Bratlie … Continue Reading

Congressional Candidate Madore Favors Transportation Investments, But Still Can’t Debate Kline

September 30, 2010 by Jacob Wheeler CD2 Comments Off

Following the Transportation Alliance Candidate Forum in Eagan, Minnesota., today, Minnesota Second District Congressional challenger Shelley Madore touted the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s FasterBetterSafer campaign and said that it aligned with her campaign message that “investment in transportation is an essential part of our country’s economic recovery.” Madore echoed the Chamber’s report that each dollar of highway construction generates $1.8 in Gross Domestic Product and every billion dollars supports 28,000 jobs.

Madore’s opponent, Tea-Party-backed Republican incumbent John Kline, has refused to debate her — save for a 25-minute faceoff that Minnesota Public Radio has scheduled for just before the November election. According to Madore, Kline has opposed additional transportation funding. “John Kline’s failure to fight for roads, bridges and schools for our communities has resulted in crumbling bridges such as the Hastings and Lafayette bridges, unsafe roads such as Highway 212 and 5 in Carver County and completely unfunded roads such as the Highway 52 project in Cannon Falls.”

Madore Tries To Debate John Kline

September 21, 2010 by Bill Sorem CD2 1 Comment

Yesterday in Burnsville, MN, Democratic-Farm-Labor challenger Shelley Madore held a press conference outside her opponent, Republican incumbent John Kline’s office. Madore and Kline are running to represent that state’s 2nd District in Congress.

To date, Kline (a Tea-Party favorite, who wants Christian doctrine included in Washington) has refused to debate Madore or engage in any form of public discourse with her. Most recently Kline canceled the scheduled KSTP/League of Women Voters debate. Earlier this year he was a no-show at Farm Fest, a traditional gathering of all state and congressional candidates.

Following the press conference, Madore delivered a polite letter to Kline’s office, asking him to a public debate at any time.

Madore cites the serious loss of jobs in the 2nd Congressional District to an antiquated transportation system and lock of retraining options. Federal funds are available for both, but Kline has neglected to act.

Who is Shelley Madore?

September 20, 2010 by Bill Sorem CD2 1 Comment

Shelley Madore — Republican incumbent John Kline’s opponent for Congress — was not endorsed by the Minnesota DFL Party for the 2nd District during the party’s convention. Nevertheless, she decided to run in the primary, won that election, and subsequently gained the DFL endorsement. A former legislator, she has a long history of citizen activism on health and other issues.

So far, Madore has been unable to engage the incumbent, John Kline (a Tea Party favorite who favors the role of Christianity in federal government), in any form of public discourse. Her 35-cent tour is a campaign fixture: “For every federal tax dollar paid in our Congressional District, only 35 cents are spent here in our community,” Madore whipped. “At the same time, John Kline voted for the bill that included the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ in Alaska, among many other bills that included earmarks for other states.”

A Judeo-Christian Nation?

September 9, 2010 by Jacob Wheeler CD2, Minnesota Comments Off

Outspoken Republican Representative Michelle Bachmann was supposed to appear at a “Take Back America” rally at the high school auditorium in Watertown, Minn., last night, but the loud Tea Party icon was a no-show.

Instead, the somewhat subdued, less-than-capacity crowd heard from fellow Rep. John Kline, who spoke of “the importance of Judeo-Christian principles at the core of our great country.”

The conservative Republican lamented those who he infer have let down their guard in the face of radical Islam, and “faceless bureaucrats who are trying to erase God from the public square.” Kline passionately told a story of the ultimately unsuccessful Beltway effort to gloss over the words “In God We Trust” at the virtual House of Representatives in the new Capitol Visitors Center.

Those are interesting views, considering that our collective mourning of the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks this weekend have been clouded by fervently religious and reactionary tones. Is a secular U.S. government an inherent threat to Christianity, as Kline infers?

Today’s UpTake -Upset In Minnesota 2nd Congressional District

August 11, 2010 by Michael McIntee CD2, Minnesota Comments Off

Shelley Madore Wins Primary To Face Rep. John Kline

Madore to face Kline

Shelley Madore delivered a surprise to the Minnesota DFL party on Tuesday night. Madore, not DFL-endorsed candidate Dan Powers will be on the November ballot against Republican Congressman John Kline. Madore scored a decisive 10 percentage point victory over Powers in the DFL primary. Madore, a former state representative, got into the race later than Powers and lost the endorsement to him at CD2 DFL convention after several ballots. At the time she said she would back Powers, but a short time later announced she would run against him in the primary.

Other notable results

Chatter about Steven Baker being a right-wing candidate in non-partisan clothing may have been one of the reasons he didn’t make past yesterday’s primary for 1st District Court Judge. Baker ran an aggressive campaign and schmoozed both Democrats and Republicans. The race was seen as a wide open one since the incumbent Tim Blakely was given a six month suspension following allegations he received a $63,500 discount on his divorce costs in exchange for funneling mediation business to his personal lawyer. Blakely still finished first and will be face Larry Clark in the November general election.

Senator Satveer Chadhary could not overcome the loss of his DFL endorsement and lost his primary to Barbara Goodwin. Chadhary had been reprimanded by the Senate for his involvement to secure fishing restrictions on Fish Lake Reservoir, where he owns a cabin.

GOP fears of Anderson and two tight primary races when you continue reading. … Continue Reading

MN Primary Election – Replay of Live Coverage

August 11, 2010 by Michael McIntee 2010 Statewide, CD1, CD2, CD3, CD6, CD7, Live Coverage, MN Governor's Race 1 Comment

Be a power user! To watch all of our election channels in a pop-up window click here (just be sure to turn off the player below.)

Watch live streaming video from theuptake at livestream.com

Polls Open at 7am and close at 8pm CT.
To read and participate in our live blog, click on the headline or to view it in a pop-up window Click Here
To see where the candidates are planning to be on primary night, continue reading … Continue Reading

Today’s UpTake – Wed Aug 4, 2010

August 4, 2010 by Michael McIntee CD2, CD6, CD7, Minnesota, MN Governor's Race 1 Comment

A quick summary of what you need to know about politics today.

Minnesota Governor’s race

The big event is the Farmfest debate which features a rare appearance by Republican Tom Emmer.  Emmer has been absent at most of the inter-party debates so far this campaign season.  Video of the debate from a farm field near Redwood Falls will be live streamed on The UpTake as long as the internet connection cooperates.

Continue reading and get the latest on endorsements, Congressional races and campaign finance issues.

… Continue Reading

Rural MN GOP Incumbents Sit Out Farmfest Debate – Full Video

August 3, 2010 by admin CD1, CD2, CD6, CD7, Minnesota Comments Off

Republican Representatives John Kline, Michele Bachmann were invited, but did not attend the Minnesota Congressional debate at Farmfest on Tuesday. However, Republican and Independence Party challengers to Representative Tim Walz and Collin Peterson did make the trip to a very steamy farm field near Redwood Falls,Minnesota for the one-hour forum on agricultural issues.

Kline’s opponent in the November election will be either DFL endorsed candidate Dan Powers or Powers’ August 10th primary opponent Shelley Madore. Madore participated in the Farmfest debate. Powers was invited, but declined because he had a prior commitment.

Bachmann’s opponent is DFL endorsed candidate Tarryl Clark who commented after the debate on Bachmann’s absence.

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