Tom Horner Pushes For New Vikings Stadium

This morning, Minnesota Gubernatorial candidate Tom Horner gave a short speech supporting a new Vikings stadium just before the start of the Viking’s home season at the Metrodome. The Vikings are a client of Himle Horner, a PR firm that Horner founded and owned up until three months ago.

Horner’s running mate Jim Mulder cooks brats and explains the plan.

Related coverage:
Horner to unveil stadium plan-Star Tribune

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Moderator Says Emmer Dodged Several Questions

Immediately after GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer spoke to the Humphrey Institute during today’s solo candidate forum at the University of Minnesota, our videographer Craig Stellmacher got the host’s reaction to what he said. Professor Larry Jacobs is the Walter and Joan Mondale Chair for Political Studies Director at U-M’s Center for the Study of Politics and Governance.

Jacobs assessed Rep. Emmer’s education reform plans — “vouchers”, “empowerment zones”, and what really stood in the way of reforms, “the teachers and unions. Prof. Jacobs, admitted that Emmer had dodged several questions: namely, how to pay for education reforms, and how to pay off school debt. “Student debt was the biggest dodge of all,” Jacobs said.

Replay-MN Governor Candidates Debate At Pantages Theater (CC)

BringMeTheNews hosted a live, interactive debate between Minnesota gubernatorial candidates Mark Dayton (DFL), Tom Emmer (Republican) and Tom Horner (Independent), at the Pantages Theater in Minneapolis Wednesday night.

Related Links:
Minnesota Governor Candidates Debate At Pantages Theater Transcript and captioned video

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Clinton: “Dogma And Big Special Interest Under The Guise Of The Tea Party”

President Bill Clinton stumps for Al Franken - Nov 30, 2008

Clinton on Tom Emmer “Near as I can tell, he wants to get rid of government.”

No cameras or microphones allowed tonight as President Bill Clinton was fundraising for Minnesota DFL Governor candidate Mark Dayton. So we’re relying on the pool report from the Associated Press reporter Brian Bakst to tell you what happened at the Graves 601 Hotel in downtown Minneapolis.

According to the notes Brian sent us:

Clinton took the stage along with Democratic nominee Mark Dayton, his running mate Yvonne Prettner Solon and Dayton’s two sons. All four stood on stage as Clinton spoke.

Among those in attendance, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. Several state legislators were also in attendance. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie left before Clinton arrived. Two Democrats Dayton beat in the August primary were also on hand, Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Matt Entenza.
Party staffers said President Clinton stood for VIP photos before he delivered his remarks. Between 250 and 300 people were expected for the event, paying anywhere from $100 to $1,000 each. Some of the proceeds were going to Dayton’s campaign and other money was flowing to the state party. Officials wouldn’t give an estimate of the amount raised. … Continue Reading

Tom Emmer Silent On Arne Carlson Endorsement Of Tom Horner

Republican candidate for Minnesota Governor Tom Emmer is silent when asked about former Minnesota Republican Governor Arne Carlson’s endorsement of Independence Party candidate Tom Horner.

Replay-Emmer Unveils Budget Plan “Part 3″

Minnesota Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Emmer releases his third and final budget plan outlining spending priorities for state government.
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Click here to view press release from the Emmer campaign about his budget.

Carlson (R) Endorses Horner (I) For Governor (MN)

Calling this the most critical Minnesota gubernatorial election he’s ever seen, former Governor Arne Carlson today endorsed Tom Horner, which is likely to give the Independent candidate a boost in the polls. Carlson added that once Minnesotans begin paying close attention to this race, he predicts a landslide victory for Horner.

Carlson explained why he didn’t endorse DFL candidate Mark Dayton (“You can’t tax your way to success”) and why he skipped Republican Tom Emmer (“But you can’t cut your way to success either”). Is Horner’s plan controversial? Yes, Carlson answered his own question. Will Horner’s plan inflict pain? Yes. But we no longer have any other choice than inflicting pain, the moderate GOP former governor continued.

Carlson implied that his Republican Party has moved too far to the right, and left Horner and himself. “We’ve got to stop the demonization of people with whom we disagree … We need to move away from the ‘politics of politics’ and toward
‘politics of substance’. … I believe that one of the chore values of the Republican Party ought to be financial discipline and balancing the budget. … We’ve spent more time worrying about the bedroom than we have the boardroom,” Carlson said, eliciting a rise out of the crowd gathered.

On a beautiful fall day on the south steps of the State Capitol, Horner was clearly overjoyed to have Carlson by his side, who he says supports not just his candidacy, but his policy proposals — and will help Independent draw more votes from both Republicans and Democrats.

Dayton Lays Out Case For Progressive Taxes At Candidate Forum

DFL candidate for Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton gives a fact filled speech and then takes questions The Center for the Study of Politics and Governance, at the Hubert Humphrey Institute, U of M, Minneapolis Minnesota. Similar forums for Republican candidate Tom Emmer and Independence Party Candidate Tom Horner will be held later this week and next.  Below, a graphic from the tax incidence study cited by Dayton.

Minnesota Tax Incidence Study From Dayton Presentation That Shows Top Earners Pay Lower Effective Tax Rates

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Handouts referenced in the presentation

Machine transcription of Mark Dayton At Humphrey Institute

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Weekly UpTake: Carlson Endorses Horner, Gubernatorial Candidates Attract Clinton, Jindal

Bringing in the big guns - Gov. Jindal To Fundraise For Emmer

The Minnesota governors’ race continues its frenetic pace this week, as national figures begin pouring into the Twin Cities to stump and raise money for Tim Pawlenty’s successor. Tonight, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will headline a (Republican) Tom Emmer for Governor gathering at the Minneapolis Hilton. Tickets are $500 a head, and The UpTake will get as close as possible to the action. Then on Tuesday night former President Bill Clinton will stump for DFL candidate Mark Dayton at the Graves 601 Hotel.

Also this week, the University of Minnesota’s Center for the Study of Politics and Governance will hold a series of public forums with each major party candidate for governor. DFLer Mark Dayton, Emmer and Independent candidate Tom Horner will each appear solo, in order to “create an opportunity for the candidates to rise above the talking points and fractious back-and-forth of the campaign to address the important policy challenges facing Minnesota and the country,” according to the Center. Dayton will appear today at noon, with Emmer on Wednesday, and Horner next Monday. Follow these forums live on The UpTake.

Today former Governor Arne Carlson (Republican) announced he’s backing Horner (Independent) for Governor. Carlson, who has made it clear he’s not happy with the extreme right turn of the Republican party, has also promised to  important announcement in Plymouth, Minnesota. On Tuesday night; the Minnesota Public Transit Association Conference on Wednesday, where Lt. Governor candidates Annette Meeks (GOP),  Senator Yvonne Prettner Solon (DFL) and Jim Mulder (Ind) are expected to show. Wednesday we’ll have coverage of the gubernatorial debate at Minneapolis’ Pantages Theater, as well as a rally outside by the Coalition for People’s Bailout. By Thursday we’ll be running on fumes, but we plan to bring you the Office of the Secretary of State Forum from St. Paul and the Association of Minnesota Counties governor candidate presentations in Alexandria, Minn., followed on Friday by the AARP Governor Debates back home in St. Paul. This will be a busy week!

Did you catch our important fact check of Tom Emmer on Saturday? The GOP gubernatorial candidate would actually cut $1.8 billion in education funding from the 2011-12 school year, compared to the amount already mandated by the state. Over the weekend we also recorded the Minnesota Blogger Conference and posted videos of President Obama’s weekly address to the nation and his speech at the Pentagon, Saturday, commemorating the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

To Emmer, $1.8 Billion In Education Cuts Are “Harmless”

During Friday’s Minnesota gubernatorial debate on education, Republican candidate Tom Emmer released the second phase of his proposed budget. In it, he pledged to “hold K-12 funding harmless in the next biennium.” In other words, Emmer wouldn’t cut education spending.

In the press release, he committed to not cut the $13.3 billion in funding for K-12 education allocated for the FY2010-11 fiscal year (Emmer’s website has upped the number to $13.8 billion since yesterday morning — the initial $13.3 billion was a typo, according to an aid).

But the Minnesota Department of Management and Budget’s General Fund Balance Analysis, End of 2010 Legislative Sessions on June 11 stipulates that current law requires the state general fund to provide $15,621,575,000 in funding for K-12 education in the next biennium (2011-12). That’s more than $15.6 billion, mandated by state law — versus $13.8 billion ($13.3 billion in the initial press release) proposed by Emmer. Far from holding funding “harmless,” the GOP candidate would actually undercut mandatory education spending by $1.8 billion, or a whopping 11.5%. … Continue Reading