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With an insider’s eye, Hot Dish tracks the tastiest bits of Minnesota’s political scene and keep you up-to-date on those elected to serve you.

Contributors in Minnesota: Jennifer Brooks, Baird Helgeson, Mike Kaszuba, Patricia Lopez, Jim Ragsdale, Brad Schrade and Rachel E. Stassen-Berger. Contributors in D.C.: Kevin Diaz and Corey Mitchell.

Posts about 2nd District

In first 2012 TV ad, Kline uses Metrodome to explain national debt

Posted by: Corey Mitchell Updated: October 16, 2012 - 5:00 AM

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In his first 2012 TV campaign ad, U.S. Rep. John Kline is using the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis to explain the scope of the national debt.

In a grave manner, Kline tells viewers that the nation's $16 trillion deficit is the equivalent of selling every seat in the Metrodome every day for 9,000 years. Kline filmed the somber ad at the stadium, the home of the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings.

"This debt is weakening America," Kline says while standing on the Metrodome turf. " ... We must pass a balanced budget amendment to force Washington to be responsible."

Kline later adds that: "Selling out the Metrodome is a good thing, but selling out our children's future isn't."

Kline is running for re-election in Minnesota's Second Congressional District against Democrat Mike Obermueller.

Kline's first ad will begin airing in the Twin Cities television market Tuesday. Obermueller released his first television ad last week. Coincidentally, both ads focus on the need to curb spending in Washington, D.C.

Here are some numbers to put Kline's claim in perspective: The seating capacity for a football game at the Metrodome is close to 64,000 and the average ticket price is $75, according to Forbes.com.

Kline maintains fundraising advantage over Obermueller in Second District

Posted by: Corey Mitchell Updated: October 15, 2012 - 3:46 PM

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Republican U.S. Rep. John Kline raised slightly more money than his Democratic challenger for the latest campaign finance reporting period, but Kline maintains a healthy lead overall in the race to represent Minnesota's Second Congressional District.

From July 26 to the end of September, Kline brought in $286,000 for his re-election bid while Mike Obermueller raised $276,500 during the same period.

For the entire third quarter, Kline raised $393,000 to Obermueller's $331,000.

Overall, Kline has raised $2.1 million this election cycle and has $1.4 million of that stocked away with less than a month until Election Day. Obermueller, who entered the race in May, has raised $584,000 since then and has $370,200 cash-on-hand.

Kline has represented the Second Congressional District since 2003 and he beat his last Democratic opponent by more than 25 points, but national Democrats are optimistic about their chances of unseating him.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee -- which works to elect Democrats to the U.S. House -- has targeted Kline's seat because he lost Republican-leaning portions of his district and picked up parts of the state with more DFL voters when the state's political boundaries were redrawn this year

The DCCC added Obermueller, a former state legislator, to their "Red to Blue" list this summer, a sign that Democrats in D.C. will lend financial and strategic support to Obermueller's campaign.

There are two other Minnesota congressional candidates on the "Red to Blue" List -- former congressman Rick Nolan, who's taking on Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack, and hotel magnate Jim Graves, who's trying to unseat U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann. Both Nolan and Graves have internal or independent poll results that show their races are dead heats. Poll numbers for the Second District contest have not been publicly released.

2nd District Dem runs ad criticizing Democrats and Republicans

Posted by: Rachel E. Stassen-Berger Updated: October 9, 2012 - 8:20 AM

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In this year of anti-incumbent fervor, congressional challengers are running not just against their opponents but against both parties.

In his first television ad, Democrat Mike Obermueller, running against Republican U.S. Rep. John Kline in the south suburban Second District, proclaimed "Both parties are to blame."

"Democrats don’t want to cut wasteful spending and Republicans are just as wasteful when they want more tax breaks for millionaires," Obermueller said in the ad, which compares Washington to a pizza parlor, overstaffed with stuffed suits.

Republican U.S. Senate challenger Kurt Bills has also long had the pox on both their houses mantra.

“This election is not about Republicans vs Democrats, it’s about America vs. Washington DC,” he has repeated in appearances as he runs against Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

Here's the Obermueller ad, which started running on Twin Cities television today. The campaign spent about $150,000 to run it and has reserved time through Election Day. Kline has significantly more time on reserve and could start running ads as soon as today.

 

 

Cravaack on Bachmann's Muslim inquiry: "Let the facts go where they go"

Posted by: Rachel E. Stassen-Berger Updated: July 27, 2012 - 7:34 PM

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Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack on Friday declined to join Republican U.S. Reps. Erik Paulsen and John Kline in offering any criticism of U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann's quest to investigate a Muslim state department employee and others.

"Let the facts go where they go," Cravaack said on TPT's Almanac program.

He said he was asked to sign on to her letters, sent to several federal agencies, which asked for an investigation of potential Muslim Brotherhood infiltration into the United States government and specifically raised questions about a Muslim state department employee.  Cravaack said he declined to sign because he could not confirm the letters' allegations.

After U.S. Sen. John McCain, a Republican from Arizona and 2008 presidential candidate, and U.S. House Speaker John Boehner publicly criticized Bachmann's accusations, Paulsen said Bachmann's comments were inappropriate and Kline said they were "a bit over the line."

Asked if he join would join them in criticizing Bachmann, Cravaack, a freshman from Minnesota's northern Eighth District, said: "Michele is going to answer to the charges that were. I say just let the facts go where they go."

Coleman, Kline: Bachmann's concern genuine but statements 'over the line'

Posted by: Rachel E. Stassen-Berger Updated: July 27, 2012 - 12:15 PM

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U.S. Rep. John Kline and former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman on Friday added their voices to the chorus of Republicans who have questioned Republican U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann's quest to investigate a state department employee.

"I don’t think any of us doubt that Mrs. Bachmann is concerned about national security and she was reaching out to do something about that. I think she stepped a bit over the line when she went after individuals by name. We need to be focusing on jobs and the economy and the things that Norm and I have been talking about and the things that Gov. Romney has been talking about and get this economy turned around and get Americans back to work," Kline, who represents Minnesota's Second Congressional District, said when asked about Bachmann during a RNC conference call about the economy.

Coleman, who represented Minnesota in the U.S. Senate until 2008, said he shared Kline's view.

"I have no doubt that Congresswoman Bachmann is deeply concerned about national security and that’s what motivated her, that’s what motivates her. I also worked with Huma (Abedin, the State Department aide who Bachmann specifically said should be investigated) when I was in the Senate and so have deep concerns when individuals are singled out like that. There’s a better way to deal with those issues and again, the focus should be on the economy and should be about jobs. Having worked with somebody who is kind of the object of this certainly have concern. I think her motivations I think they are deep concerns about this country but there’s a better way to deal with that," Coleman said.

Bachmann has been under pressure for weeks after requesting, in letters she and other Republican members of congress signed, several departments investigate whether the United State's policies had been influenced and infiltrated by the Muslim Brotherhood. In a letter to the Deputy Inspector General at the Department of State, their letter specifically suggested that Abedin had three family members who were connected to Muslim Brotherhood "operatives and/or organizations."  

In the wake of controversy over the letters, she also made some accusations about U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat and the first Muslim-American member of congress, and responded to him in a detailed letter that underscored her concerns.

 

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