Medical PAC is first group to endorse the IP's Horner

Tom Horner, the Independence Party candidate for governor, secured his first endorsement from an organization Tuesday when the Minnesota Medical Association's political action committee threw its support to him.

Horner spoke of the MEDPAC endorsement at a debate in St. Cloud on Tuesday.

DFLer Mark Dayton countered that he had the endorsement of the Minnesota Nurses Association, and Republican Tom Emmer joked that his wife, Jacquie, had endorsed him.

"The issues of access to affordable, quality health care demand a leader who is willing to work with all stakeholders and with members of all political parties," said Dr. Michael Tedford, MEDPAC's chairman.

MEDPAC also has endorsed a disparate mix of Republicans and DFLers running for the Legislature. It has not traditionally been a major player in Minnesota's electoral politics, but Horner saw the group's nod as a sign that he's gaining momentum.

RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER

Bachmann faces fact checkers

The latest stems from her assertion during the past weekend's Values Voters Summit that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had racked up a $100,000 bar tab at taxpayer expense.

Not even close to the truth, according to the St. Petersburg Times' Pulitzer Prize-winning PolitiFact.com.

PolitiFact's latest Truth-O-Meter gives the statement a "Pants on Fire" rating, Bachmann's fifth overall, along with six False ratings.

"After 11 encounters with the Truth-O-Meter, Bachmann continues to hold the rare distinction of an all-False/Pants on Fire record," PolitiFact reported Tuesday in a new report card on the congresswoman.

KEVIN DIAZ

After returning from a trade mission in Asia over the weekend, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has barely had time to catch his breath before heading back on the road.

Pawlenty is making a two-state swing today to Tennessee and Ohio, fundraising for his Freedom First political action committee. He has another trip planned to New Hampshire before the end of the month.

Plane troubles grounded his Wisconsin trip intended to support GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker, Pawlenty spokesman Alex Conant said.

Still, as his second term as governor winds down, Pawlenty is ramping up his travels with campaign season in full bloom.

During his planned Sept. 30 New Hampshire trip, Pawlenty will campaign with John Stephen, the GOP candidate for governor. New Hampshire, which Pawlenty has already visited several times this year, is the first presidential primary state.