Now it is on.
A new ad from Minnesota's Future, a independent expenditure group in the state, Thursday released a tough new ad against DFL candidate for governor Mark Dayton.
"Higher income taxes, higher property taxes, even an email tax," the ad's faceless voice intones. "Named one of America's worst senators. Now Mark Dayton wants to be one of America's worst governors."
The funders behind the Minnesota Future's group, which has ties to Jeff Larson and other Minnesota Republican power-players, put a lot of cash behind the buy. Chris Tiedeman, chair of the group, said they've spent about as much as or more than the liberal Alliance for a Better Minnesota spent running its ad -- that group has plunked down about $300,000 a pop to hit Republican candidate Tom Emmer.
The hard-hitting ad may not be Minnesota's Future's only hit. Asked if there will be more ads coming, Tiedeman said: "I have a sense that the people who are contributing to this want to make sure we will have a pro-jobs governor and I think there will be."
Dayton, who hasn't aired a new ad since winning the DFL primary on Aug. 10, hit back against Minnesota's Future through his spokeswoman.
"This is just lies, lies and more lies from people who won't identify themselves. Mark has made it absolutely clear that his plan to close Minnesota's budget hole and to invest in education will raise taxes only on the richest Minnesotans. This attack is especially ironic since it's Mark's plan that will prevent property tax increases," Dayton spokeswoman Katharine Tinucci said in a statement. "And Mark promised in 2003 to vote against any email tax in the U.S. Senate and has never suggested it in this campaign."
Dayton's response blurs some lines, too. Dayton's income tax plan would hit singles earning$130,000 or more in taxable income and couples earning $150,000 or more, which one of his former Democratic opponents said would dig into the middle class. Dayton has also proposed raising property taxes on million-dollar homes but has noted that when the state cuts aid to cities and counties, as has happened during Gov. Tim Pawlenty's term, local governments rely more on property taxes.
