Political Notebook

Business coalition launches ad campaign backing GOP budget stance

If you flip to page B5 in today's Rochester Post-Bulletin, you'll see a half-page ad thanking four local Republicans — Rep. Mike Benson, Rep. Duane Quam, Sen. Carla Nelson and Sen. Dave Senjem — for "holding the line on state spending."

The ad states, "Families have to live within their budgets — so should government. Grow jobs, not government."

It's all part of a newspaper ad campaign launched today the Coalition of Minnesota Businesses, an organization comprised of 11 employer groups including the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Minnesota Business Partnership. The group is lining up behind legislative Republicans arguing against tax increases and increased spending as part of a budget deal.

The coalition's Communications Director Mark Giga said they are running ads in 33 newspapers across the state specifically thanking 52 Republican lawmakers. Those ads are targeted mainly along the U.S. 52 and I-35W corridors headed up to the cities and Interstate-94 into St. Cloud. Giga said it makes sense to focus on these areas — especially Rochester.

"It's no secret that these are swing districts," he said.

Giga said he did not have an estimate of how much the coalition will spent on the newspaper ads at this point. This is the second part of an ad campaign launched before lawmakers went on their Easter/Passover break. That time the coalition spent roughly $250,000 on radio and internet ads saying the state needs to stop spending more and live within its means.

Other area GOP lawmakers getting praised in the ads are: Rep. Rich Murray of Albert Lea, Rep. Greg Davids of Preston, Rep. Tim Kelly of Red Wing and Sen. John Howe of Red Wing and Sen. Jeremy Miller of Winona. Go here to see what the ads look like.

These ads come as Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a liberal, union-funded group, has launched a TV ad campaign that supports DFL Gov. Mark Dayton's proposal to raise $1.8 billion in income taxes on the state's wealthiest 2 percent.

Freedom Club goes after Welti in billboard ad

I was driving west on U.S. 14 the other day in Chester and spotted this billboard going after Rep. Andy Welti, DFL-Plainview. The billboard is sponsored by the Freedom Club PAC, a conservative organization funded mainly by Twin Cities business leaders.When former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin visited Minnesota for a book tour in December 2009, she did a fundraiser for the PAC.

The billboard states that "Democrat Andy Welti opposes photo ID to vote. Do you?" I did double check the vote they were referencing in the billboard and it is true that Welti voted against a voter ID proposal on March 8, 2010. I did put in a call to Welti this afternoon to ask about his views on the issue, and I am waiting to hear back.

Welti is running against GOP political newcomer Mike Benson, a professor at Crossroads College in Rochester. But the billboard specifices that "This is an independent expenditure not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee."

I can't remember seeing any billboards in recent years going after a Rochester area legislative candidate before. Does anyone remember seeing one before?

Republicans waste no time going after Dayton

Within hours of DFLer Mark Dayton winning the gubernatorial primary, the Republican Party of Minnesota unveiled a new TV ad entitled "erratic." The ad doesn't pull any punches starting off by saying Dayton "was absolutely, positively one of the worst senators in America." It cites a Time Magazine story from 2006 when Dayton was named one of America's worst senators in the wake of his decision in October 2004 to close his Senate office because of a terrorist threat.

The ad is set to start running statewide today, including on local Rochester TV stations. Republicans forked out more than $100,000 for the ads. Here is a link to the ad. The party has also launched a website called "Dayton Facts" attacking the candidate.

KSTP reviewed the ad and gave it a Truth Test grade of A-.

Meanwhile, Independence Party candidate Tom Horner sent out a press release blasting the Republican's negative ad.

“Before the paint had even dried on the Democratic primary results, the first message we see from the Republicans is negative. They used their platform not to share a positive vision for the future of Minnesota but, instead, to launch a personal attack," he said.

Horner said he wants to see issue-based ads instead of negative ones. He said his upcoming television ads would "set a positive tone for the campaign."

Dayton isn't the only candidate getting bashed in negative ads. Republican candidate Tom Emmer has also been targeted for his DUI record by progressive group Alliance for a Better Minnesota in a TV ad.

WCCO analyzed the ad and gave it mixed reviews for accuracy.