Mike Hatch for Senate

[Alisa]

OK, I am a political newbie, mainly working and contributing in Presidential elections in 2000 and 2004 but I have heard of Mike's efforts for years in Minnesota. I just did a google and found: "...About time Mike Hatch, Minnesota Attorney General is ABUSING his office. Its time MN GOP investigate his evil, venal, exploitative conduct while in office. ...". A very good recommendation for me.

I remember seeing and talking with him at a local Clark rally in '03.

I am going out of town today and tomorrow so I won't be able to respond to anything until late Sunday. I will be interested in seeing what you all have to say.

I do think this is the time to start acting, working for candidates, we need to fight what's happening in our state as well as our country!

[Eric J in MN]

1. or governor

I hope that in 2006, the Democratic candidates are Mike Hatch for governor and Betty McCollum for US Senate.

McCollum has a progressive record in Congress, and supports verified-voting.

If you want Betty McCollum to run for US Senate, please leave a message with her staff. Contact the DC office and/or MN office.


REP. BETTY MCCOLLUM
DC
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

St. Paul
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

[Dickie Flatt]

2. Do we really want Betty out of the House?

She has risen fast during her short time there. I don't want to take her out of the House when she's clearly on her way up and throw her into a Senate race in which there's certainly no guarantee she'd win.

[Eric J in MN]

3. We'll have another Democrat in her district (nt)

nt

[Dickie Flatt]

5. Yes, but...

will s/he be as good as Betty?

[stackhouse]

4. yes we do want Betty out of the House

often u.s.reps. from minnesota do rise fast up the ranks. however they often find themselvs running in to a glass ceiling, which blocks them from any real place in the house...we need betty out of the house and in the senate. think, when is the last time a minnesotan us rep became the speaker of the house or a majority leader or had any real role in the dem house leadership

the state dfl party does not give a flying ....about our/minnesotan role in in the u.s.house or the senate .we need to tell the st party what we want not have the party big shots tell us who there going to send

we are being sold a bill of goods by the degrading the service and potential role of betty McCollum by asking her to remain in the house
!!!

[no name no slogan]

6. IMO, no. We'll easily get another Dem, but lose Betty's seniority

There was a good article in today's Strib about women in the 2006 races. There was also a poll taken among likely 2006 voters about who should win the Senate race.

Patty Wetterling beat each declared and potential Republican challenger (Grams, Kennedy and Gutknecht). The poll also suggested she'd be a stronger challenger than Klobuchar, Ciresi or McCollum in the Senate race.

Wetterling would be a very good Senate candidate IMHO. She doesn't have any partisan political "baggage" to speak of, and has a very positive image in not only MN, but the entire country. Because of her past work and stature, she's virtually untouchable with regards to personal or character attacks. In fact, her background and work give her tremendous appeal across the political spectrum.

Patty is has way too much statewide appeal to be stuck running in the 6th. She really would be a better candidate for statewide office. We'd get a virtual slam-dunk with Patty on the ticket for Senate.

[stackhouse]

7. ah yes...

another promo poll.....in this case the poll is freeped...
pay a million bucks to the star&trib and you too can get a poll to read anything you want !!!!

[no name no slogan]

9. Go read the article before you post

It was not a Strib poll, for one thing. Please re-read this section:

She (Wetterling) used some of the remaining campaign funds to commission a statewide poll last week. The results, posted Friday by National Journal's Hotline, showed that among 600 likely general-election voters, Wetterling came out ahead against Republicans Kennedy, former U.S. Sen. Rod Grams and U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht. Kennedy and Grams are running, and Gutknecht is considering it. Another GOP Senate candidate is Harold Shudlick, a retired Lutheran minister from Apple Valley.

The poll also suggests that Wetterling would be a stronger DFL candidate than Klobuchar, Ciresi or McCollum.

The poll was NOT taken by the Strib. Nor was it an online poll that could be "freeped" as you say. It was a sample of 600 likely general election voters, with a decent enough-sized sample to get accurate results.

It's all fine and well that you think Betty McCollum should run for the seat. I agree, she'd make a good Senator. But you don't win any converts by not providing anything to back up your arguments or by insulting other posters. Just shouting "RUN BETTY RUN" will not convince anybody to support her.

In fact, you may do more to drive away potential supporters.

[Hippo_Tron]

8. I think it's worth the risk

Of course I can understand your point of view considering that you live in her district. Here's what I think, though. Minority members of the house are so marginalized as to what they can actually accomplish under the totalitarian rule of DeLay that it is almost a waste to be there if a talented progressive has a shot at the Senate. Senators really do have so much more power than House members do.

[no name no slogan]

10. He wants to be governor, but he's a tough sell

He ran against sitting governor Rudy Perpich in 1990, and really pissed off a lot of loyal DFLers (especially on the range) in the process. In fact, the contentious nomination battle that year was one of the contributing factors to Perpich's defeat, in the same year that Wellstone won his first election to the Senate. There's a lot of people (rangers, union members, etc.) who still remember this battle, and as a result won't support Hatch because of it.

Hatch can also be quite abrasive, personally. He comes across as a pompous windbag who's more interested in grandstanding than doing his job. It's true he has accomplished a lot as attorney general and commerce commissioner, but he's also rubbed a lot of people the wrong way in the process.

Right now, the DFL has the state GOP on the run. We totally stunned them with our victories in 2004, closing their majority in the leg. to 2 seats. Everybody in the state is being directly affected by Pawlenty's "no new taxes" pledge-- not just the poor and working people. The whole Pawlenty budgeting process has been based on smoke and mirrors for the last two biennial budgets, and people are starting to wake up to that.

The party has definately bounced back from the 2002 disasters and is on the rise. There has been little (if any) word from the Independence party since 2002, either, which leaves the DFL as the only major opposition party in the state. We're in a great spot right now, and party activism is at a height not seen in decades.

It's a good year to be a DFLer, indeed!

[CatholicEdHead]

13. Agreed

besides the interparty problems, he would have to walk through the GOP minefield with Pawlenty's manufactered auroa. I just do not think Hatch has the appeal, espically outstate to overcome this.

[goodhue]

11. He wants to be governor

But I don't see him beating Pawlenty in general election. I would prefer some other candidate for governor, such as Becky Lourey.

[katinmn]

12. I think Hatch has his sight set on the governor's seat.

I would love to see him there.

[stackhouse]

14. you saw mike hatch at a local Clark rally in '03.

do tell i'd like to hear more on this "hatch at a local Clark rally in '03."