EdAction
Maple River Education Coalition PAC
105 Peavey Rd, St 116 
Chaska, MN  55318 
952-361-4931
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August 16, 2000

Bachmann calls for end to Illegal Campaigning

Many of you have asked for an update on the Bachmann primary election in Senate District 56.

[See the full story of how Michele Bachmann was endorsed to run for the Minnesota Senate seat held by a long time supporter of the Profile of Learning.]

Some of you have contacted Senate Minority Leader Dick Day regarding his support for Sen. Gary Laidig, the incumbent who has consistently supported the development and implementation of the Profile of Learning throughout his 28 years in the legislature. Senator Laidig lost the support of his constituents because he has refused to represent them on this and other issues. They endorsed Michele Bachmann as their candidate last April 1st.

Senator Day has told many of you that he is not getting involved in that Senate race. Contrary to what he has claimed, however, he has published a personal letter of recommendation for Gary Laidig in the local newspaper. This week he has followed up that support with a smear campaign against Michele Bachmann, prepared and paid for by the Minnesota Senate Republican Campaign Committee (the political committee of the Republican Senate Caucus). The Republican Campaign Committee raises money from Republican donors around the state for the purpose of electing Republican Senators. Little did these donors imagine that their contributions would be used in this manner!

"The Senate Republican Campaign Committee has hired professional phoners to call into our district in order to deliberately spread falsehoods," Michele Bachmann stated. "There is no place for this kind of politics in Minnesota political campaigns."

The Senate Campaign Committee is calling on behalf of Senator Gary Laidig, also a member of the Senate Republican Caucus. The Chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party, Ron Eibensteiner, has personally called upon Minority Leader Dick Day to immediately stop the Committee's illegal advertising.

Senator Dick Day has admitted that the Senate Republican Committee is using the Holmquist group, HCS, to phone voters in SD 56 accusing Bachmann of insulting the mothers of the Columbine students who were shot. "This is appalling, absolutely outrageous and totally false," Bachmann stated. "This is push polling and clearly in violation of Minnesota law. It is both illegal and unethical. They must be in a very desperate way to sink to these tactics."

All Republican Senators are members of the Senate Republican Caucus. They elect their leader, in this case Dick Day from Owatonna, who raises contributions and supports candidates on their behalf. We wonder if there are no good Senate candidates who could use the financial assistance of the Senate Caucus that Senator Day is squandering on a floundering campaign for a legislator who has lost the support of his political base in his own district.

This is one more example of the powerful political insiders opposing the citizens who want to choose their own representative in free and open elections. It is the Good Ol' Boys against the people and what taxpayers passionately need and want for their children.

Will the other Senators in the Senate Republican Caucus hold their elected leader accountable? Are any Senators willing to provide leadership to rein in Senator Day? He is representing all of them in the actions he takes,and he is choosing to oppose the very candidate who is most willing to provide leadership to eliminate the Profile of Learning and School to Work in Minnesota. Michele Bachmann has a groundswell of support in her district. The Senate Republican Caucus is doing whatever it can to squash that groundswell in SD 56. 

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