DFL hopes to silence Pawlenty radio show

02/03/2006

Associated Press Report

The unfiltered hour of statewide radio time Gov. Tim Pawlenty enjoys each week is an increasing source of political controversy.

DFL Party officials and candidates for Pawlenty’s job are calling for Pawlenty to give up his Friday show or for WCCO Radio to cancel it. They say it gives Pawlenty, a Republican who intends to seek re-election, an unfair advantage.

Pawlenty has done the show since he took office in 2003; he followed in the footsteps of Gov. Jesse Ventura, who started the weekly show in 1999.

The show features his take on entertainment, politics and current events. But Pawlenty rarely allows his political opponents to chime in.

Lucinda Jesson, an attorney for DFL candidate Kelly Doran, said WCCO should pull the plug or give Doran and other candidates equal time. The Doran campaign has threatened a lawsuit if no steps are taken.

Jesson considers Pawlenty a legally qualified candidate, which would trigger stricter Federal Communications Commission rules.

“Those rules don’t say when you hold a formal announcement. They talk about a candidate who has publicly made clear his intention to run for office. I think Gov. Pawlenty clearly did that,” she said, noting the more than $800,000 he raised last year for his campaign and comments he has made to reporters.

Officials with WCCO said they believe Pawlenty is not a legally qualified candidate, and they will continue to air the show. Pawlenty also believes he is on firm ground.

“There’s established legal standards for when you’re a candidate. They’re there for a reason. It’s settled law and I think we should follow the law. We also said we would defer to WCCO’s judgment on it and they agree,” Pawlenty said.