Mark Kennedy Blog Excerpt
02/28/2005
Mark Kennedy Blog Excerpt
Here is an excerpt from a Kennedy blog. It concerns Kennedy’s “tour” across the state last week. – Rep. Al Junke
From http://daytonvkennedy.blogspot.com/
The biggest news of day comes as we await word of Patty Wetterling’s decision. Contrary to yesterday’s news of her not seeking any office, Heidi was told by the 6th District Chair that Wetterling would seek the Senate. A poll conducted by her campaign comes out and seems to prove that statement, although Heidi can’t help but wonder why Wetterling is “announcing” in an email after 12:00pm on a Friday. Flipping through the numbers on his blackberry, Kennedy scans to see how close the numbers come to his campaign’s impression. The poll threw in four DFLers: Wetterling, Klobuchar, Ciresi and Rep. Betty McCollum and three GOPers, Kennedy, Grams and Gutknecht. The numbers, published in National Journal’s The Hotline, were as follows:
Wetterling 47% - Grams 40%
Wetterling 47% - Kennedy 38%
Wetterling 47% - Gutknecht 29%
Klobuchar 40% - Kennedy 39%
Kennedy 42% - Ciresi 36%
Kennedy 38% - McCollum 36%
The Hotline article, “Patty Takes the Cake” showed Wetterling and Kennedy’s negatives to be equal at 25%, but with Kennedy’s positives at 33% to her 51%. Kennedy isn’t convinced her positive numbers aren’t much more than name ID: “In reality, our positives aren’t that far apart.” While Wetterling leads Kennedy by 9% among independents, Kennedy leads all other potential DFL opponents among independents, noted prominently by The Hotline. Heidi calls the paper to see what the scope is and learns little more.
Sickening. News.
Over lunch we discover the Kennedy streak of opponents never seeking office again has been broken, sort of. Wetterling has formed an exploratory committee for Senate. Kennedy slightly grouses that she’ll probably get better coverage from the Star Tribune than his actual announcement---a below the fold article in the Metro section. The conversation begins on the many positives of Wetterling’s entrance: the whole DFL field is stuck in neutral and looking more and more divided on a choice of candidate. All the talk is interesting, but the several days of not taking care of myself have finally caught up. I’ve got a fever and a terrific headache. Kennedy has been teasing me for days about keeping up with them so I put on a brave face, but I’m feeling sick.
Sketch Comedy
The Congressman barely changes out of his suit and tie when we arrive at a Perkins in Duluth. The lake looks more like a river with the frozen islands dotting the surface---it would be perfectly beautiful if not for the temperature. But the chilly weather is a fittingly welcome for a Republican to Duluth. The actual reception inside is far warmer. Kennedy believes the reason for the DFL control in the Iron Range is the lack of any Republican voices:
“You ask the people up here: Are you pro-life? Absolutely. Are you pro-second amendment? Don’t take my gun out of my hands. How do you feel about the government? Stay out of my life. How are you going to vote in November? Democrat.”
But there are signs things are changing, the attendees note. “For the first time, people put out Republican signs in Duluth*and they weren’t stolen,” said an attendee. “The DFL is in trouble up here,” he says. Some of the attendees want Rod Grams to run against Oberstar, a nice thought but probably unlikely. Much of the conversation is turned towards how Republicans can make a difference in Duluth politics.