WHO PUT OUT ALL THE CORN?
Blue Man has blogged excellent summary numbers and brief analysis, and he has given the links to the reports, so I will only do the briefest of excerpting and let you read his other most interesting post, about Tarryl Clark, for the thread of a sound analysis.
Financial disclosure: My take, other than for having Jim Deal's family, with help from Opperman, (and with the unions holding onto their cash for now); Tink would look awfully lonely. Almost wholly devoid of supporting contributions.
NOTE, no Tink family cash listed; unlike the Reed-Hart family putting its money where its candidacy is.
And Reed, beyond family and a handful of isolated donors - NOBODY IN DISTRICT.
Once Tarryl Clark is officially a candidate, with a money drop P.O. Box and PayPal account, the grassroots rank-and-file in-district names will show up.
THE REPORTING
Tarryl Clark (as not yet an official fundraising MN 6 candidate filed no report).
The Maureen Reed detailed-donor report is here.
The Elwyn Tinklenberg detailed-donor report is here.
Have a look. Beyond those brief notes, Blue Man in part says:
Maureen Reed raised $231,839 this past quarter and has almost $219,500 cash on hand. Just a quick look at who gave money to Reed shows no surprises, lots of money from the University of Minnesota and from the health care industry.
Elwyn Tinklenberg raised $54,891 this past quarter and has $198,548 cash on hand (and an IOU from the DCCC for $250,000). El also has three staff members on the payroll still as well, including his daughter. Tinklenberg really needs to step up the fundraising because raising less than $60,000 a quarter will not cut it!
NOW - excerpting Blue Man's views on the Tarryl Clark candidacy - If she does not do it we'll have to grab her and drag her to it. He lives in that end of the district and could easily recruit help for such an effort:
The 6th Congressional District is better served by having a good, open, and honest endorsement battle.
Enter Senator Tarryl Clark.
I've been hemming and hawing at this one for more than a week. Should Clark get into a large but shallow Gubernatorial pool? Or would Clark and Minnesota be better served by her running in the uber competitive 6th?
Getting into the race in the 6th makes sense now. It immediately hurts both Tinklenberg and Reed.
Back in 2006, Tinklenberg received no less than $36,000 from labor PAC's before his failed endorsement run against Patty Wetterling. Post endorsement, labor wrote more checks to Patty Wetterling.
2008 was a smoother run for Tinklenberg as he garnered every major labor endorsement...and for that matter...every endorsement in the district in his bid to unseat Congresswoman Bachmann.
Clark's entry into the race changes that dynamic. Labor will not be so quick to give Elwyn boatloads of money with a candidate of Senator Clark's profile.
Clark has been all over the 6th in the past, helping candidates at all levels, party building and being a leader. That will go a long way in a long endorsement fight.
So with that said...if Senator Tarryl Clark has not been drafted yet...then lets just get it on and get it done!
I do not see Oberstar or anyone else stepping in Clark's way. More than anything people want a DFL winner in the district.
It will come down to whether Reed or Clark offers the better shot - and so far Reed has been hiding too big behind too small a rock on issues, to not be noticed hiding with people wondering why.A whois of her campaign website says a lot.
Updated Date: 21-apr-2009
Creation Date: 21-apr-2009
Expiration Date: 21-apr-2010
Put up Apr. 21, 2009. She'd already declared herself a candidate before then. Put up then as a skeleton site, with a bio page, a sign-up for solicitation emails, and a here's how you can contribute money part; but then not one single news item, not one single position on issues up since then. Last update = same date as created.
Why hide from the district which does not really know you, (since the U. Minn. Board of Regents does not meet in district). WHO ARE YOU? WHY GIVE YOU MY VOTE? SHOW SUBSTANCE.