Former Minnesota State Representative Mike Obermueller was John Kline’s (R-MN) opponent in 2012. He announced that he’s getting after it again, via video.
Here’s his website. Another Democrat, Sona Mehring, is also in the race.
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She’s looking to get on the ballot vs. incumbent John Kline (R-MN).
(Mehring) recently stepped down as CEO of the nonprofit CaringBridge, which helps connect those who are hospitalized or ailing with friends and family.
In a press release Tuesday, Mehring said, “there is a crisis in Washington and I am ready to step up again with innovative solutions. Instead of helping solve the problem, Congressman Kline has become part of that gridlock and is out of touch with the people he was elected to represent”…
The other DFL candidate likely to step into the race is former state Rep. Mike Obermueller, who challenged Kline in 2012. Obermueller similarly hinted at a likely rematch two weeks ago, and the Star Tribune reported Tuesday that he plans to make a formal announcement this week.
Here’s Mehring’s website, which is just getting underway.
…READ MORE
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The Minneapolis Star Tribune had a fairly pessimistic article about the likelihood of renewing the tax credit for wind energy.
Among those who don’t support the extension is Minnesota Republican Rep. John Kline. His spokesman, Troy Young, said that while the original intent of the program was to increase renewable energy production, Kline is concerned about extending programs that artificially drive up demand.After 20 years of federal support, Young said, wind should be able to stand on its own.
Kline’s real “concern,” of course, has to do with protecting, at any cost, the interests of Big Filthy Fossil Fuels, and to you-know-where with the rest of us. Shall we talk about the hundreds of billions – and so much more, in terms of human impacts – spent on those subsidies and handouts over the years, including warmongering in the Middle East? The health costs of coal-fired power plants? Not to mention those from fracking.
Of course Kline’s “mind” is about as cognitively flexible as a hunk of granite. Fortunately, he’s not a mover and shaker on this issue. My own feeling is that the credit probably will be renewed at some point next year, because of support from Midwestern Republicans, as noted in the article.
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Things don’t look all that great for the chances of Mike Obermueller, vs. Rep. John Kline (R-MN); he was down by eight in independent polling. But I’m not giving up hope; the stealthy approach is often the best, and few thought, before the fact, that the 2010 wave would display the breadth that it did. (Here’s Obermueller’s website.)
As always, MN Political Roundtable remains the go-to source for just how very, very seriously Kline sux.
The picture in John Kline’s TV advertisement – “Forcing Washington to Be Responsible” – is quite emblematic … John Kline, alone. The lonely warrior, fighting a battle for a Constitutional Amendment. That seems to be what he wants to talk about … never mind that when President Bill Clinton left office, there was a surplus … but two wars, a Prescription Drug benefit program, TARP … all expenditures authorized with John Kline’s support … and now, John Kline is focused on a Constitutional Amendment as a solution to the debt that his votes helped produce.
A tracking organization awarded Kline a 7% score (out of 100) for his votes on legislation intended to help the middle class. Kline doesn’t believe that the taxes paid by the non-wealthy should go to programs that benefit them, but should rather be funneled to the rich man via more tax cut welfare and handouts to corporations. Disgraceful, as is the fact that he has plenty of company in Congress.
How do you get people to reassess their (bad) voting habits, and move away from support for a politician that has consistently demonstrated grotesque selfishness and miserable incompetence in everything but rewarding his corporate campaign financiers? I wish I knew, man, or woman, as the case may be. I wish I knew.
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The race in MN-02 has been pretty quiet this year, overshadowed by the fight to take back MN-08 and the inevitable battle in MN-06. To be honest, I doubt anyone really thought the 2nd District would be a DFL pickup this year. But a new KSTP/SurveyUSA poll provides reasons to be optimistic for the future:
If the election for U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District were today, would you vote for…
– John Kline (R) 49%
– Mike Obermueller (DFL) 41%
– Undecided 11%If the election for President were today, would you vote for …
– Mitt Romney (R) 44%
– Barack Obama (D) 48%
– Other 4%
– Undecided 4%
For a race that’s been very quiet, and given John Kline’s +21 favorability rating according to the same poll, this is a surprisingly close race. Obermueller is within 8 points, Kline is under 50 percent, and Obama holds a lead in the district. For the sake of comparison, in the old CD2 in 2008, Kline won 57 to 43 during a very strong year for Democrats.
Sure, Obermueller isn’t likely to win it this year (sorry, Rep. Obermueller). But with the proper resources, the new post-redistricting MN-02 looks eminently winnable. The DFL should make capturing this seat a priority.
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The U.S. Congress will be back in session on Monday, September 10. The big agenda items will include the Bush tax cuts, and the planned sequestration cuts. They may also try to pass the Farm Bill, or at least some kind of significant drought relief package. Presumably, with this Congress dominated by the wretched imbecility of Tea Party conservatism, there will also be the usual assaults on the rights of, and opportunities for, women, workers, educators and students, etc., etc.
Rep. John Kline (R-MN) will be on the wrong side, intellectually and morally, on all of those issues. And on whatever else might come along.
While typing this, I casually searched “John Kline” and “John Kline news.” Nada of significance, from mainstream media, for the past month. That’s almost certainly because he’s just been privately raising money from corporate interests. MN Central, however, has weighed in with continued perspicacity. Here’s GOP Platform Spotlights Kline’s DoNothing Chairmanship.
OK, so the Great Opportunity Party has highlighted a couple of bills that they will enact.H.R. 2040 is the National Right-to-Work Act. It was authored by Steve King (R-IA-05) on and currently has 92 co-sponsors. The legislation was assigned to Chairman Kline’s Education and Workforce Committee on May 26, 2011 … and has not held any hearings or advanced the legislation.
H.R. 4385 is the RAISE (Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees) Act. It was authored by Todd Rokita (R-IN-4) and currently has 92 co-sponsors. The legislation was assigned to Chairman Kline’s Education and Workforce Committee on April 18, 2012 … and has not held any hearings or advanced the legislation….
Voters can weigh-in on the whether they agree with the Great Opportunity Party platform, but the message is clear … Republicans want these enacted … just because Chairman Kline and the DoNothing Republican-controlled House has failed to address them, does not mean that they will not push their agenda.
Chairman Kline has dawdled this term … failing to reform the No Child Left Behind education program … but a Romney/Ryan team will no doubt give Chairman Kline another chance … with definitive marching orders.
You can help Kline’s November opponent, Mike Obermueller, here.
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A U.S. Senate committee recently released a very unfavorable report of the results of its investigations into for-profit colleges. Aaron Klemz has been checking it out, particularly as regards for-profits based in Minnesota, like Capella University.
Like the rest of the for-profit college sector, Capella has taken a public relations hit as Sen. Tom Harkin and others have delved deeply into the financial and student performance of for-profit colleges. Monday, Harkin’s HELP committee released detailed data about 30 for-profit colleges, including data on Minnesota-based for-profits Capella, Walden and Rasmussen. There are hundreds of pages of detailed analysis to parse. When combined with other data, such as Capella’s own SEC filings and compensation figures for their executives, you get a pretty dismal picture of the social value of the for-profit college sector.
I’m noting this particularly because the Best Friend Forever (BFF) of these institutions, in the U.S. Congress, is Rep. John Kline (R-MN), who chairs the House Education and the Workforce Committee (hopefully only until January, because both the GOP majority, and Kline’s own seat, are realistically at risk).
Kline tends to use the committee website to spout off about recent events. As of this Wednesday AM writing, there’s nothing there (or on his campaign site, or on Facebook) about the report. I’ll keep checking, but I figure that he’s going to, let’s say, “ostentatiously ignore” it. There’s certainly nothing good for him, there.
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I am going to compare two actual emails here. The first is from Congressman John Kline emailed on Thursday to his supporters. The second is from Mike Obermueller emailed to his supporters on Tuesday. These are the most recent emails I know of.
The first is about fear. The second is about leadership.
Here is John Kline’s email:
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, The Democratic House Majority Fund and the Service Employees International Union are joining force to defeat me in their quest to retake majority control of Congress.The radical special interests’ war chest of cash combined with the quarter-of-a-million dollars DFL Mike Obermueller raised last quarter will make this a tough race.
Very soon, we’re going to be hit hard by our opponents’ media, mailers and mud and their message is that my staunch opposition to ObamaCare, the Stimulus Plan and Tax Hikes mean that I’m out of touch with our Second District. I disagree! I’ve stayed in close touch with Minnesotans and the government takeover of health care, the failed stimulus package and tax increases are three things we don’t want.
I’m a target of the DCCC, George Soros, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Service Employees International Union and the Liberal Super PACs who have threatened to spend millions to defeat me. But when you help me, I know I’ll win!
PLEASE MAKE YOUR SAFE AND SECURE ONLINE CONTRIBUTION TO KLINE FOR CONGRESS FOR $15, $35, $20 OR $45 for our signs, ads, letters, parade pieces and everything we need to win.
I need you now and thank you for your continued support,
John Kline
Paid for by Kline for Congress
Here is Mike Obermuller’s email:
Dear Stephen,Just a few days ago Congresswoman Michele Bachmann made an unfounded and personal attack when she questioned the loyalty of a dedicated public servant, Huma Abedin. These sorts of McCarthy-like attacks should have no place in our political discourse and are the reason why a record number of Americans disapprove of the current Congress. I was heartened in this instance to see the condemnation of Bachmann’s comments came from both sides of the aisle. Speaker John Boehner, Sen. John McCain, Rep. Erik Paulsen, and even Bachmann’s former campaign manager Ed Rollins all said that she was out of line.
There was an exception, however: my opponent, Congressman John Kline.
Read: “John Kline Mum on Bachmann Remarks.” – Star Tribune
The 2nd Congressional District deserves better. Minnesota deserves better. But we won’t be able to retire Congressman Kline without your support.
Our pre-primary reporting deadline is midnight, July 25th. Help us show our grassroots strength by making a contribution today.
Thank you in advance for your support. Together, we will defeat John Kline and return responsible leadership to Washington.
Sincerely, Mike Obermueller
Paid for by Mike Obermueller for Congress, P.O. Box 211682, Eagan MN, 55121
Did you see the difference? John Kline is running against that evil George Soros, the more evil Nancy Pelosi, Liberal Super PACs and the SEIU. He is running against Mike Obermueller’s “radical special interests’ war chest of cash.” Kline is scaring his supporters. He isn’t running against Mike, he is running against an evil boogeyman.
Mike Obermueller on the other hand is running against John Kline. Mike is running against a person who lacks the ability to be an honest leader. He’s running against a “Representative” who can’t even stand up to his own colleague who is lying and putting an innocent person in danger. What sort of leadership is that? Yes, Mike mentions Bachmann, but he isn’t running against Michele Bachmann, he running against John Kline’s lack of response to her irresponsible lies.
It is no surprise though. John Kline’s voting record is nearly identical to Michele Bachmann. He probably agrees with her, he just doesn’t have the nerve to say it out loud. It would be no surprise at all to me if John Kline agreed wholeheartedly with her. I can still see his smirking face when a woman called Barack Obama “an Arab” at John McCain’s local town hall meeting. Kline obviously enjoyed that, he likes that stuff. That must be the best way for him to raise money, lies.
Crossposted by Steve Quist at www.MNDem.wordpress.com
Twitter @Quist_Galaxie
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Many, many people are asking that Rep. John Kline (R-MN), who chairs the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee, at least allow hearings on the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012. It’s actually a fairly restrained set of proposals, if you ask me.
The act would create a new 10/10 Loan Repayment Plan (with new forgiveness provisions), cap interest rates for all federal loans, greatly improve Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and convert some borrowers’ private loans to federal loans.
Shocking news: based on a search I did this very morning, Kline has scheduled no hearings! How astonishingly out of character, for him! And beginning this week, Congress will be pretty much done, until after the election.
In the worldviews of Kline and people like him, it is only right, good, and proper that young people should be hauled into degrading and economically incapacitating debt peonage, before they even begin their careers. Reasons for that include the necessity of continually filling the gaping, fetid maw of the corrupt, predatory financial industry, and the threat to the hold on power of people like Kline that would be produced by access to comprehensive, affordable higher education for everyone. We have got to get this jerk out of power and, thankfully, opportunity beckons.
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Former legislator Mike Obermueller promised to raise $1.2 million in his bid to oust Rep. John Kline (R-MN). Mike reported that in the first two months as the endorsed DFL candidate, he’s raised over $250,000.
Former DFL state Rep. Mike Obermueller, a U.S. House candidate in Minnesota’s Second Congressional District, raised $252,976 in the second quarter of this year in his bid to unseat Republican John Kline.
Kline raised $428K during the second quarter and has $1.3M to spend on his reelection bid.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has promised to support Mike and this is welcome news. Past candidates had trouble raising this much for the entire campaign and consequently, the DCCC never paid attention to MN-02.
The reason Mike is succeeding at fundraising and the reason that the DCCC is helping is redistricting made this district winnable. This district was rated as R+4 before redistricting. When redistricting removed conservative western precincts and added liberal West St. Paul, this seat became winnable.
My best guess is that Kline lost around 10,000 votes via redistricting but I’m very probably counting too conservatively.
Kline has never faced a organized and vigorous campaign. Kline has never campaigned very hard since first winning the seat in 2002.
Maybe Kline will realize how much more money he’ll make as a lobbyist once he’s lost reelection …
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