11/30/2004 06:53:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|Minnesota DFLers will hold a rally today outside Rep. John Kline's and Rep. Mark Kennedy's office to demand that they reveal how they voted on a rule change that would allow Rep. Tom DeLay to keep his leadership position. What a joke. |W|P|110182669055644438|W|P|HAVE THEY NOTHING ELSE TO DO?|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/29/2004 11:49:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|Entenza's web of lies is starting to fall apart. ## '527' donations are difficult to trace Faulting both major political parties for an elaborate "shell game," national campaign experts say it may be difficult if not impossible to trace the path of $300,000 that DFL House Minority Leader Matt Entenza contributed to a national "527" organization, which in turn spent generously on campaigns and voter registration in Minnesota. Minnesota Republican Party officials are trying to build a case that the Entenza donation to the 21st Century Democrats was improperly reported and illegal, and that the money was spent directly on behalf of DFL House candidates in Minnesota through a 21st Century political action committee that paid for field workers. Entenza and 21st Century officials contend that his contribution was perfectly legal and that not a penny of it flowed to 21st Century field staff on the House campaigns. Rather, they claim, Entenza's money was donated to the Young Voter Project, a separate 21st Century program aimed at turning out students on college campuses and other young voters in several presidential battleground states, including Minnesota. The distinction might strike some citizens as trivial and tedious, but advocates for campaign finance reforms say both Democrats and Republicans are playing games with 527s and eroding already shaky public confidence in the election system. "It's part of a great shell game in both parties," said Aron Pilhofer, database editor for the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington D.C.-based group that tracks campaign money. "They (DFLers and 21st Century officials) could very well be telling the God's honest truth. But the system makes it difficult to tell who's raising money from whom, where it's going and where it's coming from. ... It gets very complicated very, very quickly." The research director of another Washington campaign watchdog group, Sheila Krumholz of the Center for Responsive Politics, said the recently revamped federal campaign laws that bred so many 527 groups this year "left a lot of room for groups to fudge what they're doing and whether they're benefitting candidates directly or indirectly. It's difficult to get a complete picture and understand the flow in and out." Political crossfire Beyond all the technicalities lies a larger political issue. Republicans, stung by the startling DFL House comeback engineered by Entenza and DFLers, can contend that the victory has less to do with issues and policy if those victories are somehow tainted. An extra $300,000, not made public until after the election, would represent a sizeable off-the-books advantage, on the order of about $20,000 extra in each of the 15 or so swing districts, Republicans argue. The spending limit per House seat for candidates who receive public subsidies is about $27,000. On this larger public relations front, DFL House leaders weren't helped by the revelation last week that the DFL House caucus recently agreed to pay $45,000 to the Federal Election Commission for infractions before the 2002 election, in which they were badly routed. Entenza was the not the caucus leader until 2003 and DFLers contend the two issues are completely separate. Entenza says that the Republican attack can be easily dismissed as "sour grapes" and a diversion from a spate of business setbacks, legal difficulties and ethical charges against Republican Party Chairman Ron Eibensteiner. Those problems include a tax lien and recent questions about possible conflicts of interest due to Eibensteiner's investments in gambling-related businesses. "Republicans have a long, long history of being financed by large donors, including Eibensteiner himself and his predecessor Bill Cooper, who have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Republican Party," Entenza said. "They are feeling hurt because they lost this election and rather than moving on to do the people's business, they are bringing up these baseless charges." Eibensteiner said the party likely will file complaints against Entenza and 21st Century Democrats within the next week or so, either with the Federal Election Commission, the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board or a new state panel that reviews campaign complaints before recommending whether to press charges in county district courts. It's possible that charges could be filed in all three venues, Eibensteiner said. A crucial point the Republicans will try to make is that Entenza was attempting to hide his contributions, made in three $100,000 installments in July, August and October. Entenza, who also contributed $75,000 to the House DFL caucus, would not have been helped by pre-election publicity over contributing a total of $375,000 to his caucus, Republicans say. "He could have given directly to the DFL caucus, but he chose not to because he didn't want people to know about it," Eibensteiner said. "Disclosure and transparency are the cornerstone of our state campaign finance laws. This is a circumvention." Disclosure Republicans say it defies credulity that Entenza, whose top priority was to win back seats and reduce the Republican margin in the House, would give $300,000 of his own money to an untargeted national or even statewide effort to turn out young voters. And there appears to be a similarity between the amount Entenza gave and the amount spent by 21st Century in Minnesota. According to the IRS disclosure, through Sept. 30, a month before the election, 21st Century paid $234,000 to field organizers and legislative candidates in Minnesota, Republicans say, far more than in any other state. Entenza says the Republican speculation is hogwash. His contributions have been on the public record, in an Internal Revenue Service disclosure form and on campaign watchdog groups' Web sites since early October, he contends. Entenza emphasized that he is an attorney, and is knowledgeable about election law. And as a former prosecutor of white-collar crime, he says he has been careful about following the letter of the law in campaign finance. Nothing on the IRS disclosure form indicates that Entenza's money was earmarked for the Young Voter Project, or that the field staff working on House campaigns was paid from a pot of money to which Entenza did not contribute. Entenza and 21st Century Democrats' executive director in Washington D.C., Kelly Young, said that such distinctions are not required on the IRS form. But neither could offer any documentation that would show Entenza's contributions were spent only on the Young Voter Project. "We don't know how to give documentation for it," said Young. "Like any other contribution, it goes into a large pot and is spent in so many ways." Spirit of the law The campaign experts agree that there appears to be nothing illegal about the way the 21st Century Democrats filed their contribution and expenditures, or the fact that the finances were not earmarked by program. But it still might not be within the spirit of the law, they suggest. "Often, 527s have several different pockets, and even out of one pocket they will spend on several different things, some partisan and nonpartisan," said Larry Noble, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics. Even if the groups could prove and document that Entenza dollars went strictly for the Young Voter Project, Noble said, the larger point is that "money is fungible" and not having to spend it for one purpose frees up money for another. Public Integrity's Pilhofer said that post-election controversies like Entenza's are popping up in several states, including Pennsylvania, Mississippi and Washington. Young says the Young Voter Project concentrated on college campuses. And DFL House members did pick up seats in and around Mankato, St. Cloud, Rochester, Bemidji and the suburbs, all of which have state college or community college campuses. But that connection is purely coincidental, Young said. However the controversy is resolved, it marks Entenza's emergence as a bigger player in state politics and a major DFL patron. Although his income as a legislator and attorney is modest, Entenza's wife, Lois Quam, is the CEO of a major division of UnitedHealth Group, and recently was named by Fortune as one of the nation's 50 most powerful business executives. Her salary has not been disclosed, but Securities and Exchange Commission records show she sold $14.2 million worth of United Health stock in the 15-month period that ended in December 2003. Source: Star Tribune, November 29, 2004 |W|P|110175508193678191|W|P|GOP: "DISCLOSURE AND TRANSPARENCY ARE THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR STATE CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS. THIS IS A CIRCUMVENTION."|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/24/2004 12:25:00 PM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|You would think that after being fined $45,000 by the FEC for violating federal election law, the DFL House Caucus would stop the lies and start telling the truth. THE LIE “But John Van Hecke, the caucus’ campaign manager, noted that the FEC penalty was levied for problems in the 2002 election cycle, before Entenza became minority leader in 2003.” Source: Star Tribune, November 24, 2004 THE TRUTH The DFL House Caucus was required to submit quarterly, pre- and post-general election and year-end reports in 2002 calendar year. In total, the DFL House Caucus was required to submit six separate reports from April 15, 2002 to January 31, 2003. Matt Entenza was elected caucus leader on November 7, 2002 and two reports, A Post-General Election report due on December 5, 2002 and a Year-End report due on January 31, 2003 were NOT filed as legally required. “Despite repeated request, the Caucus did not respond to RAD’s [Reports Analysis Division] warning about the transfers until June 24, 2003 (after the Complaint had been filed), at which point the Caucus simply claimed to have identified the source if the confusion, but made no effort to remedy the problem.” Source: FEC The FEC fined the DFL House Caucus for violations of federal election law that occurred before and during Entenza’s time as leader. ## THE LIE “The caucus brought it [the illegal transfers] to the FEC’s attention…” Source: John Van Hecke, Pioneer Press, November 24, 2004 THE TRUTH “The Caucus did not submit any reports until after the Complaint was filed [by the Republican Party of Minnesota].” Source: FEC “Despite repeated request, the Caucus did not respond to RAD’s [Reports Analysis Division] warning about the transfers until June 24, 2003 (after the Complaint had been filed), at which point the Caucus simply claimed to have identified the source if the confusion, but made no effort to remedy the problem.” Source: FEC There is no evidence to support the caucus’ claim they were proactive in reporting any violations to the FEC before the complaint was filed by the Republican Party of Minnesota. |W|P|110133022295324282|W|P|MORE LIES FROM THE DFL HOUSE CAUCUS|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/24/2004 12:22:00 PM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|House DFL fined $45,000 The Federal Elections Commission (FEC) has found that Minnesota House DFLers illegally transferred money from a state account to a federal account intended for congressional campaigns and failed to file nearly a year's worth of campaign finance reports. The House DFL Caucus was ordered by the FEC to pay a penalty of $45,000 for violating the Federal Election Campaign Act, a sum that FEC spokesman Ian Stirton called "a relatively substantial amount." Since 1980, Stirton said, the FEC has levied penalties of $50,000 or more in 100 cases. Of the thousands of cases settled by the agency, he said, "the vast majority of cases are settled for well under $50,000. Forty-five thousand is a pretty good sum." Tuesday's announcement of the fine coincides with recent Republican criticism of a $300,000 contribution this year by House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, DFL-St. Paul, to a national group that, in turn, spent money in Minnesota on voter registration and field workers for DFL House candidates. Entenza and the so-called 527 group, named for its chapter in federal tax code - the 21st Century Democrats - have said that his contribution was legal and was spent only on voter turnout and that the group used other funds to pay for field workers. The precise amount spent by the group in Minnesota is not known. Entenza, who leads the House DFL caucus, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. But John Van Hecke, the caucus' campaign manager, noted that the FEC penalty was levied for problems in the 2002 election cycle, before Entenza became minority leader in 2003. Van Hecke blamed the problems primarily on a caucus finance official who has since been fired. "We own up to our responsibilities for this," he said. "We take the responsibility of a previous leadership and previous staff." He said the official "literally was getting letters from the FEC and throwing them in the drawer." In its ruling, the FEC noted that the caucus failed to file most of its required reports for 2002, despite repeated requests. Minnesota Republican Party Executive Director Corey Miltmore said in a news release Tuesday that the FEC ruling "exposes a DFL House caucus that is more than willing to break the law and bend the rules to try to win an election." Miltmore said the caucus has "never adequately explained why it needs a federal account in the first place," and said no other state legislative caucus in the country has such an account. Miltmore said it is "impossible" not to draw parallels between the FEC ruling and Entenza's contribution. "In both cases, the DFL House caucus played a shell game to try to hide where it gets its money and how it is spent," Miltmore said. Entenza, he said, should be "more upfront" about his contribution to the 21st Century Democrats. 2002 transfer Van Hecke said the 21st Century contribution is a separate matter that has nothing to do with the FEC ruling. "Republicans are desperate to divert attention from their own electoral losses this year in Minnesota," Van Hecke said. The FEC case started in February 2003, when the state Republican Party filed a complaint with the agency over what it said was an illegal transfer of $261,000 from the House DFL caucus account to federal accounts in 2002. In August 2003, the FEC ordered the DFL to return the full amount. At that time, DFL state party spokesman Bill Amberg said party officials were working with the commission to audit the books and predicted that the discrepancy would be closer to $60,000 than $261,000. In its ruling, the FEC found that nearly $200,000 of the transfers were allowable, but that $69,200 had been illegally transferred from the caucus' nonfederal account to its federal account. That transfer violated the law, the ruling said, "because this transaction may have led to the use of corporate or union funds in a federal election." Those funds have since been repaid to the caucus' state account. The FEC also found that contributions by two donors -- Vance Opperman and Gerald K. Seck -- exceeded limits for the House DFL caucus by $5,000 and for the state DFL Party by $750. Because the amount to the state party was so small, the FEC said in its ruling, the commission would simply "admonish" the party and the donors but take no further action. The excessive contributions, the FEC said, have not yet been refunded. Source: Star Tribune, November 24, 2004 FEC fines DFL caucus $45,000 The Federal Elections Commission has fined the Minnesota House Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus $45,000 for campaign finance violations. The FEC ruled the House DFL caucus illegally transferred $69,200 between its state and federal campaign accounts between January and October 2002. Federal law requires party organizations that finance political activities to set up separate state and federal accounts, and it bars transfers from state to federal accounts. The Republican Party of Minnesota, which filed a complaint about the House DFL caucus last year, released the FEC ruling Tuesday. The FEC fined the caucus $4,500 last year for failing to file campaign finance reports on time. "We freely acknowledge our responsibility in this matter," said House DFL Caucus campaign manager John Van Hecke. After caucus leaders discovered the failure to file the reports, they ordered an internal audit that revealed the illegal fund transfers. "The caucus brought it to the FEC's attention," Van Hecke said. "We have been working with the FEC for over a year and a half." A bookkeeper who failed to file the required reports also made the illegal fund transfers, he said. She has since been fired. The violations occurred before current House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, DFL-St. Paul, was elected caucus leader last year. "The DFL House Caucus' habitual disregard for obeying campaign finance laws has finally caught up to it," state Republican Party Executive Director Corey Miltimore said in a news release. "Today's FEC ruling exposes a DFL House Caucus that is more than willing to break the law and bend the rules to try to win an election." The House DFL caucus reported raising and spending more than $420,000 on federal campaigns in 2001-02. Source: Pioneer Press, November 24, 2004 |W|P|110132747586476849|W|P|THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW IS CATCHING UP WITH MATT ENTENZA|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/23/2004 01:15:00 PM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has ruled that the DFL House Caucus violated the Federal Election Campaign Act by making illegal transfers between state and federal campaign accounts. The FEC forced the DFL House Caucus to pay a $45,000 fine for violating federal election law. “The DFL House Caucus’ habitual disregard for obeying campaign finance laws has finally caught up to it,” said Republican Party of Minnesota Executive Director Corey Miltimore. “Today’s FEC ruling exposes a DFL House Caucus that is more than willing to break the law and bend the rules to try to win an election.” In February of 2003, the Republican Party of Minnesota filed a complaint against the DFL House Caucus for illegally transferring money between its state and federal account and for failing to file numerous legally required reports with FEC. The DFL House Caucus has never adequately explained why it needs a federal account in the first place. (No other state legislative caucus in the country has such an account.) When questioned by the media about the GOP’s complaint with the FEC, Matt Entenza and DFL House Caucus spokesmen repeatedly downplayed the complaint and claimed that there was no wrongdoing. In response to the GOP complaint, the FEC found that the DFL House Caucus violated the Federal Election Campaign Act by illegally transferring money between the DFL Caucus federal and non-federal accounts. The DFL House Caucus and FEC entered into a Conciliation Agreement pursuant to which to DFL House Caucus paid a $45,000 civil penalty. The FEC had already fined the DFL House Caucus $4,500 for failing to file its 2002 post election reports on time. The FEC also has apparently sent a letter of admonishment to Vance Opperman and Gerald Seck for violating contribution limits (by $5,000 and $2,500, respectively). Miltimore noted that today’s ruling against the DFL House Caucus only emphasizes suspicions about another campaign finance scheme involving DFL House Leader Matt Entenza’s $300,000 contribution to the 21st Century Democrats 527. “It’s impossible not to draw a parallel between this case and a recently unveiled DFL House scheme involving Matt Entenza’s $300,000 contribution to the 21st Century Democrats,” said Miltimore. “In both cases, the DFL House Caucus played a shell game to try to hide where it gets its money and how it is spent. Today’s ruling should encourage Matt Entenza to be more up front about his $300,000 contribution to the 21st Century Democrats 527.” Source: Republican Party of Minnesota, November 23, 2004 |W|P|110124476628621961|W|P|FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION HITS DFL HOUSE CAUCUS WITH $45,000 FINE FOR VIOLATING FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN ACT|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/18/2004 08:07:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|

If you are a Democrat, please click on the picture for instant relief.
|W|P|110079388770471006|W|P|HELP IS ONLY A CLICK AWAY|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/17/2004 11:43:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|This new development will certainly put into doubt Peterson's ability to be an effective member of Congress. ### Thompson, Peterson push for committee positions House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has assured Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) that he will be the next ranking member of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, filling the slot vacated by retiring Rep. Jim Turner (D-Texas), say aides to both Thompson and Pelosi. But the fate of Rep. Collin Peterson’s (D-Minn.) bid to assume the top Democratic position on the House Agricultural Committee remained in doubt yesterday, according to leadership and Democratic aides.“It’s an open question,” a well-placed Democratic aide said, referring to who would replace defeated Rep. Charlie Stenholm (Texas) as the top Democrat on the agriculture panel. Both Thompson and Peterson were derelict in paying their full party dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last cycle, leading to some speculation that Pelosi would bypass them for more prolific, but less senior, fundraisers to prove that she was serious about requiring all members of her caucus to meet their dues obligations. Thompson, who has been the second-ranking Democrat on the homeland-security panel, explained yesterday that his failure to pay his dues stemmed from a primary challenge and that he intends to pay the full amount in the next cycle. Peterson’s office declined numerous requests to comment on this story. As the ranking member on a select committee, Thompson is directly appointed by the minority leader. The ranking position on the agriculture panel, however, must first be approved by the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, co-chaired by Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and George Miller (D-Calif.), which will determine Peterson’s prospects either today or tomorrow. After the steering committee approves ranking members, the names go to the full caucus for a vote in January.The Steering Committee, composed of roughly 50 members, 15 of whom are directly appointed by Pelosi, will also take shape today, a Democratic aide said. Pelosi can either make a strong push for Peterson or allow the committee to weigh the pros and cons of promoting a centrist who many lawmakers feel has not made the party’s success his top personal priority. Several aides and lobbyists said that there are hard feelings toward Peterson because he encouraged many fellow Democrats to vote for the Medicare prescription-drug bill last year. But if Peterson is not given the top Democratic slot on Agriculture, he could decide to retire from Congress, leaving open a seat that Republicans might be in a better position to capture. Thompson’s appointment as the Democrats’ point man on homeland-security issues ensures that a centrist African-American from a rural district will be an integral part of Pelosi’s leadership team. The Homeland Security Committee, if given permanent status, could play a much larger role in the coming Congress.It also gives Thompson an opportunity to hire a more diverse staff, correcting what he saw as the lack of minority hiring during Turner’s tenure. “Diversity is important on any committee. We are no longer a country of one people,” Thompson told The Hill. But some Democratic aides, strategists and lobbyists expressed some concern about putting Thompson in charge of a potentially high-profile committee. They said that Thompson has had a spotty attendance record on the committee he seeks to lead and that he was not overly enthusiastic about building relationships with the lobbying community on K Street. A review of the committee records indicates that Thompson missed 14 of the 23 full committee hearings in the last Congress. Thompson disputed any suggestion that he has failed to reach out to K Street but added that the onus for building relationships falls on lobbyists, too. He also emphasized his own perfect attendance record on his subcommittee, noting that it passed the only legislation from the entire committee that became law. “I am happy with the fact that I got some actual legislation passed,” said Thompson. Thompson said he wants to work with Chairman Chris Cox (R-Calif.) to hold more field hearings and draw upon experts outside of the “Washington bubble” on how best to combat terrorism and protect the country’s communities. And while Thompson said he looks forward to working with the majority, committee sources expect him to be more confrontational than his predecessor. “In the absence of momentum by the committee, we will still have a strong Democratic agenda to put forward to the country,” he said.“Clearly, there will be some partisan tensions from time to time, but Chairman Cox had a very good working relationship with Mr. Turner and he hopes to continue that with relationship with Mr. Thompson,” said Ken Johnson, spokesman for Cox.“We all share a common goal, in safeguarding America from the threat of terrorism,” Johnson said. Source: The Hill, November 17, 2004 |W|P|110072145760455454|W|P|PETERSON MAY LOSE COMMITTEE POSITIONS|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/15/2004 07:18:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|Who from Minnesota votes for the new DNC chair? DailyKos (yes, I know) has a link to the names of the people who will vote for the next DNC chair in February. Minnesota Votes for DNC chair Mike Erlandson: DFL party chair Tarryl Clark: DFL Party associate chair Ken Foxworth: University of Minnesota Greg Knutson: DFL party activist from the second congressional district. Sarah Lewerenz: Labor attorney from northern Minnesota. If/when they publicly endorse a candidate, I will post the information. |W|P|110053375430345069|W|P|VOTING FOR THE NEW DNC CHAIR |W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/11/2004 05:58:00 PM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|This Saturday, No Stolen Election, a group that thinks the wrong person may be elected at the Electoral College when it meets Dec. 13. will have a press conference and rally at the State Capitol. I will post more information on this group tomorrow. |W|P|110022474802516722|W|P|YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING!|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/11/2004 05:36:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|According to an "unimpeachable" source, Chris Coleman had a dinner meeting last night at Mancini's with former St. Paul Police Chief William Finney to discuss Coleman's mayoral bid against Randy Kelly. More details to follow. |W|P|110018039048617829|W|P|CHRIS COLEMAN FOR MAYOR?|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/15/2004 07:51:00 AM|W|P|Blogger Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|He is a former member of the St. Paul City Council.11/04/2004 07:58:00 PM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|House Minority Leader Matt Entenza donated $300,000 of his own money to a major "527" political group, 21st Century Democrats, which in turn spent hundreds of thousands of dollars turning out young Democratic voters and which has contributed to the Minnesota DFL Party. State Republican Party Chairman Ron Eibensteiner criticized that donation Thursday, suggesting that "it looks extremely suspicious" and could be a violation of campaign laws that prohibit coordination and earmarking of funds from individuals through 527s and back to campaigns. Entenza, who led his DFL House members to a big comeback and near-takeover of the GOP majority in Tuesday's election, said the contribution is perfectly legal. The 21st Century Democrats group to which he contributed simply worked to turn out young voters and did not coordinate with or contribute to the House DFL caucus or its individual candidates, Entenza said. Source: Star Tribune, November 5, 2004 Entenza is a lying cheat. According to the 21st Century Democrats' website, their focus in Minnesota was on legislative campaigns and they helped the entire DFL slate of legislative candidates. Entenza has no prior history of giving to this group and I find it interesting that he would suddenly give them $300,000. The House GOP should call for an investigation. |W|P|109962716055044256|W|P|ENTENZA GIVES $300,000 TO GROUP THAT HELPED DFL HOUSE CANDIDATES|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/04/2004 07:25:00 PM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|TO: INTERESTED PARTIES FR: MATTHEW DOWDCHIEF STRATEGIST RE: INITIAL STRATEGIC ANALYSIS President Bush won a historic victory yesterday by defeating John Kerry by more than 3.5 million votes, 58.6 million to 55.1 million (51% to 48%) and winning the Electoral College 286 to 252. In doing so, President Bush: • Becomes the first presidential candidate to win more than 50% of the popular vote since 1988. • Received the most votes by any presidential candidate in history - over 58 million, even breaking President Reagan’s 1984 mark of 54.5 million votes. • Becomes the first President re-elected while gaining seats in the House and the Senate since 1936, and the first Republican President to be re-elected with House and Senate majorities since 1924. • Received a higher percentage of the popular vote than any Democratic presidential candidate since 1964. • Garnered 7 million more popular votes than in 2000 - more than twice the amount that President Clinton increased his vote between 1992 and 1996. • Increased his percent of the vote from 2000 in 45 out of 50 states, including a 4 percent increase in John Kerry’s home state of Massachusetts. President Bush ran just as strongly in the key battleground states as he did nationally. In the 14 most competitive states (AR, CO, FL, IA, MI, MN, MO, NH, NM, NV, OH, PA, WI, and WV), President Bush won 51% of the vote to John Kerry’s 49% -- an improvement of 2 points from his 2000 performance in those states. Yesterday also revealed that the Republican Party has made historic gains with minority voters and women. Exit polling revealed that President Bush won 42% of Hispanics (up from 35% in 2000), 11% of African-Americans (up from 9% in 2000), 24% of Jewish voters (up from 19% in 2000), and 47% of women (up from 43% in 2000). In Florida, 55% of Hispanic voters supported President Bush, an increase of 6 points from 2000. Just as we predicted, undecided and late-deciding voters went to the President Bush by a small margin. Despite media predictions that Kerry would win up to 90% of late-deciding voters, exit polling reveals that President Bush won voters who decided in the week before the election, 51% to 48%. Furthermore, as we predicted, yesterday was the first time in modern political history that an equal number of Republicans and Democrats turned out for a presidential election. The Democrats’ 4-point advantage in 2000 evaporated, with Republicans and Democrats both at 37% of the electorate in 2004. On a strategic and tactical level, Bush-Cheney '04 and the Republican National Committee helped the President turnout a record number of Republicans and make historic gains among swing groups through an unprecedented volunteer grassroots organization and the most sophisticated advertising and voter contact strategy in campaign history: • Combining traditional shoe-leather grassroots outreach with an unprecedented online effort to build a network of millions of volunteers who spread the President’s message and helped turnout the vote on Election Day • Employing cutting-edge research to efficiently target Republicans and Swing Voters through media buys and voter contact, the first time a presidential campaign utilized such research. • Advertising heavily on national cable and radio to deliver the President’s message to both influentials and voters who had moved away from traditional broadcast TV, another first for a presidential campaign. • Building new support among Hispanic and African American voters through local outreach, earned media, and specialty media buys. • Delivering maps and directions to polling places to our committed supporters and using sophisticated, targeted Internet advertising in the closing days of the campaign to get out the vote. On a personal note, this should be the last “Dowd” memo because I am GTT (for those unfamiliar, that means “Gone To Texas.”) Source: Bush-Cheney '04 |W|P|109962513425459516|W|P|FINAL JUST THE FACTS: MEMO FROM MATTHEW DOWD|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/04/2004 04:36:00 PM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|

President George W. Bush
|W|P|109961499456021561|W|P|FOUR MORE YEARS!|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/04/2004 08:48:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed will publish again this evening. |W|P|109958698391400101|W|P||W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/03/2004 12:21:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|

DFL State Representative Rebecca Otto was defeated by Republican Matt Dean.
|W|P|109947009349136875|W|P|REBECCA OTTO DEFEATED BY MATT DEAN!|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/02/2004 11:15:00 PM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P||W|P|109946615754594799|W|P|KLINE BEATS DALY! |W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/02/2004 11:05:00 PM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P||W|P|109946575974047069|W|P|KENNEDY BEATS WETTERLING! |W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/02/2004 01:30:00 PM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|Email report sent to MDE: "My co-working just reported to me that her husband had a MoveOn campaigner arrested in Bloomington. He reported the guy to poll workers and when he refused to leave the police were called. When he refused the police order to move to the legal location he was arrested." |W|P|109943116088334905|W|P|MOVEON.ORG STAFFER ARRESTED IN BLOOMINGTON|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/02/2004 05:01:00 PM|W|P|Anonymous Anonymous|W|P|Oh, to be a cop for a day!11/02/2004 01:03:00 PM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|At 3:00 pm today, a Hennepin County judge will be hearing a Republican Party of Minnesota request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against MoveOn.org to stop them from violating Minnesota election laws. |W|P|109942944001285742|W|P|VOTER FRAUD ALERT!|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/02/2004 12:24:00 PM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|Numerous reports of voter fraud/intimidation from MoveOn.Org: (1) MoveOn.Org person spotted at Mound precinct 3 handing out literature within 50 feet of polling place. He was told to leave. Moved across the street. (2) MoveOn.Org person spotted at Eden Prairie library (precint 16). City Hall was called. Another was spotted at Precinct 2. Not sure what happened to these people. (3) Report from friend in Plymouth that people in front of her in line were from a home for retarded adults. They knew their names, but not much more. A staff member from the home helped each one vote. Democrats at work again. |W|P|109942710403819659|W|P|VOTER FRAUD ALERT!|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/02/2004 11:53:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|Republicans complain about MoveOn.org activities The state's two main political parties sent hundreds of monitors to polling places across Minnesota today in anticipation of a high turnout in the battleground state. The Republicans raised the first objections, alleging that activists from the liberal group MoveOn.org had tried to operate within 100 feet of more than 20 Twin Cities-area polling places, in violation of state laws against electioneering. Several of those precincts were in St. Paul, but police spokesman Paul Schnell said officers determined that nobody was doing anything ``illegal or unacceptable.'' He said all the calls had come from citizens, not election judges. Ed Johnson, the Minnesota director of Moveon.org, said he was unaware of any violations. ``Our volunteers know to follow the law and stay outside the 100-foot requirement,'' he said. Kent Kaiser, a spokesman for Minnesota Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer, said that not only is it illegal to politick within 100 feet of a polling place entrance, if the voting station is on public property it's illegal to do so within 100 feet of the property. At Robbinsdale City Hall, GOP observer Doyle Randall, 48, a certified public accountant, wore a bright yellow badge that said ``Poll Challenger'' and wore a cell phone headset. ``I'm here to make sure that who is supposed to vote is voting - we don't want a Chicago-style ... election,'' he said. But in the first hour or so that the polling station was open, only three voters were turned away. Two of them lived in different precincts and were sent to their proper voting places. The third was a voter who tried to register at the polling place. She had recently moved and her driver's license showed her old address. State law allows a utility bill as proof of address in such cases, but after discussing the matter with Randall, the election judges decided her cell phone bill didn't qualify. They told her to come back with an actual utility bill. Randall eventually received a call sending him to a north Minneapolis precinct where a GOP poll challenger had failed to show up. Another group at the polling places was Election Protection, a group founded by People for the American Way and other liberal organizations, which registered about 300 monitors in Minnesota and stationed them at polls serving heavy minority populations. Bill Lofy, a spokesman for Election Protection, said the judges at Robbinsdale City Hall made the wrong call. Both he and Kiffmeyer said cell phone bills are acceptable as proof of address. But Lofy said he had heard of no serious problems.``So far it seems relatively uneventful,'' he said. Just a week before the election, about 2.98 million Minnesotans were pre-registered to vote - 4.4 percent more than the 2000 election. And many others voting for the first time, such as immigrants, planned to register on Election Day. Of the more than 50 people waiting at Robbinsdale City Hall for the polls to open, including many minority and first-time voters, the vast majority had pre-registered. Despite the long line, the early voting generally went smoothly, though Brenda Bous, 43, who was in a wheelchair, said the regular voting booths were too high. ``They definitely should have had more handicapped booths. I ended up using a chair,'' she said. At the Earle Brown Elementary School in Brooklyn Center, where about 130 people voted per hour through the morning, one woman got to skip to the front because she was in labor, election judge Nancy Carlson said. ``Two minutes labor and she's still in line to vote,'' Carlson said. Once the woman cast her ballot, she was put into a wheelchair and wheeled away, Carlson said. But Donna Hanes, 68, and her son, Craig Hubbard, had to struggle to register to vote there. They said they closed on selling their old house Oct. 27 and were staying at a motel until their new home is ready. They said they first went to their old precinct but were told they couldn't vote there because they didn't live there anymore. Earle Brown is the polling place for both their motel and their new home. ``It's my right as an American citizen to vote,'' Hanes said. ``They're telling me now I can't vote, but that's not the American way.'' Hubbard said they were eventually told to get a statement signed by their motel manager and countersigned by someone else attesting that the manager was, in fact, the manager. But he said they weren't guaranteed that this would satisfy the poll judges. ``We're getting this run-around,'' he said. Kiffmeyer said absentee ballot submissions were about double what they were four years ago. Both Republicans and Democrats pledged to station waves of monitors at the polls. The parties were allowed one monitor inside each polling site, but both also placed lawyers and other volunteers outside to watch and help voters with questions. While the partisan monitors could question a voter's eligibility, such challenges were expected to be rare, elections officials said. Any challenge had to be based on knowledge that the voter may not be eligible and presented in writing to an election judge who would decide whether to double-check a voter's ID. Among the election observers in swing states like Minnesota were a handful of members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe - a first for elections held in the United States. Two OSCE observers, parliamentarians Goran Lennmarker, of Sweden, and Stavros Evagorou, of Cyprus, were at Robbinsdale City Hall when the polls opened. Lennmarker said they came to see whether any voters were turned away, and to see whether there was any harassment involved in the challenging process. ``We expected calm, proper, correct. It's quiet so far,'' Lennmarker said before leaving to check the Earle Brown polling place in Brooklyn Center. Asked whether he expected any problems with the implementation of Help America Vote Act, which is being implemented for the first time in nine states, he answered, ``Certainly not in Minnesota.'' As the polls opened at one precinct Golden Valley, about 80 people waited outside in the cold rain, some who had been standing in line for half-an-hour. About half of those waiting held umbrellas in one hand and insulated coffee cups in the other. Once the polls opened the wait was 30 to 40 minutes to get inside as newcomers kept the lines long. Voters who came in their cars at 7 a.m. had to park a block away as cars lined the streets in all directions. A volunteer from MoveOn PAC had a card table set up under an umbrella checking off his list of Democratic voters identified during canvassing who had promised to vote. The group is one of many that have been working for weeks to identify like-minded voters and make sure they cast ballots. Follow-up phone calls and offers of transportation were planned to help get the no-show voters out. The media also operated under different rules set forth in a new state law. Reporters and photographers had to get a letter of permission from city or county officials before they could enter a polling place, and they could only stay for 15 minutes. Media expert said the law was one of the most restrictive in the country. County and city officials contacted by The Associated Press freely granted permission but said they would enforce the 15-minute rule. Source: Associated Press, November 2, 2004 |W|P|109942538992592156|W|P|REPUBLICANS COMPLAIN ABOUT MOVEON.ORG ACTIVITIES |W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/02/2004 09:41:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|Reports indicate that Moveon.Org has a poster posted within 100 feet of a polling location (Hosmer Library, 347 36th St. East, Minneapolis, Ward 8, Pct. 3) asking members to check in, violating electioneering laws in Minnesota. This is in addition to Moveon.org activists lingering and passing out materials inside polling locations in violation of electioneering statutes. |W|P|109941729150496594|W|P|VOTER FRAUD ALERT!|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/02/2004 09:37:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|
Literature left on countertops within 100 feet of the polling location
A report from the Sabathani Community Center polling location (ward, precinct) indicates that literature was left on countertops inside the center by ACT, ACORN and the 21st Century Democrats. This is in violation of electioneering laws in Minnesota, which state: A person may not display campaign material, post signs, ask, solicit, or in any manner try to induce or persuade a voter within a polling place or within 100 feet of the building in which a polling place is situated, or anywhere on the public property on which a polling place is situated, on primary or election day to vote or refrain from voting for a candidate or ballot question (Minn. Stat. Sec. 211B.11 Subd.1.)
|W|P|109941713232277978|W|P|VOTER FRAUD ALERT!|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/02/2004 08:20:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|
Numerous Reports of Moveon.org within 100 Feet of Polling Places
There continue to be reports regarding Moveon.org violating Minnesota election law, including having operatives within 100 feet of the polling place. The statute states: No one except an election official or an individual who is waiting to register to vote shall stand within 100 feet of the entrance to a polling place. The entrance to a polling place is the doorway or point of entry leading into the room or area where voting is occurring (Minn. Stat. Sec. 204C.06 Subd.1) Minnesota law also reads: (a) Representatives of the secretary of state’s office, the county auditor’s office, and the municipal or school district clerk’s office may be present at the polling place to observe election procedures. Except for these representatives, election judges, sergeants-at-arms, and challengers, an individual may remain inside the polling place during voting hours only while voting or registering to vote, providing proof of residence for in individual who is registering to vote, or assisting a handicap voter or a voter who is unable to read English (Minn. Stat. Sec. 204C.06 Subd.2) MoveOn.org needs to "move on" out of Minnesota’s polling locations. Problems have been reported in the following locations: St. Louis Park Ward 1, Precinct 1 Aldos Gate St. Paul Ward 1, Precinct 3 Highland Elementary School Prosperity Heights Recreational Center Ward 7, Precinct 3 Minneapolis Pershing Community Center Ward 5, Precinct 1 Central Lutheran Church Ward 13, Precinct 9 43rd Street and Xerxes Avenue Ebenezer Park Apartments Ward 9, Precinct 2 Ward 2, Precinct 2 Ward 8, Precinct 4 Falcon Heights Falcon Heights Elementary School Richfield Precinct 5 Mounds View All four precincts Hopkins Good Shepard Church Moorhead Ward 2, Precinct 2 Roseville Roseville Lutheran Church Bloomington Washburn Elementary |W|P|109941260972608756|W|P|VOTE FRAUD ALERT!|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/02/2004 07:18:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|Mower County residents complain of poll prankster AUSTIN, Minn. (AP) Someone needs to tell an Austin-area prankster that Halloween is over. The Mower County Auditor's office says it received several phone calls yesterday from residents who said someone was calling and telling them that their polling places had changed. County Auditor Woody Vereide says polling places have NOT changed, and county residents will vote today at the same locations as they did in the September primary election. Source: Associated Press, November 2, 2004 |W|P|109940880028312600|W|P|VOTE FRAUD ALERT!|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/02/2004 06:50:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|
"Moveon.org Inside Election Places"
In the first hour of voting, reports indicate that Moveon.org activists are inside polling locations distributing materials in violation of Minnesota election statutes that prohibit electioneering inside a polling place.
The statute states: No one except an election official or an individual who is waiting to register to vote shall stand within 100 feet of the entrance to a polling place. The entrance to a polling place is the doorway or point of entry leading into the room or area where voting is occurring (Minn. Stat. Sec. 204C.06 Subd.1)
Minnesota law also reads: (a) Representatives of the secretary of state’s office, the county auditor’s office, and the municipal or school district clerk’s office may be present at the polling place to observe election procedures. Except for these representatives, election judges, sergeants-at-arms, and challengers, an individual may remain inside the polling place during voting hours only while voting or registering to vote, providing proof of residence for in individual who is registering to vote, or assisting a handicap voter or a voter who is unable to read English (Minn. Stat. Sec. 204C.06 Subd.2)
Once again, an outside group is trying to taint Minnesota’s election process and clean election image. This story is developing. Update will be posted when more information becomes available.
Moveon.org operatives were reported to be in the following locations:
St. Paul W4 P16, Galtier School, 1317 Charles Avenue SP W1 P8, Martin Luther King Center, 270 Kent Street Roseville P8, Park View Center School, 701 County Road B W
|W|P|109940708549510426|W|P|VOTER FRAUD ALERT!|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/02/2004 06:04:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|"State law doesn't require a person to know the person he or she is vouching for; it only requires that he or she know the person is a resident of the precinct they are trying to vote in, said Meighan Stone, a spokeswoman for America Coming Together, an anti-Bush get-out-the-vote nonprofit. 'So the lawyer kind of got the law wrong,' Stone said." ACT IS WRONG! This is the statue: (4) having a voter who is registered to vote in the precinct sign an oath in the presence of the election judge vouching that the voter personally knows that the individual is a resident of the precinct. A voter who has been vouched for on election day may not sign a proof of residence oath vouching for any other individual on that election day. |W|P|109940550535435016|W|P|VOTE FRAUD ALERT!|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/01/2004 09:53:00 PM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|This is being reported by Checks and Balances: "We hear the Republican Party of Minnesota has obtained a taped conversation between a potential voter and someone organizing Get-Out-the-Vote for the DFL efforts in Duluth. We understand the caller identifies as a new Duluth resident lacking any utility bill or any corroborating information on their new residence. They ask for transportation to their polling place and someone to vouch for their residency. The DFLer agrees to provide both. Now the question is was this a set-up call, it is likely that it was, but does this have the appearance of a potential illegal action, maybe." Source: Checks and Balances, November 1, 2004 |W|P|109937520064228546|W|P|LET THE VOTE FRAUD BEGIN!|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/01/2004 11:41:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|John Bridell tried to ignore the cold morning air and his tired feet Monday as he hoisted John Kerry signs for the benefit of morning commuters exiting the freeway into downtown Minneapolis. "The response in the city has just been great," said Bridell, a retired trial attorney. "I think we'll get enough votes here to offset the bible thumpers and flat earth society in the western part of the state." Bridell and his son, David, were part of a large contingent of sign wavers deployed to busy intersections around the Twin Cities metro area by the state DFL and its massive get-out-the-vote operation. Source: Associated Press, November 1, 2004 |W|P|109933844774721071|W|P|DFL GOTV STRATEGY: "OFFSET THE BIBLE THUMPERS AND FLAT EARTH SOCIETY" |W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/01/2004 08:08:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P| Tomorrow starting at 7:00 a.m., Minnesota Democrats Exposed will post up to the minute information on voter fraud incidents in Minnesota. Please check back on Tuesday for updates. |W|P|109932866631784490|W|P|MDE: EXPOSING DFL VOTER FRAUD ON TUESDAY |W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com11/01/2004 07:32:00 AM|W|P|Minnesota Democrats Exposed|W|P|One week after their only televised debate, a 5 Eyewitness News exclusive poll shows Rep. Kennedy and Mrs. Wetterling gaining strength. However, Kennedy is still well in front. The margin of error for this poll is +/- 5.3%. Our survey of 357 "likely voters" in the 6th Congressional District shows Kennedy has 53-percent support with Wetterling at 36-percent. Eleven-percent are undecided. Source: KSTP, October 31, 2004 |W|P|109932322024407084|W|P|NEW POLL IN 6TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: KENNEDY 53% - WETTERLING 36%|W|P|minnesotademocratsexposed@hotmail.com