DORAN TRASHES DFL ENDORSING SYSTEM
DFL gubernatorial candidate keeps his sights on Pawlenty
Kelly Doran has at least three DFL candidates to get past first, but put him in a room full of Democrats and it was his Republican opponent that he kept in his sights.
"The election is about leadership," said Doran on Tuesday in one of many jabs at Gov. Tim Pawlenty. "The lack of it, and trusting that leadership, and the inability of this guy to get anything done," he said.
"You don't rehire somebody who doesn't perform," said Doran.
Doran met informally with 20 local Democrats at the Green Mill in Willmar to court their support to be their party’s candidate for governor. He faces competition from at least three other declared Democratic candidates, all with more political experience and name recognition. Attorney General Mike Hatch and State Sens. Steve Kelley and Becky Lourey are declared candidates for their party’s endorsement.
In contrast, Doran has never before run for public office. He is launching this effort largely on his own. News reports indicate that he has loaned his campaign $1.85 million.
Doran, 48, of Eden Prairie, is a commercial real estate developer who started Muir Doran Construction. He has tapped Sheila Kiscaden of Rochester, the Minnesota Senate's only Independent party member, as his lieutenant governor running mate.
Doran said he would certainly welcome the Democratic Party’s endorsement. But the candidate added that he would prefer to see the state go to a primary system rather than rely on the current party endorsement process.
He also separated himself from some in his party by suggesting that there are both Democrats and Republicans in St. Paul guilty of putting "partisan politics" above the state's interests. At one point he suggested that some of what is going on in state government today is
"dysfunctional."
He blamed the divisiveness on a "lack of leadership" in the governor's office. Speaking of Pawlenty, he said: "He's a governor of special interests on the right."
Doran is running as a centrist Democrat. He told local Democrats that the winner in the governor’s race will be the candidate who can pull support from the 35 percent of the population that has allegiance to neither of the two main parties. "That middle is growing, not shrinking," he said.
To court the vote from the middle, Doran said he will be calling for more bipartisan action. He chided Pawlenty for his decision not to sign last year's transportation funding package that had bipartisan support. It included a gas tax increase. Doran said he would have signed it.
He also said that he wants to open up more "dialogue" about increasing state spending for education. He said a recent study showed K-12 education to be underfunded by $1 billion a year.
Minnesota ranks well in SAT scores and graduation rates, but Doran said Minnesota's leadership in education could soon be slipping. He pointed out that Minnesota’s teachers are paid $1,400 below the national average, and that per-pupil spending ranks only 20th in the nation.
Doran said Minnesota's support for higher education is sliding as well. When he graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1981, the state paid 67 percent of the tuition. Today it's less than 40 percent.
Doran would have everyone pay something for health insurance. He told the local DFL'ers that he'd like to see a mandatory health insurance system in which everyone paid toward their own individual policy. The private policy would cover care up to a set amount. The federal government would reimburse the costs for catastrophic care above that yet-to-be-determined level, he said.
If elected, Doran said he would champion the proposal by building a coalition of governors for it.
He also told local Democrats that he would oppose a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and is pro-choice on the issue of abortion rights.
Doran said he'd like to find middle ground for the debate over social issues, and quoted evangelist Billy Graham to express his view that these issues are best kept out of the political arena: "When you mix God and government, you divide people." Source: West-Central Tribune, February 8, 2006
Kelly Doran has at least three DFL candidates to get past first, but put him in a room full of Democrats and it was his Republican opponent that he kept in his sights.
"The election is about leadership," said Doran on Tuesday in one of many jabs at Gov. Tim Pawlenty. "The lack of it, and trusting that leadership, and the inability of this guy to get anything done," he said.
"You don't rehire somebody who doesn't perform," said Doran.
Doran met informally with 20 local Democrats at the Green Mill in Willmar to court their support to be their party’s candidate for governor. He faces competition from at least three other declared Democratic candidates, all with more political experience and name recognition. Attorney General Mike Hatch and State Sens. Steve Kelley and Becky Lourey are declared candidates for their party’s endorsement.
In contrast, Doran has never before run for public office. He is launching this effort largely on his own. News reports indicate that he has loaned his campaign $1.85 million.
Doran, 48, of Eden Prairie, is a commercial real estate developer who started Muir Doran Construction. He has tapped Sheila Kiscaden of Rochester, the Minnesota Senate's only Independent party member, as his lieutenant governor running mate.
Doran said he would certainly welcome the Democratic Party’s endorsement. But the candidate added that he would prefer to see the state go to a primary system rather than rely on the current party endorsement process.
He also separated himself from some in his party by suggesting that there are both Democrats and Republicans in St. Paul guilty of putting "partisan politics" above the state's interests. At one point he suggested that some of what is going on in state government today is
"dysfunctional."
He blamed the divisiveness on a "lack of leadership" in the governor's office. Speaking of Pawlenty, he said: "He's a governor of special interests on the right."
Doran is running as a centrist Democrat. He told local Democrats that the winner in the governor’s race will be the candidate who can pull support from the 35 percent of the population that has allegiance to neither of the two main parties. "That middle is growing, not shrinking," he said.
To court the vote from the middle, Doran said he will be calling for more bipartisan action. He chided Pawlenty for his decision not to sign last year's transportation funding package that had bipartisan support. It included a gas tax increase. Doran said he would have signed it.
He also said that he wants to open up more "dialogue" about increasing state spending for education. He said a recent study showed K-12 education to be underfunded by $1 billion a year.
Minnesota ranks well in SAT scores and graduation rates, but Doran said Minnesota's leadership in education could soon be slipping. He pointed out that Minnesota’s teachers are paid $1,400 below the national average, and that per-pupil spending ranks only 20th in the nation.
Doran said Minnesota's support for higher education is sliding as well. When he graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1981, the state paid 67 percent of the tuition. Today it's less than 40 percent.
Doran would have everyone pay something for health insurance. He told the local DFL'ers that he'd like to see a mandatory health insurance system in which everyone paid toward their own individual policy. The private policy would cover care up to a set amount. The federal government would reimburse the costs for catastrophic care above that yet-to-be-determined level, he said.
If elected, Doran said he would champion the proposal by building a coalition of governors for it.
He also told local Democrats that he would oppose a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and is pro-choice on the issue of abortion rights.
Doran said he'd like to find middle ground for the debate over social issues, and quoted evangelist Billy Graham to express his view that these issues are best kept out of the political arena: "When you mix God and government, you divide people." Source: West-Central Tribune, February 8, 2006
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