MDE FROM THE ARCHIVES: HATCH ATTACKS ERLANDSON
Hatch criticizes DFL Party chair for campaign flier;
Voting records of two DFLers in the Fourth Congressional primary were disparaged.
Attorney General Mike Hatch, the DFL's top state officeholder, has sharply criticized state party Chair Mike Erlandson over attacks against fellow DFLers in the Fourth Congressional District primary election.
State Rep. Betty McCollum, the DFL endorsee, defeated Steve Novak and Chris Coleman on Tuesday. Late in the campaign, the party sent out mailings that disparaged Novak's and Coleman's voting records on subjects ranging from ballparks to handguns.
"It is the first time in my memory where a party chair engaged in such destructive tactics," said Hatch, a former state DFL Party chair, in a letter sent Wednesday to Erlandson. The letter also complained about Erlandson's defense of the mailings as tough playing of "the game of politics" and suggested that he "pick up the ball and run home."
But Hatch said he isn't calling for Erlandson to resign. "I just was not happy with his conduct," Hatch said in an interview Friday. "You've got to look to the future, and you don't get into these negative attacks. He ought to develop some maturity as to what politics is about."
Erlandson, 36, fired back Friday, attributing the controversy to DFL "good old boys" angry over the failure of their candidate, Novak, to win the nomination to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Bruce Vento.
But he also expressed regret for the mailings.
"We'd take them back," he said. "And I've apologized to Steve and Chris for them. They were tougher than they should have been, but I also think that comparing and contrasting DFL candidates is a fair thing to do."
Pointing to three straight DFL victories in legislative special elections and strong recent fund-raising, Erlandson also says he has had "more success in my year and a half than any party chair in the last 25 years, including Mike."
Earlier, Vance Opperman, a Twin Cities publisher and major DFL contributor, called the mailing "the most blatant, unfair and hysterical campaign literature I have ever seen bearing the authorship of my political party. It is an embarrassment. . . . You can be sure I will not be supporting this kind of effort in the future."
Opperman backed Novak in the race. Hatch, who has run for state office several times against DFL endorsees, held fund-raisers for both Novak and McCollum. Source: Star Tribune, September 16, 2000
Voting records of two DFLers in the Fourth Congressional primary were disparaged.
Attorney General Mike Hatch, the DFL's top state officeholder, has sharply criticized state party Chair Mike Erlandson over attacks against fellow DFLers in the Fourth Congressional District primary election.
State Rep. Betty McCollum, the DFL endorsee, defeated Steve Novak and Chris Coleman on Tuesday. Late in the campaign, the party sent out mailings that disparaged Novak's and Coleman's voting records on subjects ranging from ballparks to handguns.
"It is the first time in my memory where a party chair engaged in such destructive tactics," said Hatch, a former state DFL Party chair, in a letter sent Wednesday to Erlandson. The letter also complained about Erlandson's defense of the mailings as tough playing of "the game of politics" and suggested that he "pick up the ball and run home."
But Hatch said he isn't calling for Erlandson to resign. "I just was not happy with his conduct," Hatch said in an interview Friday. "You've got to look to the future, and you don't get into these negative attacks. He ought to develop some maturity as to what politics is about."
Erlandson, 36, fired back Friday, attributing the controversy to DFL "good old boys" angry over the failure of their candidate, Novak, to win the nomination to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Bruce Vento.
But he also expressed regret for the mailings.
"We'd take them back," he said. "And I've apologized to Steve and Chris for them. They were tougher than they should have been, but I also think that comparing and contrasting DFL candidates is a fair thing to do."
Pointing to three straight DFL victories in legislative special elections and strong recent fund-raising, Erlandson also says he has had "more success in my year and a half than any party chair in the last 25 years, including Mike."
Earlier, Vance Opperman, a Twin Cities publisher and major DFL contributor, called the mailing "the most blatant, unfair and hysterical campaign literature I have ever seen bearing the authorship of my political party. It is an embarrassment. . . . You can be sure I will not be supporting this kind of effort in the future."
Opperman backed Novak in the race. Hatch, who has run for state office several times against DFL endorsees, held fund-raisers for both Novak and McCollum. Source: Star Tribune, September 16, 2000
Tags: Mike Hatch, Mike Erlandson
1 Comments:
I definitely find Minnestoa elections always interesting. It seems contreversy always finds this quiet little state.
Raymond B
www.voteswagon.com
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