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INDEPENDENCE PARTY QUESTIONS HATCH’S USE OF OFFICE #2
By Michael B. Brodkorb | July 28, 2006
Click here to view a press release issued from Hatch's official office just yesterday. Please note all the references to "judi and I" and remember this was issued from a taxpayer-funded office.
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33 Responses to “INDEPENDENCE PARTY QUESTIONS HATCH’S USE OF OFFICE #2”
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July 28th, 2006 at 5:42 PM
Did the governor release his meth plan on campaign letterhead?
Somehow I doubt it.
July 28th, 2006 at 6:00 PM
That’s not the point, Roving. The Governor is still the Governor, and will continue to take official action as appropriate in that office. He announced that he had just signed an executive order, which only the Governor of the state can do. Mike Hatch, in contrast, was responding as a candidate, not as the Attorney General of the state. It was clearly inappropriate to do so on AG letterhead.
July 28th, 2006 at 7:29 PM
Continued evidence that Hatch believes he is above the law. If you look at his issue positions on his website they are all lifted from things on his official AG website.
July 28th, 2006 at 7:34 PM
So, the state’s top cop has no responsibility for the laws of Minnesota?
Interesting. I hope you don’t mind if I hold you to this the next time you blame a pickpocket in Ada on his lack of leadership.
July 28th, 2006 at 7:44 PM
I have to agree with sundog on this one.
Did he really use Dutcher in the release?
He would have been borderline ok if he didn’t. But last time I checked, Dutcher doesn’t work in the AG office. Seems pretty clear cut to me.
I wonder if Professor David Schulz will stick hi neck out on this or is he just a Dem shill?
July 28th, 2006 at 7:59 PM
“That’s not the point, Roving.”
Roving Hypocrite knows exactly what the point was. He’s not here to learn or argue points, he’s here to trash Republicans at the expense of truth or decency.
July 28th, 2006 at 8:10 PM
What did I tell you people the other day. It was wrong of Hatch to use Attorney General letterhead to go after the press in his campaign for Governor.
Roving continues to be a glittering jewel of colossal ignorance on this issue. There is no similarity between the Governor doing his job on state time and Hatch using taxpayer resources to run his campaign.
July 28th, 2006 at 8:35 PM
Last time I looked at the list of employees in the AG office, I did not see a Judi Dutcher. I see a lot of “Judi Dutcher and I” quotes which is more campaign rhetoric than legal comment.
July 28th, 2006 at 9:42 PM
I think this sort of thing is a problem for BOTH Hatch and Pawlenty. I’m glad that you’ve gotten off the topic of Hatch’s daughters – and onto a legitimate issue. It’s also a problem for both Klobuchar and Kennedy. And as for Michele Bachmann and this sort of thing – well don’t get me started.
Saw you on Almanac Michael – and I thought you and Chuck did well talking about blogs – and I agree that for a drama queen, being on Almanac is a huge reward – and give me a break – you don’t blog at night and early in the am. You blog during bankers hours. You certainly did today.
July 28th, 2006 at 10:06 PM
Eva,
I love you, but really — Pawlenty isn’t using letterhead from the Governor’s office to bitch about the press coverage of his campaign and he isn’t using state employees to do campaign research. There’s no comparison between Hatch and Pawlenty.
July 29th, 2006 at 1:30 AM
There’s a reason why the Republican party or even Minnesota Democrats exposed didn’t go after Hatch on this one. The line on this sort of thing isn’t often clearly crossed as it has been by Hatch. But the Republicans are guilty of this, sometimes in a more damaging way, for example Mark Kennedy changing the way he votes the last year.
July 29th, 2006 at 12:50 PM
Did I really just see Eva Young making a snide comment about posting during “bankers hours”?
The same Eva Young who was repremanded by her bosses at the UofM for using the U’s resources and the taxpayers dime to surf the web and update her blogs all day long?
Un-effing-beeeee-liev-able
July 29th, 2006 at 12:54 PM
Hmmmm.
Maybe someone should make another survey of Young’s daytime internet activities.
Developing……
July 29th, 2006 at 2:31 PM
Hatch issued an official statement from his office, on office letterhead.
He mentioned his future running mate. Big deal. Based on that, Republicans want to consider this a campaign piece.
I’d suggest they pluck the log out of their own eye, before straining after the gnat in anyone else’s.
http://www.governor.state.mn.us/mediacenter/pressreleases/index.htm
July 29th, 2006 at 4:21 PM
Uh, Brian, Judi Dutcher is Hatch’s current running mate. Pawlenty is the Governor and is doing his job. Hatch is trying to be governor instead of doing his job.
July 29th, 2006 at 4:36 PM
You can see my statement on MR HANNA IN THE NEXT POST! But HANNA uses almost the the same quote
about “…pluck the log out of their own eye,…” as I READ IN AN ANTI-MEL GIBSON COMMENT
ON A CELEBRITY GOSSIP WEB SITE THIS MORNING! Is
it the same guy,or is this another example of
DFL ORIGINALITY ?
July 29th, 2006 at 4:56 PM
Brian…. stop it. The Hatch release (and, like the IP pointed out the other day, the complaint to the news council) *were* campaign pieces — not official AG business. It’s not a good enough response to simply wave at the news releases from the Governor’s office, implying that everything that comes out of there is doing the same thing as Hatch.
These are two specific instances of abuse. I’m not saying these are earth-shattering, campaign-ending circumstances. But they are problematic, and Mike should be called on it.
July 29th, 2006 at 11:22 PM
Brian Hannana you have fallen into the trap. The great thing about a three way race is that the response yeah but they do it to doesn’t fly. If you want to drive people away from Pawlenty with your yeah but response that’s fine, but there is no reason those votes will fall back in Mike Hatches lap.
While the Independence is about much more then just this, this is the exact thing that has allowed the Independendence party to have election success in the past.
July 30th, 2006 at 12:41 AM
It becomes official state business with regards to the current office holder if they are planning on running again for that office.
Were that Hatch were stepping down as AG to run for Gov., that annoucement would be considered a matter of state business.
But, he is not conducting state business when politicing… (as such – don’t get me started on how little “work” is performed by those who run for re-election)
Your batting .000 right now. Care to step up and try again?
July 30th, 2006 at 2:20 AM
jimj: // ORIGINIALITY //
Your CAPS lock is on.
July 30th, 2006 at 2:34 AM
Sundog: // campaign pieces //
Please quote the specifics of the press release that you object to, and exactly how you classify them as campaign literature. Quote Minnesota statute to back up your assertion of misappropriation of state resources.
Then explain how Pawlenty is not doing campaign work by announcing politically sensitive programs just weeks before the election, including meth programs and a juvenile crime crackdown.
In fact, those programs are not actually new. His press release was nothing more than a campaign piece, mostly rehashing old news to make it look like something new.
// Most of what the governor said today is old news. He proposed deploying Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Meth Agents last year and the legislature authorized funds to do so. This plan is not new. He also discussed “Operation Desert Snow,†a federally funded course that one hundred Minnesota state troopers have already participated in. //
http://www.dfl.org
Pawlenty presided over the massive reduction in LGA to Minneapolis, resulting in a severe reduction in policing. That’s his real face – what he did. Crime is up, community services and policing are down because of his actions and inactions.
July 30th, 2006 at 9:53 AM
Nah, Brian, this back and forth is juvenile. Someone could have pictures of your candidate doing unnatural things with barnyard animals, and you’d defend the pictures as demonstrating he’s pro-agriculture.
FYI…I like Mike Hatch, and have always voted for him in the past for AG. I would have supported him for that office again this time, but I won’t be supporting him for Governor.
July 30th, 2006 at 10:22 AM
There is no doubt Pawlenty is making calculated political moves, but it is still in the context of his job. There are a lot of instances where I would love to call out either side, but it can only credibly be done when someone like Hatch so clearly crosses the line.
This was not a mistake on Hatch’s part, this was not Hatch not fully understanding what can be considered his duties as AG. This was Mike Hatch simply being arrogant. I’m personally embarrassed that someone like him could get as far as he has.
One things for certain no matter what you think of Tim Pawlenty Peter Hutchinson or any of the other candidates Mike Hatch is unfit to lead this state.
July 30th, 2006 at 10:44 AM
Juvenile is claiming wrongdoing by the DFL, without backing it up, and ignoring worse behavior by the GOP.
If CNN had pictures of Pawlenty doing unnatural things with barnyard animals, those here would still be nitpicking Hatch for theft of stationery.
July 30th, 2006 at 11:21 AM
Brian, even engaging you is a waste of time because you’re such a glittering jewel of colossal ignorance. We know Hatch used OAG letterhead for political use and we know Pawlenty has not had sex with barnyard animals. So what’s your point.
July 30th, 2006 at 11:38 AM
Wrong dong by the DFL? How about what Entenza did for money laundering campaign contributions through South Dakota, while as a member of its leadership.
Defend it as you will, its still a fact that is now under investigation.
July 30th, 2006 at 1:53 PM
Chris: // used OAG letterhead for political use //
Please quote exactly where and how he used letterhead for political use. Then quote the law where it shows what he did was illegal. Then go file a complaint.
Facts: // Entenza did for money laundering //
Do you have any facts to back up your assertion it was illegal? If so, quote them. It will help convince more people of your argument.
// In December 2004, Entenza acknowledged that he and Quam made about $600,000 in contributions to various campaigns during the two years leading up to the 2004 election. He apparently did not include the $55,000 Quam gave to the South Dakota committees.
But it appeared, at least initially, that while the donations were unusual there was nothing illegal about them or the route the money allegedly took to the House Democratic campaign.
“It’s a lot of paper shuffling, and I can’t see a reason to do it,” said Edwin Bender, executive director of the National Institute on Money in State Politics, a Helena, Mont., campaign watchdog group.
But Bender said the alleged transactions did not appear to be unlawful. He acknowledged he was not an expert on either Minnesota or South Dakota campaign laws, but said he believed Quam legally could have given the $55,000 directly to the Minnesota House campaign committee, as she and Entenza did with other contributions. //
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/legislature/15061251.htm
This is legal, then, as opposed to what Tom Delay did, using real money laundering to direct Texas corporate donations back to Texas political candidates, for which he is properly indicted.
Personally, I’d prefer a squeaky-clean government, where everyone, in every party, followed the law.
What I won’t accept are unfounded, unproven, loose assertions of wrongdoing. Prove your case, or expect to be questioned.
July 30th, 2006 at 4:20 PM
Mike: // There is no doubt Pawlenty is making calculated political moves, but it is still in the context of his job. //
And Hatch and Pawlenty have a history of taking jabs at each other. Being from different political parties, this isn’t entirely unexpected.
I consider Hatch’s press release to be related to the duties of the AG’s office.
I reject utterly the accusation that it is a criminal misappropriation of state resources. To those who claim it is, I challenge them to 1) prove it, 2) file a complaint.
However, I do believe that such last-minute positioning and program announcements by candidates would be less objectionable if done from the campaign.
This is just as true for Pawlenty as for Hatch or any other officeholder in any party.
July 30th, 2006 at 6:08 PM
Brian,
How is taking shots at the Star Tribune about the treatment Hatch is receiving from reporters with respect to his campaign for Governor related to his function as Attorney General?
To quote the hillbillies in National Lampoon’s Vacation, “Boy, you must have shit for brains.”
July 30th, 2006 at 6:18 PM
Chris: // How is taking shots at the Star Tribune about the treatment Hatch is receiving from reporters with respect to his campaign for Governor related to his function as Attorney General? //
You’ll have to ask Mike Hatch.
Do you consider that campaigning? Exactly how is it campaigning? What law was broken?
You may not like what he did, but it may just be legal. Perhaps there should be a law.
July 30th, 2006 at 6:42 PM
Brian, you are a meathead — dead from the neck up!
July 30th, 2006 at 8:23 PM
Just prove your case. That’s all I ask.
July 30th, 2006 at 8:56 PM
Your really caught up on this what law was broken thing. He’s not running for not going to jail, he’s running for Governor. For most people that requires you to conduct yourself in a mannor which is respectful of the tax payers, and respectful of the citizens you represent.
There are just certain things you don’t do if you want to be Governor. The standards are different for each voter. Bottom Line Mike Hatch did this, and we will continue to say he did this. It is my belief that when it comes down to it this and this alone will be enough for Mike Hatch to lose the election, although I expect Mike to do many other things to solidify his loss.
That being said I’m not complelty convinced he didn’t break a law or two.