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MN GOP “TRACKER” DENIED ADMISSION TO PUBLIC EVENTS OF AL FRANKEN
By Michael B. Brodkorb | October 24, 2007
Political parties and campaigns often employ "trackers" or people specifically hired to attend and record the opposition's press events. I've seen people from Team Franken (J.D.) and the DFL attend press conferences held by the Republican Party of Minnesota about Al Franken.
After receiving a tip from a dedicated reader of Minnesota Democrats Exposed, I spoke with a representative of the Republican Party of Minnesota and they confirmed their tracker has been denied access to numerous public events where Al Franken is scheduled to appear.
I can only imagine the outrage that would ensue in the liberal blogosphere if a representative of the DFL or Team Franken were denied access to public press event of the Republican Party of Minnesota about Al Franken.
Please check back to Minnesota Democrats Exposed and Blogs for Norm! for more information on this developing story.
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This post also appears on Blogs for Norm!, an online community and blog covering the 2008 U.S. Senate campaign in Minnesota. The primary goal of Blogs for Norm! is to organize bloggers who support U.S. Senator Norm Coleman.
Topics: Uncategorized | 25 Comments »
25 Responses to “MN GOP “TRACKER” DENIED ADMISSION TO PUBLIC EVENTS OF AL FRANKEN”
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October 24th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Can this campaign do anything correctly? This is getting comical…
October 24th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Someone tell that to Ken Shumper.
October 24th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Can you be more specific about which events they were denied admission? A press conference is open to anyone. Are you talking about invitation only fundraisers? I doubt if anyone lets “trackers” into those. Please be specific.
October 24th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
According to my source, these events were not fundraisers.
October 24th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Who Cares?
With Norm’s liberal voting record. Does it really matter if we have Coleman or some other liberal in office?
October 24th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Is this like the Republican Convention that barred any Democrats from the gallery to watch? In 2002, DFL State Representative Greg Gray was asked to leave the convention. Later, he accepted the apology from the Speaker and Majority Leader (newly endorsed for Governor) without fanfare.
Careful, Mike. These events are not all public and if it was held at someone’s home- surely you understand. You’ve never been turned away from a DFL event and you rarely say good things about them- yet, you’re given access.
October 24th, 2007 at 7:54 pm
Amen patriot!
October 24th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Sometimes, I have to wonder. I wont deny or agree with Republicans stating that when they are treated unequally as a party, it isn’t given press coverage due to the Strib’s liberal slant. With that said, is it possible that Republicans simply dont make enough of a ruccus about it?
As you can tell, us liberals love making noise about anything, it’s in our nature, we are more vocal as a party I think. Republicans have always been the more calm and collected ones (except when you put anything that has to do with religion into it, those religious right fantatics are by the far the craziest) and maybe that leads to the silence they see when it comes to them being treated unequally.
October 24th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
I was at a DFL event. A person, from the GOP I guess, was there with a video camera. This person was younger and seemed naive and inexperienced. She was asked nicely to leave and she did. She probably didn’t have to legally but she did anyway. Does this mean she was “denied” access?
Or was she simply too timid?
October 24th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
Maybe Minnesota Democrats Exposed should should quit censoring my comments before it complains anymore about Franken limiting his audience?
October 25th, 2007 at 6:24 am
Chuck,
Maybe you should put down the sign that says: “Death to Israel.”
October 25th, 2007 at 9:17 am
We need a little more specifics, Mike, cause your history of making stuff up and/or totally misreading a situation is pretty clear.
If it is a true ‘public’ event, as in open to the public, then yes, there is a problem here. So I am just curious as to ‘how public’ this event, if it even existed, is.
And to be clear, wasn’t it the MNGOP that denied partisan credentials to their convention, while you were treated fairly and equally at the MNDFL one.
Flash
October 25th, 2007 at 9:45 am
your history of making stuff
Like your description of the AKlo/Lefty Bloggers meeting?
October 25th, 2007 at 10:23 am
Good for Al, weasel drones are no fun at a party anyhow!
October 25th, 2007 at 11:03 am
Michael–
Really curious how this is going to develop, you wouldn’t happen to have any further details on this would you?
Was it a member of the Franken campaign who denied this (these) trackers entrance? What events were they?
Sean
October 25th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Sean:
There were numerous events…check back to Minnesota Democrats Exposed. This story is developing.
October 25th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Flash:
I know you don’t agree with my politics, but I don’t make things up and post them on Minnesota Democrats Exposed.
What I wrote was accurate. This story is developing, so please check back to Minnesota Democrats Exposed.
I look forward to reading your apology.
October 25th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
Flash/Sean:
“The GOP’s Drake, asked about the posting on MDE, cited three instances when the GOP tracker was turned away: A labor-union event in which Franken worked alongside a health care worker for a day; a luncheon; and an appearance before the Macalester College Democrats.” Source: Star Tribune, October 25, 2007
October 25th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Shhhh…. the DFL does not want the public to know what they are hiding.
October 25th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Michael, my sources say at no time has a tracker ever been turned away by a representative of Team Franken. You imply, without coming right out and saying it, that they have.
Then you try to compare these events “A labor-union event in which Franken worked alongside a health care worker for a day; a luncheon; and an appearance before the Macalester College Democrats.” to public MNGOP press conferences, a misrepresentation.
So yes, I still think you are ‘making up a story’ that isn’t there, and you know it.
When the MNGOP practices the openness they expect from the opposition, only then will you have an argument to make!
So from now on I should be able to walk into any event listed on Norm Coleman’s page unfettered, since the standard you and the MNGOP has set is of full openness! I thank you for that clarification!
Also, I eagerly await my press credential to next year’s MNGOP and RNC conventions. You know how to reach me!
Flash
October 25th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
Flash:
I stand by what I wrote and it has been confirmed by the Star Tribune’s post.
On three occasions the Republican Party of Minnesota’s tracker was denied access to a public event of Al Franken.
After today’s posts, I don’t think this happen again.
October 25th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Flash (Mr. UnCredible) sez
if it is a true ‘public’ event, as in open to the public, then yes, there is a problem here.
Were these not public events?
(Your source wasn’t Noah Kunin, was it?)
October 25th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
MoN; Just cause you say it doesn’t make it true. You’ve been hanging around here to long!
What MDE is doing here is playing the word ‘of’ knowingly aware that what ever happened was clearly and definitively NOT an action by the Franken campaign, which he continues to imply.
Yet, I still haven’t received comments regarding the MNGOP’s refusal to credential all interested parties for their public event. So again, are both sides under the same standard, or is it just the DFL and their candidate who are expected to be open to the public.
Flash
PS: What is really funny here, is you would all drop like a rock if you knew who I currently support for Senate. But this isn’t about that, it is about fairness and honesty!
October 25th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Flash, I just asked a question. Let me repeat it.
Were these not public events? Do you know if they were or weren’t? You admitted that if they were public events then there was “a problem”. Now you seem to imply that it would only be a problem if it was a public event AND a Franken staffer who tossed the tracker.
PS: I couldn’t care less who you currently support for Senate.
October 25th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Flash:
My post is focused on the documented fact that the Republican Party of Minnesota’s tracker was denied access to public events of Al Franken. You can whine all you want, but nothing will change the fact he was denied access.
After reading Barr’s comments in the Star Tribune, it appears Team Franken is now sincere about making sure the Republican Party of Minnesota’s tracker is allowed to attend public events of Franken.