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MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “FRANKEN CAMPAIGN NEEDS TO DISCLOSE ITS ROLE IN FORCING HAUSER OUT OF DEBATE”
By Michael B. Brodkorb | October 8, 2008
ST. PAUL – Today Ron Carey, Chairman of the Republican Party of Minnesota, called on Angry Al Franken to come clean about his campaign’s involvement about an 11th hour change of moderators for last week’s debate in Rochester. The possibility of such a demand or request was first raised on the political website “Politics In Minnesota.â€
“We’ve all seen and heard about Angry Al’s infamous temper tantrums. Angry Al has also been very public about his distaste for the owners of KSTP Television. Today I’m calling on Mr. Franken, his campaign, and anyone else involved with his debate preparations, to answer if they demanded that Mr. Hauser be removed as moderator, and if so, what was the reasoning? If anyone involved with Mr. Franken’s campaign made such a demand or request, I’m calling on Angry Al to apologize for his very un-Minnesotan conduct. That may be how they do things in New York, but not here in Minnesota.â€
Questions Raised Over Franken’s Involvement, Team Franken Silent:
“About three hours after we published, I got a call from Hauser who had read PIM and thought I might want to know that Heller had just called him and that we was no longer moderating the debate. Hauser asked Heller why, and Heller told him that “the person the board wanted was going to be out of town but suddenly became available,” and that “this was the person the board wanted.” (“What Does The Al Franken Campaign Have Against KSTP’s Tom Hauser?†Politics In Minnesota, http://politicsinminnesota.com/2008/oct07/1287/what-does-al-franken-campaign-have-against-kstps-tom-hauser-franken-campaign-unduly-, October 7, 2008)
“I talked to two of these board members and neither had any communications from anyone involved with Debate Minnesota on Friday. So much for ‘board intervention.’ [In the interest of not putting these two board members in the position of calling Heller a liar, I'm not naming them. However, I do encourage any interested readers to contact board members.]†(“What Does The Al Franken Campaign Have Against KSTP’s Tom Hauser?†Politics In Minnesota, http://politicsinminnesota.com/2008/oct07/1287/what-does-al-franken-campaign-have-against-kstps-tom-hauser-franken-campaign-unduly-, October 7, 2008)
“I repeat. What, exactly, happened to cause the change in moderators? The only rational explanation is that the Al Franken campaign lobbied for the change. …“I left detailed voice mails at the Franken campaign for campaign manager Stephanie Shriock, spokesman Andy Barr and consultant Danny Cramer, asking for edification on what transpired to knock out Hauser and Rice. Not surprisingly, no calls were returned.†(“What Does The Al Franken Campaign Have Against KSTP’s Tom Hauser?†Politics In Minnesota, http://politicsinminnesota.com/2008/oct07/1287/what-does-al-franken-campaign-have-against-kstps-tom-hauser-franken-campaign-unduly-, October 7, 2008)
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18 Responses to “MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “FRANKEN CAMPAIGN NEEDS TO DISCLOSE ITS ROLE IN FORCING HAUSER OUT OF DEBATE””
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October 8th, 2008 at 1:29 PM
Why?
Really, what’s the point?
October 8th, 2008 at 1:29 PM
Al Franken is guilty of removing Hauser because he did not return a phone call to Sarah Janecek?
Did she check with Dean Barkley, or is she simply showing once again that her partisan nature is more ingrained that her ability as a commentator?
October 8th, 2008 at 1:31 PM
And this really matters…???
First off, anyone who knows Sarah Janacek, is aware of the fact that she is a Republican and has worked as a Republican pundit and I believe lobbyist. For her to say “The only rational explanation is that the Al Franken campaign lobbied for the change” is anything but an unbiased assumption/accusation.
Now, by no means am I a supporter of Al Franken, nor will I defend any of his comments or writings but let’s (at least) take an objective look at these accusations.
BTW, I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out to be true, but I wouldn’t perpetuate the potential falsehood of this article. It is an example of irresponsible ‘journalism’.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:14 PM
Tom Hauser is a good reporter but he works for the Hubbards who are big time Coleman fans and with Cindy Brucatto who was Norm’s handler when he ran for governor in ’08 and is very tight with Coleman.
But the biggest issue still comes back to letting anyone who works for the Hubbard’s be moderator. From the DFL side, they Hubbards’s cannot be trusted! There are lots of potential moderators not getting a paycheck from the Hubbards so why not have someone who at least appears to be impartial.
At times, coverage of political candidates from KSTP-TV appears to be on about the same level as coverage by AM1280 (“The Patriot”). I don’t expect AM1280 to be unbiased any more than AM950 (which carries Air America)because they are openly partisan and everyone who listens know that.
Viewers of KSTP-TV (which is owned by the Hubbards) probably assume that they are getting political coverage that is “fair and unbalanced” but in fact, is almost always favorable for Republicans and almost always unfavorable towards Democrats. Hauser’s problem is that his employers don’t expect him to be impartial – in fact they expect him to reflect their pro-Coleman/anti-Franken leanings and that’s why he want not acceptabe as a moderator.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:49 PM
This is so weak and desperate. You’re basing a whole press release based off a junk post on PIM by a right-wing pundit who’s ticked off because the campaign didn’t return a couple phone calls. Congratulations!
Is it trying to cover for this?
October 8th, 2008 at 3:01 PM
My god that is funny, Aaron.
For the record, I have reported every gift I have ever received.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:12 PM
Rightly or wrongly, I gotta give Franken’s campaign credit for having the cojones to exert the pressure to remove Tom Hauser.
They were wrong of course. I have met Tom Hauser on a number of occasions and find him to be scrupulously non-partisan in his coverage. What Franken did was a back-handed swipe at Stan Hubbard.
But if only the leaders of the national GOP had the cojones to stand up and say “You know what? We’re not gonna stand for Gwen Ifill or Tom Brokaw to moderate the debates we’re in. They’re overly partisan and feel they will not do a good job of remaining neutral. You’re gonna have to find someone else – and soon”.
But instead we go ahead and accept it.
And that’s why we lose as often as we do. It’s our inherit inability to stand up to the media when they (a) start spouting to pro-Left drivel or (b) when they pick debate moderators with a distinct political bias.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:21 PM
Gwen Ifill or Tom Brokaw overly partisan ?
Good Lord.
This is why we need to clean Washington out of the Republicans and put them in the minority in every branch (including the USSC). They are brainwashed the the center is 33 degress to the Right.
Ifil is black, I get that. What has Brokaw done?
October 8th, 2008 at 4:40 PM
Ifill actually played it pretty well down-the-middle. But let’s be honest, anyone who is releasing a book on the Obamessiah next month (yeah, I’ll bet it’s critical of him…ha!) is suspect.
October 8th, 2008 at 4:42 PM
If Ifill is good enough, why wouldn’t Hauser? I watch At Issue occasionally, and there’s no bias that I can detect.
October 8th, 2008 at 5:01 PM
Who does the moderator of a debate affect besides the candidates? N one. This is a nonissue.
Who does the issue of whether Norm is using the office of U.S. Senator to enrich himself and his wife with free suits, rent, utilities, his wife’s salary from a contributor, teeth and who knows what else we’ll find? Every Minnesota, because he has abused the office of Senate that belongs to us all.
Nice press conference, by the way, Michael. Did it “suit” Norm?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/08/coleman-spokesman-humilia_n_133022.html
October 8th, 2008 at 5:23 PM
Hauser is a good reporter and a good guy to boot.
I just find fault in the hypothesis that since Cullen Sheehan whose mastery of honesty was captured in the above link, says that Norm didn’t call for Hauser’s head, immediately, the other republican mouthpiece, Sarah Janecek, had to blame Franken.
She never called Barkley, and she admits as much.
So, she writes a story for her cute little website attacking Franken because he wouldn’t call her back, and her partisan blinders wouldn’t allow her to call Barkley.
That is sloppy reporting, and it explains entirely why no one is taking this seriously.
October 8th, 2008 at 5:55 PM
Leaving aside the petty garbage in other posts, here, I should clarify the record.
I did, indeed, speak to Dean Barkley, as well as his staff. Dean didn’t have a clue who was going to moderate the debate until he got to Rochester Sunday night. His staff was not notified of any changes on Friday.
Should have put that in the story.
Where “Leroy” gets my “admission” of not talking to Barkley escapes me.
You commenters ever talk facts instead of ad hominem attacks?!
October 8th, 2008 at 7:12 PM
“Where “Leroy†gets my “admission†of not talking to Barkley escapes me.”
It’s o.k. Sarah. How Leroy reaches most of his conclusions escapes most everyone.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:32 PM
Ken Weiner-Avidor said: “Who does the issue of whether Norm is using the office…”
“Every Minnesota, because he has abused the office of Senate…”
Who does the issue of….every minnetota because?
WTF?
Listen you little twerp…you need to get your nose out of Eva Young’s crack and you need to do it right now. You don’t have enough healthy brain material as it is, and you damn sure can’t afford to let the little you have left harden into tar.
October 8th, 2008 at 8:03 PM
I don’t know why I bother but D, that book? One chapter on Obama at the end that’s not even written yet. Its a book on black politicians and post the civil rights era, something I think conservatives would appreciate. JC Watts, Gary Franks, Clarence Thomas, Colin Powell and Condi all have chapters.
I know, fairness would be to attack the left and laud the right.
You’re pitiful.
October 8th, 2008 at 9:22 PM
Sarah Janacek: Leaving aside the petty garbage in other posts, here…
See Little Tommy Not-So-Swift above.
Janacek: You commenters ever talk facts instead of ad hominem attacks?!
Ibid.
October 9th, 2008 at 6:02 AM
Say, Weiner?
When you’re over here posting garbled nonsense, do you realize that somewhere, someone is designing PRT systems?
Think about it, Weiner. PRT.
Not only that, but when you drag Eva Young over here with you, who is left to stalk Michele Bachmann?
She’s out there somewhere right now, Weiner….talking about God and no one is there to photoshop anything.
Think about it, Weiner. God. Photoshop.
You got work to do, boy. Get to it!