Shot in the Dark

Oberstar Breaking The Law?

The other day Politico did a piece about Jim Oberstar’s fundraising, and how little of it comes from within the Eighth District.

And one of his staffers apparently knows something the rest of is don’t.  Or didn’t.   Emphasis added:

“They are taking lawn signs, putting up lawn signs, making voter-contact calls, door-knocking, distributing campaign [literature],” [Oberstar staffer Jim] Schadl told POLITICO in an e-mail. Moreover, Schadl, says, there are another 527 waiting in the wings to help out in the final run-up to the election.

Er…campaigns aren’t supposed to act in collusion with 527s.

Because that’s how they get money out of politics.  Y’know.  By preventing politics from being polluted by money.  From businesses or unions.

If we had a functional mainstream media in this state, full of bright, curious people whose job it was, say, to dig into stories like this – people like, I dunno, Pat Kessler or Erik Eskola or Tim Pugmire (not to keep picking on Pugmire; I just don’t want to have to wing it trying to spell Mark Zdechlek) – perhaps the people of Minnesota might find out if there was there, there, story-wise.

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Mitch Berg

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18 responses to “Oberstar Breaking The Law?”

  1. Jeff Rosenberg Avatar
    Jeff Rosenberg

    Or maybe the mainstream media isn’t asking the question because there is no story. In fact, this “story” is nothing more than you misreading the article. That “527” refers to a number of people, not a 527 organization. Here’s the full quote, in context:

    ‘They count 1,006 volunteers in eight offices, which they contend more accurately reflects Oberstar’s support in his northern Minnesota district. John Schadl, a Oberstar spokesman, said in an email that the congressman has a “great deal of local support.” and it will be “felt on election day when over 500 people hit the streets in a final get out the vote push.”

    “They are taking lawn signs, putting up lawn signs, making voter-contact calls, door-knocking, distributing campaign [literature],” Schadl told POLITICO in an e-mail. Moreover, Schadl, says, there are another 527 waiting in the wings to help out in the final run-up to the election.’

    Did you think this staffer just had horrible grammar? Are you really digging that hard for anything that will turn the election around?

  2. bosshoss429 Avatar
    bosshoss429

    Jeffy,

    Ok, let’s say that your assessment is correct. That means that counting his staff of 35 people and his wife, Oberspend will have exactly 1,533 additional votes. It will also mean that he will be sending them out far too late to help his sorry ass.

    Go Chip!

  3. PJKelly Avatar
    PJKelly

    I would say Mitch is the victim of a freudian slip by Schadl, who is probably begging any 527 out there to come up to Duluth and save his @SS.

  4. Kermit Avatar
    Kermit

    Yeah, it sounded like a number being retracted from a rectum. I wonder if Oberstar could name 5 people from the district he rarely visits?

  5. Mr. D Avatar
    Mr. D

    I dunno, Jeff — if I were speaking of 1000 people and 500 were out working, the number I’d use for the remainder would be 500, not 527. Why would a political operative say 527? Of all the numbers a fella could choose between, say, 450 and 550, why 527? Doesn’t that make even the slightest bit curious?

  6. Mr. D Avatar
    Mr. D

    Doesn’t that make you even the slightest bit curious?

    Hate those rented fingers.

  7. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    Jeff,

    Kind of an odd number to toss off the top of one’s head.

    Still, stranger things have happened. George Allen used the term “macaca” off the top of is head, very likely not knowing or at least connecting it with its more infamous meaning (I’d never heard it before; I’d have figured it referred to some sort of tropical bird, or perhaps its guano). Even though there was zero evidence that his off-the-cuffism was a symptom of anything deeper, he was branded a racist for all time.

    So it’s fair to expect people to parse these statements pretty closely. Especially when it’s, y’know, the number 527, which is a pretty significant number when referring to Democratic politics.

    Like if someone just out of the blue used terms like “Bush blew up the towers” or “my opponent is a pedophile” or “our supporters will shoot our oppoents’ supporters in the face as their families look on in mute horror”, it’s possible it was just some random happenstance – but the term’s just a tad loaded for it to be really plausible.

    And that’s if you accept for a moment that someone like Oberstar wouldn’t be coordinating his campaign with the 527s under the table; there’s no proof, but come on. Please.

  8. Nordeaster Avatar
    Nordeaster

    Also, what is meant by “they are taking lawn signs, they are putting up lawn signs…”

    I could see it being a mispeak for “taking lawn sign requests” if the second part of that wasn’t included. It sounds as if volunters are instructed to take lawn signs. Certainly not proof by any means, but between that and the 527 number, clearly worth deeper investigation.

  9. Kermit Avatar
    Kermit

    I say we apply the Democrat Principle of Accusation. If the charge is serious, Oberstar should prove he isn’t coordinating his campaign with the 527s.
    It’s only fair.

  10. Troy Avatar
    Troy

    Jeff Rosenberg seems quite incurious about any possible wrong doing by Jim Oberstar, and predictably so.

  11. The Big Stink Avatar
    The Big Stink

    If we had a functional MSM in this state? We can dream of many things, but having a fair and balanced local press isn’t one of them. The reality we need to face is if and when we win – we’re on our own.

  12. Chuck Avatar
    Chuck

    You ask about media interest (or lack of)…when I lived up there, the editor of the Duluth News-Tribune admited that they have a hard liberal bias. She said it is a good business decision because most of their potential readers are Democrat. The irony is, the weekly free shopper (Duluth Budgeteer) was a better source for political news.

  13. Chuck Avatar
    Chuck

    Anyone know if Oberstar has a residential address in the district?

  14. The Big Stink Avatar
    The Big Stink

    “Anyone know if Oberstar has a residential address in the district?”

    Check the sewers.

  15. Kermit Avatar
    Kermit

    The career politician must have a PO box somewhere up there. I doubt he ever checks it.

  16. jpmn Avatar
    jpmn

    Duluth News tribune is downplaying the fundraising issue.

    http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/181330/publisher_ID/36/

    Fundraising outside the district seems to be normal for Oberstar though.

    Nordeaster, I thought the same thing about that phrase “they are taking lawn signs, they are putting up lawn signs…”

  17. Master of None Avatar
    Master of None

    “Fundraising outside the district seems to be normal for Oberstar though.”

    He’s head of the transportation committee. My corporation’s PAC gives him a lot of money because of this. That’s also why I don’t contribute to my corporate PAC.

  18. jpmn Avatar
    jpmn

    It’s also why I haven’t given anything extra to the NRA this year. Oberstar has been generally good on NRA issues and has a B+ rating, Cravaack has an A with a Q as a modifier (I am not sure what the Q means). You would think that the NRA would support the candidate with the better rating. However, in this case they supported Oberstar.

    Also looking up and down the State House and Senate races there are a number of Republicans with A’s and B’s facing Democrats with F’s and no rating at all without getting an endorsement.

    OK off my NRA rant. Duluth News Tribune has a report on the debate between Oberspend and Cravaack.

    http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/181662

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