kline at Brave New Films

Kline: "Thank God the senate can't get anything done."

2008-12-02T00:51:02Z

More at www.theuptake.org. Rep. John Kline introduces Sen. Coleman in a Chanhassen, MN diner on November 1, 2008. He pokes fun at Al Franken for not knowing what gauge of shotgun shells he should use and equates it to not knowing what the second amendment to the US Constitution "really means."

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Rep. Bachmann Mobbed By Press After Debate

2008-12-04T22:52:14Z

There was no mystery as to who the media star was after two Minnesota Public Radio hosted congressional debates. In a chaotic scene, reporters crowded around 6th District Republican incumbent Rep. Michele Bachmann after her debate with DFL challenger Elwyn Tinklenberg.

One Bachmann supporter proudly yelled to the press "she is a pitbull in lipstick!"

Inside the lobby of MPR, a much more subdued scene had Tinklenberg taking questions from a gaggle if reporters for over ten minutes.

By the time 2nd District Republican incumbent Rep. John Kline finished his debate with DFL challenger Steve Sarvi, most of the press had vanished. When approached by The UpTake, Rep. Kline refused to take questions.

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Media Mobs Bachmann After Debate

2008-11-12T20:23:58Z

One Bachmann supporter proudly yelled to the press "she is a pitbull in lipstick!"

Inside the lobby of MPR, a much more subdued scene had Tinklenberg taking questions from a gaggle if reporters for over ten minutes.

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Sarvi Meets with Veterans

2008-11-03T22:53:13Z

Steve Sarvi, DFL and Independence party candidate in Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District, meets with veterans at a VFW candidate forum in Zumbrota, MN. Rep. John Kline was also invited to the forum in July but did not attend. Sarvi talks about the need to care for veterans when they return home, particularly post-tramatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. Sarvi also states why he opposed economic bailout bill, which Rep. Kline voted for.

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Get Down Into It!

2008-10-28T09:30:50Z

www.myspace.com The Sweetbriars debut album PLEASE PASS THE REVOLUTION! is available now at www.digstation.com , among other places. Visit our myspace for more details.

The Sweetbriars will donate $1 per album sold to the Environmental Defense Fund. The Environmental Defense Fund is dedicated to protecting the environmental rights of all people, including future generations. Among these rights are access to clean air and water, healthy and nourishing food, and flourishing ecosystems. Find out what we can ALL do to protect the environment at www.edf.org

We hope to raise one million dollars for the Environmental Defense Fund, one album sale at a time. Help us make that hope a reality.

PLEASE PASS THE REVOLUTION! comes in a full color printed sleeve made of 100% green forestry practices board, minimum 10% post-consumer recycled content. Printed with vegetable based inks. No shrink wrapping. If there was a way to make the actual cd out of bamboo we would have done it.

Support independent music and PLEASE PASS THE REVOLUTION!

Think green. And rock.

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Congressman's Paid Consultant Disrupts Opponents' Campaigns

2008-10-29T15:30:42Z

More at www.theuptake.org Remember the uproar over a supporter of Democrat Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton asking a question at the Republican Presidential debate? The problem was not that Retired Brig. Gen. Keith H. Kerr asked a question. It was that he and CNN didn't identify him as a co-chairman of Clinton's National Military Veterans Group.

A similar case of non-transparency happened recently involving a person with strong ties to Minnesota Congressman John Kline and his campaign. The UpTake investigated and found the lack of transparency was only the tip of the iceberg in this story. More in this video from Mike McIntee.

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Sergeant vs. Colonel For Congress in MN

2008-10-21T15:30:58Z

More at www.theuptake.org
Congressional candidate and Bronze Star winner Steve Sarvi picked up the endorsement of Minnesota's Democratic party on Saturday. He will face incumbent Republican Congressman John Kline in the November election. Sarvi was an Army Sergeant serving in Iraq up until last year. Kline is a retired Marine Colonel. Kline has often used his military background as a shield in his past campaigns --accusing his opponents of disrespecting the uniform when they criticize him.

Kline is also known for launching well-funded attacks on his opponents, falsely inferring that they support legalizing meth, wanting to give social security dollars to illegal immigrants, and wanting to reinstate the draft.

It will be interesting this year to see how Kline attacks Sarvi without appearing to be attacking the military.

Sarvi's military stories highlighted how ill equipped US troops were when they went into battle. "Let me tell you about the first humvee I got into in Iraq. I slammed the door and the window fell out of that truck. That's the war we went to."

Sarvi said Kline refuses to meet with constituents and "look them eye to eye"... a reference to Kline's refusal to honor a promise to hold frequent face-to-face meetings with constituents after he was petitioned into holding one a year ago.

Instead, Kline has opted to hold "tele town hall meetings" where random constituents are called with no notice and asked to listen to Kline speak on the phone. No public records of the "tele town hall meetings" have been released and the media has not been allowed to monitor them, which has led to speculation that the questions are scripted or only hand picked questions are allowed.

Sarvi criticized Kline for taking large campaign donations from oil companies and then voting to give them subsidies while they are making world-record profits.

"This is not about gas taxes, this is about big oil profits. And John Kline has done everything in his power to protect those. In fact, when you get to go to the gas station next time take a look at that gas pump and you're paying almost $4 a gallon...you'll see the face of John Kline on that gas pump.

"He's taken over a $110,000 from big oil and he rewards them with his votes and I think that's wrong".

Sarvi was energized after getting the unanimous endorsement from the DFL. The only other candidate, Peter Idusogie, dropped out of the race before the results of the first ballot were announced. Sarvi said he was going to celebrate, and then prepare for a battle with Kline.

"We are going to hit this trail hard. And you're going to see what a Sergeant can do against a Colonel".

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Sergeant vs. Colonel For Congress in MN

2008-10-28T03:30:52Z

It will be interesting this year to see how Kline attacks Sarvi without appearing to be attacking the military.

Sarvi criticized Kline for taking large campaign donations from oil companies and then voting to give them subsidies while they are making world-record profits.

"He's taken over a $110,000 from big oil and he rewards them with his votes and I think that's wrong".

"We are going to hit this trail hard. And you're going to see what a Sergeant can do against a Colonel".

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Tax Protest Puts "Me" Over "We"

2008-10-26T15:31:07Z

More:www.theuptake.org If you consider yourself middle class, then you probably have a right to be upset about taxes. When you include all local, state and federal taxes, you pay a higher proportion of your income in taxes than those who make more than $400,000 a yearAnd those who are poor pay a rate nearly twice as high as the rich.

The culprits for this disparity: a decade of tax cuts for the rich based upon the false belief that they trickle down to the rest of the economy, and tax hikes on the middle class and poor in the form of property taxes, or disguised as fees.

At a time when Minnesota's economy, quality of life and infrastructure are declining, protesters and Republican Congressional Representatives are calling for even more tax cuts. Growth and Justice'sAngela Eilers says the protesters are a vocal minority who are putting "me" over "we."

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Right Now 2008

2008-10-20T21:30:17Z

a mashup video telling Kansans about what is going on right now and what they can do to help stop it Sources: www.cjonline.com www.kpha.us www.kansascity.com www.crooksandliars.com