As the dozens of candidates for governor try to stand out in a crowded field, Republican Pat Anderson has done so by taking the first public swing at a fellow candidate. On the GOP side, it seems Anderson, Marty Seifert and now Tom Emmer have emerged as the top candidates (Paul Kohls may be making some moves to scratch at that top tier). We'll find out more next week at the Republican Convention. On the DFL side, Margaret Anderson Kelliher and R.T. Rybak appear to be holding the top spots with Matt Entenza and Mark Dayton posing a threat in a potential primary or blocked endorsement. Back to Republicans, here's some of Anderson's press release:
Gubernatorial Candidate Pat Anderson disputes
Rep. Marty Seifert's "Leadership Plan"
Rep. Marty Seifert's "Leadership Plan"
Seifert incorrectly states education vouchers are unconstitutional
while proposing unconstitutional welfare reform
while proposing unconstitutional welfare reform
St. Paul - Despite a gaggle of candidates, there have been few substantive disagreements on issues among the nine conservative Republicans vying for the Minnesota GOP nomination for governor - until Wednesday. Former State Auditor Pat Anderson, the only candidate to have held statewide constitutional office, took direct exception to two of the seven points in Rep. Marty Seifert's "Leadership Plan for Minnesota."
"Marty's philosophical position agrees with mine," said Anderson, "but his press conference comment that that education vouchers run afoul of the Minnesota state constitution is simply wrong. Ironically, he makes another proposal -- that welfare benefits for new residents be 'no higher than the state they are coming from' - that has previously been held unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court."
"Unfortunately for the parental school choice movement, Marty has fallen for the rhetoric of those statists more concerned about preserving the state's monopoly on education than about providing the best education for individual students," said Anderson.