Hagedorn: Quist too close to Bachmann, too controversial

Photo: Hagedorn for Congress

As the Republican’s April 17 convention to nominate Rep. Tim Walz’s opponent approaches, southern Minnesota Republicans are jockeying for position and throwing some barbs. Jim Hagedorn, who sparked controversy late last year when he scrubbed incendiary posts from his blog, is criticizing Allen Quist for his “allegiance” to Rep. Michele Bachmann and his penchant for making over-the-top political statements. Hagedorn levied the charges in an email to Republican activists obtained by Bluestem Prairie.

“Mr. Quist’s allegiance to Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is understandable, and I would expect nothing less as Mrs. Quist serves as the congresswoman’s district director,” wrote Hagedorn. “Congresswoman Bachmann has impeccable conservative credentials and serves the 6th District with distinction. But tying one’s candidacy to another campaign is politically risky and offers the media a free pass to issue stories about Bachmann-Quist, rather than Tim Walz and his liberal voting record.”

Hagedorn then attacked Quist for his statement in December saying that the battle against Democrats is more important than the battle against terrorists.

“Despite being a solid conservative, Quist campaigns are known for making provocative statements that often generate sympathy for opponents and undermine our conservative cause,” said Hagedorn. “Even during this relatively short campaign, counter-productive attacks made by Mr. Quist concerning Tim Walz and the Democratic Party provided Walz with a national media platform as well as a national fundraising base.”

Quist’s history of provocative statements goes back to his early campaigns. In his 1994 bid for the governor’s mansion, Quist said that men are “genetically predisposed” to be the head of the household and that soundbite appeared in most major newspaper across the country.

But Hagedorn isn’t without his own provocative statements. Earlier this month he said Walz policies are a “plague” on America and that liberals ‘carpet bombing’ the nation.