roll call

Knocking off U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann will take a lot of cash. The flamboyant Republican has already raised $600,000 this election cycle — more than any other members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation. That might explain why state Sen. Tarryl Clark, who’s hoping to unseat Bachmann, was in Pittsburgh last week currying favor with liberal bloggers [...]

Roll Call released its list of vulnerable House Democrats and Republicans, and Minnesota Reps. Michele Bachmann and Erik Paulsen made the cut. The state’s two most vulnerable House members also took in more money than most in the first quarter, with Bachmann at $323,000 and Paulsen at $225,000. Only Mark Kirk, R-Ill., raised more ($696,000).

Back in December Norm Coleman said he would seek clearance from the Federal Elections Commission to use campaign funds to cover personal legal bills. But he never followed through. In the meantime the former senator continues to rack up astronomical legal bills as he pursues the U.S. Senate contest.

Amy Klobuchar doesn’t want to make history. But the DFLer is closing in on the modern-day record for length of time serving as a state’s sole U.S. senator, notes Roll Call (subscription required).
Former New Hampshire Sen. Thomas McIntyre is the current title holder, having served as that state’s only representative for seven months in 1975, [...]

Apparently Sen. Amy Klobuchar has little respect for rules governing airplane safety. According to an item today in Roll Call’s “Heard on the Hill” column (subscription only, sadly), Minnesota’s lone senator had to be reminded at least twice on a recent flight from Florida to Washington that the “please fasten seatbelts” sign was lit. The [...]

UPDATED: Roll Call reports that the National Republican Congressional Committee is putting $11,200 into mailings meant to reduce voter support for David Dillon, the Independence Party candidate who’s running a distant third in the 3rd Congressional District race. A scan of the piece and more after the jump.