Former Bachmann staffers backing Pawlenty

Three of Rep. Michele Bachmann’s former staffers are backing her fellow Minnesotan and presumptive competitor for the 2012 Republican nomination, Tim Pawlenty. Ron Carey, who served as Bachmann’s chief of staff in 2010; Gina Countryman, Bachmann’s 2010 congressional campaign manager; and Tim Gould, who served as Bachmann’s Constituent Services Officer in 2010 are all vocally supporting Pawlenty for 2012.

Bachmann’s political director leaves, joins Emmer campaign

Jack Tomczak, Rep. Michele Bachmann’s political director, is leaving her campaign after two years to join state Rep. Tom Emmer’s campaign for governor, Tomczak announced on Facebook Friday.

Former Minnesota GOP chair to run Bachmann’s office

Ron Carey, former chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, has been hired as Rep. Michele Bachmann’s chief of staff. Carey replaces Michelle Marston, who left Bachmann’s staff in November.

Former GOP chair candidate blasts party

Lt. Col. Joe Repya is leaving the Minnesota GOP — and he’s exiting with rhetorical guns blazing. The 30-year U.S. Army veteran — who fought in Vietnam and both Iraq wars…

Paulsen campaign paid his wife, nicked Dem rival for not having one

U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen’s campaign paid his wife more than $10,000 in the last five months of 2008, according to Federal Election Commission records. (No such revelations about his DFL opponent, a bachelor.)

Darfur ‘genocide’ raging five years on, GOP calls Ellison protest ‘unbecoming’

Minnesota GOP chair Ron Carey calls Rep. Keith Ellison’s arrest during a Darfur protest Monday “unbecoming” of the office. But Ellison and his fellow protesters weren’t alone: Their action comes almost exactly three years after a similar set of arrests by Democratic legislators over the same issue – and nearly five years after a unanimous House vote declared the killing in Darfur “genocide.” Given the lack of change in Darfur, who can blame him for waiting around for more “becoming” methods?

The UpTake’s Kunin on Coleman’s rejected ballots list

When it comes to rejection and Norm Coleman’s campaign, Noah Kunin knows a thing or two. As senior political correspondent for The UpTake, he’s seen his questions ignored at Coleman press conferences; his colleagues have been refused access to campaign “media availabilities”; and the state GOP chair called The UpTake a “partisan, liberal blog” as a way of attacking Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, who referenced The UpTake’s video feeds in an email.

But what Kunin wasn’t prepared for was the rejection of his absentee ballot.

UpTake to GOP: Thanks for watching!

After state GOP chair Ron Carey aped party blogger Michael Brodkorb’s terminology for The UpTake as a “partisan, liberal” blog, the citizen journalism outfit issued a press release correcting an error Carey…

WaPo listing of Erik Paulsen in Top 5 U.S. House campaigns needs a fix or 2

Minnesota’s U.S. Representative-elect for the Third District, Republican Erik Paulsen, ran one of the best five House campaigns in the country, according to the Washington Post blog The Fix. Paulsen “beat back the anti-Republican trend,” writes Chris Cillizza, “by focusing on his own accomplishments in the state legislature.” The Fix tracked the Third District contest closely throughout the campaign season as one of the nation’s most competitive congressional contests. But in several ways Cillizza’s summary this morning doesn’t exactly square with how home-state observers might recall the race.

GOP attacks on The UpTake: Another attempt to smear the process that may deal Coleman defeat?

What should we make of Minnesota Democrats Exposed blogger Michael Brodkorb’s attack on Secretary of State Mark Ritchie for including a benign mention of The UpTake’s live video feeds of the Canvassing Board’s recent meetings? A tempest in a teapot? An insider media squabble? Try this on for size: Maybe it’s part of a GOP plan to smear the recount process that seems increasingly likely to result in Republican Sen. Norm Coleman’s defeat.