Maureen Reed keeps up the trash talk against Tarryl Clark in the 6th

[Minnesota Raindog]

Maureen Reed, the 6th District candidate with not a prayer of getting the endorsement, has taken the low road less than a week before the precinct caucuses and leveled about every cheap shot she could against Tarryl Clark. Because Reed has yet to secure a significant endorsement, she resorts to calling Clark an "annointed career politician." Maybe Clark got all those endorsements and people working for her simply because she's a better candidate and, unlike with Reed, people can actually determine where she stands on the issues.

Also, I find it interesting that Reed has chosen to obscure her past job as a v.p. with HealthPartners and instead, brags about her part-time work at a North Minneapolis community clinic.

Here's the text from the trashy email Reed's campaign sent out today:


As we approach the precinct caucuses, it’s important to keep in mind the goal that all DFLers share: defeating Michele Bachmann. While there are two DFL candidates in the race, only one can beat Michele Bachmann in the general election.

Yesterday, the media reported that both candidates posted impressive fundraising totals and both campaigns ended the year with $388,000 on hand. While the cash on hand may be the same, the path to get there was quite different.

Tarryl Clark had nearly the entire Democratic establishment, including sitting members of Congress and a former Vice President raising money on her behalf to end with $388,000. Maureen, on the other hand, with no high profile endorsements, used a grassroots approach that relied on hard work and a message that resonated among voters to maintain her successful fundraising. In fact, of all the money she’s raised, over 99% of it has come from individual donations.

As we saw in the Massachusetts special election, anointed politicians will not fare well this election cycle. The voters are clearly in no mood to be told what to do by the party establishment.

The Sixth is a conservative district. Getting Independent and fiscal conservative voters’ support is crucial to building a winning coalition. Our opponent, Tarryl Clark, has claimed that by winning in her senate district, she can win the 6th district. The problem, however, is that Clark’s senate district has a large college town population and does not reflect the political make-up of the 6th Congressional District.

In fact, Clark’s district (SD-15, the St. Cloud Area) was the most liberal senate district in entire 6th District in the 2008 Congressional race. Tinklenberg won her area by 13.3%, while losing the congressional district overall by 3%. Likewise, in the presidential race, Obama carried Clark’s district by 5.2%, while losing the 6th District overall by 8.7%.

Voters are not looking for more anointed candidates- we need leaders in Washington with real-world experience, who are willing to work hard to earn every vote. Maureen is not a career politician. She is a medical doctor who has practiced for over 20 years; including at the Fremont Community Clinic in North Minneapolis, serving uninsured and under-insured patients. Maureen also managed an environmental non-profit organization, created jobs and balanced budgets in the private sector. Maureen Reed is the only candidate who can win in the 6th District.