Party leaders trade shots over gun reference in political ad

The state's DFL and Republican party leaders are trading barbs Tuesday over a campaign flier circulating in the northern Minnesota House district where a special election is scheduled next week.

The flier, distributed by GOP candidate Paul Jacobson, shows a hunter aiming a gun under the message "take your best shot." The piece criticizes DFL candidate Carly Melin as "full of holes" on gun issues.

In the aftermath of the Tucson shootings, DFL State Party Chairman Ken Martin called on Republicans to tone down the rhetoric.

"It's not necessarily the fact that they used this issue. I think there's more important issues that they should be focusing on," said Martin. "It's the way that they decided to portray this in this literature piece, which is really dispicable."

But State GOP Chairman Tony Sutton said the message was about gun rights and nothing else, and it's the DFL that is out of line.

"Rather than talk about the issue, they try and have this diversionary attack," said Sutton. "It is unconscionable that they would -- for political purposes -- try and exploit the tragedy in Arizona ... when you look at the piece, it's obviously a hunter."

Jacobson and Melin are running for the seat formerly held by DFLer Tony Sertich of Chisholm, who resigned to become head of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation agency. An Independence Party candidate, Cynthia Kafut-Hagen, is also in the race.

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