Levin stumps for Dayton
Carl Levin, a the powerful chair of the Armed Services Committee in the U.S. Senate, campaigned today for Democrat Mark Dayton's campaign for governor. Levin and Dayton met privately with officials from the Minnesota National Guard and the Minneapolis VA Hospital. Levin also held an evening fundraiser for Dayton at the Minneapolis Club.
Levin said he got to know Dayton during Dayton's term in the U.S. Senate. He said he thinks his "sturdy independence" will make him a good governor.
"I watched him fight for Minnesota, Levin said. "I watched him fight for working people, for health care for people including for children. He's a gutsy guy. I saw him take on some of the powers that be. He's independent. He votes his conscious and I think any state is well served by having those types of public officials."
Roughly fifty people attended the fundraiser. During a brief speech, Dayton thanked the guests for financially backing his campaign especially since he spent $11 million of his own money to win the U.S. Senate seat in 2000.
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"I was able to do all of my fundraising in the morning when I was shaving in the mirror," Dayton quipped.
During an interview, Dayton and Levin also stressed the Dayton helped secure federal funding for a national Beyond the Yellow Ribbon campaign. The program was pioneered by the Minnesota National Guard.
Dayton also emphasized his campaign is focused on Get Out the Vote efforts for the August tenth primary against Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and former legislator Matt Entenza. Kelliher has been touting her recent union endorsements but Dayton is also receiving significant backing from labor. He said he expects AFSCME, the Teamsters, the Steel Workers and the Police and Peace Officers union to convince their members to vote for him in August.
Dayton said he expects to go up on the air with TV ads in the next few weeks.
The Minnesota Republican Party sent out a news release raising Dayton's decision to close his office, Time Magazine rating him one of America's worst Senators and his decision to give himself a self grade of an F.