Contact: Bob Carney Jr. -- (612)-824-4479 (home and business)

                                          (612)-710-2212 (cell)

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For an archive of all news releases, and more information, please visit: www.republicancontract.com

Minneapolis, MN, August 2, 2010 -- The Republican primary for Governor of Minnesota is now “objectively a two man race,” according to candidate and journalist Bob Carney Jr.

Carney participated in the Star Tribune's editorial board pre-primary endorsement process, and battled endorsed Republican Tom Emmer to a draw. The Star Tribune's August 2nd editorial declined to make a recommendation for the GOP primary.

Carney believes the Strib editorial should be looked at a kind of "silent endorsement" of his candidacy. While the Star Tribune's editorial said almost nothing about Emmer, the editorial said Carney: "offers moderate Republicans... an option on the primary ballot".

On Monday, August 2nd, Carney also posted Tom and me -- episode three -- another in his continuing series challenging and critiquing Emmer.  In the Tom and me series, Carney has assailed Emmer's extreme views, his disregard for the process of "a republican form of government," and his combative, volatile temperament. Tom and me -- episode three examines Emmer's promotion of a Tips Credit for servers, and Emmer's subsequent denial that he advocated cutting the wages of servers. "This denial flies in the face of the facts, as Tom and me -- episode three clearly demonstrates," Carney said.  The video is embedded at Carney's news and information web site: www.republicancontract.com.

Carney's outstate travel continues, with trips planned to Duluth, Northfield and St. Cloud. Last week Carney visited Austin, Mankato, Marshall, New Ulm, Owatonna, Red Wing, Rochester, and Winona. So far, the Austin Daily Herald, the New Ulm Journal, and the Marshall Independent have published articles about Carney's candidacy. A week ago the Star Tribune published an op-ed article by Carney, examining how a Governor Emmer could use unallotment powers to effectively seize control of core Legislative functions: setting policies and priorities through appropriations.

The Strib editorial appears to favor Carney

The Strib editorial concluded Carney's “politically ineffectual” effort “reveals how near to extinction the once-dominant moderate faction of Minnesota's Republican Party has become.”

However, beyond this reasonable characterization of Carney's results to date (but there's a week to go!) the editorial was entirely positive about Carney, saying:

• Carney's candidacy is “principled”

• Carney “offers moderate Republicans who have not followed Horner out of the party an option on the primary ballot.”

• Carney's budget is “realistic” and “more detailed than any yet seen from Emmer.”

If you can't say anything good about someone...

“By contrast, the Star Tribune's silence about Tom Emmer's candidacy is deafening,” Carney said.

“It's not unusual to see an editorial dismiss token or perennial candidates without further comment. However, it is unprecedented for the Star Tribune to take this approach for a top-of-the-ticket Republican candidate who was endorsed unanimously at a state convention.  This just demonstrates how seriously our Minnesota Republican party has gone off the rails,” Carney said.

The editorial noted Mr. Emmer is the Republican endorsed candidate, and said Carney's “realistic” budget plan was “more detailed than any yet seen from Emmer.” Those two statements are the entirety of what the Star Tribune wrote about Emmer.

“This is as close as the Star Tribune could possibly come to saying absolutely nothing about Emmer. It brings to mind the old saying: 'if you can't say anything good about someone – don't say anything at all,” Carney said.

 

Carney: Emmer's deeply flawed candidacy must be stopped

Carney believes Emmer's continued candidacy would be a disaster for the Minnesota Republican party in 2010. Carney's Tom and me video series has already detailed Emmer's:

• Refusal to engage in debate or discussion about issues (episode one)

• Advocacy for what appears to clearly amount to secession from the union (episode two)

• Advocacy of an ill-conceived Tips Credit for servers; some of whom according to Emmer were earning disproportionate compensation of "well over $100,000 per year" (episode three)

"When I began this campaign, I announced I would be running in the primary. Frankly, this was with the expectation that I would be running against Marty Seifert, and would be able to challenge him on what the Governor's role should be in 'a republican form of government.' I expected to be able to make progress on important 'process' issues -- including unallotment -- and ultimately to be able to support the nominee from the primary," Carney said.

"However, as I have studied Mr. Emmer's positions closely, and have observed how he operates, I've become convinced that Mr. Emmer simply must be replaced on the Republican ticket," Carney said. "I plan to do all I can to see that this happens -- both before the primary, and if necessary beyond the primary," Carney said.

Carney's assessment of the failing Emmer candidacy appears to be backed up by both the Star Tribune's "slack jawed editorial silence," and by a recent Star Tribune poll, showing Emmer would lose to either Senator Mark Dayton or Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Kelliher by about ten points. "Emmer's base of support is about 30 percent in both match-ups," Carney said.

If Carney does not win the Republican primary, he plans to continue his journalistic work beyond August 10th, -- with more episodes of Tom and me, and with additional video and print based journalism projects involving other candidates.

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