Trouble In Paradise?
According to the Strib, “Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar is facing a new obstacle: The local union representing her staff is asking that she be denied the endorsement of its parent group, the powerful American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).”
In a letter this month to union leaders, local president Jim Appleby, an assistant Hennepin County attorney, said Klobuchar had denigrated office lawyers publicly and privately, taken credit for their work, damaged morale and “created a hostile work environment.”
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The two-page union letter said Klobuchar’s management style had resulted in increased grievances, and “qualified personnel from her own and other public offices have been rejected because her priority has been to choose [job] candidates who support her ambitions.” The letter also said that Klobuchar “has used the publicity from the many successfully prosecuted criminal cases to give the public the false impression that she was actively involved in those cases. She was not.” The letter continued: “She presents herself as a dedicated public servant…when her only dedication is to her own self-promotion.”
Forgive me if I don’t believe that this isn’t a passing storm that others will certainly try and portray it as. This is a genuine rift between Ms. Klobuchar and her employees, which are part of a powerful activist group in the DFL. This rift is also likely to get exploited by Mark Kennedy in ads this fall. If Mr. Kennedy uses this article properly, he can box Klobuchar in while filling in her ‘bio’ with his ads.
That’s a big advantage because he defines the personalities. The only good part (for Klobuchar) about an article like this is that it comes well before the public starts paying serious attention. That’s where the quality of campaign that Kennedy runs will matter. Based on past campaigns, I expect him to run a strong campaign and win Dayton’s seat.
Cross-post at LetFreedomRing
February 19th, 2006 at 6:54 am
I don’t know if this is really a disadvantage in the general election. It looks like she refused to support the public sector union’s demand for a 22% wage increase! That plays pretty well with the broader public, though not with the Democratic activists.