Remember: we still need help volunteering for tomorrow and Election Day! Go to http://www.tinklenberg08.com/volunteer/ to sign up!

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As Election Day nears, we need volunteers to help us Get Out The Vote to elect El Tinklenberg to represent you in Washington. Please visit http://www.tinklenberg08.com/victory/ and sign up for shifts to volunteer between now and Election Day. Every shift counts and helps us reach hundreds of voters.

Also be sure to check out our daily videos of El traveling around the 6th District before Election Day. Check back every day to see the latest installment. Click here to see the videos.

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The Star Tribune is going to endorse El Tinklenberg in tomorrow's newspaper. This is a great summary of the campaign and why El is the best choice in this election. Check it out below:

Sixth District: Elwyn Tinklenberg

Back when Don Poss signed on as the Blaine city manager in the 1980s, someone asked why he’d want to work in a northern suburb then known mostly for sod farms and mobile home parks. Poss, the project manager who brought in the Metrodome on time and on budget, liked Blaine’s city officials — particularly its young mayor, Elwyn Tinklenberg — and their forward-looking plans.

Today, Blaine’s the home of the National Sports Center, the TPC golf course and neighborhoods that many young professional families call home. Other suburban officials now tour Blaine to see how growth can be done well. Poss gives much credit to Tinklenberg for the transformation, saying he had the vision and good people-management skills to make it happen.

A former Methodist minister and state transportation commissioner, Tinklenberg is the Democratic nominee in the Sixth District, where he is running against lightning rod Republican incumbent Michele Bachmann and Bob Anderson, a Woodbury man with scant political experience who has not been endorsed by his Independence Party.

While Tinklenberg’s been criticized for not running a feistier campaign, he would be a tonic for partisan-riven Washington. He’s an accomplished, level-headed politician who put in his time at the local and state level and has achieved much through consensus-building. Tinklenberg’s deep expertise in transportation — a key issue for this north suburban district — has already proven a valuable asset. He had the foresight to push for Hwy. 610 — a critical area artery — and the Northstar commuter rail, set to open next year.

Bachmann has little to show for her two years in office — three minor bills, one of which recognized the state’s 150th birthday. The incident earlier this month when she went on MSNBC’s “Hardball” and accused Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama of possibly harboring “anti-America” beliefs and calling for the media to investigate her colleagues to see who was “pro-America or anti-America” just adds to the list of bizarre incidents and statements that undercut her credibility as a political leader.

Bachmann is a culture warrior for the far-right; clearly, that’s been her priority. This north-suburban district is hard hit by foreclosures and the economic downturn. It deserves a U.S. House representative who’s practical, focused and results-oriented: Elwyn Tinklenberg.

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Another endorsement for Tinklenberg! Read the endorsement below or on the St. Cloud Times website.

Our view: Tinklenberg deserves the House seat
Times Editorial Board

This is one of several Our Views offering the Times Editorial Board’s opinion on Election Day races and issues. Endorsements reflect the majority view of the board. Members are Times Media President and Publisher Bill Albrecht, Executive Editor John Bodette, Opinion Page Editor Randy Krebs, Times Media employee representative Mark Hessler and community representative Dorrie Larison.

Voters in Minnesota’s 6th District should elect challenger Elwyn Tinklenberg as their next representative in the U.S. House.

Tinklenberg is a moderate Democrat with experience in local and state government. (He was mayor of Blaine and was state transportation commissioner under Gov. Jesse Ventura.)

He is an ardent supporter of improving transportation options, which is among the most important issues for the fast-growing district. He also backs reforming No Child Left Behind and, more importantly, wants to make sure the federal government delivers the funding it has promised for all of its many education mandates. On the global front, he advocates for a responsible withdrawal of U.S forces from Iraq and an increased U.S. presence in Afghanistan.

Overall, Tinklenberg will face the typical learning curve as a freshman representative, but he already has a fairly firm grasp on many issues. In addition, his support from and connections with 8th District Rep. Jim Oberstar, a power player on transportation issues, could benefit the 6th District, especially if Democrats control the House.

About Bachmann

Incumbent Rep. Michele Bachmann has simply made too many serious errors in judgment to deserve a second term.

Look no further than the Stillwater Republican’s recent appearance on MSNBC’s “Hardball.” Even if you side with her statement that she was trapped and didn’t know the “Hardball” environment (despite 23 appearances on similar shows since elected), it should not have taken her almost four days to appear in the district and offer an explanation/apology.

And then there was the debacle she created with comments made in February of 2007 in a Times Media podcast. In that case she clearly claimed, based on classified briefings, she knew of a plan to split Iraq and turn half of it into a “terrorist haven” to launch attacks in the Middle East. When pressed for details, she failed to fully explain herself and tried to blame her words on others.

As for her positions, those even seem to be changing of late. When we asked Tuesday about what should happen next in the financial crisis, she talked of providing stricter oversight. That sounds very contradictory to her comments early this month about “hyper-regulation” as a cause of the crisis and statements alluding to less, not more, oversight.

We asked about Iraq. She said she sees the U.S. role concluding there soon now that Iraq has a stable government and cash reserves. That is almost the polar opposite of her position since elected.

Independence Party candidate Bob Anderson is well-intentioned but simply not prepared.

The bottom line is 6th District residents need a House member who reflects moderate positions and when standing in the spotlight, provides clarity and credibility. In her two years in office, Bachmann’s provided little of either. Tinklenberg deserves his chance. More importantly, voters simply deserve better.

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Wow. More great news today!

Minnesota Public Radio released a poll this morning also showing Tinklenberg slightly ahead of Bachmann. Again, the margin means we're still in a statistical dead heat, but it's getting clear that the work of our volunteers is creating momentum and we can win this if we keep working hard through Election Day.

And The West Central Tribune also endorsed Tinklenberg today. Check it out:

Editorial: Tinklenberg is the best choice for 6th District

West Central Tribune - 10/24/2008
Minnesota’s 6th District congressional race has turned into an evolving race. Sixth District voters have a choice of Republican incumbent Michele Bachmann, Democratic challenger Elwyn Tinklenberg and the alternative choice Bob Anderson.

The 6th District runs from Paynesville to St. Cloud and then south across Wright County and the northern Twin Cities suburbs to Stillwater and Woodbury. St. Cloud is the largest city in the district with the suburbs of Blaine and Woodbury close behind.

The choice is simple for 6th District voters — elect Tinklenberg, the conservative Democrat. Bachmann has simply become an embarrassment for the district and Minnesota.

Tinklenberg has significant government experiences — first as a former Blaine City Council member and mayor and then as state transportation commissioner during the administration of Gov. Jesse Ventura. This background would be beneficial to the district.

A former United Methodist minister, Tinklenberg received both the Democrat-Farmer-Labor endorsement and the Minnesota Independence Party endorsement for the 6th District seat.

Bachmann has become out of touch with her district as well as reality at times. She has remained steadfastly aligned with President George W. Bush until recently when she said Tinklenberg was more aligned with Bush. Her recent “anti-American” statement and call for an investigation into unpatriotic lawmakers is an embarrassment to Minnesota and the Republican Party. Her gushing embrace of the president at the 2007 State of the Union address was teen-idol overwhelming. She also spoke of knowledge of a secret plan between Iran and al-Qaida to divide or partition Iraq.

The accomplishments of her first term are highlighted by her unflattering gaffes. In fact, the National Republican Campaign Committee pulled its advertising support from Bachmann this week. She is becoming isolated within her own party.

Anderson is a dental technician from Woodbury. He is a first-time candidate with little viability this time around.

Voters in the 6th District should elect Tinklenberg to Congress. He is the best candidate in this race. He will represent the district and Minnesota in a respectable manner.

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Two great pieces of news this morning!

First, last night KSTP TV released a Sixth District poll that shows Tinklenberg ahead by 3 points! It's important to remember that a lot can change in 11 days, and statistically speaking, the race is still a dead heat. This goes to show that the hard work of our volunteers is paying off, and if we keep it up, we can win this thing!

Second, ECM Newspapers came out and endorsed El Tinklenberg today. Read it after the jump.

ECM ENDORSEMENT: It's Tinklenberg in the Sixth District

Friday, 24 October 2008
Michele Bachmann made a compelling case for her re-election during a recent interview with the ECM Editorial Board, but in the end it was Elwyn Tinklenberg who won the group’s endorsement.

The former Blaine mayor and state transportation commissioner has a long history of demonstrated effectiveness. The list of accomplishments that have his fingerprints all over them include the National Sports Center in Blaine, a Highway 610 project that languished decades before he began to chase it down, the Hiawatha Light Rail Line and the Northstar Commuter Rail Line.

He will be the first to tell you he was not alone in these endeavors. His mode of operation has been pulling people together, forming bi-partisan coalitions and accomplishing things, an approach that is often missing in Washington, D.C.

Bachmann has made headlines as a vocal opponent to the recent $700 billion bailout plan, which we won’t fault her for. We’re glad she has shown the ability to part ways with a Republican president when she deems it necessary.

And, she scored a lot of points while explaining the financial crisis on Wall Street and what she pushed for as a member of the financial services committee, but we are troubled that she chose to hang onto information so tightly when she could have been back here in her district and out in front of chambers of commerce explaining the pending implosion. Instead, she waited for the bright lights of Larry King Live to come calling to share most candidly and her most methodical campaign swings that passed over candidate forums in favor of photo opportunities.

We appreciate her strong stance on the bailout, but we question her wisdom in calling for resignation of fellow Congressional leaders. We fear that her polarizing approach to her work will work against her and make her less effective in the future.

She has a record of opposing even the most strongly supported bipartisan initiatives, including the mental health parity and addiction equity act, the mortgage forgiveness debt relief act and the credit card holders’ Bill of Rights.

And while tending to matters at home in her district she found time to pillage legislative candidates who voted their conscience on the state’s transportation issues, but had to leave early from our one-hour endorsement interview.

What really sealed her fate, however, was her unwillingness to later answer point-blank questions about a bridge project in St. Cloud and the Northstar Commuter Rail. We find it disingenuous that she wears a Northstar lapel pin but won’t comment on whether or when the line should ever be extended to St. Cloud and Rice.

We understand her concerns about earmarks and even share some of them, but we fail to understand how she cannot stand up for her own district on crucial local votes to deal with a deteriorating bridge in her district.

Tinklenberg will fight earmarks, but not at the expense of constituents on critical projects.

The pro-life candidate would have been an even stronger challenger two years ago when the DFL Party chose Patty Wetterling instead. We are pleased to see the fire in his belly stoked with the recent surge in interest in his candidacy after comments by Bachmann on another national television news program.

We would like nothing better to see Tinklenberg become the only former state transportation commissioner on the House Transportation Committee, especially knowing that it will soon be time to re-authorize the transportation equity act. He could be a powerhouse for the Sixth District.

It’s our view he will be focused on creating jobs. He always has been as a minister, mayor and transportation official.

Tinklenberg will work on a safe, responsible plan to withdraw troops so they won’t be in Iraq for an indeterminate amount of time.

Tinklenberg believes access to health care is an ethical issue, and he prefers an approach that would marry private insurance options with a public alternative.

It’s the Editorial Board’s view that he will push for accountability in education and work against undermining public education.

Tinklenberg supports domestic exploration for oil to identify and protect our nation’s reserves, and agree that Americans should not be fooled into thinking that having 3 percent of the world’s known oil reserves puts the United States in a position to dramatically effect prices at the pump. He says “Drill Baby Drill” is nothing more than a Drain America First approach. Tinklenberg believes in pursuing energy alternatives robustly and promoting energy conservation, and so do we.

Tinklenberg’s even willing to side with President Bush on occasion when he rolled out immigration reform plan that touted an earned process toward citizenship.

We like that both candidates have concerns about a host of issues important to people in the Sixth District, but we feel Tinklenberg’s approach will bring progress on these fronts locally and for our country. We fear that Bachmann’s approach will further polarize our elected officials. (This editorial is an opinion of the ECM Editorial Board.)

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El Tinklenberg toured the Sixth District today to introduce his plan to create jobs and rebuild local economies. Tinklenberg visited the Forest Lake Chamber of Commerce, Blaine’s National Sports Center, the Woodwinds Health Campus in Woodbury, the new East Ridge High School in Woodbury, and businesses on Main Street in Stillwater. In response to questions on his infrastructure plan, Tinklenberg released the following statement:

"My first act in Congress will be to introduce an aggressive plan to improve our country’s failing infrastructure, from roads and bridges to schools and wastewater treatment facilities. My proposal will rescind the lavish tax breaks given to oil companies and invest the money in America’s infrastructure to help get our country’s sagging economy back on track."

Based on Federal Highway Administration data on the correlation between highway infrastructure investment and employment and economic activity, Tinklenberg said even a $15 billion investment plan would create over 700,000 jobs and $93 billion in economic activity.

"Unemployment is at a twenty year high in Minnesota. We now have 2.5 unemployed people for every 1 job available. Our policy of neglect has also resulted in a decade-long stagnation in wages. Workers are under enormous pressure to get second or third jobs and spend even less time with their families.

"We need a comprehensive policy shift that reaffirms good jobs at good wages as the basis of a thriving economy. It is time to get serious about investing in improving our failing infrastructure and increasing our energy efficiency, and in the process, creating the kinds of jobs that will help rebuild Minnesota’s economy."

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The LA Times has a great story about the recent momentum in our race (it was on the front page!).

Michele Bachmann's rival reaps benefits of her 'Hardball' comments

Minnesota Democrat Elwyn Tinklenberg's campaign was lagging until the GOP congresswoman suggested Obama and others may be anti-American. Now people from around the U.S. are pitching in to unseat her.

By P.J. Huffstutter

October 23, 2008

Reporting from Blaine, Minn. – Elwyn Tinklenberg is living the long-shot candidate's political dream.

There weren't enough chairs for the volunteers crammed inside the four-room campaign office Wednesday morning. Every time aides hit "refresh" on their computers, hundreds more online donations appeared. Downstairs, the postal carrier spent 10 minutes trying to cram a two-foot stack of envelopes stuffed with checks into the mail slot.

"It's been raining money," said Beth DeZiel, 39, the campaign's dazed deputy finance director. "There's so much, we can barely keep up. It's unbelievable."

But this unsolicited good fortune -- $1.3 million since Friday -- isn't based on anything the Democratic former mayor and grandfather of seven did. It's all because of something his rival, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, said.

On Friday afternoon, Bachmann appeared on MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews" and made what has been dubbed the million-dollar mistake: Bachmann, 52, alleged that presidential candidate Barack Obama may hold "anti-American" views, and proposed a media investigation into "the views of the people in Congress [to] find out: Are they pro-America or anti-America?"

While Sen. Obama's presidential bid has transformed the way campaigns use the Internet to reach volunteers and donors, the technology has also become a way for the public to instantly react -- even to races in which they can't vote.

Those quick reactions, often in the form of donations, can influence the outcome of a campaign, said Julie Barko Germany, director of the Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management.

Barko German said "the Internet can be an amplifier," enabling viewers to react instantly to something that incites strong support or fury.

"It's an excellent fundraising tool," she added, citing research indicating that "when you show someone a video online, they donate 10% more."

Bachmann's interview has turned the race into one of the country's most intensely watched. It also unleashed an online backlash against Bachmann, who many local political observers assumed would easily win reelection.

President Bush won the district in 2004 with 57% of the vote. In 2006, former state Sen. Bachmann was heralded as the first female Republican to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the district, which is dominated by blue-collar and farming communities.

And this summer, one of the few polls conducted in the race showed that Bachmann held a 13-point lead over Tinklenberg.

But on Wednesday, the National Republican Congressional Committee pulled all of its TV advertising supporting Bachmann in the 6th District, according to a GOP source. Since her "Hardball" appearance, Bachmann's lawn signs have been vandalized. Callers spew profanity at volunteers and obscenities about the congresswoman at her district campaign office.

Bachmann has retreated from her statements at nearly every campaign stop. She blamed the brouhaha on falling into a "trap" she said Matthews laid for her, and on having her words twisted by bloggers.

"This has been a game of telephone gone into overdrive -- nothing more," said Bachmann spokeswoman Michelle Marston. "A week ago, our competitor had no name identification. If they think that they'll win by throwing a million dollars worth of mud, I can tell you right now it won't be enough."

Marston said Bachmann's campaign also had seen a jump in contributions, from sympathetic donors who feel she's being unfairly targeted. But Marston said she didn't know the specific amount.

At the time Bachmann was on "Hardball," Tinklenberg was watching a college hockey game and stumping for votes in the bleachers. The cheers drowned out the sound of his cellphone ringing.

"By the time I looked at it, my voice mail was full," said Tinklenberg, 58, who served as Gov. Jesse Ventura's transportation commissioner from 1999 to 2002 and now works as a transportation consultant.

"It was family, friends, neighbors, supporters," Tinklenberg said. "Everyone was asking, 'Did you see what she said?' "

Since then, the campaign -- whose eight staff members had gone Dumpster-diving for office furniture and the wire wickets used for lawn signs -- has become flush.

The majority of the funds have come electronically. Of the more than 20,000 online donations, 3,210 came from Minnesota. An additional 2,405 people donated from California, and 2,330 from Texas.

Thousands of people have called the campaign office, offering up their credit card numbers. Some gave the maximum $2,300, but most offered far smaller amounts, $3 or $5, along with a message of support and an apology for not being able to give more.

"I'm a registered Republican and I have never made contributions to political campaigns," wrote one 66-year-old donor. "I wish I could send more." In a greeting card with a fuzzy white kitten on the front, another donor wrote, "What your opponent said on Chris Matthews was sickening! Hope you can defeat her!"

People who said they couldn't afford to give cash have been dropping off food for Tinklenberg and the staff -- platters of apple strudel, pots of chicken noodle soup, paper bags stuffed with oatmeal cookies.

Now, Tinklenberg said, the campaign is trying to find ways to spend so much money in so little time, so he can get out his message on ways to attract jobs, improve public infrastructure and expand public transportation options. His staff is frantically contacting local TV and radio stations to snap up available advertisement spots, installing more phone lines and placing orders for stacks of boxes of campaign literature.

"I'm not happy she said what she said," Tinklenberg said. "But we certainly are benefiting from it."

Huffstutter is a Times staff writer.

p.j.huffstutter@latimes.com

DeeDee Correll contributed to this report from Denver.

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