I’ve never hidden the fact that, as a conservative, I don’t agree with Tarryl Clark very often. For that matter, I don’t agree often with any liberals. Still, I can recognize talent even if I disagree with what they’re saying. At this point, I don’t see the talent of Zach Rodvold, especially after reading this:

The campaign manager for Bachmann’s opponent in the Sixth District, Tarryl Clark, issued an unrelated fundraising appeal to supporters on Monday attacking the Stillwater congresswoman for these types of speaking engagements.

“Congresswoman Bachmann will spend 2010 just like she spent 2009, promoting her personal agenda and continuing to obstruct reform,” Zach Rodvold wrote. “She’s already booked to travel across the country, speaking at Tea Party Conventions and raising money from her national conservative base.”

It isn’t that Mr. Rodvold is suggesting that Tarryl won’t be “raising money from her national [progressive] base”. After all, she’ll be accepting tons of PAC money from now until Election Day. After all, she’s already accepted 10’s of thousands of dollars from unions. I think it’s that he’s jealous that Michele Bachmann has a donor base that dwearfs Tarryl’s.

Rodvold’s statement that “Congresswoman Bachmann” is obstructing reform is laughable in the extreme. Last year, Tarryl said that the Legislature couldn’t find more than $500,000,000 in budget cuts and cost savings:

Hauser: You can talk about reform all you want but reform inevitably ends up meaning that some people that are getting state services now won’t be getting them after this reform, whether it be in HHS, whether it be in education, early childhood, any of those things.

Tarryl: Sure, and an estimate, a good estimate would be that maybe we could figure out how to save about $500 million.

I pointed out in that post that $500,000,000 represented 1.4 percent of the budget at that time. Anyone that thinks there’s less than 2 percent waste or inefficiency in a state budget isn’t a reformer. That’s how a status quo advocate spins things.

Let’s face other facts, too. Washington needs tons of reforming. It’s foolish to think that sending a former lobbyist like Tarryl to the lobbyist capitol of the universe will spark a reform revival, especially considering her already-cozy relationship with ‘Bike Path’ Jim Oberstar:

I’m proud to support my friend, Senator Tarryl Clark, in her campaign for Congress.

Tarryl is a seasoned, experienced legislator. She knows her district, and she knows central Minnesota. She knows the needs of the people of this area, their economic needs, their transportation needs, and their community service needs. She knows how to work in a legislative environment, to work across party lines and to bring people together for a consensus to build a better future for us in Minnesota.

Tarryl is a winner-she’s already won in this district. With your support, she will win this campaign and serve the people of Minnesota effectively.

We need Tarryl in Congress and you can make sure she gets there. Please join me in supporting Tarryl Clark.

Rep. Oberstar’s penchant for loading up transportation bills with low-priority earmarks is legendary. The fact that he’s praising Tarryl for knowing her constituents’ transportation needs speaks volumes. That’s code for ‘I’ll make sure she brings home the pork.’ That isn’t reform. That’s business-as-usual.

There’s nothing in Tarryl Clark’s record that says she’s a reformer. In fact, I’d argue that there’s nothing in her history that she’s anything but a dotrinaire liberal.

Next time Tarryl runs for higher office, she should find a major league talent to handle communications. She didn’t do that this time.

Technorati: Tarryl Clark, Jim Oberstar, Earmarks, Pork, Transportation, Lobbyist, Spending, DFL, Michele Bachmann, Reforms, GOP, Election 2010