Ouch: Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., Has Just One Donor From His District

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Ouch: Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., has just one donor from his district

By: John McCormack

Weekly Standard

10/14/10 5:10 PM EDT

Remember those signs that 18-term incumbent Jim Oberstar of Minnesota might be in trouble?

First an internal GOP poll showed Republican Chip Cravaack, a former Navy and Northwest Airlines pilot, trailing Oberstar by just three points–42% to 45%. Then came a couple of surprising anecdotes: the AP reported a local union nearly endorsed Cravaack, and there was such interest in the campaign that the debate–scheduled at 8 a.m. on a Tuesday–had to be moved to a larger venue.

Well, no surprise here, but it looks like we have confirmation that the interest isn’t being generated by Oberstar supporters. Politico reports that the Obamacare and cap-and-trade supporting Oberstar had just one donor from his home district this past quarter:

With a potentially competitive race developing back home in Minnesota’s 8th District, Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar collected a contribution from just one resident of the district between June 22 and Sept. 30, according to a federal election report filed Wednesday.

Jane Robbins of Pine City gave Oberstar $500 on Aug. 22.

Other than that, all of his contributions came from political action committees, Native American tribes or individual donors in other districts and states.

In all, the veteran Iron Range Democrat, first elected in 1974, collected just $233,102 in receipts over the time period. By comparison, fellow Minnesotan Michele Bachmann, a Republican firebrand, pulled in $5.4 million between July 1 and Sept. 30.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinio...l#ixzz12cQHzXfe