Here.
This press release is responding to this piece from Bachmann's campaign:
Statement of David Strom, President of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota:
It has come to my attention that State Senator Michele Bachmann’s campaign has distributed a literature piece which claims that Senator Bachmann has the highest cumulative Taxpayers League voting record of all the candidates in the years 2000-2004. Bachmann’s literature further claims an average of 96% from 2001-4, and an average of 95% for Representative Krinkie.
This is not accurate.
State Representative Phil Krinkie scored 100% on the Taxpayers League scorecards in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and in the year left out of this average, 2005. By our reckoning, Representative Krinkie’s 5 consecutive years of 100% voting records comes out to an average of 100%, not 95%. So the correct comparison would have Krinkie with 100% and Bachmann with 96% during this period. Representative Knoblach’s correct cumulative score for that period is 79%.
In addition to this error, I would like to point out the fact that the most accurate and relevant comparison of voting records during the period of time that all the candidates have served in the Legislature would include the year 2005. For the period of time that Representative Krinkie and Senator Bachmann have served in the Legislature together, Krinkie has scored a cumulative 100% voting record with the Taxpayers League, and Bachmann a 92% voting record. Representative Knoblach’s cumulative score for that period is 75%.
Therefore it is not accurate to say that Senator Bachmann has “outperformed” Representative Krinkie’s at any time during which they served in the Legislature together, whether or not you include the scores for the 2005 legislative session. Thus the claims in the literature piece (pictured on back) are not accurate.
For the fullest possible understanding of each of the candidate’s voting records, you can review scorecards dating back to 1999 on the Taxpayers League website at www.taxpayersleague.org. I have also included along with the literature piece in question a record of all the candidates' scores from 2000-2005. Senator Bachmann did not serve in the Legislature in 2000 and hence has no Taxpayers League Score, but her literature piece mentions that year, so we included those scores below for comparison.
Senator Bachmann has been an outstanding State Senator and has been honored as a Friend of the Taxpayers for 4 out of the 5 years the Taxpayers League has rated her voting record. However the Taxpayers League of Minnesota cannot stand by while any of the candidates distribute literature that presents a distorted or inaccurate set of facts about the Taxpayers League ratings. At best, the literature piece in question was sloppy with the facts.
The tip of the spear, sloppy? Say it isn't so! It was well worth it commenting on this matter on David Strom's blog. |
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