MN-GOV

Dayton 'Disappointed' That Target (Founded By His Family) Donated To Pro-Emmer Group

Eric Kleefeld | August 25, 2010, 12:27PM

MN-GOV candidates Tom Emmer (R) and Mark Dayton (D)

Former Sen. Mark Dayton (D-MN), the Dem nominee for governor of Minnesota, is now chiming in on a controversy surrounding the business that was originally founded by his family: Target's $150,000 donation to a business group supporting Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Emmer.

As the Star Tribune reports, Dayton responded to the controversy while speaking to reporters:

Dayton: "Personally, I'm disappointed in that decision. I am very proud of what my father and his brothers, who are my uncles, and thousands of Minnesotans built as the Dayton-Hudson Corporation and Target is one of those subsidiaries. You know, my family's been out of the operating side of the business for about the last, almost the last 30 years. I don't hold any stock directly in Target in my own holdings. I don't know the percent of my family's holding in Target but I would estimate it is less than one percent of the actively traded shares in the company and certainly my family has no voice in the actions of Target corporation."

Reporter: "Had your family still be involved do you think that Target would have given to MN Forward."

Dayton: "I don't believe so. No."

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MN-GOV

MSNBC Rejects MoveOn's Ad Calling For Target Boycott

Eric Kleefeld | August 19, 2010, 1:53PM

A new ad from MoveOn.org attacking Target.

MoveOn has hit a bump in the road for its anti-Target ad, which calls for a boycott of the company as a result of its $150,000 donation to a business group running ads for Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. MSNBC, the liberal-branded national cable channel where MoveOn hoped to air the ad, has instead rejected it.

An MSNBC spokeswoman told the Associated Press that the spot violates the channel's policy against ads that directly attack an individual business.

It's not all bad news for MoveOn, though. The group says that local TV stations in the Twin Cities market are running the ad.

As we've documented, Target's involvement with the business group MN Forward, to which they donated $150,000, triggered a political backlash in this liberal state due to Emmer's right-wing social positions. The company said it was supporting the group because of economic issues, but the CEO has since apologized.

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MN-GOV

MoveOn Ad: Boycott Target For Pro-Emmer Political Donations (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | August 17, 2010, 12:42PM

A new ad from MoveOn.org attacking Target.

The Target corporation is continuing to face political heat over its donation to a business group supporting Republican Tom Emmer in the Minnesota gubernatorial race, with MoveOn now putting out a new TV ad calling for a boycott.

"Target and other corporations are trying buy our elections," the announcer says. "But if we all work together, we can stop them. Boycott Target. Our democracy is not for sale."

As we've documented, Target's involvement with the business group MN Forward, to which they donated $150,000, triggered a political backlash in this liberal state due to Emmer's right-wing social positions. The company said it was supporting the group because of economic issues, but the CEO has since apologized.

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MN-GOV

Target's Misfire On Emmer Support Shows Perils Of Post-Citizens United World

Eric Kleefeld | August 9, 2010, 9:36AM

The recent firestorm over the Target Corporation's support for Tom Emmer in the Minnesota gubernatorial race illustrates a major pitfall for companies in the post-Citizens United world: They are now free to spend money on political races -- but are at risk of being identified with a candidate's whole agenda, and not just the key issues they might like.

The lesson here is obvious: If you want to keep your brand clean of politics, keep your wallet out of the whole enterprise, too.

As we'd previously reported, Target gave $150,000 to MN Forward, a pro-business group backed by the state Chamber of Commerce, which is running TV ads supporting Emmer. However, this triggered a backlash from gay rights activists and some consumers in this liberal state, due to Emmer's support for a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and his close associations with the religious right.

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