Bad Blood Between Entenza & Hatch

Based on this article, there's no other way to describe the 'relationship' between the DFL's nominees for governor and attorney general.
Entenza acknowledged Tuesday hiring the firm but insisted that his purpose was merely to understand the attorney general's office better. A confrontation followed, both Hatch and Entenza acknowledged Tuesday, and the incident is evidence of chilly relations between two top DFL candidates for statewide office in November. Entenza is running for attorney general this year with DFL endorsement. Hatch is the DFL endorsee for governor. "He just wanted to know who was behind it," Entenza said, describing the confrontation. "He said...he would have preferred that I talked to him...Mike and I talked and it ended there." Hatch recalled: "I told Matt, 'If you want information, get it directly.'"
When Entenza says that he hired this firm to better "understand the attorney general's office", he's lying through his teeth. Entenza used to work in the AG's office. Here's what Entenza's campaign website says:
A former Deputy Minnesota Attorney General and Hennepin County Prosecutor, Entenza worked in charities enforcement and later specialized in white-collar crime. "My first job is consumer protection and consumer safety."
Michael Broadkorb of Minnesota Democrats Exposed said "Nice try Entenza, but we weren't born yesterday." I'll modify Mr. Broadkorb's line a little and say "I may have been born at night but it wasn't last night."
There is evidence that the tension has persisted. In the past year, Hatch has talked with five potential opponents of Entenza about whether they'd run for attorney general. In an interview this week, he questioned Entenza's ability to act as a watchdog over the health care industry, a hallmark of Hatch's tenure as attorney general. Entenza's wife, Lois Quam, is a top executive for one of the nation's most controversial health care companies. "I hope he can wall himself off," Hatch said, referring to Quam's UnitedHealth Group company. "I think [America's] health system stinks. I want an attorney general who is going to be very active in this area."
It's obvious that Matt Entenza's got some serious conflict-of-interest issues concerning his wife's company. That's why Hatch's talking with five potential opponents for Entenza has merit. That said, I don't blame Mr. Entenza for being upset with Hatch's recruiting opponents, either. Personally, it wreaks of hand-picking one's successor, a most egotistical thing to do.
Hatch said in an interview that he determined that Bustos had been working for Gragert Research, a Chicago firm usually aligned with Democratic candidates that does opposition research on Republicans. He has declined to explain how he made the link.
Perhaps Mr. Hatch has used them before? Or friends of his have used them before? We might not get the answer from Mr. Hatch since that information might be embarassing to him.

"He and I have been working together," Entenza said. "We're doing fine."

Anyone believing that should call me ASAP. I've got this really neat bridge in Brooklyn that's a can't miss type of investment. I just hope that Jeff Johnson takes a step back & watches the imminent trainwreck.



Posted Thursday, July 13, 2006 2:36 AM

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