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A Minnesota hotel CEO is gunning for a congressional seat currentlyheld by one of the state's most polarizing leaders, a woman who hasbecome a conservative celebrity not just in Minnesota, but acrossthe country. Jim Graves, a Democrat and CEO of Graves World Hospitality, hasnever held elected office and is running against Michelle Bachmannin one of Minnesota's most conservative districts, which has tippedeven further to the GOP's side by redistricting. [ See a collection of political cartoons on the Tea Party. ] Bachmann has represented Minnesota's sixth district since 2007 andhas earned a reputation as a tough minded legislator who doesn'tstray from her ideals. Despite mounting obstacles, Graves hopes his hometown appeal willhelp beat one of the most popular conservatives in the country. "I feel really confident, and I am not being delusional,"Graves says. "I come from the district, and I am a verymoderate person." Bachmann heads into the race with major campaign experience afterseeking a bid for the GOP nomination for president, with somereferring to her as the "Tea Party Queen." "Congresswoman Bachmann campaigns on her record of results inCongress and a dedication to conservative principles," saysChase Kroll, Bachmann's campaign manager. "She is working onsolutions for the issues our constituents face: energy costs,unemployment, and burdensome regulation." [ See photos of Michele Bachmann. ] Bachmann also enjoys the strong support from the state GOP. "Michele Bachmann is increasingly a power within the MinnesotaRepublican party," says Larry Jacobs, a professor of PoliticalScience at the University of Minnesota. "When she firststarted she was on the fringe, and now she is on the throne." But Bachmann approaches her re-election without a strong record ofgetting much done in Washington. Recently a bill she sponsored tobuild a bridge from Minnesota to Wisconsin passed out of the Houseof Representatives. But while she was running for president,Bachmann was repeatedly criticized for having never had any of hersponsored legislation signed into law. "I got into the race because I think America can dobetter," Graves says. "I think Michele Bachmann is partof the problem and not the solution in Washington. The antagonisticapproach, the polarization, and all the gridlock is not a goodthing." Graves also faces a fundraising disadvantage. While campaignfinance reports show his campaign has just over $85,000 on hand,Bachmann's congressional campaign is sitting on $642,480. Reports also show that Graves is one of three vying for theDemocratic nomination in the sixth district, but neither BrianJoseph McGoldrick nor Anne Nolan seem to have established campaignsthat could compete against Graves or Bachmann. In the first quarter, the FEC reports show Nolan had less than$5,000 on hand and McGoldrick appears to have nothing on hand. Bachmann's deep coffers have come after she has made strong appealsto her network of national supporters, even issuing a May E-mailasking for donations to help her defeat the "liberaljudges" who she says redistricted her in an effort to"wipe [her] off the political map once and for all." In fact, three of the five redistricting judges were appointed under a Republican or independent governor. "Michele Bachmann likes to have a lot of cash aroundher," says Jacobs. "She likes to have it in reserve incase something happens." Graves says he is not concerned about being outspent, adding thathis fundraising efforts have only just begun. "We just effectively started really fundraising six daysago," Graves says. "There is no question that MicheleBachmann is a virtual ATM machine and is going to raise a lot ofmoney. We just need enough money to get our message out, and I amconfident we will raise that.". The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Cavitation RF Slimming Machine , RF Screen Manufacturer, and more. For more , please visit Laser Diode Controllers today!
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