The man's becoming a cariacature of himself...

From a Republican press release:

“The Chicago-based researcher hired by Rep. Matt Entenza to seek data on the workings of DFL Attorney General Mike Hatch's office also inquired with a local sheriff about a parking ticket Hatch got in 2003. Thursday's revelation shows that V.J. Bustos' search for data extended beyond Hatch's professional duties and into his personal life. Entenza, the DFL-endorsed candidate for attorney general, has denied trying to dig up dirt on his fellow Democrat, now the party's candidate for governor. ... Last year, Entenza rejected as 'fantasy' an Internet report that he had hired a private investigator to look into Hatch. He said Thursday that he didn't believe a researcher qualified as an investigator.” (“Research On Hatch Went Deeper Than First Reported,” The Associated Press, July 13, 2006)

Talk about spying. Hey Minnesotans--do you really want this yahoo to be the top law enforcement officer in the State of Minnesota?

Not that I really want Entenza to drop out of the DFL side of the A.G. race--I think that right now, a doorknob could beat him.

****UPDATE****

The Pioneer Press has more (emphases mine):

Rep. Matt Entenza, the Democratic candidate for Minnesota attorney general, apologized Thursday for hiring a political researcher who a year ago requested documents on Mike Hatch's office spending and then went further and conducted a background check that included investigating a parking ticket Hatch once got.

"I can understand that the attorney general would be upset about it," the St. Paul state representative said of Hatch, who is the current attorney general and a Democratic candidate for governor. "I'm upset about it, and I'm apologizing.

In a conference call with reporters — his second of the day — Entenza said he only learned Thursday afternoon that Gragert Research, the Chicago firm he hired, did anything more than request public records about Hatch's spending.

As information about the scope of the investigation of Hatch continued to dribble out, Entenza repeatedly said he never asked for, or wanted, the "opposition research" on Hatch that the firm performed. And he repeatedly accepted responsibility for the whole affair.

"The buck stops with me," Entenza said. "I take full responsibility for it. It shouldn't have happened."

But the unseemly circumstances of one Democratic candidate collecting potentially embarrassing information on another Democrat and the appearance that Entenza repeatedly tried to deny or play down his actions may damage his credibility as a candidate.

Voters will have to decide: Is Entenza believable when he says he had no political purpose in seeking records on Hatch's office, that he only wanted to update himself — a former assistant attorney general — on the way the office operates?

Entenza repeatedly said Wednesday and Thursday that he no intention of digging up something that might to embarrass Hatch. He said his only objective was to learn about the office. Entenza has long talked about succeeding Hatch if Hatch ran for governor, but it is not clear how the records he sought might help him achieve his goal.

After the parking ticket investigation was revealed Thursday, Entenza theorized that someone at the Chicago firm wanted to demonstrate to potential Minnesota clients that the company was good at opposition research on candidates. He said his campaign manager, John Van Hecke, was advised in 2005 that the Gragert firm had done additional research on Hatch, but that Van Hecke did not accept the documents the firm had assembled.

"I am very embarrassed that this was apparently done because somebody thought I would be impressed with their research skills," Entenza said.

Mmmmm....Yeahhhhh...that's the ticket! (no pun intended)

As Entenza pointed out Thursday, Gov. Tim Pawlenty won election four years ago, despite paying a $600,000 fine after his campaign accepted illegal contributions of campaign advertising from the Republican Party.

Yeahh.. point out wrongdoing from another guy... that'll exonerate you---NOT! (in my job, I've personally seen the same tactic from second graders--so much for taking responsibility).

(Filed under moonbat adventures, elections)