Angie Craig criticized Peggy Flanagan for fraud dodge

At a recent debate, Angie Craig flashed anger at Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. According to the WSJ, "In a recent debate, Rep. Angie Craig flashed anger as she connected the [edicaid fraud] scandal to progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, her opponent in the state’s Democratic Senate primary." Craig then said "It pisses me off that you completely put all of the responsibility on the governor of Minnesota when you were the No. 2 elected leader in Minnesota during that period of time. Republicans, they are going to have a field day with this with you."

Looking back at the debate, it's apparent that the DFL-DSA picked the DSA over the supposedly more moderate Craig. In last Tuesday's primary, Flanagan defeated Craig 59%-39%. What's still undetermined is how many of Craig's voters will stay home or vote for Michele Tafoya. During Tafoya's recent 'earned media tour', Tafoya made clear that Tafoya's campaign would target 'disaffected DFL voters' that "think that the DFL has left them." Then there's this:

Craig holds views closer to the center, as was the case for the defeated candidate in Michigan, Rep. Haley Stevens.

Total losses from fraudulent meal, housing and Medicaid programs remain unknown, but estimates range from $300 million to billions. The scandal prompted Walz to abandon his bid for a third term.

Attacks against Flanagan have shown up in ads run by a group backing Craig. "When Tim Walz trusted Peggy Flanagan to take the lead on housing programs, Flanagan failed," one ad claims. "She missed the fraud. Her work was called a dereliction of duty."

Craig's advertising pave the way for the Tafoya campaign against Lt. Gov. Flanagan. Tafoya can start negative with Craig's ad criticizing Flanagan, then finish with Tafoya saying something like 'if you elect me, I won't sleep my way through my time in office. I'll protect your hard-earned dollars starting the minute I'm sworn in.' That way, she criticizes Flanagan first, then finishes positive. This is rich:

Flanagan declined an interview request, but her campaign provided a statement that called fraud “unacceptable” and suggested “significant reforms” have been enacted. “Congresswoman Craig’s attack is a distraction,” the statement said. Earlier this year, Walz’s former chief of staff, Chris Schmitter, testified at a congressional hearing in Washington that Flanagan attended multiple meetings where Minnesota’s misuse of federal funds was discussed.

State Rep. Larry Kraft, a suburban Minneapolis Democrat backing Flanagan, acknowledged the scandal “is going to be an issue in the election.” But Flanagan, he said, isn’t responsible for the hiring at or managing of state agencies involved.

Kraft said it was "unexpected" for Craig to join Republicans in trying to pin the scandal’s stink "on any Democrat." He called it a "disservice" to what is known in Minnesota as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

KARE11's report of the Craig-Flanagan debbate on TPT.org/Almanac:

Flanagan will throw tons of mud at Tafoya, though I don't think it'll work. Tafoya is a happy warrior who's constantly wearing a smile on her face. It's difficult to portray someone as the villain when they're constantly smiling.