Target targeted over pro-Emmer ad

LGBT and progressive groups are upset that Target Corp. made a donation to produce an ad backing Republican Tom Emmer for governor. Target gave $150,000 to MN Forward, a pro-business and largely Republican political action committee that made an independent ad urging voters to support Emmer. OutFront Minnesota, Alliance for a Better Minnesota and a handful of other groups have begun to push back against the retailer, which is often seen as a huge backer of LGBT causes. OutFront wrote a letter to Target CEO Gregg W. Steinhafel: "Emmer stands alone among candidates for governor in opposing equality for GLBT Minnesotans. Target should not stand with him. Target Corp. has long been a strong ally of Minnesota's GLBT community and OutFront Minnesota and many other GLBT organizations have looked to Target as a model of the corporate support for diversity." The group added, "Because of this, OutFront Minnesota is disappointed and appalled to learn that Target's political action committee recently contributed $150,000 to a right-wing political group called Minnesota Forward, which is working to elect State Representative Tom Emmer–a candidate with a long history of attacks against GLBT Minnesotans and their families for his own political gain."