Release after the jump…
Monthly Archive for November, 2006
The DFL Executive Director’s victory lap already took him to Jackson Hole - now Andy’s heading to DC with Tim Walz to chat with the DNC Executive Committee…
From the release:
On November 30, the Young Progressive Majority will hold their first Minnesota event at Grandmas Saloon in Minneapolis. The event will feature
US Senator-elect Amy Klobuchar, Rebecca Otto and Mark Ritchie as well as many newly elected or re-elected members of the Minnesota Legislature.“This is a great opportunity for young people to meet other progressives and get involved in politics in non-traditional ways,” said 33 year old event organizer John Lesch, who just got re-elected to his third term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. “We constantly need to find new ways of engaging young people in politics.What better way than at a bar just a stone’s throw from the University of Minnesota?”The event at Grandmas (1810 Washington Ave. S.) begins at 7pm, with
free food and drinks until 8pm ; a short program will commence at 8:30. Organizers are asking for a $5 donation at the door to defray costs, but guests can give more if they choose. For more information visit www.goypm.org.
Jon Stewart, in response to Glenn Beck asking Rep. Ellison to prove he’s not “working with the enemy”:
Just like as a conservatuive white guy the burden is on me to prove to you I’ve neither blown up a federal building with a fertilizer bomb…
Minnesota State House Minority Leader-elect Marty Seifert has staked out his all-powerful position in the State House, vowing to work with DFLers ‘where appropriate’. With a mere 21 seat seperation, he can certainly make life difficult for MAK.
Seifert’s badass exterior is on the public record, just
Interestingly enough, while Johnny Cash advocated for prison reform [the image is Cash meeting with Nixon in ‘72], and often performed in prisons to entertain inmates,
he suggested that if prisoners objected to his proposal to end deserts as a way to cut the state budget, they could “eat a tablespoon of lard.”
His bill failed miserably, because it would have prevented correctional facilities from providing prisoners the minimum nutrition stipulated by law. But that’s not all, Seifert also claims the proud accomplishment of passing legislation to double-bunk prisoners and reduce weekend meals for inmates.
Not very Johnny Cash-like Rep. Seifert, but we understand -
But hey, Seifert is a tough guy [Star Tribune]:
We are going to show the people of Minnesota the suburbs are more than just an instant cash machine for Larry Pogemiller’s pork projects … that we have some responsible alternatives.”
Yeah, I’m sure MAK’s pet pork - restoring LGA, property tax relief, education, and affordable health care - will go nowhere when Marty Seifert comes around…
It seems that Tim Walz’s drubbing of Gil Gutknecht has not gone unnoticed by Sen. Norm Coleman. In January, Coleman went on the record lining up behind his pal, John Thune, and supporting the DM&E Project:Coleman, R-Minn., said he preferred that the DM&E project not use federal money, but he supports the project. -Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) - January 7, 2006 - Rail expansion back on track
Interestingly enough,
I’m going to take a pass. It’s not the right fit for me, at least not right now.
With 21 Republican Senate seats up in 2008, and only 12 Democrat - who can blame him?
So - Thune is no longer going to head the most important national committee for vulnerable Senate Republicans seeking re-election.
Republicans must defend 22 seats and have more obvious vulnerabilities. At first glance, just three GOP senators — Norm Coleman (Minn.), John Sununu (N.H.) and Wayne Allard (Colo.) — look vulnerable
And, surprise surprise, today Norm changed his tune on DM&E. [Star Tribune]:
“If there isn’t a plan, then I’ll do everything in my prerogatives as senator to stop this project, either through the appropriation process or the legislation process.”
His political gain from allying with Thune gone, Coleman shows - again - how his positions change with his personal political situation. When Norm had something to gain from Thune, he was on-board with DM&E and unconcerned about the local opposition from the Mayo Clinic. Now that the winds have shifted and he recognizes how vulnerable he is in Minnesota, Coleman’s position morphs into something more popular. Weak.
Why doesn’t Coleman want Minnesotans to innovate by setting forward-thinking energy policy that drives alternative energy investment and creates jobs?
Sen. Norm Coleman Reportedly Readies Plan to Block Action on Global Warming [Minnesota Natural Legacy Campaign]:
Coleman is reportedly preparing a proposal to block states and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from limiting the pollution that causes global warming
Coleman has proven over and over again that he’ll say and do just about anything anytime it suits him politically. With how often he’s reinvented himself, let’s see if Norm starts talking about alternative energy anytime soon.
Minnesota and the planet need real leadership to deal with Global Warming, I wonder if Sen. Coleman agrees with his newly elected Republican colleague in the lower house that it doesn’t exist…?
Just because the title of this post is true and funny, doesn’t make it appropriate.
As lame as his sorta-true, kinda funny, way over the top attack website was, Stewart’s excuses for this mess are far lamer:Strib:
“It breaks down to some frat-blog type humor that never was meant to get out to the public…”
Ok, not so much. Stewart’s rabid partisan persona garnered him fans, and there was even significant speculation as to the identity of Rev. Rahelio. Never meant to get out to the public?
Regardless, Stewart was definitely engaged in the public debate via AHS - commenting about, soliciting input from, and linking to and fro…you know, blogging. Anonymous bloggers tend to be pretty far out there, and Chris was no exception. Being untethered by the pesky hindrance of having to stand behind what one writes seems to bring out the poor judgement in people.
“Bloggers associated with my campaign intended this web page to be private…”
I’m not sure if Stewart should step down, and it’s legally up to him to decide. I do think that he should man-up and do the authentic public mea culpa if he wants to quell the chatter from many sides calling for him to resign. As a Delegate to the Minneapolis City DFL convention that endorsed Stewart, I will say that weak excuses about “frat-boy humor”, “jokey conversation”, and phony intentions strike me as profoundly lame.
Tarryl is Assistant Maj. Leader, and Baak is Chairman of Tax Cmte…
Analysis later.
Reuters, CNN - it’s everything we hoped for, and more. We got US House, US Senate, Minnesota House, and an even larger Minnesota Senate : MAJORITY.
Let’s see what happens when real public servants actually start governing in Washington, and Pawlenty doesn’t have Sviggum to do painful press conferences validating his empty rhetoric…
Wire piece via the Strib - AP called Virginia for Webb.
Unbelievable - the majority of serious analysts were saying Democrats would take the House, but not the Senate. So much for punditry that late in the game, it seems they underestimated the American people’s desire for change.
Think about it - control of the most deliberative body in the world came down to about 7,200 votes.
Allen can still ask for a recount…will he…?
DEVELOPING UPDATE2: It’s 3pm, I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t hear anything else today…— — — — — — —
DEVELOPING UPDATE: As soon as I posted this I got a tip from a highly placed source familiar with the beats of the drums of the ongoing discussions within DFL Senate Caucus - State Sen. Larry Pogemiller (59) is considered the front-runner right now.
This is WONDERFUL news…did I mention I live in SD-59 
Strib has the wire piece from AP:
The definite candidates in the Senate are Tom Bakk of Cook, Ann Rest of New Hope and Steve Murphy of Red Wing. Other possibilities are Sandy Pappas of St. Paul and Larry Pogemiller of Minneapolis.
Who do you think will be the next State Senate Majority Leader? Who would you like to see running the upper house?
Pogemiller is a true progressive, an extremely intelligent and innovative lawmaker, and it would really round him out as a legislator to gain the consensus-building and leadership experience of running the State Senate majority caucus.
Larry is also one of the DFL’s leading tax policy wonks. A graduate of the University of Minnesota and Harvard, Master’s in Economics and Public Administration respectively - he knows how to make smart economic policy that ensures the upper few percent pay their fair share, and will work to end the economic squeeze on middle-class and low-income Minnesotans.
Photo from MNDaily, Cody Buckalew does great work…
[CNN]:
With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Ellison received 135,519 votes, Fine 51,896, and Lee, 51,250.
I hadn’t looked at the totals yet. For those that said a majority of voters would not support Ellison, it’s noteworthy that he beat Fine and Lee combined by over 30,000 votes…
Not really…ok the lawyers and money, no guns.
Last time I checked CNN, control of the United States Senate is going to come down to an absolutely razor-thin margin.
Webb is still up (I failed to mention Tester was called for Montana this morning), and if he can hold on, things are pretty rosy for Democrats in Minnesota.
Obviously, as the dust clears Matt and I are going to be discussing and providing analysis on all the huge wins in Minnesota.
In the meantime, a huge thanks to everyone who stopped by last night, the DFL, Minnesota Public Radio, and most importantly - all our readers for visiting the site, commenting, complimenting, and keeping us in line
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