Monthly Archive for May, 2007
I’m new to this whole internets thing well, okay, at least to having a vicious Editor in Chief like Matt breathing down my neck for content everyday. Antagonizing online is something I’ve done for a long time.
But in my search for something to write about I was struck by this post on MYDD. MYDD for those who don’t know is one of the bigger national blogs, a venue I would like to think is full of well informed commentary etc.
I was wrong.
Yesterday the Strib was falling over itself to document the breathless reception Tim Pawlenty (Hockey-hair — MN) was receiving in Washington and how the rumor mills kept kicking up his name as a possible second fiddle to John McCain (Angry Old Man — AZ).
TPaw’s political ambitions have been detailed over and over again, from CityPages cover stories to gossip in the Washington rags, and again on Friday on this blog. Thankfully the Strib in the midst of fawning over Pawlenty owns up to the fact that during the midst of a session he thinks it’s more important to skip to New Hampshire and stump for an unpopular and broke candidate than it is to stay home and take care of business.
The Strib article points out that Minnesota is going to get a lot of attention in 2008, from one of the most vulnerable Republican senators in the country, the 2008 RNC and our status as a battleground state in the Presidential race, which makes you at least wonder; since the NRSC already has boots on the ground tracking Al Franken and Mike Cirisi is there an RNC staffer giving the Governor his morning apple, brushing that flowing mane and whispering in his ear what a pretty pony he is?
I’ve been consistently impressed with Franken over the past few months. He’s clearly very bright, he knows the issues better than anyone, he’s good on the stump, and he can raise the cash. That being said, the last line from the interviewer still drives home a sore spot for me: “remember, this is the state that elected professional wrestler Jesse Ventura Governor.”
City Pages’ “The Blotter” has the details:
Another big name is leaving the ranks of local journalism. For those keeping score, now it’s longtime Strib metro columnist Doug Grow.
“It’s time to pursue other opportunities,” Grow cracks sarcastic when reached on his office phone by Blotter. “Many a VP has left our company in pursuit of other opportunities, and now it’s moving down the ranks.”
Grow, one of the few opinion scribes in town who actually infused his writing with a novel concept known as street-level reporting, has applied for one of the 50 buyout packages offered by the Newspaper of the Twin Cities that go into effect June 1. “Nothing is final until then,” Grow notes with just a touch of trepidation. “If I wake up on May 31st terrified that I’ve never had a real job, then maybe I’ll stay on.”
The USA Today-ization of the Star Tribune continues…
Since many of you probably don’t recognize those names, here is some information on each:
Huntley is chair of the Health and Human Services Finance Division (and the House author of the Smoking Ban), Simon is an Assistant Majority Leader, Murphy was formerly the Executive Director of the Minnesota Nurses Association, Tschumper is a dairy farmer, and Winkler went to Harvard (take that Dartmouth).
Huntley’s endorsement is a minor coup. Overall, this list is not overwhelming in its size (in fact, if this is the extent of Ciresi’s committed House support, this is disappointing to say the least) but all the members on it are well respected in the caucus. Three of the members are freshmen (Murphy, Tschumper and Winkler) and normally I would not put a lot of weight on a freshman endorsement, but about a third of the House DFL Caucus are freshmen and they have more influence than the typical class.
As the right decision.
Walz wrote a column in the Winona Daily News establishing why he voted for the bill.
“Some advised me to vote against continued funding for the war, in order to show my unhappiness with the way the president has handled it. I could not do that. I came to Congress to make hard decisions on behalf of the people of southern Minnesota, and in this case, I believe my first responsibility is to ensure the safety of those Minnesotans who are serving in Iraq by making sure they have the resources they need. The president may be willing to play a game of political chicken with our troops, but I am not.”
Tim Walz doesn’t represent a liberal district, and he made the right choice for his constituents and for himself. With the Republican party politicizing his every move he has responsibilities and his actions have repercussions that pundits and bloggers couldn’t imagine. A vote against this bill would like spraying bodily fluids into the wind (PG rated blog and all). The President can hold the nations troops hostage, wailing away like a child throwing a temper tantrum refusing any bill that doesn’t have his stipulations on it. Tim Walz is an American hero, and with this vote, he stood up for all of the rest of the American heroes in Iraq and Afghanistan ensuring that they have the support and the funding they need, because our dry drunk emperor would continue to play this dangerous game of chicken with them.
Tim Walz deserves our support. Not just because he’s a Democrat, not just because Minnesota is better off with him in Washington, not just because Washington is better off with Tim Walz there; but because he made the right decision by himself and his constituents.
You help Tim fight off the forces of Icky by donating here.
Rep. Wardlow, who exactly is your boss, the people of district 38B or Marty Seifert?
My name is Sean Broom and I am a new blogger at MNPublius.
I’ll get it out of the way now because I know how you harpies are; I am not paid to blog, nor am I in the employ of any political candidate, cause or party. I am employed by the University of Minnesota and am at least by extension an employee of the state of Minnesota. I will not blog during my workday. I will discuss Higher Education funding with impunity. And I will inform the readers of this blog if any of these things change. I am currently listed somewhere as a John Edwards supporter, and I have not decided nor am I publicly supporting any candidate for Paul Wellstone’s Senate seat… yet.
Now that we have all of that unpleasant stuff out of the way:
I was raised a Republican. And not just any Republican but a government-hating, gun-toting, redneck southern Republican. I’m no longer a Republican and I don’t hate the government but I still like guns and will be a redneck till the day I die. My political and personal heroes are Michael Collins, Winston Churchill, Harry Truman and Hubert Humphrey. I can recite at length passages from HHH’s speech to the 1948 DNC and I credit it largely with my road to Damascus conversion to a Democrat.
I’m the immediate past chair of the Minnesota Young DFL, and currently I am one of the DFL’s directors. This means I will be a delegate to next summer’s endorsing convention and I look forward to sharing with and engaging all of you on the road to sending Nahm Coleman into retirement so he can spend more time with his wife… in California.
I like to cook, talk about music and read incredibly long mind numbingly boring books. And I will take all comers in marathon cut-throat sessions of Axis and Allies.
To Democracy,
Sean
Oh well, hope you like your congestion.
People Are Shouting
RSS