Congratulations to the new parents and good luck raising your own little liberal, continuing the fight against the forces of icky.
Monthly Archive for December, 2007
Page 2 of 3
MNPublius would like to send out congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Powerliberal on the birth of their daughter, Violet Jane.
I didn’t make the CD3 forum last night but that snazzy guy Joe Bodell did — and his write ups can be found at his website; Minnesota Campaign Report: The Second Name in Minnesota Liberal Political Snark. He’s got up some photos from the event and a write up.
In his analysis I was dismayed to hear about the bologna in disrupting Jim Hovland when he disagreed with the crowds sentiments. In the end Joe gave the night to Madia.
If it were a standard debate, there was only one choice: Madia by several lengths. In an event sponsored by veterans’ and peace organizations, Madia started with a statement about his background as a Marine, establishing his bona fides on Iraq (having served there) and didn’t stumble.
[Update] The Big E over at MNBlue has another great write up on the debate, you can check it out here.
I did just completely steal that headline from the press release.
I’ve got to say — I understand why Sen. Bonoff’s campaign needed to write a proposal like this, it’s something the caucus goers want to hear — I chuckled to myself while reading the headline of the press release and thought “That would be like me putting out a press release ‘Sean Broom Outlines Plan For Ending Poverty.’”
There is nothing new or specific up on her website but we’ll inform of when she does put it up. The entirety of the press release after the jump More »
The Star Tribune confirms the story we broke last night.
Rep. Mark Olson has a newfound sense of mission, but not a party caucus.
Olson, who was convicted earlier this year of misdemeanor assault against his wife, has been expelled from the House Republican caucus. But he vows to vigorously defend the seat that he has had since 1992, even if his own party mounts an aggressive campaign to knock him off.
House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, said on Tuesday that the caucus voted to expel Olson last week pending any successful appeal or if Olson, of Big Lake, is reelected to the House. With caucuses scheduled in less than two months, Seifert said, Olson’s expulsion cleared up his status to anyone else who might be interested in running. Olson had previously been suspended from the caucus…
…Olson’s permanent expulsion from the caucus, which was first reported as a possibility in the blog MNPublius, means that Olson does not have the staff or financial support of his party’s resources, such as research, information technology or media assistance. Last session he was provided an assistant just for the legislative session.
The Iowa Electronic Markets have successfully predicted every election since they were founded in 1988. The Hollywood Stock Exchange and the Popular Science Predictions Exchange have both been very successful, the HSE predicted 32 of 39 Oscar winners and PSPE has been a great predictor of technological advancements. And in an admission that will probably make the heads of the more liberal readers of this site spin, I thought that the Policy Analysis Market was a good idea.
What does all of this have to do with the Minnesota Senate Race? It’s no sure fire bet this far out, but on Inklings Market, another predictive market has Al Franken beating Norm Coleman for the first time in the life of the market. (Al’s the green line).
This isn’t the pebble that puts Al’s campaign over the mountain, but it’s a really cool concept and one I’m going to keep my eye on as we get closer to the election.
Here’s hoping that the markets will be as kind to the DFL candidate in November.
John Kline, Representative from Minnesota’s Second Congressional District decided not to submit any appropriations requests this year. From his Congressional website
WASHINGTON — Congressman John Kline (R-MN) issued a statement today regarding earmarks in the appropriations process:
“At the beginning of the 110th Congress I decided not to submit any appropriations requests for projects until integrity is restored to the earmarking process. That integrity is not yet restored. Therefore I have requested no earmarks in any of this year’s appropriations bills.”
This is surprising, because last year he was proud to announce earmarks in the appropriations process!
BURNSVILLE — Congressman John Kline (R-MN) joined Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson Tuesday, March 21, at the State Capitol in St. Paul to announce that Minnesota is receiving $12.5 million from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for improvements at veterans homes in Hastings and Silver Bay….
“This is a fine example of our state and federal agencies working together…” Congressman Kline said.
Come on kids, you know what’s changed in the meantime. Representative Kline isn’t in the majority! Representative Kline either picked a really awkward time to decide that the ‘integrity’ of the appropriations process was in question. Or he’s just playing a silly sanctimonious game. Sure I’m biased, but I’m going with “silly sanctimonious game.”
Just a few days before this story hit, I received a Google news update on Representative Kline:
Left-turn lane to be added to U.S. 61 at Frontenac Station
“…. Four and a half years have past since 16-year-old Lisa Klennert died after the car she was riding in was rear-ended by a semitrailer on U.S. 61 near Britania Avenue in Frontenac Station….
Two years later, on Aug. 22, 2005, Rep. John Kline announced at a Florence township meeting that Congress had appropriated $640,000 to be used specifically for highway improvements in Frontenac. That was later reduced to $545,000. The balance, $455,000 of the estimated $1 million project, would be funded by the MnDOT.”
This is a great example of what the appropriations process can do right. A local need was remedied with a little support from the Federal Government. It’s not a bridge to nowhere, it’s not a fake rainforest in east Iowa, it’s widening a dangerous intersection. And now that he’s on the minority end of the appropriations process? Well, then he’s just going to pack up his ball and go home!
If you believe it took him 4 full years to realize this, 4 full years where he exploited the policies, 4 full years of silence at the orgiastic spending of his Republican chums, 4 full years of pimping out the bacon he brought home without a pang of guilt, and that now, miraculously when his party isn’t setting spending priorities he’s grown a backbone and stood up for what he believes in? If you believe all of that, I’ve got a bridge I want to talk to you about.
Posting has been light here for the last week or so as Matt and I gear up for law school finals, but Sean has been doing great work picking up our slack. Hopefully, things will get better after the next ten days and we’ll be back at full force after the Holidays.
Anyway, I wanted to take a quick break from preparing for my Torts final to let everyone know that the DFL candidates in the 3rd CD will be debating tonight at the Hennepin County Ridgedale Library. Eric Black will moderate. Here is the information:
Tuesday, Dec. 11
7-9 p.m.
Hennepin County Ridgedale Library, Rohlf Room
12601 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka
Now back to studying the negligence regime…
A reliable source has informed MN Publius that the House Republican Caucus expelled Rep. Mark Olson during a recent meeting.
As I write this, I am attempting to confirm this story.
House Republicans suspended Olson earlier this year, but our source informs us he is now officialy expelled.
John Kline (Doofus — MN02) has announced that he won’t take any more earmarks in appropriations bills.
This is just plain cockamamie, and I can only hope it’s shortly followed by ‘I, John Kline, will be resigning from the United States House of Representatives because I have decided that I no longer want to take part in the most paramount of Congressional responsibilities, holding the purse strings for our country. I am also a nimrod.’
We’ll discuss more of this later, but first, I’d like to take a second to wag the finger at the Star Tribune.
The three pictures below are screen shots of the Star Tribune’s website taken approximately at 4pm today. (click on each to see bigger versions) This pretty fricking important story is found once on the front page, in an easily lost link on the left side — to the Strib’s “McMemo” political blog (see the arrow in the first). You must click on the “National Politics” section to find a link to the story, where it doesn’t get headlines — no — a 6 day old story about one of Tim Walz’s opponents graces the top of the Politically Connected/National Politics/US House section; the link is further down the screen on both the generic National Politics page, and even further down the screen on the National Politics/US House page.
Crap guys. Crap.
I always feel a bit guilty putting up completely non-political exercises in personal indulgence on the blog but, hey, it’s Saturday and Sean did it below anyway. So, here’s my problem: I’ve been sitting in a library pouring over books for what seems like eons and I’ve essentially run out of music to listen to. iTunes says I have 10 days of music in my library (so let’s hope I haven’t actually exhausted it all) but nonetheless, I’ve taken to listening to Christmas music ad nauseam I guess because it reminds me that there’s something in this world happier than law school finals. My point is this: what Christmas songs should I buy that I don’t already have? I won’t take up anymore time on the front-page with a list of what I do have, so join me below the fold if you actually care.More »
If there is one thing I love about the holidays it’s the opportunity to listen to the David Bowie-Bing Crosby version of “Little Drummer Boy” unceasingly for days on end.
I don’t know what marketing genius was high off his tuchus when he thought that up, but whoever that guy is, through the haze of years long gone, kudos to you homey. I usually occupy my time thinking about the things that the ol’ Binger and Bowie talked about, like child rearing and the things men do when alone with each other.
So I have given myself a test. I must refer to this awesome Christmas classic 10 times between now and Christmas. Sure it’s going to be difficult in 18 scant days to find things in the political realm to compare to a hideously awesome Christmas song. But if anyone can do it, I can.
For your Christmas enjoyment. David Bowie and Bing Crosby.
A bonus! Another spectacular Christmas song, Fairytale in New York by the Pogues! (Warning the language can be a little blue, but how can you hold it against a face like this?)
Spoke with JNP last night, had a good 15 minute discussion with him. Told him I liked his stances on Universal Single Payer and gay marriage that I disagreed with his stance on Iraq and many of his foreign policy positions as well as a few others.
It was a good conversation as I was pacing back and forth doing dishes and laundry. And it dawned on me while speaking to the professor. I don’t have a problem with Jack — I don’t agree with him and hey! I don’t agree with lots of folks. But, I can’t stand his supporters.
It came to me while trying to reconcile the candidate with this gibberish.
I understand that in the hurlyburly world of political campaigns you want your guy/gal to win. You think that your candidate is right, and preferably, you believe that the other candidates are less right. You don’t just make s#!% up though!
Why? Because 2008 is going to be about change. Not “experience.” Not “staying the course. Not “full-steam ahead slow” as polling from Iowa, where Barak Obama is pulling ahead of Hillary Clinton makes clear. When the country is experiencing strangulation, triangulation is not what’s called for.
In Minnesota, meanwhile, Al Franken is a Hillary Democrat: a “centrist” whose positions on Iraq and Iran reflect a political center-of-gravity that appears to exist nowhere but in the think tank ether inside the D.C. Beltway and on Sunday morning talking head shows. The electorate already has buyers’ remorse over Amy Klobuchar. It’s not in the mood to send her clone to the Senate next year.
No. When it comes to the general election, the Democrat with the best shot of knocking off Norm Coleman is Nelson-Pallmeyer…
(emphasis mine)
The author of this post is grasping so desperately at straws that he has to impugn the other candidates, make stuff up, and ignore the majority of folks in Minnesota and in the country who don’t agree with you (or Jack Nelson Pallmeyer).
The made up stuff? “The electorate already has buyers’ remorse over Amy Klobuchar.” Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? You mean, the most popular Minnesota Senator this decade? 61% approval overall, 77% among self reported Democrats, a stellar 72% among those who consider themselves moderates? Okay, so maybe there is buyers remorse among the urban peace activists who feel like she hasn’t been liberal enough, but the electorate is pretty fricking high on Senator Klobuchar.
The political center of gravity that exists no where except Washington? Yet more toro-poopoo. I’ve seen this time and time again, and I don’t think it’s JNP’s supporters — it’s the anti-war and ‘peace’ communities who looking down from gilded liberal towers don’t appreciate that not all Democrats think alike. That moderate political center of gravity exists in lots of places. Just not among the activist base in South Minneapolis. You know the people who unlike JNP thought (and many still do think) that the war in Afghanistan was just and right.
And finally, while Barack Obama streaks in Iowa, Hillary Clinton still holds a lead of about 22% nationwide (insert insipid comment by BigKahuna featuring smiley faces “koolaid… blah blah blah murse yadda yadda yadda bought and sold etc… here) — but why pay attention to that, it doesn’t fit into your narrative!
I liked my talk with Jack Nelson Pallmeyer, you can visit his website here, where he discusses at some length his positions. Like I told him, I don’t think I’ll vote for him because I disagree pretty profoundly with his positions on America’s foreign affairs, but he’s still got my ear for now. Some of his supporters on the other hand…
Senator Coleman launched his campaign blog and has put up several posts. Funny thing is, the Senator (or rather the Senator’s employees) can’t think of anything to say about himself, his issue stances, his record, or, really, anything having to do with why you might want to vote for him. Instead, he’s decided to showcase his obsession with Al Franken. The first three posts, which right now are the only posts, are all about Al Franken.
While this is mildly amusing in of itself, I think it points to a larger issue with Senator Coleman and his campaign as a whole: the guy doesn’t know what to run on. He seems to be afraid of putting issues center stage or, god forbid, his record as a US Senator. I mean, we elect this guy for a 6 year term and after 5 this is what he has to show for it? It’s still early, but if Senator Coleman wants to get Minnesotans to vote for him again he’s going to have to show them what he’s done for them over the past 5 years first. I know it’s a bit of a nightmare for the Coleman campaign, but sooner or later he’s going to have to start talking about his record.
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