October 2006

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Rowley racks 'em up

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

A spate of endorsements for the congressional candidate

As Coleen Rowley creeps ever-so-closer to respectability in this campaign season, a number of folks are suddenly comfortable throwing their weight behind her. The latest round of endorsements this week features a retired general and homeland security expert, along with a host of veterans and families of 9/11 victims.

"In voting for Coleen Rowley, Minnesotans will have an opportunity to
change the current corrupt politics-as-usual in Washington, DC," General Wesley Clark is quoted as saying in a Rowley for Congress e-mail. "To change the current state of affairs, we need to vote for someone who will lead with strong moral values and ethical responsibility who will stand up for what she believes is right."

Names of others listed in the e-mail who "stand with" Rowley as she comes down the home stretch against Republican incumbent John Kline in the 1st District are: Alice Hoglan (mother of United Flight 93 hero Mark Bingham), retired Air Force Colonel Ginny Johnson, Retired Major General Jerald N. Albrecht, Steve Silver (brother of 9/11 victim Valerie Silver), and Gail Dunham, President of the National Air Disaster Alliance and Foundation.

The purpose here would be to outflank old Col. Kline, himself a vet, on all things military. "All expressed their gratitude for the support Rowley showed for families in the aftermath of 9/11," the e-mail concludes, "as well as her continued support for military and veterans' issues."

Posted by G.R. Anderson Jr. at October 31, 2006 3:10 PM | Comments (2)

 

10/31 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

SCARY CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Jim Walsh recalls his discussions of the ghosts of First Avenue with a few staffers at the Walsh Files.

Sonny Rollins, Velella Velella, and Faggot are just a few of the acts playing this Halloween. Check out Chuck Terhark's City Planner at Culture To Go for a complete itinerary.

What happens if a werewolf bites a vampire? If you have sex with a zombie are you at risk of becoming one? Cecil Adams is the man with the answers at The Straight Dope.

THESE SCARY DAYS

The John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007, which was signed by President Bush on October 17th, 2006, in a private Oval Office ceremony, allows him to declare a "public emergency," station troops anywhere in America, and take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of the governor or local authorities, in order to "suppress public disorder."

An Idaho animal shelter has banned all black cat adoptions from mid-October through Thursday for fear they could be mistreated in Halloween pranks or sacrificed in some kind of ritual.

SCARY MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Max Sparber and Courtney Mault dive into Hollywood make-up artist Dick Smith's how-to book and photograph the results at Max and Courtney Make Monsters.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

SCARY TIME WASTERS

You'll run from the room screaming: Pop tart Mandy Moore singing XTC's Senses Working Overtime [via Shot in the Dark]

Humiliated animals in Halloween costumes

SCARY FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"It's an absolute monster! Maybe I shouldn't have said that. How uncouth of me!"

— Dame Judi Dench, discussing Casino Royale co-star Daniel Craig's penis

Posted by Corey Anderson at October 31, 2006 6:35 AM | Comments (3)

 

This week in City Pages: Wolves owner Glen Taylor speaks out

Filed under: Media

On Wednesday--that's tomorrow night for online readers--the CP cover story will be Britt Robson's pre-season interview with the remarkably candid Glen Taylor. Here's a short excerpt, on the subject of last year's trade of Wally Szczerbiak to Boston.

City Pages: What about the deal with Boston? Because I heard different things. I heard Banks was the key to it. Some people were saying the key was Ricky Davis because of his quickness and his ability to play defense and get up and down the floor on offense. But the one that really got to me is that you were trading a center who had an expiring contract, Michael Olowakandi, for a center who has a lot of money owed him for a lot of years down the road, Mark Blount. And Blount's skill set is such that it seems you are going to be asking Kevin Garnett to do a lot of the dirty work of rebounding and interior defense.

Glen Taylor: Yeah, I would say that the trade with Boston was pretty complicated. Even the reasons for doing it.

CP: You mean the friction between Garnett and Szczerbiak?

Taylor: I'm just saying there was probably more to it that had to do with Wally that we have chosen not to talk about--that Kevin has never said and we have never said. I am just going to say that no matter what I say, people are going to deny it. But I would say some things came to a head that forced us to get into something we didn't necessarily want to do. I think it would have been pretty dangerous for Kevin McHale not to do the trade. That kind of thing. And that's all I'll say about that.

Posted by Steve Perry at October 30, 2006 4:03 PM | Comments (0)

 

Mark Kennedy media man Scott Howell behind controversial Tennessee ad

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

Scott Howell, the man behind many of the television ads run this campaign season by U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kennedy, is once again the source of controversy for a spot he produced that many believe is in questionable taste. Specifically, Howell produced the attack ad shown below against Tennessee senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. The supposedly satirical spot includes a scantily clad white woman claiming she met Ford, who is African American at "a Playboy party," and closes with her saying conspiratorially, "Harold, call me." You don't need a poli sci degree to divine the odious racial backlash the spot is designed to stir: Even Ford's opponent, Republican Mayor Bob Corker of Chattanooga, has denounced it. (Text continued following jump.)

Before the flap over the Ford ad, Scott Howell made news by morphing a photo of Georgia Senator Max Cleland, a decorated war hero who lost the use of three limbs in Vietnam, into the images of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. And in a Virginia campaign ad against then Lt. Governor Tim Kaine, Howell's taste was again called into question when he created a spot that said, "Tim Kaine says Adolf Hitler doesn't qualify for the death penalty!"

The Nation is currently running a profile of Howell, who describes himself as a "Little Lee Atwater," under the headline "Character Assassin." It links to a revealing interview that author Max Blumenthal had previously conducted with Howell.

So why is Minnesota Senate candidate Mark Kennedy, who would have us believe he is Mr. Nonpartisan Independent, associating himself with this notorious attack dog?

Posted by Britt Robson at October 30, 2006 3:30 PM | Comments (5)

 

Only certain disabilities need apply

Filed under: Family

Minneapolis novelist Ann Bauer today has a column in the Washington Post describing her efforts to help her 19-year-old son, who is autistic, get a job. It's a fine, bittersweet commentary on trying to navigate life's milestones with a child whose world is ordered a little differently. In one of the most gut-twisting passages, Target rejects the young man because his handicap isn't "visible."

I took Andrew to Target, a company known for its history of working with disabled people. Only there's a catch: I was told when I called that their policy was to employ "visibly handicapped" workers. People in wheelchairs qualify, as do those with Down syndrome. My son, with his eccentricities and halting speech, does not. What's more, Target administers a computerized psychological screening test designed to eliminate people on the outer edges of the bell curve. People like Andrew....

...My son is one of many: Some time in the next decade, the Autism Society of America estimates, the number of people in this country who have autism will hit 4 million. I wonder if, when these children reach the age of 18, they too will be unemployable. Or if, perhaps, the work we're doing with Andrew now will mean a different experience for those who follow.

Read the whole thing here.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at October 30, 2006 2:35 PM | Comments (0)

 

CP's top 50 web features, 2003-present

Filed under: Media

For the curious, here's the result of an internal calculation we do every few months to track our all-time most read web features. (Blog entries aren't counted here, just print features as posted on the web.)

Posted by Steve Perry at October 30, 2006 1:38 PM | Comments (0)

 

Pioneer Press corrects Kline endorsement

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

On Saturday the St. Paul Pioneer Press corrected its endorsement of incumbent Rep. John Kline in Minnesota's second congressional district, saying that the endorsement had mistakenly blamed Kline's opponent, former FBI whistleblower Coleen Rowley, for producing a misleading negative video about Kline. Turns out the video was made by a local liberal blogger, Mike McIntee, who offered it to the Rowley campaign. He says Rowley declined to use the piece, saying she didn't like negative campaigns. The editorial was penned by a conservative blogger, Craig Westover.

The PiPress correction is here. McIntee's account is here. And Westover's blog is here. All three add up to an interesting glimpse into the paper's endorsement process.

Then again, maybe it's a simple case of a couple of partisans going overboard in favor of their causes.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at October 30, 2006 12:08 PM | Comments (2)

 

10/30 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Read about Mac Hammond's latest endorsement at American Idle.

Lousy traffic, tweaking piemakers, crappy tippers, drunken fratboys, and explosive diarrhea combine to engineer one of the worst nights Pizzaman has experienced on the Streets of Pizza.

Ward Sutton and the GOP try to scare up some votes at Sutton Impact.

GWAR, James Blunt, and Meg Tilly are just a few of the acts around town tonight. Check Chuck Terhark's City Planner at Culture To Go for a complete itinerary.

Timberwolves open thread at Balls!

THESE DAYS

A Kansas woman was cited in connection with campaigning illegally for having an anti-GOP bumper sticker on a car she parked near a mall that doubles as a polling place during elections.

For the first time, women in India have legal protection against sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse in their own homes under a law that went into effect last Thursday.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Liz is a St. Paul school teacher blogging about Iowa, enormous bunny statues, and alley flowers, using a plethora of photos at Liz-On-Line.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

This cat is the crappiest DJ I've ever heard

Family Guy spoofs Law & Order

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"I think it will traumatize the United States more than it will foreign nations who, to some extent, don't have a centuries-old concept of equating black with negativity."

— Rev. Cecil "Chip" Murray, longtime leader of L.A.'s First African Methodist Episcopal Church and a producer of the film Color of the Cross, which features a black Jesus

Posted by Corey Anderson at October 30, 2006 6:45 AM | Comments (0)

 

Political spending up everywhere except the Quam-Entenza household

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

Students of Minnesota politics may remember that state Rep. Matt Entenza and his wife, healthcare exec Lois Quam, made headlines during the 2004 election season for shelling out some $600,000 in political contributions. (Serious political junkies will also recall that $300,000 of that went to a Democratic political action committee that was subsequently fined $317,000 for not having it's t's crossed--a little dustup that drew attention to the donation, which was on the up-and-up.) Entenza, of course, was then positioning himself for a run for state Attorney General. That effort collapsed in July after Entenza admitted conducting a background investigation on current AG and gubernatorial hopeful Mike Hatch.

The Quam-Entenza household has been much more circumspect so far in the 2006 campaign finance cycle. On the state and federal levels, files compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics and Minnesota's Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board show Quam, who is the CEO of UnitedHealthcare's Ovations division, donating some $46,000 this time out, most of it in two large chunks: $25,000 to Minnesota's DFL in December 2005 and $10,000 to the state party again in August, after her husband had withdrawn from the AG's race. For his part, Entenza's giving in the '06 cycle totals about $77,000; $71,000 of that was doled out in 2005.

Extant from this total may be any contributions made by either Quam or Entenza to the so-called 527 committees, advocacy groups that spend money to influence public opinion about elections and political issues. Because 527s are regulated by the IRS and not by the Federal Election Commission, donors are much more difficult to trace. The Center for Responsive Politics, which examines federally focused 527s, shows no donation from the couple in the current cycle, but cautions that it doesn't track this spending at the state level. In general, however, 527 donations are down in the current cycle.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at October 27, 2006 10:47 AM | Comments (0)

 

Wetterling's deceptive anti-Bachmann ads: slime never sleeps

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

It's easy to make sport of Michele Bachmann, the state legislator who says God told her to run for the U.S. Congress, remains skeptical about global warming, and is best known for her opposition to gay marriage. By contrast, Bachmann's opponent, Patty Wetterling, entered political life as a powerfully sympathetic figure who had a son go missing nearly 20 years ago and has worked tirelessly to prevent the same from happening to other parents.

One would think Wetterling and her supporters would favor an honest, positive, issues-driven campaign. Nope. Apparently a sterling personal resume and fortuitous circumstances aren't sufficient. The ways in which Wetterling and her supporters have campaigned over the past six weeks stink to high heaven. Last week, a field organizer attempted to infiltrate the Bachmann campaign with a deceptive email, and was properly fired. Back in September, Wetterling produced an ad that took Bachmann's tepid support for a national sales tax totally out of context, not mentioning that the tax would replace many other taxes, and closing with the snide comment that Minnesota can't afford a politician like Bachmann.

More recently, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ran another ad that, if anything, was more cynical and deceptive than the sales tax attack. Using a single vote Bachmann made on an omnibus crime bill in the Minnesota Legislature (credit to Eric Black's blog, The Big Question, for that reportage), the DCCC ad paints Bachmann as soft on sex offenders and meth production near children. In fact, as Black reports, Bachmann had earlier voted for Republican-sponsored crime bills that provided tougher penalties on sex offenses than the bill that eventually passed the Minnesota House and also voted to criminalize meth production in places near children. Bachmann voted against that final bill because the DFL majority had laden it down with so many non-crime spending items.

Michele Bachmann's candidacy is likewise a textbook example of political nastiness and distortion--but Wetterling and her supporters are certainly doing their share when it comes to debasing the political discourse. If Wetterling can't beat Bachmann without unfairly labeling her opponent a big spender who is soft on crime and punishment issues, then she's just another pol willing to say or do anything to get elected.

Here's the DCCC ad, and below it a link to the Wetterling campaign's ad.

See Wetterling's national sales tax ad

Posted by Britt Robson at October 27, 2006 10:43 AM | Comments (15)

 

About that Big Stick

Filed under: Business

Why Mesaba might not use its trump cards

In recent days, beleaguered regional airline Mesaba got pretty much everything it wanted from the bankruptcy court: Permission to unilaterally impose wage cuts on its three largest unions and an injunction preventing union members from retaliating with a strike. But the deadlines laid down by the court have come and gone and the airline and its flight attendants, mechanics, and pilots are still at the bargaining table. So what gives? Maybe the bankers have spoken.

Associated Press business writer Joshua Freed, whose coverage of Mesaba's bumpy ride has been generally excellent, has penned what we in the trade like to call "an explainer."

Court orders barring strikes, like the one issued by a bankruptcy judge in Mesaba's case on Monday night, only apply to immediate walkouts. The unions could still strike if they convince the National Mediation Board that no deal is possible and a cooling-off period expires. And lenders generally prefer to see consensual deals even when the airline has been able to impose what it wants on workers, analysts said....

..."Lenders are always concerned about potential lingering conflicts, and if some type of consensus or agreement can be reached, the lenders are often more comfortable in moving forward with the financing that's necessary," said John Kasarda, a business professor at the University of North Carolina who specializes in aviation issues.

You can read the rest here.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at October 27, 2006 9:10 AM | Comments (0)

 

10/27 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

If you have sex with a zombie are you at risk of becoming one? Why do you always see just one shoe by the side of the road? You've got the questions and Cecil Adams is the man with the answers, as we welcome The Straight Dope to City Pages every Friday.

The tuba player from the Jaws theme is dead.

Stones Throw, Electric Six, and O.A.R. are just a few of the acts playing around town tonight. Check out Chuck Terhark's City Planner at Culture To Go for a complete itinerary.

THESE DAYS

The Canadian government has lodged a complaint with the Bush administration over a Republican election ad that belittles Canada as a global freeloader.

The ability to detect the metallic smell left on the skin after handling iron-containing objects like coins may have evolved for a more gory purpose: to help our hunter ancestors track down wounded prey.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Zap Rowsdower from St. Paul blogs about maps on toilet seats, God and Moses debating the minimum wage, and photogenic felines Franny Rose and Ida Mae at Factions, Fashions, and Fists.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Thanks to the Southern Poverty Law Center, you can find the hate group in your area.

A list of billionaire school dropouts

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Without wanting to be derogatory in any way, sometimes it is said that all black people look the same at first glance, and the same can be said that all Chinese people can look the same to a native Scot."

— Scottish Sheriff Margaret Gimblett, clearing Hui Yu, 23, a student from Beijing, of a motoring offence after dismissing evidence from two police officers identifying him

Posted by Corey Anderson at October 27, 2006 6:34 AM | Comments (0)

 

Little-known Minneapolis philanthropist is big donor to Dem 527s

Filed under: Politics

This year, the 11th largest contributor to the political advocacy groups known as 527s--with donations totalling $942,000--is a charitable trust in the name of philanthropist Alida Messinger, whose Federal Election Commission filings list three addresses, two of them in Minneapolis. A philanthropist with an unusually low profile, Messinger is the fourth child of John D. Rockefeller III, the sister of West Virginia Democratic Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, and the ex-wife of Minnesota's own Sen. Mark Dayton.

During the last presidential election, a kind of political advocacy organization known as the 527 committee came into its own. MoveOn and America Coming Together were the most visible examples of the 527s, which get their catchy name from the section of the U.S. tax code that enables their existence. The backstory of the committees' rise is a fascinating allegory on why trying to get big money out of politics is akin to trying to unscramble an egg; if you want to know more, feel free to step away from Blotter for a moment to read City Pages' July 2004 primer on this shady branch of the money trail.

The gist, for the purposes of this post: 527s gave Democratic candidates an unexpected boost because their rules--unlike the ones governing good old-fashioned campaign finance--allow unlimited donations from individuals. Individual Democrats have generally been thought to have more personal wealth than Republicans. And so back in the old days, aka the 1980s and '90s, limits on campaign spending by individuals worked to the advantage of GOP candidates, who tend to get their big money from businesses and other bundled-donations arrangements.

According to the campaign finance watchdog agency the Center for Responsive Politcs, Messinger's 527 contributions have gone to the League of Conservation Voters, the State Conservation Voters Fund, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, EMILY's List, America Votes 2006, Grassroots Democrats, and America Coming Together. Not too shabby, but also not nearly as much as the $3.6 million Messinger spent on 527s in '04.

To put that $4.6 million in perspective, Messinger's contributions to candidates and to party committees in the 2002, 2004, and so far in the 2006 cycles totals almost $700,000. Almost half a million of that went to the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, and another $100,000 to PACs and other party committees. Individual candidates--Messinger gave to nearly 50 here and elsewhere--divvied up the puny $100,000 remainder.

Messinger has also spent on state politics, earning her the dubious label "Liberal ATM Machine With A Taste For Attack Politics" and her own webpage on a Minnesota Republican Party website dedicated to lambasting Attorney General and gubernatorial hopeful Mike Hatch.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at October 26, 2006 2:53 PM | Comments (0)

 

The many loves of Bonnie Bleskachek: So how much is that on a per-date basis?

Filed under: Minneapolis

How much money has embattled Minneapolis Fire Chief Bonnie Bleskachek cost the city?

In March the first-ever female fire chief in the state of Minnesota was placed on paid leave and is yet to return to work. The reason: three separate lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court accusing Bleskachek of discrimination. In sum the documents paint a picture of Bleskachek, an out lesbian, using her position of authority to initiate sexual liaisons and punish underlings who didn't play along. The city launched an investigation that continues to this day. (See "A Hunk of Burning Love" for the full back story.)

According to the city, as of the end of last month that investigation had cost taxpayers $220,570.75. In addition Bleskachek earns a salary of $112,712. So in the seven months that she's been on paid leave the city has paid her roughly $65,000 to perform no work.

Then there's the costs of the litigation itself. Earlier this month the city agreed to settle two of the three pending lawsuits, paying Jennifer Cornell $65,000 and Kathleen Mullen $29,000. Both plaintiffs were also promoted to battalion chief as part of the settlement. The third case, filed by firefighter Kristina Lemon, is still pending. A settlement conference is scheduled for early November. In addition, the city hired private attorney Jerry Burg to represent Bleskachek. At present his billable hours add up to $7,125.

The grand total so far? $386,695.75.

And that's not counting staff hours devoted to dealing with the cases. According to the city attorney's office, employees spent 29 hours working on the two settled lawsuits and have so far devoted 5 hours to the still pending case.

Posted by Paul Demko at October 26, 2006 12:23 PM | Comments (0)

 

10/26 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Negativland, L.A. Guns, and Chooglin' are just a few of the acts around town tonight. Check out Chuck Terhark's City Planner at Culture To Go for a complete itinerary.

THESE DAYS

Twin sisters are more likely than other women to have a premature menopause, says Dr. Roger Gosden of the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York.

An abundant supply of milk, an increasing nationwide appetite for cheese, and some savvy marketing could soon propel California past Wisconsin to become the nation's top cheese producer.

A Florida police chief abruptly resigned after employees complained about his tough fitness talk in an e-mail entitled "Are you a Jelly Belly?"

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

John Gall of Elk River blogs about web publishing and marketing, with commentary on local news tossed in at beer234.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Tenacious D and LOTR's Gollum performing "Grease"

Six-word science fiction stories from Wired by William Shatner, Stan Lee, Joss Whedon and others

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"But here's what I really think about the theory of evolution: It's not real."

— actor Chuck Norris, in an article at World Net Daily, debunking some "Chuck Norris Facts"

Posted by Corey Anderson at October 26, 2006 6:43 AM | Comments (0)

 

10/25 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Jim Walsh remembers Paul and Sheila Wellstone at the Walsh Files.

Michael Franti & Spearhead, Transmission, and the Gleam are just a few of the acts performing tonight. Check out Chuck Terhark's City Planner at Culture To Go for a complete itinerary.

THESE DAYS

Dilbert creator Scott Adams, who lost his voice 18 months ago to Spasmodic Dysphonia, has announced his recent recovery.

Transgender people won the right to use any restroom operated by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority in railroad and subway stations in an agreement reached with a woman who had sued the agency for the right.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Kate Silver blogs on the attractiveness of Malcolm Gladwell, using models as bookmarks, and beef tongue burritos at K.S.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

The hilarious trailer for Men With Cramps [click on "Watch the Trailer Now"]

Alcohol + animals = hilarity

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"He was either off the medication or he was acting. He is an actor, after all."

— Political pundit Rush Limbaugh, criticizing actor Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson's Disease, for appearing in a political ad for Missouri senate candidate Claire McCaskill

"When people in Alabama get tired of kicking the ass of brown people, it's time to pull out."

— Loretta Nall, the Libertarian Party's write-in candidate for governor of Alabama, vowing to withdraw the Alabama National Guard from Iraq

Posted by Corey Anderson at October 25, 2006 6:51 AM | Comments (0)

 

Crime blotter: divine intervention

Filed under: Crime

On April 24, at approximately 9:18 a.m., Eagan police officers were dispatched to the Peace Reform Church on Glory Drive to investigate a burglary. Upon arrival, the cops were informed that four credit cards and $5 in cash had been stolen from a church employee's purse. The purse had been stowed inside a desk drawer in the church's office. An employee reported seeing a tall black male exiting the office at about the time of the theft.

That same day, at approximately 10:59 a.m., Eagan officers responded to a call at St. John Newman Church on Pilot Knob Road. There they were informed that a church employee's wallet had been stolen from an equipment room. A maintenance worker reported that he observed a tall black male wearing a mink coat exiting the building around the time of the theft.

At approximately 1:25 p.m. that same day, Eagan officers were contacted by the office manager at Grace Lutheran Church in Apple Valley. The church employee informed them that a wallet--containing $40 cash, two $10 Starbucks gift cards, a credit card, and a debit card--had been stolen from the church. The cops were also told that a possible suspect, a tall black male wearing a gray mink coat, had been captured on videotape. Officers went to Grace Church to view the tape. According to a criminal complaint subsequently filed in Dakota County District Court, the cops immediately recognized the suspect as Mark Anthony Vaughn.

Witnesses from the two earlier church thefts then purportedly picked Vaughn out of a lineup. In addition the suspect was subsequently linked to two other area burglaries. According to the criminal complaint, Vaughn stole a wallet from Convent of the Visitation School in Mendota Heights on February 24, and a purse from Koposia Education Center in South St. Paul on April 10.

Earlier today the 29-year-old was charged with five counts of burglary. According to records maintained by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Vaughn has 18 prior criminal convictions, including for check forgery and theft by swindle.

Posted by Paul Demko at October 24, 2006 5:13 PM | Comments (2)

 

Movin' on up

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

National Journal has updated its rankings of congressional seats most likely to switch parties in November. Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District is now ranked 24th, up three spots from the previous assessment, reflecting recent polls that show Democrat Patty Wetterling edging ahead of Republican Michele Bachmann. "Bachmann drew criticism after a prominent evangelical pastor endorsed her from his pulpit," National Journal notes. "But Wetterling's campaign hardly mentioned the flap--an indication of the district's cultural conservatism."

The First Congressional District, meanwhile, vaulted up 13 places, to 39th on the list. In that race incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht is facing a robust challenge from retired school teacher and National Guard Vet Tim Walz. The most recent poll indicates that the race is a virtual dead heat.

There's more good news for DFL'ers in the gubernatorial race. Minnesota's top state office is now deemed the eighth most likely to switch parties. "Will Ken Mehlman have egg on his face Nov. 8 if a Dem tide sweeps out a bunch of Republicans (like Pawlenty) in the state he just awarded the 2008 GOP convention?" National Journal asks.

Posted by Paul Demko at October 24, 2006 1:55 PM | Comments (1)

 

10/24 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

The Hold Steady, Dan Israel, and Dave Holland are just a few of the acts around town tonight. Check out Chuck Terhark's City Planner at Culture To Go for a complete itinerary.

THESE DAYS

IBM filed two patent-infringement suits against Amazon.com charging the online retailer with violating at least five IBM patents over several years.

Aussie ex-pats are irate over the banning of Vegemite, because it contains folate, which in the U.S. can only be added to breads and cereals.

Thousands of U.S. troops are being barred from overseas duty because they are so deep in debt they are considered security risks, according to an Associated Press review of military records. [via Undernews]

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Goobermaster reads Ayn Rand and Diablo Cody, became an ordained minister via the internet, and names the top 12 coolest things ever (muffins?). For more, check out the newly-redesigned Goobertech.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

For the neo-con on your Christmas (yes, Christmas!) list: The Dr. Laura talking action figure [via TBogg]

Don't be a douche: Jack Black's anti-piracy PSA

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Part of me wants to shake up people's perception of me, just shove me in a blender."

— 17-year-old actor Daniel Radcliffe, on trading in his Harry Potter robes for nude scenes in next summer's London staging of "Equus"

Posted by Corey Anderson at October 24, 2006 6:34 AM | Comments (1)

 

Spotted: a kinder, gentler Tommy B

Filed under: Spotted

For those of you who consider the KQ morning show to be the leading purveyor of tired, oafish, and bigoted local morning radio (admittedly, competition is a little more crowded on the dial these days), it seems important to note a time when Tom Barnard was slightly less jaded. Okay, way less jaded.

As a June 1986 story from Minneapolis-St. Paul City Business proves, Barnard was once not only a cutting-edge talent, but very nearly a thoughtful one as well.

The story, headlined "KQRS Surges to Top in Ratings War," details the hard road back for what was once a groundbreaking "album" station, as it struggled to keep up with the pop and hair metal audiences of the day. The pivotal point for the station, as the story would have it, was the new morning-drive duo.

The conceit was that Barnard and co-host Dan Culhane were "genuinely witty," offering Twin Cities listeners a wry alternative to usual morning radio fare (which, it should be noted, was essentially true at the time).

As evidence, the story offered this gem-only-in-retrospect from Tommy B: "'I won't do blue material, the Chris Edmunds type stuff,' says Barnard, referring to a former KDWB announcer whose show was called 'Morning Sickness.' 'Jokes about blacks and gays aren't appreciated in Minnesota.'"

Posted by G.R. Anderson Jr. at October 23, 2006 3:59 PM | Comments (1)

 

10/23 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Joan Jett, Edie Brickell, and the Roe Family Singers are just a few of the acts around town tonight. Check out Chuck Terhark's City Planner at Culture To Go for a complete itinerary.

Jim Walsh remembers Runaways drummer Sandy West at Culture To Go.

THESE DAYS

Boy Scouts in the Los Angeles area will now be able to earn a merit patch for learning about the evils of downloading pirated movies and music.

A study comparing wheat grown organically and conventionally found that chemically they were virtually indistinguishable.

Diebold Election Systems Inc. expressed alarm and state election officials contacted the FBI after a former legislator received an anonymous package containing what appears to be the computer code that ran Maryland's polls in 2004.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Kevin Anthony Kautzman, Nate, Lennon, Valerie Borey, mnflasher, Michael Medrano, Sal Riley, and Jason Kruger "flash write" about impressions of Minnesota, including working on an assembly line, treasure hunting near Central Avenue, and helping ungrateful mothers at MN Flasher.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Reduce the saccharine in your system from Cute Overload with a shot of Ugly Overload.

Do the Lurch

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet. It's interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat."

— Iraq war veteran Kevin Tillman, brother of the late Arizona Cardinal and Army Ranger Pat Tillman, in a recent editorial concerning the November 7 elections

Posted by Corey Anderson at October 23, 2006 6:41 AM | Comments (1)

 

The Ellison intrigue: who is Mesa Kincaid?

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

This week's "he said, she said" interlude in the Keith Ellison for Congress campaign featured a cameo appearance by one name that might have sounded familiar to some tired ears.

In the flap over a restraining order sought against Ellison by a local woman named Amy Alexander, the candidate called out a woman named Mesa Kincaid, according to the Star Tribune, and accused her of working with Alexander to extort $10,000 from his campaign. Kincaid, for the record, denied asking for money, according to the Strib.

Even so, Kincaid's involvement was baffling.

For local radio geeks of a certain vintage, hearing "Mesa Kincaid" is like unearthing a forgotten oldie. Back in the mid-1970s, Kincaid, whose real name is Cheryl Hoeft, came to prominence on the short-lived, much-loved U100, a free-form radio station that eventually became KDWB-FM.

There, Hoeft engaged listenders as "Cheetah." As Rob Sherwood, the program director of U100, recounts on his web site:

"The woman had a typical Scandinavian name that I will not reveal to protect her privacy," Sherwood writes. "On the air she called herself Cheetah. I listened to the air check and it was the typical low talking sexy voice stereotypical female Top 40 jockess. After listening to a few breaks, I told her that I wanted MY female Jock to sound just like a male jock except that she was a girl. ... Could she drop the sex-kitten and just be a jock with a woman's voice? The answer was, 'yes.'"

Soon Cheetah was jettisoned for a tamer handle, Mesa Kincaid (One option, "Beaver Kleaver," was wisely bypassed, according to Sherwood). Soon after, Kincaid became known as "The Fox that Rocks."

After U100 folded, Kincaid went to work for Hubbard Broadcasting, when 1500-AM was a top-40 station. Eventually she went to work for KQRS-FM. For a time in those days, Kincaid was part of a duo known as "The Cat and Kincaid." The Cat was Tom Barnard, the radio behemoth who has long anchored the KQ morning show. After parting with Barnard, Kincaid became a jock on WCCO-FM, which is now WLTE.

Aside from radio, Kincaid has been active on the fringes of local politics of late. In September 2003, she attended a Minneapolis City Council public hearing on the police chief search that eventually yielded Bill McManus. There, Kincaid intimated that she had just moved back to North Minneapolis and that she admired the work the Minneapolis Police did there.

Strib reports have been billing Kincaid in part as a "freelance journalist," and to a certain extent that's true. In January 1991, she conducted an interview with Stanley S. Hubbard for Corporate Report magazine (the introduction to the piece noted that Kincaid worked for Hubbard in the "late 1970s and early 1980s").

More recently, in August 2006, Kincaid could be found posting on a USA Today blog criticizing Al Gore for not being sincere in his environmental crusade, saying she was "an experienced and forthright environmentalist." At the same time, she conducted a Q&A with former Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton for Minnesota Law & Politics. And on October 5, she offered a lenghty post to the blog Minnesota Democrats Exposed that deconstructed a Patty Wetterling campaign ad.

Aside from that, Kincaid is, apparently, a committed environmentalist. Perhaps not ironically, the supposed source of contention between Ellison and Amy Alexander is that she was bypassed for a job working with him on something called Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota, a group that Ellison co-founded. On her post at the USA Today blog, Kincaid directed readers to her web site, mesaenviro.com. By late Thursday, that web site had gone dark.

Posted by G.R. Anderson Jr. at October 20, 2006 10:55 AM | Comments (3)

 

Separated at birth: Mark Kennedy and Arrested Development's Buster Bluth

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

No, really. Consider:

Mark Kennedy and Buster Bluth...

exhibit a filial devotion--Buster to his mom, Mark to his mom and his president--that goes straight past poignant to grotesque;

get all deer-in-the-headlights at the slightest variance in their daily routines;

say craven things to curry favor;

will probably wind up the year having been canceled in 2006.

Special bonus: Click past the jump to see Mark Kennedy singing the National Anthem.

Posted by Steve Perry at October 20, 2006 10:34 AM | Comments (2)

 

Democracy now! Not now? OK, how about later?

Abortion schmvortion. Any crusader can grandstand over South Dakota's referendum on reproductive rights or Wisconsin's gay marriage showdown. But it takes a special breed to use the ballot initiative to regulate something as mundane as dove-hunting. Here in Minnesota, our founding fathers held the public in such contempt that they didn't believe we should be able to vote on, say, whether convicts can sue the judge and jury. Luckily, our neighbors enjoy real self-rule (or is that self-abuse?); you can see democracy in action in the following 2006 ballot initiatives.

Michigan Proposal 3

No one is trying to take away a hunter's right to shoot a badger, bear, beaver, bobcat, brant, coot, coyote, crow, deer, duck, elk, fisher, Florida gallinule, fox, goose, hare, Hungarian partridge, marten, mink, moose, muskrat, opossum, otter, pheasant, quail, rabbit, raccoon, ruffled grouse, sharptailed grouse, skunk, snipe, sora rail, squirrel, weasel, wild turkey, woodchuck, woodcock, or Virginia rail. But if Proposal 3 goes down to defeat, the mourning dove will go scot-free.

North Dakota Measure No. 3

Walking out of a marriage on the high plains has never been easier. This ballot initiative would strip judges of the right to make most custody decisions: Joint physical and legal custody would become the default arrangement. The measure elaborates, the "court [would] becom[e] involved only if parents do not agree on a plan." This dictate to resolve custody disputes outside the court system has drawn ridicule. As one activist told Bismarck newspaper columnist Lloyd Olmdahl, "If the parents could cooperate and get along enough to make big decisions like this on their own, then they probably wouldn't get a divorce in the first place."

Are you a hands-off father? A father who doesn't know his child's bedtime? A father who doesn't know his child's name? North Dakota doesn't mind. A parent would enjoy joint custody, the initiative argues, "unless first declared unfit based on clear and convincing evidence." The ballot measure does not enumerate how many bruises that would be.

South Dakota Amendment E

South Dakota's Amendment E aspires to overturn the rule of law. You heard that right: the rule of law! The Judicial Accountability Initiative Law would empanel a grand jury of citizens, who would be selected at random and financed through a surtax on judges' salaries. This posse--um, jury--would hear appeals against legal decisions and would be authorized to waive judicial immunity. Judges, juries, city councils, and school boards would then be subject to fines and criminal charges. A simple majority of the 13 lay jurists would decide these appeals--and levy indictments--and the burden of proof would be on the judge to defend his contested decision.

The author of Amendment E is a Californian, Ron Branson, who has failed on multiple occasions to squeeze the Judicial Accountability Initiative Law onto that state's ballot. Its local backer, ag equipment manufacturer Bill Stegmeier, is an income tax opponent and a 9/11 conspiracy theorist. (Beyond Stegmeier, most of its funding comes from out of state; according to the J.A.I.L. website, no other South Dakotan has given more than $200 to the cause.) Both Branson and Stegmeier speak contemptuously of extensive corruption in the judiciary. In a crowning punitive act, the amendment would apply retroactively.

Amendment E's brazen populism can't help but appeal to a person's inner anarchist--or his inner mob member. It also seems to appeal to the average South Dakotan: A Zogby poll commissioned by J.A.I.L.'s backers found voters support the measure by a 3 to 1 ratio.

South Dakota Measure 3

While many educators debate the merits of switching to a year-round school schedule, the Save Our South Dakota Summers movement have had enough of book-learnin'. Specifically, Measure 3 would ban all public schools from opening before August 31. Supporters of the measure cite the benefits of "more family time for vacations, Bible school, 4-H activities and summer recreation"--but make no mention of late-summer keggers, shot-gun toting joy-rides, and animal buggery. Regulating those behaviors may have to wait for the 2008 election.

Posted by Michael Tortorello at October 20, 2006 10:23 AM | Comments (4)

 

10/20 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Why do older men have hair growing in their noses and ears? In the song "Hotel California," what does "colitas" mean? You've got the questions and Cecil Adams is the man with the answers, as we welcome The Straight Dope to City Pages every Friday.

Find out what George W. Bush would be doing in a sane parallel universe at American Idle.

Califone, Dosh, and Keith Sweat are just a few of the acts playing in town tonight. Check out Chuck Terhark's City Planner at Culture To Go for a complete itinerary.

We remember the first Italian woman to win an Olympic gold medal at Corpus Obscura.

THESE DAYS

The U.S. government has changed the spelling of the Ukrainian capital from "Kiev" to "Kyiv" to better reflect local pronunciation of the ancient city.

The U.S. has adopted a new space policy that rejects future arms-control agreements and claims a right to deny access to space to anyone "hostile to American interests."

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

DeMarco discusses the situations in Somalia, Argentina, and North Korea, as well as other socio-economic and political issues on the international scene at Shining Light in Dark Corners.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS (CONSUMER EDITION)

Tori Amos hawking Kellogg's Just Right breakfast cereal wearing humongous shoulder pads.

Tabasco Pepper Sauce is made from a variety of pepper called Capsicum frutescens, first recorded in 1493 by Dr. Chauca, the physician on Christopher Columbus's voyage. Learn more interesting facts about ordinary products at Wacky Uses.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"He leads in a way that the good Lord tells him is best for our country."

— Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, blaming God for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's job performance

Posted by Corey Anderson at October 20, 2006 6:31 AM | Comments (1)

 

Zogby: Kennedy within 7 points; Hatch/Pawlenty Still a Dead Heat

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

The latest Zogby polls issued today have Mark Kennedy moving up to 43 percent, 7 percent behind Amy Klobuchar. The gubernatorial race is dead even, with Hatch and Pawlenty polling 45 percent apiece.

Are those endlessly rotated ads with Kennedy on a park bench with a befuddled older woman making inroads? Did the national Repubs withdraw their support from the race too quickly?

And how nasty will Pawlenty/Hatch become in the next two weeks?

Posted by Britt Robson at October 19, 2006 7:18 PM | Comments (3)

 

Bush backlash: the Rowley upswing

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

Three bits of information have come out about Coleen Rowley this week, and they all seem contradictory.

The first is that Rowley raised a whopping $74,000 for her campaign during the month of September, ranking 14th out of Minnesota's 19 congressional candidates for that period (even though at the start of the campaign season, her name recognition was probably close to the top five). This means she's raised some $511,000 total, slightly more than a third of what her Second Congressional District opponent, incumbent John Kline, had raised by October. Rowley has $128,000 in cash on hand to Kline's $774,000.

The second tidbit is the announcement that DFLer Rowley and GOPer Kline will not participate in a KSTP-TV debate, a circumstance that would seem to only hurt Rowley: Her campaign has been so low-profile and utterly lacking in charm that any free media would do her well. Besides, incumbents often have the most to lose by participating in the pro forma rituals of democratic elections.

But, lo and behold, the third piece of news is the most beguiling of all, namely that Rowley has actually gained on Kline, at least according to one survey. The latest poll from SurveyUSA, which was commissioned by KSTP and released yesterday, showed that Rowley only trailed Kline by eight points, 50-42 percent, with a plus-minus error margin of 4.4.

This stands in marked contrast to the last SurveyUSA poll done on the race, at the end of September, which had Kline cruising with a 55-35 lead. The 12-point gain could be that Rowley finally found a message and passion that is resonating with voters in the district. Or it could be that Kline's military/homeland security bona fides are suddenly woefully out of sync with his constituency.

Nice try. Of course, the only logical explanation is the much-theorized-but-rarely-backed-up notion of a toxic White House, embodied by Kline's guiding light, George W. Bush. But the effect on other closely contested races in the state, like Bachmann v. Wetterling and Pawlenty v. Hatch, is now evident; perhaps there's an even deeper, wider reach.

That is, if the Bush backlash can actually propel Rowley, then there must be something to it--a campaign long left for dead is suddenly, uh, nearly competitive. It's the presidency, stupid.

Posted by G.R. Anderson Jr. at October 19, 2006 2:36 PM | Comments (2)

 

Don't get ahead of yourself there, Sandy

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

Sandy Burt is a nurse practitioner, a globetrotting missionary, and a local volunteer in her neighborhood of Northeast Minneapolis. All this (and more: she's a rabbit owner!) can be learned from a glossy flier mailed to households in District 59 of the state senate, where Burt is running for office.

It's a tall task Burt has set for herself. DFLer Larry Pogemiller is the high-powered and quick-witted chair of the Senate Tax Committee and the Pensions and Retirement Commission. He's been a state senator for some 25 years--representing Northeast, Cedar-Riverside, and the U of M--and he won his last election with 75 percent of the vote.

Yet Sandy Burt, who is campaigning on a platform of private-school vouchers, stepped-up crime enforcement, and affordable medicine, must be optimistic about her chances. Witness the return address on her fliers, which reads:

Senator Burt for State Senate
2526 Taylor St. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418

Or maybe it would be safer to say that Sandy Burt used to be optimistic. In a heavy black marker, her campaign team has blacked out the word "Senator."

Don't give up, Sandy! Dewey defeats Truman and all that piffle.

Posted by Michael Tortorello at October 19, 2006 1:23 PM | Comments (0)

 

Michele Bachmann: too hot?

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

Everybody knows she's hot for Jesus--but is she too hot for Minnesota? Concerned Citizens of City Pages (CCCP) explores the question in this satiric, guaranteed-100-percent-fabricated campaign video.

Editing and voiceover: Chuck Terhark
Photoshop magician: Jane Sherman
Script: Steve Perry

Posted by Steve Perry at October 19, 2006 12:27 PM | Comments (4)

 

Majority rule

Filed under: Minneapolis

Will Minneapolis adopt instant-runoff voting?

Third party candidates, whether from the Green or Constitution parties, are inevitably decried as spoilers. This year's primary pinata in this regard is Independence Party gubernatorial candidate Peter Hutchinson. If Gov. Tim Pawlenty squeaks out a victory over attorney general Mike Hatch, Democrats will almost certainly blame Hutchinson for costing them the state's top office.

Minneapolis residents will have a chance to vote on a measure this election day that would help eliminate such scapegoating of third-party candidates. Voters will choose whether to adopt instant-runoff voting in municipal elections. Under such a system voters rank the candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a majority of top choices, the lowest vote getter is eliminated. This process is repeated until one candidate achieves a majority. Thus every elected official would be put into office by more than half of the people voting.

Backers of the initiative point to a couple of other positive impacts that ranked ballots would have on the electoral process. For starters it would allow the city to eliminate low-turnout primary elections, thus reducing costs and focusing voter attention on the general election. Additionally proponents argue that it would create a disincentive for politicians to engage in nasty, divisive campaigns. "They can't win just by going after a narrow base," says Tony Solgard, president of Fair Vote Minnesota, one of the chief backers of the ballot measure. "They have an incentive to reach out to supporters of their rivals."

Previous attempts to introduce IRV in Minnesota have been stymied. In 2004 the Roseville City Council passed a measure that would have allowed ranked ballots to be used in municipal elections. But because Roseville is not a "home rule" city it had to seek permission from the legislature for the change in election rules. The senate passed the measure, but it got scuttled in the house. Many political observers attributed the derailing of the IRV measure to opposition from Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, the state's powerful anti-abortion organization.

In the last decade, however, IRV has slowly been making inroads across the country. Municipalities such as San Francisco and Burlington, Vermont have adopted ranked ballots, while voters in three other cities will weigh in on ballot measures similar to the one in Minneapolis on election day.

Pretty much every elected official in Minneapolis is supporting the measure, from Mayor R.T. Rybak on down to library board members. DFL gubernatorial contender Mike Hatch has also endorsed the ballot initiative. IRV boosters say the biggest impediment to getting the measure passed is ignorance on the part of voters. "Making a change like this is not easy," says Solgard. "There's a lot of people who have never heard of it before."

Posted by Paul Demko at October 19, 2006 12:26 PM | Comments (1)

 

10/19 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Paul Demko is heading to Chicago this weekend for MLS Cup semifinals. Get a preview at Live Nude Weblog!

Umar Bin Hassan, Bobby Bare Jr., and Mobius Band are just a few of the acts around town tonight. Check out Chuck Terhark's City Planner at Culture To Go for a complete itinerary.

THESE DAYS

The federal government does not recognize the 2004 Massachusetts marriage between former congressman Gerry Studds and Dean Hara, and won't provide a portion of Studds's $114,337 annual pension to his surviving spouse.

Using new ground-penetrating radar technology, scientists uncovered a 154-pound meteorite from deep below a Kansas wheat field.

Evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry of the London School of Economics expects a genetic upper class and a dim-witted underclass to emerge after the human race peaks around the year 3000.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Lil Dice provides previews and updates on the impending NBA season at I Heart KG.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and director Edgar Wright from Shaun of the Dead reunite for the buddy cop comedy Hot Fuzz.

Fonzie teaches kids "The Honk," a way to let parents know kiddies are in trouble when there isn't a jukebox nearby to elbow.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Basically you were hung over and didn't want to be involved in some activities your wife planned. You acted up and ruined Christmas, so this year you're going to make it up to them."

— Chief Superior Court Judge Sidney Nation, sentencing Wendell Jerome Herman Rogers II, charged with family violence battery, to treat his family to a special Christmas dinner at one of Atlanta's most expensive restaurants

Posted by Corey Anderson at October 19, 2006 6:38 AM | Comments (0)

 

Here, Kiffie-kiffie

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

For all the polarizing figures in the GOP tent this election season, nary a peep has been heard from Mary Kiffmeyer, the controversial figure who holds Minnesota's stellar elections reputation in her hands.

Even with that track record--in spite of her efforts, some might say--the incumbent Secretary of State has been hard to find on the campaign trail. All of tha