Politics

Tom Sorel new transportation chief

Filed under: Politics

Tim Pawlenty today appointed Tom Sorel to head the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Sorel leaves his post as administrator of the Minnesota division of the Federal Highway Administration.

Pawlenty chose Sorel over Bob McFarlin, the acting commissioner, who'd been in the job since the state senate fired Lt. Governor Carol Molnau from the post in February. The appointment requires senate approval, but the vote doesn't have to be held until next year's legislative session.

Early returns from the state senate are encouraging. Sen. Steve Murphy, chair of the state senate's transportation committee, didn't immediately return a call. In a statement, he had this to say:

“I look forward to working with Mr. Sorel in his new capacity as Transportation Commissioner. He has a long and distinguished career in transportation, with a civil engineering background and 30 years of experience within the Federal Highway Administration. I’m optimistic that his technical expertise and leadership ability will continue to move MnDOT in a new, positive direction.”

Sen. Jim Carlson, the DFL vice chair of the transportation committee, said he was happy to see Sorel's training as an engineer. Looking over Sorel's resume, Carlson remarked that he's "more of a can-do leader. He's getting things done. That's what we need. We don’t need someone to throw an anchor out."

Carlson also had kind words for the outgoing McFarlin, who he said "changed the complexion" of the senate's dealings with the department.

If nothing else, the change may make the folks at the Star Tribune happy. McFarlin was a strong critic of the paper's hard-hitting coverage of MnDOT last year, accusing the paper of seeking to "perpetuate the myth" that MnDOT engaged in a pattern of hiding information from the public.

UPDATE:
Senator Murphy tells CP that "As long as your attitude is we're going to fix our roads and bridges, we can work with that." Unable to resist a dig at Molnau, he adds that she "did not have that attitude."

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at April 21, 2008 11:48 AM | Comments (0)

 

Madia wins!

Filed under: Politics

After hours of votes and repeat votes and what many feared would be another democratic stalemate, Iraq war veteran and lawyer Ashwin Madia became the endorsed DFL candidate for the 3rd Congressional District Saturday evening. He will face conservative Republican senator Erik Paulsen in the general election.

Often viewed as the underdog in the race against state senator Terri Bonoff, Madia, 30, secured the nomination after Bonoff gracefully stepped aside when the marine, whose only real legislative experience stems from a stint as the undergraduate student body president at the University of Minnesota, achieved 57.8 percent of the available votes during the 8th round of ballots.

Saturday's convention brought out hundreds of Madia and Bonoff supporters who want to see change in Washington. The Third District congressional seat has been a Republican stronghold for decades, and currently houses well loved outgoing Republican Jim Ramstad.

But, with the residents of district (Brooklyn Park, Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Maple Grove, Plymouth and Wazata) moving more to the left in the past few years, the DFL sees this seat as a crucial pickup spot and race has been closely followed in Minnesota and nation wide.

For the story behind Madia's unprecedented success pick up City Pages this week.

Posted by Beth Walton at April 13, 2008 12:17 AM | Comments (9)

 

Klobuchar endorses Obama

Filed under: Politics

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar endorsed Barack Obama for president today, making her the 64th superdelegate to throw support his way since Super Tuesday.

"My endorsement reflects both Barack's strong support in my state and my own independent judgment about his abilities," Klobuchar said in a statement.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at March 31, 2008 2:05 AM | Comments (2)

 

Ciresi, Over and Out

Filed under: Politics

Mike Ciresi, a DFLer who got extremely rich suing tobacco companies, bowed out of the U.S. Senate race today. Surviving him are writer/funnyman Al Franken and academic/anti-war enthusiast Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer.

"The memories and friendships forged are timeless," Ciresi said in a statement released on his website, although he's evidently not referring to his time spent with the remaining DFL candidates, neither of whom he is endorsing.

Ciresi had previously run for Senate in 2000. That year, he lost the DFL endorsement to Iron Range populist Jerry Janezich, who went on to lose in the primary to eventual winner and noted wordsmith Mark Dayton.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at March 10, 2008 5:34 PM | Comments (0)

 

First the Norwegian consulate ... now Norwegianity

Filed under: Politics

The popular, link-laden liberal politics blog Norwegianity is shuttering its virtual doors soon. Prolific lefty firebrand Mark Gisleson is burned out, and he's announced that "at soon as Obama conclusively wraps up the nomination," he's done. But he's left a few sparkling prose examples.

Gisleson's noted for his fervent assaults on the current regime, and hopes the next administration will help us move beyond certain phenomena:

America needs to grow up and put the regressive and childish Bush administration behind us. And toward that end, my aggressive and insulting partisan rhetoric isn't helpful.

Not that even this sort-of-goodbye post is bereft of the aggro and pointed bon mot, however. Here just one example of something to remember the blog by:

As I've already said, the Baby Boomers have fucked things up beyond recognition. Hell, we fucked up beyond FUBAR. If someone used Bush's face to clean my toilet, I wouldn't sit my ass on it ever again, having a much higher opinion of my ass than I do any surface touched by his cancerously hateful face.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 29, 2008 12:53 PM | Comments (0)

 

William F. Buckley is Dead

Filed under: Politics

When I die, this is pretty much how I want the AP to break the news:

His assistant Linda Bridges says Buckley died Wednesday morning at his home in Stamford, Conn. She says he had been ill with emphysema and was found dead by his cook.

My assistant explaining that I was discovered by my cook. That sounds ducky. In case you're wondering, here's a bit more about the legendary friend to the rich.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at February 27, 2008 10:43 AM | Comments (5)

 

New Ads!

Filed under: Politics

Senate hopefuls "Big Al" Franken and Mike "Super Lawyer of the Year" Ciresi both have a pair of new TV ads. Here they be:

Synopsis: Al's gonna get us healthcare. Also, he's from Saint Louis Park.

Synopsis: Al's from Saint Louis Park, and he made a good impression on one of his heavily-Minnesota-accented elementary school teachers.

Synopsis: Mike Ciresi is into darts. Or, dart metaphors. Whatever. In any event, he'll go after those "special interests" like they're triple 20's. Also, he is not predisposed to smiling, but is making the effort.

Synopsis: Before Mike Ciresi ran for senate, he had more hair and had newspaper articles written about him. Relatedly, he won big court cases against tobacco and drug companies.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at January 17, 2008 11:33 AM | Comments (0)

 

Will Ramstad Retire? Bonoff doesn't care

Filed under: Politics

Whether Rep. Jim Ramstad ultimately opts to retire or not, at least one of his DFL challengers intends to stay in the race. State Sen. Terri Bonoff's campaign just released this statement.

"Regardless of what Jim Ramstad decides about his political future, I remain certain about mine: my campaign to bring a new voice to the Congress for Minnesota's families will continue. I look forward to a vigorous campaign to determine who will best represent Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District without regard to whom my opponent is."

Posted by Paul Demko at December 20, 2007 3:34 PM | Comments (0)

 

Al Franken is running for senate!

Filed under: Politics

And it's no joke! He wants to be taken seriously folks! The Washington Post weighs in today with the same tired angle that the New York Times trotted out earlier this month.

Posted by Paul Demko at December 17, 2007 10:51 AM | Comments (4)

 

Who's the only Republican worth cheating with?

Filed under: Politics

This Rudy Giuliani parody ad is genius:

(Cribbed from The Plank.)

Posted by Paul Demko at December 3, 2007 6:17 PM | Comments (0)

 

AFSCME endorses Bonoff, Tinklenberg

Filed under: Politics

State Sen. Terri Bonoff and former transportation commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg have received the backing of AFSCME Council 5, one of the state's largest and most politically powerful labor unions. Bonoff is seeking to replace retiring Rep. Jim Ramstad, but faces DFL opposition from Iraq War vet Ashwin Madia and Edina Mayor Jim Hovland. (As noted below this is expected to be one of the most hotly contested House races in the country.) Tinklenberg hopes to oust freshman Rep. Michele Bachmann, a goal shared by fellow DFL'er Bob Olson, a St. Cloud businessman. Earlier this month AFSCME also endorsed the senate candidacy of Al Franken.

Posted by Paul Demko at November 30, 2007 11:07 AM | Comments (2)

 

House prospects bleak for GOP in 2008

Filed under: Politics

WaPo wonk Chris Cillizza once again analyzes which House seats are mostly likely to flip parties in next year's elections. Nine of the top ten endangered posts are currently held by Republicans. Not exactly a positive omen for the GOP heading into 2008.

Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District, currently occupied by retiring GOP Rep. Jim Ramstad makes the list in sixth place. That's three spots down from its previous ranking. Cillizza argues that the race has been slow to take shape:

Among the newly open seats, none is more difficult to analyze than this one. On its face, the district should be very competitive; President Bush won it with just 51 percent in 2004 and the suburbs surrounding the Twin Cities, which are at the heart of the seat, have been moving Democratic of late due to dissatisfaction with the war in Iraq.

Cillizza taps state Rep. Erik Paulson as the likely GOP nominee, but sees a scrum between state Sen. Terri Bonoff, Iraq war vet Ashwin Madia and Edina Mayor Jim Hovland on the DFL side of the aisle. "Minnesota politics goes at its own pace and this race just isn't gelling yet," he writes.

Posted by Paul Demko at November 30, 2007 9:43 AM | Comments (0)

 

We're movin' on up!

Filed under: Politics

WaPo wonk Chris Cillizza has bumped Sen. Norm Coleman up to sixth on the list of seats most likely to switch parties in next year's elections. Previously the first-term incumbent was sitting slightly more comfortably in eighth place. Cillizza says he may have been underestimating the extent of Coleman's troubles:

Coleman, himself, has done nearly everything right -- raised millions of dollars, cut a moderate image in the Senate, and from early on understood he was in a tough race. But Minnesota returned to its progressive, anti-war roots in a big way in 2006, as Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) turned what was once expected to be a competitive open seat race into a blowout.

Cilliza also has some kind words for challengers Al Franken (who got a boost with yesterday's AFSCME endorsement) and Mike Ciresi:

While Republicans like to paint comedian Al Franken (D) as a caricature, the truth is he has run a solid and substantive campaign to date and has proven his capacity to match Coleman's fundraising. Mike Ciresi (D), who ran unsuccessfully in the 2000 primary, is starting to show signs of life and should never be underestimated given his considerable personal wealth.

(Yeah, I know this is modly cheese by the standards of the Internets, but I've been out of town.)

Posted by Paul Demko at November 20, 2007 11:31 AM | Comments (0)

 

Paulose: Timeline Ends

Filed under: Politics

We finally have an end to the "Timeline for a Timebomb" that Jeff Severns Guntzel posted in September. At the time, we didn't have an idea when or how the saga of Minnesota's embattled U.S. Attorney would end. Turns out it's a whimper, not a bang -- Paulose announced her resignation yesterday afternoon.

Eric Black has been all over this since the beginning, and first posted news of the resignation. Check out the timestamp on her resignation email compared to the timestamp on Black's post. Gotta love the immediacy of the Internet.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at November 20, 2007 7:26 AM | Comments (0)

 

Maplewood makeover

Filed under: Politics

Change is coming to Maplewood. The troika that has run the city council for the last two years will no longer be in the majority come January. John Nephew and incumbent Will Rossbach triumphed easily on Tuesday at the polls, each garnering support from roughly 30 percent of voters. That means Rebecca Cave, an ally of Mayor Diana Longrie and council member Erik Hjelle, will leave office at the end of the year.

"I'm tremendously glad that the voters have spoken really loudly," says Nephew (pictured above). "That really renews my faith in the whole self-corrective nature of democracy."

An interesting question come January will be the fate of Maplewood city manager Greg Copeland. He was tapped by Mayor Longrie for the city's top post in April, 2006 after Richard Fursman was unceremoniously fired. A background check, however, raised serious questions about Copeland's qualifications. Here's the money quote from my March cover story on Maplewood.

"He has no job experience that really in any way makes him qualified to be a manager of any type, specifically a manager of a city," says Rossbach. "He hasn't had what one would view as a normal job for a long, long time."

So now that Rossbach is in the majority, will he seek to oust Copeland? "It's important to me that the city be run well," he says. "How that ends up manifesting itself through the entire council I'm not going to predict."

Posted by Paul Demko at November 8, 2007 2:56 PM | Comments (0)

 

Rasmussen poll: Sen. Coleman maintains slight edge

Filed under: Politics

A new Rasmussen poll suggests that Sen. Norm Coleman holds a slight edge over his two top DFL challengers. The survey found that the incumbent topped Al Franken by a 49-42 margin, while holding a narrower 46-43 cushion over Mike Ciresi. The Rasmussen poll queried 500 likely voters and had a 4.5 percent margin of error. In other words, Coleman's lead over Ciresi is statistically insignificant.

The figures are largely unchanged from a similar survey conducted in September. Yesterday SurveyUSA released a poll showing that Coleman was in a dead heat with both potential challengers.

The Rasmussen survey also examined which challenger voters believed was more likely to knock off the incumbent. Ciresi was tapped by 37 percent of likely voters, while Franken was the choice of 30 percent. Despite the seemingly tough re-election campaign that Coleman faces next year, there was one positive sign for the Republican: 56 percent of voters expressed a favorable view of how he's handling the job.

Posted by Paul Demko at November 6, 2007 9:46 AM | Comments (2)

 

Al Franken, Keith Ellison among "most influential US liberals"

Filed under: Politics

Today British newspaper The Daily Telegraph released numbers 41 through 60 of their list of the most influential liberals and conservatives in the US. (100 of each will be named.) No Minnesota conservatives have made the cut so far, but Al Franken and District 5 Rep. Keith Ellison each received shout-outs on the list of prominent lefties.

Franken came in at number 49. Perhaps more surprising was Ellison's positioning at number 54. The freshman congressman is sandwiched between progressive heavyweights Paul Krugman (53) and Ralph Nader (55).

Posted by Matt Snyders at October 31, 2007 3:06 PM | Comments (0)

 

Will Ramstad's seat flip to the Democrats?

Filed under: Politics

Chris Cillizza's excellently wonky political blog "The Fix" looks at open House seats today. The Washington Post reporter ranks the top ten seats that are most likely to switch parties in the 2008 elections. Sitting at number three on the list? Minnesota's 3rd Congressional district. That's up three notches from Cillizza's previous ranking. The seat is slated to be vacated by nine-term incumbent Rep. Jim Ramstad. (Although Eric Black has suggested otherwise.) Here's Cillizza's take:

3. Minnesota's 3rd District (R): Minnesota politics has a unique metabolism. Races develop more slowly and break late. So it's not a huge surprise that the field remains somewhat amorphous in the race to replace Rep. Jim Ramstad (R). State Sen. Terri Bonoff (D) is in the race and raising money, and MN-03 is a toss-up by any measure. Anti-war sentiment runs strong in this suburban Twin Cities district and could spell serious trouble for the eventual Republican nominee. (Previous ranking: 6)

Posted by Paul Demko at October 26, 2007 12:41 PM | Comments (0)

 

Mayor Coleman backs Clinton

Filed under: Politics

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman is supporting Hillary Clinton for president. The endorsement was announced this afternoon in a press release from the Clinton camp. “America is ready for change, and Hillary Clinton has the strength and experience to deliver it,” Coleman said in a statement. Former President Bill Clinton is in town this evening for a fundraiser at the State Theater.

Posted by Paul Demko at October 23, 2007 4:10 PM | Comments (0)

 

Al Franken feeds crystal meth to his pet ferret!

Filed under: Politics

I received an interesting fundraising solicitation from Sen. Norman Coleman this morning. It primarily focuses on challenger Al Franken:

You see, Franken is trying to clean up his act. Reinvent himself. He's cut down on the profanity. Instead of cussing out Republicans he now calls for bipartisanship. Instead of crude jokes about political opponents, he talks civility.

Liberal donors from across the country get the joke. They know that, if elected, the venomous, deeply partisan Al Franken they know and love will come out on the floor of the U.S. Senate. The same Al Franken who said we should "force the President to cut off funding for the troops", advocates government run healthcare, and talks about stripping away a worker's democratic right to a secret ballot! Donate!

And then there's this gem:

America simply can't take another Senator on the far fringes of the left, with folks like Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, and the Hollywood liberal crowd. Al Franken is a dangerous opponent, and a left-wing ideologue who will say, do, and spend whatever it takes to win.

Apparently only loyal Republican donors received the solicitation that mentions Franken's NAMBLA endorsement and pro-bestiality stance. Is there any question who Coleman wants to face in the general election?

Posted by Paul Demko at October 18, 2007 9:59 AM | Comments (2)

 

Worst. Logo. Ever.

Filed under: Politics

On Wednesday, Republican National Convention officials unveiled the official 2008 RNC logo. The emblem features the words "Republican National Convention, Minneapolis-Saint Paul" encircling the silhouette of a sex-crazed Elephant mounting the year 2008.

"Choosing our logo is another important milestone in planning the 2008 Republican National Convention," said convention President and Chief Executive Officer Maria Cino in a press release. "This design highlights the spirit of the Republican Party and it will adorn everything from the Xcel Energy Center to t-shirts and other souvenirs."

As of press time, RNC officials refused to explain the sexual overtones of the logo, though some have suggested the elephantine carnality is a metaphor for seven years of GOP chutzpah. Those with a less cynical interpretation disagree and maintain that the image symbolizes the lovin' the party has in store for the nation come 2008.

Whatever the case, the RNC is keeping mum. When asked about the reasoning behind the salacious depiction, GOP pressman Matt Burns replied flatly, "If you have any serious questions, you can call me."

This elephant in the room debuted two days before local newspapers trumpeted stories of Sen. Larry Craig (R-Bathroom Stall) vowing to remain in the Senate. Fitting, for the elephant in the logo also seems to prefer a wide stance.

Posted by Matt Snyders at October 5, 2007 1:55 PM | Comments (26)

 

Court Hears Convicted City Councilmember's Appeal

Filed under: Politics , Politics , Politics

When last we heard from convicted City Councilmember Dean Zimmerman, he was making plans for prison ("I am hoping to be able to do some teaching while I am in"). Today, with Zimmerman already serving a 30-month sentence, his lawyers are appealing his bribery conviction in the 8th Circuit Appeals Court. Want to hear how that's going? You can listen to the oral arguments here.

Zimmerman enjoyed a reputation for living on the cheap and working hard (a handyman by trade, he was apparently doing carpentry work for extra scratch when the indictment was announced in 2006).

On the City Council, he had a notorious lean to the left--loyal to his Green Party. Zimmerman was the third City Councilmember to be indicted in under 5 years.

All told, he was convicted of taking $7200 in questionable cash from a developer who had a stake in Zimmerman's zoning votes.

Here's how Zimmerman explained one incident detailed in the indictment to MPR in 2005:

"I don't really know. I mean I... the guy showed up one time and asked me how he could help with the campaign and I said, of course, he could give donations to the campaign -- $300 limit -- and he said , well, he had already given that much. And so I said, 'well, is there something else you can do?' and I suggested that he might want to help out with the redistricting lawsuit.

"Of course, as you know, the Green Party people were gerrymandered in the last redistricting and we took that case to court and we're still trying to pay off some of our legal bills. He wanted to help with that and I thought that was quite reasonable. That's.... and, of course, I've been raising money for that all along from a number of people.. so it doesn't seem like anything unusual."

Avidor of Minneapolis Confidential posted an excerpt of the Government's side of the story (Zimmerman, the Government's attorney said, was "readily predisposed to take money in exchange for selling his office").

USA v. Zimmerman continues...stay tuned.

Posted by Jeff Severns Guntzel at October 4, 2007 11:48 AM | Comments (4)

 

Pawlenty more popular than ever(?!)

Filed under: Politics

The Strib released a poll today showing 59 percent of Minnesotans approve of Governor Tim Pawlenty.

Which is to say that despite the bridge collapse, his double flip-flop on the gas tax increase, his slow response to the flooding in southeastern Minnesota, and the evident moral (and practical) bankruptcy of his no-new-taxes creed, his popularity is at its highest point since a month after he took office.

The governor also seems to have avoided stepping in the ripe turd that is George W. Bush's presidency. Among Democrats who "lean Democratic," Pawlenty scored 41 percent approval, compared with seven percent for the president.

And with John McCain's strong local numbers earlier this week, T-Paw's seemingly dashed vice presidential ambitions could well be back on track.

Which, it seems, would make most of us very proud.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at October 3, 2007 11:40 AM | Comments (0)

 

Ridiculous! Unapologetic! Preposterous! Drivel!

Filed under: Politics

Dueling ads in senate campaign

Sen. Norm Coleman placed a full page ad in today's Star Tribune taking a potshot at challenger Al Franken for calling the senate resolution chastising Moveon.org "ridiculous." Over a washed out photo of Franken, the ad attacks the comedian for helping to raise money for the liberal advocacy group.

Today the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released its own ad critiquing Coleman's voting record. Featuring a beaming photo of Minnesota's senior senator with President Bush, it notes that Coleman votes with the White House 90 percent of the time.

See the ads after the jump:

Posted by Paul Demko at September 25, 2007 2:20 PM | Comments (7)

 

Senators Klobuchar and Coleman vote to condemn MoveOn.org

Filed under: Politics

In a touching display of bipartisan unity and legislative elbow grease, senators Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar joined forces yesterday to help pass a resolution condemning the use of character-assailing puns in newspaper ads.

Our senators joined 70 others in voting to rebuke MoveOn.org for their placement of an anti-war ad in The New York Times questioning the factual accuracy of General David Petreaus’s past assessments of the war in Iraq.

But the main point of contention had to do with a pun present in the ad's title ("General Petraeus or General Betray Us?"), as Klobuchar explains:

"To juxtapose a military commander's given surname with a negatively connoted, rhyming phrase is downright deplorable," she said* earlier today. "As such, I can think of no better use of the Senate's time and energy than passing this much-needed piece of pseudo-legislation."

Meanwhile, a source close to the general has confirmed that his surname is indeed pronounced puh-TRAY-us.

Fortunately for fans of talk radio and Fox News, it's still reportedly fair game to accuse anti-war officials of betraying America, provided of course, the allegation doesn’t come in pun form.

Liberal wordsmiths contacted by City Pages declined comment, save for one punster who denounced the vote as "Bush league."

.

*City Pages apologizes for this wanton fabrication. Here's Klobuchar's actual quote via her press secretary Linden Zakula: "I support all the brave men and women in our military who serve our country. They deserve our respect, whether or not we agree on their mission, and as such I did not think this particular ad was appropriate."

Posted by Matt Snyders at September 21, 2007 5:14 PM | Comments (9)

 

Sen. Coleman's lead evaporating

Filed under: Politics

A new Rasmussen poll points to more political trouble for Sen. Norm Coleman. The first-term Republican holds narrow leads over his two announced 2008 challengers, comedian Al Franken and attorney Mike Ciresi. According to the survey, which was conducted on September 6, Coleman holds a 46-41 advantage over Franken, while maintaining a 46-42 lead over Ciresi. With the margin of error at +/- 4.5 percent, it means both potential races are virtually even. As Joe Bodell points out over at Minnesota Monitor, Coleman's lead has steadily eroded throughout the year.

On the plus side for Coleman, 54 percent of voters view him at least somewhat favorably--indicating a higher level of popularity than recorded in recent SurveyUSA polls. It will be interesting to see how he fares in the wake of this week's Iraq briefings from Petraeus and Crocker on Capitol Hill.

Posted by Paul Demko at September 11, 2007 2:24 PM | Comments (8)

 

Limerick contest winners announced

Filed under: Politics

Sadly, it now looks like Senator Larry Craig is having second thoughts about resigning from office. Some people, it seems, have no understanding of when it's time to recede from the national consciousness. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?

In any event, we have read the limericks, we thank everyone who participated, and we are prepared to announce a winner. It is Todd, for the following bit of poetry:

There once was a Party fixation
on Senator's bathroom vacations
Ignored David Vitter,
prostitutes? "I can't quit her"
Hypocrisy - GOP Nation

Todd will receive a copy of "The Book of SPAM," an admittedly mediocre (if nicely packaged) tome about Minnesota's most famous meat product. (An aside to Kim Curtin at Atria Books: You can stop sending us copies of this book now. Nine is quite enough.)

They're all corrupt somehow, who posted an astounding seven limericks, gets an honorable mention for hard work. While his pieces didn't always follow limerick rhythm rules (a problem common to many otherwise clever and witty entries), you can't deny the effort behind them. They're all corrupt somehow gets a T-shirt commemorating the Twin Cities Pond and Landscapes Tour. (Winners: send me an email with your mailing addresses, please.) Huzzahs all around.

And one last thing: In our small effort to help the nation move on, City Pages hereby announces that this limerick contest, contrary to previous statements, will not be an annual affair.

There. We feel better already.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at September 5, 2007 3:26 PM | Comments (1)

 

War Torn

Filed under: Politics

This week's CP cover story looks at Sen. Norm Coleman and how his support for the Iraq war is threatening his political future. Over the weekend Coleman made another trip to Iraq to assess the situation on the ground. In a conference call with reporters today he announced that he would support Sen. John Warner's call for 5,000 troops to be withdrawn by the end of this year. Can Minnesota's notoriously nimble senior senator find his way out of this potential political quagmire?

Posted by Paul Demko at September 4, 2007 5:51 PM | Comments (3)

 

Senator Craig wants a "Minnesota milkshake"

Filed under: Politics

Senator Larry Craig appeared on Conan O'Brien last night to deny he was looking for gay nookie in a Minneapolis airport bathroom. Hilarity ensues.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at August 30, 2007 10:34 AM | Comments (0)

 

Ever heard of Craigslist, Senator Craig?

Filed under: Politics

Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested in June for soliciting sex in a Twin Cities airport men's room. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct earlier this month.

According to the arrest report, Craig was seated in a bathroom stall, brushed his leg against the leg of the guy in the stall next to his, and was arrested when it turned out his would-be paramour was an undercover cop. Craig had previously been accused of-and denied-engaging in sex with men in public bathrooms.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at August 28, 2007 12:13 PM | Comments (0)

 

Stuck between Iraq and a smug face

Filed under: Politics

Al Franken has some choice for Sen. Norm Coleman in a recent YouTube video regarding Bush's Tuesday appearance in Eden Prairie. With the president in town to raise funds for Coleman, Franken wasted no time in firing away, posting his screed the same day.

Coleman is also facing pressure from his own party.

Freedom's Watch, a recently created war-mongering group headed by former White House strategist Brad Brakeman, has unleashed an ad campaign designed to pressure lawmakers to continue their support for the war. The ads conclude by insisting viewers call a toll-free number and urge their representatives to keep on keepin' on in Iraq. Liberal pussies and America-haters be damned!

Brakeman—a shrill spin doctor-slash-maggot who once chastised House Majority Leader Harry Reid for "giv[ing] aid and comfort to our enemy and demoraliz[ing] our troops"—told the Strib Wednesday, "We believe the message will resonate with American people that surrendering is not an option."

Like any effective propaganda, the ads employ a mind-bending combination of emotional manipulation, fear-mongering, and comical breaches of logic. One of the ads reportedly features a veteran walking on artificial legs.

"Congress was right to vote to fight terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan," he says to the camera. "I reenlisted after Sept. 11 because I don't want my sons to see what I saw. I want them to be free and safe. I know what I lost. I also know that if we pull out now, everything I've given and the sacrifices will mean nothing. They attacked us, and they will again. They won't stop in Iraq. We are winning on the ground and making real progress. It's no time to quit. It's no time for politics."

"No time for politics." An ironic plea from an overtly partisan ad campaign.

In other Coleman news, SurveyUSA reports that his approval rating has enjoyed a slight bump from last month, jumping from 43 percent to 47 percent. This comes as good news to the pro-war senator, perhaps even a bit surprising considering a majority (55 percent by last count) of Minnesotans favor troop withdrawal

Posted by Matt Snyders at August 24, 2007 4:25 PM | Comments (11)

 

Franken, my dear, they don’t give a damn

Filed under: Politics

Our news story this week about Al Franken is creating quite a buzz in the blogosphere. The article by Ben Westhoff reports on the weird workout habits of the SNL alum cum bestselling author cum DFL candidate for U.S. Senate. According to several of his neighbors in the Grant Park condo building, Franken—who as of late has been trying to reinvent himself as a Serious Issues Guy—still likes to put on a show in the gym room.

"He yells, 'Go Al!' and then puts his sweaty towel in his mouth, shakes his head back and forth, and growls like a dog," says Lauren Zeller, a 28-year-old risk consultant. "The cycle repeats: 'Go Al!,' towel, shake head, growl."

But not all of his neighbors mind the odd activity, and at least one is pissed that her fellow condo dwellers ratted Al out. Over at the blog Accident Prone, a Grant Park resident named Marium writes that she enjoys the show. “I’ve seen Al Franken in the gym. So what if he makes noises. We all do. I listen to Shakira for motivation to run that extra mile. Al cheers himself on. I love it!”

Meanwhile, a diarist at Democratic website Daily Kos wonders if the article signals a “rightward turn” at City Pages. Writes “the Big E”: “This is a perfect example of conservative framing: Al Franken should not be considered a serious candidate, we have anecdotal evidence that you should take at face value.”

To answer the Big E’s question: No, it doesn’t signal a rightward turn, as should be evident by this week’s feature story, which is plenty critical of several prominent local Republicans.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at August 16, 2007 12:15 PM | Comments (16)

 

Beat on, boats against the current

Filed under: Politics

Dennis Kucinich recently delayed his plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney, but that won't stop local pro-impeach activists from getting their message out this weekend. To the birds, anyway.

This Saturday at 10:30 a.m., a small army of volunteers, organized by the hellraisers at www.impeachforpeace.org, will use canoes to spell the word "impeach" on Lake Calhoun. Then they'll truck it across town to the west bank of the Mississippi River, near the University of Minnesota campus, to pull off a similar trick, this time with bed sheets underlit by flashlights. Organizers hope passenger planes flying overhead will see the message and, um, vote for impeachment, we guess.

The stunt might not change any minds, but you have to hand it to the would-be impeachers: Their message is clear, succinct, and to-the-point. As you can tell from the dumb Fitzgerald quote we tried to pass off as a headline just now, we're still struggling with that one.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at April 24, 2007 3:07 PM | Comments (1)

 

Acting General Counsel of the CIA: You talkin' to me?

Filed under: Politics

In early May, Acting General Counsel of the CIA John Rizzo will have the uncomfortable honor of testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee in an open hearing to determine whether the first word of his title will be removed.

Last Wednesday evening, the silver-maned Rizzo, ever dapper in a pinstriped suit with pink shirt and matching pocket-handkerchief, faced a much easier crowd at William Mitchell. He was the featured guest on a panel, assembled by law professor A. John Radsan, on the relationship between the CIA and Hollywood.

Rizzo regaled the audience with a Robert DeNiro story. The Hollywood legend visited the agency not long ago to research his film, The Good Shepherd. DeNiro, Rizzo recalled, was dumbstruck upon learning that the CIA had lawyers. (In fact, it has about 130 of them.) As Rizzo took his leave, however, DeNiro had recovered. "Hey," he called out as Rizzo was walking away. "Nice threads."

While the lawyer can expect plenty of tough questions from senators on some of the more aggressive CIA initiatives occurring on his watch—extraordinary renditions and secret prisons, to name just two—we can be reasonably assured he won't lose any points for style.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at April 4, 2007 8:57 AM | Comments (3)

 

Online Accountability

Filed under: Politics

Someone just installed a giant window into the corridors of power. The new website OpenCongress.org offers easy access to the entire voting records of America's representatives in Washington—something government websites never really managed to do. Now you can read bills and track their histories, run down campaign contributions, follow legislators in the news, and look up stats such as "Republican most often votes with" (for Democratic Representative Keith Ellison [pictured], one of the site's most viewed lawmakers, that would be fellow Minnesota Representative James Ramstad).

In theory, all this was online already. But the site's one-stop-browsing makes it easier than ever to connect the dots between dollars and votes. Two years ago, the currently tough-on-Mastercard Norm Coleman gave his "aye" to a reform bill making it harder for people with huge credit card debts to file for bankruptcy; the Minnesota Senator called it a "pro-consumer bill" with "overwhelming and bipartisan support in the Senate"—and, indeed, a quick search of OpenCongress.org confirms that just 25 Senators voted against the bill before it passed through the House to become law. One was California Democrat Barbara Boxer, whose own "Republican most often votes with" is—none other than Norm Coleman. No doubt, deeply held moral principles divided these two in this rare instance. But clicking through OpenCongress.org to the pair's respective profiles on the related OpenSecrets.org, you'll notice the RBC Financial Group ($20,625), U.S. Bancorp ($28,600), and Wells Fargo ($40,600) among Coleman's "top contributors." Boxer's list, on the other hand, looks comparatively light on commercial banking interests.

Hillary Clinton, whose No. 1 campaign contributor is Citigroup, Inc., courageously abstained from voting.

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at March 27, 2007 5:24 PM | Comments (0)

 

Michele Bachmann loves kittens and the American flag

Filed under: Politics

Michele Bachmann has made quite a name for herself in less than three months in Congress. The freshman Republican from Stillwater first garnered national headlines for fondling the President following his State of the Union Address. She followed that up by revealing to the St. Cloud Times Iran's previously unknown plans to partition Iraq and turn it into a "terrorist haven." Bachmann's tenure has become so widely ridiculed that Wonkette has taken to soliciting spies to intern in her office.

So it's understandable that she might be seeking more sympathetic coverage in the local media. Bachmann's press secretary, Heidi Frederickson, recently sent out an email soliciting friendly letters to the editor from supporters. "As you may have seen, Michele has been the focus of lots of media lately and most of it not friendly," the missive, first published by the Dump Michele Bachmann blog, begins. "We want to make sure that the media and others reading the paper get a balanced view of Michele Bachmann." The letter then goes on to suggest potential topics for the supportive letters, such as Bachmann's "strong fiscal conservative roots," and "her devotion to her family and making Minnesota a better place."

While definitely pathetic, Minnesota Monitor suggests that the email, which was sent from Frederickson's government account, might also be illegal. Jeff Fecke points out that federal law prohibits using Congressional resources from being used in a manner that "specifically solicits political support for the sender or any other person or any political party, or a vote or financial assistance for any candidate for any public office."

Frederickson did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Posted by Paul Demko at March 14, 2007 10:23 AM | Comments (12)

 

NoDak politicos show Bono no love

Filed under: Politics

North Dakota lawmakers last Thursday defeated a resolution to honor U2 frontman Bono for his advocacy of debt relief for Third World countries. Fargo state Rep. Scot Kelsh sponsored the measure after reading in a magazine that no state had honored the Irish singer and activist in such a way. "This is something that does matter to us as citizens of North Dakota, the United States, and the world at large," Kelsh told the Associated Press. Rep. Gil Herbel, a Republican, thought the resolution was intended to honor the late singer and U.S. Congressman Sonny Bono. "When I saw the resolution, I was looking for Cher's name in there," Herbel said. The resolution was defeated 58-35. Minnesota Lege, what say you?

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 20, 2007 3:46 PM | Comments (0)

 

St. Paul Scrum

Filed under: Politics

There won't be much political drama in 2007. With statewide elections just completed and the presidential sweepstakes still a year away from heating up, there's little to sate political junkies. But St. Paul's off-year city council races present a number of intriguing contests. Four races in particular bear watching.

Ward One: Melvin Carter III is challenging one-term incumbent and retired cop Debbie Montgomery. Carter, who most recently worked as an aid to Mayor Chris Coleman, has the backing of ACORN, St. Paul Fire Fighters Local 21, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Montgomery has received the blessing of the St. Paul Police Federation, as well as the St. Paul Building and Construction Trades Council. This race also happens to feature the city's only two black candidates in a ward that has traditionally been represented by an African American. The Saint Paul branch of the NAACP will host a debate between the two contenders next Tuesday at St. Peter Claver Church at 7 p.m.

Ward Four: This is the only open seat, with Jay Benanav stepping down after a decade in office. Labor activist Bernie Hesse, Russ Stark, executive director of the Midway Transportation Management Organization, and veteran DFL operative Randy Schubring are running active campaigns. All three have agreed to abide by the DFL endorsement so this race will essentially be over after the April 14 ward convention. Hesse has so far dominated the endorsement sweepstakes, procuring support from ACORN, AFSCME, the firefighters union, and the St. Paul Area Trades and Labor Assembly.

Ward Five: David Haas, a financial planner (and the brother of former Randy Kelly staff-er Nancy Haas), is looking to unseat Lee Helgen after just one term. Helgen narrowly defeated Kris Reiter four years ago, following her incumbent father's death less than one month before the general election. Helgen is backed by AFSCME and the St. Paul Area Trades and Labor Assembly, while the police union is supporting Haas.

Ward Six: This is arguably the most intriguing contest of the bunch. Pakou Hang, who was the campaign manager for Mee Moua's successful state senate campaign in 2002 and has also worked as an organizer for Progressive Minnesota (now known as Take Action Minnesota), is challenging veteran council member Dan Bostrom. A retired cop, Bostrom has not faced a challenger in his last three re-election contests. Hang, who is Hmong, will look to capitalize on the ward's shifting demographics, with large increases in the East Side's Asian population. (See this interesting map posted at City Hall Scoop for an indication of how significant the Hmong vote will be.) The incumbent is supported by the police federation and the building trades; Hang has received the blessing of ACORN. Several groups, including AFSCME and the firefighters union, have so far declined to endorse either candidate.

Take Action Minnesota, which has established a redoubtable reputation in recent years for winning elections, will screen candidates on Monday evening. Of note: three of the city council aspirants--Carter, Hang, and Hesse--are former board members of the organization. Another potentially powerful player, the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce, will begin interviewing candidates later this month.

Posted by Paul Demko at February 15, 2007 11:29 AM | Comments (1)

 

Bao Vang drops out of city council race

Filed under: Politics

Bao Vang will not be seeking election to the St. Paul City Council. As reported in today's Pioneer Press, she has bowed out of the Ward One race. In 2003 Vang lost by 357 votes to Debbie Montgomery. Vang told City Pages on Friday that she intended to once again challenge for the central St. Paul post, but apparently changed her mind over the weekend. Her decision leaves Melvin Carter III as the primary challenger to Montgomery.

(I can't for the life of me find a link to the story on the Pi Press web site. If anyone can locate it please post in the comments section.)

Posted by Paul Demko at January 31, 2007 8:55 AM | Comments (2)

 

The Battle for Ward One

Filed under: Politics

The Ward One city council race in St. Paul promises to be one of this year's most intriguing political contests. One-term incumbent Debbie Montgomery faces at least two contenders for the post.

Melvin Carter III officially kicked off his campaign Saturday at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center. Roughly 100 supporters packed a classroom at the center where, Carter noted, he grew up running track and taking piano lessons. In a high energy speech that evoked the history of the central St. Paul ward, along with its diversity, the 28-year-old made clear that he will be a formidable contender. "Our work is great, but our message is simple," Carter told the crowd. "As one we win."

Four years ago Montgomery, a retired St. Paul cop, outpolled a broad field of contenders to secure the post, beating Bao Vang in the general election by 357 votes. But Montgomery's tenure on the council has been marked by widespread frustration over her fickleness. More than one political observer has remarked that whomever has her ear last is likely to get her vote.

(Tou Ger Xiong, Vic Rosenthal, Melvin Carter III, and Bill Finney.)

Carter has already garnered the backing of ACORN and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (which four years ago endorsed Vang). An impressive assemblage of supporters were on hand at the MLK center. Former police chief Bill Finney spoke on his behalf, as did Vic Rosenthal, executive director of Jewish Community Action (and four years ago a candidate himself for the Ward One post). Longtime union and DFL activist Roy Magnuson was on hand to lend support, along with Pakou Hang, who is challenging veteran incumbent Dan Bostrom in Ward Six.

Vang said last week that she will once again be seeking the council seat. Another rumored candidate, however, Brooke Blakey, said that she's not running and will support the incumbent. The ward has traditionally been represented by an African American (Jerry Blakey and Bill Wilson held the post prior to Montgomery), a point of considerable pride in the black community. Montgomery is the sole minority on the city council.

Carter's resume includes working as an organizer with Wellstone Action and serving on the board of Take Action Minnesota. Most recently he worked as a policy associate for St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, a post that he resigned last month to run for city council. His mother, Toni Carter, is a Ramsey County Commissioner, while his father, Melvin Carter, Jr., is a retired cop.

Posted by Paul Demko at January 29, 2007 11:12 AM | Comments (4)

 

Can't take my hands off of you

Filed under: Politics

Michele Bachmann paws the President

Rep. Michele Bachmann undoubtedly made quite an impression on President Bush after last night's State of the Union Speech. As captured by KSTP-TV, the freshman congresswoman, whom Jesus himself tapped to run for office, collected an autograph from the President following his speech. But this little memento was apparently not enough for the Stillwater Republican. She then proceeded to latch on to the President's shoulder and hold on for some 30 seconds. Bachmann also managed a kiss and a hug from the Commander in Chief. Thankfully fellow freshman Rep. Keith Ellison didn't attempt such a Presidential close encounter. We suspect he'd have ended up being pawed rather indelicately by Secret Service officers.

Posted by Paul Demko at January 24, 2007 11:02 AM | Comments (14)

 

Coleman lends support to softer anti-surge resolution in Senate

Filed under: Politics

Senior Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman today identified himself as a supporter of a compromise resolution put forth by his Republican colleague John Warner (R-Virginia) regarding President Bush's plan to increase the troop size by 21,500 in Iraq. Although he is not a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Coleman nevertheless joined the three committee members who sponsored the resolution--who include Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) besides Warner--at a press conference announcing their position.

The Warner resolution stakes a middle ground between Bush's troop escalation and a bipartisan resolution put forth last week by Sens. Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska), Joe Biden (D-Delaware), and Carl Levin (D-Michigan), that flatly opposes Bush's surge proposal. The nonbinding resolution supported by Coleman simply states that the White House consider "all options and alternatives" to a troop escalation.

Posted by Britt Robson at January 22, 2007 4:28 PM | Comments (1)

 

Benanav leaving St. Paul City Council

Filed under: Politics

St. Paul City Council member Jay Benanav will not seek re-election this year. The Fourth Ward councilman, who lost a mayoral bid to Randy Kelly by just 403 votes in 2001, has represented the western St. Paul district for a decade. "That's a pretty good run on the council," says Benanav. "I think it's just time to let people with new ideas and new energy step in."

Last year Benanav unsuccessfully attempted to oust Ramsey County District Court Judge Elena Ostby. He secured just 41 percent of the vote. The DFL'er says he's uncertain exactly what he'll do next. "I've been practicing law now for a number of years part time," he notes. "That's an option, to just expand that."

Benanav's decision leaves a wide-open contest for the city council post. Three candidates, all Democrats, have already filed to run: Russ Stark, executive director of Midway Transportation Management Organization; labor activist Bernie Hesse; and veteran DFL operative Randy Schubring. Benanav says he will support whichever candidate secures the party's endorsement.

Posted by Paul Demko at January 10, 2007 10:25 AM | Comments (4)

 

In other news the terrorist warning alert level has been elevated to red

Filed under: Politics

MSNBC captured footage today of Rep. Keith Ellison introducing himself to Rep. Virgil Goode on the floor of the House of Representatives.

What do you think Ellison might have said to his antagonist from Virginia?

(Via TPM Muckraker)

Posted by Paul Demko at January 4, 2007 3:55 PM | Comments (2)

 

The coming Muslim majority

Filed under: Politics

Muslims are overrunning the country. That's the message delivered by Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA) to his constituents recently. Proof of this invasion: the election of Keith Ellison to Congress and his stated intention to take his oath of office on the Qur'an. In a letter obtained by the C-Ville Weekly, Goode cites Ellison's victory as proof that the nation's immigration laws need to be radically overhauled.

"The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district," Goode notes, "and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran. We need to stop illegal immigration totally and reduce legal immigration and end the diversity visas policy pushed hard by President Clinton and allowing many persons from the Middle East to come to this country."

Of course there are a couple of flaws in Goode's reasoning, most notably that Ellison was born and raised in Detroit. And as previously pointed out in this space, the Qur'an "controversy" is completely irrelevant given that members of Congress aren't officially sworn in using the Bible, the Qur'an, a copy of Hustler magazine or any other spiritual text.

(Via TPM.)

Posted by Paul Demko at December 20, 2006 11:00 AM | Comments (34)

 

Let the horserace begin: would-be VP T-Paw is lovin' on John McCain

Filed under: Politics

Gov. Tim Pawlenty pops up in a New York Times article today detailing John McCain's efforts to woo supporters at this week's annual meeting of the Republican Governors Association. McCain hosted a $50,000 party for the governors at a resort hotel in Miami Lakes. "Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota drove to the evening reception with Mr. McCain," the Times notes, "and later said in an interview he intended to support Mr. McCain if he ran for president."

 

Posted by Paul Demko at December 1, 2006 2:24 PM | Comments (0)

 

Mid-afternoon link dump

Filed under: Politics

Here are a few election highlights from other parts of the nation:

• Flickr set of election photos
• Bomb threat closes Madison (WI) East High School polling site
• Radio host Laura Ingraham encourages conservative listeners to jam a voter protection hotline
• FBI probes voter intimidation in Virginia
• Parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Florida switch from electronic voting machines to paper ballots
• Colorado campaign office gets "skunked"
• Charges of vote-stuffing in Daggett County, Utah
• A Kentucky poll worker is accused of choking a voter
• Maryland governor enlists Philadelphia homeless to pass out campaign materials that label some Republican candidates as Democrats
• And Britney Spears files for divorce in the middle of this!

Posted by Corey Anderson at November 7, 2006 3:33 PM | 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