Stand by...

CHANGES TO REPUBLICAN MINNESOTA

Republican Minnesota will be dormant for the next week.

RNC '08 in Minneapolis

Minneapolis was on a list of cities the RNC asked to bid for the 2008 convention.

This would be great for the Twin Cities area. A large amount of cash would be thrown into the Minnesota economy from all the media, delegates and alternates and the fines paid by protestors.

Walz to announce Sunday

Tim Walz, who many DFLers think could unseat Rep. Gutknect, will formally announce his candidacy this weekend. However, it should be noted that the aforementioned DFLers may be delusional.

Here's a quick peak at what Walz thinks.

"Freedom of speech has its limitations on this, and that that is one of them, that is you cannot just say whatever you think." - Tim Walz (DFL Press Conference, St. Paul, Minnesota, February 16, 2006)

Wilde things happen

If you listened very carefully today you could hear a loud “WTF" shouted over the blogsphere.

Peter Idusogie, host of Inside Minnesota Politics will be running against Klobuchar and Bell. Leftist windbag Wendy Wilde has been added as a new host to IMP.

My return

My computer crashed and I just got it back. I will play catch up tonight.

KvM Responds

KvM responds to MN Publius' claim that Klobuchar didn't lie.

Looks like the boys at MN Publius need to look at the facts.
Kennedy did vote for the COPS program.

SNAP! In your FACE Zack!

SD House passes abortion ban

In a 47-22 vote, the South Dakota House passed a bill banning abortions.

Marriage amendment difficulties

The following is a post from a month ago when it looked as if the marriage amendment would not be on the ballot. Check out KvM and Wind Beneath the Right Wing for specifics.

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"But it should be noted that this death takes place in the shadow of new life, the sunrise of a new world; a world that our beloved comrade gave his life to protect and nourish." - Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan

Wind Beneath the Right Wing and KvM are reporting on the potential death of the marriage amendment in the state legislature.

While many Minnesotans support such a measure, there are not enough votes in the DFL controlled senate to get the measure to a floor vote. This move is sure to hurt the already struggling Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson with his own reelection bid. Many in his home were upset with his decision to force a shutdown. They are also upset over the lack of movement of the Marriage Amendment, something he could easily get to the floor.

The death of the marriage amendment could be the best thing for GOP candidates in the 2006 legislative races. In many swing districts voter may be motivated to kick out their DFL legislators for not supporting it.

In Greater Minnesota, many conservative Democrats may have to chose between the party's view and the view of their constituents.

So look at is this way, in the shadow of the Marriage Amendment's death comes in the sunrise of the GOP controlled legislature.

Olympics Update

If pissing off North Star Politics was an Olympic sport, I'd be a gold medalist.

Well, it looks like I now have competition.

Kool-Aid Report

Dump Kline bloggers must dump the lies

Whoever runs Dump John Kline needs to find the truth before posting next time.

More on Hatch, the no-show

Yesterday I posted on how the Hatch campaign may be in trouble, based off of Hatch's attendance (or lack thereof) at recent DFL candidate forums.

The headline of MPR's story on yesterday's event was "Hatch keeping low profile as competitors score points at business forum."

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Doran, Kelley and Lourey have now appeared at several candidate forums together, but they have yet to share the stage with the fourth Democrat in the race, Attorney General Mike Hatch. Hatch's office said the Business Democrats' event conflicted with a conference call on a prospective pharmaceutical lawsuit. But some Democrats are questioning whether it's part of a deliberate strategy to stay above the fray.

Blois Olson from the newsletter Politics in Minnesota says Hatch needs to ramp up his campaign activity.

"He is the perceived front-runner, but the more he doesn't do, the less he is the front-runner," according to Olson. "And I think the Rose Garden strategy is, you sit in the garden and you smell the roses while everybody else enjoys the bad weather outside, and I think that while he is the front-runner, he has to start acting more like a front-runner and not be so publicly shy."

Olson says Hatch has only a bare-bones campaign operation. Hatch did raise half a million dollars last year, surpassing all of the other Democrats except Doran, who lent his campaign $1.8 million. Hatch's campaign says the attorney general focuses first on his full-time job. (Source: MPR, Feb. 8, 2006)
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Tags: Tim Pawlenty, Steve Kelley, Mike Hatch, Kelly Doran, Sheila Kiscaden, Becky Lourey

Klobuchar reaches new low

Ms. Amy Klobuchar has reached a new low, lying about Mark Kennedy's voting record.

She claimed that Kennedy voted against the Community Oriented Policing Services (C.O.P.S.) programs.

The truth (Thanks to KvM): He supported it in some fashion at least four times.

I thought Klobuchar would have known that lying is not acceptable. Perhaps that is why she is so afraid of debating Kennedy and Bell. When she's against the wall, she'll lie through her teeth to make her opponent look bad.

I think the Kennedy campaign should demand an apology.

Tags: Mike Ciresi, Amy Klobuchar, Mark Kennedy, Ford Bell, MN Senate 2006

Note to Doran: Buy your own radio station

Kelly Doran has renewed his tired call for WCCO to can Gov. Pawlenty's weekly radio show.

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In a letter to WCCO station executives, DFL Gubernatorial Candidate Kelly Doran's campaign today renewed calls for the radio station to cease airing Governor Tim Pawlenty'’s Weekly Radio Show, contending that as a legally qualified candidate for office, Pawlenty'’s free air time constitutes an illegal corporate campaign contribution under state law.

"“Our legal counsel tells us this free airtime is a violation of election laws,"” said Doran Communications Director Tonya Tennessen. (Source: Doran/Kiscaden Press Release, Feb. 8, 2006)
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An "illegal corporate campaign contribution?" I think WCCO knows the law in this area a little better than Doran's legal department.

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Officials with WCCO declined an interview request but issued a statement saying they believe Pawlenty is not a legally qualified candidate, and they will continue to air the show. Pawlenty also legally there's no reason to stop doing the show.

"There's established legal standards for when you're a candidate. They're there for a reason. It's settled law and I think we should follow the law. We also said we would differ to WCCO's judgment on it and they agree," Pawlenty said. (Source: MPR, Feb. 3, 2006)
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Doran made this same claim a week or so ago. He must receivedieved little press if he renewed his call a week later.

This claim shows how desperate the Doran campaign really is, now they're grasping at straws. If Kelly Doran is so concerned about airtime, why doesn't he go out and buy a radio station and do his own weekly radio show?

Tags: Tim Pawlenty, Kelly Doran

DFLers.org retooled

The DFL just gave DFLers.org a make over.

What's new besides the layout?

The have changed it from a forum to discuss DFL events, politics and so forth, to a DFL attack blog.

If I were them I would be using it to promote DFLers, not to take cheap shots at their opponents. But it's their money.

Bottom line: It's a MDE wannabe blog. If I was MNGOP Watch, I'd be worried. They're crowding in on your turf.

Olympics

If pissing off North Star Politics was an Olympic sport, I'd be a gold medalist.

Today
I'm a sexist

Switcheroo trifecta?

Could Mike Hatch be the third DFL candidate to switch races this cycle?

Last September Kelly Doran switched from the Senate race to the Governors race after his candidacy failed to take off.

Last week, Patty Wetterling announced that she will run for Congress in the 6th, after stating several times that she would not do so. She had turned down a previous offer from Hatch to run as her Lt. Gov. candidate.

And then there's Mike Hatch. He has skipped the last three DFL Gubernatorial candidate forums (Jan. 15, 2006; Jan. 30, 2006; Feb. 8, 2006). He even left himself an exit from the gubernatorial race and an entrance into the Attorney General's race.

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If he doesn't get close, he said, 'I would run for attorney general. It's a job I love. I like to think I'm pretty good at it.' (Source: Star Tribune, January 25, 2006)
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If Hatch were to drop out (I believe he's the most likely of the candidates to do so before caucuses) it would really shake things up. Not only will I have fun watching the DFL in-fighting in the 6th, 2nd and the gubernatorial race, but also in the Attorney general's race.

Will Hatch drop out?

Only time will tell.

Tags: Tim Pawlenty, Steve Kelley, Mike Hatch, Kelly Doran, Becky Lourey

MNGOP on Ciresi

"With today's announcement by Mike Ciresi that he will not enter the U.S. Senate race, the DFL elite has made clear they will put forward another ultra-liberal in the mold of Mark Dayton.

"I once again call on Amy Klobuchar to end her poll driven, photo op candidacy and begin to debate the important issues facing Minnesota." - Ron Carey (Source: MNGOP Press Release, Feb. 8, 2006)

What can Sesame Street teach us about the left?

This is brought to you by the letters "R" and "M" and by the number "3."



Which one of these things is not like the other? Which one of these things just doesn'’t belong?

1. Wellstone! memorial
2. Reagan funeral
3. Scott-King funeral

That's right, the answer is number two, the Reagan funeral. Unlike the other two options, the funeral for the greatest president of the 20th century did not turn into a political event.

Of all places politics should be kept at the door, it should be at memorial/funeral services. All that happens is the event being overshadowed by heated political rhetoric.

Ciresi pushed out?

The question is:
What was Ciresi promised to keep him out of the race? Obviously he wants to be a senator. I'd say he was promised a free ride in 2008. Sorry Al.

And now, reaction from Democrats:

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Obviously a HUGE boon for the Klobuchar campaign. (Source: MN Publius, Feb. 7, 2006)
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No shit.

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Ciresi's decision hurts Bell more than it helps. On one hand, he doesn't have to do battle with two well-funded DFL opponents, a tough task considering his relatively small fundraising numbers. On the other, Bell misses out on the benefits of a Ciresi entrance, which would have taken away from Amy's frontrunner image and put media focus back on the fight for the DFL endorsement. (Source: DFL Senate, Feb. 7, 2006)
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Actually, it helps Ford Bell. The way I look at it is that Ciresi would have taken a few Klobuchar supporters with him, as well as many,if not most, of Bell's supporters. Also, Ciresi would fair much better in a primary than Bell. Ciresi's candidacy would have ended Bell's run.

Bottom line: The queenmaking continues and now we have two spoiled rich Democrats on the ballot in 2006 and not three.

Tags: Mike Ciresi, Amy Klobuchar, Mark Kennedy, Ford Bell, MN Senate 2006

Loose lips at the DFL

The DFL has shut down it's Yahoo! Group for DFL State Central Committee members following a post on MDE.

I guess MDE is not considered to be a friend of the DFL. Who knew?