News Cut: October 30, 2008 Archive

News Agenda - Thursday October 30, 2008

Posted at 7:42 AM on October 30, 2008 by Bob Collins (4 Comments)

The things you'll hear in the news by day's end:

How many people will turn out to vote next Tuesday? Probably more than 80 percent , Ramsey County's election official Joe Mansky's assessment of the state's voting scene will be held at Midmorning. Based on absentee voting so far, officials expect a huge turnout. Now when you vote next Tuesday, drop me an e-mail and tell me about your experience, how long you had to wait, and tell me any anecdotes you think would be helpful. I'll also set up a post here on Monday night for you to attach comments.

Here are some voters interviewed by MPR.

On the talk shows this morning

On the first hour of Midmorning, Kerri Miller and guests look at the value of polling. On national elections, why on earth do we report poll results (popular vote) when we don't elect presidents that way? There was, of course, a poll released this morning that told everyone what eveyrone already knew -- Obama leads in Minnesota. Tomorrow, I presume, the Humphrey Institute-MPR poll will focus on the Senate race. In addition to the story, we should have posted the actual poll data. I'm not sure why we didn't, but I'll try to find out.

In the second hour, Midmorning will look at the potential for voting problems on Election Day.

We only get a half hour to hear Michele Bachmann and Elwyn Tinklenberg mix it up in their 6th District race. Bachmann has been running an ad in heavy rotation on TV in the last day or so...

...that Tim Pugmire fact-checked this morning and found it wanting.

The 2nd District candidates debate at 11:30 on Midday. And then a Norm Coleman speech from the U of M gets a run. Al Franken's was presented yesterday. Dean Barkley's will be on tomorrow. All three are already on the Web.

Norm Coleman has a news conference at 11 to announce an unfair campaign practices lawsuit. The pro-Franken blog, MnPublius documented past unfair campaign practice suits Coleman has filed just before an election

Coleman, who leads in the latest poll, heads into traditional DFL territory today. He'll campaign in Duluth, International Falls, Hibbing, Grand Rapids, Bemidji and East Grand Forks.

Franken has teamed up with 1st District Rep. Tim Walz today. They'll campaign in Rochester, Owatonna, Faribault and Mankato. Franken joins former president Bill Clinton at a rally in Minneapolis tonight. Barack Obama held a late-evening rally in Florida with Clinton last night.

Dean Barkley will unveil his first -- and only -- TV ad of the campaign at 3 p.m.

One of the few remaining major newspapers in the state that hasn't endorsed a candidate in the Senate race -- the Duluth News Tribune -- will do so tomorrow.

Today the National Student Parent Mock Election is being held at high schools around the country. There's a media event at Richfield High School today. The curriculum for the program departs from its real-life counterpart. It focuses on issues.

Now you're talking... err, singing. From 6-9 tonight in St. Paul, t he Urban Embassy hosts a karaoke party where political candidates will come speak on the condition that they sing first. What are the odds prominent candidates will show?

The cops want more pay. The St. Paul Police Federation is holding a news conference at 11 a.m. to kick off its petition drive to amend the St. Paul City Charter to boost police officers' pay. Reportedly, a St. Paul police officer ranks 15th in pay among 27 metro police departments.

For all the grief they get in public discourse, teachers sure have a lot of jobs to do. Today, many are being trained to detect signs of problems among children whose parents have been deployed in the military. Education Commissioner Alice Seagren is speaking at the Military Child Education Coalition workshop in Roseville which is focusing on how educators can spot the effects of grief, loss and trauma because of the deployments. Noon.

This afternoon on All Things Considered we'll learn a little more about how the credit crunch is affecting the nuts and bolts of city finances. Bob Kelleher will look at Duluth's experience trying to float some bonds for the Duluth Civic Center.

And we'll go artsy as Elizabeth Baier profiles the brains behind Batucada do Norte-Drum Group of the North. Brazilian drum group? In Minneapolis? If you're in the office, turn your speakers down before clicking the link. Or take a break with you co-workers and have a samba session.

But the top story of the day? Twenty-six years ago today, Mrs. News Cut and I were married. I need to buy a card.

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Campaign junk mail

Posted at 10:07 AM on October 30, 2008 by Bob Collins (10 Comments)
Filed under: Politics

This is the sum of my mail for the last two days -- election junk mail. Surprisingly, most of the mailings aren't for the races that the media is covering. There was one Obama mailing, one Michele Bachmann mailing, one Al Franken mailing. Everything else is the race for the District 56B House of Representatives seat.

Based only on sheer volume, the Republicans want this seat back more than the DFL wants to hold onto it. The GOP has clearly targeted this race. Two to three Republican mailings on it have been arriving every day for the last month. The DFL is not coming close to matching the effort on behalf of their candidate. I believe I've seen one mailing on her behalf from the DFL Party, which also didn't think a DFLer could win the seat two years ago.

What is your campaign junk mail telling you? Save it over the next few days and send some pix.

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Political theater

Posted at 10:56 AM on October 30, 2008 by Bob Collins (18 Comments)
Filed under: Politics

Not since Jesse Ventura have we seen the kind of political theater that accompanies Rep. Michele Bachmann these days.

Today, she and her opponent, Rep. Elwyn Tinklenberg, are debating in the first half hour of MPR's Midday.

The TV cameras are set up outside the studio...

The reporters from TV, radio and newspapers are crammed into the Midday control room...

Bachmann supporters waved signs at the back door of the News Cut World Headquarters -- a dead-end street where there's absolutely no traffic, by the way.

After a group of them held a Bible reading in the lobby...

Sent by the campaign, they provided the backdrop for the candidate meeting the people...

The media didn't have a Bible reading, but they may have been praying that Bachmann would say something "outrageous," which is why they used to flock here when Jesse was on the air.

Just like old times

When the debate started...

Gary Eichten asked about the Hardball comments in which Bachmann said the media should investigate the unAmerican wing of Congress. She said it's a non-issue that only the media -- not the people -- care about. Tinklenberg countered that her view is "not credible."

Here's the debate:

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When the debate ended, both Bachmann and Tinklenberg left quickly, with every reporter and photographer in tow... leaving plenty of breathing room for the two candidates for the 2nd District seat.

By the way, a colleague reports the American flag was not folded properly when the supporters left.

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Coleman's gambit

Posted at 12:06 PM on October 30, 2008 by Bob Collins (4 Comments)

Norm Coleman is taking issue with a claim that he is the 4th most corrupt member of the Senate. He held a news conference today to announce that he's filing a complaint with the state Office of Administrative Hearings, thus informing everyone who hadn't heard the claim that such a claim existed.

It's an intriguing piece of political strategy, calling attention to a negative accusatation about yourself.

The accusation is repeated on challenger Al Franken's blog:

Does Norm Coleman deserve to be re-elected? The numbers tell the story:

* 52 free trips paid for by special interests.
* Over $600,000 from big oil and drug companies.
* Living almost rent-free in the $1,000,000 home of a Washington insider.
* Ranked the 4th most corrupt senator in Washington.
* Colman voted nearly 90% of the time with George Bush.
* Together running up a 10 trillion dollar national debt
* It's time for Norm to go.

What is the source of this allegation? It appears to come from the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. And it doesn't actually rank Coleman 4th in the Senate. It names 20 congressional people and gives Coleman a "dishonorable mention." In the top 20, three are senators. Coleman is named as "one to watch."

Here's CREW's home page.

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Why Obama leads McCain in Minnesota

Posted at 12:31 PM on October 30, 2008 by Bob Collins (1 Comments)
Filed under: Politics

Minnesota Public Radio and the Humphrey Institute released the latest presidential poll in Minnesota today, and now I've uploaded the specifics of the poll here (pdf format).

The bottom line:

Polling call

Posted at 9:19 PM on October 30, 2008 by Bob Collins (13 Comments)
Filed under: Politics

Over the coming weekend, I'd appreciate if you'd report any polling calls you get.

I got one tonight that involved Sen. Norm Coleman, although I couldn't detect whether it was on behalf of Coleman or on behalf of his opponents.

"Do you agree or disagree with this tatement," the woman asked. "Norm Coleman could have done more to stop the flow of methamphetamine use in Minnesota."

"Oh great, a push poll," I figured.

She then asked which of two candidates I favored -- Coleman or Al Franken -- and seemed genuinely surprised when I mentioned a third was running.

She also asked whether I had a favorable or unfavorable view of Coleman, whether I accessed the Internet daily ("No," I said. I usually make up the answers to pollsters), and whether I ever watch political ads on the Internet.

That was one strange polling call. If you get any between now and Election Day on Tuesday, please describe it in the comments section below.

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