The Daily Digest

Posted at 7:39 AM on November 9, 2009 by Tom Scheck (0 Comments)
Filed under: Daily Digest

The U.S. House passed the health care overhaul bill on Saturday night.

Here's how Minnesota's delegation voted.

DFL Rep. Collin Peterson explains why he voted no.

DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar, the House Transportation Chair, will reportedly visit a New Orleans district. It's the district of the only Republican to vote for the health care bill.

Republicans say Democrats are putting agenda before the country.

There are still big question marks on what the Senate will do.

Former Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice spoke at a Twin Cities event.

Pawlenty for Prez Watch

Gov. Pawlenty tests the presidential water with an appearance in Iowa. MPR, the Star Tribune, Politico, the Pi Press, Forum Communications and Fox News have stories.

You can listen to Pawlenty's speech here.

The Des Moines Register focuses on Pawlenty's comments that say Obama hasn't been bipartisan.

Des Moines Register Political columnist Kathie Obradovich said Pawlenty's speech was spirited but "didn't automatically scream 'presidential candidate."

Time's Mark Halperin says Pawlenty pleases- but does not blow away- Iowa Republicans.

The Washington Post says Pawlenty's national forays show he needs some work.

Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas and the winner of the '08 caucuses, signed books in Iowa on Sunday. He, like Pawlenty, said he has no political plans.

Here's a fact-check on Pawlenty's comments regarding the production and distribution of the flu vaccine.

Pawlenty wrote an op-ed on his proposal to cap spending.

DFL state Sen. Scott Dibble says Pawlenty's unallotment will have a dramatic impact on Hennepin County.

2010

The Minnesota Campaign Finance Board hit Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak for spending money on a gov campaign without filing the proper paperwork. MPR, the Star Tribune and AP have stories.

The DFL gov candidates will meet in three debates over the next five weeks.

DFLer Matt Entenza talks education and the economy in Waseca.

Side note: I didn't have time this weekend to post the schedule of the gov candidates. I'll do it later today.

Under the Dome

Gov. Pawlenty postpones his trade mission to Mexico.

AP says Pawlenty missed his goal of ending long-term homelessness.

GAMC patients will get coverage under MinnesotaCare. The Pi Press and MPR have stories.

A judge rules the instant runoff challenge in St. Paul should go to trial.

A conservative group wants a court to end the state's prohibition on robocalls.

The federal stimulus saved school jobs, the state says.

The Star Tribune says Minnesota is in contention for more federal money for education.

More farmers and lenders are using debt mediation.

The I-35W bridge contractor settles the lawsuit.

2010 Race for Congress

Democrat Maureen Reed said her opponent, GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann, is a tool for the health care industry.

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House passes health care overhaul bill

Posted at 2:08 AM on November 8, 2009 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, U.S. House

The U.S. House passed the health care overhaul bill.

Democrats Tim Walz, Betty McCollum, Keith Ellison and Jim Oberstar voted for the bill.

Democrat Collin Peterson and Republicans John Kline, Erik Paulsen and Michele Bachmann voted against the bill.

Here's the roll call.

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Welcome to Iowa.

Posted at 9:01 PM on November 7, 2009 by Tom Scheck (0 Comments)
Filed under: Tim Pawlenty

Gov. Pawlenty delivered a 23 minute speech to Iowa Republican activists in Des Moines tonight. He criticized President Obama and Democrats in Congress for the health care bill, spending and the deficit. He also tried to turn Obama's famous line "Fired up and ready to go" back on Obama by saying ""Are you fired up and ready to fight back?"

You can listen to Pawlenty's speech here:

Listen

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For your viewing pleasure...

Posted at 4:57 PM on November 6, 2009 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

Here's a list of who will be on the public policy shows.

TPT's Almanac:
Mary Lahammer talks to the Guthrie's Joe Dowling about his return to the stage as an actor this fall, former Dakota County Judge Leslie Metzen joins Eric and Cathy in studio to talk about her work to prevent domestic violence and TPT producer Luke Heikkila has recently returned from Iraq. He brings us another chapter in the stories of the Red Bull National Guard troops who are based in Iraq.

KSTP's At Issue:
Tom Rukavina, DFL candidate for governor. Politics roundtable with Sarah Janecek, Blois Olson, Javier Morillo Alicea and Dave Thompson.

WCCO's Sunday Morning:
Judith Napier, Allina Hospital and Clinics VP for Safety, who is part of the H1N1 planning team. Professor Joe Daly will discuss the Tom Petters trial.

C-SPAN, Saturday at 6pm. Gov. Pawlenty speaks to GOP activists in Iowa.

ABC's "This Week" - Democratic National Chairman Tim Kaine and Republican National Chairman Michael Steele.

CBS' "Face the Nation" -Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.; former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas; Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.

NBC's "Meet the Press" - Govs. Haley Barbour, R-Miss., and Ed Rendell, D-Pa.

CNN's "State of the Union" - Virginia Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell.

"Fox News Sunday" - McDonnell; Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut independent; Reps. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Mike Pence, R-Ind.

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Peterson to vote No on health care bill

Posted at 4:42 PM on November 6, 2009 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, U.S. House

DFL 7th District congressman Collin Peterson says he will vote no on the health care bill that is scheduled for a weekend vote in the U.S. House. Peterson says the bill doesn't do enough to control health care costs, and that it continues unfair Medicare reimbursements that penalize Minnesota doctors and hospitals. Peterson says his biggest concern is the federal budget:

"We've got over a $70 trillion unfunded liablity in this over the next 75 years and we're just going to make it worse. And I don't see how that's sustainable. The govenment's running a $1.5 trillion deficit the way it is. So that's my big problem with this."

Peterson says he likes some elements of the Senate health care bill better than the House bill. He said he hopes he can support a bill if and when the House and Senate compromise.

Peterson also said he is waiting to see President Obama's Afghanistan war strategy before he makes a decision on troop increase. He said he's skeptical, however, of just sending in more troops without a good idea of what is needed in the region:

"At the end of the day, if anybody thinks you're going to have any democracy in Afghanistan anytime soon is kidding themselves. For a lot less money, you could enlist the support of these warlords by just basically giving them to work with them in their areas. In my opinion, they would take care of the Taliban. If it's in the context of supporting some kind of a system like that then I think more troops are something I would consider. Bit if you're not going to have a realistic understanding of how things are in Afghanistan and that the fact that you have to make a deal with these tribal leaders and warlords if you're get this under control. If you don't understand that, then I think it's a misguided mission to put troops in there."

Peterson also said he's inclined to run for reelection but won't make a final decision until January or February.

You can listen to the entire interview here:

Listen

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Come se dice "postponed" en Espanol?

Posted at 4:16 PM on November 6, 2009 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Tim Pawlenty

Governor Pawlenty's office says Pawlenty's business development trip to Mexico has been postponed "due to a conflict with Mexican President Felipe Calderon's schedule."

Pawlenty was scheduled to go to Mexico on Monday and return to Minnesota on Tuesday.

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Fact Check: Pawlenty on flu vaccine

Posted at 12:47 PM on November 6, 2009 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Tim Pawlenty

This morning on his weekly radio show, a caller asked Gov. Tim Pawlenty about the health care bill moving through Congress. Pawlenty blamed the federal government for the slow production of the flu vaccine.

"Right now, they can't even reasonably and efficiently live up to their promises for the manufacturing and distribution of vaccine for the flu. Doesn't that foreshadow problems with them try to take over even more of your health care decision making? If you can't even manufacture and distribute flu vaccine in the manner that you promised, do you really think they should take over more of the system?" Listen

Pawlenty is correct that the federal government did promise as many as 120 million doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine. But he's incorrect in suggesting that the federal government is responsible for manufacturing the vaccine. That falls on private drug companies. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert for the University of Minnesota, said on MPR's Midday on Thursday that no one should be blamed for the shortage because vaccine production is different from making prescription medicine.

"Making influenza vaccine is a lot like planting corn in Iowa in early May, comparable in time when we first found this virus. That farmer can go into the bar that night after he or she gets done planting and proclaim wide and loudly that they know what the yield is going to be in mid-October. But no one knows. It's all about floods and droughts and hail and pests and all kinds of things. We still use a 1950s technology to make influenza vaccine. We have to introduce the virus into chicken eggs and they have to be embryonated chicken eggs. And then we wait to see how this virus would grow over weeks in that chicken egg and that's what we then harvest and make the vaccine from.

Unfortunately, this virus did not grow well. It wasn't until you got further down the pike that you saw 'Wait a minute, we're not getting the doses out of each egg that we thought we were going to get' so we had to revise the numbers.

It's no one's fault. Not the manufacturers, the government. No one blew that. It speaks to a point we raised many times, we need better flu vaccine." Listen

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MN Campaign Finance Board hits Rybak and Coleman

Posted at 12:22 PM on November 6, 2009 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Minnesota Governor

The Minnesota Campaign Finance Board issued two rulings today saying St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak should have filed campaign committees for governor.

Update: The board ruled that Rybak should have created a committee in May. The board found that Coleman used personal funds for his campaign so didn't have to form a committee but will have to report those funds, like any self-funded candidate, at the end of the year.

Coleman announced last month that he isn't running for governor but the board ruled that he needs to report the travel expenses from any governor campaigning to the board.

The board also said Rybak should have filed a campaign committee in May when he conducted a poll. The board ruled that Rybak's campaign committee for governor (which he filed yesterday) has to reimburse Rybak's campaign for mayor $26,500 for the cost of the survey it conducted back in May. The board ruled that the survey was designed to benefit a gubernatorial bid not the reelection campaign.

The MNGOP, which filed the complaint, will hold a news conference later this afternoon.

Here's the Rybak ruling.

Here's the Coleman ruling.

UPDATE: Rybak's campaign released this statement:

"Mayor R.T. Rybak has been honest and forthcoming regarding his consideration of a run for Governor, and our campaign has been careful to not raise contributions or make expenditures for the purpose of influencing a campaign for Governor until a formal decision was made. The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board has found that certain expenses incurred by the Mayor's campaign should be counted as expenses related to a Governor's campaign. Although we disagree with the basis, we will accept the Board's finding and take action to account for these expenses and reimburse the Mayor's campaign for them. Mayor Rybak filed the paperwork to create a Rybak for Governor Committee yesterday."

UPDATE

Officials with the Republican Party of Minnesota applauded the ruling.

During an afternoon news conference, GOP chairman Tony Sutton, said Rybak deliberately tried to skirt the law.

"Rybak campaigned for governor across Minnesota for months, without lawfully establishing a campaign committee and recording his expenditures," Sutton said. "This pattern of deception shows Rybak does not have the judgement to lead our great state."

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The Daily Digest

Posted at 7:05 AM on November 6, 2009 by Tom Scheck (0 Comments)
Filed under: Daily Digest

There was a mass shooting at Fort Hood that killed 13. The Austin-American Statesman is all over this story.

President Obama spoke about the tragedy.

Under the Dome

It seems like the state of Minnesota is running short of cash.

Minnesota's college grant program is short $13 million.

Minnesota is delaying business tax refunds because the state is short of cash.

As the state struggles to pay its bills, Gov. Pawlenty is proposing a constitutional amendment to limit spending. Pawlenty's own budget proposals would not have met his own threshold. KARE, MPR, ECM, the Star Tribune and the Pi Press have stories.

You can listen to Pawlenty's newser and read reaction to his plan here.

Democrats are planning a hearing on the proposal.

Gov. Pawlenty is headed to NW Minnesota today for tomorrow's deer hunting opener.

A report says Minnesota should have statewide broadband access by 2015.

Pawlenty and DFLers are arguing over debt guidelines for the bonding bill.

Property taxes are up in Minnesota.

Minnesota lawyers will pay more in fees to fund public defenders.

The Minnesota National Guard welcomes home 12 soldiers from returning from Afghanistan.

Congress

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann leads the protest against health care reform in Washington D.C. WCCO, MinnPost and the Star Tribune have stories.

KARE says GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann shines among grassroots conservatives.

Politico says 10,000 answered Bachmann's call.

Democrats criticize Bachmann.

A dozen demonstrators were arrested at Pelosi's office.

The House Majority Leader said he health bill will pass.

President Obama touts the endorsement of the AARP and the AMA.

DFL Rep. Keith Ellison said he understands some people have jitters about the public option but he compared the vote for the Civil Rights Act, to create Social Security and Medicare.

Minnesotans are due $1.3 million in unreceived tax refund checks.

Obama will sign a bill today that extends unemployment benefits and home buyers tax credit.

Senate Democrats move the greenhouse gas bill to the floor without GOP help. DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar is mentioned.

Klobuchar also wants a ban on wireless devices in the cockpit of commercial aircraft.

DFL Sen. Al Franken backs the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Obama says the U.S. must reverse course with the Indians.

DFL Rep. Tim Walz is named to a Railroad Subcomittee.

DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar and the White House are at odds over transportation funding.

2010 Race for Governor

R.T. Rybak forms his committee for governor.

DFL Sen. Tom Bakk wants a special session to focus on a new bonding bill.

Some of the DFL candidates squared off at a debate in Le Sueur.

All of the DFL candidates for governor back gay marriage.

Pawlenty for Prez Watch

The Pi Press says Iowa will size up Pawlenty just as he sizes up the state. Pawlenty is scheduled to speak in Des Moines on Saturday night.

Pawlenty is one of the Republicans who are planting seeds in Iowa.

Pawlenty trails in a GOP 2012 poll.

The Fix says Pawlenty is having a bad week.

Pawlenty says he was in artful about his comments about Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe.

GOP12 looks at whether Pawlenty wanted to take the federal stimulus.

2010 Race for Congress

DFL Rep. Tim Walz raises money off of GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann.

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Rybak files for governor

Posted at 5:05 PM on November 5, 2009 by Tom Scheck (6 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Minnesota Governor

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has filed paperwork with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board notifying them of his intent to run for governor.

The filing is not a surprise, since Rybak has appeared at a number of events with other candidates for governor. He also didn't shy away from his interest in the job. Rybak was elected to a third term as Mayor of Minneapolis on Tuesday night. He is the tenth DFLer to enter the race for governor. Rybak's paperwork says Charlie Zelle, who owns Jefferson Bus Lines, is Rybak's campaign chair.

Here's an email Rybak sent supporters:

As one of my good friends and supporters, I want you to know that today we filed the paperwork to create the R.T. Rybak for Governor Committee.

I've been open with people as I've considered this important step, so I doubt this will be a surprise. But it is an important step, and I want you to know why I'm taking it.

Over the last two years I've travelled across Minnesota to talk and listen about the future of our state. Lots of people are discouraged by our state government's failure to take action and find solutions to today's tough challenges. They are looking for leadership focused on more jobs, better schools and affordable health care. They want to build a world-class transportation system and a clean energy economy.

I know that there's a better way. We've shown in Minneapolis that we can make progress, create jobs, and get action to create real change. We've strengthened our economy, improved public safety, and streamlined city government. Most importantly, we've restored a sense of hope and shown that even in the toughest times we can do great things when we come together.

I know that together we can build a better and more prosperous Minnesota for now and for the future. But I also know that this won't happen unless we work to make it happen. I am ready to go to work, and I hope you're ready to join me.

Filing these papers is the first step in the process of setting up the Rybak for Governor campaign. In the weeks ahead, we will be building a grassroots campaign to take our message to every corner of the state. I will be in touch about how you can get more involved, and to ask for your help.

Rybak jumped into the race on the same day that the Campaign Finance Board met privately to discuss a complaint against him. Deputy state Republican Party Chair Michael Brodkorb says the Campaign Finance Board told the party that it would meet to discuss the GOP complaint. Republicans allege that Rybak violated campaign finance laws by not formally declaring his candidacy earlier. They say he wanted to avoid the appearance of running for governor while he was campaigning for re-election as mayor.

Update: Julie Hottinger, a spokeswoman for Rybak's campaign, said this about the timing of the filing:

"The timing of filing the Governor's committee with the Campaign Finance hearing was purely a coincidence, and we're confident that the Mayor's Campaign has followed the rules."

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