Briefing - February 8, 2006

Posted at 8:48 AM on February 8, 2006 by Bob Collins

Roll Call has an article today called Patty Wetterling's about face. Nothing too much in there is going to be new information, but this quote was interesting.

“She would have been far smarter to say ‘this isn’t a year I will run for public office’ and step back, regroup,” observed Barry Casselman, a political columnist based in Minnesota. “It seems almost like she’s addicted to running.”

That's the kind of quote that can be used in a campaign. "She's addicted to running." But how do you use it if you are too? As near as I can tell, the only person in the race who hasn't made a pretty good living out of running for office -- and winning -- is Elwyn Tinklenberg. Hmmmmm....

Can't say that I'm familiar with Barry Casselman, but I'll try to poke around for more insight from him. By the way, based on my extensive military training (my brother, Bill, and I used to play Army in the field behind our house when we were kids), I think -- technically -- Wetterling did not "about face," but rather redeployed her unit to another front.

Things are starting to get nasty in the 6th District race. On his blog today, candidate Phil Krinkie lays in to GOP opponents Jim Knoblach and Michele Bachmann.

Now we learn, from a report by our State Auditor Pat Anderson, that there are a number of new, potentially scandalous problems with the project that Jim Knoblach and Michele Bachmann supported that are costing taxpayers even more.

Here's Pat Anderson's press release on her Northstar review.

One thing about politicians, they love to tell people how much they know. In other words, you can never shut them up and that's good for business -- my business anyway. A month or so ago Al Juhnke was upset at how quickly information from the caucus was ending up on the Checks and Balances side. Now DFL chair Donna Cassutt has apparently shutdown the DFL central committee's Yahoogroups site and is asking everyone to reapply, according to Minnesota Democrats Exposed. Meanwhile, Lloydletta's Nooz and Comments has theories.

Pulling down that State Central List will demotivate a number of DFLers who enjoy that list. There's other ways to deal with the interpersonal bickering that inevitably occurs on mailing lists.

Well, yeah. The DFL Central Committee has always been more entertaining than pro wrestling.

I thought I'd wake today to more angst about the Coretta Scott King funeral, at least the "political" part of that. Not a lot. The Blog of the Moderate Left dips a toe into it:

What are the Republicans really angry about from yesterday's service? One paragraph:

We know now there were no weapons of mass destruction over there. But Coretta knew and we knew that there were weapons of misdirection right down here. Millions without health insurance, poverty abound, for war billions more, but no more for the poor.

One paragraph in a six hour service. One paragraph which is absolutely true, every single word of it. One paragraph delivered by a minister.

The Kool Aid Report has a different take:

I’m surprised no one accused the President of killing Mrs. King. I’m sure the idea was discussed.

Today’s disgusting display is yet another example of how the Democrats continue to sink deeper and deeper into a hole they cannot dig themselves out of.

Feeling like going back in time today? Here you go.

Oh, yeah, Mike Ciresi isn't going to run.
OK, I give up, what exactly was the point of the last week? Is this a decision that was only made in the last week? Memo to self: deactivate the Mike Ciresi page. But don't delete it.

The DFL has started a blog. Memo to both parties who run blogs. How about realizing there's more to political news out there than what's in the Star Tribune? We all read the Strib. Blogs that are nothing more than a rundown of what's in one paper are lame. There's a whole world going on out there. Come out and see it.

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