Polinaut: August 21, 2006 Archive

Some program notes

Posted at 7:12 AM on August 21, 2006 by Mike Mulcahy

Peter Hutchinson is on Midday today at 11. And on Thursday Midday will host a 5th District DFL Congressional debate at the Minnesota State Fair.

The Daily Digest: 8-21-06

Posted at 10:28 AM on August 21, 2006 by Tom Scheck (7 Comments)

Minnesota's 5th Congressional District leads the digest today. Minneapolis City Councilmember Paul Ostrow started running a tv ad over the weekend where he takes a subtle shot at Keith Ellison. The ad features Ostrow in a cell phone discussion with his mom. At the end, he puts some money in a parking meter. It's a subtle reminder to voters that Keith Ellison, the DFL endorsed candidate, had his driver's license suspended because of unpaid parking tickets. I'm not sure most voters will get the jab but who knows?

In fact, none of the candidates know who's going to win this thing. Mike Erlandson, the former DFL Party chair, says "undecided" is winning this race right now. He said they're finding that as many as half of the voters they're talking to are saying they're not sure who they'll vote for in September.

That means every candidate is busy making sure they get their supporters to the polls. Former state senator Ember Reichgott Junge was busy urging supporters to make sure they vote in the September primary. The blog "Blanked Out" also has an interesting post saying Reichgott Junge has received contributions from Republican donors. In most districts that's "working across party lines" but in the 5th it could be seen as treason. We'll see. By the way, all four candidates will square off in a debate at the MPR booth at MN State Fair on Thursday at noon.

Many bloggers and political scribes are busy writing about President Bush's Tuesday visit to Minnesota. The Star Tribune has a story on MN's Sixth Congressional District. Republican Michele Bachmann is getting help from President Bush tomorrow. She's facing DFLer Patty Wetterling.

Don Davis, with Forum Communications, has a story on how the candidates are working to get votes in northern Minnesota.

The Christian Science Monitor has a story on pharmaceutical ads. It mentions Governor Pawlenty's call to end the practice.

The Star Tribune writes that he's campaigning as a "reformer".

Pawlenty is in Austin today for the grand opening of the Hormel Institute.

He may have to answer a question or two about security issues at the Minnesota Security Hospital. Apparently the Department of Human Services is not releasing any information about their investigation on security problems there.

Attorney General Mike Hatch, the DFL endorsed candidate for governor, holds another news conference on stem cell research. Do you think he thinks this is a wedge issue?

The New York Times had a story over the weekend that called this the "YouTube election."

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Kennedy cancels speech at the U of M

Posted at 3:17 PM on August 21, 2006 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

The U of M's Humphrey School sent out a notice saying 6th District Congressman Mark Kennedy has canceled his speech for Tuesday morning. Kennedy is the GOP endorsed candidate for Minnesota's open U.S. Senate seat. The U of M said there was a last minute scheduling conflict and they hope to reschedule.

That scheduling conflict may be Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Kennedy has a capitol news conference scheduled with McConnell at 11 AM. He also said he will appear with President Bush at some point during the president's Tuesday visit to Minnesota.. An official with Kennedy's campaign says Congressman Kennedy will also attend President Bush's policy speech and the fundraiser for 6th District GOP candidate Michele Bachmann on Tuesday afternoon.

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