The Daily Digest: 2-13-07

Posted at 8:42 AM on February 13, 2007 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Daily Digest

The Digest has formed an exploratory committee to determine if we should write about the 2008 election even though we're only into the second month of 2007. Please tune into the digest at 8:43 AM on Tuesday. We will announce our intentions at that point.

tick tock.....

Ok, we'll write about it. But CQ wonders why everyone in Minnesota is getting into the race so early.

DFLer Mike Ciresi tries to get another media bite of the apple and we give it to him. The Pi Press, The Hill, AP and MPR have stories. The wealthy trial attorney says he won't self fund his campaign.

The Star Tribune has some analysis on the 2008 Senate race. By the way, Al Franken is set to announce on Wednesday.

I apologize to Dick Franson and Rachel Stassen-Berger with the Pi Press for missing this story yesterday. It was buried right there on the front page.

Residual Forces says MN GOP executive director Ben Golnick has accepted a position with John McCain's exploratory committee.

Legislature

Forum Communications says the Iron Range legislators are giving the smoking ban proposal a difficult time in committee.

AP says the state tax collections slipped a bit. Lawmakers think February 28th can't get here fast enough (that's the day of the next revenue forecast).

MPR has a story on a bill that would require the HPV vaccine and the debate around it.

The Star Tribune says the Vikings stadium particulars have been delayed.

The Star Tribune has a story on the debate over snow plows in the Legislature.

AP says the House author has adopted the Senate energy bill. A House committee then moves it along.

There's also a proposal for state investment in a new form of ethanol.

The Minnesota Senate gives a Great Lakes pact an ok. AP has the story.

Education Commissioner Alice Seagren writes an op-ed on reinventing high school in the Pi Press.

Congress

Get ready for plenty of Minnesota stories on this.

GOP Senator Norm Coleman attends a speech by President Bush.

DFL Senator Amy Klobuchar rips the rural health provisions in President Bush's budget.

The Hill says the nation's sugar industry is stronger and points to DFL Congressman Collin Peterson's chairmanship as a reason why.

The Financial Times says President Bush is close to reaching a trade pact. Peterson says they're trying to work something out.

Voice of America also calls Peterson a rock star. Well, they say he's in a band. Check out the picture of him rockin' out.

Minnesota Monitor says GOP Congressman John Kline signs on to a marriage protection act.

DFL Congressman Jim Oberstar wins approval of solar panels on the Department of Energy building.

Oberstar also speaks in support of naming a courthouse after Rush Limbaugh's grandfather.

Other

Minnesota Republican Party Chair Ron Carey will hold a townhall meeting in Blaine later this month.

Quote of the day
"People are looking at you like it's a sick joke" to say the 2008 cycle is starting, said Lawrence Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota told CQ.

Comments (3)

Please keep "mystery" sentences and "mystery" links like the following out of the Digest, Tom. Please, no more Digest items like this one:

"Get ready for plenty of Minnesota stories on this."

Tell us what "this", so that we know whether we want to follow the link or not. If it turns out to be a picture of Norm Coleman kissing a seal, that's twenty seconds of each of our precious lives, wasted. Don't "news-tease" us, we're very busy out here.

Otherwise, a fine job. Always better than any issue of Politics in Minnesota.

Posted by Bill Prendergast | February 13, 2007 1:44 PM

point taken. thanks for the nice comments.

Posted by tom scheck | February 13, 2007 2:02 PM

After Bill's comment, I was disappointed that it wasn't a picture of Norm Coleman kissing a seal.

Posted by MR | February 13, 2007 2:41 PM

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