Polinaut: July 2, 2007 Archive

The Daily Digest: 7-2-07

Posted at 9:23 AM on July 2, 2007 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Daily Digest

The state of Minnesota and its two largest employee unions reach an agreement on contracts. The Star Tribune and the Pi Press have stories.

States, like Minnesota, are taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Pi Press looks deeper into the decision to allow the U of M do the study on mine dust.

The Star Tribune takes a look at atrazine.

Zygi was getting jiggy with the dough during the last campaign.

DFL Sen. Satveer Chaudhary has accepted Gov. Pawlenty's invitation to go on a trade mission to India.

DFL Rep. Al Juhnke is named the co-chair of the Next Gen board.

MNDOT and Oronoco are going at it.

The Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court says storm clouds are approaching regarding judicial independence.

The Pi Press has a story on how prosecutors are trying to lock away young sex offenders for a long time.

GOP Sen, Geoff Michel writes an op-ed on the budget.

Congress

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann visits the Middle East.

DFL Rep. Keith Ellison signs on to a bill calling for the impeachment of Dick Cheney.

The Star Tribune says DFL Rep. Tim Walz is in debt and not alone.

GOP Sen. Norm Coleman joins the debate over the Fairness Doctrine (a plan requiring broadcasters to balance political coverage). He doesn't like it so he introduced the Broadcaster Freedom Act.

Coleman and DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar are mentioned in this Star Tribune story on the immigration bill.

Coleman will also be in northern Minnesota over the next couple of days.

There are more stories about the toy recall. Klobuchar is mentioned.

The New York Times also quotes Klobuchar on the public's frustration with Congress.

The Hill says both parties are explaining away the dismal poll numbers.

Forum Communications says the Farm Bill debate is set to hit high gear.

The Farm Bill may include crop insurance reductions. DFL Rep. Collin Peterson is mentioned.

Peterson also says payment caps are probable in the bill.

Forum Communications says a few are taking the Farm Bill debate to church.

Two freshman lawmakers are using the internet to lobby support for an alternative Farm Bill.

DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar includes Minnesota projects in the national spending bill.

The Star Tribune says the bus to Canada for cheaper meds made its last trip.

2008

Illinois Senator Barack Obama packs them in during his first visit to Minnesota as a presidential candidate. AP, the Pi Press and the Star Tribune have stories.

The Teamsters endorse Al Franken.

2008 Republican National Convention

St. Paul is "calling all cars" for the RNC.

Comment on this post

President Bush commutes Libby prison sentence

Posted at 4:50 PM on July 2, 2007 by Tom Scheck

AP has the story:

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush commuted the sentence of former aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Monday, sparing him from a 2½-year prison term in the CIA leak case.
Bush left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation for Libby, according to a senior White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced.
Bush's move came hours after a federal appeals panel ruled Libby could not delay his prison term in the CIA leak case. That decision put the pressure on the president, who had been sidestepping calls by Libby's allies to pardon the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.
Libby was convicted in March of lying to authorities and obstructing the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative's identity. He was the highest-ranking White House official ordered to prison since the Iran-Contra affair.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-07-02-07 1751EDT

Minneapolis-St. Paul Host Committee to FEC: Got any more?

Posted at 6:21 PM on July 2, 2007 by Tom Scheck

The Federal Elections Commission announced that the convention committees for the GOP and Democratic parties will receive initial payments of $16,356,000 from the U.S. Treasury for planning and conducting their 2008 Presidential nominating conventions. As you already know, the 2008 GOP Convention will be held in St. Paul in September of 2008. The funding, which has occurred in other presidential years under federal election law, is only a portion of the money needed to run a convention. As AP reported last week, Gov. Pawlenty and convention organizers are busy shaking the money trees.