Polinaut: July 18, 2007 Archive

The Daily Digest: 7-18-2007

Posted at 8:57 AM on July 18, 2007 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Daily Digest

Gov. Pawlenty is proposing a new state park along Lake Vermilion in northeast Minnesota. MPR, the Star Tribune, the Pi Press, AP and the Duluth News Tribune have stories.

Pawlenty also welcomed back some more National Guard troops. He added that their deployment was too long.

The Minnesota Health Department says sexual assaults cost the state $8 billion a year. MPR and the Pi Press have stories.

The Commissioner of Minnesota's Ag Department is keeping his eye on crop conditions.

Congress

The Senate goes Lionel Ritchie (All Night Long!) to debate Iraq war amendments. Klobuchar was scheduled to preside at 4 AM. She posts her thoughts on the war on this blog.

Klobuchar also wants to crack down on government waste in Iraq.

GOP Sen. Norm Coleman claims vindication against a British MP. The Star Tribune and AP have stories.

The Wellstone Mental Health Parity Act gets a vote in the House today. MPR interviews GOP Rep. Jim Ramstad.

DFL Rep. Keith Ellison's Nazi comments draw fresh complaints. He tells the AP that he's sorry.

The New York Post and The Hill say there is bipartisan fury on his remarks.

Ellison also offered legislation to reduce predatory lending.

DFL Rep. Betty McCollum offers a bill that works to reduce child marriages in foreign countries. USA Today and UPI have stories.

DFL Rep. Collin Peterson's Farm Bill is called a "step back" by some groups. Reuters says the bill would would also drop aid to millionaires.

The Twin Cities doubles its anti-terror aid.

2007

The race for local elections has begun. The Pi Press looks at the filings in St. Paul. The St. Cloud Times at the filings in St. Cloud. The Star Tribune rounds it out.

2008

MPR has a story saying Pawlenty and others are not giving up on McCain.

Bob Olson says he is now running for Congress. The Star Tribune, the Pi Press, AP, the St. Cloud Times, the Stillwater Gazette have stories. You can listen to his newser here.

AP says the races in the 1st, 2nd and 6th Districts are taking shape.

2008 RNC Convention

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak gives the RNC a tour.

Finally

What's your political typology?

Perennial DFL candidate demands drug tests for Senate field

Posted at 10:54 AM on July 18, 2007 by Tom Scheck

Dick Franson, a DFLer who has run for U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2000 as well as Secretary of State in 2006, is challenging the 2008 U.S. Senate candidates to take a drug test.

Franson (who doesn't have a website that I could find so I'm linking to a 2006 Star Tribune candidate profile of him) walked through the Capitol Press room with a a news release saying GOP Sen. Norm Coleman, DFL candidate Al Franken and DFL candidate Mike Ciresi should submit to drug tests to see if they are "now clean." Franson is calling for the drug tests after the Star Tribune reported on the past drug use of the candidates. The news release says Franson has "certified he has never used any illegal drugs in his life-time (sic)."

In a strange coincidence, Star Tribune columnist Nick Coleman wrote today that politicians need to debate the nation's drug laws.

Where in the world is Karl Rolvaag?

Posted at 5:56 PM on July 18, 2007 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

I was talking with a colleague this afternoon when I noticed something interesting. Karl Rolvaag's official portrait is gone. Don't know who Rolvaag is? He was Minnesota's 31st governor. He served from 1963 until 1967.

Need further proof that he's gone?

So here's the question: Where did Karl go? I called the MN Historical Society and the Department of Administration to get answers but none of the press folks were there (I called after 5 pm). So where do you think he went? Was the portrait stolen? Is Karl getting a facelift? I'll let you know what I find out.

Until then, we'll give you a Pop quiz.

What former governor did Rolvaag beat? Answer.

Did you know that Karl Rolvaag won the closest gubernatorial election in the state's history that took 139 days for a recount? What was the margin of victory? Answer.

What controversial bill did 'OI Karl veto in 1965? Answer.

UPDATE: WE FOUND KARL! He's at the Minnesota Museum of American Art. The painting is a part of the show "In her own right" Minnesota's First Generation of Women Artists. The person who painted the portrait is Frances Cranmer Greenman.

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