Polinaut: August 16, 2007 Archive

The Daily Digest: 8-16-07

Posted at 7:46 AM on August 16, 2007 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Daily Digest

Lawmakers from the House and Senate Transportation Committees question MnDOT over the new bridge design and call on them to put the brakes on the accelerated project. The Star Tribune, AP, the L.A. Times, KARE-11 and WCCO have stories.

MPR talks with transportation officials from other states on their experiences working on accelerated bridge projects.

The New York Times focuses on the political spat over the rebuild.

The bridge collapse also has an effect on local businesses.

The City of Minneapolis will focus its budget on roads and bridges in the next budget. MPR and the Star Tribune have stories.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak also presses Gov. Pawlenty to call a special session.

Metro Transit says it will cost $38 million to deal with the bridge collapse.

There is also talk of reviving a bonding bill.

The Star Tribune picks up on the Survey USA poll on Gov. Pawlenty's approval ratings.

The Big Stone power plant gets the green light.

Pawlenty is also pitching teacher training academies.

The state of Minnesota is holding millions in unclaimed property. The Pi Press and the Star Tribune have stories.

Congress

GOP Sen. Norm Coleman talks about the Farm Bill in Ada, discusses immigration in St. James and visits a VA Clinic in Bemidji.

The DOD will fund Minnesota's soldier reintegration. Coleman, DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar and GOP Rep. John Kline are mentioned.

DFL Rep. Tim Walz wants to fund river restoration.

2008

It looks like Norm Coleman will be in Cincinnati next week for a fundraiser. Coleman also purchased former Ohio Senator Mike Dewine's mailing list.

CQ says there is no clear favorite in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race.

Law and Politics profiles Mike Ciresi, a DFLer running for the U.S.

CQ says Minnesota's 1st Congressional District is one of fifty that could be competitive.

Finally

Take the Advanced Campaign Trail Aptitude Test.

Note

There will not be a digest on Friday or Monday. I'm taking some time off. Have a nice weekend.

Comment on this post

Maybe it really is the economy

Posted at 10:11 AM on August 16, 2007 by Bob Collins (4 Comments)

Perhaps I spend too much time watching CNBC, but I don't think they're making it up. The housing market is the lowest its been in 10 years, nobody's lending money, and when nobody's lending money, the economy isn't expanding. The markets are unwinding, and good luck trying to go shopping and find something actually made in America. Add all that together and it begins to smell like a recession to me. Right in the middle of campaign season.

People get hurt in recessions. With high rewards -- as Americans have reaped in their IRAs and 401Ks and 403Bs can attest -- comes high risk. We've had the rewards, now comes the risk.

So how does that change the presidential race. For the most part, the economy hasn't played big so far; certainly not as big as Iraq which the Democrats are sure is an issue they can ride into the White House.

If people are losing jobs, and retirement money (even if it is only on paper), do they still care more about Iraq?

Comment on this post

Does the Strib think Republicans have a thing for hookers?

Posted at 12:46 PM on August 16, 2007 by Bob Collins (64 Comments)

I usually don't get too involved in the usual braying over the alleged political leaning of the Star Tribune, but I make an exception in the story about the arrest of Tim Droogsma, a former press secretary to a U.S. senator and a Minnesota governor, in a prostitution sting on St. Paul's East side yesterday.

Journalistically speaking, this sentence is legit:

Droogsma was a spokesman for Sen. Rudy Boschwitz in the late 1980s and Gov. Arne Carlson in the early 1990s.

But the next sentence -- or continuation of the above -- violates every ethical principle in the book.

Recently, he publicly supported a candidate seeking to replace state Rep. Steve Sviggum. All three elected officials were Republicans.

For the record, the Strib is talking about Steve Drazkowski, who was not arrested yesterday, does not appear to have employed Droogsma and I'm guessing doesn't buy into the fact that Republicans are more inclined to solicit hookers. And let's face it, that's what the Strib was trying to say here.

Frankly, I'm kind of surprised the usual suspects in the anti-Strib coalition let it pass without comment.

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