Polinaut: August 31, 2007 Archive

Daily Digest 8-31-07

Posted at 7:06 AM on August 31, 2007 by Mike Mulcahy
Filed under: Daily Digest

With kids due to go back to school next week the state has issued a report card on schools, and it's not looking too good. More than a third of Minnesota schools failed to make adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind law. MPR, the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press all have the story.

The Star Tribune also has an interesting piece about the changing demographics of Minnesota schools.

Special Session

It's still a game of will he or won't he call one...the "he," of course, being Gov. Tim Pawlenty. KSTP TV has a brief item questioning whether a session will come together.

The Star Tribune says DFL leaders are expressing some frustration.

2008

The Larry Craig story continues to dominate the news. Just about everybody is reporting the release of audio tapes of his interview with police officers after his arrest at the Twin Cities International Airport.

MPR has some tape of Norm Coleman talking about why he called on Craig to resign.

Fred Thompson has announced he will finally anounce his campaign for president next week. Which gives him the all-important two announcement stories for the price of one. But he's been "testing the waters" for so long that it seems like everyone assumed he was running anyway.

Might this news have any impact on the Iraq debate?

Will gay marriage become an election issue in Iowa?

And MPR went to the State Fair and found...politicians running for Senate.

Finally

The Digest will take the Labor Day weekend off to enjoy the end of the summer. We'll be back on Tuesday.

Rudy to Minnesota

Posted at 9:54 AM on August 31, 2007 by Bob Collins

Rudy Guiliani has sent out word that he'll be in Minnesota next week -- September 6th to be exact, the same day Fred Thompson announces for president.

No word yet on what his "public events" (as his schedule says) include.

New blogs

Posted at 12:35 PM on August 31, 2007 by Bob Collins

This one is aimed at the folks who don't regularly patrol the blogosphere because neither of these are well-kept secrets, but two new blogs with heavy emphasis on the political are or have launched this week.

Eric Black, the high priest of political blogging in Minnesota (formerly The Big Question) has launched Eric Black Ink.

And tomorrow, as near as I can tell, a bunch of conservative bloggers are adding True North to their repertoire. I believe the link -- when it debuts on Saturday, will be here. The title is not to be confused with the Bill George book of the same name which looked at leadership values, for which there is also a blog called, errrr, ummmm... True North.