Polinaut: October 4, 2007 Archive

The Daily Digest: 10-4-07

Posted at 9:02 AM on October 4, 2007 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Daily Digest

There will be two hearings today on transportation. The first will focus on the Wakota Bridge. The committee will have plenty to talk about now that the Star Tribune reports that a board faults Carol Molnau for her actions related to the Wakota Bridge.

This will give Molnau critics more ammo. DFL House Speaker Margaret Kelliher is the latest person to call for Carol Molnau to resign as Transportation Commissioner. MPR, the Star Tribune and AP have stories.

Kelliher will also attend a hearing on whether they should authorize $195 million in state money for the I-35W bridge (that's the 2nd hearing for those keeping score).

Meanwhile, another committee wants to hire a special counsel to investigate MnDOT. The Star Tribune and the Pi Press have stories.

The Star Tribune wonders whether savvy bridge firms were duped our outsmarted. We're still waiting on the Admin. Department's ruling on the protest letter.

Kessler asks "Where's the bridge money?"

State Government

The Legislature is pushing an agency to do more to protect wetlands.

MPR has a story questioning whether No Child Left Behind is unfair to special ed students.

Pawlenty announces that they finalized a deal on a forest. This proposal to do it was announced last year. As one colleague put it, Governor Pawlenty must be green since he even recycles the news (ba da bing!)

GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen (who is also running for Congress) talks about the upcoming trade mission to India.

Congress

A Star Tribune poll says 65% of those polled are gloomy about the nation. A record low 30% of those polled think President Bush is doing a good job.

Speaking of President Bush, he vetoed SCHIP, the children's health insurance program. GOP Sen. Norm Coleman and DFL Amy Klobuchar are both disappointed with the veto.

Minnesota lawmakers are hoping for a review for education benefits for many Minnesota veterans that they thought they were entitled. Coleman, Klobuchar and GOP Rep. John Kline are mentioned.

DFL Rep. Keith Ellison is pushing for a ban on lead in children's toys.

The U.S. House passes a historic Ramadan resolution. Ellison is mentioned.

Ellison is also invited to the White House for an iftar. This report says Ellison will attend.

AP says southern farmers have dodged cuts in the new Farm Bill. DFL Rep. Collin Peterson is mentioned.

There is also concern about pest inspections. Peterson is mentioned.

2008

Gov. Pawlenty is headed to Vermont on Monday. Why Vermont? It's next to New Hampshire.

DFL Rep. Tim Walz has $700k in the bank.

MDE says Joyce Peppin will not run to replace GOP Rep. Jim Ramstad.

MNBlue and MnCampaign Report
say Bob Hill will drop his bid for Congress (6th) and will run for a state house seat.

Democrat Steve Sarvi will run against GOP Rep. John Kline in Minnesota's 2nd.

Illinois Senator Barack Obama's campaign for president is gearing up in Minnesota. The Pi Press and the Star Tribune have stories.

New Mexico Senator Peter Domenici quits which CQ says is another blow to GOP hopes. Coleman is mentioned.

2008 RNC

There's a new logo for the 2008 RNC.

Craig still guilty

Posted at 1:07 PM on October 4, 2007 by Bob Collins

A Hennepin County judge has ruled that Sen. Craig is still guilty. This apparently paves the way for Craig, who has announced his intention to resign his seat, to move on. Here's the judge's order.

Franken outraises Coleman in third quarter

Posted at 1:41 PM on October 4, 2007 by Mike Mulcahy

New fundraising numbers are in.

For the three months ending in September Al Franken's campaign says it raised $1.89 million. Norm Coleman's campaign, which got a boost during the third quarter from a President Bush fundraiser, says it took in $1.7 million during the same time period.

Coleman's campaign says it ended the quarter with almost $5 million dollars cash on hand-- more than twice the amount of money the Franken campaign reported it had.

Democrat Mike Ciresi's campaign say it expects to make its third quarter fundraising information public early next week.

GOP 2.0

Posted at 2:01 PM on October 4, 2007 by Bob Collins (3 Comments)

Recommended listening: Today's first hour of Midmorning featured Jackie Calmes, chief political reporter for the Wall Street Journal. Her article on the Republican Party shifting its "brand" from the party of business appeared in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. She was joined by James Guth, professor of political science at Furman University.

The show picks up on the themes outlined by James Dobson a few days ago, suggesting conservative, evangelical Republicans may bolt from the Party and nominate another candidate, should Rudy Giuliani walk out of St. Paul next summer with a nomination.

Among the factoids I found worth chewing on is the assertion (for which I have no evidence that says it's wrong) that most independent voters lean Republican. Is this true in Minnesota? And, if so, how is it that the third party candidates, the convention wisdom suggests, keep drawing enough votes away from DFL candidates to get Republicans elected?

What remains undefined, at least to me, is the coverage of Dobson's remarks and its focus primarily on abortion. It seems to me that there is at least as much dissatisfaction in Republican circles with Republican candidates who are not "fiscally responsible," as there is dissatisfaction over abortion. And, beyond that, how to quantify the split? Are people bolting the party for a single issue -- and is it always the same issue? If it's not, how does that "bloc" coalesce into a single new party?

But the broader issue is a good one: standing by one's values even if there's absolutely no pragmatic political reason to do so. At least in this election cycle. A woman who called in the middle of the show to talk about why she's not a Republican anymore (i.e. immigration policy, lack of strong defense for the country, and fiscal mismanagement, she says) was enough to send chills down the party's spine, and highlights just how willing many Republicans are to destroy the party in the short term in order to save it.

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What is St. Thomas afraid of?

Posted at 2:34 PM on October 4, 2007 by Bob Collins (1 Comments)

A week or so ago, when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University, over many protests, those who remain faithful to the concepts of the U.S. Constitution noted that an appearance like his could never happen in Iran. Iran is not a place where unpopular beliefs can be amplified so that individuals can reach their own conclusions.

Apparently, we can now add St. Paul, Minnesota to that list. Bishop Desmond Tutu has been disinvited from speaking at the University of St. Thomas because of fears his views would offend the Jewish community.

At the same time, in the current campaign cycle, politicians are afraid to voice an opinion, for fear of the backlash that may result. So they become silent, and offer palatable mush. But do their opinions go away? Are they less dangerous when hidden?

Are we better off hearing -- and in the process challenging, if need be -- unpopular opinions? Or should we muzzle the unpopular opinion, and take our chances? Some might argue -- as some have -- that the fear of being labeled "unpatriotic" forced many politicians not to ask enough questions prior to the war in Iraq.

Is it possible to value intellectual inquiry and punish the unpopular opinion at the same time?

Is it possible to even debate this situation without offense? Let's find out.

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