Capitol View: October 10, 2007 Archive

Ramstad to unretire?

Posted at 8:06 AM on October 10, 2007 by Bob Collins (1 Comments)

Eric Black has a blockbuster story this morning. Jim Ramstad is said to be considering unretiring.

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Future First Laddie?

Posted at 10:36 AM on October 10, 2007 by Mike Mulcahy

The Hillary Clinton campaign said today that Bill Clinton will be in Minneapolis on Tuesday, October 23 to raise money for his spouse. It costs $25, $50 or $100 depending on where folks want to sit in the State Theater. Higher buck donors ($2,300 and $1,000) get to go to a "private reception" with the former president at the Graves Hotel.

Head-scratchers from the GOP debate

Posted at 12:25 PM on October 10, 2007 by Bob Collins (4 Comments)

I'm not saying they're right; I'm not saying they're wrong. I'm just saying "prove it" to candidates that cited certain things in yesterday's GOP debate:

* "And make sure you do something about legal reform, so that our legal system doesn't -- it's 2.2% of our GDP now, is spent on all these frivolous lawsuits." -- Rudy Giuliani (A properly constructed sentence might have made the point more clear, of course).
It's possible this comes from a U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, something the WSJ tackled in a column in April

* "It's always the poor people -- those who are on retired incomes -- that suffer the most." -- Ron Paul. Huh?

* "It ends the underground economy that right now makes it so that folks like us end up paying taxes, but drug dealers don't; illegals don't; prostitutes and pimps, they don't. But we do." -- Mike Huckabee on his "fair tax" plan. In this context, to end the underground economy he cited, one would have to believe that it will end drug dealing and prostitution. How will that happen?

* "There will be no tax increase under my administration." -- Numerous candidates. OK, this is a bit of a lawn dart. The president can veto legislation that includes an increase in taxes, but cannot guarantee any such thing. The question was not asked correctly. And it ignores the concept of a balanced budget.

* "I did not increase taxes in Massachusetts. I lowered taxes." -- Mitt Romney. PolitiFact.com has the other side of the story. But beyond that, what does it mean to cut taxes any more, candidates, especially in a state that relies on the property tax as much as Massachusetts, where taxes increase as property increases? Sure the tax rate may not change -- and by the way, in Massachusetts, the property tax limiting Prop 2 1/2 law takes a lot of this out of the governor's hands -- but Aunt Martha's taxes still go up. Additionally, the conservative CATO Institute noted, "If you consider the massive costs to taxpayers that his universal health care plan will inflict once he’s left office, Romney’s tenure is clearly not a triumph of small-government activism.”

There's also that "fee thing."

* "50,000 people make their living off E-Bay," -- John McCain. I've seen this claim here and there and, like I said, I'm not saying it's right and I'm not saying it's wrong. But 50,000 people make their living off E-Bay? That's their job? Or does that include people who make a living writing books and holding weekend seminars -- for a fee, of course -- on how to make a living off E*Bay. Oh, and the spammers who phish using phony E*Bay messages. Are they included? (And will they pay the fair tax?)

* "The average family in America is $9,000 a year richer because we have the ability to sell products around the world." -- Mitt Romney. Please tell me he didn't take our total exports and divide them by the number of "average families" in America.

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Nelson-Pallmeyer announces for Senate

Posted at 1:14 PM on October 10, 2007 by Bob Collins

No surprise. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate today. Here's the audio.

Rammer Rumors

Posted at 5:33 PM on October 10, 2007 by Tim Pugmire

The campaign web site for Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.) was still showing the veteran congressman headed toward retirement. But the the blogosphere was suggesting the decision might not hold.

Eric Black started off the day with a report that Ramstad may be re-thinking his retirement.

Ramstad's office wasn't returning phone calls.

Ken Spain, press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), acknowledged an effort to get Ramstad back in the race, but he denied any official committee involvement.

"If grassroots Republicans in Minnesota support the idea of Congressman Ramstad running for re-election, then the NRCC Chairman Tom Cole seconds that sentiment," Spain said. "However, the NRCC trusts local Republicans to decide who they believe will make the best candidate for congress, not the other way around."

The Republican Party of Minnesota doesn't appear to be in on any grassroots effort in the 3rd Congressional District. State GOP Spokesman Mark Drake said all he knows is what he read in the blogs.

At least one 3rd District Republican doesn't believe there's any chance of Ramstad changing his mind. Sen. Geoff Michel (R-Edina), who briefly considered running for Ramstad's seat, thinks the retirement will stand.

"My sense from Jim's public comments over the last couple of weeks is this is a man who's very comfortable with his decision and frankly quite liberated by it," Michel said. "I don't think he came to it without a lot of thought and discussion. (It's) pretty hard to reverse course on that kind of decision."

If you'd like to refresh your memory, you can replay Ramstad's retirement speech here.