Capitol View: November 19, 2007 Archive

The Daily Digest: 11-19-07

Posted at 9:41 AM on November 19, 2007 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Daily Digest

Gov. Pawlenty has scheduled a news conference for this morning regarding the Minneapolis Veterans Home. The Pi Press says the Minneapolis Veterans Home oversight will shift.

Pawlenty addressed the Minnesota Farm Bureau over the weekend.

Gov. Pawlenty also announced that he will spend state money to hire mortgage foreclosure counselors. The news comes as a new report says 20,000 Minnesota families will have their homes foreclosed on this year. MPR, the Star Tribune, the Pi Press, KARE 11, Fox9 and AP have stories.

The number of driving miles has leveled off. MPR reports.

Doctors are now rating insurers. The Star Tribune has a story.

MPR looks at ways to keep ex-offenders out of prison.

Congress

The Farm Bill looks like it will have to wait until next year. GOP Sen. Norm Coleman, DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar and DFL Rep. Collin Peterson want it passed this year.

Coleman and Klobuchar voted differently on the latest Iraq War vote.

The Pentagon is working to resolve the problems related to the benefits for the Minnesota National Guard.

DFL Rep. Keith Ellison wants to let ex-felons vote.

He also spoke to The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations on Thursday.

U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose defends herself to her bud at Powerline regarding allegations that she had mishandled classified information and made a racial slur about an administrative employee. The Star Tribune has the story.

Ellison, Paulose and Public Safety Commissioner Michael Campion will participate in an event marking the world day to end child abuse.

DFL Rep. Tim Walz votes for a bill that would end funding for a military school that's been under scrutiny.

2008

The Fix says it's been underestimating Coleman's vulnerability. The ranking moves up to sixth most competitive. Heress the synopsis:

6. Minnesota: The more we talk to strategists on both sides of the aisle, the more convinced we are that we've been underestimating Sen. Norm Coleman vulnerability. Coleman, himself, has done nearly everything right -- raised millions of dollars, cut a moderate image in the Senate, and from early on understood he was in a tough race. But Minnesota returned to its progressive, anti-war roots in a big way in 2006, as Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) turned what was once expected to be a competitive open seat race into a blowout. While Republicans like to paint comedian Al Franken (D) as a caricature, the truth is he has run a solid and substantive campaign to date and has proven his capacity to match Coleman's fundraising. Mike Ciresi (D), who ran unsuccessfully in the 2000 primary, is starting to show signs of life and should never be underestimated given his considerable personal wealth. (Previous ranking: 8)

The DFL candidates also debate in Savage. The Savage Pacer and This Week have stories.

The Mankato Free Press says Al Franken and Mike Ciresi are courting the DFL delegates.

Franken also talks with the Rochester Post Bulletin.