Capitol View: February 26, 2008 Archive

SEIU backs Al Franken

Posted at 10:44 AM on February 26, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

AP has the story:

ST. PAUL (AP) - The Minnesota State Council of the Service Employees International Union has endorsed Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken.
The union says it had candidates seeking endorsement spend a workday with an SEIU member. Franken spent one with a Robbinsdale nursing home worker. The SEIU has more than 28,000 members in Minnesota.
Franken previously won endorsements from Education Minnesota, which represents 70,000 teachers, and Council 5 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents 43,000 public and nonprofit employees.
The satirist's leading rival for the DFL Party endorsement, attorney Mike Ciresi, has the backing of another AFSCME local, Council 65, which represents 13,000 county government employees.

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The gang of six get disciplined

Posted at 6:34 PM on February 26, 2008 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

GOP House Minority Leader Marty Seifert took the leadership positions away from the six Republicans who voted to override Gov. Pawlenty's veto of the transportation funding bill. Seifert said

"I hope it would show that we want positive leadership from Republicans. These are leadership positions where we expect other Republicans to follow along," Seifert said. "How can we have members following my leadership follow their leadership in these committees, when they are not following my leadership on the floor?"

Seifert also said he will not recruit any candidates to run against the six incumbents but said it was unlikely that the caucus would back them financially in the upcoming election. MN GOP Party Chair Ron Carey said the party would support the endorsed candidates.

Rep. Ron Erhardt said was not happy with the move:

"I told him that I was not voluntarily resigning, and to get rid of me he was going to have to fire me."

Erhardt said he expected to lose his party's endorsement, but intends to run either in a primary or as an independent.

Rep. Kathy Tingelstad of Andover said she would continue to seek re-election, whether or not she has the GOP endorsement.

Rep. Bud Heidgerken of Freeport said his vote could cost him re-election but he said it was the right thing to do. Heidgerken said he doesn't understand why he's being disciplined for voting for the best interests of his district.

"I always feel badly when people try to chastise me for doing right, until they prove to me that I've done wrong," said Heidgerken. "I will take the repercussions if I've done wrong. I will step down if I've done wrong -- but I have not done wrong. I have done right by my people."

Seifert said the options were laid out to the six Republicans and they still decided to vote for the override. Seifert said he would oppose any moves to strip the lawmakers of staff. He also said he was trying to knit the caucus together after the override vote.

Here are the six:

Bud Heidgerken of Freeport
Neil Peterson of Bloomington
Ron Erhardt of Edina
Kathy Tingelstad of Andover
Rod Hamilton of Mountain Lake
Ron Abeler of Anoka

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Mad Governor

Posted at 6:43 PM on February 26, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

Gov. Pawlenty lashed out at lawmakers today for overriding his veto of a transportation bill. Pawlenty also blamed the Democrats in control of both chambers even though eight Republicans - six in the House and two in the Senate -- also voted to override his veto.

"I don't think I had a bad day yesterday. I think it was the taxpayers of Minnesota who had a bad day. As the taxpayers of Minnesota get a full handle on what the DFL caucuses are doing to them, it's the DFL that's going to have a bad day."

Pawlenty warned lawmakers to "buckle their seat belts" for the rest of the session.

Is this circling the wagons after a stinging defeat or a harbinger for the rest of the session?

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Happy Governor

Posted at 6:49 PM on February 26, 2008 by Tom Scheck

Pawlenty sat down with the Washington Post's The Fix to talk about his proudest accomplishment as governor (held the line on spending) and why he's backing John McCain for president. He also deflected the now standard VP question:

“That support (for McCain) was not connected to in any manner or degree or with any notion that I would be a vice presidential running mate. As to that issue, I support him because he would be a fantastic president for the country not because I need or want a different job.”

Pawlenty is a lot happier in this interview than he was during today's news conference.