The Daily Digest: 4-1-08

Happy April Fool's Day. You know who you are.

Gasoline leads the digest today. The state's gas tax goes up for the first time in two decades. GOP Rep. Tom Emmer writes an op-ed criticizing the DFL for passing the gas tax increase.

Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress are asking why oil companies are raking in record profits and still increasing the cost of gas.

State Government

3M says it will cost $18 million to clean up a river near Cottage Grove that was contaminated with PFCs.

A conference committee working on the bonding bill is expected to wrap up today. Gov. Pawlenty's support is still a question mark.

A judge orders the DNR to protect Lynx from accidental trapping.

A study says the smoking ban has cut pull tab and bingo receipts. The Star Tribune and the Pi Press have stories.

Two of Gov. Pawlenty's political appointees get committee approval. Former GOP Speaker Steve Sviggum gets the nod for DOLI Commissioner. Sanne Magnan gets the nod as commissioner of Health. The full Senate still has to act. MPR, the Pi Press and AP have stories.

The Senate gives final passage to a health care package.

MPR reports on a push to extend bar hours around the 2008 RNC.

Koochiching's court could be affected by Governor Pawlenty's proposed budget cuts.

GOP Rep. Bud Nornes has an op-ed saying the loss of JOBZ could harm the local economy.

Congress

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar appeared on Midday yesterday. She talked about endorsing Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for president as well as the issues facing Congress.

AT&T will prorate its early termination fee. Klobuchar is mentioned.

DFL Rep. Keith Ellison blogs that the foreclosure mess is not just a credit crisis but a crisis in confidence.

DFL Rep. Collin Peterson does not support plans to merge the Commodity Futures Trading Commission with the SEC.

Farmers and shippers are also pushing Congress to nix President Bush's proposed changed to Food aid. Peterson is mentioned.

United Air jets are probed for crossed wires after skidding occurred on two jets. DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar is mentioned.

2008 Race for President

Klobuchar is breaking with Emily's List and is backing Barack Obama. But forget Klobuchar's endorsement. Obama got 50 cent to switch and endorse him!

Hillary Clinton will now join Barack Obama and speak at the North Dakota Democratic convention on Friday.

2008 Race for Senate

Former Gov. Jesse Ventura tells the AP that he's not planning on running for President but says "You never say never."

Klobuchar says she won't endorse in the Senate race until the convention is over.

2008 Race for Congress

The I-P endorses David Dillon in Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District. The Pi Press and the Star Tribune have stories.

Republican Dick Day is drawing contrasts between himself and GOP endorsed Brian Davis. Both are running in the GOP Primary in the 1st

Republicans are worried that a divided race in the 1st could give DFL Rep. Tim Walz a second term.

The Big Question says there is a mystery GOP candidate preparing to run against DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar.

Pawlenty for VP Watch

Pawlenty is mentioned in this CBS story as a possible running mate.

2008 RNC

Finance and Commerce says plenty of businesses are looking to give discounts during the convention.

The NFL moves up its first game to accommodate the GOP. Will football fans watch McCain when the game's over?

Looking over the list of prospective McCain veep nominees in your link:

He's crazy if he picks Pawlenty. (McC's crazy anyway, on the subject of the war, but if he picks Pawlenty he will be more likely to lose.)

McC has to pick an evangelical favorite (not necessarily Huckabee, but someone *like* Huckabee) to win back the tens of millions of evangelical voters and pick up some conservative street cred.

Too bad for Tim P. McCain's advanced age and cancer prone genetics mean that his veep would have a real shot at the Oval Office, elected to it or not. TP would enjoy leap-frogging straight into the White House, I bet; that's his style. But no matter how "loyal" he was to McCain during the tough times, I can't see how he would add any votes to the ticket total (he barely won MN last time, and he had that awful veto reverse in the State House.) TP is actually *suspect* as a conservative these days.

And in the end, picking a GOP veep is about shoring up the conservative base and adding votes to the ticket. McC can do better than TP, in those departments.