Polinaut: June 2, 2008 Archive

The Daily Digest: 6-2-08

Posted at 8:43 AM on June 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Daily Digest

The Presidential campaign kicks into a higher gear this week in Minnesota. Democrat Barack Obama will speak in St. Paul on Tuesday night. The Obama event coincides with some high school graduation ceremonies.

Meanwhile, John McCain's campaign offices will open this week.

DFLers are also preparing their state party convention -- a week after the GOP held their convention.

Republican leaders told GOP delegates that Republicans need to unite.

Gov. Pawlenty and White House advisor Karl Rove blast Democrats at the convention. MPR and the Pi Press have stories.

Forum Communications says Rove drew the biggest response from the delegates.

Rove says the party needs to court undecided voters.

The Star Tribune says Rove ripped Democrat Barack Obama.

Meanwhile, Gov. Pawlenty sidesteps questions about VP. The Pi Press and AP have stories.

Forum Communications says the delegates are split on Pawlenty's future.

Pawlenty is headed to Atlanta this week for the Republican Governor Association meetings.

The State GOP declines to endorse judicial candidates at the convention.

The Star Tribune says Osseo could be a bellwether.

2008 Race for Senate

Al Franken sits down with KSTP. Franken deflected DFL Rep. Betty McCollum's concern about Franken's Playboy article by saying she backed Mike Ciresi. When pushed, Franken said "I don't think it really has mattered much with the people of Minnesota. What they care about is educating their kids"

UPDATE:
Franken also sat down with WCCO. He said he makes it a point to not explain every bit of satire he's written.

GOP Sen. Norm Coleman campaigns in Willmar.

Democrat Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer gets the backing of the DFL Latino Caucus.

2008 Race for Congress

Brian Davis, the GOP endorsed candidate in the 1st, challenges DFL Rep. Tim Walz at the MNGOP convention.

ABC News writes about Iraq war veterans turned candidates. Ashwin Madia, the DFL endorsed candidate in the 3rd, is mentioned.

State Government

Courts are preparing for budget cuts.

Officials will take comments on the St. Cloud bridge.

Some downtown St. Paul groups are frustrated by the proposed Central Corridor light rail line.

KAAL says soldiers in Kosovo got to see their family members via webcam.

Congress

The push is still on for the passage of the mental health parity bill. GOP Rep. Jim Ramstad is mentioned.

Black trade unionists are gearing up for the election. DFL Rep. Keith Ellison is mentioned.

Amtrak ridership is up as fuel prices escalate. DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar is mentioned.

USA Today says there's skepticism over FAA "customer" initiative for airlines. Oberstar is mentioned.

Session is over. Time to shake the money trees!

Posted at 1:13 PM on June 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

Three of the four legislative caucuses have fundraisers scheduled for June, just one month after the legislative session ended. Here they are (in order of fundraiser listed):

The DFL House Caucus ($354,022 cash on hand through 12/31/2007). They have a June 4th fundraiser scheduled at Crowne Plaza-Riverfront in St. Paul.

The DFL Senate ($68,860 cash on hand through 12/31/2007). They have a fundraiser scheduled for June 18th at the Four Points Sheraton in Minneapolis.

House Republicans ($514,233 cash on hand through 12/31/2007) haves a fundraiser scheduled for June 24th at the Town and Country Club in St. Paul.

Senate Republicans ($68,498 cash on hand through 12/31/2007) have no known fundraiser scheduled yet.

Gov. Pawlenty also reportedly had a fundraiser last week at the home of David & Kristy Anne Minkkinen in Eden Prairie. Pawlenty has $375,285 cash on hand through 12/31/2007.

Interesting notes:

Will House Republicans continue their fundraising prominence? Plenty of those in the chattering class suggested House Republicans were losers in the last session since House DFLers delivered on many of their campaign promises. One thing that can help the House GOP is the promise to continue to uphold Gov. Pawlenty's vetoes. They were successful in all but one (remember that pesky transportation issue?).

House DFLers historically rake in the cash in the summer leading up to the election. We'll see if delivering on all of those promises (property tax relief, more money for schools, health care reform and more money for transportation) help House Democrats raise even more money.

The Senate DFL numbers are shockingly low. One insider said it has to do with Sen. Larry Pogemiller's dislike of fundraising. The most powerful caucus in the Legislature has the same cash on hand as the least powerful caucus (Senate GOP). We'll see whether the caucus with the veto proof majority ramps up the efforts this summer.

Does the Senate GOP get a fundraising boost from the hiring of Pat Shortridge, the former Chief of Staff to former Congressman Mark Kennedy? He has plenty of GOP contacts.

Why does all of this matter? Ask the House candidates running in the swing districts who get ground support, campaign lit and phone calling help from the caucuses. The Senate isn't up until 2010 but it's a critical election year since the caucuses that control the Legislature also have a hand in drawing the redistricting maps after the 2010 census.

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Per diem lawsuit is out

Posted at 1:30 PM on June 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck

AP has the story:

ST. PAUL (AP) - A Ramsey County judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging increases in the Legislature's daily expense payments.
District Court Judge Kathleen Gearin rejected the lawsuit in an order filed on Friday.
Gearin says the Legislature has the discretion to set its own expense payments and last year's hike in the so-called per diem does not count as a pay raise under Minnesota law.
A group called Citizens for the Rule of Law sought to make lawmakers to repay the state for the per diem, alleging that the higher payments amounted to a covert salary increase.
Senators can claim up to $96 a day in living expenses during the legislative session, while House members qualify for up to $77, after the maximum payments went up last year.

Harbinger for Clinton departure?

Posted at 2:03 PM on June 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

"This may be the last day I'm ever involved in a campaign of this kind," Former President Bill Clinton to NBC News. It may be a signal of Hillary Clinton's intentions in the coming days.

One group that may help show Clinton the door is the remaining group of uncommitted Democratic Senators. CNN is reporting that most of the 17 uncommitted Democratic Senators will back Obama after tomorrow's primary.

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New poll says Pawlenty helps McCain in Minnesota

Posted at 5:21 PM on June 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

Survey USA released a poll that says John McCain is helped in Minnesota if he picks Gov. Pawlenty as a running mate. When running head to head without running mates, Barack Obama is polling five percentage points ahead of McCain. But Minnesota is split on the candidates once potential running mates are added. Here's the summary. Here are the results.

The different findings make my head hurt. Battleground indeed.

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Congress to Minnesota: Sorry so late...

Posted at 9:32 PM on June 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

The St. Cloud Times reports that Congress will take up a resolution honoring the 150th anniversary of Minnesota becoming a state.

The trouble is: Congress is a month late.

Does anyone have any good excuses that Congress can give Minnesota? There are a few here and here but you can come up with some better ones.

C'mon, Give it the old college try.

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