Polinaut: June 5, 2008 Archive

The Daily Digest: 6-5-08

Posted at 9:21 AM on June 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Daily Digest

The New York Times says Hillary Clinton will suspend her campaign and back Barack Obama. Former VP Walter Mondale said Clinton shouldn't campaign for the VP spot because it could complicate things for Obama. The Charlie Rangel quote in the story is money.

MPR says many Clinton backers are now backing Obama.

The DFL Feminist Caucus Leader said she doesn't support a "protest vote."

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Clinton still commands respect in the Senate.

The Washington Post said Obama is now focused on the general election. DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Obama cautioned his staff to not celebrate the Democratic nomination too much.

The Pi Press profiles the Eden Prairie woman who introduced Obama at the Xcel.

The Star Tribune says Black Americans are celebrating Obama's nomination.

Politico says McCain is still at odds with some of his colleagues. GOP Sen. Norm Coleman is mentioned.

Reuters says traders are betting on Obama to win the election.

WCCO Reality Checks Minnesota's role in the election.

2008 Race for Senate

Marc Ambinder releases his Senate rankings. He said Minnesota's Senate race is competitive but Franken's campaign needs to steady the ship.

Former VP Al Gore backs Al Franken for Senate but Checks and Balances says Planned Parenthood isn't happy with Franken.

UPDATE: The Franken Campaign sent along a letter from Minnesota NOW who defends Al Franken. The letter said "The women of Minnesota deserve better than attacks that are not based on reality, nor are they based on the issues that face Minnesota women." The letter also criticized GOP Sen. Norm Coleman for his anti-choice voting record.

DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar calls on Franken to disown his Playboy column.

Former Klobuchar campaign manager Ben Goldfarb endorsed Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer.

The St. Cloud Times previews this weekend's DFL State Party Convention.

2008 Race for Congress

The anti-Michele Bachmann blog DumpBachmann interviews 6th District DFL candidate Elwyn Tinklenberg.

The Swing State Project picks up on a Steve Sarvi commissioned poll that says Minnesota's 2nd is in play. Sarvi, the DFL endorsed candidate in the district, released the poll. Would they have released it if it showed unfavorable numbers for Sarvi?

Pawlenty for VP Watch

Gov. Pawlenty addresses the governors at the Republican Governors Association. Reports here and here. The Southern Political Report said the RGA closed everything to the press except for Pawlenty's speech. Pawlenty also reportedly eluded reporters after his speech. RGA staffers said all of the governors were on tight schedules and didn't have time to talk.

Governor Pawlenty talks up John McCain. On VP, he said "It's all speculation. I haven't been asked. I haven't been asked to submit to any interviews or vetting.

State Government

Winona tries to cope with the Hwy. 43 bridge closure. MPR and the Winona Daily News have stories.

MnDOT is not questioning whether to close questionable bridges.

Meanwhile, officials disagree over the value of an outside bridge report.

The Public Utilities Commission will release its decision on the South Dakota powered plant today.

Minnesota ranks at the bottom for black graduation rates.

The DNR is working to address lead in venison. Forum Communications and the Star Tribune have stories.

Officials with the International Falls Airport are concerned about a funding shift in the latest budget. They plan to meet with DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar.

Congress

GOP Sen. Norm Coleman makes a pitch to save the St. Paul Ford plant. AP and the Star Tribune have

Coleman also proposed a bill that would allow Medicare to reimburse for high tech checks.

DFL Rep. Keith Ellison joins the LGBT Equality Caucus.

2008 RNC

A report finds that the conventions find a big loophole in money limits. AP and the Star Tribune have stories. Here's the report from the Campaign Finance Institute.

The Obama rally helped police prepare for the RNC.

The Pi Press said locals are thrilled to have the RNC but are sighing over not having the DNC.

270

Posted at 11:02 AM on June 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck

The LA Times and AP have great stories on the race to 270 electoral college votes. Political junkies will love reading which states are in play for Barack Obama and John McCain. Here's what the L.A. Times says about Minnesota:

"In the Midwest and elsewhere, Obama and McCain face a highly competitive campaign for independents, notably in Minnesota and Wisconsin, states that Kerry won by narrow margins."

Here's what the AP says about Minnesota:

The reality: If the election is as close as Republicans and Democrats alike expect, the competition will play out primarily in 14 states.

Of them, five - Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania - are in the Great Lakes region and offer a combined 78 votes. Two - Iowa and Missouri - are in Middle America with 18 votes up for grabs. Three with 19 votes - Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico - are in the West. Florida, New Hampshire and Oregon - 38 votes in all - also are on the list.

The AP glance of all the states (keep this handy) also says this about Minnesota:

-Minnesota (10 electoral votes): Kerry won Minnesota by 3 percentage points in 2004. One of McCain's top targets with a Republican governor.

Obama's Money Machine

Posted at 12:38 PM on June 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck

Politico has a fascinating story on Barack Obama's fundraising. The money gap between Obama and John McCain is so large that it's a worry to the GOP.

CQ: Blue Dogs not barking for Obama

Posted at 1:38 PM on June 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck

CQ has a story saying the conservative Blue Dog Democrats are keeping their distance from Barack Obama. The report says 16 of the 30 members of Congress who have not yet backed Obama are Blue Dogs.

DFL Rep. Collin Peterson (Minnesota's only Blue Dog) has not backed Obama yet. His spokeswoman said yesterday that Peterson would make an announcement later this week. Peterson hinted in May that he will back Obama. The Blue Dogs have also backed 6th District DFL candidate El Tinklenberg this year. I'm trying to find out whether Tinklenberg has backed Obama A Tinklenberg staffer said Tinklenberg has not formally endorsed anyone for president. . Tinklenberg's spokesman John Wodele released this statement saying : "He was nuetral...but is now on board with Obama. He is hopeful that "change" means restoring fiscal integrity, a key Bluedog initiative."

Pawlenty is building his profile

Posted at 3:57 PM on June 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck

The Fix has a post saying Gov. Pawlenty is increasing his profile within the GOP. It said Pawlenty appeared before some well heeled donors during the Republican Governor Association meetings this week, raised money for two GOP candidates in North Carolina last week and is headed to Connecticut later this month.

Pawlenty on TV alert!

It appears that Pawlenty will be increasing his profile even more. Fox News Sunday says Pawlenty is scheduled to appear on the show. Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia (who supports Barack Obama) will also be on the show.

The supersecret Draft Dean Barkley supporter

Posted at 4:14 PM on June 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

An unidentified Dean Barkley supporter has created a website encouraging Barkley to run for Senate. DraftDeanBarkley.com is fielding comments from Barkley supporters. A background check on who runs the site prompts you to another. That server promises to provide privacy to those who want to establish domain names. I sent a note to the person who e-mailed the DraftDeanBarkley updates to me. I asked for their identity. Here's his/her/its response:

For now I am Anonymous - Not Dean.

I am a political campaign professional, so personally I need to keep a low profile. Because every time I do Independence Party stuff my company suffers. I work with both the "Major" parties.

That being said I have been active in the Independence Party (IP) in the past, but currently I have no official or unofficial role in the IP (or with Dean Barkley).

I have met Dean only a few times (at various IP functions) and have always been impressed with him. I am not sure if he knows me or not.

Dean Barkley (and Ross Perot) is the reason I got involved in politics. I have voted for Dean every time he has run for office. I will gladly do so again.

He is smart and a hard worker. Our State (and our Nation) could use someone like him in Washington - again. I think he could raise the money and be very lively in debates, making him a credible candidate.

Right now, and do to legal reasons, we are only looking for emails. Trying to actually Draft Dean Barkley is the goal. As for the site I will hope that I get a few emails that contain offers to run it for me, I am pretty busy this time of year so don't have a lot of time to mess with 'free' stuff.

Not Dean

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Campaign surrogate tennis!

Posted at 5:38 PM on June 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck

The Minnesota Republican Party held another news conference today on Al Franken's past comments regarding women. Several DFLers also criticized Franken for the comments he made in the article. You can read about it here.

The Franken campaign response didn't address the flap but focused on Norm Coleman:

"Norm Coleman voted against funding for the Violence Against Women Act. He ought to be ashamed."

Later in the day, The Democrat leaning Alliance for a Better Minnesota held a news conference announcing a "six-figure" ad campaign criticizing GOP Sen. Norm Coleman's relationship with oil and gas companies. Coleman's campaign released this statement on the ad:

"This ad is a desperate attempt to save a candidate drowning in hypocrisy and vulgarity - and it is the kind of negative attack ad that will become common by Al Franken and his allies throughout this campaign. The truth is Norm Coleman has been a champion in the battle to end our nation's addiction to foreign oil. He is a recognized leader in renewable energy legislation, having co-sponsored and passed into law the nation's first-ever Renewable Fuels Standard that has resulted in a massive expansion of Minnesota's renewable fuels industry. He has supported increased fuel economy requirements and led the effort to help pass the new Farm Bill that will bring renewable energy into the future through cellulosic ethanol and a sugar-to-ethanol program. The Senator has voted to shift tax incentives away from oil companies and to renewable fuels programs like those being developed in Minnesota. Senator Coleman, unlike Al Franken and his allies, believes we must be aggressive in developing access to domestic energy resources like coal, gas and oil. We are in the midst of an energy crisis that threatens our economic and national security, and expanding access to those resources, as well as an aggressive renewable fuels program, has to be our focus in the years ahead."

This leaves me to wonder: Where are the actual candidates?

The forces against Franken

Posted at 6:07 PM on June 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)

Democrat Al Franken heads to this weekend's DFL Party Convention with some bumps, bruises and mud on him. He's been ripped by the GOP on his past writings in Playboy and his attempts at humor in a 1995 New York Magazine article (read story here). He's also been dinged by DFL members of Congress. DFL Reps. Tim Walz, Keith Ellison, Jim Oberstar and Betty McCollum have all criticized Franken's 2000 Playboy article. DFL Rep. Betty McCollum (who supported Mike Ciresi) has been the harshest. She just released this statement on Franken's comments in the 1995 New York Magazine article:

"It is appalling that anyone could characterize rape, a violent and horrible crime, as a joke."

Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood's legislative director sent a letter to supporters criticizing Franken. Here's a snippet:

"We are very concerned by the misogynist remarks of some of these statements and find them degrading to women. We certainly support First Amendment rights of all Americans, but do believe these comments have gone beyond the bounds of what is appropriate for any candidate for elected office. If half of these allegations are true, it is very difficult for us to foresee the Planned Parenthood of Minnesota Action Fund Board endorsing the candidacy of anyone with such extreme perspectives."

(NOTE: Planned Parenthood's executive director issued a follow up statement saying it would be "premature" to comment about endorsements.)

Franken's campaign didn't directly address the criticism from Planned Parenthood or the GOP today. When the Planned Parenthood news broke, a Franken spokeswoman issued a statement of support from an official from the National Organization for Women. She released this statement on Franken's comments in the New York Magazine comments:

"Norm Coleman voted against funding for the Violence Against Women Act. He ought to be ashamed."

(NOTE: Coleman's camp disputes this statement saying he's voted for the bill and has been "fighting violence against women throughout his three decades of public service.)

Franken has spent the past 15 months running for the Senate. He has raised a tremendous amount of money ($9.3 million). He has been backed by some big names (like former VP Al Gore) and he's worked hard to elect DFL candidates in the last election cycle.

On paper, Franken appears to be a strong candidate. But what he's said in the paper (and on the radio) worries many DFL activists. They worry he'll die a death of a thousand paper cuts through a GOP drip drip drip of old comments. AP's Brian Bakst confirms the GOP strategy with this nugget on the New York Magazine article:

"Republican Party spokesman Mark Drake acknowledged that the article has been in party hands for some time, but was held back until now. He wouldn't say what other material the party has in the pipeline."

Some (including Franken supporters) don't think Franken can muster enough support to defeat GOP incumbent Norm Coleman in November. They're also worried that down the ballot candidates will be forced to explain Franken's past comments. Remember, the business of political campaigns is to win elections.

Question(s) of the Day:
Do voters care about Franken's past comments?
Does this DFL criticism help Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer win the endorsement?
Does it prompt Mike Ciresi to get back into the race?
Does it make Franken a better candidate in November?
Is Norm Coleman resting easy?

Discuss...

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Where in the world is Tim Pawlenty?

Posted at 9:50 PM on June 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

A Press report say he's in Bloomington, Illinois tonight for the Lincoln /Reagan Day dinner. He was in Atlanta for the RGA earlier this week.

Last week, Pawlenty was in North Carolina to raise money for a few House candidates. He will also be in Connecticut on June 27th (with Larry Kudlow who interviewed Pawlenty earlier this week).

It may have been an understatement when The Fix wrote earlier today that Pawlenty was trying to raise his national profile.

By the way, Pawlenty will also be on Fox News Sunday this weekend.

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Franken releases a statement

Posted at 10:17 PM on June 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

Al Franken released a statement today on the flap surrounding his campaign. Here it is:

"I'm proud of my career as a satirist, which doesn't mean every joke I've ever told was funny, or, indeed, appropriate. I understand and regret that people have been legitimately offended by some of the things I've written. In real life, though, I've been married for 32 years. Franni and I are proud of our son and daughter. I respect women -- in both my personal and professional life. And I will work incredibly hard to represent them in the Senate -- something Norm Coleman hasn't been doing for the last six years."

Meanwhile, DFL Senator Amy Klobuchar tells the Star Tribune that Franken's comments were "entirely inappropriate" and asked Franken to acknowledge that:

"This is a guy who has been married for 30 years. He loves his family and he cares about the issues. People need to know that. But they also need to hear him address his past inappropriate writings head on."

The DFL State Party Convention starts tomorrow. MPR's Midday will be live from Rochester on Friday at 11 AM. MPR will also have live coverage of the U.S. Senate endorsement fight on Saturday.

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