Polinaut: June 13, 2008 Archive

The Daily Digest: 6-13-08

Posted at 6:37 AM on June 13, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Daily Digest

Floods damage hundreds of homes in Austin and surrounding areas.

Gov. Pawlenty declares a state of emergency for Freeborn and Mower Counties.

DFL Rep. Tim Walz will visit the area today.

The long waiting list for public housing gets longer.

The Winona Bridge is set to partially reopen on Saturday.

Minnesota's new Chief Justice will reveal his stance on judicial elections next week.

A group studying cancer among taconite miners gave an update. Another person was discovered to have mesothelioma. MPR and Forum Communications have stories.

Some senior service agencies say they have to cut back because they didn't receive state grant money.

A group criticizes the state for having gaps in health insurance coverage. The Pi Press and Forum Communications have stories.

The Minnesota National Guard will dedicate a memorial to ten soldiers who died in Iraq.

NPR says Minneapolis is working to lure buyers for foreclosed homes in north Minneapolis.

David Strom, former of the Minnesota Taxpayers League and presently with Minnesota Free Market Institute, praises Pawlenty's veto of the foreclosure deferment bill in this op-ed.

Congress

A Minneapolis attorney played a role on the Supreme Court case regarding the detainees in Guantanamo.

The House votes to extend jobless benefits. The entire delegation, sans GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann and John Kline, voted for the bill. The Star Tribune and the St. Cloud Times have stories.

The GOP voted to block a Medicare bill. GOP Sen. Norm Coleman voted to consider the bill.

Coleman also writes an op-ed saying his vote to move forward with a debate on the energy bill was on the energy debate not because he supported the windfall oil profits tax.

Duluth is working to convince the Air Force to make Duluth's 148th Fighter Wing an active duty base. Coleman tours the site today.

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar is warning the FCC to not write states out of regulating early termination fees on cell phones.

Politico interviews GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann as she heads to the airport.

A Fergus Falls group played a role in the Farm Bill. DFL Rep. Collin Peterson is mentioned.

The feds deliver on transportation money that they promised in the past. It appears it has been announced and announced and announced.

2008 Race for President

The scramble is on for women voters.

The GOP targets Michelle Obama.

John McCain targets Hillary Clinton backers.

Barack Obama moves quickly to reshape the DNC.

The Obama campaign starts a rumor debunking site.

Here are five rumors that Obama had to dispel. DFL Rep. Keith Ellison is mentioned.

Microsoft works to fix its spell checker on Obama.

Republican Ron Paul drops his bid but will still hold a rally during the RNC.

2008 Race for Senate

GOP Sen. Norm Coleman can't like it when the NRSC Chair says he hopes the GOP only loses three seats. He says, however, that they were fortunate to get Al Franken as the DFL candidate.

Franken makes a stop in Albert Lea and Mankato.

A group called the Center for Union Facts is active in Maine's Senate race but also has its eye on Minnesota and Democrat Al Franken. Union officials have criticized the group.

MinnPost picks up on the Draft Mike Ciresi blog.

CQ says Minnesota's Senate race and the 3rd congressional district race are toss-ups.

Pawlenty for VP Watch

Former Christian Coalition Director Ralph Reed urges McCain to get closer with Christian Conservatives. He said McCain should pick Pawlenty or Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to galvanize young voters.

The Christian Broadcasting Network asks whether Pawlenty is the perfect VP candidate for Evangelicals.

U.S. News and World Report looks at the VP candidates and where they stand on cap and trade.

Newsweek's Howard Fineman details the VP picks and appears to like former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

NPR has a look at Obama's choices and McCain's choices. University of Virginia Political Science professor Larry Sabato talks up Pawlenty.

Human Events has a look at McCain's VP vetter.

2008 RNC

The Star Tribune says late RNC bar hours stay alive in Minneapolis.

2010

Minnesota Brown interviews DFLer Tom Bakk who is running for governor.

Finally

There will not be a Digest on Monday or Tuesday. Happy Father's Day and have a nice weekend.

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Senate race is dropping down the line

Posted at 9:27 AM on June 13, 2008 by Tom Scheck

The Fix is dropping Minnesota's Senate race down the line. Here's why:

9. Minnesota (R): Al Franken giveth and Al Franken taketh away. After running a nearly error-free primary campaign that all but cleared the field for him, Franken has endured more than a month of negative stories that have some Democrats wondering if nominating him, which the party officially did earlier this month, might have been a mistake. The latest problem for Franken? The unearthing of a column he penned for Playboy magazine nearly a decade ago on Internet pornography, which led to Rep. Betty McCollum, a Democrat who backed Franken's opponent in the primary, to condemn the candidate. Not good. And Sen. Norm Coleman (R) has begun advertising with commercials that effectively paint the incumbent as a bipartisan dealmaker. All is not lost for Democrats, as there is plenty of time for Franken to regain his footing. But make no mistake: He has slipped. (Previous ranking: 7)

The Fix says Virginia's Senate race is the most likely to switch parties.

Rasmussen: Minnesota Senate race is close, Obama up by double digits

Posted at 10:10 AM on June 13, 2008 by Tom Scheck

A Rasmussen Poll that was put in the field after the DFL Convention has Norm Coleman with a slim lead over DFL endorsed Al Franken. Coleman is polling at 48% to Franken's 45% in a head to head matchup.

The poll also considers a possible Jesse Ventura entry. 24% of those polled support Ventura, 39% support Coleman and 32% support Franken. Rasmussen's analysis says Ventura takes support from both parties but hits the Democrats harder.

The analysis also said this about Franken's past work as a comedian (Playboy article, comments on SNL) :

Despite the flap over Franken's writings and comments, Coleman has a statistically insignificant lead over Franken - 46% to 45% -- among women voters.

Meanwhile...

Rasmussen also polled on the presidential race in Minnesota.

poll has Democrat Barack Obama leading John McCain by 13%. Obama is polling at 52% to McCain's 39%.

Rasmussen says the war in Iraq and President Bush may be holding McCain back. 57% of those polled say it's more important to get the troops home from Iraq than win the war. 30% of those polled have a favorable opinion of President Bush.

Good-bye Tim Russert

Posted at 2:41 PM on June 13, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

NBC is reporting that Meet the Press moderator Tim Russert died today at the age of 58. This is a huge blow to journalists who cover politics and to voters who rely being fully informed before they head to the voting booth.

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