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The Daily Digest: 7-30-08

Posted at 8:34 AM on July 30, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Daily Digest

Have you had enough of the VP speculation? There are a few camps in the Pawlenty Veepstakes. One camp says John McCain has already picked Pawlenty but is waiting for Barack Obama to pick his VP first. Another camp says McCain isn't sure yet but Pawlenty is in the hunt. Another camp says it's not Pawlenty but McCain is trying to help the governor's national street cred by mentioning his name every so often. It's a thank you for Pawlenty's loyalty during a long campaign. Another camp says "I have no idea." Which camp are you in?

Gov. Pawlenty was pressed again on Tuesday about his chances of being VP. He was mum on VP talk but praised Mitt Romney (another possible VP choice), declined to say whether he was qualified to be president and said he thought Jay Leno's jokes about him were "funny." AP and the Star Tribune have stories.

Offshore betting has Pawlenty with the best odds.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee says he'd pick Pawlenty.

Evangelicals warn against adding Romney to the ticket but the Denver Post says Romney can help McCain win the West.

ABC says McCain hasn't made up his mind.

Time says a McCain VP pick may not be on the media's radar.

Scratch South Dakota's John Thune from the list.

Meanwhile, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine is reportedly being considered by Obama.

2008 Race for President

Republican John McCain says he won't raise taxes after he said "everything was on the table" when it came to social security.

Politico says Democrat Barack Obama has cash to target McCain's base.

The New York Times says McCain has grown increasingly negative which worries some Republicans.

The AFL-CIO issued a flyer to dispel myths about Obama. DFL Rep. Keith Ellison is mentioned in this story on the flyer.

McCain and Obama spent $50 million on TV ads.

2008 Race for Senate

Minnesota doesn't make Politico and Real Clear Politic's Top 10 list of most competitive Senate races.

The Ted Stevens scandal reverberates in Minnesota. In other words, Democrat Al Franken wants Coleman to return $31,000 in contributions from Stevens' campaign.

KSTP says Coleman and the MNGOP are targeting Franken's character.

Democrat Priscilla Lord Faris and I-P candidate Dean Barkley campaigned in Duluth.

Barkley also released a new website and is selling a lawn sign that call for Brett Favre to be Minnesota's quarterback.

2008 Race for Congress

CQ says 3rd District candidates Erik Paulsen (GOP) and Ashwin Madia (DFL) have oodles and oodles (that's a technical term) of cash on hand. Both are in the Top 10 for open seat candidates.

6th District DFLer Elwyn Tinklenberg embarks on a transportation tour today. Meanwhile, Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner (who is also a Democrat running for Governor) writes an op-ed asking whether GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann really believes her $2 a gallon gas claim.

Congress

The Star Tribune says a federal agency may redefine abortion rules.

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar is one of several Democratic Senators calling for the EPA chief to resign.

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann seeks a House vote on oil exploration.

The House will debate the oil speculator bill today. DFL Rep. Collin Peterson is mentioned.

The Star Tribune says NTSB said a corroded gusset plate fractured.

Klobuchar and DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar have proposed legislation to improve the nation's bridges.

The head of the federal DOT says transportation funding needs fixing. She proposed a new funding plan.

Klobuchar and GOP Sen. Norm Coleman secure funding for an incinerator in Pope County.

A U.S. House committee will discuss the impact of the NWA/Delta merger.

State Government

Gov. Pawlenty proposes health care changes. MPR, AP, the Star Tribune and the Pi Press have stories.

A judge rules that Attorney General Lori Swanson can sue an insurer that sold annuities to the elderly.

The New Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court discusses the future of Minnesota's courts with MPR.

2008 RNC

Protesters say St. Paul is thwarting permit requests.

The Pi Press also says St. Paul police will have cameras for the event.

Finally

AP answers some basic questions about polling.

Comments (1)

For what it's worth, my speculation is that McCain had Pawlenty in mind as early as '06, possibly earlier, when he came to Minnesota and kept saying stuff like "He's the future of the GOP and will play a big role, blah blah blah." Pawlenty gives off that smart-alecky, down-to-earth quality that McCain reportedly admires in people, he hasn't served in DC the last eight years, therefore no ninety-something percent voting record in support of Bush for the Dems to attack, he's relatively young. You know the drill.

All that was left for McCain to do was put Pawlenty through the vetting process to make sure he doesn't get Spitzered. Assuming there's no dirt, Pawlenty gets picked.

It'll be interesting to see if the Obama campaign picks up on Pawlenty's '05 comment that he'd stand behind President Bush even if his approval rating was at 2%.

Posted by Chris | July 30, 2008 7:22 PM

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