Polinaut: August 16, 2008 Archive

The Daily Digest: 8-16-08

Posted at 7:02 AM on August 16, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Daily Digest

Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain will make their pitches to evangelical voters at Rick Warren's church tonight.

Gov. Pawlenty says the evangelical vote has been part of the core base of Republican voters but shouldn't be taken for granted.

Twins owner Carl Pohlad gave money to Barack Obama.

McCain says the problems in Georgia could threaten world energy supplies.

The Washington Post says the next three weeks are huge for the candidates.

Pawlenty for VP Watch

Pawlenty Faces the Nation on Sunday.

Forbes looks at the possibilities for McCain and Obama.

The Boston Globe considers Mitt Romney's prospects.

2008 Race for Senate

A Police Officers group backs GOP Sen. Norm Coleman.

Coleman says the DC Apartment deal is a nonissue.

DFLer Al Franken is taking a tour of northwestern Minnesota. He talked energy and Indian American needs.

2008 Race for Congress

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann takes her turn blasting Democrats.

WKBT takes a look at 1st District Republican Dick Day's candidacy.

State Government

Minnesota is catching more tax cheats.

Gov. Pawlenty announces the Governor's Deer Hunting Opener. Will he be there as Gov?

Congress

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar and GOP Rep. John Kline appear at an event that helped give a wounded Iraq veteran a new home.

Congress is set to get involved in the DHL/UPS deal. DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar will hold a hearing on it.

2008 RNC

Rates are falling for hotel rooms.

The University Club is also renting out space.

Organizers are offering giveaways to volunteers who help clean up the city.

The New York Times has a visiting planner.

Other

The Big Question takes a look at which politicos have active and inactive law licenses.

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WSJ: Convention parties skirt rules

Posted at 8:22 AM on August 16, 2008 by Tom Scheck

The Wall Street Journal says corporations and political parties are skirting the rules and making exemptions in order to hold the lavish parties that occurred at past conventions. Congress tried to stop the lavish parties in 2007.

In the spirit of Kanye West (who's performing at a party in Denver) it looks like the parties and corportations found a way to improvise.

3rd District candidates head north to court hunters; Madia to attend DNC

Posted at 12:45 PM on August 16, 2008 by Melanie Sommer
Filed under: U.S. MN CD3

Posting this on behalf of MPR's Curtis Gilbert:

Third Congressional candidates Ashwin Madia (DFL) and Erik Paulsen (R) leave the district they hope to represent this afternoon to put in appearances at Game Fair, which bills itself as "the nation's largest outdoors, pre-hunting, family participation event." Game Fair is held annually in the town of Ramsey, just north of the 3rd Congressional District.

In conjunction with his appearance, the Madia campaign released a policy statement criticizing recent state fee increases on licenses for fishing, hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation. While Madia is running for a federal office, not a state one, he said he supports "the use of federal funds to reduce the costs of Minnesota's outdoor activities."

Madia, a lawyer, Iraq war veteran and former Republican, also said he supports this year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Washington D.C.'s handgun ban and affirming that the 2nd Amendment guarantees an individual right to own firearms.

Then, it's on to Denver

Madia is the only non-incumbent DFL congressional candidate who will attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver later this month.

Communications Director Dan Pollock said the campaign made the decision on Friday. Pollock said he wasn't sure how long Madia would stay in Denver or what his exact itinerary would be, but said he would probably try to raise some money and meet with Minnesota's DNC delegation.

All of Minnesota's Democratic members of Congress are super-delegates to the convention and will be there. But the DFLers challenging Republican U.S. Reps. Michele Bachmann and John Kline plan to skip the DNC.

"Our time is better spent here," said John Wodele, a spokesman for Bachmann's challenger, former state transportation commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg.

A spokeswoman for former Watertown Mayor Steve Sarvi, who is running against Kline, said the same thing.

There is no incumbent running in Madia's race. U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., is retiring, and money from around the country has been pouring into race, because the 3rd is seen as a highly competitive swing district.

Madia, Paulsen and Independence Party candidate David Dillon face off in their first debate Thursday morning.