Polinaut: September 2, 2008 Archive

Bush may speak

Posted at 7:10 AM on September 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck

President Bush may address the convention in person of via video conference tonight.

The Daily Digest: 9-2-08

Posted at 7:44 AM on September 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Daily Digest

President Bush may speak to convention delegates in person or via video conference.

The GOP decides to resume the convention. One day after calling Monday's session short.

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann says she is scheduled to speak tonight. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney raised money for her and GOP candidate Erik Paulsen on Monday.

Delegates assemble care packages for Gulf Coast victims.

Democrat Barack Obama also urges Red Cross donations for Hurricane relief.

Ron Paul

Texas Congressman Ron Paul (a Republican who once ran for president) has his counter convention today in Minneapolis. Former Gov. Jesse Ventura is expected to speak.

The GOP tells Paul that he can come to the convention but only under restricted conditions.

Protests

Police arrested hundreds of protesters - some who caused damage. Authorities say splinter groups caused most of the violence.

Sarah Palin

The McCain campaign reveals that Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter is pregnant. Some say it will only help her image among pro-lifers.

McCain has fought funding for teen pregnancy programs.

Palin also hired an attorney to represent her regarding troopergate.

McCain's VP vetter defends the review.

2008 Race for U.S. Senate

MPR takes a look at GOP Sen. Norm Coleman on the 1st day of the convention.

DFL challenger Al Franken outlines his stimulus package.

2008 Race for Congress

1st District Republican Brian Davis will address the Minnesota delegation this morning.

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Palin backed bridge to nowhere in 2006

Posted at 9:57 AM on September 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck

As they say in politics, she was for it before she was against it.

Question of the day: Does this undermine her so-called "Reformer image?"

RNC is back on

Posted at 10:14 AM on September 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck

McCain's campaign manager just said tonight's theme will be service. He says there will be a video tribute to President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. Former GOP Sen. Fred Thompson and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman will be the featured speakers.

Update: President Bush will speak via a live feed from the White House...

Breakfast with the delegates

Posted at 10:43 AM on September 2, 2008 by Molly Bloom

MPR reporter Curtis Gilbert sat in on the Minnesota delegation's breakfast meeting this morning.

They heard short speeches from all of the non-incumbent Republicans running for U.S. Congress -- Brian Davis (running in MN 1st Congressional District), Erik Paulsen (3rd CD), Ed Matthews (4th CD), Barb Davis White (5th CD), Glen Menze (7th CD) and Michael Cummins (8th CD).

Ron Carey, chair of the Minnesota Republican Party, announced that tonight's convention would start at 6:00. And, showing that not even the home state delegation is safe from vandalism, he said that the tires had been slashed on two of their buses and that might delay some of their activities scheduled for the day.

Bachmann and Coleman to speak tonight

Posted at 12:03 PM on September 2, 2008 by Molly Bloom
Filed under: Campaign 2008, U.S. MN CD6, U.S. Senate

The RNC has confirmed that Sen. Norm Coleman and Rep. Michele Bachmann will be speaking at the convention tonight.

I will post what times they will be speaking as soon as the schedule is confirmed.

Update: Coleman will take the stage sometime between 7:00-7:30 and will be welcoming the delegates to St. Paul.

Update 2: Bachmann is slated to speak at 7:30, after Coleman.

Ron Paul's Rally for the Republic

Posted at 2:00 PM on September 2, 2008 by Molly Bloom (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2008

Today Rep. Ron Paul held a press conference about his Rally for the Republic that's being held at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis.

Paul says the rally is going to be positive and will promote the valuable form of republican (small "r") government. Among other values, they support small government, low taxation and protecting the constitution.

He's not urging his delegates to vote for McCain nor is he going to endorse a candidate. Paul is interested in changing the Republican Party from within and he's teaching his supporters how to do so by holding training sessions (that they have to pay for).

Paul says there are 40-50 delegates specifically supporting him but that there are hundreds of delegates who are sympathizers with the movement.

So while he'll have supporters on the floor of the Xcel Energy Center, it is unlikely he'll make an appearance. In what he calls "a bit of a slight," his floor privileges at the RNC have been strictly limited -- he is not allowed to bring along staffers and he must be chaperoned.

The Rally for the Republic continues today featuring speakers such as Tucker Carlson, MN Congressional candidate Barb Davis White and former Gov. Jesse Ventura.

Ventura is scheduled to take the stage at 3:35 and you can watch a live stream of the event at the rally's website.

MPR reporter Curtis Gilbert sent along the audio of the press conference. You can listen here:

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Fool me once...

Posted at 5:01 PM on September 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

Former Gov. Jesse Ventura hinted (again) that he may run for president in 2012.

His words to the audience at Ron Paul's Rally for the Republic at the Target Center were:

"Maybe in 2012."

Ventura (who has flirted with possible funs for office in the past) told the audience that he would consider a run for president in 2012 if he sees a credible independent movement:

"Chanting and yelling aren't going to do it," Ventura said. "If I see it in 2012, I'll give them a race they'll never forget."

Ventura hustled off the stage as the crowd cheered. He then ran back to the podium to remind the audience that his good buddy Dean Barkley is running for the U.S. Senate as an Independence Party member. He's challenging GOP Sen. Norm Coleman and DFLer Al Franken.

"I almost forgot to mention that," he said.

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A tongue in cheek look at the RNC

Posted at 5:43 PM on September 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck

Christopher Buckley's look at the convention.

Defining Palin

Posted at 7:08 PM on September 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck

Sarah Palin is an open slate to most voters. They have no idea who she is, where she stands, etc. That can be a benefit and disadvantage for the campaigns. The benefit for the McCain campaign is they can highlight her positives. The downside is that she can be defined as the news media scrambles to find out her track record, her history, etc. It appears that both campaigns are giving us a helping hand.

Here's what the Democrats have sent over via e-mail:

Palin's pork requests confound reformer image - AP

Palin dragging her feet on probe - Talking Points Memo

McCain cancels a CNN interview - TPM

Bridges to Fairview Fannie - Seattle Post Intelligencer

Palin and Stevens - CBS

Palin's stopover - Politico

Palin's Lobbyist Has Abramoff Ties - TPM

Palin Was a Director of Embattled Sen. Stevens's 527 Group - Washington Post

Here's the info from McCain's camp:

McCain sent out this video introducing Palin.

They also released this photo (with First Lady Laura Bush and Cindy McCain)

Ignore the Chauvinists - Wall Street Journal

They also released McCain's comments to Fox News.

Question of the Day: Who is Sarah Palin?

The life of the party party

Posted at 7:28 PM on September 2, 2008 by Molly Bloom
Filed under: Campaign 2008, President, U.S. MN CD6

I stopped byThe Life of the Party party held by the Republican National Coalition for Life and Chairwoman Phyllis Schlafly. Schlafly is a socially conservative activist best-known for her opposition to feminism and abortion.

The event was being held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown St. Paul, which is also where the Texas delegation is staying. Fox News was being shown on TVs throughout the lobby, which I found out is not the norm but rather a courtesy for their Republican guests.

Protesters from Code Pink were outside the hotel greeting those who paid $95 to attend the event.

Gov. Sarah Palin was scheduled to accept the 2008 Life of the Party award at the event before she was chosen as McCain's running mate. She canceled her appearance late last night and while Schlafly did not express unhappiness while addressing the gathering, she expressed it to ABC News.

But the attendees I spoke with didn't seem disappointed -- they just seemed really excited about Palin. She's clearly energized the social conservatives and I saw one man with a hand-made "Vote Sarah" signed taped to his back.

A protester from Code Pink managed to make it inside the hall where the party was being held and got on stage during Schlafly's welcome. After grabbing the mic and starting to say how the "truly pro-life" members of Code Pink welcomed them, a few delegates got up on stage and escorted her off as the rest of the crowd spontaneously started singing "God Bless America."

Conservative radio talk show host Laura Ingraham and Rep. Michele Bachmann also spoke at the event. Gov. Palin's award was accepted on her behalf by Debbie Joslin of the Alaska Republican Party.

And delegates got to enjoy the music of the Twin Cities' very own Barbary Coast Dixieland Show Band.

Oops!

Posted at 8:33 PM on September 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

When talking about the VP nominee, Republican National Committee co-chair Jo Ann Davidson made a major boo boo. She mistakenly referred to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as Sarah Pawlenty.

UPDATE: Here's the video

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Norm Coleman to RNC

Posted at 9:38 PM on September 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

Here's his speech:

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Michele Bachmann to RNC

Posted at 9:43 PM on September 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck

Here's her speech:

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Bulls on parade

Posted at 9:57 PM on September 2, 2008 by Tom Scheck

As Republicans meet inside the Xcel, police outside the hall fire chemical irritants on protesters. Do the Republican delegates inside the hall know what's going on outside it?