Polinaut: September 29, 2008 Archive

The Daily Digest: 9-29-08

Posted at 8:44 AM on September 29, 2008 by Molly Bloom
Filed under: Campaign 2008, Daily Digest

The House is expected to vote on $700 billion Wall Street bailout today.

Meanwhile, Citigroup will buy Wachovia.

Sens. McCain and Obama say they will likely support the bailout.

The New York Times looks at the candidates' handling of the financial crisis.

The Wall Street Journal says the candidates are both trying to claim the middle class.

Obama gets a boost from last Friday's debate.

Real Clear Politics looks at reactions to the debate from editorial pages from around the country.

FactCheck.org checks out the candidates' debate answers.

Obama will be in LaCrosse, WI on Wednesday.

Sen. Biden and Gov. Palin are getting ready to debate on Thursday.

Minnesota voters register in record numbers.

2008 Race for U.S. Senate

Sen. Norm Coleman, DFL challenger Al Franken and IP candidate Dean Barkley will debate on Sunday in Rochester.

Coleman and Franken debate Norm's role in oversight of fraud and waste in the rebuilding of Iraq.

Former DFL state Sen. Doug Johnson comes out in support of Sen. Coleman.

2008 Race for U.S. Congress

A volunteer for DFL candidate Ashwin Madia was caught removing signs for his Republican opponent Erik Paulsen.

Madia appears at the Indus Entrepreneurs gala dinner.

Congressional candidates Paulsen and Democrat Elwyn Tinklenberg weigh in on the bailout.

The St. Cloud Times looks at Tinklenberg's candidacy.

DFL Rep. Tim Walz hits Republican opponent Brian Davis on Social Security.

Rochester donors prefer Coleman and Walz.

Congress

Most of Minnesota's congressional delegation will support the bailout.

Rep. Michele Bachmann defends a comment placing some blame for the current crisis on housing programs for minorities.

Rep. Keith Ellison writes an editorial on the rescue plan.

Congress approves the Great Lakes cleanup bill.

State Government

The fate of the Clean Water Legacy program is unclear.

Minnesota will get nearly $58 million of federal dollars to help with foreclosures.

Game warden resigns from the MN Dept. of Natural Resources.

Bus and train fares will go up on Wednesday.

The smoking ban celebrates its first anniversary this week.

House defeats bailout package

Posted at 1:08 PM on September 29, 2008 by Tom Scheck

The House defeated the $700 billion bailout package for the financial industry.

Stocks are plummeting as a result of the vote.

Minnesota Roll Call on $700 billion package

Posted at 2:04 PM on September 29, 2008 by Tom Scheck

As you know by now, the House voted against the $700 billion emergency rescue bill for the financial markets (story here). Here's how Minnesota's delegation voted:

Yes

GOP Rep. John Kline, DFL Rep. Betty McCollum, DFL Rep. Keith Ellison and DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar

No

DFL Rep. Tim Walz. GOP Rep. Jim Ramstad, GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann and DFL Rep. Collin Peterson

Madia and Paulsen take off the gloves

Posted at 3:30 PM on September 29, 2008 by Curtis Gilbert
Filed under: U.S. MN CD3

The gauzy biographical ads about Madia the Marine and Paulsen the family man have given way to more acidic attacks in the race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn.

DFLer Ashwin Madia has released a T.V. ad criticizing Republican Erik Paulsen for his role in brokering Minnesota's 2003 state budget deal, which included cuts to early childhood education funding and after school programs. The Legislature made lots of cuts in government spending during that budget cycle, because Minnesota faced an historic $4 billion shortfall.

The ad then claims Paulsen "voted for bonuses for political appointees." The appointees in question were House staffers, and Paulsen did head up the committee that approved the bonuses. But it's worth noting that Matt Entenza, who was House DFL minority leader at the time, voted for those bonuses, too. So did all the members of the committee who were there, Democrats and Republicans, alike.

The Madia campaign calls the ad a "rebuttal" to one Paulsen put out last week.

The Paulsen ad accuses Madia of supporting a variety of tax increases. It includes video of Madia at a candidate forum in January saying he would "look at increasing" the capital gains tax.

Madia spokesman Dan Pollock says Madia doesn't have specific proposals related to the capital gains tax.

Madia's main tax policy difference with Paulsen relates to the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts, set to expire after next year. Paulsen wants to make all those cuts permanent. Madia wants to make them permanent for those making less than $250,000 a year. But people making more than that would see their taxes rise under the Madia plan.

Now both campagins have released ads attacking each other. Meanwhile, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has been running a scathing ad for a few weeks now, implying Paulsen values golf courses more than veterans.

That DCCC ad failed a fact check by KSTP's Tom Hauser. The Paulsen campaign called on Madia to denounce the ad. The Madia campaign refused.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has also vowed to spend money in the race to represent the Minneapolis suburbs. But it has far fewer funds at its disposal than the DCCC.

Bachmann misses flight, cancels debate

Posted at 2:44 PM on September 29, 2008 by Tom Scheck

AP has the story:

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The debate in Congress over the financial bailout has scotched tonight's debate in Minnesota's 6th District race.

Michele Bachmann, the Republican incumbent, couldn't make her flight home in time. Spokeswoman Michelle Presson says Bachmann will likely attend a debate on Wednesday in Stillwater.

Bachmann faces Democrat Elwyn Tinklenberg in the district that stretches from the Twin Cities northwest to St. Cloud.

The House voted to reject a proposed $700 billion bailout package. Bachmann was among those voting to reject.

Why the delegation voted the way they did...

Posted at 6:22 PM on September 29, 2008 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

Minnesota's congressional delegation had plenty of different reasons for voting for or voting against the $700 billion bailout package. You can listen to MPR's interviews or the house floor speeches from the members.

DFL Rep. Tim Walz voted against the package. Here's his interview with MPR:
Listen

GOP Rep. John Kline voted for the bill. Here's what he told MPR:
Listen

DFL Rep. Betty McCollum voted for the bill. Here's her interview with MPR's Tim Pugmire:
Listen

DFL Rep. Keith Ellison voted for the bill. Here's his floor speech:
Listen

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann voted against the bill. Here's her floor speech:
Listen

DFL Rep. Collin Peterson voted against the bill. Here's his interview with MPR.
Listen

DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar voted for the bill. Here's his floor speech:
Listen

NOTE: GOP Rep. Jim Ramstad didn't speak on the floor and didn't return calls.

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