Polinaut: December 9, 2008 Archive

The Daily Digest: 12-9-08

Posted at 6:17 AM on December 9, 2008 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Daily Digest

A spokesman for GOP Sen. Norm Coleman says the campaign will announce that they are withdrawing more challenged ballots today. That comes one day after Democrat Al Franken pulled back 425 more ballots.

Minneapolis also gave up its search for the missing ballots and there's some controversy regarding the sorting of rejected absentee ballots. MPR, the Star Tribune, the Pi Press and AP have stories.

Roll Call reports that Senate Democrats may join the recount but Politico refutes that.

City Hall Scoop says neither GOP Sen. Norm Coleman nor his campaign or office has been notified or are being investigated regarding Nasser Kazeminy.

State Budget

Gov. Pawlenty and legislative leaders will discuss all things budget and session at an Associated Press round table this afternoon.

DFL House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and DFL Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller were on Midday yesterday. There's a standing request for Gov. Pawlenty to appear as well.

The judicial branch continues to fight for funding.

The State Arts Board is worried it has a bulls-eye on its back.

Obama

Some anti-drug groups are pushing back on GOP Rep. Jim Ramstad as Drug Czar.

President-elect Obama and former VP Al Gore will meet today to discuss climate change.

The Supreme Court rejects the Obama citizenship claim.

Reuters predicts a swift confirmation for Obama's Attorney General pick.

A Fergus Falls band will march at the inauguration.

Economy

The bailout bill could have a "Car Czar." A deal is reportedly close.

Twin Cities hospitals cut 613 jobs. The Star Tribune and MPR have stories.

The Tribune Co. (which owns the Chicago Tribune) files for bankruptcy.

State Government

The Pi Press takes a look at the tax rates in metro area communities.

Former Attorney General Mike Hatch (a Democrat) wants to create a multi-party runoff election to winnow the choices in November to two.

Iron Range lawmakers tell the Mesabi Daily News that an environmental review of a northern Minnesota mining development won't get much traction because of the deficit.

The range also rolls out the red carpet for India businesses.

Student groups want limits on tuition increases at the U of M.

The Minnesota Daily also says higher ed costs are getting difficult for students to afford.

Minnesota's moose population declines as the temperature increases.

Environmental groups launch studies of the Mississippi River.

Pawlenty touts the projects from the 2003 "Pawlenty/Molnau" transportation package.

Minnesota's Ag Commissioner continues to promote Minnesota's crops worldwide.

Congress

Mayors ask Congress for more money. DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar is mentioned.

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann gets on a "Most Embarassing"list.

DFL Rep. Collin Peterson is pushing a plan that would create a clearing house for credit default swaps.

Pawlenty

Gov. Pawlenty will talk health care at the U of M this afternoon.

Gov. Pawlenty's trade mission to Israel costs the state $37,000.

Gov. Pawlenty has a column calling for the federal government to cut up the credit card. It's a good time to mention that he backtracked last week on his stance regarding federal stimulus money for states. He now says he'll take the money.

Pawlenty also provides written answers to questions posed by ECM.

If you're under federal investigation...

Posted at 10:24 AM on December 9, 2008 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)

Do you:

A) Keep your head down with the hopes that the investigation goes away?

B) Talk to your attorneys about working out a deal?

C) Try to sell a U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder?

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich apparently chose "C."

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Craig loses appeal

Posted at 10:27 AM on December 9, 2008 by Tom Scheck

AP has the story:

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Idaho Sen. Larry Craig has lost his latest attempt to withdraw his guilty plea in a Minneapolis airport bathroom sex sting case.

A three-judge panel of the Minnesota Court of Appeals on Tuesday rejected the Republican's bid to toss out his disorderly conduct conviction.

Craig was arrested June 11, 2007, by an undercover police officer who was conducting a sting operation against men cruising for gay sex at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

He pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor and paid a fine, but changed his mind after word of his arrest became public. Craig insisted he was innocent, but the case effectively ended his political career.

Craig's attorney argued before the appeals court this September that there was insufficient evidence for any judge to find him guilty. Prosecutors said his guilty plea should stand.

4472 to go...

Posted at 11:04 AM on December 9, 2008 by Tom Scheck

Republican Norm Coleman's campaign announced today that they're withdrawing another 475 ballots in the recount of Minnesota's U.S. Senate race. The move comes one day after Democrat Al Franken's campaign announced that they were withdrawing 425 more challenges.

To date, Coleman's campaign has withdrawn 1125 ballots. Franken's campaign has withdrawn 1058 ballots. Originally, there have been a total of 6,655 challenges.

Session watch...

Posted at 1:36 PM on December 9, 2008 by Tom Scheck

Gov. Pawlenty and the legislative leaders will participate in an Associated Press forum this afternoon. They will talk about the massive budget deficit and preview the upcoming legislative session.

Pawlenty is set to speak from 1:30 until 2. Leaders will follow.

You can watch a live webcast here.

MPR's Midday will also air some of the highlights of the forum tomorrow at noon.

AP roundtable

Posted at 5:52 PM on December 9, 2008 by Tom Scheck

Gov. Pawlenty and legislative leaders appeared today at a forum hosted by the Associated Press. The event is an annual gathering and allows Pawlenty, DFL House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL Senator Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, GOP House Minority Leader Marty Seifert and GOP Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem to outline their plans for the upcoming session. Reporters also have a chance to ask questions.

You can listen to Pawlenty here:

Listen

You can listen to the leaders here (the last five minutes got cut off):

Listen

The 5th pile...

Posted at 6:15 PM on December 9, 2008 by Tom Scheck

To date, 125 rejected absentee ballots have been placed in the so-called 5th pile.

Local elections officials at 21 different sites have sorted the ballots to date (I'm still waiting on Dakota County). They're sorting their rejected absentee ballots to determine if any were set aside when they should not have been. The ones that had no legal basis for being rejected are placed in the 5th pile (there are four legal reasons why an absentee ballot could be rejected).

Maple Grove had the largest number of rejected absentees place in the 5th pile (31). Several cities and counties had none in the 5th pile. Norman County Auditor/Treasurer Richard Munter laughed when I asked if he sorted his rejected absentee ballots.

"All one of them," he chuckled.

Munter said the ballot was rejected because it didn't have a proper signature on the envelope.

The State Canvassing Board will consider 5th pile ballots at its Friday meeting. The board is waiting for a legal opinion from the Attorney General's office (which I'm told hasn't arrived yet) on whether the board can direct local elections officials to open and count those ballots.

Some local elections officials are not sorting the rejected absentees because they say that should be considered in an Election Contest (courts) instead of a recount (state Canvassing Board).

More cities and counties will sort tomorrow...