Polinaut: March 1, 2009 Archive

Twin Cities mayors on the morning shows.

Posted at 6:58 AM on March 1, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Esme Murphy tells me that Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak will be her guest on WCCO Sunday morning. Meanwhile, KSTP's At Issue will reportedly feature St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman.

Both mayors have ratcheted up their criticism of Gov. Pawlenty this week. Rybak issued a news release ripping Pawlenty for not following Rybak's lead on budgeting. Coleman appeared alongside public safety officials and other mayors to call for no cuts to Local Government Aid at a Friday news conference.

Vikings fans and stadium watchers take note:

Murphy says Vikings lobbyist Lester Bagley will also be on her show this morning. Bagley raised some eyebrows when he publicly ripped Pawlenty for not taking the lead on the stadium issue. The team is trying to make a push to get public funding for a new stadium. For the record, Pawlenty did propose a stadium financing plan in 2004.

Kelliher to speak before U of M's Humphrey School

Posted at 11:31 AM on March 1, 2009 by Tom Scheck

DFL House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher is scheduled to speak before the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs on Monday morning at 8.

Kelliher is fresh off a trip to Washington D.C. where she watched President Obama deliver a speech to a joint session of Congress. Kelliher's speech comes one day before the next budget forecast is released. State Economist Tom Stinson told the Pioneer Press that the downturn is getting worse.