Polinaut: May 26, 2009 Archive

The Daily Digest: 5-26-09

Posted at 7:06 AM on May 26, 2009 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Daily Digest

Gov. Pawlenty and DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar honored veterans at a Fort Snelling Memorial Day ceremony.

Pawlenty vetoes anti-bullying legislation.

He also vetoed the medical marijuana bill.

He signed the Legacy bill and the primary seatbelt bill.

The Pi Press looks at whether Minnesota's welfare system is a magnet or an easy program to criticize.

The Pi Press recaps the session.

The New York Times picks up on the sharing agreement between Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher tried to discourage an audit of the Metro Gang Strike Force.

The Minnesota Historical Society is revising its budget cuts.

The Pi Press looks at which politicos tweet.

By the way, you can follow me on Twitter here.

D.C.

President Obama said the U.S. and its allies will stand up to North Korea after the nation conducted a second nuclear test.

President Obama will announce his Supreme Court pick soon. AP is reporting that President Obama picked U.S. Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace Justice David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court.

The GOP is preparing to filibuster the pick.

DFL donor Sam Kaplan is being discussed as the possible ambassador to Morocco.

Klobuchar and DFL Rep. Collin Peterson will discuss flood issues today.

GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen is proposing a bill that would make it easier for overseas military members to vote.

GOP Rep. John Kline was in Normandy for Memorial Day.

The St. Cloud Times says rail isn't a priority for GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann.

2008 Race for U.S. Senate

Former I-P candidate Dean Barkley helps the St. Paul Saints baseball team lampoon the U.S. Senate race.

Finally

Good-bye Scott Wente. Forum Communications announced that it was laying off Wente last week. Many have written that Wente is best known for being called the "Republican whore" by DFLer Mike Hatch. But I know Wente as a hard working reporter who wants to get the story right and stayed late to do it. I hope he lands on his feet with a note pad, pen and camera in his hand.

AP: Obama picks Sotomayor for the court

Posted at 7:32 AM on May 26, 2009 by Tom Scheck

AP is reporting that President Obama picked U.S. Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace Justice David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Franken statement on Obama's pick

Posted at 10:26 AM on May 26, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Al Franken released this statement regarding President Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court:

"I want to congratulate Judge Sotomayor on her history-making nomination to the Supreme Court. Confirming a Supreme Court Justice is among the most important responsibilities the Senate has, and I take that responsibility very seriously. I look forward to joining my colleagues as we examine Judge Sotomayor's qualifications carefully before confirmation. However, it is already clear that President Obama has chosen a remarkable jurist with an impressive record of accomplishment and a life story with which working families can identify."

Business groups top 2008 lobbyist list

Posted at 10:39 AM on May 26, 2009 by Tom Scheck

The Minnesota Campaign Finance Board released the 2008 lobbyist disbursement summary today. The top six spenders in 2008 were business groups. The Minnesota Chamber topped the list, followed by the Minnesota Business Partnership, Mywireless.org (which lobbied on behalf of telecom groups), the Coalition of Minnesota Businesses, Enbridge Energy, National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities was the seventh highest spender.

Speaker will speak at Pillager graduation

Posted at 11:51 AM on May 26, 2009 by Tim Pugmire

House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis, is scheduled to deliver the commencement address for Pillager High School on Friday.

Kelliher's spokesman said he's pretty sure this will be her first high school commencement speech. This is Pillager's 100th graduating class. There are 65 students in the class of 2009.

Klobuchar on Sotomayor

Posted at 11:52 AM on May 26, 2009 by Tom Scheck

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar told MPR that she was looking forward to seating President Obama's Supreme Court pick. Obama announced his selection of federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor this morning. Klobuchar also released this statement on Sotomayor:

"As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I look forward to reviewing Sonia Sotomayor's nomination. I have always believed that a Supreme Court Justice should demonstrate an independent breadth of mind and character, with an open-minded, fair approach to the facts and the law. The Supreme Court is the final arbiter of our laws, and it is essential that we have a Supreme Court Justice who will command the trust of the American people.

"I am impressed that Judge Sotomayor is someone who knows the Constitution and the law, but who also knows America. Her father died when she was a child and she grew up in humble circumstances. Her mother struggled to pay for a set of encyclopedias because she wanted to provide her children with every opportunity to learn.

"Judge Sotomayor would bring to the Supreme Court a unique combination of legal experience as a prosecutor, a private lawyer, a trial judge and an appellate judge. As a federal judge, she also ended the baseball strike in 1995. Anybody who brought baseball back to America deserves our warm consideration.

"Along with my Senate colleagues, I look forward to meeting with her and asking about her background and her views. I intend to review her nomination before I make a final decision. But, at this point, I'm very positive about her nomination."

Coleman's statement on Sotomayor

Posted at 1:55 PM on May 26, 2009 by Tom Scheck (5 Comments)

Republican Norm Coleman released this statement (which is exactly the way the campaign released it) on President Obama's pick of Sonia Sotomayor:

"When debating judges, I was firm that I would use the same standard to evaluate judges under a Democrat President as I would a Republican President. Are they intellectually competent, do they have a record of integrity, and most importantly, are they committed to following the Constitution rather than creating new law and policy. When I am re-elected, I intend to review Judge Sotomayor's record using this process. Certainly, the nomination of a Hispanic woman to the nation's highest court is something all American's should applaud."

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Boxer to raise money for Franken's recount fund

Posted at 4:48 PM on May 26, 2009 by Tom Scheck

California Senator Barbara Boxer will hold a fundraiser in July to help Democrat Al Franken pay for his recount fund. Boxer filed the FEC papework for the Boxer-Franken 2009 fund last week.

Franken's spokeswoman, Jess McIntosh, said Boxer intends to hold a fundraiser for Franken in July. She couldn't say where the fundraiser will be held but "it's not in Minnesota."

Cantor in town to raise money for Paulsen, the MNGOP and himself

Posted at 4:55 PM on May 26, 2009 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia is in Minnesota today to raise money for his own campaign, the MN Republican Party and GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen. Cantor held an afternoon fundraiser for his own campaign at the Minneapolis club. Someone who attended the event told me that twenty to thirty people attended. He also said Cantor is also holding an event this evening for Paulsen. Another source said Cantor is raising money for the MNGOP. Still trying to confirm if he's holding three fundraisers or if tonight's event is for Paulsen and the MNGOP.

Paulsen's spokespeople haven't gotten back to me.

A spokesman for Paulsen said this evening's event is at a private residence and is for Paulsen only.

Cantor's spokesman said he hasn't "looked at his boss' schedule today" and said he would get back to me with details. He hasn't yet.

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