Polinaut: June 5, 2009 Archive

Who's in, who's out...

Posted at 7:20 AM on June 5, 2009 by Tom Scheck

MPR has compiled a checklist of the candidates who are thinking about a run for governor.

The Daily Digest: 6-5-09

Posted at 7:42 AM on June 5, 2009 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Daily Digest

The fist step in the unallotment process has been taken. Minnesota's top finance official notifies Gov. Pawlenty that the conditions exist for him to balance the budget on his own. MPR, AP and the Pi Press have stories.

Minnesota lawmakers trumpet incentives to invest in solar power.

New mining opportunities in northern Minnesota cause some environmental concerns.

Former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton writes an op-ed on school testing.

DFL House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher will be on MPR's Midday at 11.

2010

Kelliher is one of three DFLers (Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman are the others) who now say they're thinking about a run for governor. Two more Republicans (businessman Brian Sullivan and state Sen. Paul Koering) say they're also thinking about a run for gov.

Get the checklist of candidates interested in running here.

D.C.

DFL Rep. Keith Ellison praises President Obama's speech on Islam.

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Obama's Supreme Court pick Sonia Sotomayor talk about the judiciary.

Klobuchar also disagrees with DFL Rep. Tim Walz that Guantanamo Bay detainees could be housed in Minnesota.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be in Minneapolis on Sunday to raise money for DFL Rep. Tim Walz. She'll also make a visit to the American Indian Opportunities Industrialization Center to see how the federal stimulus money is working.

President Obama selects B. Todd Jones to be Minnesota's U.S. Attorney.

The Hill says Republicans revealed briefing info. GOP Rep. John Kline is mentioned.

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann introduces a new bill aimed at ACORN.

Pelosi has now backed off an ultimatum on climate change legislation. DFL Rep. Collin Peterson is mentioned.

DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar says there will be no extension of the highway bill.

Opponents file a civil rights complaint against Central Corridor.

2008 Race for U.S. Senate

Republican Norm Coleman will take a wait and see approach to his future (political and possible federal appeals). He spoke to a conservative group in St. Louis.

Listen to Coleman's comments to reporters here.

Roll Call reports that Coleman would likely give up his fight if the court rejects his appeal.

The NRSC now says it's leaving the decision up to Minnesotans.

2012

Gov. Pawlenty will speak with CBS' Bob Schieffer at 2pm Eastern in a webchat.

He's in Washington D.C. today to speak to a convention of the College Republican National Committee on Friday night.

Nate Silver handicaps Pawlenty's chances.

MPR's Midmorning talks with former John McCain adviser and MN GOP Chair Chris Georgacas about Pawlenty's chances and the GOP in general.

Tryout time for Pawlenty?

Posted at 8:04 AM on June 5, 2009 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

Gov. Pawlenty is headed to Washington D.C. today. He'll be on a webchat at 1 PM CST with CBS. Later tonight, he'll speak to a group of College Republicans.

MPR's Midmorning talks with former John McCain adviser and MN GOP Chair Chris Georgacas about Pawlenty's chances and the GOP in general at 9AM.

UPDATE:

Pawlenty is also speaking at a luncheon hosted by the Republican National Lawyers Association.

Politico also reports that he'll meet with former McCain staffers.

Update: AP's Martiga Lohn also said Pawlenty met with a group called the Ripon Society this morning. Here's a brief video interview with him.

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Pawlenty on CBS webcast

Posted at 12:52 PM on June 5, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Gov. Pawlenty just talked with CBS' Bob Schieffer about his decision to not seek reelection, his political future and the problems with the Republican Party. You can watch it here: NOTE: I'm just adding the link to the video since the embed player automatically starts up and is annoying.

Rybak: Pawlenty "is going to get his butt kicked by Barack Obama..."

Posted at 1:17 PM on June 5, 2009 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)

There has been plenty of discussion about whether Gov. Pawlenty will make a run for the White House in 2012. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, a Democrat, doesn't seem to concerned.

On Fox Business this morning, Rybak said Pawlenty will "get his butt kicked by Barack Obama."

Rybak also sidestepped a question on whether he'll run for governor ("We'll figure that out tomorrow," he said.)

The quote is about 5:00 in. One clarification: The host is incorrect in her statement that Pawlenty says "he's going to go for the White House."

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For your viewing pleasure...

Posted at 2:57 PM on June 5, 2009 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)

Here's a list of who's on the weekend shows. Note (Gov. Pawlenty will make an appearance on one of the shows).

TPT's Almanac:

This week on Almanac we'll visit with Craig Edwards about the current drought situation in Minnesota and get a wet weekend forecast. Mike Osterholm from the U of M's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy gives us an update on the H1N1 flu virus worldwide and here in Minnesota. Mary Lahammer brings us the latest on the 2010 Governor's Race. And we'll recap the week's news from the U. S. Senate race with Rachel Stassen-Berger with the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Star Tribune's Pat Doyle and MinnPost's Jay Weiner.

WCCO's Sunday Morning:

Gov. Pawlenty, Larry Jacobs, Michelle Silverman of Free Arts Minnesota (Recently, kids created Andy Warhol-inspired prints of their favorite Twins players for the benefit of at risk children), and Daniel Lager (Feature Artist at the Edina Art Fair - painting The Table used for this year's poster).

KSTP's At Issue:

They didn't get back to me.
Cathie Hartnett, Annette Meeks and Dave Thompson will discuss the race for governor and predictions on what the MN Supreme Court will do with the Coleman/Franken race.

ABC's THIS WEEK WITH GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS - Topics: Interview with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

C-SPAN's NEWSMAKERS - Interview with Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.

CBS' FACE THE NATION WITH BOB SCHIEFFER - Topics: Guantanamo Bay, Sotomayor nomination, Obama's trip, with White House Adviser David Axelrod and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

CNN's STATE OF THE UNION WITH JOHN KING - Topics: Obama's trip, Sotomayor nomination, GM's future, with White House Adviser David Axelrod; economy, with Spring Hill, Tenn. Mayor Michael Dinwiddie, and Flint, Mich. Mayor Michael Brown.

FOX NEWS SUNDAY - Topics: economic recovery, with White House Council of Economic Advisers member Austan Goolsbee, Sen. Richard Sheldy, R-Ala., google CEO Eric Schmidt, and Chairman Fred Malek of Thayer Capital Partners; digital age, with Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps.

NBC's MEET THE PRESS - Pre-empted, due to coverage of the French Open.

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Not just considering, ready to run

Posted at 3:55 PM on June 5, 2009 by Mike Mulcahy

Former GOP state Rep. Bill Haas says he will officially announce his run for governor on Wednesday (although I guess he kind of officially announced it today with his press release).

Haas was elected to the House in 1994 and served until 2004. He was mayor of Champlin from 1984 to 1992.

Here's what he says in the release:

"The next biennium, Minnesota will faced with continuing economic problems. It will take a strong and innovative leader to face this challenge to insure the future prosperity and Minnesota value that they have worked so hard to create."

"I look forward to the challenge and serving the people of Minnesota."

Pawlenty's whirlwind tour

Posted at 5:24 PM on June 5, 2009 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)

AP takes a look at who Gov. Pawlenty has been talking with during his visit to Washington D.C. Meanwhile, The Fix ranks Gov. Pawlenty #7 in its Top GOP leaders:

7. Tim Pawlenty: Pawlenty's decision not to run for a third term allows him the freedom and the time he will need to raise his national profile and roll out a series of big ideas designed to position himself as the populist voice in the 2012 field. (Pawlenty makes the Line rather than Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, another prominent populist, because of Daniels' repeated pledges to never run for another office.) Pawlenty is already getting after it -- doing a series of media interviews with national outlets and headlining a College Republican convention in D.C. tonight. And, we hear Pawlenty will be at an informal happy hour with lots of uncommitted GOP operatives tonight as well. (Previous ranking: N/A)

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