Capitol View: September 4, 2009 Archive

GOP lawmakers will hold their own summit

Posted at 12:54 PM on September 4, 2009 by Tim Pugmire

Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the Republican minority leaders in the Minnesota House and Senate had refused to attend a budget summit at the Capitol on Sept. 8, and now they've made other plans.

Republicans have scheduled a competing event for Tuesday, a roundtable discussion with business leaders in Eden Prairie. The event begins at 2:00 p.m. at Eaton Corporation.

State Sen. David Hann and Rep. Jenifer Loon, both of Eden Prairie, will host the event.

Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of former governors and former legislative leaders will participate that day in a closed-door discussion of the state's recurring budget problems. House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and DFL Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller will also attend.

DNC blasts Pawlenty remarks on school address

Posted at 1:15 PM on September 4, 2009 by Tim Pugmire (1 Comments)

The Democratic National Committee is firing back at Gov. Tim Pawlenty after the Republican criticized Presdient Obama's planned address to the nation's school children.

Pawlenty referred to the planned Tuesday speech as "uninvited" and "disruptive" during a WCCO radio interview this morning. He said it also raises concerns "about the content and the motive."

The DNC is defending the speech and issued a news release in response to Pawlenty.

"One would think that encouragement and inspiration directly from the President of the United States to the next generation of Americans, an experience school children will not forget for the rest of their lives, would be something everyone would embrace," DNC Press Secretary Hari Sevugan wrote. "Outrageously, Governor Tim Pawlenty, who, as a leader in his state, should be encouraging the success of our children, would rather pander to the extreme right wing of the Republican Party by dismissing and joking about next week's speech."

The release also accused Pawlenty of trying to "out-Palin Sarah Palin" in trying to please the right-wing of his party.

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Is Bachmann eyeing the White House?

Posted at 2:08 PM on September 4, 2009 by Tim Pugmire (4 Comments)

Talking Points Memo is taking note of another comment from Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. This time it's a subtle remark that hints of possible presidential aspirations.

During an interview on the Mike Gallagher radio show, Bachmann explained her theory of why Democrats are targeting her.

Here's an excerpt:

"They want to make sure no women, no woman becomes president before a Democrat woman, and so they're doing everything they can to, I think, sabotage women like Sarah Palin, perhaps women like myself, or similarly situated women, to make sure that we don't have a prominent national voice. But the thing is, the people in our country, they don't care who the voice is, they just want someone, they want to know that someone is speaking out for them against what will certainly bring about the destruction of our great country if we continue to go down the Obama path."

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Pawlenty, Klobuchar on CNN Sunday

Posted at 3:03 PM on September 4, 2009 by Tim Pugmire

Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Sen. Amy Klobuchar are scheduled to appear Sunday morning on the CNN program State of the Union.

The live broadcast, hosted by John King, will originate from the Minnesota State Fair at 8:00 a.m. The discussion topics will include health care and national security.

Also on TV:

ABC
THIS WEEK WITH GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS - Topics: Health care reform, with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, former Sens. Tom Daschle and Bob Dole, and Reps. mike Pence, R-Inc., and Maxine Waters, D-Calif.

CBS
FACE THE NATION WITH BOB SCHIEFFER - Topics: Swine flu, the President's education speech, with Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

FOX
FOX NEWS SUNDAY - Guests: Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, former Democratic National Committee Chairman; Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House; and John Podesta, President and CEO for the Center for American Progress.

NBC
MEET THE PRESS - Topics: Health care, Afghanistan, with White House Adviser David Axelrod; former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani; and former Rep. Harold Ford, Jr., chair, Democratic Leadership Council.