Capitol View

Capitol View: September 11, 2012 Archive

< September 10, 2012 | Main | September 12, 2012 >

The Daily Digest

Posted at 6:32 AM on September 11, 2012 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Daily Digest

Welcome to the Daily Digest, where a new poll shows the marriage and voter ID amendments have enough support to pass, Graves and Bachmann are tied in a Democratic poll, and Romney back-tracks on his health care law comments.

Around Minnesota

A new poll by KSTP/Survey USA shows that President Barack Obama is up by 10 points in Minnesota - likely a bounce from the DNC.

The same survey shows that the marriage amendment and the voter ID amendment would pass if Minnesotans voted today.

Here's how the numbers break down:

50 percent support the marriage amendment, while 43 oppose it and 8 percent are undecided.

62 percent support the voter ID amendment, while 31 percent oppose it and 7 percent are undecided.

Minnesota took in more tax money than expected this August.

Former U.S. Senate Republican candidate Pete Hegseth has launched Minnesota PAC, a political fund that will help elect conservatives to the Minnesota Legislature.

The Alliance for a Better Minnesota launched its first television ad to help elect Democrats to the state Legislature.

The Stillwater Gazette reports that District 39 State Senate Republican candidate Karin Housley has pulled her radio show from the airwaves.

Duluth, Litchfield and St. Paul are in the lead for $47.5M in state grants.

The state intends to enforce its disclosure laws despite a recent court ruling.

The Race for Congress

6th Congressional District DFL candidate Jim Graves commissioned a new poll that puts him and Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann in a dead heat.

Minnesota's DC delegation has to spend money to make money.

The New York Times writes that Democrats appear more likely to keep control of the U.S. Senate than it did a few weeks ago.

National News

Teachers are striking in Chicago.

A deal doesn't appear to be close.

The issues at the heart of the strike, such as teacher performance, are being debated all around the country.

The Presidential Campaign

Ohio is pivotal in this year's presidential campaign.

On Sunday, Mitt Romney told Meet the Press host David Gregory that he did not want to repeal all aspects of President Barack Obama's health care law, including new rules that require insurance companies to cover those with preexisting conditions.

The L.A. Times reports that Romney is back-tracking on that statement.

It would be difficult for Romney to repeal some aspects of the law and keep others.

Two Minnesota Ron Paul backers are ripping Romney for "cherry picking" for his comments about the new health care law.

Don't expect much negativity from the campaigns on today, the anniversary of 9/11.

Vice President Joe Biden and Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, will be campaigning in Wisconsin.

The Associated Press asks whether racial bias plays a role in opposition to Obama's administration.

Planned Parenthood weighs in on marriage, voter ID amendments

Posted at 11:32 AM on September 11, 2012 by Catharine Richert (5 Comments)
Filed under: Marriage Amendment, Voter ID Amendment

You can add Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota to the mix of organizations working to defeat two constitutional amendments on the ballot this fall.

The group has created two political funds it will use to work against the marriage amendment, which seeks to define marriage as between one man and one woman, and the voter ID amendment, which would require voters to show photo identification at the polls.

While the two issues may not appear to overlap with Planned Parenthood's mission, government and public affairs director Timothy Stanley said the two ballot initiatives are important to the people Planned Parenthood works with.

"We work in coalitions with all these groups every day, from doing combined outreach to vulnerable communities that need health care, to working in political coalitions with groups that are fighting for LGBT rights right along side our fight for women's health care."

Planned Parenthood's board of directors has passed resolutions opposing the two amendments, Stanley said.

Rather than raise money for Minnesotans United for All Families, the primary group working to defeat the marriage amendment, and Our Vote Our Future, the main organization working to defeat the voter ID amendment, Planned Parenthood plans to use its own staff and resources to campaign specifically on those two amendments.

Stanley said that Planned Parenthood will be phoning, mailing and using social media to "make sure that people who support Planned Parenthood know that we are standing alongside the communities that are affected by these two amendments and we are calling on our supporters to vote no on these amendments."

A KSTP/SurveyUSA poll out yesterday shows that both amendments have enough support to pass.

But on the marriage amendment, Minnesotans United for All Families is winning the money race raising more cash than those working to pass the amendment, according to recent finance reports.

(5 Comments)

Jill Biden to campaign in Minnesota on Friday

Posted at 3:51 PM on September 11, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Campaign 2012: Presidential Race

Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, will campaign in the Twin Cities later this week. President Obama's campaign says Biden will hold several campaign events in the state on Friday. The campaign has no other details at this time.

This is the first time Jill Biden will be campaigning on her own during the 2012 cycle. She teaches at a community college so it's likely that she'll discuss education issues and college affordability during her visit.

Biden's visit is the first stop made by the presidential campaigns and their surrogates since the political conventions ended last week, although her husband visited Minneapolis and Rochester last month.

Coleman outfit may weigh in on voter ID

Posted at 4:10 PM on September 11, 2012 by Catharine Richert (3 Comments)
Filed under: Voter ID Amendment

The American Action Network, a center-right issue advocacy organization, may expand its influence in the state to voter identification, said the group's co-founder former Republican Sen. Norm Coleman.

Coleman, who founded AAN in 2010, also said that AAN is finalizing the details on a Minnesota affiliate that will involve former state Rep. Laura Brod.

"In Minnesota, I would anticipate we would have a state affiliate in addition to the work that the national network is doing," Coleman said in an interview with MPR News. "Former State Rep. Laura Brod has been involved working with that, and we're kind of finalizing that effort right now."

Coleman said that the group will work on a range of issues, including the nation's debt and deficit, but a constitutional amendment that would require voters show identification at the polls seems like an obvious opportunity to shape public opinion in Minnesota.

"This would be a common sense, easy issue, and simply from an educational perspective not even telling people 'here's how to vote, not how to vote," Coleman said describing a potential outreach effort. Rather, "here's simply the reality of what voter identification is all about. Here are all the places around the world that it's in place, here are the people across partisan, bipartisan who support this and then voters can make up their mind."

"I anticipate that the network would be involved... and Minnesota would be one of the earliest ones," Coleman added.

Brod did not immediately return calls to detail her involvement, but AAN has already pledged about $10 million to build conservative networks in so-called orphan states - states where local Republican parties don't have the resources to support conservative candidates adequately.

Earlier this summer, AAN announced that Minnesota would be part of that effort. Already, the group has been busy connecting like-minded groups across the state, including the Taxpayers League of Minnesota and the Duluth-based Northern Liberty Alliance. Earlier this year, the two groups hosted Tax Day events throughout the state.

UPDATE:

The American Action Network affiliate should be up and running soon, likely before the election, Brod said.

The working name? Minnesota Action Network.

The group's goal will be to advocate for issues important in Minnesota, including budget reforms, state deficits, and regulation, Brod explained.

"We are in the process of looking at bringing an organization into Minnesota to do grassroots and issue advocacy in a similar way to what the American Action Network does on the federal level," Brod said. "It would be specific to Minnesota, focused on Minnesota issues and what is important in moving our state forward."

Voter ID fits with the group's broader goal to address election issues, though Brod emphasized that the group won't advocate on the ballot initiative specifically. The group will not be campaigning for specific candidates either, Brod said.

Brod said she will lead the group and have a staff. She added that the group is actively fundraising, but would not say if it will be getting financial support directly from AAN.

Brett Neely in Washington contributed to this report.

(3 Comments)

The Daily Digest (Fiscal cliff in focus, Farm Bill stalls again, Middle East erupts)

Posted at 11:02 PM on September 11, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Daily Digest


The fiscal cliff leads the Digest today.

Speaker Boehner says he's not confident that the U.S. will avoid the fiscal cliff.

Moody's is warning to downgrade the U.S. credit rating if there's no deal to cut the debt.

The Farm Bill fight escalates ahead of the deadline.

DFL Rep. Collin Peterson says the Farm Bill passage is unlikely.

GOP Rep. John Kline is one of several GOP members pushing to force the welfare to work requirements.

President Obama marked the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Political differences impede the regulation of for-profit schools.

Economy
A German-based manufacturer says it will open a new facility in St. Cloud. The move will bring 100 jobs to the area.

Health care premiums increased.

The broadest measure of unemployment in Minnesota shows that hiring is improving.

The Dow closed at a 5 year high.

Drought

The drought forces the DNR to restrict water use.

Middle East

Anti-U.S. anger erupted in Libya and Egypt.

Two Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevenes, were killed in Libya after protests erupted over a movie.

In Egypt, protesters climbed the walls of the U.S. embassy and took American flags.

The White House is disavowing a statement from its own Cairo embassy that apologized for anti-Muslim activity in the United States.

President Obama and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agree on blocking Iran's nuclear program.

The announcement came after Netanyahu ratcheted up his criticism of the U.S. over their differences over Iran's nuclear program.

The move comes after President Obama said he would not meet with Netanyahu when he's in New York later this week.

Constitutional Amendments
Norm Coleman's group may weigh in on the Voter ID amendment.

Planned Parenthood is also weighing in on the Voter ID amendment and Same-sex marriage amendment.

Race for Congress
The race in the 8th District divides Aitkin.

Tip: The first debate between GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack and Democrat Rick Nolan will be on 10/9 in Duluth.

Race for U.S. Senate

A KSTP/Survey USA poll says DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar has a 21 point lead over Republican Kurt Bills.

Race for President
Gallup says President Obama got a three point bounce from the convention.

Some Republicans are ripping Romney for being too vague on the issues.

After being criticized for failing to bring up Afghanistan during his speech at the RNC, Romney discussed the issue at an event in Nevada.

Romney criticized President Obama for how he handled the situation in the Middle East.

U.S. unions are waiting for a decision on Chinese auto parts.

The GOP lacks specifics on lower tax rates.

Vladimir Putin thanked Romney for calling Russia the number one foe of the U.S.

AP is reporting Paul Ryan is running ads for his reelection to Congress.

Jill Biden will campaign in Minnesota on Friday.

September 2012
S M T W T F S
            1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30            


Master Archive

Recent Entries

About Poligraph

The feature examines statements made by Minnesota politicians and checks them for accuracy. Based on data analysis, document reviews and interviews with non-partisan analysts, statements are rated true, misleading, false or inconclusive. More

MPR News
Radio

Listen Now

On Air

The World™

Schedule

Shortcuts
Hourly Newscast
Hosts
Station Map

Other Radio Streams from MPR

Classical MPR
Radio Heartland

Services

Become a sponsor