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        <title>Campaign 2006 from Minnesota Public Radio</title>
        <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/2006/campaign/?refid=0</link>
        <description>Minnesota Public Radio coverage of Campaign 2006</description>
        <language>en-us</language>
        <copyright>Copyright 2013 Minnesota Public Radio</copyright>
        <lastBuildDate>Mon, 20 May 2013 04:35:53 -0500 </lastBuildDate>
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                <title>News from Minnesota Public Radio</title>
                <url>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/standard/images/mpr003/logo_mpr.gif</url>
                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/?refid=0</link>
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        <item>
            <title>What happened to Mike Hatch?</title>
            <description><![CDATA[A Democratic wave sweeps Republicans out of power on Capitol Hill, a DFL Senate candidate  obliterates her opposition, and the DFL rolls to a majority in the Minnesota House. Why wasn&#039;t Mike Hatch included in the pro-Democrat wave?]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/hatchdayaafter?refid=0</link>
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                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 17:44:21 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Klobuchar races to easy victory in Senate race</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Democrat Amy Klobuchar sailed to an easy victory in the U.S. Senate race Tuesday, capitalizing on voter anger over the Iraq war to become Minnesota&#039;s first elected female senator.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/07/kloken?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/07/kloken?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 03:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Ellison, Walz grab seats; Bachmann holds 6th for GOP</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Democrat Keith Ellison was elected as the nation&#039;s first Muslim member of Congress on Tuesday, easily winning a Minneapolis-area district Republicans had not carried since 1962. He is also Minnesota&#039;s first nonwhite representative in Washington.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/07/mncong?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/07/mncong?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 07 Nov 2006 20:43:55 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Minnesota Legislature swings to DFL</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Democrats picked up 19 seats in the Minnesota House to take a large majority over Republicans. In the Senate, Majority Leader Dean Johnson, the top DFLer, lost his seat by a narrow margin.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/legis?refid=0</link>
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                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 04:51:29 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Oberstar takes charge</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Minnesota 8th District Congressman Jim Oberstar is about to become really important in the transportation world.  As the ranking Democrat, Oberstar is expected to become chair of  the powerful House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in January.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/oberstartransport?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/oberstartransport?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Thu, 09 Nov 2006 00:01:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>School districts tally referendum results</title>
            <description><![CDATA[School districts asking for more money from residents didn&#039;t fare well last night.  Operating levy referendums passed in only 29 school districts but 69 districts were looking to increase taxes to generate more money.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/schoollevies?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/schoollevies?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 16:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Bush reacts to Republicans&#039; congressional losses</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Republicans have lost control of the U.S. House and could lose the Senate, too, if Democrats win races still pending in Virginia and Montana. President Bush holds a news conference Wednesday to explain how the radically different political landscape will affect his last two years in office.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/midday2?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/midday2?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 12:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Election 2006: What did it all mean?</title>
            <description><![CDATA[DFLers won Minnesota&#039;s open U.S. Senate seat, but came up short in the governor&#039;s race. Democrats picked off 1st District U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht, took the Minnesota House and made gains in the state Senate. But DFL Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson narrowly lost his seat in the Legislature.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/midday1?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/midday1?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 11:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Analyzing the statewide results</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Democrats did well in Minnesota on Election Day, but Republicans held on to the governor&#039;s office and a high profile congressional district. Political scientist Chris Gilbert of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter analyzes the results.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/gilbert?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/gilbert?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 10:21:57 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Collin Peterson to head up House Ag Committee</title>
            <description><![CDATA[As a result of the Democrats&#039; taking control of the U.S. House, Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson, a DFLer from the 7th District, is in line to become chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.  He spoke with MPR&#039;s Cathy Wurzer.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/peterson?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/peterson?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 10:13:56 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Rules for recounts</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Several races in Minnesota came down to the wire, and were settled by a relative handful of votes. It&#039;s possible some will be subject to a recount. Minnesota Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer talks about the recount process.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/recount?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/recount?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 10:06:43 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>South Dakotans reject abortion ban</title>
            <description><![CDATA[In a vote that attracted national attention, South Dakotans rejected a state law that banned nearly all abortions. 56 percent of the voters rejected the ban.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/sdabortion?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/sdabortion?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 04:06:29 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Minnesotans vote &#039;yes&#039; on transportation amendment</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Minnesota voters locked state government into
spending more money on roads and public transit, approving an
amendment to the state constitution that&#039;s expected to funnel an
extra $300 million a year into transportation projects.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/transpo?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/transpo?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 04:03:55 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Bachmann retains 6th District seat for GOP</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Bachmann defeated Democrat Patty Wetterling in a hard-fought contest that will go down as the state&#039;s most expensive U.S. House race.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/6dist?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/6dist?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 03:04:57 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Walz wins in 1st District</title>
            <description><![CDATA[In one of the state&#039;s biggest election upsets, Minnesota&#039;s 1st Congressional District has gone democratic. First-time candidate Tim Walz won the race with 53 percent of the vote, defeating Republican six-term incumbent Gil Gutknecht.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/1dist?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/1dist?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 02:57:31 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Ellison is first Muslim elected to Congress</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Democrat Keith Ellison campaigned heavily against the war in Iraq, and has put environmental and health care issues at the top of his list of priorities.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/5dist?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/5dist?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 02:44:05 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Hatch concedes; Pawlenty barely wins re-election</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Tim Pawlenty survived a scare and claimed a second term as Minnesota
governor in come-from-behind fashion. His DFL opponent, Mike Hatch, conceded the race this morning.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/07/mngov?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/07/mngov?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 02:00:14 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Democrats win attorney general, secretary of state, auditor races</title>
            <description><![CDATA[A protege of outgoing Attorney General Mike
Hatch defeated a tough-on-crime state legislator in Minnesota&#039;s
race for the state&#039;s top lawyer Tuesday, and Democrats swept
Republicans out of the secretary of state and auditor&#039;s offices.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/agetc?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/08/agetc?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 00:57:20 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Democrats capture R.I., Pennsylvania, Ohio Senate seats</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Resurgent Democrats toppled Republican
senators in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Rhode Island and gained ground
in the House Tuesday, challenging for control of Congress in
midterm elections shaped by an unpopular war in Iraq and scandal at
home.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/07/house?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/07/house?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:19:38 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>High turnout for a mid-term, experts say</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Despite reports of a few problems at some polling places today, it appeared Election Day is running smoothly, with estimates indicating high turnout for a mid-term election.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/07/turnout?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/07/turnout?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 07 Nov 2006 16:30:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Say hello to your voting machine</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Federal law requires every precinct in the country to make accommodations for voters with disabilities.  Minnesota&#039;s answer to that requirement is the Automark, a talking, touch-screen ballot-marking device.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/06/talkingmachine?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/06/talkingmachine?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 07 Nov 2006 10:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Small towns search for candidates</title>
            <description><![CDATA[As voters across the region head to the polls on Election Day, they&#039;ll see ballots filled with the names of people eager to serve in public office.  But in some of Minnesota&#039;s rural communities it&#039;s getting harder to find folks who want to run for office.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/26/smalltownburnout?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/26/smalltownburnout?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 07 Nov 2006 08:00:01 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Voters make last-minute decisions</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Election Day is upon us... but there are still those who are holding out to the last possible moment before making a choice. Witness these voters in the last moments before a tight Minnesota gubernatorial election.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/06/undecideds?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/06/undecideds?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:03:03 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>State, federal candidates hit road as campaign winds down</title>
            <description><![CDATA[With the final debate behind them,
the candidates for governor hit the road Monday with a series of
campaign stops to energize their voters and search out those who
are still undecided.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/06/roundup?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/06/roundup?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Mon, 06 Nov 2006 14:01:35 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>A growing number of voters cast ballots by mail</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Most Minnesota voters will cast their ballots at a polling place on election day. But more than 43,000 registered voters live in precincts that vote by mail. Some like the convenience. Others miss the communal voting experience.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/02/mailinvote?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/02/mailinvote?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Mon, 06 Nov 2006 14:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Hatch, Hutchinson and Pawlenty face off one last time</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Minnesota Public Radio&#039;s Nov. 5 gubernatorial debate between DFLer Mike Hatch, Independence Party candidate Peter Hutchinson and Republican incumbent Tim Pawlenty.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/06/midday2?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/06/midday2?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Mon, 06 Nov 2006 12:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>What you need to know to vote</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Election judges are preparing to help voters cast their ballots and deal with any potential promlems at the polls.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/06/irregularities?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/06/irregularities?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Mon, 06 Nov 2006 09:57:34 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Attack of the political attack ads</title>
            <description><![CDATA[From call girls to congressional scandals, candidates have been ramping up the attacks in their campaign ads.  Midmorning looks at the techniques used in campaign ads and what kind of impact they really have on viewers.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/06/midmorning1?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/06/midmorning1?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:01 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>A closer look at the tax issue</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Would rolling back income tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans cause small businesses to cut jobs?]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/taxes?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/taxes?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Governor candidates stay on message in final debate</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Tax topics took top billing Sunday night as the
debate season closed in Minnesota&#039;s tight race for governor.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/05/govdebate?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/05/govdebate?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Sun, 05 Nov 2006 22:02:11 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Senate candidates get final crack at swaying voters</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Amy Klobuchar continues to hold a major leads in all of the independent polls, but Mark Kennedy believes he&#039;s closing the gap in the final days of the election.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/05/sendebate?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/05/sendebate?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Sun, 05 Nov 2006 21:31:15 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>South Dakota prepares to vote on abortion</title>
            <description><![CDATA[South Dakota lawmakers approved  an abortion ban earlier this year.  A group opposed to the ban referred the law to a public vote.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/sodakabortionvote?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/sodakabortionvote?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Sun, 05 Nov 2006 15:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Candidate temperament makes its way into governor&#039;s debate</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Democratic candidate Mike Hatch, the frontrunner
in the race for Minnesota governor, took heat Friday from two
rivals over a temper he displayed in the campaign&#039;s stretch run.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/04/almanac?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/04/almanac?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Sat, 04 Nov 2006 10:32:02 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>What do voters think?</title>
            <description><![CDATA[For more than a year, we&#039;ve heard plenty of pundits talk about what the voters think. Now it&#039;s time to hear from the voters. MPR News talked with several voters in the region to find out whom they intend to vote for in various races and why.]]></description>
                                                <link><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/standard/display/project_display.php?proj_identifier=2006/10/31/votersspeak?refid=0]]></link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/standard/display/project_display.php?proj_identifier=2006/10/31/votersspeak?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Sat, 04 Nov 2006 07:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Suddenly, campaign pits Hatch vs. Hubbard</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Mike Hatchlashed out at KSTP-TV by suggesting the station has an agenda because the station&#039;s owner, Stanley Hubbard, has contributed to a special interest group that is running TV ads that criticize him.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/hatchreact?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/hatchreact?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 03 Nov 2006 14:01:44 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Voters make the case for their gubernatorial picks</title>
            <description><![CDATA[A recent Minnesota Public Radio/Pioneer Press poll suggests that only 7 percent of Minnesota voters haven&#039;t decided who they want to put in the governor&#039;s office for the next four years. That means 93 percent have made up their minds. Eight of those decided voters explain their decisions.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/midday2?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/midday2?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 03 Nov 2006 12:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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            <title>Voters explain their Senate choices</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Campaigns are about candidates, issues, fundraising and strategy. But in the end, it&#039;s the voters who will decide the election. Eight voters who have made up their minds about the U.S. Senate race explain who they are supporting and why.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/midday1?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/midday1?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 03 Nov 2006 11:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>A look at some hot local races</title>
            <description><![CDATA[All politics is local. Most observers don&#039;t argue with that. But some local issues on the November ballot are hotter than others.  Here&#039;s a sampling.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/30/localraces?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/30/localraces?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 03 Nov 2006 09:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Pawlenty fights for re-election</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Gov. Tim  Pawlenty has been seen as a rising star in the Republican Party, but he&#039;s locked in a close race with DFL candidate Mike Hatch.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/pawlentyprofile?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/pawlentyprofile?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 03 Nov 2006 07:49:37 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <title>Huchinson undaunted by long odds</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Independence Party candidate Peter Hutchinson faces long odds in his race for Minnesota governor. But the public policy consultant is undaunted, because he says Minnesota voters want a change from politics as usual.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/02/hutchinsonprofile?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/02/hutchinsonprofile?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 03 Nov 2006 04:29:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Microtargeting in Minnesota</title>
            <description><![CDATA[This year, a new voter turnout system is helping Democrats and Republicans find eligible voters -- one by one.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/congress?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/congress?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 03 Nov 2006 04:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Dutcher caught short on E-85 question</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Democrat Mike Hatch sought to reassure voters of his expertise on ethanol on Thursday, a day after his running mate drew a blank when she was questioned in farm country about E-85.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/02/e85?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/02/e85?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>E-80-what? Campaign flubs have long tradition in Minnesota</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Judi Dutcher&#039;s flub was just the latest in a long line of campaign
blunders that range from turning the late Sen. Paul Wellstone&#039;s
memorial service into a plea for Democratic votes in 2002 to DFL
gubernatorial candidate Hubert &quot;Skip&quot; Humphrey III&#039;s insistence
in 1998 that third-party candidate Jesse Ventura be included in
debates.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/02/flubs?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/02/flubs?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Thu, 02 Nov 2006 15:53:31 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Tough times for Minneapolis schools lured candidates into race for board</title>
            <description><![CDATA[The race for Minneapolis school board takes place against the backdrop of recent miss-steps over the hiring, then removal, of a controversial superintendent and the abrupt decision to close more than a dozen schools.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/30/schoolboard?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/30/schoolboard?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Thu, 02 Nov 2006 14:47:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Who will control the Minnesota Legislature next year?</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Right now, DFLers control the Minnesota Senate. Republicans control the House. But all 201 seats in the Legislature are up for re-election. What will happen to the balance of power on Nov. 7?]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/02/midday1?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/02/midday1?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Thu, 02 Nov 2006 11:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Poll shows Swanson leading attorney general race</title>
            <description><![CDATA[A new Minnesota Public Radio/Pioneer Press poll shows DFLer Lori Swanson with an increasing lead in the race for attorney general.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/02/agpoll?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/02/agpoll?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Thu, 02 Nov 2006 06:36:51 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>South Dakota governor&#039;s race seems to favor incumbent Republican</title>
            <description><![CDATA[It&#039;s not easy for Democrats to be elected governor in South Dakota.  In the history of the state, only four Democrats have sat in the executive chair and recent polls show it&#039;s not likely to happen this year.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/01/sdgov?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/01/sdgov?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Thu, 02 Nov 2006 00:00:01 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>God not choosing sides in 6th, Bachmann says</title>
            <description><![CDATA[The congressional candidate  made the comments during tough questioning at a free-for-all forum in Andover, in the wake of an appearance at a church service last month in which she said  &quot;God called me to run for the United States Congress.&quot;]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/01/6distdebate?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/01/6distdebate?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 01 Nov 2006 20:21:28 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Campaigning heats up in the 5th Congressional District</title>
            <description><![CDATA[In less than a week, voters in Minnesota&#039;s 5th District will elect a new representative to Congress for the first time in nearly three decades.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/30/fifthdistrict?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/30/fifthdistrict?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:30:19 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Hatch embraces &quot;bulldog&quot; label</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Mike Hatch  is well-known to Minnesotans as a scrappy --  sometimes confrontational -- politician, and he&#039;s embracing his bulldog image in his third run for the governor&#039;s office.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/31/hatchprofile?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/31/hatchprofile?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 01 Nov 2006 13:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Meet the candidates in the 2nd District</title>
            <description><![CDATA[The candidates for Congress in Minnesota&#039;s 2nd District -- incumbent Republican John Kline and his DFL challenger Colleen Rowley -- discuss the issues as part of Midday&#039;s &quot;Meet the Candidates&quot; series.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/01/midday1b?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/01/midday1b?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 01 Nov 2006 11:32:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Legislative lowdown</title>
            <description><![CDATA[The races for governor, Senate and open seats in Congress have been getting most of the pre-election attention in Minnesota.  But all 201 seats in the Legislature are up for grabs too.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/01/legislature?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/01/legislature?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 01 Nov 2006 10:08:37 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Poll suggests close race for governor</title>
            <description><![CDATA[A new Minnesota Public Radio/St. Paul Pioneer Press poll shows the governor&#039;s race remains locked in a dead heat with just six days until the election.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/31/govpollstory?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/31/govpollstory?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 01 Nov 2006 03:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>A red or blue governor in Wisconsin?</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Wisconsin&#039;s gubernatorial race is as heated as Minnesota&#039;s. But in this race the governor is a Democrat.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/31/wisconsingov?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/31/wisconsingov?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 01 Nov 2006 00:01:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>South Dakota lawmakers learn from national scandal</title>
            <description><![CDATA[South Dakota&#039;s lawmakers will be called into a first-of-its-kind special session in late November to investigate allegations that a state senator acted inappropriately with a legislative page.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/26/sdelectionissues?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/26/sdelectionissues?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 31 Oct 2006 16:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Campaigns plot strategy with a week to go before the election</title>
            <description><![CDATA[MPR&#039;s Cathy Wurzer spoke with the three campaign managers for the major party candidates for Minnesota governor.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/31/managers?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/31/managers?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 31 Oct 2006 12:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>U of M poll shows Hatch ahead in governor&#039;s race</title>
            <description><![CDATA[The poll shows Democrat Mike Hatch with 6-point lead over Republican Tim Pawlenty in the race for governor.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/31/umgovpoll?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/31/umgovpoll?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 31 Oct 2006 11:06:48 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Meet the candidates for secretary of state</title>
            <description><![CDATA[There are three major party candidates vying to be Minnesota&#039;s top election official. They discuss their visions for the secretary of state&#039;s office as part of Midday&#039;s &quot;Meet the Candidates&quot; series.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/31/midday1?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/31/midday1?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 31 Oct 2006 11:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Walz and Gutknecht spar on public TV</title>
            <description><![CDATA[The race between U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht, R-Minn., and his DFL challenger Tim Walz has been attracting national attention and money. Gutknecht and Walz sparred in a recent debate.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/31/midday2?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/31/midday2?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 31 Oct 2006 11:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>7th Congressional District race offers clear choices</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Rep. Collin Peterson won the 7th Congressional District seat for the first time in 1990.  In the past 16 years, the Democrat has solidified his bond with voters in the conservative district.  This year he&#039;s challenged by Republican Michael Barrett.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/06/7thdistrict?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/06/7thdistrict?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 31 Oct 2006 02:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Northern legislative candidate makes Red Lake a campaign issue</title>
            <description><![CDATA[A candidate for the District 2B House seat in northern Minnesota is turning the Red Lake Indian Reservation into a campaign issue. Some say the strategy is divisive and risky.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/26/district2b?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/26/district2b?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 31 Oct 2006 02:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Barack Obama: Part politican, part rock star</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, one of the biggest names in the Democratic Party, spent Monday  in Minnesota -- campaigning for Democrats and signing copies of his new book. The atmosphere at the book signing was worthy of a rock star.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/30/obamahere?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/30/obamahere?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Mon, 30 Oct 2006 16:29:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>How does an anarchist view election season?</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Political candidates seem to have commandeered the airwaves. Neighborhoods are thick with lawn signs. And television ads extol the virtues of voting. What&#039;s an anarchist to do?]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/20/anarchist?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/20/anarchist?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Mon, 30 Oct 2006 12:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>How will Minnesota fund its transportation needs?</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Should Minnesota constitutionally dedicate its motor vehicle sales tax to fund roads and transit? Voters will decide that question on Nov. 7, and the University of Minnesota, Duluth sponsored a debate on the merits of the MVST amendment.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/27/midday1b?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/27/midday1b?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Mon, 30 Oct 2006 11:30:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Saint Paul asks voters for school money</title>
            <description><![CDATA[The St. Paul Schools&#039; current levy referendum is expiring next summer.  So the district board is asking taxpayers to pay more than $20 million dollars a year for six years to avoid cutting school programs.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/25/levy?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/25/levy?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Mon, 30 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Kennedy targets Klobuchar&#039;s character in U.S. Senate debate</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kennedy
questioned the honesty of his Democratic opponent Amy Klobuchar
during a debate Sunday night, scaling up his rhetoric against her
with 10 days to go until the election.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/29/sendebate?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/29/sendebate?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Sun, 29 Oct 2006 21:27:59 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Jabs fly at gubernatorial debate</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Minnesota&#039;s candidates for governor sparred Sunday night in their first televised debate of the campaign. Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, DFL candidate Mike Hatch and the Independence Party&#039;s Peter Hutchinson disagreed on issues such as transportation, immigration and property taxes.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/29/govdebate?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/29/govdebate?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Sun, 29 Oct 2006 20:20:37 -0600</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>The air is filled with political ads</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Television commercial breaks are flooded with political ads, but more money could be flowing to local stations.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/27/brauer?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/27/brauer?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:23:47 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>6th District race comes down to the wire</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Voters in Minnesota&#039;s 6th District are poised to elect a woman to Congress this year. But which woman?]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/27/6thdistrict?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/27/6thdistrict?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:08:40 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>GOP using immigration to turn out Republican base</title>
            <description><![CDATA[With less than two weeks to go until the election, GOP candidates are running ads on immigration.  One reason is that the issue is important to GOP voters.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/27/campaign_2006?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/27/campaign_2006?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 27 Oct 2006 10:25:28 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Deep pockets fill air time with political ads</title>
            <description><![CDATA[With less than two weeks to go before election day, candidates around Minnesota and interested parties are producing new political ads and buying air time at a feverish pace.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/27/mccallum?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/27/mccallum?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 27 Oct 2006 09:14:02 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>What makes a good lawmaker?</title>
            <description><![CDATA[The two major parties are both asking voters to give them control of Congress in this year&#039;s election. But, on an individual level, what qualities make a good lawmaker?]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/26/midday2?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/26/midday2?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Thu, 26 Oct 2006 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Supreme Court: Transportation amendment stays on ballot</title>
            <description><![CDATA[A proposed constitutional amendment to dedicate
tax dollars to state transportation needs will remain on the Nov. 7
ballot, despite arguments that its wording is confusing, the
state Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/26/scomin?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/26/scomin?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Thu, 26 Oct 2006 11:59:07 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>A look at the issues: Governor and Senate races</title>
            <description><![CDATA[A collection of recent Minnesota Public Radio reports examining some of the issues in the races for the U.S. Senate and the governor&#039;s office.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/26/midday1?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/26/midday1?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Thu, 26 Oct 2006 11:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Iraq war dominates U.S. Senate race</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Minnesota&#039;s major party U.S. Senate candidates each offer a different approach to dealing with the war in Iraq.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/19/iraq?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/19/iraq?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Thu, 26 Oct 2006 08:12:00 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Tax, immigration issues erupt in governor&#039;s race</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Like he did in the stretch run four years ago, Republican Gov.
Tim Pawlenty began airing an immigration-themed ad. Meanwhile,
Democratic challenger Mike Hatch expressed a willingness to approve
a gas tax increase despite his personal opposition to it.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/25/govrace?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/25/govrace?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 25 Oct 2006 15:10:01 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Supreme Court hears challenge to transportation funding amendment</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Behind the argument over the amendment is an increasingly fractious   tug of war over how to increase funding for a Minnesota transportation system that is slowly crumbling.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/25/mvestcourt?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/25/mvestcourt?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 25 Oct 2006 14:38:05 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Laura Bush campaigns for Bachmann, Gutknecht</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Mrs. Bush was in Minnetonka Wednesday morning for a $500-a-plate breakfast for Bachmann and the Republican Party.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/25/bush?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/25/bush?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 25 Oct 2006 13:04:43 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Gutknecht facing tough challenge from Walz</title>
            <description><![CDATA[The race for Congress in Minnesota&#039;s 1st District has  become competitive with a political newcomer running as a DFLer posing a serious challenger to six-term Republican incumbent Gil Gutknecht.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/24/firstdistrict?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/24/firstdistrict?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 25 Oct 2006 07:07:57 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Candidates for governor plan home stretch ad blitz</title>
            <description><![CDATA[If you&#039;re not sick of political ads on TV by now you probably will be by Election Day.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/24/campaignads?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/24/campaignads?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 24 Oct 2006 18:28:00 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>In Minnesota Senate race, GOP&#039;s Kennedy holds to Iraq message</title>
            <description><![CDATA[As his fellow Republicans around the country
try to distance themselves from the increasingly unpopular war in
Iraq, Minnesota Senate candidate Mark Kennedy is trying to turn the
issue on its head.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/24/kennedyad?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/24/kennedyad?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 24 Oct 2006 17:40:41 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Social issues in the background of governor&#039;s race</title>
            <description><![CDATA[You won&#039;t find anything about social issues such as abortion and same sex marriage on the gubernatorial candidates&#039; Web sites, but they&#039;re important to many voters.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/23/socialissues?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/23/socialissues?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 24 Oct 2006 01:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>The state of politics in Minnesota</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Health care and public safety have become the top issues in the race for Minnesota governor.  Incumbent Republican Tim Pawlenty and DFL challenger Mike Hatch are battling with each other from the stump, and on TV ads on the two issues.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/23/mccallum?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/23/mccallum?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Mon, 23 Oct 2006 11:07:56 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Crime accusations fly in governor&#039;s race</title>
            <description><![CDATA[In a battle of spreadsheets and bar graphs,
Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Democratic challenger Mike Hatch
traded accusations Sunday over crime-fighting.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/22/crime?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/22/crime?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Sun, 22 Oct 2006 17:43:05 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>The voice behind the candidate</title>
            <description><![CDATA[The voices on campaign ads can make even Santa Claus sound evil. Just ask Gary Groomes and Susan Fuller. They&#039;re the voices.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/20/voices?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/20/voices?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 20 Oct 2006 18:07:49 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Accentuate the negative</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Negative campaign ads have been blamed for low voter turnout and political apathy. But some say they actually play an important role in the democratic process.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/20/negative?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/20/negative?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 20 Oct 2006 15:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Midday&#039;s  5th District forum</title>
            <description><![CDATA[U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo&#039;s retirement this year created something of a rarity: an open seat in Congress. With less than three weeks unil the election, Midday listeners get a chance to meet the candidates hoping to take Sabo&#039;s place.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/20/midday1?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/20/midday1?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 20 Oct 2006 11:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>More &quot;voters&quot; take a pass on... voting</title>
            <description><![CDATA[This November, the largest political party won&#039;t be the Republicans or the Democrats. As in years past, it&#039;ll be the non-voters.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/18/nonvoter?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/18/nonvoter?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 20 Oct 2006 05:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>6th District debate</title>
            <description><![CDATA[The candidates in Minnesota&#039;s 6th Congressional District face off as part of Midday&#039;s Meet the Candidates series.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/19/midday3?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/19/midday3?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Fri, 20 Oct 2006 00:06:00 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>1st District debate is a battle of words, ideas and accusations</title>
            <description><![CDATA[GOP Rep. Gil Gutknecht offered an
optimistic message about America&#039;s direction. Democratic challenger
Tim Walz spoke of an America that&#039;s desperate for change.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/19/firstdebate?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/19/firstdebate?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Thu, 19 Oct 2006 23:44:36 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Hatch to educators: No promises</title>
            <description><![CDATA[DFL gubernatorial candidate Mike Hatch says he won&#039;t make any promises about education spending until it&#039;s clear that Minnesota has a budget surplus.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/19/hatch?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/19/hatch?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Thu, 19 Oct 2006 14:58:31 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Politics in a parallel universe</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Theory: our politicians can behave an awful lot like seventh graders.   Fact: Seventh grade is a great place to break into politics.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/16/stucouncil?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/16/stucouncil?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Thu, 19 Oct 2006 13:29:00 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Ellison accuses woman of blackmailing his congressional campaign</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Democratic congressional candidate Keith
Ellison is accusing a St. Louis Park woman of working with a Minneapolis writer to blackmail his campaign.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/19/ellisonapstory?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/19/ellisonapstory?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Thu, 19 Oct 2006 06:40:29 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Candidates have few secrets from campaign &#039;trackers&#039;</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Political campaigns are employing campaign trackers to videotape the candidates anywhere they make a public appearance.  It&#039;s becoming a common practice especially after a senator from Virginia came under fire for making some controversial remarks.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/16/undercover?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/16/undercover?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 18 Oct 2006 18:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>The incumbent congressman vs. the former senator</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Rep. Jim Oberstar, D Minn., who has represented Minnesota&#039;s 8th District for almost 32 years, is facing a well-known challeger this year: former Sen. Rod Grams, R-Minn. Midday presents their Oct. 17 debate in Grand Rapids.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/18/midday2?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/18/midday2?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 18 Oct 2006 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Sparks fly at 5th District debate</title>
            <description><![CDATA[The three major party candidates for the 5th Congressional District seat met for a debate Tuesday evening at a St. Louis Park synagogue.  DFLer Keith Ellison, Republican Alan Fine and Independence Party candidate Tammy Lee were asked their views on health care, the war in Iraq and the United States&#039; relationship with Israel.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/17/debate?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/17/debate?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Wed, 18 Oct 2006 08:00:43 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Group files complaint over Bachmann church appearance</title>
            <description><![CDATA[A watchdog group filed a complaint with the
IRS Tuesday against a Minnesota church, claiming the pastor
violated the church&#039;s tax-exempt status by endorsing GOP
congressional candidate Michele Bachmann Saturday night.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/17/bachmanncomplaint?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/17/bachmanncomplaint?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:06:47 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Chilling job market warms gubernatorial campaign</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Minnesota lost nearly 13,000 jobs in September, the third largest monthly job loss in more than 50 years.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/17/joblosses?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/17/joblosses?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 17 Oct 2006 14:33:17 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Wetterling the frontrunner in the 6th?</title>
            <description><![CDATA[A new poll shows Patty Wetterling is the frontrunner in the 6th District race. But Republicans say the poll isn&#039;t credible.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/17/wetterlingleads?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/17/wetterlingleads?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 17 Oct 2006 14:26:06 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
        
        <item>
            <title>Two campaign veterans analyze the elections</title>
            <description><![CDATA[Former U.S. Reps. Tim Penny, D-Minn., and Vin Weber, R-Minn., have seen their share of elections. Penny and Weber discussed the issues that will decide this year&#039;s election Oct. 9 at the University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute.]]></description>
                                                <link>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/16/midday2?refid=0</link>
                        <guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/10/16/midday2?refid=0]]></guid>
                                    <pubDate>Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
        </item>
            </channel>
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