Centricity - The state or quality of being centric; centricalness.
Centrisity - The state or quality of not being bound to an ideology. Freedom of thought.
Okay, here's why I support her: she's a strong Democrat. She generally has the right positions on the issues I care about. She has been very involved in building up the Democratic party, and every time I have seen her she has been extremely enthusiastic. She is engaging and a tough speaker. I feel that she connects with people. I think she will be a perfectly fine debater against Kennedy.There is more. Read it all.
-- State fruit: Honeycrisp apple, thanks to efforts of students in Laurel Avery's class at Andersen Elementary School in Bayport.I don't think many of us will even notice the changes.
-- Beware of tiger: Owners of certain exotic animals must post signs saying what danger lurks inside. A new law also makes it a crime if the animal hurts someone.
-- Cleaner sky and water: Largest coal-fired power plants must cut mercury emissions by 90 percent by 2015.
-- ID theft: Consumers can now block access to their credit reports.
-- Video games: Titles like "Grand Theft Auto," which are rated either "Adults Only" or "Mature," could cost consumers younger than 17 a $25 fine if they rent or purchase them, but the video game industry is asking a federal judge to overturn the new law.
About a month later, it was all but confirmed when Target Corp won the bid for the Sheraton property right behind it's current Midway location. There were a few bumps on the way, but there is no turning back now. The demolition of the old Sheraton is underway, and in a matter of days, there won't be anything left. Enjoy the photos.
I watched Almanac with my 'Dad'. I thought the blogger guys (RealPlayer) did pretty well. Dad took a picture of me since no one would believe I was actually watching it.Kennedy did not “cross party lines” on HR2380, the pension bill he cites in his commercial. The vote for this piece of legislation featured a large majority of Democrats voting against the proposal, which also contained very Republican tax cuts and extensions for the super wealthy…which makes so much sense in a bill that proposes to address a $400+ billion pension deficit.So really, most people would count this vote as another vote with the President and the Party, here was the tally from the link above.
"I'm a Republican . . . On issues like taxes and spending, I vote like one, but on other issues I cross party lines"He then points out some of those examples "Protect Pensions", "Opposed No Child Left Behind" (we always knew that one was coming), and Preserving Wetlands
Just not much of a party guy, I meant, he doesn't do whatever the party says to.That facts are, he is one of the biggest partiers there is, towing that line pretty tight. Over and over again. As recently as just the other day.
Throughout his career, he rarely diverges from DeLay's path. Prior to the ROMP event, Kennedy never voted against DeLay on a piece of legislation. A common occurrence in Kennedy's voting behavior blossomed in his first year on Capitol Hill. The two congressmen do, on rare occasions, vote against each other. But Kennedy saves most of these votes for times that can be categorized as politically safe. For instance, Kennedy voted against DeLay on a number of amendments to bills in 2001. Before passing a large piece of legislation, No Child Left Behind, for example, Congress usually votes beforehand on whether or not specific amendments will be included in the final legislation. No Child Left Behind was certain to pass in the House. It had bi-partisan support. If Kennedy voted against DeLay on a couple amendments to the act, he didn't face political repercussions. No Child Left Behind was going to pass no matter what. These are times that Kennedy disagrees with DeLay. Otherwise, he votes the party line. Except on one occasion.So for those keeping score:
A commenter reported that Bill Luther was attending the National Down Syndrome Congress in Atlanta over the weekend, which was why he wasn't on Almanac with Steve Kelley and Lori Swanson last Friday. It's public knowledge that Bill Luther has an adult Down Syndrome son. He is also a widower. But the people at Almanac just said "Bill Luther turned down our invitation to appear." I think it shows a lot of class for Luther to not make a big deal about this part of his life.Bill Luther, Family first. That is the Bill Luther I know!
And then - on the second-to-last day of the contest - we cued up a cassette. Over the home-cassette hiss, we heard a needle cueing up on a turntable - the guy was obviously sitting in front of a record player with a cassette deck...Ahhhhh, the good ole days of radio. (Audio can be found here Don Vogel Show Theme - Bill Kremlinger)
...and the opening strains of the Bonanza theme, swelled up to the familiar tune...
...over which a schlemiely-sounding guy began singing with comic gusto
"Don da da Don da da Don da da Don Don Vogel, it's the Don da da Don da da Don da da Don da da Don Don Vogel Show!
(then up a fourth)
"Don da da Don da da Don da da Don Don Vogel, it's the Don da da Don da da Don da da Don da da Don Don Vogel Show!
(then into the bridge)
Oh ah uh, oh ah uh, the Round Mound of Sound,
Oh ah uh, oh ah uh, the Round Mound of Sound!
(then back to the tune)
"Don da da Don da da Don da da Don Don Vogel, it's the Don da da Don da da Don da da Don da da Don Don Vogel Show!
You could tell when Don liked something - he'd start laughing with this sudden, sharp cackle, and then keep guffawing uncontrollably.
Well, comparing different polls with different methodologies is always dangerous, especially since one of them is the Zogby poll. But ignoring polls is no fun, so I'll take a stab at it. It seems to me that taken together, these polls suggest that Amy Klobuchar's support is rock-solid, and right around 50%. Mark Kennedy's support, meanwhile, is softer, and probably somewhere in the high thirties or low forties.So there are two things consistent in BOTH polls. 1) Amy is kicking booty!, and 2) she is polling at close to 50% or better (MN Poll 50, Zogby 49.4). It is Kennedy's numbers that are all over the place. We can all speculate why that is the case, but fluid support at this time of year is not very healthy for a candidate hoping to win an election.
A new survey of the Minnesota Senate race has Amy Klobuchar up by 16 points in her campaign against Republican Mark Kennedy, leading him 50-34. The poll corroborates the findings of a public survey from last week that had Klobuchar up 19 points.
“Getting change in Washington begins by sending Amy Klobuchar to the Senate and this poll vindicates that point,” DSCC spokesman Phil Singer said. “Mark Kennedy’s efforts to obscure his real positions in order to trick people into voting for him aren’t working.”
Hey Dad Just wanted to drop a line see how things are. Let you know I am doing ok. I can't really talk about what's going on right now. All I have to say is that CNN and FOX News have pretty accurate reports. The running joke lately is that we all watch CNN for our next set of orders.So I guess I'll just keep glued to the TV and watch how things evolve in the Med.
Well gotta fly. Love you. tell the boys I got them some cool souvenirs from this ship. Later
Michael Brodkorb made his debut on the Minnesota political stage in a chicken suit.Too Funny!
It was 1998, and Brodkorb, now a Republican political researcher from Eagan, was working on Norm Coleman's campaign for governor. One day, the low-level staffer was assigned to put on the fowl outfit, go to a Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party news conference at St. Paul's downtown airport and stand next to the party's gubernatorial candidate, Skip Humphrey, while holding a sign that read "Quit skipping debates."
Coordination between the Rovian machine and the local Right wing attack machines has always been suspected, but now we have pictorial confirmation, courtesy of MDE himself.For one hour today, I had the privilege of visiting with White House Advisor Karl Rove. Along with a few other GOP bloggers, we had the chance to ask Karl Rove anything we wanted.Hey MDE, can you send me the transcript of the meeting, I am very curious *grin*
G: On 04, did tech help him learn the results faster?Oh, and the classic of all:
R: Got the results on approach to Edwards. He was getting unending results and it was all bad.
Everything was looking bad. Down everywhere. Across the demographics.
It didn’t make sense.
He had to tell the Pres once they landed and that it didn’t look good.
Bush once they got off Marine 1
“Everyone put your gameface on.”
Rove then spent all day asking the press to explain how they could be losing their bread and butter voters?
Everytime the press did call back if they did, they had some excuse.
G: On 04, did tech help him learn the results faster?
R: Got the results on approach to Edwards. He was getting unending results and it was all bad.
Everything was looking bad. Down everywhere. Across the demographics.
It didn’t make sense.
Pollsters under 35 gather trash
Over 35 they are more reliable.
R:
How quickly did they know they were gonna win on election night?
They had a computer at the WH in the dinner room. It was set up with a program with an interactive map he could click on to see the results because they had people in each court house sending in results from pda’s.
He went through the critical districts from 00 and as he did, he saw that they were up big in them. He saw they were well ahead of where they needed to be.
Before 9:00 he knew they were gonna win
Many of the staff had told their wives not to come in, because due to the tracking polls.
They looked at him like he was insane, and it covered their coverage of the day.
He does feel bad for Kerry. for a few hours he thought he was gonna be President because of the exit polls.
MB: Can we see the “playbook”.Let the photo shopping begin!
R: It is already in a chip in your heads, but you just don’t know it.
Luther is the one man who could make this Republican vote Democrat. I have exchanged letters with Mr. Luther a couple of times when he was a congressman, and the replies were always respectful, intelligent, and actually addressed the concerns in my letter. Now I'm sure they were written by a staffer, but they were worlds better then the talking points crap that I got from the Wellstone staffers.And a surprising response from the Congressman's Former Chief of Staff:
So why do I like Luther, just because of a staffers letter. Because as a long time retail manager I know how much of that flows from the people Luther selected to run his office and I wouldn't be surprised to learn he had a hand in hiring most of them. You select the kind of people you like to be around and respect. That he has that kind of person on staff says he is more then likely that kind of person himself.
shawn | 07.18.06 - 4:44 pm
I want to respond to Shawn's comments - they are greatly appreciated. As Bill Luther's chief of staff for his first 6 years, I can assure you that constituent mail was a huge priority for Bill and it is rewarding to hear that it was appreciated. He actually signed all letters himself (unless we had 1000 going out in response to a postcard campaign or something) and edited it as well.How can you NOT appreciate and support a candidate for Attorney General who already has a track record like that!
This attention to detail stems from his training as an attorney. As an attorney myself, I understood that and also wanted the best product going out the door. (Believe me, it drove other staff nuts at times).
We did our best to hire well qualified people in the Congressional office and I am proud of those folks I worked with.
Finally, to explain why Bill paid close attention to the constituent mail and casework - it's simple. The one letter Bill sent to Shawn in response to Shawn's letter may well be the ONLY chance Bill will have to 'talk' with Shawn and Bill was determined to be sure we addressed the issues raised so that Shawn was left with the impression he described. The other reason, which is frankly even more important, is that the constituent deserved the respect of a solid response.
Thanks Shawn for those positive comments both about Bill and his staff - it's refreshing and I really appreciate it!
Ted Thompson | 07.19.06 - 5:44 pm
Here’s how I see things shaping up:Jeff also talks about the endorsement process and it's role leading into the primary. A MUST READ!
1. Steve Kelley. Kelley is in the strongest position, because he doesn’t have to build a statewide organization on the fly, he merely has to reactivate his gubernatorial organization. He will have the early support of true-blue DFLers because of the way he gracefully exited at the state convention. I think he’s probably the man to beat, though only by a whisker.
2. Bill Luther. Luther hasn’t run for anything since losing to John Kline in 2002, and it will take some time to shake the rust off. The good news for Luther is that he has an ally in Mike Hatch, and he will undoubtedly seek to tap Hatch’s organization for this run. Luther has a good reputation and was a solid congressman, and likely has greater statewide name recognition than Kelley. A solid number two with a very good shot.
Grunseth's campaign went into a tailspin Oct. 15, after allegations he had invited four teen-age girls, including his adopted daughter, to swim nude with him at a 1981 party. One of the girls said he also tried to touch her breast.Grunseth began to slip in the polls. Arne Carlson, who lost the endorsement to Grunseth, initiated a write-in campaign. Then, the other show dropped on Jon:
He nearly resigned last Thursday, but changed his mind after a 3 1/2-hour meeting with key campaign strategists.
Then, Sunday, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune published a story in which Grunseth admitted a ''romantic'' relationship with a 32-year-old woman. The woman, Tamara Taylor of Minnetonka, said she and Grunseth had an intermittent affair from 1980 to 1989.Grunseth withdrew. Some legal wrangling ensued and Carlson went from write-in candidate to the new IR Endorsee. Carlson went on to defeat Perpich 40 - 47. Four years later, Carlson creamed John Marty, 63 - 34.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Pawlenty has now accepted full responsibility for campaign practices that a state review board found illegal. The decision could represent a substantial setback for Pawlenty, who also announced he would temporarily suspend television ads while his campaign assesses its options. But Pawlenty vows he'll vigorously press the campaign until the end.The findings were:
The board ruled that an estimated $800,000 in television ads produced by the party were incorrectly identified as the sort of soft-money independent expenditures that are subject to limited regulation. The board's order requires Pawlenty to count the ads as direct contributions, a decision that will eat deeply into the campaign's $2.2 million spending limit.Polling in this three way race were tight, and the general consensus was that TPaw would slip opening the door for Roger Mow, or another 'shock the world' victory by Tim Penny.
Dogged by ethics complaints surrounding the campaign,[1] but buoyed by President George W. Bush's post-Sept. 11th popularity and the failure of either of his challengers to gain a solid lock on the votes of Democrats, Pawlenty hurtled ahead of both challengers at the very end of the campaign. Analyses afterward indicated that his largest gains were among voters in the suburbs of Minneapolis-St.Paul.Final results, TPaw 44%, Moe 36%, Penny 16%, Pentel 2%
Luther files, Kelley also filed. I think there may be some shuffling after today. With the last minute decison be Entenza and the innability of individuals to have ample time to discuss options, I wouldn't be surprised if things sort themselves out prior to the Central Committee endorsment process(Photo courtesy of MNPublius)
I'm hearing that Freeman is announcing today. . . Other names frequently mentioned: Mike Ciresi, David Lillehaug, Steve Kelley, Mark Rotenberg, Lori Swanson.Swanson has already filed. Others will be rolling out soon I suspect.
“When the filing deadline passes today, I expect that several excellent candidates will be seeking the DFL nomination, especially when the Republican Party is pushing a known corporate minion. The State Party will meet in mid-August to endorse one of these fine Minnesotans for the office of Attorney General.”Sometimes, all you have to do is ask!
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has learned Representative Matt Entenza is dropping out of the race for Attorney General. Just this week, Entenza learned he would face a challenge from a fellow DFLer in a primary.From Matt himself at the press conference:
"While I'm confident that I could win the race for attorney general, obviously in this environment staying in the race would hurt the Democratic Party," Entenza said at a news conference on the Capitol steps.Repeated rumors of Bill Luther's pending entry are just that, rumors. Several sources have informed me that Luther has decided against the run, including this Polinaut post.
Sources have told me with varying certainty that neither Bill Luther nor David Lillehaug are going to file today, two people on the short list. But this morning MDE dropped the bomb that Hennepin County DA candidate Mike Freeman may be jumping in the race. In my estimations (which are completely uninformed, mind you), Freeman sounds like just the thing people have been hinting at...
CHARLESTON, South Carolina (AP) -- Mickey Spillane, the macho mystery writer who wowed millions of readers with the shoot-'em-up sex and violence of gumshoe Mike Hammer, died Monday. He was 88.and more:
As a stylist Spillane was no innovator; the prose was hard-boiled boilerplate. In a typical scene, from "The Big Kill," Hammer slugs out a little punk with "pig eyes."The guy could put words together like no other.
"I snapped the side of the rod across his jaw and laid the flesh open to the bone," Spillane wrote. "I pounded his teeth back into his mouth with the end of the barrel ... and I took my own damn time about kicking him in the face. He smashed into the door and lay there bubbling. So I kicked him again and he stopped bubbling."
DFL Senate candidate Amy Klobuchar has opened up a strong early lead over GOP rival Mark Kennedy in a Minnesota Poll that shows Klobuchar with 50 percent of likely voters' support, compared with 31 percent for Kennedy.Flash
"So much for a little training cruise!"Flash
-- CBS News has learned that an evacuation of Americans from Lebanon will most likely begin next week. The evacuation would be led by the USS Iwo Jima, with Marine helicopters ferrying as many as 8,000 Americans to nearby Cyprus.Cpl Peterson is an Aircraft mechanic on board the Iwo Jima. You can bet he'll have those helicopters purring like a kitten before they are needed.
Now, i think it is important for everyone to make good decisions with this pending heat. Literally, today, I put two pitchers of ice water out for the VERY appreciative road workers 'pitching' and 'repairing' Minnehaha Avenue. ( I even asked one of them "You must get a lot of 'middle fingers' in this job"! --And he replied "We sure do, but people like you make up for it!". )This is ridiculousGOVERNOR PAWLENTY ANNOUNCES "OPERATION STAY COOL" -- July 13, 2006
With weekend temperatures forecast to reach 100 degrees, Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced that state agencies and the Governor’s Office are working together under "Operation Stay Cool" to help ensure that Minnesotans stay safe during the heat wave.
"People around the rest of the nation may think of Minnesota as a cool place, but we’re about to see how hot things can get up here," Governor Pawlenty said. "During this heat wave, it’s important for Minnesotans to take care of themselves and one another. State government will do our part by providing services to those in need."
"Any online gamblers here? Well, Congress is looking in shutting that down. There's going to be a massive congressional investigation of online gambling and they're going to shut it down. And when they get done with that, they're going to look into this North Korean thing."Must be an election year!
Dear Flash:I did E-Mail CQ immediately, and only followed up with Bob after an hour or so. I also commented to the story with my sources and links, but the comment has yet to show up on the website.
You can breathe again, as we will shortly be posting a revised version of the story that clarifies the strong disagreement expressed by the Klobuchar campaign and its supporters with the charge made by the National Republican Senatorial Committee about Ms. Klobuchar's record on crime. While it is true that the NRSC is making this claim, it should not have been included without discussion of the Klobuchar campaigns response (and rejection of the claim).
I also welcome you to submit your documentary evidence as a comment to the story, which we will also post.
I do wish that you had contacted us directly with your concerns about the story, as we are vigilant about any instance of perceived unfairness or imbalance and try to address quickly those concerns that we determine have merit. I would have responded as quickly to your direct inquiry as I have to learning about this concern indirectly.
Best wishes,
Bob Benenson
Editor
CQPolitics.com
Editor's note: The original version of this story has been amended in the final paragraph to clarify that Democratic candidate Amy Klobuchar and her supporters strongly dispute the National Republican Senatorial Committee's characterization of her record on crime.and the new paragraph:
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is backing Kennedy, has sought to undermine Klobuchar's credibility as a prosecutor, contending that violent crime increased 35 percent in the county during her tenure. Klobuchar and her supporters strongly contest this characterization, stating that crime has actually gone down during the period and accusing the Republicans of gaming the numbers to make a false and misleading argument.It's better then just leaving the lie hanging out there.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is backing Kennedy, said that violent crime increased 35 percent in the county during Klobuchar's tenure.FACT, violent crime in the country during Amy's tenure has DECREASED
Mitch 'n Co. are being disingenuous to try to pin the increases in MPLS crime on a county attorney who, through the most recent available data, has REDUCED Hennepin County serious crime by 36% from '97 to 2004Now the NRSC may be referring to the flawed numbers later corrected by even KvM that came out recently. But those figures were only for Minneapolis and do NOT cover Amy's complete tenure.
Minneapolis Crime rates are also down 30% from 1997 to 2005
I attended the Ford Bell announcement today. Room 125 was quite cramped with the TV cameras and press filling in the chairs scattered throughout the room. Dr. Bell's staff and supporters lined the periphery in a show of support to their former candidate. Out of respect, they all stood when he entered the room, and remained standing throughout the delivery of the statement. A complete text of Dr. Bell's remarks are available at Blog for Bell. The highlights:I am announcing today that I am ending my campaign for the DFL nomination for U.S. Senate this year.The driving force behind the decision, money, or lack thereof:
But it has also become clear that our campaign will not be able to raise enough money to win the September primary.After hitting on the main issues of his candidacy, War in Iraq and Single payer Health care, he returned to campaign finance:
Since I have been in this race, I have come to believe that there is another issue we must address: the need for public financing of elections. The corrosive influence of money is strangling American democracy. That our little outsider campaign raised almost a million dollars, stood for issues that the vast majority of our party endorsed, and couldn't compete, is an indictment of the system we have. We must change it.and finally, the all important endorsement to unify the party towards the main goal:
I will be supporting my opponent Amy Klobuchar in November, and I ask my supporters to do the same. The differences within our Party are important, but the differences between Mark Kennedy, George Bush and the needs of America are much greater.Following his remarks, he took questions. Specifically, he was asked about a 2008 Senate run, to which he responded he hasn't ruled anything out.
Of course, his lovely wife Amy, was shaking her head 'No' and remarked something to the effect of "I finally get my husband back" It is worth noting that today is also Dr. Bell and Amy's 14th wedding anniversary, and she commented that this was a very nice anniversary gift."The service you do for others is the rent you pay for the time you spend on earth."Flash
U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Ford Bell will be in Room 125 at the Capitol for a media advisory at 3:30 this afternoon.Hmmmmmmm! I have no reason to believe that he is dropping out. Maybe it is just wishful thinking.
"U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Ford Bell will make a major announcement and hold a news conference this afternoon at 3:30 in room 125 of the State Capitol.UPDATE II: MNPublius has received reliable confirmation of Bell's pending departure from the race:
All press are strongly urged to attend."
I'm sure the Klobuchar campaign will be watching closely to see if Ford Bell is dropping his bid to challenge her in the DFL primary...
I can now confirm beyond a reasonable doubt that Dr. Ford Bell is, indeed, dropping out of the United States Senate race leaving DFL endorsed Amy Klobuchar as the sole Democratic candidate for the seat. There is still the possibility that we have been mislead about this story, but I think it is safe to say that come tomorrow Ford Bell will not be in the race.
Taking off my partisan hat for just a minute, I find Amy Klobuchar’s first :30 spot to be well done. It serves one purpose, the effect of which will not be known for some time—to innoculate the Hennepin County attorney against a Midwest-leading jump in Minneapolis crime in 2005 and a 2006 increase more than twice that.I saw the ad and also thought it was well done and actually over due. This is a great time to define yourself before the opposition does it for you. Most of the slime and smear has come from Internet attack site and juvenile MNGOP press releases. This add will clarify who Amy is, and what she can do to move this state forward from her seat in the US Senate!
“The Hatch-Dutcher ticket is about promise. It’s about possibilities. And it’s about our potential as a state,” said Dutcher. “Everywhere we go, people are telling us about the negative impact that increasing property taxes, soaring tuition, and excruciating fees have had on their life. They realize what is at stake in this election. Minnesotans are looking to restore our quality of life and they know it will take new leadership to do that”.
Kurly
Law-abiding citizens who never wound up inside the old Ramsey County Jail have a first and last chance this Fourth of July.I always wondered why the slime of St. Paul had the best view in the city.
The jail, which clings to the Mississippi River bluff in downtown St. Paul, closed in 2003. But the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office is opening it to the public for tours Tuesday. The building is slated to be demolished next year to make way for luxury condominiums.
If you go:Flash
What: Free tours of the old Ramsey County Jail
When: Noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: 12-14 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul
