STAR TRIBUNE: MNGOP FEELS PARTY IS GATHERING STEAM
February 8, 2010 10:02 pm
The following is an article posted on Star Tribune tonight about the MNGOP is gathering momentum going into this fall’s election.
Minnesota GOP feels party gathering steam
By MIKE KASZUBA, Star Tribune
February 8, 2010
Minnesota’s Republicans are talking confidently again, hoping to capitalize on a country — and a state — they think may already be growing tired of President Obama and the Democrats.
From Rod Johnson, a Cannon Falls auctioneer, to Mike Rolih, a onetime baseball pitcher from Illinois, a new wave of GOP candidates is eyeing state legislative seats and predicting that the worst days Republicans endured over the past two years are behind them.
Buoyed by victories in Massachusetts and at home in Waseca, Minn., Republican leaders are talking openly of building a majority in the Minnesota House, shaving the margin in the DFL-controlled Senate and keeping the governor’s office firmly in Republican hands.
Read the rest here.
by Luke Hellier | Sound the Alarm! »
LABOR LEADER: RYBAK ‘HASN’T LIFTED A FINGER FOR UNION MEMBERS’
February 8, 2010 8:26 pm
Mayor RT Rybak who is rumored to be endorsed by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) apparently doesn’t have the greatest rapport with labor members.
In Governing Magazine’s online version Jim Niland is quoted:
“He’s definitely not been a friend of organized labor,” says Jim Niland, a former Minneapolis city council member who now works for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. “He hasn’t lifted a finger for union members.”
It will be interesting to see if the local SEIU members are still willing to endorse Rybak after his history of being unfriendly to labor.
by Luke Hellier | Sound the Alarm! »
HOUSE GOP: PUT PEOPLE TO WORK
February 8, 2010 6:44 pm
The MN GOP House Caucus Blog has a great post about House Republicans working to pass legislation to put Minnesotans back to work.
Read the full post here.
by Luke Hellier | Sound the Alarm! »
UPTAKE REPORTER WITH TIES TO MOVEON.ORG
February 8, 2010 2:01 pm
With the Minnesota Legislative Session in full swing media entities across the state are beginning to cover the events at the Capitol.
One in particular stuck out last week.
Erin Maye from the Uptake recorded an exchange between State Rep. Tara Mack and some constituents with concerns about GAMC (General Assistance Medical Care). Rep. Mack and her guests engaged in a thoughtful dialogue with Mack agreeing to listen to all the options and find a resolution.
What was alarming is that The Uptake’s video was titled “Rep. Mack cornered by constituents over GAMC.” See below of the screen shot with that description.
When I pressed on Twitter why it was titled that way, a liberal blogger said it was the title given by the Uptake reporter Erin Maye. The Uptake has since changed to “Contituents push Rep. Mack on GAMC.”
What is most concerning is Maye’s tweet from later that afternoon:
Further evidence provided shows that Maye has links to several left wing groups. The following is an excerpt from an email sent (January 19) by the Uptake to Capitol employees before the start of the session:
New team member: Erin Maye
First, say hello to Erin Maye, our newest team member! A recent St. Thomas grad in Political Science & Justice and Peace Studies, she’ll be our legislative correspondent at the Minnesota Capitol for the Spring.
She comes from a strong political background, with great resume highlights such as the Franken for Senate campaign, MoveOn.org and Grassroots Campaigns, rounded off with tenure as a legal intern. We’re excited to have her, so everyone wave hello to Erin through the internet.
If the Uptake claims to be an independent source of journalism why is it paying reporters to stalk & corner Representatives to then edit the video “[to] make people say things they may not have said…?”
by Luke Hellier | 2 Comments »
MDE FROM THE ARCHIVES: RYBAK REVEALS HIS TRUE FEELINGS FOR GREATER MINNESOTA
February 8, 2010 8:51 am
Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak couldn’t help himself all weekend proclaiming “I got votes in every part of Minnesota!”
Well here’s how Rybak really feels about greater Minnesota:
For Mayor R. T. Rybak of Minneapolis, ”an urban agenda” is desirable. ”But what I’d rather have,” he said, ”is for every presidential candidate to have an urban sensibility.”
”Urban America, to me, is really the future of America,” he said.
by Luke Hellier | Sound the Alarm! »
THE AD MARK DAYTON WANTS TO BOYCOTT
February 7, 2010 3:30 pm
Here is the Pam & Tim Tebow advertisement that DFL candidate for Governor Mark Dayton will be boycotting during today’s Super Bowl.
by Luke Hellier | 16 Comments »
REP. SEIFERT ON WCCO SUNDAY MORNING
February 7, 2010 12:18 pm
Rep. Marty Seifert was interviewed by Esme Murphy on WCCO this morning about his recent Straw Ballot victory.
Click the image for the video.
by Luke Hellier | Sound the Alarm! »
RYBAK COMPLAINS ABOUT REPUBLICAN BLOGGERS ON WCCO
February 7, 2010 12:07 pm
Today, Mayor RT Rybak was being interviewed during the Loppet Race in Minneapolis by WCCO and was asked about the $500,000 water fountains in the City of Minneapolis.
Rybak said that it was just another issue brought up by some Republican blogger, but we really need to focus on ‘jobs.’
I can’t help but think of John Kerry while watching Mayor Rybak out on the trails.
Click here to watch the video.
by Luke Hellier | 3 Comments »
LIVE NOW: SARAH PALIN IN NASHVILLE
February 6, 2010 8:07 pm
Live stream of Sarah Palin giving the keynote at the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville
Live Feed has now ended. Below is the full speech on YouTube:
by Luke Hellier | 11 Comments »
MARK DAYTON HAS JUMPED THE SHARK
February 6, 2010 4:18 pm
Former Senator Mark Dayton has officially jumped the shark.
On Twitter today, Dayton called for a boycott of Tim Tebow’s ad during tomorrow’s Super Bowl.
Tebow and his mother Pam will be featured in an advertisement during the first quarter. The ad will talk about how when faced with a decision to terminate her pregnancy due to illness, Pam chose to keep her baby.
The background
Pam Tebow has a genuine pro-choice story to tell. She got pregnant in 1987, post-Roe v. Wade, and while on a Christian mission in the Philippines, she contracted a tropical ailment. Doctors advised her the pregnancy could be dangerous, but she exercised her freedom of choice and now, 20-some years later, the outcome of that choice is her beauteous Heisman Trophy winner son, a chaste, proselytizing evangelical… (Source: Washington Post 2/2/10).
If you haven’t heard about the Tim Tebow advertisement yet, Sally Jenkins from the Washington Post has a well thought column about the ad. Click here to read that story.
by Luke Hellier | 28 Comments »
RYBAK’S FOUNTAIN PLAN SINKS
February 6, 2010 12:52 pm
According to the Star Tribune, Mayor RT Rybak’s plan to spend $500,000 on decorative fountains for the city of Minneapolis has hit a snag.
From the story:
“Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak’s program to decorate parts of the city with artistic and spendy drinking fountains — a splashy target for his foes in the gubernatorial campaign — appears headed for a lower flow of funding.
The plan for the controversial $50,000 fountains would be pared from 10 fountains to six under a staff recommendation that’s up for debate Monday by a City Council committee….
…The fountain spending has arisen repeatedly in the gubernatorial race as Republicans and bloggers have employed it to attack DFL contender Rybak as a profligate spender…(Brandt, Steve. Star Tribune 2/5/10)”
Read the rest of the story here.
by Luke Hellier | Sound the Alarm! »
DEMOCRATS SPAR ON ALMANAC
February 6, 2010 8:06 am
Last night on TPT’s Almanac Speaker Margaret Kelliher and Mayor R.T. Rybak were guests.
The two candidates squared off on the couch and only their ‘Minnesota Nice/passive aggression held them back.
The first exchange occurred minutes after the show opened:
Host (Erik Eskola): Mayor Rybak why are you more electable?
Rybak: …The good news it that it’s a race for an executive position and I’m the one chief executive in this race….
Kelliher: …the mayor works in a town where everyone agrees with each other and the fact of the matter is that he’s also in a weak mayor system.
Click the image for the full exchange on video.
by Luke Hellier | 10 Comments »
PAWLENTY’S LETTER TO LEGISLATIVE LEADERS
February 5, 2010 3:30 pm
Click to read Governor Pawlenty’s Letter
by Luke Hellier | 1 Comment »
PAULSEN’S EDITORIAL IN EDEN PRAIRIE NEWS
February 5, 2010 2:49 pm
The following editorial by Congressman Erik Paulsen was printed in today’s Eden Prairie News:
By Rep. Erik Paulsen
Just one year ago, Congress and the president stood poised to work together towards smart, effective policy that would encourage job creation and move us out of a terrible economic recession.
As a new member of the House, I was eager and ready to work with my colleagues to craft a bipartisan recovery package that would bring economic stability and, most importantly, stem the tide of unemployment for the people of the Third District and the entire nation. I genuinely believed there was a strong opportunity for a bipartisan approach to getting the economy moving again.Unfortunately, that historic opportunity was wasted when a very partisan, very expensive stimulus package was rammed through Congress instead. You know the rest of the story: the $787 billion stimulus failed to create jobs as was promised. It failed to keep unemployment below 8 percent as promised. Ultimately, the bill morphed into a classic Washington spending bill – and taxpayers took it on the chin as a result.
by Luke Hellier | 1 Comment »
MIKE PARRY IS SWORN IN AS STATE SENATOR
February 5, 2010 2:39 pm
by Luke Hellier | Sound the Alarm! »
RYBAK’S OFFICIAL WEBSITE PROMOTES LEFT-WING GROUP
February 5, 2010 2:24 pm
The City of Minneapolis’ official website has a calender promoting typical city related events like council meetings, pet licensing system demos, and events surrounding the inaugural.
However, there was one recent event on January 31st that the website promoted. It was for the Take Action Minnesota Members meeting. Take Action is a non-profit that supports extreme left wing candidates.
Click Here to see the calendar event.
According to the group’s website they are dedicated to election progressive (liberal) candidates.
For instance, at this meeting the political arm of Take Action Minnesota (reNew) endorsed three candidates for governor. One of whom is RT Rybak.
by Luke Hellier | 1 Comment »
PAWLENTY TALKS ABOUT DNR STORY
February 5, 2010 12:09 pm
Earlier today there was a piece posted on MDE about a $677,000 pier located in Northern Minnesota.
The topic came up on Governor Pawlenty’s radio show on WCCO.
Here is the audio:
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by Luke Hellier | Sound the Alarm! »
COVERAGE OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DINNER
February 5, 2010 9:41 am
Every year, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce hosts a welcoming dinner for the kickoff to the legislative session.
Tom Scheck, one of Minnesota’s hardest working political reporters was there. Scheck recorded the speech by Gov. Pawlenty and a forum with legislative leaders. Here is his entry from Polinaut:
Every year, Gov. Pawlenty and the four legislative leaders appear before more than a thousand business leaders to discuss the legislative session. It’s an attempt for them to meet with both state and local business leaders and address the issues facing the session.
Neither of them made big news but their statements give us a glimpse into this year’s priorities.
Here’s Pawlenty’s speech: Listen
Here’s the discussion with DFL House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, GOP House Minority Leader Kurt Zellers, GOP Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem and DFL Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller. The session was moderated by KSTP’s Tom Hauser: Listen
by Luke Hellier | Sound the Alarm! »
WHY WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT $1B BONDING BILL FROM DFL
February 5, 2010 9:34 am
KSTP ran a story last night that Tom Steward from the Freedom Foundation of Minnesota uncovered more government waste from previous bonding bills in the legislature.
As reported on MDE yesterday, the DFL has proposed $1 billion bonding bill for this session. The Governor’s plan is for $650 million.
The KSTP story focuses on a pier, in one of Minnesota’s smaller lakes, that cost $667,000 to build. The project was inserted into a recent bonding bill by DFL Rep. Mary Ellen Otremba.
Except a significant amount of pork in the $1 billion bonding bill as more information comes forward.
KSTP’s story reported:
Tracking Your Money discovered a huge pier on a small Minnesota lake that cost taxpayers $667,000 breaks Department of Natural Resources rules.
The DNR said the 612-foot fishing pier on Dower Lake near Staples should never have been built. It’s the biggest pier in Minnesota, built on a lake one-fifth the size of Lake Calhoun.
According to internal DNR emails, staff repeatedly tried to kill the project because of environmental and financial concerns. Staff members said allowing the project to move forward and disregarding DNR rules would open the door to shoreline absurdities like gazebos in the middle of White Bear Lake or boardwalks blocking off the shore of Lake Calhoun.
Here is the video:
by Luke Hellier | Sound the Alarm! »
TARRYL CLARK WEB VIDEO
February 4, 2010 7:18 pm
State Senator Tarryl Clark has a new web video about her attendance at precinct caucuses. The campaign is trying to promote Clark as being active with her supporters, but if you watch the video closely Clark looks lost and confused most the of time. Watch the video with out sound for added effect.
Take a look:
Video source: www.tarrylclark.com
by Luke Hellier | 3 Comments »