FRANKEN DEEPLY UNPOPULAR NATIONALLY
July 2, 2009 3:06 pm
“Senator-elect Al Franken won’t start his life in the nation’s most deliberative body with the love of the nation, according to a new poll.
The Rasmussen poll of voters across the United States found that 44 percent of those surveyed had an unfavorable view of Minnesota’s newest Senator and 34 percent had a favorable view of him. Twenty-two percent said they didn’t have a view of him.” Source: Pioneer Press, July 2, 2009.
Click here for the complete story.
by Ryan Flynn | 55 Comments »
TECHNICAL CHANGES
July 2, 2009 2:35 pm
Please bear with Minnesota Democrats Exposed as we will be revamping and making some technical changes this weekend.
We will also be going to comment registration on Sunday night.
I hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday weekend.
by Ryan Flynn | 18 Comments »
INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON UNITY, FRANKEN PARTICIPATES IN PARTISAN HATE RALLY
July 2, 2009 10:33 am
Minnesotans should not be surprised, but Al Franken* (click here for info on Franken’s asterisk) participated in a partisan hate rally yesterday at the state capitol. Franken* should have been working to heal the wounds from his scorched earth campaign for the U.S. Senate. Please note the signs from yesterday’s hate rally honoring Franken*.
Please note the child, sitting a short distance away from a vulgar sign. What a disgrace!
by Ryan Flynn | 84 Comments »
MUST READ FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: “THE ‘ABSENTEE SENATOR’ FRANKEN WINS BY CHANGING THE RULES”
July 1, 2009 6:30 pm
The Minnesota Supreme Court yesterday declared Democrat Al Franken the winner of last year's disputed Senate race, and Republican incumbent Norm Coleman's gracious concession at least spares the state any further legal combat. The unfortunate lesson is that you don't need to win the vote on Election Day as long as your lawyers are creative enough to have enough new or disqualified ballots counted after the fact.
Mr. Franken trailed Mr. Coleman by 725 votes after the initial count on election night, and 215 after the first canvass. The Democrat's strategy from the start was to manipulate the recount in a way that would discover votes that could add to his total. The Franken legal team swarmed the recount, aggressively demanding that votes that had been disqualified be added to his count, while others be denied for Mr. Coleman.
But the team's real goldmine were absentee ballots, thousands of which the Franken team claimed had been mistakenly rejected. While Mr. Coleman's lawyers demanded a uniform standard for how counties should re-evaluate these rejected ballots, the Franken team ginned up an additional 1,350 absentees from Franken-leaning counties. By the time this treasure hunt ended, Mr. Franken was 312 votes up, and Mr. Coleman was left to file legal briefs.
Click here to read the entire editorial.
by Ryan Flynn | 36 Comments »
SUTTON ON FRANKEN: “THIS GUY’S GOT A BIGGER ASTERISK NEXT TO HIS NAME THAN BARRY BONDS”
July 1, 2009 6:07 pm
As Democrats celebrated Al Franken's long-delayed U.S. Senate victory, Republicans were still criticizing the court ruling that gave him the seat.
State GOP Chairman Tony Sutton says he thinks the Minnesota Supreme Court was wrong in its ruling against Norm Coleman. Sutton told reporters today that he's convinced the inconsistent handling of absentee ballots disenfranchised thousands of Minnesota voters. Coleman conceded to Franken shortly after Tuesday's ruling. But Sutton said many Republicans are ticked off that Franken won.
"The feeling among the activists that I've talked to even in the last 24 hours, Republican leaders around the state, is we got robbed," Sutton said. "And this guy's got a bigger asterisk next to his name than Barry Bonds. We got to work. This will be a motivator for us in the coming election." Source: MPR Polinaut, July 1, 2009.
Great line from the new party Chairman!
by Ryan Flynn | 17 Comments »
MY FIRST POST
July 1, 2009 3:05 pm
Thank you for all the warm welcomes I have received from people since Michael made it known last night that I would be joining Minnesota Democrats Exposed. I am not surprised at how quickly I was attacked after Michael made it known. It shows how hated people associated with Minnesota Democrats Exposed are, and is a testament to its effectiveness in exposing Democrats. I want to thank Michael for the opportunity to contribute and wish him the best of luck as Deputy Chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota. I hope I can live up to the high standard he set while making MDE a success.
I want to make it known that I am not being paid to blog. This will strictly be something I do in my spare time. I have been around Minnesota politics for the last few election cycles. In 2008, I worked for U.S. Senator Norm Coleman’s campaign and in 2006 I helped on a number of State Senate races. I currently work for the Senate Republican Caucus. I have a desire to see Republicans in this state become the majority in the Senate and House, as well as keep the Governor’s mansion. I believe that Minnesota Democrats Exposed will provide a medium for allowing this to happen. I look forward to the future!
by Aaron Cocking | 19 Comments »
KELLIHER COURTING BEGINS?
July 1, 2009 12:47 pm
A dedicated reader of Minnesota Democrats Exposed tells me that Speaker Kelliher is meeting with State Sen. Patricia Torres Ray today, possibly to obtain an endorsement for her gubernatorial bid.
Stay tuned for more on this developing story…
by Ryan Flynn | 3 Comments »
PIONEER PRESS EDITORIAL: MINNESOTA NEEDS A SENATOR WHO “SHIES AWAY FROM EXTREME, GRATUITOUS PARTISANSHIP”
July 1, 2009 10:11 am
We hope Franken follows through on his promised humility. His final margin is a hair over one-thousandth of 1 percent. A bounce of the ball here and there and Coleman could be going to Washington next week. We need a senator who recognizes the division within the state and shies away from extreme, gratuitous partisanship. This is what we hoped for when we endorsed Coleman; this is what we hope for as Franken heads off to Washington. Source: Pioneer Press, July 1, 2009.
To read the entire editorial click here.
This editorial comes with the news that Franken’s first act as Senator-elect* will be a partisan rally on the steps of the state Capitol.
by Ryan Flynn | 20 Comments »
MNGOP MEDIA ADVISORY: CHAIR SUTTON & DEPUTY CHAIR BRODKORB TO PROVIDE 2010 ELECTION OVERVIEW
July 1, 2009 8:38 am
CHAIR SUTTON & DEPUTY CHAIR BRODKORB TO PROVIDE 2010 ELECTION OVERVIEW
Who: Newly elected Republican Party of Minnesota Chair Tony Sutton and Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb will hold media availability
What: Chair Sutton and Deputy Chair Brodkorb will provide overview of 2010 election
When: Wednesday, July 1 at 1:30 PM
Where: RPM headquarters, 525 Park St., Suite 250, St. Paul
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by Ryan Flynn | 11 Comments »
A NEW DAY FOR MDE
July 1, 2009 8:31 am
Today marks the beginning of a new day here at Minnesota Democrats Exposed. I have known Michael for many years and cannot thank him enough for his vision of making this blog into what it is today. I am very proud of Michael as he starts his new endeavor at the State Party, and I know that together with Chairman Sutton, bright days are ahead for Minnesota Republicans.
Please also help me in welcoming Aaron Cocking as a new addition to MDE. Aaron will be a terrific addition to the blog, I am excited to collaborate with him! Aaron is already starting to be attacked in the liberal blogosphere, congratulations Aaron!
There will be more changes/updates in the weeks ahead. Please stay tuned to Minnesota Democrats Exposed!
by Ryan Flynn | 2 Comments »
THAT’S ALL FOLKS!
June 30, 2009 11:28 pm
This is my last post on Minnesota Democrats Exposed, as tomorrow I will begin serving as the Deputy Chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota. It has been a tremendous ride and I can't begin to express my appreciation for all of the people that have visited Minnesota Democrats Exposed since July '04. I want to thank Mrs. MDE and my extended family for being supportive (and very patient) of my blogging.
Minnesota Democrats Exposed is not shutting down and will continue to serve as a platform to expose Minnesota Democrats. Ryan Flynn, who has done a tremendous job of blogging, will be joined by Aaron Cocking tomorrow as a new additional to Minnesota Democrats Exposed. New bloggers will be added over the coming weeks, but those decisions will be made by Ryan and Aaron, as I will have no editorial role in Minnesota Democrats Exposed. The keys to the store have been handed over to the new tenants.
It really started to hit me in the last few hours that I wouldn't be blogging anymore on Minnesota Democrats Exposed and I will miss it everyday. But the time has come to move on and I couldn't be happier with the new opportunities I have in my life.
Thanks again for stopping by over the last five years and reading my posts and I hope you continue reading Minnesota Democrats Exposed.
by Michael B. Brodkorb | 12 Comments »
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA STATEMENT ON SENATOR COLEMAN’S REMARKS
June 30, 2009 6:27 pm
St. Paul – Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman-elect Tony Sutton today issued the following statement after Senator Norm Coleman made remarks at his home in St. Paul.
"Senator Coleman’s gracious remarks following a long and hard fought campaign are to be commended. For over three decades, Norm Coleman has served Minnesotans with high distinction and honor as a prosecutor, mayor and United States senator. Norm’s commitment to Minnesota will never waver. He is a good man who has fought the good fight."
by Ryan Flynn | 23 Comments »
MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: STATEMENT ON MINNESOTA SUPREME COURT RULING
June 30, 2009 6:11 pm
St. Paul- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman-elect Tony Sutton today issued the following statement regarding the Minnesota Supreme Court’s ruling in the U.S. Senate race.
“Today’s ruling wrongly disenfranchised thousands of Minnesotans who deserve to have their votes counted. Alongside Senator Coleman, the Republican Party of Minnesota has fought to make sure every vote counts and all voters are treated fairly and uniformly. As we move forward, our deeply flawed election system must be dramatically improved to ensure our state’s elections are fair, accurate and reliable.”
by Ryan Flynn | 29 Comments »
KELLIHER TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR
June 30, 2009 10:02 am
MNPublius is confirming what has been a pretty badly kept secret at the Capitol; Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher is going to officially throw her hat in the ring for Governor.
Zack makes sure to mention that confidence is still high among House DFL’ers in Kelliher despite the debacle that was the DFL’s handling of the budget process.
I am hearing that while many House DFL’ers are cautious about criticizing the Speaker too loudly, they are much more frustrated privately. Those frustrations will most certainly come out among the DFL base during an internal party endorsement battle.
by Ryan Flynn | 43 Comments »
THE ONE POST I WISH I COULD TAKE BACK…
June 29, 2009 7:09 pm
As previously noted, tomorrow is my last day on Minnesota Democrats Exposed. Before I get to my final posts, I have some unfinished business to resolve. Since I started blogging at Minnesota Democrats Exposed, I have published close to 7000 times, always focused with a close eye on Minnesota Democrats. There is one post that has never really fit into the focus of my blog, one post that never felt right, one post I wish I hadn’t posted on Minnesota Democrats Exposed. In almost 5 years of blogging, I have never issued an apology - until now.
Back on January 4, 2008, I published a post awarding Drew Emmer with the first ever first-ever Minnesota Democrats Exposed Man Not In The Arena Award and Mitch Berg an “honorable mention.” Click here to read the back-story and the post-post commentary.
Drew and Mitch are both my friends and I should have picked up the phone to contact them with my frustrations. I should have sent a private e-mail and both of them would have politely responded and we could have had a respectful and production conversation. But I instead chose to publish a smart-ass post, and in the process wasn’t respectful to either Drew and Mitch. It was a jerky thing to do to my friends. As hard-working, principled conservatives, they both deserved better than to labeled as “do-nothings” and I want to publicly apologize to both Drew and Mitch for this post of January 4, 2008.
by Michael B. Brodkorb | 56 Comments »
STAR TRIBUNE EDITORIAL: “ELLISON FAILS PART OF ROUTINE ETHICS TEST”
June 26, 2009 12:15 pm
“U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison could use some advice on transparency in government. Fortunately, he’s on friendly terms with two good sources: Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Tim Walz, two Democratic colleagues who have decided not to accept privately funded travel while in Congress.
Once enlightened, Ellison should quickly release all available details about a fall 2008 trip he took to Mecca courtesy of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota.” Source: Star Tribune, June 25, 2009
Click here for the complete editorial.
by Ryan Flynn | 32 Comments »
MUST READ FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE: “ELLISON’S PRIVATELY PAID TRIP TO MECCA PROMPTS DEBATE”
June 26, 2009 12:12 pm
It appears that Congressman “Scofflaw” is at it again.
###
“WASHINGTON – Last fall, two years after becoming the first Muslim member of Congress, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison received an intriguing offer from an organization based in Inver Grove Heights — a free pilgrimage to Mecca. After clearing it with the House Ethics Committee, the Minneapolis Democrat packed his bags for Saudi Arabia.
The 16-day trip, including food and lodging, was on the dime of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, where an imam is an acquaintance of Ellison’s.
Though members of Congress are required to disclose the details of just about any gift they receive, Ellison’s office has declined to make public the cost of his trip, estimated at several thousand dollars, maintaining that it was ‘personal.’ His spokesman also says the ethics panel didn’t require disclosure of the figure.
On Wednesday, in response to inquiries from the Star Tribune about whether the cost should have been reported on disclosure forms released this month, the Ethics Committee is revisiting whether the congressman must report it, said Ellison spokesman Rick Jauert.” Source: Star Tribune, June 25, 2009
Click here for the complete story.
by Ryan Flynn | 33 Comments »
UPDATE: MDE EXCLUSIVE: DATA PRACTICES REQUESTS FILED TODAY REQUESTING COPIES OF CERTAIN REJECTED ABSENTEE BALLOTS
June 25, 2009 12:45 pm
I want to update the dedicated readers of Minnesota Democrats Exposed on the status of my data practices request for the front side of all ballots relative to the 2008 U.S. Senate general election contained within rejected absentee ballot envelopes in the possession of certain county/city offices that were not submitted late and were not submitted by persons who otherwise voted in the 2008 general election.
I have received responses to all of my requests for public data and every county and city has denied my request. I’m reviewing my options and I’ll have updates on this subject in the next 24 hours on Minnesota Democrats Exposed.
by Michael B. Brodkorb | 42 Comments »
PETERSON’S SUDDEN REVERSAL; A REVERSAL ON HIS POLITICAL FATE?
June 25, 2009 12:16 pm
Congressman Colin Peterson and Chairman of the House Agriculture committee made headlines within the last week based on his staunch opposition to the Cap and Trade (Cap and Tax) bill currently making its way through the House.
Much was made of the vast differences between Peterson, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Henry Waxman. It should not be a surprise that Peterson, who bills himself as a very moderate politician and a leader of the “Blue Dog Democrats” in the House, would clash with much more liberal politicians such as Pelosi and Waxman.
The curious point is why all of a sudden the reversal from Peterson on a bill he described as “not practical for farmers.” Farmers and the Ag community are Peterson’s main constituency and the Cap and Tax legislation would severely harm their business. By voting for this bill Peterson seriously damages his credibility as a Blue Dog Democrat.
The question being asked is was Peterson’s Chairmanship threatened? After all, Pelosi and Waxman (with sign off from President Obama and Rahm Emanuel) have no qualms about doing that to any one of their members. Waxman waged an all out war for Congressman John Dingell’s Chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and won. A fight that many say was supported by Pelosi behind the scenes.
Was Peterson threatened he could be next?
Does his flip-flop at the expense of Ag, Sportsmen and Industry make him vulnerable?
Is this the end of the Blue Dogs?
Update: According to MPR, Governor Tim Pawlenty has come out against this bill and is pushing on Minnesota’s Congressional Delegation to vote against it.
Pawlenty spokesman Brian McClung said Minnesota has shown the way by emphasizing energy conservation and renewables.
“While the governor believes that we should reform our energy system, we have to do that in a way that is thoughtful and deliberative and low-cost, and doesn’t harm our economy in the process,” McClung said.
To read the Pawlenty related article click here.
by Ryan Flynn | 46 Comments »
MY FINAL DAYS OF BLOGGING ON MDE…
June 24, 2009 11:35 pm
As noted in press reports, due to my election as the next Deputy Chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, I have decided to leave Minnesota Democrats Exposed. My final post will be published next Tuesday, June 30th.
Over next few days, I will be reliving some of the highlights and lowlights of my time spent blogging at Minnesota Democrats Exposed, so please check back.
by Michael B. Brodkorb | 19 Comments »