Join MNPublius and Minnesota Democrats Exposed for a bipartisan blogger happy hour at 5:30 at Billy’s On Grand.
The event starts at 5:30 p.m. This isn’t just a blogger event, although free Wi-Fi is available if you wish to blog. This event is an opportunity for people of differing political parties to get together and have fun for a few hours.
It’s three weeks from now and we’ll pimp it regularly until then.
Norm Coleman would have still supported the invasion of Iraq.
While doing press availability at his office Coleman was asked:
“Based on what you know now, was your support for the war then wrong?”
In his charming, but still slightly grating mumbling style the Normster had this to say:
“Um, no, no…Based on what I knew then I would have made the same decision.”
We can only figure if he knew then what he knows now Norm Coleman would still believe
Oh wait it does look like he believes that last one still. The alternative is clear. The DFL press release after the jump.
Aaron Brown has a two great updates on the race in 7B, the Duluth open seat created by the retirement by longtime Rep. Mike Jaros. If Aaron isn’t already on your daily reading list, add him now.
Meanwhile, Political Muse reveals Rep. Dan Severson’s poor taste. You stay classy Dan.
A writer at Slate is trying to start a pro-Obama viral email to combat all those racist fear-mongering emails floating around.
From: [Redacted]
To: [Redacted]
Subject: WHO IS BARACK OBAMA?There are many things people do not know about BARACK OBAMA. It is every American’s duty to read this message and pass it along to all of their friends and loved ones.
Barack Obama wears a FLAG PIN at all times. Even in the shower.
Barack Obama says the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE every time he sees an American flag. He also ends every sentence by saying, “WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.” Click here for video of Obama quietly mouthing the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE in his sleep.
A tape exists of Michelle Obama saying the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE at a conference on PATRIOTISM.
Every weekend, Barack and Michelle take their daughters HUNTING.
Barack Obama is a PATRIOTIC AMERICAN. He has one HAND over his HEART at all times. He occasionally switches when one arm gets tired, which is almost never because he is STRONG.
Barack Obama has the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE tattooed on his stomach. It’s upside-down, so he can read it while doing sit-ups.
There’s only one artist on Barack Obama’s iPod: FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.
Barack Obama is a DEVOUT CHRISTIAN. His favorite book is the BIBLE, which he has memorized. His name means HE WHO LOVES JESUS in the ancient language of Aramaic. He is PROUD that Jesus was an American.
Barack Obama goes to church every morning. He goes to church every afternoon. He goes to church every evening. He is IN CHURCH RIGHT NOW.
Barack Obama’s new airplane includes a conference room, a kitchen, and a MEGACHURCH.
Barack Obama’s skin is the color of AMERICAN SOIL.
Barack Obama buys AMERICAN STUFF. He owns a FORD, a BASEBALL TEAM, and a COMPUTER HE BUILT HIMSELF FROM AMERICAN PARTS. He travels mostly by FORKLIFT.
Barack Obama says that Americans cling to GUNS and RELIGION because they are AWESOME.
Not that anyone should be surprised, but Rep. Michele Bachmann is spreading more debunked conspiracy theories as thought they are fact. As an introduction to this strange affair, feel free to watch the below video from Dump Bachmann:
Problem is that’s so wrong that even Dick Cheney’s office issued a correction, as did former Chairman of the RNC, Senator Mel Martinez stating that, “Any talk of using some fabricated Cuba-China connection as an argument to change U.S. policy has no merit… Reports to the contrary are simply false. They are akin to urban legends.” [Miami Herald, 6/12/08]
More fear mongering and conspiracy theories from Minnesota’s favorite elected whacko… this would be funny if it weren’t so sad.
The Blue Man has some great analysis on Rep. Michele Bachmann’s latest outburst of double-speak:
Giving up Federal land for oil refineries? Seriously? We knew Republicans were in bed with the oil companies, but seriously!
If a lack of refineries was the actual problem, why didn’t Republicans offer “no excuses” from 1997-2007? They had ample opportunity.
Carbon Dioxide tax credits are in the bill as well. CARBON DIOXIDE TAX CREDITS!
Carbon tax credits are linked to…GLOBAL WARMING!
“Accordingly, a carbon tax is effectively a tax on the use of fossil fuels, and only fossil fuels. Some schemes also include other greenhouse gases; the global warming potential is an internationally accepted scale of equivalence for other greenhouse gases in units of tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.”
Wow, did Bachmann even read this bill? Did Brian Davis read it? Both are staunchly opposed to any argument that global warming exists.
This is typical Bachmann, take a popular topic and twist it until all logic has been wrung out and only 100% crazy is left. If nothing else, the DCCC better have some good ads lined up for the 6th this season…
A week ago, I said that I thought picking a VP for geographic reasons (i.e. to help carry Ohio, Virginia, etc…) was an outmoded strategy that ust doesn’t work. 538 takes an in depth look at this issue and comes to the same conclusion. On a related note, I’m still working on my shortlist for Obama and I hope to have it done in the next couple of days.
SurveyUSA just released a Presidential poll of Minnesota. Here is the top line:
Obama - 47%
McCain - 46%
I don’t buy it. Let me be blunt: I know of no political professional, Republican or Democrat, who believes the Presidential race is this close in Minnesota. No other poll has shown this race anywhere near this close for several months. A Rasmussen poll released just last week had Obama up 13 (that result was in line with several other recent polls). What on earth could have cause a 12 point swing in a week? Nothing. I am beginning to think there is something wrong with SurveyUSA’s Minnesota polls. The company has pretty good track record overall, but sometimes pollsters just screw up a state (see the New Hampshire Democratic primary). This has got to be the case here. Earlier today, I noted that SurveyUSA’s poll of the Senate race had some internals that didn’t pass the smell test. This looks like more of the same. SurveyUSA has Obama and McCain tied among voters aged 18-34. That can’t be right.
One piece of the puzzle is probably that SurveyUSA is an auto-dialer pollster. They don’t have real people interviewing their respondants, they use robo calls. Of course, the automated call has no ability to tell if the person who answered the phone is really a 10 year old or the gardner or the dog.
In any case, until SurveyUSA’s Minnesota polls start showing similar results to other statewide polls, I will assume there is a flaw in their methodology and take their results with the appropriate grain of salt.
SurveyUSA has their latest Senate poll out and the news is not too good (but also a little odd). Lets start with the top line numbers.
Coleman - 52%
Franken - 40%
Republicans will attribute Coleman’s lead to all of the dirt they’ve thrown out about Franken in the last few weeks, but the polling does not support that conclusion. A match-up between Coleman and Ciresi shows almost identical results to the Coleman-Franken match-up:
Coleman - 50%
Ciresi - 40%
The two point difference in Coleman’s support is within the poll’s margin of error and thus statistically insignificant.
There are a few other oddities in the SurveyUSA poll’s internals. Among Black voters, Franken only leads 51% - 39%. That can’t be right. Its no doubt do to the small sample size of Black voters (they only made up 3% of the sample, or 21 people). But even if you were to give Franken 90% of the Black vote, it would only give him another 1 point in the head to head. More troubling is the regional cross-tabs. SurveyUSA has Coleman leading Franken 53% to 35% in Northeast Minnesota. I’m not sure what SurveyUSA defines as “Northeastern Minnesota,” but its got to be mostly the Iron Range and Duluth. I just don’t believe that Coleman is beating Franken up on the Range. Northeastern Minnesota makes up 14% of the sample, so this is a significant problem with this poll.
All this being said, I am not surprised to see Coleman with a lead (though I do suspect Coleman’s actual lead is a little smaller, probably in the high single digits). Its been a rough month for Franken.
One last thing worth noting. SurveyUSA polled matchups testing both Jesse Ventura and Dean Barkley. The results are pretty interesting.
Coleman - 41%
Franken - 31%
Ventura - 23%
Coleman - 48%
Franken - 37%
Barkley - 8%
Looks like the independent candidates draw equally from both candidates.
Look, I completely agree with the guy, but I wish he had bothered to mention this during the 2006 election season, it would have saved us many a breathe:
“If you look at my record as a whole, it’s clearly conservative,” Pawlenty said. “This idea that it’s moderate is, I don’t think, a very full look at it.” [The Hill, 6/16]
It’s just funny how a guy who spent months talking about his moderate credentials would now do a 180 and start bragging about how conservative he is… I wonder what’s changed… As regular readers know, Tim Pawlenty is no moderate and a smiggen of pro-environment rhetoric has not been enough to cover up that key fact to the keen observer. Another quote from The Hill article:
With vice presidential jockeying now in full swing, Pawlenty has been burnishing his conservative credentials on the national scene. They include signing conceal-and-carry legislation into law and setting a record for vetoes while facing a heavily Democratic legislature.
Ughh… Well, if we have to run another gubernatorial election against him in 2010, I’m glad we’ll be able to use the Governor’s own words to define his ideological leanings…
I just now set into motion the process to transfer our domain to a new host. While this will most certainly be a good thing for everyone who reads this site in the long run, it may result in short-term funkiness. In theory, this should all just transfer like butter (our email addresses being a slightly more complicated story), but, then again, these things never work like I theorize. So, I hope it’s smooth sailing, but just a warning that it’s all planned if things look a little weird in the next few days.
The Duluth News Tribune reports that Mike Jaros, the third most senior member of the Minnesota House, has decided to retire. Jaros represents portions of Duluth, one of the most solidly Democratic districts in the state. Amy Klobuchar won 75% of the vote in his district in 2006, so this is a safe seat. I worked for Rep. Jaros when I was at the Capitol, he is a terrific public servant and Minnesota has been lucky to have him for so long. Good luck in your retirement Rep. Jaros!
(H/T Aaron Brown)
Al Franken is out with a great new ad.
Despite predictions to the contrary, Franken starts with an issue ad that is right on point.
This ad shows why Franken is in position to win this race despite months of the MN GOP throwing everything and the kitchen sink at him. Voters are tired of the GOP slime machine. Franken’s message of change will have deep resonance with Minnesota voters who were sick to death of President Bush’s disastrous policies two years ago and have only grown more disgusted with the Republican party since then. Voters want change and ads like this one will show them that Al Franken can deliver it.
I’m told that the ad buy is “significant” and statewide.
MN Publius has learned that Jeff Blodgett, the preeminent political strategist in Minnesota, has agreed to be the Minnesota State Director for Barack Obama. This is a major coup for the Obama campaign. Blodgett is best known as Paul Wellstone’s campaign manager, but he has had his hands in many of the big DFL wins in Minnesota over the last two decades. In 2004, Blodgett joined the Kerry campaign in the final few weeks and (together with Ben Goldfarb) put together a GOTV strategy which turned Minnesota blue once more. Blodgett was also a major player in Amy Klobuchar’s successful campaign in 2006. When he is not winning big races, Blodgett runs Wellstone Action, an organization that has trained hundreds of emerging progressive leaders including Gov. Rep. Tim Walz. Blodgett will be taking a formal leave of absence from Wellstone Action starting July 1.
Blodgett’s decision to join the Obama campaign will come as no surprise to readers of his blog. Just a month ago, Blodgett lavished praise on the campaign’s commitment to grassroots organizing:
At Wellstone Action! we’re always looking for examples of candidates who have tried to bring community organizing tactics to their campaigns. Nowadays, the Obama Presidential Campaign is perhaps the best example. Obama has made an unprecedented investment in on-the-ground organization, and has in the process cultivated well-trained and highly motivated volunteers.
UPDATE: The Obama campaign has just put out a release confirming Blodgett’s hire. The full text can be found after the jump…
Continue reading ‘Exclusive: Blodgett to Run Minnesota for Obama’
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