Stronger DFL

MN Says Thank You To Greatest Generation

2007-06-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

It's taken more than 60 years, but Minnesota finally has a memorial to those who fought in World War II. Some of the most touching moments were not part of the grand ceremony, but off to the side where each veteran who attended was personally thanked and given a medal. Congressman Keith Ellison narrates. Download video here (runs 1:36). Please watch.

If you'd like to share the video or post it elsewhere, you have my permission to do so. Just click here to get the sharing information.

MN Republican site links to Swingers-Hot and Sexy Adults

2007-04-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

My how things have deteriorated for the Republicans in the Burnsville-Eagan area. MN GOP SD 38, which until recently was chaired by notorious Republican blogger Michael Brodkorb, has taken down it's official website and apparently leased it out to advertisers.

Visit http://www.sd38.org and you are two clicks away from visiting "Discreet Swingers -Hot & Sexy Adults Looking for You" and "Free Gay Dating". Click on "Lifestyle" and you'll see the ads. They change from time to time. So you may not see the same ones I did. But they'll be similar.

I wonder what ultra-conservative GOP SD38 member and Minnesota Republican Party Chair candidate Joe Repya thinks about this?

By the way... the original GOP SD38 website on the mngop's main server has been out of date for nearly two years. (We laugh at the link to the "SD 38 Socialists", it's such a endearing Minnesota Nice touch) The www.sd38.org site was set up about the time that one went dead and then fell into disrepair just after two of GOP SD 38's candidates (Tim Wilkin and Mike McGinn) were defeated in November 2006.

SD38 GOP short on solutions

2007-01-22T06:41:00.000-08:00

For months the SD38 GOP website has been promising "a real agenda and some good ideas and solutions of our own" in its blog. For months the blog has had nothing but a test post.

Lots of bravado. No solutions. That kind of sums it up doesn't it?

Thats why in November SD38 voters booted Republicans Tim Wilkin and Mike McGinn and voted for real solutions by electing Senator Jim Carlson and Representative Sandra Masin.

Congratulations to Eagan and Burnsville voters for taking time to look behind the curtain of the GOP noise machine and realizing there's nothing really there.

MN GOP resorts to bribing volunteers

2006-10-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

Apparently MN Republicans are running short on volunteers. So to make up for the lack of passion for its candidates, the party is offering prizes as a bribe. MN Republican Party Chair Ron Carey writes:

The Republican Party of Minnesota is pleased to offer an unprecedented incentive program for those who help with Get Out The Vote. Anyone who shows up to phone bank or goes door to door in the final four days of the Election (November 4th-November 7th) will be entered into a drawing for the following prizes:

Grand Prize: Airfare and accommodations for two to Washington, DC. Three days, two nights, on a date of your choosing in the calendar year 2006!

Runner Up: Apple IPOD digital music player!

20 Third Place Prizes: Exclusive breakfast with Senator Norm Coleman, who will give you a sneak peak into his 2008 re-election campaign!

Frankly, I'll take honest government over a trip or an iPod any day.

I Voted

2006-09-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

Did You?
I know, the day is busy. The traffic is tough. Think of how fragile Democracy is. Isn't a few minutes of your day worth what Democracy brings? Participate. Vote.

Had Enough? Watch This.

2006-08-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

Music provided by permission from the Squirrel Nut Zippers and Rickie Lee Jones.
Like this video? Go to YouTube and rate it.

President Clinton To Headline DFL Unity Dinner

2006-08-16T06:10:00.000-07:00

From DFL State Chair Brian Melendez:

I am very pleased to announce that, through the good offices of Senator Mark Dayton, former President Bill Clinton will headline the DFL Unity Dinner on Saturday 16 September. We are still working with former President Clinton's office on a schedule for the dinner. We'll begin selling tickets after the schedule is finalized. More details as they become available.

Republican blogger deletes comments, then complains he can't post here

2006-08-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

In the Republican Party dissent is not encouraged. It is usually scrubbed from the agenda or eliminated through intimidation. For an official example you need to go no further than how Sue Jeffers, the only declared Republican candidate in the Governor's race up until days before the Republican convention was treated. She was not allowed to be nominated or speak despite the support she had.

So it's no wonder that the blog of an officer of the Republican Party uses the same tactics. Michael Brodkorb has struck the following comments from his blog:

No Michael,
The only thing I blame you for is practicing the politics of personal destruction. You are symptomatic of what is wrong with the system. You raise the level of discourse without raising the level of debate.

Mr. Brodkorb is more than just "active" in SD 38. He is the chair--an officer in the Republican Party. The organization he chairs coordinates the campaigns of Republicans Mark Kennedy, John Kline, Tim Wilken, Mike McGinn and Lynn Wardlow in the Eagan/Burnsville area. He is also a paid consultant to Mark Kennedy.

Do these candidates support the politics of personal destruction that Brodkorb practices? If not, why do they allow him to be associated with their campaigns?

What needs to be "exposed" is how the Republican Party condones, supports and hires consultants for personal attacks.
I said I would allow Mr. Brodkorb to post again here once he reposts my comment to his blog. Unfortunately, that means a lot of other people can't comment directly through blogger. If you have a comment, you can email me. If you have a complaint about this tactic, send it to Mr. Brodkorb. My policy will change when his does.

Policy and Issues of no interest to Republican Blogger

2006-08-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

Last night I covered the DFL Feminist Caucus AG Candidates forum, as did Michael Brodkorb aka MDE of Minnesota Democrats Exposed. The forum focused on issues and policy. That was apparently not what Brodkorb wanted to hear and he left before the forum was over.

This morning Brodkorb had no posts about the forum, instead choosing to reprint stories from the Star Tribune and the Pioneer Press about Mike Hatch.

Why do I bring this up? Because Brodkorb is focused on the politics of personal destruction instead of furthering the political debate. If it's not a personal attack, he doesn't want to cover it. Issues, ethics, and policy are of no concern to him. He is a political pornographer plain and simple. He is symptomatic of what is wrong with the system, raising the level of discourse without raising the level of debate.

What can you do about it? Complain loudly to his bosses and the media. He is an officer in the Republican Party. He is a paid consultant to Mark Kennedy. He coordinates the campaigns of Republicans Mark Kennedy, John Kline, Tim Wilken, Mike McGinn and Lynn Wardlow in the Eagan/Burnsville area. Ask those candidates -- do they support the politics of personal destruction that Brodkorb practices? If not, why do they allow him to be associated with their campaigns?

Insist that the media identify him for what he is: a Republican Party Officer. He often tries to distance himself from the Republican party when doing his dirty work, preferring to be called an "independent" blogger, when he is anything but.

What needs to be "exposed" is how the Republican party condones, supports and pays for personal attacks.

Mark Kennedy doesn't know sh*t

2006-08-02T08:37:00.000-07:00

Mark Kennedy's campaign for Senate has sunk from mud-slinging to manure-slinging. Yesterday Mark himself said a group that has endorsed his opponent Amy Klobuchar considers manure a "hazardous waste".

That group, the League of Conservation Voters says Kennedy's statement itself is "manure". It doesn't put manure in that category. (But perhaps Kennedy's statement should be).

You'd expect a farm state Congressman to know his shit before he opens his mouth.

Dirty Tricks From Kline Campaign (again)

2006-07-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

Congressman John Kline can't change his stripes. Once again his campaign is involved in dirty tricks. In 2004 Klines campaign was caught ripping down his opponent's Theresa Daly's signs as well as illegally having corporations donate in kind to his campaign by posting his campaign signs on corporate property.

This time, Kline tried to be sneakier about it, using a staffer or volunteer to harass bloggers and anonymously attack his opponent Coleen Rowley. Fortunately the paid staffer or volunteer was stupid enough to do the work from John Kline's Campaign ip address and has now been unmasked.

This is Texas style politics of intimidation. That may have worked when John Kline was in Texas, but it shouldn't work in Minnesota.

Weak GOP support for Mark Kennedy

2006-06-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

Look at the numbers and you'll see that even the GOP's support for U.S. Senate Candidate Mark Kennedy is waning. The MN GOP has 2,011 potential delegates to the state convention. Only 923 bothered to show up...raising a question at one point whether the party had enough delegates for a quorum. Then among those delegates 16.9% voted for Kennedy's token opposition. In other words, of the potential 2,011 votes for Kennedy he got 767 or 38.7%.

Kennedy is trying to run away from his record. In his acceptance speech he said he would "vote based upon principle, not party or president or pressure from Washington lobbyists". Yet Kennedy is considered a Bush loyalist with a better-than-95-percent record of voting with the president. Who are we to believe? Mark Kennedy's record or Mark Kennedy's promises?

Conservative talk show host Jason Lewis says Republicans are in trouble. "What's hurting them is they're in charge, they're spending more money than the previous Democratic Congress, and as an incumbent Kennedy has been part of that."

Find your precinct caucus

2006-02-27T16:55:00.000-08:00

Click on the banner to find your caucus or go to:
www.dflcaucuses.org
A big thank you to Dan Weinand for making this precinct finder possible.

Pew Poll: Bush A "Drag" On Republicans

2006-02-10T06:07:00.000-08:00

Who do people think can save America? Two polls from the Pew Research Center for People and the Press and Fox News/Opinion Dynamics overwhelmingly say it's Democrats.

Respondents said they preferred the Democrats on 10 of 12 issues the Pew survey identified. Democrats had their largest edges over the Republicans on the environment (32 percentage points) and health care (22 points).

And despite the GOP’s consistent efforts to brand the Democrats as advocates of increased government spending and taxes, Democrats also held advantages among the poll’s respondents on reducing the deficit (12 points) and taxes (11 points). Republicans held advantages on the issues of fighting crime (7 points) and terrorism (16 points).

Respondents to the Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll gave Democrats the edge over Republicans on eight of 12 issues that survey selected. The largest Democratic advantages came on health care (23 points) and the federal deficit (20 points), while Republicans enjoyed their largest leads on terrorism (14 points) and family values (10 points).

And President Bush?

“President Bush’s unpopularity has become a drag on his party’s prospects in the fall,” said the Pew analysis, which pointed to a specific finding: 31 percent of respondents said they consider their vote for Congress as a vote against Bush, while 18 percent said they consider their vote as supporting the president. A 47 percent plurality said their views of Bush would not influence their votes for Congress.

MN Republican Leader Only Wishes He Was In Hawaii

2006-02-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

Today in the Minnesota House Republicans press release, one of Speaker Sviggum's quotes reads, "...we have the best economic climate, most productive workforce and lowest unemployment rate in the nation."

The last point on unemployment is absolutely false.

According to US Dept. of Labor statistics from December (the most up-to-date), Minnesota ranks 16th in unemployment.

Who does have the lowest unemployement? Hawaii, not MN

Minnesotans deserve the truth from its public officials.

Bush rips on Gov. Pawlenty

2006-01-31T20:10:00.000-08:00

President Bush tonight in his State of The Union Address

We hear claims that immigrants are somehow bad for the economy -- even though this economy could not function without them. All these are forms of economic retreat, and they lead in the same direction -- toward a stagnant and second-rate economy.

Could he be speaking about a report that Governor Pawlenty put out last month that claimed illegal immigrants cost Minnesota millions a year, but failed to account for the millions more they pay in taxes?

DFL wins twice in St. Cloud

2005-12-27T21:08:00.000-08:00

DFL press release:

Minnesota DFL candidates won two more holiday elections by picking up a state Senate seat and retaining a state House seat. Senate-elect Tarryl Clark soundly defeated Republican local personality Dan “the Ox” Ochsner in SD15, and Representative-elect Larry Haws scored an overwhelming victory over Republican write-in challenger Kay Ek in HD15B. Like Sen. Terri Bonoff’s victory in Nov., DFL candidates once again won in traditionally conservative districts.

“We’re very pleased with the two special elections,” said State DFL Chair Brian Melendez. “Voters in the St. Cloud area should be proud sending these two intelligent, passionate, and wonderful people to the State Capitol, and we’re glad to have them on our team.

“Both Tarryl and Larry ran great campaigns, and they know the hearts and minds of central Minnesotans. They listened to the community, and the community’s voice will be heard loud and clear in St. Paul.

“The election results shouldn’t surprise anyone,” said Melendez. “The policies of the governor and the Republican Party are not resonating with Minnesotans. People are tired of Republicans playing games with the budget and driving a wedge through this state. We will keep talking about the issues that are most important to Minnesotans: education, health care, jobs, and transportation.”

So despite Governor Pawlenty's best attempts to stack the deck (holding the election while St. Cloud State students are on break) the DFL wins a Senate seat that has been Republican.

Republican Ek Bounced From Ballot

2005-12-19T14:19:00.000-08:00

The Minnesota Supreme Court today ruled that Republican Sue Ek did not establish residency in time for next week's special legislative election in St. Cloud (15B)and can not be listed on the ballot. Link to the ruling is here.

The court did not make any ruling about replacing Ek on the ballot.

Reaction
This is what DFL Chair Brian Melendez had to say:
“Today the Supreme Court of Minnesota confirmed what the facts have already shown: Sue Ek doesn’t live in St. Cloud, and wasn’t telling the truth when she ran for elected office saying that she did.

“From day one, the Republicans have been playing political games with the people of St. Cloud. Gov. Pawlenty scheduled the special election two days after Christmas, which would ensure low voter turnout, and disfranchise the students of St. Cloud State University. Then the Republicans advanced a candidate who didn’t even live in the district. The Supreme Court wasn’t fooled. The voters won’t be fooled either.

“The voters have a clear choice in Larry Haws. Haws has proven himself with over 32 years of public service to the people of the St. Cloud area. He is honest, trustworthy and the best choice to represent the Granite City at the State Capitol.”

The War On Error

2005-12-14T15:44:00.000-08:00

It only took overwhelming evidence, but President Bush has admitted the intelligence that he used to justify the invasion of Iraq was wrong. This is what the Prez had to say today:

"And it is true that much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong. As President, I'm responsible for the decision to go into Iraq -- and I'm also responsible for fixing what went wrong by reforming our intelligence capabilities." You can watch the speech here.

Notice that he takes no responsibility for not questioning that intelligence despite warnings from the CIA that the intelligence was flimsy.

"Given Saddam's history and the lessons of September the 11th, my decision to remove Saddam Hussein was the right decision. Saddam was a threat -- and the American people and the world is better off because he is no longer in power. (Applause.) We are in Iraq today because our goal has always been more than the removal of a brutal dictator; it is to leave a free and democratic Iraq in its place."

Ah... that's it. It was all about removing Saddam and bringing democracy to Iraq. Somehow I don't recall that reasoning from any Bush's speeches running up to the invasion of Iraq. I seem to remember Dick Cheney talking about "mushroom clouds".

DFL Wins Middle In Minnetonka

2005-12-01T11:50:00.000-08:00

Newly Elected State Senator Terri Bonoff
•"Uniting The Middle" campaign resonates with voters

Click here to download or listen to podcast

Terri Bonoff ran as a moderate and as a DFLer. She won a special election in a district that leans heavily Republican. Listen as she tells "Inside Minnesota Politics with Peter Idusogie" why she was successful.

Is this an indication of how the 2006 elections will go? Maybe, maybe not. Republicans were able to hang on to a central Minnesota Senate seat in a three way race. Listen as Peter says what can be learned from these two different races.

Bush Endorsement Sinks Randy Kelly

2005-11-08T19:05:00.000-08:00

How poisonous is President George Bush's touch? Look no further than St. Paul, MN where Mayor Randy Kelly's endorsement of Bush last year has cost him the election. With 80% of the vote counted, Chris Coleman is leading Kelly by nearly 40 percentage points:
Results here

Value of DFL Endorsement

2005-11-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

The last several elections, the DFL candidate has often been determined in the primary, not the endorsement process (which starts with the March caucuses). Senator Steve Kelley, who is running for Governor makes a logical argument why that won't be the case in 2006. Listen to his reasoning on this week's Inside Minnesota Politics with Peter Idusogie.

Bush, Republicans on ropes-now what?

2005-10-30T12:03:00.000-08:00

Even Governor Tim Pawlenty admits the Republicans are in bad shape at the moment. After years of pounding home the message that the Bush administration lies and deceives to obtain its objectives, Americans are starting to get it. The result: Bush's poll numbers are at record lows and Republicans don't want to be seen with the President.

OK... now what?

We have a year until the mid-term elections. That's forever in politics. And even longer until the Presidential election. No doubt, the Libby (and possible Rove) indictment will continue to dominate headlines (until we have another terror threat). But Americans have a short memory and an even shorter attention span. That means two things:

1) Any message about the complexities of the CIA identity leak story need to be brought back to one central point -- this is evidence the Bush administration manipulated the facts and our emotions to invade another country that posed no immediate threat to U.S. security.

2)If Democrats want to win elections, they need to offer solutions and not be seen as "more of the same". While trust and approval of the President and Republicans has been dropping, there hasn't been a corresponding rise in trust and approval of Democrats. It may seem counter-intuitive, but Democrats need to become less political and partisan to gain the trust of Americans. That means working to find real solutions. Listening to ideas from all political persuasions and not just giving them lip service.

That's hard work. And I know a good number of Democrats (and Republicans) do that kind of hard work. It's time to shine the spotlight on that hard work. It's time to elect leaders whose first priority is not to any constituency that elected them or gave them money, but to the general welfare of this country.

I know that sounds damn corny and naive. But it needs to happen.

If not us, who? If not now, when?

Putting Trust Back In U.S. Elections

2005-10-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

Secretary of State candidate Mark Ritchie is pretty darn passionate about protecting the right to vote and putting trust back in the U.S. election system. Listen to the interview on "Inside Minnesota Politics with Peter Idusogie".

Two more DFL candidates for Governor

2005-10-03T07:03:00.000-07:00

State Senator Becky Lourey is apparently going to announce she is running for Governor. This according to an email from 8th Congressional District Chair, Kerry Gauthier. This is Lourey's second try. She ran in 2002, but did not get the DFL endorsement. This past year has been a tragic one for Lourey. Her son Matthew died serving in Iraq.

Lourey joins a suddenly growing field of DFL candidates for Governor. This past weekend Bud Philbrook announced he was running. And just a few weeks ago Kelly Doran jumped into the race. The three join State Senator Steve Kelley, who has been campaigning for Governor since Spring.

Hear the U.S. Senate Candidates debate now

2005-09-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's not a debate. But neither are most of the Presidential "debates". Ford Bell, Amy Klobuchar and Patty Wetterling discussed the issues at a candidate's forum on Sunday and "Inside Minnesota Politics with Peter Idusogie" has audio of the entire event available on the web right now.

If you don't want to listen to the whole debate, there's a highlights and analysis version. You can also listen to just one issue or just one candidate. It's a "multi-podcast".

Bush using Katrina to advance extreme agenda

2005-09-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

When 9/11 hit, President Bush put into place some of the most draconian limits on civil liberties since the McCarthy era. The so-called "Patriot Act" passed in the middle of the night with virtually no member of congress reading the entire act. This legislation advanced many right-wing goals of restraining "objectionable" speech, and cloaking the government in secrecy.

Now, President Bush has opportunistically seized upon another disaster and wants to use it to advance another right-wing goal: making government so small you can "drown it in a bathtub".

The President has said it will cost hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild New Orleans. To pay for those costs, Bush will seek cuts in current government programs. As long as we're in Iraq, our military budget really can't be cut. As long as we have a huge deficit, we can't cut out our interest payments. Those two items take up the majority of the budget.

So where will the cuts come from? Most likely from the "new deal" programs that Bush has tried to turn into the "raw deal" in the past such as social security. This is going to be another attempt to continue to give tax cuts to the rich at the expense of cutting services for the poor, sick and old people in our country.

Don't let the President get away with "framing the issue" this way. When disaster strikes, we all have to help. The richest in our society pay less of their income in taxes than any other group. Yet they benefit the most from the infrastructure and protection those taxes buy. Let your Senator and Representative know that it's time for everyone to dig into their wallet and pay their fair share.

Howard Dean's Verdict On John Roberts

2005-09-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

Can be found here.
While the hearings will continue, Dean writes that he has seen enough.

"He has been a polished performer, but in failing to present clear answers to straightforward questions, Roberts missed a crucial opportunity to answer legitimate concerns about his record and show compassion for those who have been excluded from the American Dream. The consistent mark of Roberts' career is a lack of commitment to making the Constitution's promise of equal protection a reality for all Americans, particularly the most vulnerable in our society."

Dean goes on to say that John Roberts may have a sharp legal mind, but his record shows that he lacks a sense of justice.

"He has consistently joined the radical right in seeking to weaken voting rights protections, in essence attacking the rights of black and Hispanic voters to cast their ballot without paying poll taxes or being subjected to intimidation or gerrymandering. He fought against protecting all Americans from workplace discrimination. Most worrisome, he refused to answer questions on his limited view of the right to personal privacy that most Americans take for granted."

There is no question that if Roberts is approved, the Supreme Court will lurch to the right. The question is, does the Democratic Party have the stomach to strongly oppose Robert's approval... even if it would require a filibuster? It appears the Party Chair has the guts, but do our Senators?

Katrina's Political Wake

2005-09-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

Peter Idusogie sizes up how the DFL U.S. Senate Candidates are running against President Bush and not each other.

Chris Coleman showed that can be a successful strategy this week. If it works in St. Paul, why not all of Minnesota?

Kelly feels the wrath of his Bush endorsement

2005-09-13T20:35:00.001-07:00

With 100% of the vote counted, Chris Coleman has nearly a two-to-one lead over incumbent St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly. It's pretty obvious that Democrats are not forgiving of Kelly's endorsement of Bush for President.

John Kerry's endorsement served to remind voters of Kelly's betrayal of the party.

While Coleman probably won't see a two-to-one margin of victory in the general election, Kelly will need to either declare himself a Republican or apologize for his Bush endorsement to stand a chance of beating Coleman. Voters don't like a candidate who pretends to be in one party, and then works for the other.

Now if we can only get Minnesota voters to come to that same conclusion about a former DFL St. Paul Mayor who busy doing what ever Carl Rove and the Bush administration ask of him in the U.S. Senate.

Bush Tip Toes To Edge Of Admitting Mistake

2005-09-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

This is the closest President Bush has come to saying "I made a mistake" in his entire Presidency. This is a transcript of President Bush this morning from the White House

Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government. And to the extent that the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility. I want to know what went right and what went wrong. I want to know how to better cooperate with state and local government, to be able to answer that very question that you asked: Are we capable of dealing with a severe attack or another severe storm. And that's a very important question. And it's in our national interest that we find out exactly what went on and -- so that we can better respond.

One thing for certain; having been down there three times and have seen how hard people are working, I'm not going to defend the process going in, but I am going to defend the people who are on the front line of saving lives. Those Coast Guard kids pulling people out of the -- out of the floods are -- did heroic work. The first responders on the ground, whether they be state folks or local folks, did everything they could. There's a lot of people that are -- have done a lot of hard work to save lives.

And so I want to know what went right and what went wrong to address those. But I also want people in America to understand how hard people are working to save lives down there in not only New Orleans, but surrounding parishes and along the Gulf Coast.

What's sad is it took a disaster of this proportion for the President to tip toe to the edge of saying "I made a mistake". Taking responsibility is a good first step, but its the first step on the journey of a thousand miles for this administration.

If you watch and listen to this video at about 19:30, you'll hear how difficult it was for the President to say "I take responsibility".

Kerry Backing Coleman For St. Paul Mayor

2005-09-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

While it should come as no shock to Randy Kelly, his endorsement of George Bush is coming back to haunt him. While John Kerry may have lost the Presidential election, he carried St. Paul by a landslide. Today, Kerry is emailing Democrats in Minnesota soliciting support and donations for Kelly's main challenger -- Chris Coleman.

Primary is on September 13th.

Seeing Green

2005-09-02T20:24:00.000-07:00

The Green Party candidate for Mayor of Minneapolis shook things up last week when she scolded the two better known candidates at a debate. Now Farheen Hakeem says she has the votes to win in the September 13th Primary.

Inside Minnesota Politics with Peter Idusogie has the exclusive interview.

"The Patriot" boldly violates corporate contribution law

2005-08-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

Since alleged violations of Minnesota's corporate contribution law are the topic of several Republican blogs, I thought it would be appropriate to remind everyone about a very blatant, brazen disreguard for that same law by WWTC-AM aka "The Patriot" and KKMS-AM. Both of them are owned by a large corporation that should know better.

MN statute:211B.15, subdivision 11 says:

Messages on premises. It is not a violation of this section for a corporation selling products or services to the public to post on its public premises messages that promote participation in precinct caucuses, voter registration, or elections if the messages are not controlled by or operated for the advantage of a candidate, political party, or committee.

Simply put, posting campaign signs on corporate property is a violation of the law.
The violation is very well documented here with video, a statement from a station employee that the station put the sign up, maps and links to the relevant laws.

Gov. Fee-lenty's syn-tax lands state in court

2005-08-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

The State of Minnesota will be spending more of your hard earned tax ...er fee dollars to defend a law suit thanks to our Governor's playing word games to avoid breaking his "no new tax" pledge. Of course, that syn-tax dodge fooled nobody, not even the Taxpayer's League.

More Evidence MN GOP Wanted Gov't Shutdown

2005-08-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

Apparently it wasn't enough that some government services had to be shut down for more than a week. House Republicans would rather see all of the state government and all of its employees laid off should the state not have a budget in place by the end of the fiscal year. That would include the folks who patrol your highways, catch the bad guys and prevent fraud.

A majority of the states (even the red ones) don't put public safety at risk because there's a political dispute.

While the Republicans are trying to paint this as a "separation of powers" issue, it really boils down to wanting to have the power to crush the opposition. Valuing political power over public safety is inexcusable.

Klobuchar Klobbers Kompetition

2005-08-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

It's not a scientific poll, but it is significant. Amy Klobuchar appears to have the support of the DFL party delegates and activists all sewn up. Interesting analysis of the U.S. Senate Race numbers over at "Inside Minnesota Politics".

Ford Bell says Democrats "Made Mistake" On Abortion

2005-08-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Ford Bell says he's 100% pro-choice -- yet he says the Democratic Party is making a mistake on the abortion issue. The Dems get labled "pro-abortion" when the policies they propose mean fewer abortions. It's a nuanced position worth listening to on "Inside Minnesota Politics With Peter Idusogie".

Today's Stupid Question

2005-08-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

Why can't our President who says he personally feels the pain of each U.S. Soldier death in Iraq take 30 minutes to meet with Cindy Sheehan to talk about her son who died in Iraq?

John Kline says growing number of bartenders is encouraging economic news

2005-08-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

This is funny. From a new blog --"Dump John Kline".

A Primary Pursuit

2005-08-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

He won't say yes and he won't say no. U. S. Senate Candidate Kelly Doran is "undecided" about going through the DFL's endorsement process. He also says a primary would be a "good thing for the state".

You can bet that he's going to be running all the way until the September primary. Not getting an endorsement from the DFL is not going to stop him.

Hear the interview on "Inside Minnesota Politics With Peter Idusogie" and decide for yourself.

Today's Stupid Question

2005-08-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

If our country is at war, why is our President taking a five week vacation?

Updated: Kennedy Campaign Eliminating Facts From News Stories

2005-08-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

Read down for update:

It's not unusual for campaigns to post or link to news stories about their candidate. What is unusual is the sentence-by-sentence editing the Mark Kennedy for U.S. Senate campaign has done to remove balance and any dissenting remarks about their candidate from news stories. The stories did not link back to the original content. So there was no way to tell they were altered.

The Kennedy website editing included:

Making up new headlines that made Kennedy look good

Removing analysis that Kennedy's votes in the past year are an attempt to portray him as a moderate, when it is likely he will go back to his far right voting patterns as soon as he gets in the Senate.

Removing critical descriptions that provide balance:

For example, in a New York Times story about the House's recent passage of the energy bill, the phrase "despite objections that the energy plan was flawed by subsidies to industry and a failure to curb national demand for gasoline" was deleted.

So if anyone points to the Kennedy website as a legitimate news source, just link back to this story when you comment on it.

UPDATE: The Star Tribune reports Kennedy's campaign has agreed to post links to the full articles. When I checked at 5:20pm CDT, nothing had changed. However, Kennedy's campaign did find time to post new stuff about Bush signing the transportation bill today. It's pretty clear where the priorities are on this campaign. Promotion first. Promises fullfilled...later...maybe.

10:30 PM -- Still no changes, or promises fullfilled, on the Mark Kennedy campaign website.

Thurs August 11, 2005 2:40 PM - Still no changes. Are the promises from Kennedy's campaign staff as hollow as the promises from the candidate himself?

Peeking Behind Doran's Billboard

2005-08-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

To most people in Minnesota, Kelly Doran is a Billboard along the highway going up north. "Inside Minnesota Politics with Peter Idusogie" got to look behind that billboard and found a real passionate person running for U.S. Senate.

He has business savvy, is liberal on social issues and puts his money where his mouth is. Not only has he put his own money on the line for his campaign (about $500K), but he also pays the full premium for his employees' health care (minus the co-pay). Interesting guy. Interesting interview.

Move On Targets Rep. John Kline

2005-08-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

Sweet news for those who want to see our "good soldier, lock step Republican" Representative go back to Texas.

Inside Minnesota Politics has the details and more evidence that Kelly Doran is going to skip the DFL endorsement and run in the primary for U.S. Senate.

Podcast sparks debate at Rice County Fair

2005-07-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

Republican Senator Tom Neuville probably now knows he shouldn't try to debate Peter Idusogie, host of the "Inside Minnesota Politics" podcast.

Listen to the fun unfold from the Rice County Fair in a "Politics On A Stick" edition of Minnesota's first political podcast.

"Inside Minnesota Politics" At Rice Co. Fair Tonight!

2005-07-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

You're invited to participate in the "Politics On A Stick" edition of "Inside Minnesota Politics With Peter Idusogie" podcast from the Rice County Fair in Faribault. Peter Idusogie and microphones will be at the Rice County DFL booth tonight (Friday July 22) from 6 PM to 8 PM. Come by and discuss politics, elections, or anything that's on your mind.

Directions to fair

Podcast: How To Beat Republicans Using Health Care & Education Issues

2005-07-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

Former U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger knows health care. He's written two books on the topic and Governor Tim Pawlenty picked him to head his Minnesota Citizens Forum on Health Care. On this week's "Inside Minnesota Politics with Peter Idusogie" podcast, Durenberger says Republicans have it wrong on health care and education and lays out how Democrats can use that to their advantage.

The text to the entire interview is also posted online at the IMP website.

Framing the message

2005-07-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

One of the first things new DFL chair Brian Melendez has done is work on developing the DFL message. (See the Minnesota Stories Project as an example). One important step in doing that is deciding how to "frame" the message. Framing is NOT the message, but it does shape people's world view. That way they are more open to your message. A frame has to correlate to a voter's life and must be consistent and repeated.

Example: Republicans have framed the message with "giving money to the government is a bad thing. It's your money! Keep it." Of course, Republicans are happy to use the roads and other benefits of government investment, but don't want to pay for it.

Focusing on trying to say negative things about that frame is not going to change people's minds. Instead, you need to create your own frame. One of the more powerful suggestions at the DFL Central Committee meeting in Alexandria is this:
The DFL is the defender and protector of what is good in Minnesota.
Republicans are the plunderers and squanderers of Minnesota's legacy.

That frame exposes the current Republican agenda for what it is and makes it relevant to all voters. All messages then get delivered in the context of that frame.

Interesting stuff.

US Senate Candidates at DFL Central Meeting in Alexandria

2005-07-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

First up - Ford Bell. The man you haven't heard about. He didn't need a script. Picked up the microphone and told us who he was, why he was running and what he wanted to accomplish.

Next up: Patty Wettering - she started by talking about her son Jason, but seemed to be scripted. She did better than she did a month ago.

Next: Amy Klobuchar in a "power suit" -- which looked just a bit out of place on a hot steamy July Saturday. Amy usually gives a good stump speech seemingly off the top of her head. Today it was obviously more scripted since she looked to notes several times. That could be the fatigue of the latest campaign blitz, or it could be she was trying out new talking points.

Notable by not being there: Kelly Doran. There was a Kelly Doran table with t-shirts, hats, brochures and other stuff set up in the lobby. All manned by apparently one person. But no Mr. Doran. The only time we saw his face was on the brochures and the very large billboards along I-94 on the way back from Alexandria to the Twin Cities.

Conclusion: Klobuchar may have the most money, but Bell "gets it" more than any of the other candidates about what this race is about. I want to hear more from him. Wetterling is still trying to hit her own stride, but appears to be struggling to find it. Doran, by being a no-show sends the message that he's really not participating in the endorsement process and will see us all in September's primary.

Podcast: Sen. Durenberger says Mark Kennedy is "Stuck in the Texas Republican Party"

2005-07-14T06:24:00.000-07:00

Former U.S. Senator Dave Durenberer has let it be known before that he's not too happy with the way the extreme right has taken over the Republican Party. But now he's upped the criticism calling it "the Texas Republican Party" -- a reference to the tactics Karl Rove used to engineer Bush II's rise to power in Texas.

It's that "win at all costs mentality" that has put this life-long Republican at odds with many of the policies of the Bush Administration. Hear how he paints a dim picture of Governor Pawlenty, questions President Bush's motives in Iraq and just speaks with complete candor about the things many politicians won't talk about.

It's another exclusive interview at "Inside Minnesota Politics With Peter Idusogie". Very good listening!

Rep. Wardlow refuses to accept responsibility

2005-07-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Wardlow says no blame for shutdown, blames anyhow and then ducks responsibility.
Here is my response followed by his original letter:

Dear Rep. Wardlow,
You neglected to say that you voted against suspending the rules so the House could even consider the "lights on" bill.

Your reasoning that a "lights on" bill would shortchange education is faulty. How urgent is giving education more money THIS WEEK? Last I checked, school is out. The urgent matter is keeping our state running. Shutting things down costs us MORE instead of less. The Democrats have made it clear that they want increased K-12 funding, so arguing that passing the lights on bill would ultimately mean less money for education is clearly a ruse.

There indeed is blame for all on this one. But you had an opportunity to avoid the crisis and voted to shut the government down. I'm incredibly disappointed in your action, and offended by your inability to accept the responsibility to do what you were elected to do.

On Jul 8, 2005, at 10:38 AM, rep.lynn.wardlow@house.leg.state.mn.us wrote:
Comments from me in blue
Dear friends and neighbors,

For the first time in state history, Minnesota is experiencing a partial government shutdown. Legislators had been working day and night to avoid this situation, but an ideological battle is taking place that has both sides digging in.

I am disappointed that after six months of real work in committee hearings and House floor sessions our actions could not prevent a partial government shutdown. I am especially outraged at what took place as the shutdown deadline approached. Here are the facts (minus a few key ones), no blame (except by omitting key facts) and no personal opinion(and also no accepting any responsibility since I've left out some key facts).

House Speaker Steve Sviggum, House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, Senate Minority Leader Dick Day, Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson and Governor Pawlenty met all day on June 30, trying desperately to at least reach a handshake agreement to keep state government operating throug (sic) the July 4 weekend. To their credit, they reached a deal to keep
state parks open.

But late that night, with Democrats and Republicans only $150 million away from an agreement, and negotiations set to continue up until midnight, Senator Johnson adjourned the Senate and went home for the night - with hardly a single Senator in the chamber. (Of course Wardlow could have voted to keep the "lights on", but instead he voted no-- shutting down Minnesota government for the first time in history) His own party's members were unaware of what he was doing. That stopped any progress dead in its tracks. After the Senate adjourned, Governor Pawlenty took all offers off the table but he did relent and has continued negotiations.

By all accounts, compromise negotiations were progressing. According to Friday's Star Tribune, Governor Pawlenty gave in to the Senate's request that he pull his support for a Racino. If Racino were truly standing in the way of a compromise, as Senator Johnson said all week, I cannot understand why taking it off the table was not enough to at least effect the framework for a deal similar to the one they had on June 30th.

Everyone understood the need to compromise. Before they left, the Senate passed a two-year "lights on bill" that they say would have kept state government running until a compromise was reached. Instead, the bill would have let skyrocketing health care costs continue to increase unchecked, not funded our new road/transit projects, and left our schools short-changed. (Assuming of course that the Democrats were going to give up on K-12 education funding -- which is stupid since both sides want to spend money here.)

Here are my thoughts about what that bill would have done:

1. Removed all urgency and need from negotiations to reach a compromise. Given what we could not accomplish in 6 months, we would not have reached a budget with a two year safety net.
2. Drastically cut school spending. (How much would we be spending in the next month while a compromise was worked out? Isn't school out for the year?) We proposed giving schools a 4.5 percent funding increase each of the next two years. This "lights on bill" would have cut school spending by about 2 percent. As you know, that would be a disaster for schools.
3. The bill made no reforms to control health care spending. (The problem is not health care spending. The problem is health care is not affordable for all Minnesotans. Has Rep Wardlow even addressed that issue? Why is it suddenly a big deal for him now?) It does not fund treatment for children in foster care. It would not fund the statewide trauma system. And it did not fund a Cost of Living Increase for nursing home employees. None of these things are acceptable and passing this bill would have been fiscally irresponsible.

Please know that I will be here continuing to work on your behalf to come to a compromise that benefits all Minnesotans. We were able to get the previously mentioned jobs, agriculture and environmental bill passed before the shutdown, which saved about 6,000 jobs and kept the parks open for the Fourth. (But you had to "hold it" until you reached the park because Rep. Wardlow voted to shutdown the rest areas)

Starting the morning of the 4th of July, about 50 House members from both sides of the aisle have been meeting daily to discuss the issues and try to reach a compromise apart from Leadership and the Governor.

As a member of that group, I am pleased to report that we have been somewhat effective in that the Governor's people and Leadership have been watching us and some movement has been noticed. We met with a similar compromise group led by the senate yesterday and compared "notes" so to speak. We have budget items on paper that we could bring forward in the House to serve as a base to work from and vote on, possibly Friday or Monday. Health and Human Services are moving toward each other as well, which has happened before.

I am hoping that by Friday or Monday a deal may be struck between the Senate, the House and the Governor, but of course, that is not a guarantee.

Thank you and I hope you enjoyed your 4th of July weekend. Please contact me if you have any questions or comments. You can e-mail me at rep.lynn.wardlow@house.mn or call me at (651) 296-4128.

Sincerely,

Rep. Lynn D. Wardlow
District 38B
491 State Office Bldg.
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-296-4128 (O)
651-296-3949 (FAX)
www.house.mn/38B

Podcast Pt2: Rowley exposes the cheaters

2005-07-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

Part two of the interview with Congressional candidate Coleen Rowley is now posted at "Inside Minnesota Politics" . The theme of her campaign is ethical decision making. At the FBI she saw first hand what happens when ethics don't figure into a decision. She tells us stories about how an Army Corps of Engineers employee was punished when she refused to approve a multi-year contract for Halliburton. Rowley says it's the "win at all costs" mentality that leads to a "cheating culture" and ultimately our President misleading the American public into war. (See the Downing Street Memos) A fascinating interview about the loss of ethics and consequently the loss of trust in our government.

There's more to this interview. In Part one Coleen and Peter discussed her run for Congress and the lack of ethics displayed by her opponent Rep. John Kline. If you missed the interview
it is still available online.

Next week: Former US Senator Dave Durenberger says "I don't believe this nation is at war" and flatly declares "we were wrong" for invading Iraq. Why is this long-time Republican at odds with the Bush administration? Listen and find out.
.

Podcast: Coleen Rowley sticks it to John Kline

2005-07-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

On this week's "Inside Minnesota Politics" newly declared Congressional candidate Coleen Rowley lays into Representative John Kline as unethical and devoid of "critical thinking". She says he suffers from the "good soldier syndrome" and just takes orders from the top without questioning why. It's the same theme that Peter Idusogie hit upon in his Congressional race, but Crowley has more credentials to say it. So the interview between the two is quite interesting.

Rep. Lynn Wardlow's weak excuse

2005-07-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

I called my Representative Lynn Wardlow to express my displeasure with his vote to shut down Minnesota Government. His assistant explained that Rep. Wardlow cast the vote to prevent cuts in education.

"Hmm" I said. "Schools don't really meet during the summer, don't you think he could have approved a continuing spending resolution and then negotiated the education funding instead of shutting the entire state government down? That seems a little irresponsible."

***Crickets***

After a long pause, the assistant said "Representative Wardlow is on the House floor now, I'll pass along your comments to him."

Call Rep. Wardlow at (651) 296-4128 and express your displeasure at his vote.

Republicans vote to shutdown Minnesota government

2005-07-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

I couldn't summarize the situation better.

From the DFL Senate

Friends,
Below is information for your use. The governor's phone number is 651-296-3391 if you want to call and weigh in today.

Pioneer Press has an online poll you may want to weigh in on.

It's important to remember that very single Democrat in the Senate and House voted to keep government operating. The DFL Senate will continue to pursue that course of action again today. Everyone Democrat agrees that government operations should resume immediately.

Jack Rice (WCCO Radio) is live at the Capitol today (Friday) from today at 12 noon if anyone wants to call in, the number is 612 or 651 989-9226 or email: jrice@wccoradio.cbs.com

Background information on Breakdown:

At 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2005, the majority Republicans in the Minnesota House of Representatives voted to shut down government for the first time in the 148 years that Minnesota has been a state.

Earlier in the day, Senate Democrats passed legislation to keep state government running. Senate Democrats voted to keep 10,000 state workers on the job, voted to keep the highway rest stops open, voted to keep the warning signals on the highways operating, and voted to keep allow Minnesotans to get their driver's licenses.

All the House Republicans had to do was approve the Senate's lights on bill and the government would not have shut down. Instead, 67 of the 68 House Republicans voted to fire 10,000 state workers, voted to close our rest stops, voted to shut off the highway signs and voted to not allow Minnesotans to get their driver's licenses.

Every single DFLer in the state legislature -- every DFL Senator and every DFL Representative -- voted to keep government open. Every DFLer voted to keep 10,000 state workers working, and every DFLer voted to keep our rest stops open. Every DFLer voted to keep the highway signs on and every DFLer voted to let our taxpayers get their driver's licenses.

Every Republican Senator except one, and every Republican Representative, except one, voted to shut down the state's government.

On the morning after, 10,000 state employees wonder if and when they will work again, highway rest areas sit dark on the busiest travel weekend of the year, while highway signs are turned off and thousands of Minnesotans in need of driver's licenses sit with no help. Meanwhile, all of Minnesota waits for leadership from a Governor seemingly
unconcerned about completing the task at hand. In place of leadership, we get more blame games from a chief executive clearly unable to lead his own party and unwilling to do what's best for the state he's been elected to govern.

Background on what DFL is fighting for:

After three years of budget deficits, the Governor proposed another budget that would create yet another deficit for 2008-09. The governor's budget takes the problems we face today and shifts them into the future.

We have a special session and an unresolved budget because Gov. Pawlenty is protecting 40,000 people that are making more than $250,000 at the expense of the other 2.2 million taxpayers in the state.

The Governor and House Republicans froze and then cut spending for schools. The education funding cut and freezes lead to larger class sizes, less educational opportunities for our students, and parents paying many more fees for their children to participate in activities.
It's time to stand up and fight for education in Minnesota.

Governor Pawlenty has raided funds dedicated to health care to cover his budget deficits. The Governor and Republicans had set their sights on dismantling MinnesotaCare and denying health care coverage to tens of thousands of working Minnesotans. The Governor and Republicans inaccurately and unfairly describe MinnesotaCare as "welfare healthcare" which isn't true - enrollees pay monthly premiums. Enrollees are working people and farmers. Referring to MinnesotaCare as welfare healthcare is an insult to the working men and women of this state who are paying their share to ensure they are covered.

We have a special session and an unresolved budget because Gov. Pawlenty is protecting 40,000 people that are making more than $250,000 at the expense of the other 2.2. million taxpayers in the state.

Podcast: A Republican View

2005-06-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

Inside Minnesota Politics offers a Republican take on the Governor Tim Pawlenty's choices. Even the Republicans say Gov. Fee-lenty has worked himself into a corner.

Podcast:The Loophole That Ate The Budget

2005-06-23T08:11:00.000-07:00

On This Week's Podcast:A New Budget Hole And A Grass Roots Story

Acourt ruling will cost Minnesota $300 million in tax revenue from
companies that call Minnesota home, but do their business elsewhere.
Who knew about this loophole? Everyone in State government. Who wanted
to fix it, but was blocked? You'll need to listen to find out.

Plus
-- a story about how one person quickly got thousands of people to back
her up. It's a "Grass Roots Story" -- a semi-regular new feature of our
podcast.

To listen to the show, visit
www.insideminnesotapolitics.com

To download the show to a podcast receiver, paste this url into your software: http://feeds.feedburner.com/InsideMinnesotaPoliticsWithPeterIdusogie

For more information, email insidemnpolitics@mac.com

Republican Blogger shuts down after "facts" questioned

2005-06-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

"DP" -- the blogger who ran "Tim Pawlenty vs. The DFL" blog has decided it's easier to ditch the blog entirely rather reveal the source of his poll numbers that reportedly show 70% of Minnesotans oppose a tax increase. Several bloggers called his bluff and asked him how that could be when the latest Star Tribune Poll showed only 30% of Minnesotans thought lawmakers should keep their "no tax" pledge and the rest either thought there should be a solution using budget cuts and raising taxes or just raising taxes.

"DP" will probably sprout up again somewhere with a new identity to spread more lies...or at least poll numbers without a source. Please be vigilant and challenge him if he does so. Lies tend to curl up and vanish when the bright spotlight of truth is turned on them.

New Republican Blogger Makes Up Poll Numbers

2005-06-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

A new Republican blog claims 70% of Minnesotans oppose a tax increase. The Star Tribune poll shows that only 30% oppose a tax increase.

Is this new blogger deliberately trying to put misinformation out there? Or is he/she just incompetent? Either way it's a big credibility problem and as of 9pm there's no correction on the site. Visit and let him/her know you don't appreciate people who lie or are very careless with the facts.

UPDATE: After several comments questioned this new bloggers unnamed poll source and his/her credibility the page was taken down. Visit his/her site and ask why it was removed and is he/she going to issue a correction?

Podcast:Republican "Payback Time" & Patty Wetterling

2005-06-15T06:55:00.000-07:00

On this week's "Inside Minnesota Politics" podcast Peter Idusogie says it may have been payback from a Republican former U.S. Senator that was behind the ouster of the Republican State Party Chair.

He also has an interview with U.S. Senate Candidate Patty Wetterling. She really rips into Governor Pawlenty and talks about what the message of the DFL should be.

Republican State Chair Booted

2005-06-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

Ron Carey is the new Republican State Chair. Here's the report from a Republican blogger at the State Central Committee meeting today:

Its a bloody mutiny.
Ron Carey 196
Eibensteiner 151

I am worried about the party. Some one wise here just told me to be careful what I post. Damn that. We made a huge mistake today. Hostile take overs never go well. We have elected a guy who has insulted every elected Republican that matters. He refused to mention Mark Kennedy by name as the Senate Candidate. Sure the grassroolts is happy, but the elected ones now have an enemy at the helm.

Read it before you vote on it next time Norm

2005-06-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

Senator Norm Coleman is busy trying to change the passport provisions of the National Intelligence Reform Act Congress passed in December. The act requires US citizens coming in from Canada to have a passport. Senator Coleman says this will impact tourism between US and Canada because you'll need a passport to go fishing in Canada.

What's sad is Senator Coleman voted FOR the final passage of this legislation. Now so did 91 other Senators. Then why did Senator Coleman do that? Because he (and a lot of other Senators) DIDN'T READ THE LEGISLATION which weighed in at 3,000 pages.

This is the same way the "Patriot Act" passed. Nobody read the damn thing. It's time Senator Coleman (and a lot of others) stop spending some much time on partisan bickering and showboating (such as going to New York during the Democratic Convention to be the mouthpiece for the Republican agenda) and spend some time DOING THEIR JOB.

What's really sad is we've grown so used to this type of partisanship before citizenship that the media doesn't ask Senator Coleman why he voted for this in the first place.

Bad Faith Bargaining

2005-06-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

House Republicans appear to be the roadblock on reaching a state budget compromise.
From the Star Tribune:

House Republicans appeared to reject the DFL offer even before it was tendered, passing out a press release moments before the DFL news conference that predicted the "lack of a serious response by the DFL will lead to a government shutdown."

Perhaps voters should make up their mind now about voting the GOP out of office instead of waiting to hear what the candidates have to say. After all, turnabout is fair play.

No New Taxes Myth Exploded

2005-06-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

Gubernatorial candidate Steve Kelley tells "Inside Minnesota Politics" how Governor Tim Pawlenty has made Minnesota's tax system even more unfair. Also on the podcast -- President Bush's responds to the leaked "Downing Street Memo" . Did the President say more than he realized he did?

Wetterling Office Burglarized

2005-06-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

KSTP-TV reports that US Senate Candidate Patty Wetterling's office in St. Cloud was burglarized early Sunday morning. Several computers were taken. Police say they have no suspects and no witnesses.

Insert your own Watergate break-in innuendo here.

DFL can win First Congressional District

2005-06-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

Listen as DFL candidate Tim Walz outlines how he's going to do it and why 6-termer Gil Gutknecht is vulnerable in 2006. From "Inside Minnesota Politics with Peter Idusogie".

Why Betty Folliard Backed Brian Melendez

2005-05-25T15:04:00.000-07:00

The answer is on this week's Inside Minnesota Politics.
Host Peter Idusogie also interviews US Senate Candidate Amy Klobuchar. She tells Peter what her daughter fears most from Republicans, and under what conditions it might happen.

DFL State Chair Election Coverage

2005-05-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

"Inside Minnesota Politics" has an exclusive interview with the new state chair Brian Melendez. The podcast also has an interview with Josh Syrjamaki who narrowly lost the race to Melendez.

No DFL Endorsement for Minneapolis Mayor

2005-05-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

Delegates are heading home after 13+ hours and five ballots. Neither R.T. Rybak or Peter McLaughlin got 60% of the vote. Here's the result of the 5th ballot:

Rybak: 653 (45%)
McLaughlin: 765 (52.8%)
No Endorsement: 32 (2.21%)
Total votes: 1450

McLaughlin told "Inside Minnesota Politics" this week that he would consider a no endorsement a "win" for him since he is running against an incumbent mayor

Nebraska law bad? Minnesota's could be worse!

2005-05-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

If a judge found problems with Nebraska's same sex marriage constitutional amendment because it was "too over reaching", then Sen. Michele Bachmann's proposed constitutional amendment for Minnesota doesn't stand a chance of passing judicial review.

Here is the text of Nebraska's Constitutional Amendment

"Only marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in Nebraska. The uniting of two persons of the same sex in a civil union, domestic partnership, or other similar same-sex relationship shall not be valid or recognized in Nebraska."

It's reasonably clear that it's talking about same sex relationships, but the judge says it is too over reaching because, among other things, it would include adoptions.

Bachmann's amendment is even more over reaching:

Sec. 13. Only the union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota. Any other relationship shall not be recognized as a marriage or its legal equivalent.

It's encouraging to see that eventually such a law would be struck down. However, we should all be smart enough not to write such discrimination into our constitution in the first place.

Podcast:Minneapolis Mayoral Race

2005-05-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

On this week's podcast:
Showdown at the Minneapolis DFL Convention

Minneapolis DFLers are not all one big happy family these days. The two DFL candidates for Mayor are ripping into each other over education, crime and the city budget.

Challenger Peter McLaughlin says Mayor R.T. Rybak "has been essentially missing in action" when it comes to education and "has allowed the violent crime genie back out of the bottle."

Rybak says McLaughlin is trying to scare people so they'll vote for him and McLaughlin's proposals are "budget busters"

Who should be Mayor of Minneapolis? Listen and decide for yourself. The DFL decides this Saturday May 14th.

If you're attending the Minneapolis DFL convention call and give us your opinion on the convention and the outcome. We've set up a hotline you can call. Record a comment, give us your opinion or report on an issue. We may use your comment on our next podcast. Call 206-33-TALKS or 206-338-2557. It is a long distance call.

Or you can email us at insidemnpolitcs@mac.com.

Next week: DFL State Chair Mike Erlandson on what he's accomplished and what the party still needs to do when he steps down.

Erlandson: Media Report On Candidacy Is "Premature"

2005-05-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

A report in Sunday's Star Tribune gives the impression that outgoing DFL Party Chair Mike Erlandson is running for Secretary of State. At his going away dinner on Saturday night, Erlandson said that he has not made any decisions about his next steps and any speculation about his running for Secretary of State was "premature".

Entenza says how he'll pay for increased spending

2005-05-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

Listen to the "Inside Minnesota Politics with Peter Idusogie" Podcast for the exclusive interview.

On this week's show: Community First vs. “It’s All About Me”

That’s how House DFL leader Matt Entenza explains the difference between the DFL and the Republicans. He says “no new taxes” is a “bankrupt pledge” since Minnesotans are being “nickeled and dimed to death” by millions of dollars in “fees”.

He also spells out how the DFL plans to pay for the spending increase it has proposed. You might be surprised at his solution.

Plus… what do paper corporations in Bermuda have to do with increased class sizes in Minnesota?

Peter asks Representative some pointed questions – is he running for Governor? Who is he supporting in the DFL State Chair race?

And Peter explains the hard truth about campaign financing. Why in the end it doesn’t matter that DFL US Senate candidates are financed by individuals, while the Republican candidate is largely funded by Political Action Committee money.

Next weeks show: A preview of the showdown for Minneapolis Mayor. R.T. Rybak and Peter McLaughlin vie for DFL backing at the May 14^th convention.

Talk back to "Inside Minnesota Politics"
We've set up a hotline you can call. Record a comment, give us your opinion or report on an issue. We may use your comment on our next podcast. Call 206-33-TALKS or 206-338-2557. It is a long distance call.

Or you can email us at insidemnpolitcs@mac.com

Beer, Cigarettes & Guns fund Kennedy Campaign

2005-04-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

If Republican Mark Kennedy is elected to the US Senate, these are some of the people he will owe favors to:
National Beer Wholesalers $10,000
National Rifle Association $1,000
RJ Reynolds PAC (Cigarette maker) $1,000

Other big or notable Kennedy donors:
Northwest Airlines $5,000
Qwest Communications $10,000
Health Savings Account PAC $1,000
Association of Building and Contractors $10,000
Target Citizens Federal Forum $7,500

Strangely enough, all of the controversial groups (Beer, Guns & Tobacco) made their donations to Kennedy's 2006 House campaign and the funds were then rolled over to his Senate campaign. Many journalists are going to miss those donations because they're not itemized on his Senate campaign report.

What President Bush forgot to mention

2005-04-28T20:53:00.000-07:00

From the Star Tribune/Associated Press:
"If you work hard and pay into Social Security your entire life, you will not retire into poverty," President Bush said during his hour long news conference Thursday night.

Bush spoke as White House officials issued written material saying the type of change he had in mind could be accomplished with a "sliding scale benefit formula."

That would mean lower payments for future retirees of middle and upper incomes than they are currently guaranteed -- a fact Bush himself did not mention during the 60-minute session.

"The money from a voluntary personal retirement account would supplement the check one receives from Social Security," Bush said. He added that personal accounts would also leave retirees with nest eggs that can be passed along in the future, but that was another case in which he omitted key details.

Administration officials have told Republicans in Congress that lower-income workers who retire with personal accounts would be required to purchase annuities to guarantee themselves a lifetime benefit. In some cases, the cost of the annuity would deplete their personal accounts, leaving nothing to be inherited.

Interviews With All 3 DFL Chair Candidates Now Online

2005-04-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

Hear them on "Inside Minnesota Politics with Peter Idusogie"

On this week's show: Brian Melendez talks about faith, values & the DFL "We've let the Republicans claim they are 'holier than thou' and we've let them get away with it."

Brian says Republicans are "manipulating voters with their talk of religion", while the values the DFL party is really closer to most religions values. He has some ideas about how to call Republicans out "on their own hypocrisy".

Listen and hear about how why Brian is against a "one size fits all" campaign strategy.

There are two other candidates for the job -- Betty Folliard and Josh Syrjamaki. Interviews with those two candidates are also posted on our Inside Minnesota Politics website. On May 21st, the DFL State Central Committee will choose one of these three to head the party.

Or you can email us at insidemnpolitcs@mac.com

Wetterling closer to running for real

2005-04-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

A campaign office suite downtown St. Paul and a brand new website which is NOT at pattywetterling.com (at least not yet) indicates Wetterling is all but officially in the race for U.S. Senate.

Update: The site is now on line at pattywetterling.com Apparently the staff was still getting the site on line when they sent out the announcement.

No WMDs Found -US Ends Iraq Investigation

2005-04-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

Investigation closed in Iraq. No "Weapons Of Mass Destruction" found.

"After more than 18 months, the WMD investigation and debriefing of the WMD-related detainees has been exhausted," wrote Charles Duelfer, head of the Iraq Survey Group, in an addendum to the final report he issued last fall.

"As matters now stand, the WMD investigation has gone as far as feasible."

"Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used for the production of biological weapons."
- George W. Bush, speech to UN General Assembly, Sept. 12, 2002

"We know for a fact that there are weapons there."
- White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, press briefing, Jan. 9, 2003

"Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised."
- George W. Bush, address to the U.S., March 17, 2003

"Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction."
- Dick Cheney, speech to VFW National Convention, Aug. 26, 2002
Read more quotes here

2nd Of 3 DFL State Chair Candidate Interviews

2005-04-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

The next edition of "Inside Minnesota Politics with Peter Idusogie" is now available. Download it now and listen to it when ever you want. You can also stream it on line.

On this week's show: Former State Representative Betty Folliard tells Peter Idusogie she wants to lead Minnesota Democrats back into the majority. She is one of three candidates running for DFL State Party Chair. Betty talks about what the DFL message should be, running the party like a business and how to attract three important groups John Kerry lost.

There are two other candidates for the job. Last week we interviewed Josh Syrjamaki. On our next show we will talk with Brian Melendez.

In our political news headlines: Republicans are upset that one of their own has Indian financing and the inside scoop why one incumbent Republican Minnesota Congressman is not raising as many dollars as he has in the past.

Having trouble downloading the show? See our website for trouble shooting tips and links to download podcast receiver software (Windows and Mac!)

Beer and Defense Contractors fund Kline campaign

2005-04-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

Rep. John Kline (R- MN 2nd District) is apparently a little more secure in his position this year. He's raised a little more than half of what he raised by this time in 2003. ($117,075 vs. $218,787) But the sources for Kline's contributions remain the same. Alcohol (National Beer Wholesalers Association - $5,000) and defense contractors (Aliant, Lockheed Martin, US Defense PAC and others).

Perhaps he isn't expecting much of a fight in the 2nd Congressional District in 2006. In 2004 he raised and mostly spent $1.5 million on the campaign. His opponent Theresa Daly raised and spent about $1.1 million . She's apparently running again having already raised about $50,000.

Minnesota’s first political podcast debuts

2005-04-14T07:03:00.000-07:00

First shows focus on DFL State Chair race

Big media conglomerates no longer have a monopoly on Twin Cities political talk radio. Starting this week, “Inside Minnesota Politics” is bypassing radio and delivering its weekly program directly to the public on mp3 players – a form of communication known as “podcasting”.

Show host Peter Idusogie (E-doo-SOH-gee) says the podcast’s goal is to “give you a perspective on Minnesota politics that you just can’t get from the dry words in the newspaper or a blog, and to give you the depth that you can’t get from broadcast TV and radio news.”

Idusogie is a former candidate for Congress in Minnesota's 2nd District. He continues to remain politically active, offering non-partisan solutions on matters that affect our nation.

The show’s first programs are focusing on the three-way race for DFL State Chair. All three candidates — Josh Syrjamaki, Brian Melendez, and Betty Folliard — will individually talk about what the DFL needs to do to win in 2006.

“The State Chair race was a natural place to start,” says Michael McIntee, the program’s producer. “Short of who to endorse for Senate or Governor, it’s the biggest decision the DFL will make this year because the next state chair can have a large impact on the direction of the party and its chance of success in the 2006 election. We’re very excited that all three candidates immediately agreed to be on the program.”

McIntee is the former Senior Manager of Programming for All News Channel on DirecTV and has worked in television news for more than 25 years.

“Podcasting is a great way for people to get to know a candidate,” said McIntee. “It’s powerful, easily distributed and intimate. You learn more about a person listening to them speak than just reading what they said. (Former Vice Presidential candidate) John Edwards is already podcasting. I think you’re going to see a lot of candidates in the future do the same.”

To listen to the show, visit www.insideminnesotapolitics.blogspot.com
For more information, contact Michael McIntee mmcintee@mac.com

You pay 2 1/2 times the tax rate of the rich

2005-04-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

More evidence today that the middle-class is shouldering more and more of the tax burden while the wealthiest Minnesotans are paying the lowest effective tax rate.

And these latest numbers don't even include state "fees" that are rising at a record rate.

The worst news is our state tax system is going to become even more regressive. And as far as the theory about taxing the wealthy driving away jobs? The states with the lowest income tax rates also have some of the worst economic conditions.

Solution? Take a look at what Growth and Justice has proposed. It's something both business and progressives can get behind.

A smoke-free evening

2005-03-31T22:33:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Minneapolis' smoking ban, Famous Dave's is about $30 richer. That's about what I and two of my friends spent to see Commander Cody play and have a few drinks. We hadn't done that for years because the smoke would make me physically ill.

For the last 10 years I felt I had been banned from enjoying live music. It was liberating to go out again.

Judging from the crowd size, I'm not alone in that opinion. The place was packed on a Thursday night and when the singer of the opening band made reference to the smoking ban, there were many more cheers than boos.

For those of you who feel imposed upon by the ban, you have my sympathy. Addiction is a tough thing to battle.

Money and Free Speech

2005-03-28T06:19:00.000-08:00

Something is generally free because it is ubiquitous. The air is free because it is everywhere and it is a fundamental need to maintain life.

Free speech is the air of our democracy. It's recognized in our constitution's First Amendment.

However, when you put a price on free speech, by definition it becomes controlled and is by definition no longer ubiquitous. The Federal Election Commission is attempting to put a dollar value on internet speech so it can regulate it. Free speech would no longer be "free"

Bloggers and other protectors of free speech are rightly worried about this and have rallied to oppose the move. Unfortunately, this is like cutting off the top of a weed without pulling out the root. The problem is going to come back time and time again.

What is the root of this problem? It's equating spending dollars with free speech. Political spending should be regulated. Free speech should not. When you tie the two together, political spending becomes hard to regulate and free speech becomes stifled. That's a muddy compromise that serves no one except special interests seeking to buy influence instead of earning it with open and reasoned arguments.

The solution? Find a way to untie dollars and free speech, or eliminate the need for most political spending.

If you have some thoughts on how this can be done, drop me an email or post it here.

Sen. Bachmann's unintended consequences

2005-03-24T11:59:00.000-08:00

Has anybody actually read the "Gay Marriage" constitutional amendment that Sen. Michelle Bachmann has proposed?

Sec. 13. Only the union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota. Any other relationship shall not be recognized as a marriage or its legal equivalent.

Regardless of where you stand on the issue, the language as written could have some unintended consequences. In Ohio where a similar constitutional amendment passed, the state may not be able to enforce a domestic violence law in situations where people are not married.

That raises other questions-- such as will it then be illegal for companies or the government to offer domestic partner benefits to their employees? The city of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Public Library are examples of government units that offer domestic partner benefits. American Express, American Airlines, Disney, Fannie Mae, Fox Television, Knight-Ridder, Mayo Clinic, Minnesota Public Radio, Northwest Airlines and St. Paul Companies are just a few of the companies doing business in Minnesota that offer domestic partner benefits.

I thought Republicans were for protecting families and against the state telling businesses what to do.

Kennedy losing support?

2005-03-17T07:24:00.000-08:00

Mark Kennedy apparently sounded very bad Wednesday morning on KSTP-AM. Several of his supporters are taken aback by his answer to a question about homeland security. Kennedy was reportedly asked about a slip up in Hawaii where the state had posted a confidential report about terrorism on its website. He apprently went into a "blame the media" act which did not come off very well to his supporters.

Details in the Republican blogs at:
Residual Forces
TBFKADVK
Koolaid Report

Did anyone hear (or tape) the show and can add more detail?

It sounds like something that needs to get wider media exposure.

Banning "Gay Marriage" Is A Waste Of Time

2005-03-11T09:17:00.000-08:00

Mary Clifford, a columnist for the St. Cloud Times makes some very good points. Take a few minutes to read it here. There are more important things to focus on if you are deeply concerned about creating a good environment for families.

I've listed some of Clifford's suggestions in a poll on the dflers.org site.

"Gay Marriage" is a wedge issue of distraction from the right. It is there to whip up support from the hard-core right but does nothing to really solve society's ills- economic, social or moral - and does damage to society by creating a second-class of people based upon their sexual orientation.

Wasn't there something about everyone being equal in our Declaration Of Independence?

Cynical Opportunism Poster Child

2005-03-10T20:29:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Al Juhnke for the graphic!

Bachmann "sky is falling" alert

2005-03-08T16:12:00.000-08:00

Last November, 13 Republican Representatives were voted out of office because the legislature accomplished little in 2004. One of the major reasons little got done was Rep. Michele Bachmann's attempt to amend Minnesota's constitution to legalize discrimination against gays.

You think the Republican party would have learned from that painful experience. Apparently not as evidenced by her Bachmann's announcement today.

Let's take a look at few of the important pressing issues facing the legislature this session:
1) Unbalanced budget with no "accounting tricks" left to use or funds left to raid.
2) An unguarded border to our north and no money to secure it.
3) A system that taxes the poor at nearly twice the rate of the rich.
4) Deteriorating roads and other infrastructure

These are all real pressing problems that get a 10 on the pressing issue scale

Oh yes... and then there's the "threat" gay marriage poses to us.

Rep. Bachmann somehow believes if we don't act, gays will be in our schools recruiting children to become homosexuals. I'm not exaggerating... listen for yourself.

In terms of threats, this ranks just below preventing attacks by little green men from Mars.

If Republicans really want to avoid a repeat of the last legislative session and the consequences it had for them, they'll kill her bill in committee.

Guess who is against gambling?

2005-03-07T10:24:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting quote:

"It's not a proper function of government, to be running and owning and profiting from gambling operations. That's not really part of our Constitution, or the vision that our founding fathers had for our state."

Guess who said it?

If you said Governor Tim Pawlenty, you have a longer memory than most Republicans wish you did. He made the statement in a Minnesota Public Radio interview just a few months after taking office.

Tax Truth Published In Eagan

2005-03-02T15:06:00.000-08:00

My reply to Wilton Anderson, the man who always complains about taxes, is published today in the Eagan Sun Current.

Ironic Mark Kennedy Statement

2005-02-25T12:23:00.000-08:00

Today's ironic quote comes from Rep. Mark Kennedy while campaigning today in St. Cloud.

"It is not only unacceptable, it's irresponsible to just attack, attack, attack, attack, and present no proposals."

He was talking about Social Security. Apparently it's bad policy to criticize a flawed proposal (which the Democrats have offered an alternative-- don't tear down the house just because the sink leaks), but good practice to "attack, attack, attack, attack" Patty Wetterling on a personal level.

Does Minnesota really want to be represented by someone who refuses to listen to reasoned criticism, and attacks people on a personal level?

Seems like someone has his "values" upside down.

Using your tax dollars to create a crisis

2005-02-24T07:09:00.000-08:00

Government is supposed to be open. That's why we have the Freedom Of Information Act. The Bush administration again thinks it is above the law and has missed a deadline to reveal how it is spending your tax dollars to promote a "crisis" in Social Security.

This looks strangely like the same tactics of withholding information that led us into Iraq.

A Plan To Make Taxes Fairer

2005-02-24T06:07:00.000-08:00

Growth And Justice has put together a plan for tax fairness that's winning approval of from Minnesota Democrats AND Republicans. It starts to address the unfairness of the poor paying twice the effective tax rate as the richest Minnesotans.

I encourage you to take 10 minutes and read the plan. It's a breezy and eye opening read. It explodes some of the popular myths held by both the right and the left on taxes.

In short it proposes raising the income tax on those making more than $400,000 in exchange for lowering taxes on businesses. In support of taxing the rich, it points out that high income tax states do just as well economically as low income tax states. In support of lowering taxes on businesses it points out that when business taxes are raised, the burden falls disproportionately on lower-income households through price increases.

The idea was presented to the Minnesota House Tax committee on Wednesday and will be presented to the Senate Tax committee next month. So far, there is no proposed legislation to put this idea into action. If you read the report and like the idea, I'd encourage you to contact your State Representative and Senator and ask them to draft legislation supporting this.

The report also backs up what I've been saying here for the last month, the "No New Tax" cult is forcing the poorest to pay at nearly twice the rate as the rich.

Bush plan is the "Bad Deal"

2005-02-21T08:12:00.001-08:00

FDR's "New Deal" worked to create a fair safety net that didn't discriminate based upon age. Bush the second's unfair "Bad Deal" is age biased.

In your 40's? You're the prime target for age discrimination by the Bush administration's expensive Social Security privatization plan. According to an analysis from the Oregonian newspaper, the risky Bush plan gives you 7% less than the current stable Social Security plan. That's even assuming a historic 4.6% return after inflation and fees.

Older workers (age 50 to 55) fare a bit better, only getting 3% less than they would now.

Income has relatively little bearing on how individuals would fare under changes. Workers in their 40s who are paid twice the national average wage and those paid half the average would lose approximately the same share of benefits as those paid the average wage.

People over 55 will see no change, and those in their 30's may do a little better if the predictions of historic returns hold up.

What this does is create three Social Security systems. A guaranteed one for the retired or nearly-retired, a risky one for younger workers and just a "Bad Deal" for those inbetween.

Thankfully, the AARP is not falling for Bush's "divide and conquer" strategy. The AARP is spending $10 million to combat the millions of taxpayers dollars the Bush administration is pouring into the campaign to promote the "Bad Deal".

Not content to have just tax dollars promoting this windfall for investment firms, a private Bush support group has hired some of the people who worked on the slanderous "Swift Boat" ads to counter the AARP

"They are the boulder in the middle of the highway to personal savings accounts," said Charlie Jarvis, president of USA Next and former deputy under secretary of the interior in the Reagan and first Bush administrations. "We will be the dynamite that removes them."

Luckily, even the Republican Congress is wary of the Bush plan. The truth about the "Bad Deal" will be louder than the Neo-Con propaganda -- but only if you give the truth voice. Be vocal, call your representative, write the paper, and correct the media when they only rely on Bush administration figures and don't check things out for themselves.

Cracks in the "no new tax" cult

2005-02-17T06:51:00.000-08:00

I'm checking the forecast in Hades this morning. David Strom of the Taxpayers League wrote something I actually agree with. He's against Governor Pawlenty's plan to expand gambling in Minnesota because the revenue it raises would be less than the true cost.

Of course it was Strom's creation of the "no new tax" cult that led Governor Pawlenty into this corner.

Let's hope Mr. Strom takes the next step and addresses the the reason for Gov. Pawlenty's cornered status. I encourage him to support legislation that would repeal the tax breaks to the super-rich 1% of Minnesotans who are taxed at half the effective rate of the state's poorest citizens.

UPDATE: A version of this letter is published in Friday's Star Tribune.

Blinded by the "no new tax" cult

2005-02-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

Why is it that people who complain about high taxes support the Republican Party? Don't they get it that their party is sticking it to them to appease the super rich?

Today's case in point comes from Apple Valley. Wilton Anderson writes the Eagan Sun Current to confirm he is one of the "suburbanites who has traded ( 21-year-old homeless illegal immigrant Francisco) Serrano's well being in government program cuts for a few tax dollars. For that I am sorry, but I have no more tax dollars to give."

Judging from the newspaper articles, and city council minutes Anderson is a regular at meetings complaining about property taxes. A check of the Dakota County property records shows he owns a house and two vacant lots on Long Lake in Apple Valley. On all three properties he pays about $3,774 a year in property taxes.

Yet this guy consistently supports conservative candidates who continue to tax him at a higher rate than the richest Minnesotans. If he's like most of us he's paying an effective tax rate of about 12% while the richest 1% are paying just 8.2%.

I suspect he's not stupid. He's just been blinded and misinformed by the "no new tax" cult that runs the Republican Party.

A Wacko View Of "Fair"

2005-02-15T08:17:00.000-08:00

I opened my Star Tribune this morning and found this incredibly offensive statement in the letters to the editor.

Marge Miller wrote "If (school)vouchers do become available, I do not think they should be limited to low-income students only -- that is not at all fair . Vouchers should not be based on your income -- low-income people seem to get all the benefits today."

Marge, who lives in Coon Rapids, has written the Star Tribune before about printing too many liberal letters. (A familiar right-wing rant).

Forget for the moment that school vouchers are generally a bad idea. Marge is displaying a smug ignorance of reality when she talks about fairness.

Surprise Marge! The MN Department of Revenue says low-income Minnesotans are paying more of their income for those increasingly scarce benefits than you are. The poorest Minnesotans pay an effective local and state tax rate of 17.4 % while most Minnesotans pay about 12%. The richest 1% pay just an 8.2% effective tax rate.

You read that correctly, the poorest are taxed at twice the rate of the richest. How can anyone defend that as fair?

Coon Rapids, where Marge lives, is isolated from poverty. The 2000 Census shows the lowest poverty rates in the state are in the Twin Cities suburbs. When you don’t see poverty, it’s easier to be callous about it.

Unfortunately, it’s that sort of isolation and self-centered thinking that is behind many of Governor Pawlenty’s proposals. The “no new tax” cult preserves a low tax rate for the rich at the expense of the poor, while doing little for those in the middle except pushing up your property taxes.

Perhaps when there are more poor people it will be tougher for those in the middle and top to isolate themselves from poverty. Of course at that point it will take years to undo the damage.

UPDATE: The Strib has published my response.

An even uglier tax truth

2005-02-13T08:29:00.000-08:00

Yikes! I made an error in my posting about state and local taxes. I erroneously stated that the wealthiest 1% of Minnesotans (earning more than $402,294 a year) pay an effective state and local tax rate of 10.1% while the poorest 10% (earning $10,235 and less) pay an effective state and local tax rate of 17.9%

The truth is even uglier than that.
The top 1% of earners in Minnesota pay just 8.2% of their income in state and local taxes, not 10.1%.
That's less than half of the 17.9% rate paid by the Minnesotans who earn the least.

I am humbled by my error.