Category: Campaign ’10
-
Chanting Points Memo: Democrat Fakery Labor Party
Bill Glahn notes that the Dayton campaign’s latest TV ad – featuring a “beleaguered middle class family” – continues a long DFL tradition: The Ports are in no sense “middle class.” Steve Port owns his own businessin Burnsville, employing several staff. In true, “What’s the Matter with Kansas” fashion, I’m not sure the Ports—by supporting…
-
Note To Target…
…this is how it’s done! 3M had its shareholders meeting yesterday. Now, you may recall during last year’s Gubernatorial race when Target Corporation donated $150K to “MN Forward”, a pro-business advocacy group. Notwithstanding the fact that Target is historically among the most gay-friendly companies in one of the most gay-friendly cities in the country, “Alliance…
-
Congratulations, Governor Dayton
As this post appears at 8:30AM, Mark Dayton will be sworn in as Minnesota’s 40th Governor (UPDATE: Oops. I got that off of a state website. It was apparently wrong; the swearing in will apparently be held at noon. Thanks, State of Minnesota!). Time to give the guy his due. He won the election, by…
-
“Never has a Congress done so much and been so despised for it. “
It was 2008… The liberal wing of the Democratic Party had been waiting since the 1960s for its next great political opening Democrats achieved 60 Senate votes by an historical accident of prosecutorial abuse (Ted Stevens), a stolen election (Al Franken) and a betrayal (Arlen Specter). They then attempted to do nearly everything we expected,…
-
Sour Grapes of Wrath
Snarlin’ Arlen leaves the Senate. If Pennsylvania’s forcibly retired senior Senator was in the holiday spirit, he was cleverly hiding it under a guise worthy of Ebenezer Scrooge. Biding adieu to a 30-year career in the Senate, Specter produced enough whine for a vineyard as he lashed out at the political opponents who toppled him:…
-
Common Cause: “Transparent” As Mud, But Not As Truthful
Common Cause Minnesota (CCM) is a “non-partisan” PAC that exists, in its entirety, to advance liberal causes and, when they can’t manage that, to retard conservative ones. Oh, they tart the message up like a twenty-dollar hooker: “Common Cause Minnesota is a nonprofit, nonpartisan citizen’s lobby dedicated to improving the way state government operates. We have helped…
-
All You Had To Do Was Ask
Last summer, I noticed a local leftyblog run by a couple of anonymous bloggers was trying to play lawyer. They were gabbling about my friend, colleague and now Minnesota State Representative, King Banaian’s radio show on KYCR – also known as “AM1570 The Businessman”, sister station to AM1280 The Patriot. King was a co-host of…
-
Why Did Emmer Lose?
The dust is finally settling. The campaign is over. We have a “governor”-elect. So what went wrong with the Emmer campaign? We’ll come back to that. First, let’s talk about what went right. Emmer ran a campaign he can be proud of, to the extent that he, personally, never stooped to the Dayton campaign’s level…
-
Congratulations, Mark Dayton. Welcome To Hell.
So with Emmer’s apparently-upcoming concession, you’re the Governor-elect, now, Mark Dayton. Congratulations. After pouring millions of dollars of your family’ s money into the most toxic, slimy, sleazy campaign in Minnesota gubernaturial history, a campaign noted for its serial, cynical inaccuracy by anyone with the brains to spell the words – a “campaign” based on…
-
The Better Man “Loses”
The Strib notes what we’d sensed for most of the past month; the margin, fair or foul, is just too much. Tom Emmer seems likely to concede today. The better man “lost”. A slimy, toxic campaign with only two focuses – “taxing the rich” and tearing down Tom Emmer – “won”, by half a point,…
-
Miss LaFontaine Goes To Lansing
I love this story; a 23 year old waitress is on her way to the Michigan state legislature: Diane Okay and Betty Turk were enjoying coffee after a lunch of fish and spinach pie at Ken’s Country Kitchen when they found out their 23-year-old waitress is a state representative-elect. After a moment of stunned silence, Okay…
-
Representative Banaian!
Today’s recount has resulted in my friend and NARN colleague King Banaian officially winning the District 15B House race. Congratulations, KB!
-
“Miten Se Hopey-Changey Juttu Menossa Sinulle?“
A sign of the times – Finnish-Americans voted heavily Republican for the first time: Around 100 years ago Finnish immigrants flocked to the mines and woods of the country around Lake Superior, where the topography and weather must have seemed familiar. They’ve been a mostly Democratic, sometimes even radical voting bloc ever since. No more,…
-
A Big Win For Bureaucrats
Yesterday’s ruling at the SCOM sums up about like this: Bureaucrats trump legislators. Gary at LFR puts it well: When bureacrats’ ruling has more bearing on election law than legislators and governors, then it’s clear that bureaucrats have overstepped their authority. The minute that happens, the legislature needs to step in and limit the bureaucrats’…
-
Chanting Points Memo: Potemkin Outrage
The smaller story (from my admittedly and temporarily parochial perspective): lefty protests in Europe have much moo, little political cow: Throw your Euro stereotypes out the window: Last weekend, a Greek government that has cut public-sector pay and lowered pensions won a clear victory in local elections. Despite strikes and violence, despite the fact that Greece’s…
-
Them’s fightin’ words
Reading the Sunday Strib online (I buy a paper copy every once in a while for kindling) I find it amusing how the Strib words the following passages…emphasis mine… Minneapolis and St. Paul will face major budget deficits if the state reneges on its local government aid (LGA), a program that helps pay for services…
-
News Conference
Mitch Berg is arriving for his press conference. He takes his place behind the podium. The press bustle forward to get the best spots in front of the podium. Berg waves his hands, and the press gradually quiet down. BERG: OK, for starters; everyone knows Tom Emmer has won the election, and that his inauguration…
-
The Great Poll Scam: Introduction
The weekend before the election, I was talking with a friend – a woman who has become a newly-minted conservative in the past two years. She’d sat out the 2008 election, and had voted for Kerry in ’04, but finally became alarmed about the state of this nation’s future – she’s got kids – and…
-
Big Boys Don’t Cry
I watched some of the Obama press conference in my office today and was not surprised in the least that the President, his ass in hand, could not bring himself to answer some pretty pointed questions on whether “what happened last night” was less an endorsement of the GOP and more a damning of he…
-
…And The Sky Is Softly Humming
It wasn’t the outcome I expected. In some ways, it was better. Top stories from last night: No Tails: Lord Fauntelroy will spend his term – one, singular – holed up in the Governor’s office, facing a legislature that is not only GOP, but is focused way beyond Mark Dayton. Holed up in the…
-
MNGOP: Come Back With Your Shield, Or On It
Joe Doakes from the Como Park neighborhood for Saint Paul write to the new MNGOP majority in the Legislature: Looks as if you’ll control the state House and Senate, but Dayton will be governor. Obviously, his tax-the-rich plan isn’t going anywhere in the Legislature. But how will you get your austerity budget signed? Remember when…
-
It’s In The Name
Earl Pomeroy – who was as untouchable as Jim Oberstar two years ago – is out in North Dakota. He lost 55-45 to Chris Berg – no relation that I know of, although I hope to run that down soon. And with that, North Dakota – which has been represented entirely by Democrats in DC…
-
Congratulations, DFL
If last night’s results showed us anything, it’s that any little boy can grow up to outspend his opponent almost 3:1 with family and union money, and run an epochally sleazy campaign based on dodgy context and virtually no fact, with the aid of an in-the-bag media that won’t start asking the tough questions until…