The first call that I received this morning was a friend in a true huff. She does not like going to the State Fair bathrooms to do her business only to have the "smiling" face of "Peeping Tom" Horner peering down on her. She wrote the campaign. She is calling her political friends. So I am wondering how long before tape is put across the Tom Horner face on the picture or the graffiti of "Peeping" Tom shows up. For a candidate who specializes in media, this seems like a media blunder to me.
Today the MN Secretary of State's Office launched a new page on their website. It's a page where you can look up the status of your voter registration.
Secretary of State Mark Ritchie says the service will make the voting process easier by addressing one of the most frequently asked election questions.
"We know that this service is one that's going to save a lot of voters time," Ritchie said. "And it's going to save a lot of local elections officials money, because the number of phone calls and just the staff time, they will not have to be devoted to this particular question."
Ritchie says the online tool only verifies registration and does not disclose any information about individual voters. His office staff will demonstrate the new service during the Minnesota State Fair.
I immediately looked myself up, and sure enough, I'm registered to vote at my current address. Good to know.
I looked up my sister who was recently married (so, a name change) and they could not find her registration (because she has a new name, something that you have to re-register for)
Thank you for another tool that helps to empower voters, and saves our local election officials some time (and some money).
So far I've been starting my Diary posts with a lesson I've learned so I guess I"ll keep it up for the sake of consistency. So today's lesson learned is; WOW! This blogging stuff is addictive. The ability to voice an idea or discovery at the moment of inspiration rather than having to recall it days or weeks later when the topic comes up in a conversation and I'm either not in the mood to deal with it (ie. drunk) or my input is clearly unwelcome (ie. drunk again) is so gratifying. And then the comment sections are just a riot. To receive cogent criticism and encouragement in a format that doesn't escalate into louder and louder interruptions (damnit! drunk again) is just exhilarating. (lets drink to that!)
Something else I've learned is that, based on the gracious and thoughtful feedback my previous posts have generated, there appears to be a consensus that the Democrats messaging sucks. (less consensus on other topics)
When it comes to messaging I have no experience, no qualifications, no education and no talent but I don't let that stop me from having ideas.
1st off, Strategy. I've notice that Republicans (who play the game very well) rarely attack a candidate directly on policy, They first attack the Democratic policy and then attach the candidate to the policy. "Candidate X said Blah Blah Blah. That's the same big government, big spending, economy killing failed policy the Dems have been peddling for decades." It seems to be a very effective tactic. Attack the idea, not the person.
Here's how it can work:
Republicans want the borders secured, the laws enforced, the workforce educated and our freedom protected but they don't want to pay for it. That's socialism and Tom Emmer is trying to push that onto Minnesota.
Republicans solution to cutting expenses is to just stop paying for things. That's like thinking you can reduce your water bill by just not paying it. It doesn't work that way does it? Democrats find ways to use the water more efficiently. Better things come from better ideas, not less ideas.
We also need to mitigate the labels we have been saddled with for the last 30 years.
Big Government? Big ideas call for big plans supported by the full might of the american people. Not a single major industry exists in this country today without the support of the American people thru their tax dollars and the laws that govern commerce. That's a tradition of partnership and growth that Democrats intend to continue.
Taxes This is one of my pet peavies that makes me cringe every time I here it come out of Daytons mouth, and thats often. He often says that taxes should be assessed based on the individuals ability to pay. which kinda sounds arbitrary. A concert ticket should cost the same regardless of how much the person sitting in that seat is making. What does effect the price is where that seat is. Why not say that people should pay based on the benefit they receive from our infrastructure. I'm getting a lot more from that concert if I'm sitting in the front row than I would get in the nose bleeds. By the same token the CEO of a trucking company making $500k/yr is getting a lot more benefit from the roads than the $30k/yr truck driver that's actually on the road.
Well, that's a start for what it's worth. I'd love to here some other ideas from voices other than the ones in my head.
While I have worked at the highest level of our party, across many campaigns for both issues and candidates, this is the first time that I have contributed all of my volunteer efforts for one candidate - Matt Bostrom for Sheriff. My colleagues have urged me to give you an inside look at what that kind of volunteering is like.
In this volunteering, the most important feeling comes from this campaign being a most important cause - a cause worthy of dedicated volunteer effort. Matt Bostrom is that type of candidate. We needed a candidate with a great record that the opponent would have no traction on attacking. Matt Bostrom has 28 years of experience with the St Paul police in multiple leadership roles, with great projects and great awards. For example, Matt Bostrom won the 2009 Preparedness Award by the Association of Minnesota Emergency Responders his organizational skills and demonstrated fiscal responsibility. In addition to being a great police officer, Matt Bostrom has great speaking skills and the ability to talk to everyone. And most importantly for me as a progressive, Matt Bostrom has great character and integrity.
In high contrast, our incumbent opponent Bob Fletcher has over 16 years of experience, with a record that should remove anyone from office, which I summarized from news sources. Bob Fetcher's pet project, the Metro Gang Force, that he touted on his campaign for years, was so bad that it was disbanded. His management of the jail is so bad that a young person died from not receiving insulin medication when the mother had personally brought the medicine to the jail and explained how important it was. Bob Fletcher sued the county government so he would have the privilege of over spending his budget as much as he wants, which he does. But the whole truth is worse, much worse. As a known citizen journalist, people come to tell me stories about Bob Fletcher that they are not willing to go public with - just so someone knows. What is publicly published is only the tip of the iceberg. There is huge dam of information waiting to break. This knowledge makes this campaign, a peace and justice mission of the highest importance. We should have never allowed this to happen here in Ramsey county. So everyone on this campaign has this sense of an important mission.
The reason that Bob Fletcher is able to get away with so much is that the sheriff is a low visibility office, which the media ignores. In fact, Bob has cultivated the media with favors so his press releases are not critically examined. Those press releases are frequently re-published as news articles. This year, news staffs are cut so deeply that only the governor's race is getting coverage. So the only people who really know about Bob Fletcher's record are active in local government and local politics or follow local politics closely. And in this case, the incumbent is so bad, that it has motivated people from both parties, DFL and GOP, to work together. It has attracted people who do not care about any other campaign or any other politics, over 120 endorsements so far. We have dedicated peace advocates working with dedicated gun-carry advocates. Never before have I seen such a diversity of political causes and views on one campaign.
Now for the best part, after the fold are some personal stories based on the diversity of the campaign.
Oh, I'm sure you know that Minnesota's Secretary of State is our state's highest election official-overseeing and working with all 87 Counties and their local election officials, (usually a County Auditor or Recorder or other County position) as well as the numerous election clerks and judges throughout each county.
Sure, that's the work that gets all the demagoguery and all the glory. Some try to tear down our Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and the work that he and his office have done over the last almost four years to ensure that every vote counts, and that every eligible person is able to vote, no matter what might try to get in their way.
But, most Minnesotans know that our elections here in Minnesota are some of the smoothest, most efficient, and most transparent in all of the United States.
What you might not know is that the Office of the Secretary of State does so many more things, and only a fraction of its business relates to election officials and election officiating.
Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said elections officials had accepted 21,703 absentee ballots as of this [Friday] morning. Absentee voting continues on Saturday and Monday.
At a house party this evening I had a chance to hear Secretary of State Mark Ritchie speak about why he's running for re-election, and about the things that his office does, and how as the State Election Official he and his staff and the 87 counties oversee Minnesota's voting process.
He said that he received notice from his office that by early Saturday, the number of absentee ballots received was in the 25,700 range.
That number breaks the previous record from 1998 for absentee ballots cast in a primary election. That number was 25,257 http://www.startribune.com/pol...
So, there's another clue into what turn out may or may not look like on Tuesday.
You can absentee vote on Monday (most government centers/absentee voting locations should have extended hours on Monday), and ballots can still come in via postal service on Tuesday.
Who knows how high the number of absentee ballots will be, perhaps 28,000?
We here at MN Progressive Project applaud Greg Steinhafel for apologizing.
We hope that the "strategic review" you mentioned will foster a dialog from within and outside of the Target Corporation, as well as other corporations that are thinking of putting their money in the "public policy arena."
Take note, your workers and consumers aren't just going to sit back when you decide to act, however well-intentioned you might think your actions are/were.
We hope you think very hard about all possible repercussions to your credibility, your image, your customer base, and your bottom line, before you act.
Target CEO Greg Steinhafel today apologized to Target employees for donating funds to a group that is backing Republican Tom Emmer's bid for governor. In the letter, Steinhafel wrote that the company will create a review of their political donations and will also bring together a group of companies to discuss ways to improve GLBT relations.
Target has been heavily criticized for donating to MN Forward, an independent expenditure group that is backing Emmer's campaign for governor. Democrats and gay rights groups called for a boycott of the group.
We here are MN Progressive Project applaud Greg Steinhafel for apologizing.
We hope that the "strategic review" you mentioned will foster a dialog from within and outside of the Target Corporation, as well as other corporations that are thinking of putting their money in the "public policy arena."
Take note, your workers and consumers aren't just going to sit back when you decide to act, however well-intentioned you might think your actions are/were.
We hope you think very hard about all possible repercussions to your credibility, your image, your customer base, and your bottom line, before you act.
Target CEO Greg Steinhafel today apologized to Target employees for donating funds to a group that is backing Republican Tom Emmer's bid for governor. In the letter, Steinhafel wrote that the company will create a review of their political donations and will also bring together a group of companies to discuss ways to improve GLBT relations.
Target has been heavily criticized for donating to MN Forward, an independent expenditure group that is backing Emmer's campaign for governor. Democrats and gay rights groups called for a boycott of the group.
As you know, the primary election on August 10 is fast approaching, and turnout is of paramount importance. This weekend, SD59 DFL and DFL-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher are teaming up to knock doors in the Cedar-Riverside area, including the large high-rises. As regular door-knockers know, building managers have to let knockers in, but only if the candidate is present. So Margaret will be coming along and reaching out to the diverse population of the Cedar-Riverside area. Come meet Margaret and help her doorknock and gather support and votes so she can become the state's first female governor...and then make us proud with her ambitious agenda, including single-payer health care in MN!
CEDAR-RIVERSIDE DOORKNOCK WITH MARGARET ANDERSON KELLIHER
Saturday, July 31 from Noon until 4pm
At the home of Neghuse Demtsu
1515 S. 4th St., Building E
Apt. 1507 Minneapolis,MN 55445
For more information contact DFL field organizer Alexis Pennie at (612) 998-2382 or apennieATdfl.org.
As you know, Rep. Steve Drazkowski and Rep. Greg Davids recently proposed immigration legislation not unlike Arizona's new law. http://mnprogressiveproject.co... http://mnprogressiveproject.co... Minnesota does not have time to deal with Drazkowski and Davids. Yes, everyone is entitled to express their opinion freely, but it is our job to open those ideas up to criticism and dissent. So how can we prevent an Arizona-like immigration policy in Minnesota? By electing new representation. Steve Kemp is running for David's seat in House District 31B and NEEDS YOUR HELP!! Here is Kemp's comment on the immigration proposal:
Recently, Representatives Steve Drazkowski and Greg Davids introduced immigration legislation that Rep. Drazkowski admits is a waste of the legislature's time. This law would require more mandated work with little increased funding. It's a tragic continuation of Governor Pawlenty's "do more with less" philosophy long supported by Representatives Davids, Drazkowski, and Tom Emmer, a philosophy that has brought our state to the dire economic situation that it currently faces. It's a law that enforcement professionals in Minnesota have already said is not needed. Lets not add on to the burden of our local law enforcement departments that are already feeling the tight squeeze of our budget crisis. This proposed law would create a Minnesota where racial profiling is not only encouraged, but legally prescribed. This legislation provides a venue for anyone in the state to sue the government if they believe law enforcement is not making a "reasonable attempt to enforce" the proposed law, how do we measure that? We need to be focusing on our current problems, not creating more. We need to focus on our crumbling roads, our schools, and our budget crisis. Minnesota is not Arizona and that's a good thing. Let's not follow them down the same bumpy road, let's lead Minnesota down a different path, a path to financial soundness and economic prosperity, with safe roads and a good education. As for Arizona and its recent immigration law, let us Minnesotans remain colder in climate, not colder in heart.
Kemp is ready to tackle the tough issues in St. Paul. His dog Gus even thinks so (he has his own blog). Please consider supporting Steve by contributing to his campaign.
While many of the other candidates were busy making noise trying to win the DFL endorsement, Mark Dayton was quietly focusing his efforts on running a winning campaign. Many have mentioned that they didn't even know he was running because he's been so quiet about it. More recently he's been the focus of a greater amount of media coverage. His "tax the rich" mantra has caught hold in a big way even as Dayton himself remains elusive and enigmatic.
What has Dayton been up to? He's been campaigning all over the state by concentrating on issues important to Minnesotans. Included in his repertoire of political pursuits are senior concerns, Minnesota's economy, raising revenue, green energy and a myriad of other issues. Green energy means more and better jobs and a cleaner and safer environment. Mark is working on incentives that will bring more jobs to Minnesota in the field of green energy.
Mark Dayton has taken the lead in promoting strong and viable environmental policies. He rightfully calls the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency the Minnesota Pollution Cooperation Agency. He wants to change it to the Minnesota Pollution Reduction Agency. He'll do this by making sure that Minnesota has a Commissioner and board members who will work diligently to reduce pollution and enforce environmental regulations. Dayton will insist that the State put people before polluters. He is also on record as being against the building of any new nuclear power plants in Minnesota.
Representative Steve Drazkowski (an early supporter of Tom Emmer's gubernatorial run) and Representative Greg Davids are cooking up some "anti illegal immigrant" legislation right here in Minnesota.
On Arizona's new immigration bill
Rep. Steve Drazkowski:
"I think (the Arizona bill) is a great idea. You know, I wish I would have thought of it."
Rep. Tom Emmer (GOP endorsed candidate for MN Governor):
The Arizona immigration law is
"a wonderful first step"
There are now a few other states (including Ohio, Missouri, Maryland and Nebraska) that are considering immigration legislation in the wake of Arizona's, none of which are on the Top 10 list of states with the largest population of undocumented immigrants.
http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/as...
But Arizona's provision has generated backlash from President Barack Obama to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to about 2,500 people at a rally Saturday in Minneapolis. And Republicans concede they'd need more seats in the Legislature before an Arizona-style bill could pass here - Drazkowski said there was virtually no chance his bill would pass this session.
Local DFL lawmakers including Rep. Gene Pelowski and Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes said state lawmakers should focus on balancing the state's budget rather than delving into immigration issues better handled at the federal level. Additionally, illegal immigration in Minnesota is not nearly as large an issue as it is in states such as Arizona, they said.
So, why spend time and money on a bill that we really don't need right now when we have a budget problem that needs to be fixed? And what is motivating Representatives Drazkowski and Davids to introduce this piece of legislation that they even say isn't going to see much life this session?
What does GOP Gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer think about an Arizona Immigration Bill right here in Minnesota? If Arizona was a wonderful first step, what does he think the GOP is stepping in here in Minnesota?
While everyone else is offering their post-mortem of the 2010 endorsement process/convention, I'll offer a few thoughts. I liked all the candidates, I really did. They all would have done a great job reaching out to voters in Minnesota. John Marty will continue to nudge people along in the Senate. Tom Rukavina is quite an inspirational person, and I admire the tenacity of the candidate and his campaign, I look forward to what his next step is. Paul Thissen is a sharp person who will be back, he and his staff did a great job of getting him into the statewide spotlight, and I expect more great things from him in the future. RT Rybak and his supporters did a great job as well, he'll be back, I'm sure.
I want to extend a congratulations to Margaret Anderson Kelliher and her campaign team. They did a great job mobilizing throughout the process and the convention. I know for a fact that Jaime Tincher and the rest of her staff will make (and already have made) for a very formidable campaign. (Plus the other candidates staffers are available to make our statewide campaign even more formidable).
Having people like Jaime and her staffers on board gives me great hope that this will be the year that the DFL endorsed candidate will not only survive the primary, but end up victorious in the general election. I urge all Democratic minded supporters to help put Margaret in the Governor's Mansion, and to send Mark Ritchie, Rebecca Otto, and Lori Swanson back to their respective offices as well.
So, here we are. The big day. Soon I'll be headed off to a Delegation Chair meeting, picking up my delegations credentials for the day and starting a long day at the convention.
Yesterday was a good day. Lots of great speeches. Good to see Dan Powers, Jim Meffert, and Tarryl Clark give great speeches.
We also got to hear from our wonderful US Senator Amy Klobuchar.
It was a very smart idea to have the other Constitutional Officers endorsements yesterday. I helped State Auditor Rebecca Otto's campaign pass out and collect signs during her endorsement, and the same for our great Secretary of State Mark Ritchie. I had the honor of making the motion to suspend the rules and endorse Mark Ritchie by acclimation. My first floor motion at a State Convention, how exciting (I am a nerd, but aren't we all?).
I don't know how today will end up, but I know it will be long. Who knows who will come out for who and what surprises might come out along the way during balloting. It's great to see so many people feel so passionately about their state and their country.
At the US Senate and Congressional Delegation party at the Radisson, Senator Al Franken had some great words to say. To paraphrase he said that he understood how passionate we all are about our Governor candidates, but that at the end of the balloting/endorsement process, we need to unite so that we can win this race in(August and) November.
Whatever happens today, there is a great slate of candidates, so let's do this thing!
Congressman Walz's campaign sent out a release today stating that he has raised 1 million so far for his re-election campaign.
With a $314,000 first quarter and $600,000 Cash on hand, Walz is in a good financial position. But it never hurts to raise more https://services.myngp.com/ngp...
Tim Walz Raises $1,000,000 for Re-election
More than 7,000 people join the effort
Mankato, MN - Today, Tim Walz for US Congress announced the campaign raised more than $1,000,000 for the re-election of Tim Walz. The campaign raised more than $314,000 in the most recent financial quarter and has a significant cash advantage with nearly $600,000 in reserves.
"I am humbled to receive such strong support from Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. With over 7,000 folks joining our grassroots movement in southern Minnesota, it is clear they value the effectiveness on behalf of veterans, our small businesses and working families," said Walz.
