Daily UpTake
Today on The UpTake we’re bringing you live streaming of four events — two this afternoon and two more this evening.
At 1:10 p.m. Central Time, catch President Obama’s speech on the economy from Cuyahoga Community College near Cleveland. At 1:30 p.m. we’ll also air the Health Insurance Exchange-Legislative Working Group discussing their federal health insurance exchange planning grant application from Room 15 in the Minnesota State Capitol.
At 6 p.m. we’ll bring your blood to a boil with coverage of a Tea Party rally headlining U.S. Reps. Michele Bachmann and John Kline. Minnesota’s GOP lieutenant governor Annette Meeks is also scheduled to appear. This event in Watertown, Minn., is billed as a political rally to “recapture America for ‘We the People’”. Then at 6:30 we’ll air the Minnesota Governor Joint Chambers’ Debate from St. Joseph’s Hospital here in St. Paul.
President Bill Clinton stumps for Al Franken - Nov 30, 2008
Today’s news on The UpTake includes word that former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden will come to the Twin Cities to campaign for DFL gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton in coming weeks. Clinton will be here next Tuesday, with Biden on Oct. 5.
Tom Emmer helps keep fact checkers employed. Details when you continue reading.
Fact-checking GOP governor candidate Tom Emmer is a full-time job, and we’re working overtime to keep him honest. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Emmer’s budget plan wasn’t officially vetted, according to state revenue commissioner Ward Einess, despite his words to the contrary. Meanwhile, it appears likely that Permac Industries, where Emmer announced the first phase of his proposed budget on Labor Day, benefited from federal stimulus funds through Dakota County’s local subsidized jobs program — again, despite the candidate’s claims. By the way, in Emmer’s own words, “If you like the EPA … then vote for Mark Dayton.”
Finally, the Tim Pawlenty administration has turned an about face and will, in fact, seek federal funds related to health care reform. Budget Commissioner Tom Hanson announced yesterday that Governor Pawlenty has decided to apply for and accept $260 Million in Medicaid funds. Minnesota Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher laments how Pawlenty’s lawyers manipulated legal loopholes in order to avoid applying for Federal grants, even though state law intended to require him to apply for them. The Governor’s Human Services Commissioner Cal Ludeman attempted to explain why Pawlenty didn’t think $1 million in federal funds were worth applying for.