Ken Martin to Run for DFL Party Chair

Ken Martin, who served as Minnesota Governor-elect Mark Dayton’s recount director, announced today that he will run for the Democratic-Farm-Labor chairmanship. Current DFL chair Brian Melendez announced last week that he will not seek a fourth two-year term, following the party’s loss of the state house and senate in the Nov. 2 election.

Here is Martin’s letter today to the DFL party, announcing his candidacy:

Fellow DFL State Central Committee members,

Many of us have spent the better part of two decades trying to win back the Governor’s office in Minnesota. With the recount over, we can finally say that we accomplished the task. We have elected Mark Dayton as the new Governor. … Continue Reading

Minnesota DFL Chair Melendez to Step Aside

Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez announced today that he would not seek a fourth term. Melendez had come under fire among liberal groups after the Democratic-Farm-Labor party narrowly lost majorities in the state house and senate in the Nov. 2 election.

Read Melendez’s letter to DFL colleagues, below

Dear fellow Central Committee members:

For six years you and I have worked together, celebrated together, won together, lost together, dreamed together of a better Minnesota, and worked hard to build those dreams into a reality. Together we helped elect Tim Walz to Congress, and Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken to the Senate. We brought the Party to the sixth strongest electoral standing in its history in 2008, and its third strongest in 2010. We turned the voter file into a state-of-the-art tool that became a national model. We broke the record for personal-solicitation fundraising in my first full year on the job, then broke it again this year. We grew the constituency caucuses from four to more than a dozen, and engaged them in the Coordinated Campaign. We sent the most diverse delegation in the state’s history to the National Convention, then helped elect the first person of color to serve as President of the United States. We hired the first permanent field staff in the Party’s history, and the first permanent staff based outside of the Twin Cities. And through it all, we were united behind a strong and consistent message of accountability, opportunity, prosperity, and fair play that we delivered to every corner of our state. … Continue Reading

Citizens for Election Integrity Examine Voter Fraud Allegations

Earlier this year, Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota in collaboration with the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance, sent a survey to all of Minnesota’s County Attorneys to learn about their investigations of ineligible voting and prosecutions of voter fraud based on the 2008 elections. The report findings and recommendations were presented at a press conference today at 10 a.m. at the State Capitol.

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MN Republicans Name House Committee Chairs

Minnesota’s Republican leaders have named the new State House committee chairs for the 2011-2012 legislative biennium. They are as follows: … Continue Reading

GOP’s Severson Says He Has No Stats On Photo ID Reducing Voter Fraud

Republican candidate for Minnesota Secretary of State Dan Severson repeats his support for a photo ID at the polls. Despite Republican attorneys testifying in court that there “was not a whiff of voter fraud”, Severson again asserts the 2008 US Senate Race outcome was changed by fraud.

Related Links:
The UpTake interviews Severson about his assertions and statistics

Obama, Pelosi Fundraise For Dayton

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Obama fundraised for Mark Dayton in Minneapolis

From media pool reports

President Obama’s trip to Minneapolis wasn’t just to raise spirits among Democrats, it was also to raise cash.

After an eight-minute trip from the University of Minnesota, President Obama arrived at the Van Dusen mansion just south of downtown Minneapolis for a fundraiser hosted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

The fundraiser was expected to raise $600,000 from 150 supporters who paid from $2,500 per person to $50,000 per couple.

All of the Democratic members of Minnesota’s Congressional delegation attended, as did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She thanked the donors for “for helping us retain control of the House, which we fully intend to do.”

Pelosi spoke to about 100 dinner attendees (50 donors merely got in a photo line with Obama).

Diners sat at 10-person tables dressed decorated with sprays of white flowers.

Pelosi introduced Obama from behind a podium and flanked by three American flags and two Minnesota flags displayed before a blue curtain.

She invoked Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale and the state’s Democratic traditions.

“When the public knows the choice, we think that we will win –we know we will,” Pelosi said.

President Obama defended the Democrats’ track record on health care reform, Wall Street reform, energy and education and said the Republicans have promised “they’re going to do things exactly as they were before President Obama came into office.” He revived his favorite riff of the campaign season about Republicans driving the country into a ditch and said they want the keys back. “You can’t have the keys back. You don’t know how to drive. You’re welcome to come along for the ride, but you’ve got to sit in the back seat,” he said.

“First of all, I warned you it was going to be hard. I never said it was going to be easy. Things don’t happen as quickly as we want. … I want everyone here to understand we’re in the first quarter – we’re just getting started.”

President Obama delayed the departure of Air Force One so he and Pelosi could meet with the parents of a soldier killed in Afghanistan.

After a 15-minute trip to the airport, Obama boarded Air Force One at 5:56 p.m., giving Pelosi a lift back to Washington. Air Force One was wheels-up at 6:04 p.m.

Related links:
President Obama remarks at DCCC dinner in Minneapolis – Transcript
… Continue Reading

Rukavina Challenges Emmer Jobs Plan

At a press conference in the State Capitol today Minnesota State Representative Tom Rukavina challenged GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer’s record and promises of jobs creation. Standing in front of several flags he read a long list of Emmer’s no-votes or not voting on job-creation bills, including a 2007 bill requiring that all flags sold in Minnesota be made in the United States. Rukavina went on to read a list of the average number of jobs created, annually, by the last four Minnesota governors.

Rudy Perpich: 34,418 per year
Arne Carlson 45,281 per year
Jesse Ventura 23,560 per year
Tim Pawlenty 185 per year

MN Auditor And Secretary Of State Candidates Debate On TV

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie (DFL) debated his Republican opponent Dan Severson  on TPT’s Almanac hosted by Cathy Wurzer and Eric Eskola.

A brief but heated debate where Secretary Ritchie is proud of his record, but Severson disagrees, and worries of fraud and presses for photo-voter id.

Also on the show Minnesota State Auditor Rebecca Otto (DFL) debated her Republican opponent Pat Anderson and the Green Party’s Annie Young.

A note, this is shot from our camera in the TPT studio and sometimes the view is blocked by TPT’s cameras and floor crew, which is understandable since they are doing a live broadcast and we’re doing our best not to get in the way. We appreciate that TPT allowed us in to video tape. It is shown as a document of what was said, but apologies to all for it is substandard without Pat Anderson’s face at times.

This is the first televised debate, but if you’ve been watching The Uptake, you would have seen the previous debates Ritchie and Severson had this month and Otto and Anderson had last month. Both which were seen live on The UpTake.

Other related links:

Secretary of State and State Auditor candidates live blog

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Challenger Anderson Files Complaint Against State Auditor Otto

Republican state auditor candidate Pat Anderson filed a complaint this morning with the Office of Administrative Hearings, alleging that her Democratic opponent, incumbent State Auditor Rebecca Otto — who defeated Anderson in 2006 — has wrongly claimed that Anderson performed fewer investigations while auditor than she actually did. Anderson insinuated that Otto also manipulated the State Auditor office’s website to erase much of the former’s achievements during her 2003-2007 term.

Rep. Buesgens’ DUI Arrest

Minnesota Representative Mark Buesgens (House District 35B) and chairman of Republican Tom Emmer’s gubernatorial campaign until recently, was arrested for drunk driving on Saturday night. During the arrest, a Wright County Sheriff’s deputy is heard telling Buesgens that he tested at a 0.19 percent blood alcohol level, more than twice the legal limit. The deputy also recovered an open bottle of vodka on the floor of the drivers’ seat.