Video by Craig Stellmacher President Obama appears at the University of Minnesota headlining a rally for Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton. The rally will kicks off of the DFL’s Get Out the Vote campaign on behalf of Dayton and his Lieutenant Governor running mate Yvonne Prettner Solon, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, Attorney General Lori Swanson and State Auditor Rebecca Otto.
Under tight security, 200 audience members look on as Congressman Jim Oberstar (DFL) and Chip Cravaack (R) debate in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The previous debate between the two was marred by a rowdy Tea Party crowd of mostly Cravaack supporters.
Unlike that debate in Duluth, this debate at Itasca Community College was mostly uninterrupted and civil.
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty addressed the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday with an anti-taxes, pro-small government speech. Pawlenty will stump next week for GOP gubernatorial hopeful Tom Emmer. Pawlenty dodged questions of whether he’ll run for President in 2012, saying only that he’ll run for President …. of a local youth soccer league.
DFL Chair Brian Melendez brings to light Representative Tom Emmer’s history of mortgages Thursday at a Capitol press conference. Melendez says public records show Emmer, who is running for Governor of Minnesota, has taken out many mortgages on his home. Melendez says Emmer should release his tax returns as DFL candidate for Governor Mark Dayton has to show why he has to borrow so much money. Melendez asks, why would a bank lend Emmer twice as much money as the house is worth?
Melendez’ handout was titled : “Tom Emmer’s Mortgage History”, but upon reflection, I think “Tom Emmer’s Mortgage Mystery” would have been better. I wish I could explain it to you, or even myself. Is there fraud here? Does a bank officer move to another bank, and OK questionable loans? I can’t answer these questions, and I sought the answer with bankers and loan officers today, and they didn’t want to speak, even off the record.
One realtor suspected “fraud, when you get a loan for twice the value of a house”. But we don’t know.
Emmer, has called for everyone to take their budget plans to the Department of Revenue for “certification”. Emmer has called for Horner to release his client list. Dayton has already released his taxes. But, there is just a gapping question when it comes to these seven mortgages.
In thinking about it today, I recalled the poetry of Donald Rumsfeld :
The Unknown
As we know,
There are known knowns.
There are things we know we know.
We also know
There are known unknowns.
That is to say
We know there are some things
We do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns,
The ones we don’t know
We don’t know.
—Feb. 12, 2002, Department of Defense news briefing
A reporter asks, wasn’t this in the Blogosphere already, and they were probably referring to Bluestemprairie’s article here
Minnesota Independence party candidate for Governor Tom Horner gets the backing of former US Senate candidate Mike Ciresi. Ciresi said the endorsement has nothing to do with Mark Dayton defeating him in the 2000 DFL US Senate primary.
Independence Party candidate for Governor Tom Horner says Minnesota’s Republican party is in decline. Horner should know. He’s been a Minnesota Republican almost all of his life. Horner notes that since 2000, the Minnesota Republican party has lost three out of four United States Senate races, it’s lost a congressional seat, and it’s underperformed in almost every legislative election cycle.
“The only thing masking all of that has been Governor Pawlenty’s two elections, one of which in 2006 was very close and some would argue that (DFL candidate) Mike Hatch lost it more than Tim Pawlenty won it. So I think the party is in decline and part of why its in decline is that the party as it defines itself has moved so far to the right and has become not just conservative, but really anti-government, anti-solution. I think that’s what people are rejecting.”
You might call it a razor sharp focus on jobs and the economy. You might also call it an attempt to avoid talking about stances on issues that don’t poll well outside of your base.
Whatever the reason, Republican candidate for Minnesota Governor Tom Emmer is avoiding talking on camera about social issues such as abortion, gay rights and immigration. It’s a change for Emmer since he has been very vocal on these issues while a Minnesota State Representative.
“I appreciate the question,” Representative Emmer will often begin when asked about any of these issues — and then will immediately go to his talking points on jobs and the economy. This was particularly noticeable during the recent debate at the University of Minnesota where students got to ask the questions. Immigration, gay rights and abortion questions were either rebuffed by Representative Emmer with, “my views on this issue are well known,” or the subject was quickly changed.
Until now, questions at the debates have focused primarily on the economy, education and health care because most of the organizations sponsoring the debates are business groups (5 debates), have ties to the medical community (3 debates) or have ties to education (2 debates). Media outlets have organized 8 of the debates and have followed suit by asking about economic, education and health care topics at these debates over and over.
Emmer’s opponents have not tried to avoid answering the social issue questions when they come up. Democrat Mark Dayton and Independence Party candidate Tom Horner agree Arizona’s controversial immigration law is a bad one that Minnesota shouldn’t try to copy and that a woman has a right to choose an abortion. Dayton supports marriage equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. Horner prefers to talk about civil unions, not marriage for GLBT people.
During Friday’s debate at the University of Minnesota the candidates for Minnesota Governor are asked if they would support the adoption of a law similar to Arizona’s controversial immigration law. Democrat Mark Dayton and Independence Party candidate said they thought Arizona had a bad law didn’t want it in Minnesota. Republican Tom Emmer in the past has said he thought the Arizona law was a “good start” but infers he has been mis-quoted on saying Minnesota needs an Arizona type law. He says Minnesota has enough laws on immigration and we just need to enforce them.
Horner shoots back that not only Emmer say he thought the Arizona law was a “good start”, but that Emmer also said he wanted that law in Minnesota. Horner referenced a Fact Check done on Emmer’s claim.
The fact checked showed Emmer had called Arizona’s law “wonderful”, but unlike what Horner claimed in the debate, Emmer did not say on an MPR debate that he supported an Arizona-style law for Minnesota. That statement was made by Emmer’s then Republican opponent Marty Seifert.
(Immigration discussion is about 18 minutes into the debate)
The debate moderator pressed Emmer and asked if the Minnesota legislature passed the law, would he sign it as Governor. Emmer said “I don’t think you’re going to see that” and then changed the subject.
A press release from the Mark Dayton for Governor campaign this morning spells out more of the details of President Obama’s pre-election visit to Minneapolis:
President Obama will travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to headline a rally for Democratic-Farmer-Labor party gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton on Saturday, October 23, 2010. The rally will be the kick-off of the DFL’s Get Out the Vote campaign on behalf of Mark Dayton and his Lieutenant Governor running mate Yvonne Prettner Solon, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, Attorney General Lori Swanson, and State Auditor Rebecca Otto.
The event will be held at Northrop Mall at the University of Minnesota and will begin at 1PM.
October 14, 2010by Michael McInteeCD1, Fact CheckComments Off
Does Republican candidate for Congress Randy Demmer want to partially privatize Social Security as Congressman Tim Walz claimed in a recent debate? During the debate Demmer disputed that notion
Walz tells The UpTake’s Mike McIntee that Demmer made the privatization statement earlier this year while he was courting conservative votes to win the Republican nomination and that statement was captured on video. We asked to see that video.
The Walz campaign provided video of Demmer’s call for social security privatization. In it Demmer says
“And I do believe, when you call privatization of health c..social security .. I got a… it’s kind of more simple as far as I’m concerned. It’s having control of the dollars I’m investing someplace. And yes I would, I would favor the option of me being able to do that. Of you being able to do that. In other words when you’re putting your money into your social security account, I would support you having the option if you so choose to have a say in how those monies are invested and what kind of return you might get and have some choices to where you put it.”
Demmer made it clear that he was not talking about changing social security for older Americans because that would be “pulling the rug out from underneath them.”
Senator Al Franken announces the “Understanding The True Cost Of College Act” that would require colleges to use easier to understand language in their financial aid package offers to students.
Hindia Ali, Youth Leadership Development Coordinator at Somali Action Alliance is a delegate the the 2012 National Democratic Convention, the first Somali-American to be a delegate.
Speaking to the press on Tuesday, President Obama ripped into Republicans for their lack of compromising and for the first time mentioned his likely Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, by name.
Minnesota women in healthcare predicaments met with with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Sen. Al Franken, Rep. Betty McCollum and Governor Mark Dayton on Friday — the two year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act.
President Obama says many of the factors that are driving up gas prices are out of our control such as unrest in the Middle East. However, he points out there are some things that are in our control such as fraud and manipulation that can cause prices to spike even further.
President Obama talks about an all-of-the-above American energy strategy at a Daimler manufacturing plant in North Carolina that’s making trucks that run on natural gas.
Senator Al Franken is used to close elections. This time he didn’t beat his opponents, but had to settle for a tie with Representative Chip Cravaack in the second annual Minnesota Congressional delegation hotdish cookoff.
President Obama would like to reform taxes so we reward companies that invest in the US, not ones that send jobs overseas. But there are some barriers, such as Congress.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu uses his photo op with President Obama today to talk up how the US and Israel are united against Iran, which is suspected of trying to create a nuclear bomb.
President Obama warns that “loose talk” of war was only helping Iran, while pushing back against charges from GOP presidential contenders that he has been less than a loyal ally to Israel.
After the six-week US-Dakota War of 1862, 38 Dakota men were hung in one of the largest mass executions in US History. Many argue that the trials were a sham, that is was the largest injustice in the nation’s history. Today, Representative Dean Urdahl, Chair of the Legacy Committee in Minnesota and the Civil War Task Force, seeks to, “rub a little salve in the wound,” by seeking a pardon for one of those warriors who was hung on that fateful December day. His name is Chaska.
The Minnesota House and Senate have each approved different versions of a Vikings stadium proposal. So now it is up to a conference committee to reconcile the differences.
Principle or politics? On Friday, Governor Mark Dayton went heavily with principle and imperiled the politics of his top legislative priority — thousands of jobs from building a new Vikings football stadium.
A bill that would give business owners a tax cut is hailed by Senator Geoff Michel (R-Edina) as the “best piece of legislation” to be considered his year. Senator John Marty (DFL-Roseville ) counters it deserves a “smoking’ hot veto pen” because it isn’t paid for.
A Minnesota Senate attempt to override Governor Mark Dayton’s veto of a bill expanding the kinds of fireworks that can legally be sold in Minnesota fails to get the 2/3rds majority needed.
Several thousand Minneapolitans joined the hundreds of thousands around the world celebrating May Day, International Workers’ Day, on May 1, 2012 with a march down Lake Street to Powderhorn Park.
Alejandra and her brother David, two Minneapolis college students and activists for the Dream Act, took the Occupy Homes pledge this week to stay in the house which their Mexican immigrant parents purchased and are in danger of losing.
The Vikings stadium is dead, long live the Vikings stadium. One plan dies and another plan is given a green light for a vote at the Minnesota legislature.
Nearly a year after the tornado that ripped through North Minneapolis, opinions vary greatly on what the poverty-stricken community needs most from local and state government. Should the City introduce “pie in the sky” ideas or focus on more immediate problems?
Representative Bobby Jo Champion talks about the challenges facing some of his constituents in North Minneapolis almost a year after a devastating tornado.
Rebuild It Right, an organization made up of architects and designers from Minneapolis, is helping homeowners advocate for quality design in the wake of the May 22nd Tornado.
The Vikings stadium deal got the support of Minneapolis City Council members. Council member Don Samuels says that this is a good deal for his constituents. It will provide jobs to a part of the city that has the highest rate of unemployment.
Embattled homeowner Monique White took one more step Friday toward what could become an improbable victory that would let her stay in her North Minneapolis home. Judge Mark Labine will decide on Monday whether White will get a jury trial in District Court.
Occupy MN is occupying Monique White’s house at 3310 N. 6th St. in the city’s downtrodden North Minneapolis neighborhood. In doing so, Occupy MN instantly made itself more diverse, and more relevant.
