Pawlenty’s People Leaving Capitol in Droves

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty announced today that Revenue Commissioner Ward Einess will leave his administration effective Dec. 3 to begin his own government affairs practice. Last Wednesday, Pawlenty announced that Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget Tom Hanson will leave his administration effective Dec. 1, to take a position in the legislative and regulatory practice of the Minneapolis law firm of Winthrop & Weinstine. It’s not abnormal for Pawlenty’s brain trust to leave him with only a month and a half remaining before he is scheduled to vacate the governor’s mansion.

But this all begs the question, what happens if the gubernatorial recount between Mark Dayton and Tom Emmer drags into 2011, and Pawlenty is forced to remain in St. Paul beyond Jan. 3 (a goal that one GOP insider expressed to the Minneapolis Star Tribune? Who will help him run the ship? And how would Pawlenty keep the ship of state afloat until a new skipper takes charge?

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

Emmer, Minnesota Republicans Sue St. Louis and Pine Counties

Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton today announced that Tom Emmer for Governor and the state Party have filed suit against St. Louis and Pine Counties over what he calls “their failure to respond to data practice requests in a timely manner.”

“The unacceptable foot dragging of St. Louis and Pine Counties cannot persist,” the press release stated. “The Emmer for Governor campaign and the Republican Party of Minnesota should not have to go to court to get counties to respond to data practices requests in a timely manner. We will continue to pursue any counties that do not promptly meet their legal obligations during this process.”

But at a Mark Dayton recount team press conference at the State Capitol earlier today, attorney David Lillehaug called the GOP effort “a fishing expedition” and insinuated that the Republicans were “trying to find the ball” in their effort to erase the 8,755-vote gap separating Dayton from Emmer. Since the Nov. 2 election, Emmer has gained only 101 votes — far from the 1,000 votes he claimed to have gained during a press conference Tuesday.

Dayton Recount Directors Hold News Conference

At the State Capitol this morning, Minnesota Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton’s recount team, including Ken Martin, David Lillehaug and Charles Nauen, sought to dispute the Republican Party’s assertions that the since Nov. 2 election results were flawed. Tom Emmer and the GOP have used tweets, emails and press conferences to cast doubt on the results. Their arsenal includes a Hennepin County reporting error, allegedly jammed voting machines and a fictional “1,000 vote gain, since the election”.

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Recount, 101: Has Emmer Gained 1,000 Votes?

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Tom Emmer said twice during his press conference Tuesday that he’s “gained 1,000 votes” since the Nov. 2 election. Democrat Mark Dayton’s lawyer David Lillehaug said yesterday at the Humphrey Institute that the number is actually 101. What gives?

At the 5:44 mark in the above video, Lillehaug also foresees storm clouds on the horizon — in particular, signs that Republicans intend to try to stop Mark Dayton from being sworn in on Jan. 3. According to a “high-ranking Republican operative,” quoted in yesterday’s Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Republicans want to “keep this recount going as long as possible” to provide “opportunities for us in the upcoming legislative session.” In other words, current Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty would remain in the State Capitol and team up with newly elected Republican majorities in the State House and Senate to pass non-emergency legislation.

Dayton Recount Director Ken Martin issued this statement yesterday about the matter:

“If that is the Republicans’ goal, it is a strategy designed to hijack the will of Minnesota voters. Such an outrageous power grab would be completely un-Minnesotan. We expect that it would blow up in the Republicans’ faces.”

Election Officials: You Want It Fast Or You Want It Right? Public: Yes

A panel discussion yesterday at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute led by moderator Larry Jacobs examined a likely 2010 gubernatorial recount through the prism of the 2008 recount. Election managers from Hennepin, Ramsey and Washington Counties — Rachel Smith, Joseph Mansky and Kevin Corbid, respectively — offered a “Recount 101 seminar,” walking through basic steps such as canvass hearings and post-election audits. They also discussed balancing the need for instant results and immediate results.

Who is the Client? Emmer or the Republican Party

Republican Tom Emmer has hired former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Eric Magnuson, and when pressed Tuesday with the question, “Who’s in charge — you or the party?” Emmer responded: “I’m absolutely going to be involved, but there’s going to be more people than just one ultimately.”

David Lillehaug, attorney for Al Franken in 2008, and now Democrat Mark Dayton’s council in the current gubernatorial recount, wondered yesterday, “Who is the client? And what are the client’s wishes, goals and desires?” Lillehaug added that Franken, and now Dayton, are his ONLY clients, whereas it’s unclear whether Emmer’s attorneys are representing his wishes or those of the Republican Party.

The Lawyers’ Perspective on the Gubernatorial Recount

Following yesterday’s “Recount 101 seminar” at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute, a legal discussion ensued featuring David Lillehaug, who will represent Democrat Mark Dayton in the likely 2010 recount, and Fritz Knaak, who represented Republican Norm Coleman in the 2008 recount. On the appointment of former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Eric Magnuson to GOP Tom Emmer’s team, Lillehaug asked ‘who is the client being served’.

Studying Low Voter Turnout on Minneapolis’ Lake Street

During Election Day on Nov. 2, The Uptake’s Jacob Wheeler spoke with people on Minneapolis’ multi-ethnic Lake Street about whether or not they voted, and why voter turnout is so low in midterm elections. The answers he heard from African-Americans, Somalis, Latinos and youth voters may hold key lessons for politicians who want to appeal to those constituencies in the future.

Jay Weiner Breaks Down Minnesota Governors Recount

MinnPost scribe, and author of the book “This Is Not Florida: How Al Franken Won the Minnesota Senate Recount”, Jay Weiner spoke to The UpTake today about the looming 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial recount between Democrat Mark Dayton and Republican Tom Emmer. Weiner addressed the similarities, and differences, between this recount and the 2008 Franken-Coleman recount, possible GOP strategies in the days and weeks ahead, and how Franken has fared as a U.S. Senator.