Three Democrats Ask for Endorsement To Run Against Congressman Kline

Redistricting has made recruiting Democrats to run against Congressman John Kline (R- MN) much easier. Three candidates were courting DFL delegates at a candidates forum on Sunday. Those delegates will be voting on an endorsement this coming Saturday April 28th.

Former State Representative Mike Obermueller and Northfield City Councilor Patrick Ganey announced several weeks ago they intended to seek the endorsement. Dakota County Commissioner Kathleen Gaylord recently announced she would be getting into the race.

Redistricting has Congressman Kline on the offensive as well. His new congressional district no longer has Carver County, a Republican stronghold and it now includes the more urban northern part of Dakota County which leans DFL. That may be why Kline has raised more than a million dollars for his campaign, which is a large sum of money to have already in April.

The UpTake spoke with all three candidates before their first candidates forum and asked why they are running, what are the main issues and how they plan to defeat Congressman Kline when so many other Democrats have failed to to so.

Video interviews with all three DFL candidates running in Minnesota’s second Congressional district. … Continue Reading

Brodkorb Lawsuit Comes Up On MN Senate Floor

Minnesota’s Senate may be sued by a former employee and DFL Senators would like the Republicans to not keep all of the details about it to themselves.

Republican operative and deputy party chair Michael Brodkorb was fired from his job at the State Senate in December. His firing came just after his boss, Senator Majority Leader Amy Koch, resigned her leadership position after other Republican Senators learned she was having an “inappropriate relationship” with a Senate staffer.

Since then, Brodkorb has hired an attorney and the Senate has also hired an attorney, but the Republicans leaders haven’t told the Democrats any other details. That led to this exchange on the Senate floor today between DFL Senator Richard Cohen and Senate Majority Leader David Senjem.

Ethnicity To Be Secondary In MN Redistricting If Court Intervenes

Minnesota’s Special Redistricting Panel ruled today that it will consider “communities of interest” should it be forced to redraw Minnesota’s political boundaries next year. The job would fall to the courts if the Governor and the Minnesota legislature cannot come to agreement on a plan by February.

The panel of district judges says “communities of interest” include, but are not limited to “groups of Minnesota citizens with clearly recognizable similarities of social, geographic, political, cultural, ethnic, economic, or other interests.”

Last week during oral arguments before the panel, attorneys for the DFL had argued for consideration of “communities of interest”. Lawyers for Minnesota Republicans argued that “communities of interest” were important “but they are not…superior to the concept of, for
example, political subdivisions.”

The panel appears to have sided with the Republican argument saying that political subdivisions, such as town and county boundaries, should not be divided “more than necessary”, and “communities of interest” shall be be preserved “where possible”. The order of the panel’s ruling appears to give city and county lines priority over ethnic groups.

That’s not surprising since that’s essentially the way a similar panel ruled in 2002 when Minnesota redistricting fell to the courts.

That said, the panel says Legislative and Congressional districts “shall not be drawn with the purpose or effect of denying or abridging the voting rights of any United States Citizen on account of race, ethnicity, or membership in a language minority group.” The panel also states that districts cannot be drawn for the purpose of keeping or defeating a current legislator.

Next steps in the court-ordered redistricting process … Continue Reading

President Raises Crowd’s Optimism In Minnesota

Small town Minnesota had a distinguished visitor today, August 15, 2011. President Obama held a town meeting on the banks of the Cannon River in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.
People leaving were happy and bubbling about his appearance and his message. The crowd of about 300 was not screened, tickets were limited to two per person. His speech and the question and answer session were greeted with cheers and enthusiasm. His optimism seemed to be infectious as the crowd filed out to the country fair grounds to retrieve their cars. People were impressed that the President answered questions instead of talking around them.

Cannon Falls is in a strong Republican area, so not surprisingly there were a few critical signs posted on the road in, but the arrival streets were full of cheering citizens who didn’t get the prized tickets.

More photos from President Obama’s visit to Cannon Falls, Minnesota … Continue Reading

President Obama Visits Rural Minnesota

At a town hall in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, President Obama discusses ways to grow the economy, strengthen the middle class and accelerate hiring in communities and towns across the nation. He is expected to hear directly from Americans, including small business owners, local families, private sector leaders, rural organizations, and government officials.

Town Hall is at Lower Hannah’s Bend Park on North 9th Street in Cannon Falls.

Transcript of President Obama’s Town Hall. … Continue Reading

Burglars Caught On Tape Stealing From Como Park Zoo

Saint Paul Police Investigators are seeking the public’s help as they work to identify two men who broke into several buildings at the Como Zoo just before 4:00 AM on Thursday, August 11th. The men were captured on surveillance video. Anyone who recognizes the suspects, or who has information related to this case is asked to call 651.266.5771 or 651.291.1111.

Background:

Just before 4:00 AM on August 11th a security officer working at the Como Zoo alerted police after he noticed a donation box was not in its normal place. When officers arrived they saw two men near an entrance to Zoo property-the men ran from police and were not located. Officers found that the two men broke into several buildings, including a gift shop, a concession building and a food building. It appears the men were likely looking for money, as several cash drawers and registers were damaged. Investigators are working with Zoo staff to determine exactly what may have been taken.

All animals were accounted for and were found unharmed.

Why We Celebrate July 4th

Most of us know July 4th is the day the United States issued the Declaration of Independence. But have you ever read it? Here is a video of notable Minnesotans reading the declaration in 2008. Listen to the power this diverse group of people gives to these centuries old words.

As you listen to the list of grievances against the King of England, consider them in the light of today’s political turmoil. Has much really changed?

Consider this line: “He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.”

Even though the issue of open immigration was central to the founding of our country 235 years ago, it continues to be a political hot potato today.

Full text of the Declaration of Independence. … Continue Reading

Attorney General Holder to FBI Victim: “I Shouldn’t Talk to You”

Tracy Molm, one of the nine Minneapolis peace activists targeted by the FBI on September 24, 2010, and one of three ordered to appear before a January 2011 Chicago Grand Jury, was one of 10 people who interrupted US Attorney General Eric Holder’s appearance in Minneapolis on May 27. Molm insisted on meeting with Holder and, according to Molm, he had originally agreed to meet her and the other FBI targets but then insisted on meeting with just her. He told her during the discussion that he shouldn’t even be talking to her. Molm and the other targets insist that this is a witch hunt by the FBI to suppress dissent by peace activists in the mode of the 1050s McCarthy Hearings. Molm discusses the details of her meeting with Holder and her disappointment with his dismissal of the issues she raised.

Bachmann/Dayton Differ On Climate Change- Jointly Deal With Consequences

As Minnesota’s winter weather becomes wetter with climate change, epic spring flooding is becoming more regular. Minnesota’s state hydrologists are predicting a devastating flood season. Governor Mark Dayton has been holding flood preparedness meetings several times a week with local officials.

Today Representative Michele Bachmann joined Governor Dayton on the front lines of dealing with the results of increased carbon emissions by filling out sandbags to keep the rising St. Croix river within its banks.

Governor Dayton knows well the threat that climate change poses to Minnesota and the rest of the world. As a US Senator in 2005 he was a co-sponsor of legislation to fund more scientific research of greenhouse gases and establish a “cap and trade” program to reduce carbon emissions.
In contrast, Representative Bachmann has been a documented purveyor of disinformation about cap and trade and even denies that climate change is caused by man.

Today the two didn’t debate the cause of the mess the state was in. They both picked up shovels and started trying to cope with the consequences.

Gas Main Explosion Rocks Minneapolis

Video from Robert Stephens

March 17, 2011 (MINNEAPOLIS) A gas main explosion and fire in south Minneapolis prompted evacuations of nearby homes and businesses this morning. The fire has since been put out, and there are no reports of any injuries.

Just after 8:30 a.m. 911 began receiving calls of a gas main explosion on 60th Street E, just east of Nicollet Avenue. Crews from the Minneapolis Fire Department, Minneapolis Police, and a number of other local law enforcement agencies responded to the scene. Fire officials ordered an evacuation of the immediate area, and later expanded that perimeter briefly until the fire was extinguished at around 10:30 a.m.

With the fire out, officials reduced the evacuation area to 59th Street on the north, on the south by 60th Street on the south, Blaisdell Avenue on the west, and 3rd Avenue/Clinton Avenue on the east. This perimeter is simply a precaution, and fire officials have not detected any residual natural gas in the air.

There were no injuries in this incident as the area surrounding the immediate blast site is relatively isolated.