mnpACT!

• On Common Sense, Kitchen Table Budgeting...

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Our awol Governor Tim Pawlenty makes a habit of comparing government budgets with the everyday American's kitchen table budget. He says it is just common sense. Here is a sample quote from an op-ed he did for Politico going back to last December:
  
  Republicans should [...]
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  Posted: November 21, 2009, 11:17am EST
  

• Vikings Stadium Quest: Minnesota Gets Duped Again

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Minnesota's sports franchises have a history of finding ways to back the state into a corner when it comes to stadiums.
  
  First the Twins had to have a dome...then it was an archaic concept...they needed to play under the sun. And always, the negotiating tool [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 3:03pm EST
  

• Vikings Stadium Quest: Minnesota Gets Duped Again

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Minnesota's sports franchises have a history of finding ways to back the state into a corner when it comes to stadiums.
  
  First the Twins had to have a dome...then it was an archaic concept...they needed to play under the sun. And always, the negotiating tool [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 1:36am EST
  

• Congress Does More Than Just Kill A Bill

  by Alan Anderson
  
  Discussion about health care reform is getting more heated and more complicated. Debates rage about how much it will cost, if it will be effective, how it will affect the quality of care, and what it will mean for insurance companies and consumers/users. While all these [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 9:44am EST
  

• The "Right"-amorphosis of Tim Pawlenty

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  You know, strangely enough, there was a time when I classified Tim Pawlenty as a "moderate" Republican.
  
  Oh, he was always pro-life...but he didn't tattoo it on his forehead like most zealots do.
  
  A religious man who didn't need to pound the pulpit.
  
  [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 4:56am EST
  

• 2010 Governor Race: What to Look For....

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  The 2010 Gubernatorial political winds are blowing in some strange directions. A number of factors are developing that could make this a political year to remember....especially in the DFL.
  
  Labor Support Is Spread Out...
  
  So far, the major labor endorsements have not doubled up [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2009, 7:53pm EST
  

• Rasmussen Poll: Dayton, Rybak and Yikes! Norm Coleman?

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Very interesting Rasmussen poll is out regarding 2010 Governor's race.
  
  Rasmussen asked for preferences in both the DFL and GOP ranks. However, they did not list all the names...just what they considered the main contenders.
  
  On the DFL [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 5:38pm EST
  

• Unallotment: A Separation of Powers Issue for the Courts

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  The Minnesota House will be adding a friend of the court brief to the unallotment suit. It was a strict party line vote so the cries of politics went along with it.
  
  But there is good reason for this. This is a constitutional separation of [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 2:44pm EST
  

• Bakk & Entenza Talk About A Broad Range of Topics

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Last Friday, mnpACT! hosted Sen. Tom Bakk and Matt Entenza for another in our series of DFL Governor Candidate Events. The night was a damp and drizzly one, and we were competing with a few local fundraisers, so attendance was very low, but it was informative [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 11:17pm EST
  

• Health Care IS About Jobs

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Katherine Kersten's column usually requires a long treatise to refute her point by point. However, this week there really is only one issue that needs addressing. The rest is the usual made up jargon. But here is the item that [...]
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  Posted: November 15, 2009, 5:59am EST
  

• Another Potential Pawlenty Legacy: Credit Rating Downgrade

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  It's possible that Gov. Pawlenty may leave office with one other notch on his belt -- a drop in Minnesota's credit rating.
  
  The Strib is reporting a potential for a $1 billion shortfall in the current fiscal cycle due [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 7:21am EST
  

• Who Is Matt Entenza?

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  (Note: Matt Entenza and Sen. Tom Bakk join mnpACT! tomorrow night. Nov. 13th - 7pm at Open Circle Church in Burnsville)
  
  Who is the real Matt Entenza?
  
  Is he the relentless advocate for "green" jobs in the State [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 3:49am EST
  

• Norm Coleman: The Voice of Reason?

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Looks like good ol' Norm Coleman is working his way back into the political scene. Rachel Stassen-Berger posted about Coleman's interview with David Strom on her Hot Dish Politics blog.
  
  And, gosh darn it, Coleman was almost making sense....[...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 4:05am EST
  

• Sen. Tom Bakk: It's the Jobs, Stupid!

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  (A reminder: Sen. Tom Bakk and former Minority Leader Matt Entenza will be joining mnpACT! this Friday, November 13th (7pm) at Open Circle Church in Burnsville, MN)
  
  Sometimes the art of moving a campaign forward is simply having the [...]
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  Posted: November 09, 2009, 7:20pm EST
  

• Bachmann Has Close To "Unsinkable" Status

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  The point is that the takeover of the Republican Party by the irrational right is no laughing matter. Something unprecedented is happening here — and it’s very bad for America.-- Paul Krugman (NY Times)
  
  Outside of Bill Prendergast at [...]
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  Posted: November 09, 2009, 11:30am EST
  

• A Hard Pill to Swallow

  by Rob Shumer
  
  Opponents of a public option in health care claim they don’t want bureaucrats to come between them and their doctor. Health care should be between a doctor and their patient. I agree.
  
  I recently had a situation that suggests our private system is already placing [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 12:46pm EST
  

• Freedom is Just Another Word...

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  I get very tired of Michele Bachmann denigrating the word freedom. She has pretty much lost sight of the real power behind that word.
  
  If she really believes that passing a Health Care Reform bill is equated to governmental tyranny, then she has led [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 12:05pm EST
  

• Kersten Confuses Definition of Marriage with Family

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Katherin Kersten writes a very informative column. She is helping me understand why so many people are afraid of gay marriage. Or at least she is helping me understand why people interpret their feelings as fear.
  
  One thing is [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 10:37am EST
  

• I-35 Bridge: Roller Bearings an NTSB Oversight?

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  In late July, I posted about an MPR piece that discussed a report from an engineering firm hired by the attorneys involved in the I-35 Bridge lawsuits. This report was entitled:
  
  Attorney: NTSB [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2009, 12:17pm EST
  

• What a "NO" Vote on Health Care Means

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  The House is nearing its crucial vote on Health Care Reform. You can forget the Republicans...they have already cast their lot with the insurance companies. It is the undecided Democrats that are the issue. For some misguided reason they think that by voting NO on the [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2009, 9:52am EST
  

• Pawlenty's "Destroy Minnesota Amendment"

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Is he gone yet?
  
  Seriously, is Pawlenty gone yet? I am beginning to believe that "Lame Duck" Pawlenty is even more dangerous than the "No New Taxes" Pawlenty that has been wrecking Minnesota for the past 7 years.
  
  Now, he wants to leave [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 5:49pm EST
  

• Cong. Kline: Enemy of the Working Man and Woman

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Back in 2006, Congressman John Kline easily won re-election. He pulled in 56.2% of the vote, getting 163,269 2nd District constituents to pull the lever his way. Nobody questions that. That is the way elections are supposed to work.
  
  But the 2nd District's total number [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 3:56pm EST
  

• Looking for A November Message

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  I realize that GOP is trying very hard to make yesterday's election results (at least the GOP victories) as some kind of referendum on Obama. And politics being what it is, that's understandable. If the roles were reversed, the Democrats would be doing the same thing.
  [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 11:38am EST
  

• GOP Manages A Right Wing Mess Up in NY-23

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  OK...let's talk about the national election numbers. Democratic candidates in New Jersey and Virginia got beat. Pure and simple. But oddly enough, the Democrat won in the controversial NY-23 District.
  
  What does that tell us?
  
  OK, let's look at this from a couple [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 11:56pm EST
  

• End of October DFL GUV -- The Line Stays the Same

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  The only real news on the DFL Governor front was that Chris Coleman ended any speculation about the exploratory end of a potential run for governor sometime in the future. Who's a candidate can be complicated you know.
  
  Nothing else has really moved any positions [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 4:42pm EST
  

• Pat Anderson: The "Pro-Market" Republican

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Former State Auditor Pat Anderson "officially" announced her candidacy for Governor yesterday. And strangley enough, she said a few things that I support.
  
  Anderson also called for extending the sales tax to clothing purchases and services, and for lowering [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 4:13am EST
  

• GINO Pawlenty is New (Ulm) in Town

  Guest Post by Mac Hall
  
  Cross posted at Minnesota Central
  
  Like the movie character Lucy Hill who was seeking career advancement, Tim Pawlenty came to New Ulm to talk business. In the film, New In Town [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 3:47am EST
  

• GOP -- End of October GUV (Really Down to Four)

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  OK, its the end of October and time for a look at the MN GOP Governor rankings. But this time let's cut to the chase.
  
  Paul Kohls has dropped out. Mike Jungbauer probably will fairly soon (when the only publicity you get comes from an [...]
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  Posted: November 01, 2009, 12:56pm EST
  

• NY-23: The GOP "Suicide Pact" Has Been Signed

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  In a stunning 11th hour development, the GOP endorsed candidate, Dede Scozzafava, in New York's 23rd Congressional District has suspended her campaign.
  
  Her name will still be on the ballot (too late to be removed) but this opens the [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2009, 10:42am EDT
  

• November 13th -- mnpACT! Hosts Bakk and Entenza

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Just to reemphasize...we will be holding another Candidate for Governor Forum on November 13th. 7pm at Open Circle Church in Burnsville (Directions here)
  
  Bakk and Entenza are two of the top candidates for the DFL nomination. Join us to [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2009, 1:27am EDT
  

• FINALLY!!! A Legal Challenge to Pawlenty's Unallotment

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Doug Grow at Minnpost has filed the story.
  
  Two relatively small state programs are being targeted in the suit filed today by Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance on behalf of six people, who are seeking class-action status.
  
  There has [...]
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  Posted: October 29, 2009, 6:08pm EDT
  

• GOP GUV: A Path to Unelectability

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  MinnPost has added a conservative columnist named Michael Bonafield. His postings have a decided conservative/Republican slant but he has interesting points to make.
  
  Yesterday he posted a column that seemed to indicate that, at least to him, the GOP [...]
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  Posted: October 29, 2009, 9:57am EDT
  

• Pawlenty: Transportation Projects Via Corporate Bribery

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Did you know that Gov. Tim Pawlenty is the new "transportation" Governor? No? Surprised? Well, welcome to the club.
  
  Pawlenty has found a new way to take credit for transportation projects. Bilk the private sector.
  
  Frankly, this [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 4:23am EDT
  

• DFL Guv: Nobody's "Perfect" -- Nobody's "Bad"

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  We are always in search of the perfect candidate....even when no such person exists. DFLers have a large field for 2010 Governor this cycle, and the field doesn't show much signs of shrinking. Sometimes the obvious candidate tends to emerge just before caucuses, but that doesn't [...]
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  Posted: October 27, 2009, 3:54am EDT
  

• 2010 Governor: Democratic Stakes Are Indeed High

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Every 2 years, Republicans and Democrats focus on the key electoral race that is the "must" win situation for that election cycle. The focus gets intense and the stakes, at least on the surface, are high. But the 2010 Governor's race, set in motion by Governor [...]
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  Posted: October 27, 2009, 2:48am EDT
  

• A Reluctant Advocate for Nuclear Power

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Two stories on the back pages of the Pioneer Press illustrate the environmental dilemma we are cornering ourselves into. Progress on alternative energies is moving, but ever so slowly. Meanwhile, our energy demands continue to escalate -- we are just not keeping up.
  
  The first [...]
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  Posted: October 26, 2009, 1:43am EDT
  

• An Illustration of Single Payer Health Care

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  In the, I can't say it any better than this department" :
  
  ' [...]
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  Posted: October 25, 2009, 5:51pm EDT
  

• Pawlenty: No Guts on NY-23

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  NY-23...
  
  A special election in this NY State Congressional election has turned into a closer look at who controls the soul of the Republican Party.
  
  This was a Republican held seat occupied by moderate Republican John McHugh. Earlier this fall, McHugh was tapped by [...]
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  Posted: October 23, 2009, 1:38am EDT
  

• Guv Candidates: Don't Quit Your Day Jobs

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  When I, as a voter, assess the numerous candidates we have for the 2010 Minnesota Governor's race, I can honestly say that whether or not they will fall back on a re-election bid for their current seat if they do not get the nomination, is pretty [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2009, 1:56am EDT
  

• Pawlenty on Health Care: Cross State Lines for What Exactly?

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Governor Pawlenty has struggled to get out in front of the current health care debate. It is hard for a Governor to interject leadership into such an issue when you have continued to undermine progress within your own state.
  
  But Pawlenty has latched onto this [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2009, 1:28am EDT
  

• Picture This

  by Alan Anderson
  
  For all who think we should wait to work out all the details over health care financing. For all who think we don't need to cover 46 million people who can't afford health coverage, picture this:
  
  60 people will die today because they don't have' [...]
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  Posted: October 21, 2009, 4:24pm EDT
  

• Pawlenty's Outrage on TVs - Nice Sound Bite, Wrong Problem

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  OK....wait a minute. I realize boondoggle buying of big screen TVs in a sex offender facility are the stuff of dreamy sound bites, but please tell me that the media is not going to again, ignore the larger issue?
  
  This "boneheaded" expenditure was for about [...]
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  Posted: October 20, 2009, 4:43pm EDT
  

• Viking Stadium Solution

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  To me, this is the best stadium comment ever....
  
  As a taxpayer, I would rather pay to fly 55,000 fans (Dome capacity) to LA for eight games (plus playoffs) a year for the next 20 years with one night hotel than build a new stadium. [...]
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  Posted: October 20, 2009, 1:07pm EDT
  

• In Defense of Liberalism - Part I

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  On October 11th, I posted about the fallacy of Republican thinking regarding "free markets" and "limited government" principles. It received a few comments that disagreed with the premise. And so I would like to go into this in a little [...]
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  Posted: October 19, 2009, 1:32pm EDT
  

• Frightening: My Encounter With Private Insurance

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  A conservative blogger named Gary Gross pens for the blog, Let Freedom Ring. One of his posts caught my eye and I think it bears some discussing. It's titled: Frightening: My Encounter With Government-Run Health Care.
  
  Here are a [...]
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  Posted: October 18, 2009, 10:47am EDT
  

• Is Pawlenty Making Any Headway With the GOP Powers That Be?

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  For all the traveling and glad handing Pawlenty has been doing over the past few weeks to few months, you start to wonder if he is really getting the "message" out.
  
  In California, a TV station did a story [...]
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  Posted: October 17, 2009, 10:43pm EDT
  

• GOP Economic Discussion?: Visit a Chamber of Commerce

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  My local Republican legsilators (Sen. Chris Gerlach and Rep. Tara Mack) sponsored a discussion on the economy. Of course, us working slobs weren't invited. No, this was for the local Chamber of Commerce. A GOP friendly group.
  
  Governor' [...]
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  Posted: October 17, 2009, 11:35am EDT
  

• Taxpayer's League Newsletter -- Lunch for the Spam Filter

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  One of the more entertaining newsletters that talk Minnesota policy is the Taxpayer's League newsletter. Really, it is.
  
  This month's version has some items that beg to be commented upon and I will be happy to oblige...
  
  The first little ditty is called "Dome [...]
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  Posted: October 16, 2009, 5:59pm EDT
  

• Vacation in Texas? Why?

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Last week was a bit of a struggle to get blog postings in. I was on vacation and had to "think" on the run. But now that I'm back at the usual grind, let me talk a little bit about that vacation.
  
  We usually travel' [...]
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  Posted: October 16, 2009, 3:34pm EDT
  

• MN Jobs Improves! Maybe Because the Governor is Absent?

  by Dave Mindeman
  
  Hey, good news! Minnesota's Job rate has dropped to 7.3%!
  
  Well, that's good news on the big picture statistical side. Not so much on the "person on the street" side. But with all the gloom we have had to endure over the past year, it [...]
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  Posted: October 15, 2009, 12:55pm EDT