The Daily Digest: 9-28-06
The Grand Old Party will be partying in St. Paul in 2008. The RNC decision to hold the 2008 Republican National Convention at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul leads the digest.
MPR, the Star Tribune, the Pi Press, KARE-11, Congressional Quarterly, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Roll Call (subscription required) and WCCO have stories (there are many more but I'm going to get carpal tunnel if I have to type more in).
Apparently, the GOP elbowed out the DNC to get the Twin Cities spot. The AP and the Star Tribune have stories. One side note, Jo Ann Davidson said yesterday that the RNC picked NYC in 2004 before the DNC selected. That's wrong according to several press accounts. I wonder if Howard Dean let out his well known screech when he heard the RNC news.
The Star Tribune has a story on the last time a convention was held in the Twin Cities.
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Katherine Kersten says Minnesota searches for its political soul. Hasn't that been happening for the past eight years or so?
The convention price tag won't be cheap says the Pi Press but MPR says local business owners are happy.
It could also be a political boost for the GOP says the Pi Press and MPR.
Get ready for all of those "Minnesota Nice" and "you betcha" quotes..
Oh yeah, there will probably be a demonstrator or two.
Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty, DFLer Mike Hatch and Independence Party member Peter Hutchinson debated the issues last night. MPR, the Star Tribune, the Pi Press, KARE-11 and AP have stories.
You can listen to the debate on MPR News at noon.
The latest Zogby/Wall Street Journal poll says Hatch and Pawlenty are in a dead heat. No wonder Pawlenty is turning up the heat on Hatch. He tries to ratchet it up a notch this afternoon with a new ad talking about Hatch's track record. Pawlenty may also be using immigration and a photo id requirement for voting as a wedge issue.
Three GOP House members also held a hearing on "health care fraud" yesterday and brought up the immigrant issue.
Pawlenty will attend a wood products meeting on Friday.
The candidates also take stands on the coal gasification project in northeastern Minnesota.
The MPR and Pi Press have stories on the polls that show a slight shift in opinions on gay marriage.
The Pi Press also writes on the poll on gas prices.
WCCO-TV fact checks a NRCC ad criticizing Patty Wetterling.
Eric Black fact checks Wetterling's ad on Michele Bachmann.
Congressional Quarterly has a story saying Emily's List candidates, like Wetterling, are making gains in their poll. Making gains is political speak for still behind.
But the NRCC may still be a bit worried. They're sending out more mailings.
MPR has a story on the MVST issue that will be on the ballot this year.
It looks like the spokesman for St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman is moving over to Amy Klobuchar's U.S. Senate campaign.
Mary Matalin, former aide to V.P. Dick Cheney among others, will hold a fundraiser for Republican Mark Kennedy today. Kennedy will not be there because of his duties in Congress.
Finally, FactCheck.org fact checks that outrageous ad running in a congressional race in North Carolina. Here's the ad.