The Daily Digest: 12-5-06
The digest has lots of questions this morning (partly because there doesn't seem to be a whole lot cooking on the political front).
1) Where will Governor Pawlenty and state lawmakers find the money to fund schools, pay to insure every child and provide property tax relief?
2) Who will be chief of staff to DFL Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller?
3) Who will be in and out in Governor Pawlenty's next administration? Will Steve Sviggum be on that list?
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4) When will Glen Fladeboe tell House DFLers that they can now stop the daily mantra of "property taxes, health care and education"?
5) When will the national political watchers stop writing about Norm Coleman being vulnerable and start handicapping who will run against Coleman?
6) Who will run against Coleman?
7) Will Governor Pawlenty continue to play footsie with John McCain and play coy with the Minnesota press corps?
Ok, chew on those questions for a while. In the meantime, let's go to the digest.
There was a little D,M and E party down in the fair city of Rochester yesterday. The Transportation Secretary, GOP Senator Norm Coleman and GOP Governor Tim Pawlenty were in attendance. Maybe they threw the party since DFLer Tim Walz won his election over GOP Congressman Gil Gutknecht. Nothing like an electoral upset to throw some cold water in the face of those who think Rochester is GOP country and can say the Mayo Clinic's concerns are overblown. Need proof, take a look at this CQ politics article on
the Democratic takeover (mentions Walz).
MPR, the Star Tribune, the Rochester Post Bulletin and the AP have stories on the D,M and E meeting.
Minnesota is #1 in health again. USA Today has the story.
Governor Pawlenty is in Arizona today to attend a meeting with the National Governors Association. They'll talk about a plan to link universities with economic growth.
Speaking of economic growth, the presidents of Minnesota's colleges and universities are making some money, says the Star Tribune.
Outgoing Attorney General Mike Hatch says he believes state law allows Target and Wal-Mart to sell generic medicine at $4. Target and Wal-Mart aren't going along with Hatch's ruling. They may want to see what the incoming attorney general has to say on that matter. MPR and the Pi Press have stories.
City Pages has a few questions for Larry Pogemiller.
The Southwest Journal (that's southwest Minneapolis not southwest Minnesota) writes that urban DFL leadership in the Legislature worries some.
ECM Publishing says there's a new cast of characters at the Legislature.
http://hometownsource.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=210&Itemid=29
Congress
DFL Congressman Jim Oberstar says American Airlines or United Airlines should get a flight to China.
Islamic group wants Ellison critic removed from Holocaust council.
2008
NBC writes that the 2008 GOP presidential hopefuls disappoint some conservatives.
Other
Smart Politics writes about the decline of the Independence Party.