Chew Toyz

Things to chew on this weekend (and into next week!).

Is Franken buttering up Nelson-Pallmeyer to butter his own bread?

DFL U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken was on Midday yesterday. He didn't say anything too newsworthy but one thing struck me during the broadcast. Franken was happy to praise one of his DFL opponents, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. Franken may just be agreeing with Nelson-Pallmeyer on the issues but he may also be laying the groundwork for his support at the DFL convention. Several DFL politicos (who aren't affiliated with the campaigns) have suggested in recent weeks that Nelson-Pallmeyer could be a broker in an endorsing convention. The thinking is that Nelson-Pallmeyer couldn’t win the endorsement but his support could determine who wins. Is Franken hoping to be the benefit of that?

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Alberto: "Orange isn't my color!"

Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez is running into plenty of problems trying to raise money for his legal defense fund. One avenue of quick cash is the college lecture circuit but the Washington Post says he's having some trouble. Some colleges don't want him on campus. Students are also organizing massive protests when he does come to campus. In one instance, Gonzalez was forced to deliver his speech as two protesters in orange jumpsuits walked up on the stage. The protesters were later arrested.

Bringing in a bundle!

The Campaign Finance Institute-Public Citizen released a joint report on bundlers (the folks who raise plenty of money on behalf of the presidential candidates). It’s an incomplete document because, surprise surprise, the campaigns aren’t providing all of the details into their fundraising.

There are some Minnesotans on the list. We lay it out by campaign (highest number of bundlers to lowest):

Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards

Ted Mondale, entrepreneur, amount raised not listed

Dan Gustafson, Gustafson & Grich, amount raised not listed

William R. Sieben, Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben, amount raised not listed

Akshay Rao, University of Minnesota, amount raised not listed

Kathleen Flynn Peterson, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, amount raised not listed

Joel Conner, Luigino's Inc., amount raised not listed

Susan Haugerud Galtere, International Fund, amount raised not listed

Paul Redford Thatcher, Retired, amount raised not listed

Illinois Senator Barak Obama

Dick Cohen, St. Paul attorney and state senator, raised more than $100,000.00

Lester N. Coney, restaurateur, raised more than $200,000.00

Samuel Kaplan Kaplan, Strangis and Kaplan, raised more than $200,000.00

Sylvia Chessen Kaplan, Cuisine Concepts, raised more than $200,000.00

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani

Rudy Boschwitz, former U.S. Senator and executive at Home Valu, amount raised not listed

Wheelock Whitney, Whitney Management Company, amount raised not listed

Arizona Senator John McCain

Tim Pawlenty, MN Governor, amount raised not listed

I was surprised that Hillary Clinton's bundler list didn't include any Minnesotans. She has some heavyweights backing her like Lois Quam, Walter Mondale, Vance Opperman and Mark Dayton.

Did the report miss anyone?

LGA for the nation?

Do you think property taxes are bad in Minnesota? Well, folks in Indiana are outraged:

In Indiana, a spike in real-estate tax bills for Marion County, which includes the state capital of Indianapolis, caused a backlash this summer. In some neighborhoods, property-tax bills as much as doubled. Residents staged a rally at which they dunked a giant tea bag in a canal -- a reference to the Boston Tea Party -- and a July 4 protest outside the governor's mansion.

"I was holding a microphone and saying, 'I'm right there with you,' " said Michael Rodman, Marion County treasurer, who joined protesters after seeing his property-tax bill jump 80%.

Property taxes in the county were increased by new assessments, the elimination of a business-inventory tax that shifted more of the tax burden to homeowners, and greater spending by local government and schools.

The Wall Street Journal has stories on the backlash (subscription required on this one – Boo!) and on possible remedies (no subscription required on this one – Hooray!).

What could have been

Politico had an interesting story this week that examined New Hampshire’s first primary in the nation status (Iowa has caucuses so that state is immune from the primary discussion). It’s an interesting read on how the New Hampshire Secretary of State had to jockey to ensure that his state's primary was first in 2008 (which is a state law).

What struck me is that Minnesota's Primary used to be scheduled on the same day as New Hampshire:

The state’s first presidential primary was scheduled for May 1916.

But someone suggested that it would be cheaper to hold the primary on the same day all towns in New Hampshire hold their annual town meetings: the second Tuesday in March.

Granite Staters pride themselves on their frugality, so the date was changed.

That wasn’t enough to make New Hampshire first. Indiana’s primary came a week earlier in 1916, and Minnesota’s primary was the same day as New Hampshire’s.

But by 1920, Indiana had moved its primary back, and Minnesota returned to a caucus.

New Hampshire was in sole possession of first place in the presidential primary sweepstakes.

Just imagine what it would be like to see the candidates campaigning throughout Minnesota - Huckabee in Hutchinson, Romney in Roseau, Clinton in Cloquet and Obama in Owatonna.

I’ll be on vacation for the first part of next week but may post sporadically at the end of the week. Please have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season!