The Daily Digest

The situation in Afghanistan leads the Digest today.

October is the deadliest month in Afghanistan since the start of the war in 2001.

A new poll says support for a troop surge in Afghanistan increases.

President Obama is closer to a decision on a troop increase.

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The brother of Afghanistan's president denies being on the CIA payroll.

GOP Rep. John Kline wrote in an op-ed that now is the time for action in Afghanistan.

CT Senator Joe Lieberman is threatening to block the public option.

Meanwhile, Democrats are downplaying Lieberman's threat.

The Minnesota delegation weighs in on Reid's public option.

An op-ed in the Wall St. Journal says allowing states to opt out means more than health care would be at stake.

The Washington Post says AARP could make millions off of the health care changes it backs.

The FAA revokes the licenses of the two pilots who overshot MSP.

The Obama Administration will reconsider a trucker rule.

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar calls for an investigation into the sweat lodge deaths.

DFL Rep. Keith Ellison denounces a call to probe of the Islamic group.

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann is hopeful an air carrier can provide service between St. Cloud and Chicago. Delta announced last week that it was ending flights between St. Cloud and the Twin Cities.

DFL Rep. Collin Peterson is meeting with Rep. Barney Frank to discuss changes to the financial services industry.

Congressional negotiators reached a deal that would exempt 13 Great Lakes shippers from new EPA clean air rules. DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar is mentioned.

Under the Dome

Three state lawmakers head to Washington D.C. today to offer suggestions on the Climate Change bill.

The Twin Cities housing market is the hottest in the country.

Vice-President Joe Biden held a conference call with Gov. Pawlenty and others to discuss the Recovery Act.

Pawlenty also released a transportation proposal that relies on business money to speed up some road projects. Democrats say the state money came from a transportation bill that Pawlenty vetoed. MPR, the Star Tribune and the Pi Press have stories.

He's also forced to defend his spending in rural Minnesota.

Schools are making a strong push for increased funding.

The House Jobs Task Force held a committee hearing in Milaca.

The Minnesota conservation advocacy group downgraded its ranking of dozens of lawmakers.

Groups are pushing for three additional light rail stops along the Central Corridor LRT.

2010 Race for Governor

A bipartisan group of the candidates for governor will be in Anoka today.

The Republican candidates for governor will be in Benton County on Thursday.

MinnPost says there is no DFL frontrunner.

DFL Sen. John Marty says no public money for a Vikings stadium.

DFL Sen. Jim Vickerman is backing Tom Bakk for governor.

Former state Sen. Steve Kelley got two more endorsements from legislators.

Minnesota Republicans send out a mailer to Minneapolis residents asking "Where's R.T?"

Rybak will speak to the Rotary Clubs about the economy.

Conservative blogger Craig Westover will head up the communications efforts for Pat Anderson.

Pawlenty for Prez Watch

Pawlenty tells Human Events that he supports drilling in ANWR. In 2008, the Star Tribune said he supported drilling in ANWR, "though his support was contingent on drilling technologies that do it safely."

The former NRCC Chair, Tom Davis, said Pawlenty's backing of a conservative over the Republican endorsed candidate is disappointing:

"For a lot of moderates who look at Pawlenty as reasonable, it's kind of disappointing," said former Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), a former NRCC chairman. "What Republicans have to realize is that they have to form a broad base of support. But that's not how you win the Republican primary."

Pawlenty sidesteps Newt Gingrich's criticism that GOP support for Doug Hoffman as a "purge."

Pawlenty will speak to the NRSC in mid November.

Remember to check our map for all of his out of state travel.

An Iowa group invites Sarah Palin to a November event.

Palin got a $1.25 million advance for her book.