The Daily Digest
Greetings from the lovely FarmFest and it's hot!
It's expected to get hotter today when six of the candidates for governor take the stage today to discuss their vision for being governor. Republican Tom Emmer will participate in the first debate with Democrats Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Mark Dayton and Matt Entenza since January. He briefly shared the stage with them at an Indian Association of Minnesota event in June. Tom Horner and Rob Hahn, both running in the Independence Party primary, are also participating in the forum.
Expect all three Democrats to openly criticize Emmer with the hopes of showing DFL primary voters that they're tough enough to take him on in November and push their own ideas that appeal to DFL base voters. Primary day is less than a week away.
After a 24 year drought, MPR takes a look at whether a Democrat win the governor's race? Analysts from the DFL and GOP weigh in.
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Democrat Matt Entenza was on MPR's Midday on Tuesday.
David Wellstone, the son of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, backed Margaret Anderson Kelliher's bid for governor.
Race for Congress
MPR gets reaction to DFL Rep. Collin Peterson push to not increase farm spending in 2012. Peterson made the comments during Tuesday's Congressional candidate forum. Candidates from the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th District participated. GOP Rep. John Kline and GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann declined to attend.
DFL Rep. Tim Walz and Republican Randy Demmer traded barbs over federal spending and the climate change bill. MPR, the Star Tribune, AP, Forum Communications, the Rochester Post-Bulletin and Politics in Minnesota have stories.
MinnPost says GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen's town hall meeting on Monday night got testy.
Congress
The debate over Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court has started in the Senate.
DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar and DFL Sen. Al Franken made their closing statements for Kagan's nomination.
Klobuchar will give the Eugene McCarthy lecture at St. John's University.
Several top members of the Obama Administration and DFL Rep. Betty McCollum will be in Minneapolis today to discuss President Obama's Outdoors Initiative.
DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar visited South Bend, Indiana and Cincinnati this week.
Under the Dome
Retirees challenge the state's pension law.
Gov. Pawlenty says he's excited about a mine proposal in northern Minnesota.
DFL Rep. Alice Hausman, who chairs the House Capital Investment Committee, says she wants to start the next session by passing a bonding bill that includes projects vetoed by Gov. Pawlenty.
Pawlenty for Prez Watch
Gov. Pawlenty says the state of Minnesota should adopt an English only law.
Gov. Pawlenty held a Minneapolis fundraiser for Carly Fiorina of California.