Archive for January 2009
A Content Analysis of Governor Pawlenty’s 2008 and 2009 State of the State Addresses
Governor Tim Pawlenty’s State of the State Address on Thursday afternoon saw a significant change in the policy issues he raised from his previous address on February 13, 2008. These changes largely reflected the harsh economic reality that has beset…
Read More12 Days And Counting: Minnesota Already At 4th Longest Stint Without Two Senators in State History
Since January 3rd, when Norm Coleman’s first term as U.S. Senator came to an end, Amy Klobuchar has officially been doing double-duty as the state’s lone Senator on Capitol Hill. Klobuchar has stated her office started receiving a noticeable increase…
Read MoreWill the Minnesota-Wisconsin Shared State Services Plan Work?
On Tuesday, Minnesota Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty and Wisconsin Democratic Governor Jim Doyle signed executive orders calling for department heads to identify, by the end of February, “Specific activities, programs, and services … for potential cooperative service arrangements.” The orders…
Read MoreColeman Popularity Virtually Unchanged Since Election Day, Despite Recent Poll Headline
Much has been made of the extremely low favorability ratings Norm Coleman (and Al Franken) are enduring in the wake of numbers released in last week’s SurveyUSA poll of Minnesotans conducted after the conclusion of the 2008 U.S. Senate recount…
Read MoreThe Frugal Three: Wisconsin Legislators Reject Annual Pay Increase
In a year that has seen rising unemployment, a volatile stock market, and increasing state and federal budget deficits, the backlash on talk radio and in print against legislators in D.C. and at state capitols for receiving pay raises has…
Read MoreHow to Save Minnesota’s U.S. House Seat: More Teenage Mothers?
Last month Smart Politics examined the political impact on the state of Minnesota should it lose one U.S. House seat as projected by many analysts, including a recent report issued by Election Data Services. Earlier this week, the Centers for…
Read MoreU.S. Senate Race Ends Up 12 Votes Shy of ’62 Gubernatorial Margin of Victory Record
With the final results (court challenge pending) certified by the State Canvassing Board on Monday finding Al Franken with a 225-vote victory over Norm Coleman, the 2008 U.S. Senate race nearly eclipsed the 1962 gubernatorial election as the closest high-profile…
Read MoreHow Opposed Are Minnesotans To Tax Increases?
With the start of the new legislative session officially underway, the clock has begun to tick on the likely showdown between Governor Tim Pawlenty and the DFL-controlled legislature as to whether tax increases should be a part of the solution…
Read MoreWill Al Franken Be the Favorite in 2014?
Presuming Al Franken is eventually seated as the junior Senator from Minnesota sometime this year, the Republican Party will no doubt soon be gearing up to plan his political demise in 2014 – whether with Norm Coleman in a rematch…
Read MoreFranken’s (Apparent) Victory Is 4th Weakest U.S. Senate Performance in DFL History
Throughout his U.S. Senate campaign, Al Franken was dogged by criticisms, even peppered from within his own party, that he was a ‘weak candidate’ for the DFL. These criticisms took many forms, such as stern words regarding Franken’s writings…
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