Posts by Dr. Eric Ostermeier
Former Deputy AG James Comey Views Obama as “Credible” Leader in Counterterrorism Fight
James Comey, the 6 foot 8 inch former U.S. Deputy Attorney General who, in March 2004, stood figuratively and literally between President George W. Bush and the recertification of a NSA domestic intelligence program while Attorney General John Ashcroft was…
Read MorePawlenty Faces 4th Largest Democratic-Dominated Legislature Among GOP Governors Nationwide
With the release of the DFL’s budget earlier this month, the war of words (and policies) in the budget battle between the DFL leadership and Minnesota Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty has seemingly intensified. During her media availability last Friday, House…
Read MoreDecember 2013? July 2016? Estimating When Unemployment Will Return to Pre-Recession Levels in Minnesota
Governor Tim Pawlenty and State Economist Tom Stinson have frequently declared that Minnesota is in its worst recession since World War II. If that is the case, how long will it take to return to the halcyon days of a…
Read MoreErik Paulsen’s (Semi) Close Shave Could Get Closer in 2010
Congressional Quarterly recently identified Congressional districts that split their ticket in the 2008 U.S. House and presidential contests. Almost one-fifth of the current Republicans in Congress were elected without the help of John McCain. In total, 34 of the 178…
Read MoreObama Sustains Early Support in Minnesota; Falters in Wisconsin and Iowa
SurveyUSA’s latest round of approval ratings for President Barack Obama have been released for a dozen states across the country, in polling conducted March 20-22 of 600 adults in each state. Although the President has had a consistently higher job…
Read MorePracticing What He Preaches: Obama’s (Safe) Post-Partisan NCAA Picks
President Barack Obama has been bluntly criticized by some pundits and politicians for taking time out of his White House schedule to fill out his NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament picks on ESPN last week. While some Americans enjoyed Obama’s ‘man-of-the-people’…
Read MoreMichele Bachmann on D.C.: “I’m a Foreign Correspondent On Enemy Lines”
During a Saturday afternoon interview on WWTC 1280 AM with The Northern Alliance’s John Hinderaker and Brian Ward, Minnesota Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann discussed her staunch opposition to several Democratic-led efforts on Capitol Hill this session – such as the…
Read More79 Days: Minnesota Sets State Record for Longest Period With Only One U.S. Senator
At 12:00 am Monday morning, the State of Minnesota set a new record for operating at half-strength in Capitol Hill’s upper chamber. At 79 days and counting, Minnesota’s current stint with only one U.S. Senator has now eclipsed the…
Read MoreBeyond the War of Words At the Capitol: What’s Next?
During the House DFL leadership’s press conference last Thursday in which they unveiled the broad strokes of their balanced budget plan, Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Majority Leader Tony Sertich used biting language to characterize the budget plan of their…
Read MoreBeneath the Budget Battle, Redistricting Efforts Bubble Up
A Who’s Who of Minnesota politics from across the political spectrum continue to speak as one voice in an effort to bring change to the process by which the State draws its congressional and legislative districts. Back in January 2008,…
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