Posts by Dr. Eric Ostermeier
The Trial Begins: What Is Norm Coleman’s End Game?
The fact that the Minnesota Senate recount has moved to the lawsuit phase is a surprise to no one – with an election decided by a few hundred votes, there is no doubt either candidate who ended up on the…
Read MoreIowa’s Congressional District Map 5th Least Competitive in 17 Decades
Last month Smart Politics profiled the lack of competitiveness generated by Minnesota’s currently drawn Congressional District map – a map that has produced the third least percentage of competitive contests in 15 decades in the Gopher State. Minnesota’s neighbor to…
Read MoreMinnesota Endures Worst Employment Skid in 30+ Years
Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate now stands at 6.9 percent, according to new December 2008 numbers released by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. The data continues what, by many measures, are the worst statewide jobless numbers since…
Read MoreTired of War: Minnesotans Not Shy About Changing Presidential Party During Wartime
Now that Barack Obama has been inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States, the question on the minds of many Minnesotans is: “How long do we wait for ‘change?'” Obama’s campaign for ‘change’ during the presidential primaries and…
Read MoreDoes Keith Ellison Have a Mandate? Rep. Sets Freshman Re-election Record
If it seems as if Keith Ellison has a free hand with which to cast controversial votes in the U.S. House, such as his ‘present’ vote for the Israeli-Gaza House resolution, he probably does. The DFL Congressman registered the second…
Read MoreStance of Ellison and McCollum On Israeli-Gaza Resolution Shines a Light on Liberal Voting Records
The “present” votes registered by Keith Ellison and Betty McCollum a week ago Friday on the U.S. House resolution to recognize “Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza, reaffirming the United States’ strong support for Israel, and supporting…
Read MoreA 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…
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