Minnesota
Michele 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,…
Read MoreJobless Claims Rate of Increase Slowed Across Upper Midwest in February
Preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment data for the month of February 2009 was released on Wednesday and Thursday for three Upper Midwestern states, with each showing a reduction in the rate of growth of jobless claims. While unemployment rates continued to…
Read MoreUpper Midwest House Members Vote 18-5 in Favor of TARP Bailout Bonus Tax
On Thursday, Upper Midwestern U.S. House Democrats unanimously supported a bill that would impose an additional tax on bonuses received from certain Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) recipients. The measured passed 328 to 93 in the lower chamber. The bill…
Read MoreWhy MinnPost’s Plea for Forgiveness of Minnesota’s Famous Fugitive Is Unfounded
In his recent column, “What happened to the concept of forgiveness in the Sara Jane Olson case?,” MinnPosts’ Doug Grow, in just a shade over 1,000 words, not only advocates for the return of convicted felon Sara Jane Olson (née…
Read MoreOn Why Analyzing the Leaked Coleman Data Is Ethical: A Reply to My Critics
Ethical questions have been raised in recent days surrounding the reporting by news organizations and bloggers on the leaked Norm Coleman U.S. Senate campaign pledges and contributions. Smart Politics has also received its fair share of both criticism and praise…
Read MoreAn Occupational Profile of Norm Coleman’s Campaign Donor List
The many bits of information made available from the leak of the Norm Coleman U.S. Senate campaign donor database, posted at Wikileaks on Wednesday, gives the public a glimpse into what type of people supported the Republican incumbent’s candidacy. On…
Read MoreColeman’s Compromised Donors: Where They Came From
The news for Norm Coleman just keeps getting worse. Fresh off his recent attempt to sell to the public (and the three-judge panel hearing his recount challenge) that the State of Minnesota should hold a new election, the private…
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