Minnesota
Live blog: McCollum Talk on Afghanistan and Pakistan
12:00 pm. Representative McCollum’s (MN-04) speech today is entitled, “American Foreign Policy: A Focus On Afghanistan.” McCollum is a new member to the House Appropriations Committee and is the Senior Democratic Whip. McCollum just returned from a visit to Afghanistan…
Read MoreKlobuchar, the Environment, and Smart Politics Live Blogging
Smart Politics will be blogging live from the Humphrey Institute on Monday, April 2nd, from Noon to 1:30 pm at Senator Amy Klobuchar’s speech on global warming and renewable energy. Klobuchar’s talk, sponsored by the Center for the Study…
Read MoreKlobuchar Event: Live Blogging
12:05 pm. Senator Klobuchar opened to a very warm reception. She began by summarizing her achievements in the Senate – being a Junior Whip, passing the Iraq War Resolution, and fighting for ethics reform. Klobuchar has the crowd in the…
Read MoreSmart Politics Live Blogging at Klobuchar Event
Smart Politics will be blogging live from 12:00-1:30 pm at an event sponsored by the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance (CSPG) at the Humphrey Institute on Monday, April 2nd. The event will feature Minnesota DFL Senator Amy…
Read MoreUpper Midwestern States Contemplate Presidential Primary Dates
As Election 2008 heats up, states across the nation are strategically shuffling their primary and caucus schedules in attempt to become more relevant players in the presidential campaign. Upper Midwestern states are also contemplating changes to their schedules in view…
Read MoreTurnover in 2008 MN House Party Control Follow-up
My Smart Politics entry on Monday for Twin Cities Public Television’s Almanac: At the Capitol site prompted a quick reply by the GOP leadership. Minnesota House Minority Leader Marty Seifert offered a thoughtful rejoinder here to my historical analysis demonstrating…
Read MoreGOP Unlikely to Take Back Minnesota House in 2008
The new Smart Politics commentary for Twin Cities Public Television’s Almanac: At the Capitol site is now posted here. Several commentators and news reports have filled out their ‘DFL scorecard’ as we pass the halfway point in this year’s legislative…
Read MoreNorm Coleman Maintains Double-Digit Lead Over Al Franken in New Poll
One of the Democratic National Committee’s most targeted U.S. Senate seats in 2008 is assuredly the one held by Minnesota Republican Senator Norm Coleman. Thus far Al Franken has emerged as the most prominent candidate to challenge Coleman in…
Read MoreSmoking in MN: Yes in Bars, No in Restaurants
The public opinion firm SurveyUSA recently released a series of questions asked of a random sample of 500 adults in Minnesota addressing a variety of social public policy issues on the state’s legislative agenda. Regarding the proposed smoking ban…
Read MoreFemale Legislators in MN At Record High; IA, WI, and SD Lag Behind National Average
Minnesota voters set a record in November 2006 by electing the highest percentage of female legislators to both the state House (43, 32.1 percent) and Senate (27, 40.3 percent) in Gopher State history. Overall, at 34.8 percent, Minnesota ranks 4th…
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