Minnesota
Klobuchar Begins Term With Strong Statewide Support
The approval ratings are in for Minnesota junior Senator Amy Klobuchar, after only a few weeks on the job in Washington, D.C. The latest SurveyUSA poll finds 56 percent of Minnesotans approve of her job performance in the U.S….
Read MoreUpper Midwestern US Senators React to State of the Union Address
Several U.S. Senators from the Upper Midwest have released official statements in reaction to President George W. Bush’s seventh State of the Union Address from last night. Republican Charles Grassley of Iowa stated he was impressed with Bush’s overall leadership…
Read MoreAddresses by Upper Midwest Governors Remarkably Similar
Three gubernatorial addresses conducted this month across the Upper Midwest have been remarkably similar with regards to the main issues raised in the speeches. Republican Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty’s State of the State address delivered last week focused on four…
Read MoreDivided Government in Minnesota: New Smart Politics Commentary at TPT
The latest Smart Politics commentary for Twin Cities Public Television’s Almanac: At The Capitol website is now online, discussing divided government in Minnesota. The essay suggests that high expectations for productive, low-conflict legislative sessions in Minnesota are unreasonable in a…
Read MoreThree Upper Midwestern US Senators Publicly Oppose Bush’s New Iraq Strategy
Less than 12 hours after President George W. Bush’s address to the nation revealing his new strategy for victory in Iraq—a strategy that included sending more than 21,000 new troops to the region—three Upper Midwestern senators have expressed public disapproval…
Read MoreWill 2008 Republican National Convention Have An Impact On MN Presidential Vote?
When the Republican National Committee announced in September 2006 that its Site Selection Committee had voted to recommend the Twin Cities to host the 2008 Republican National Convention, it continued an interesting trend in GOP party politics. For the fourth…
Read MoreImmigration: The Unspoken Issue Facing Minnesota Politics?
Most Republicans and DFLers at the Minnesota Capitol are in agreement regarding the most important issues to be addressed this year—education, property taxes, transportation, health care etc. But there is one concern to many Minnesotans that remains bubbling beneath the…
Read MoreFord Ran Successful Upper Midwest Presidential Campaign in 1976
The passing of our 38th President Gerald Ford prompted Smart Politics to take a look at his 1976 presidential campaign in the Upper Midwest—and the close races he faced with Jimmy Carter that year. Richard Nixon—who had nearly swept the…
Read MoreMinnesota’s Approval of Pawlenty Job Performance Remarkably Stable
Tim Pawlenty heads into his second term on the heels of a very narrow, plurality vote victory last month, and the prospects of having to work with a DFL-controlled state House for the first time in his administration, as…
Read MoreUpper Midwest Representatives Receive New US House Committee Assignments
Earlier this week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced new Committee assignments for Freshmen members, plus added existing members to new Committees as Democrats increased their membership on Committees with their 30 seat gain in November’s election. Starting his 6th term,…
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