• Politics in Minnesota: The Weekly Report - Vol. 3, Issue 46 - 5/30/2008: In this issue: The Republicans In Rochester; Best Of The PIM Liveblog; Much More From Rochester; Carey: Criticism Part Of The Job; DFL's Brian Melendez Prefers To Stay Off Radar; Minnesota's 4th Congressional District; Bits & Pieces; Lobbyist Watch.
• Politics in Minnesota: The Weekly Report - Vol. 3, Issue 47 - 6/6/2008: In this issue: The DFL Takes The Stage; Al Franken: The GOP Gift That Keeps on Giving (The View From Your GOP Publisher); Another Appeal To The Prurient Interest (The View From DFL PIM Staff); Post-Mortem For Mortifying GOP Meet; Dr. Shepard: International Man Of Mystery; MyWireless Spends Big On Anti-Consumer Legislation; Bits & Pieces; Lobbyist Watch.

As the PIM team built our 2008 legislative campaign pages, we couldn't help but start to seriously consider how the races might shake out.

This last biennium, Democrats held a daunting 36-vote margin in the House, 85 Democrats to 49 Republicans. After this year's high profile transportation funding veto override (all 85 House Democrats plus six Republicans voted to override), the DFL House caucus has not been shy about letting everyone know the group wants DFL-proof veto-override powers. The magic number for the constitutionally required veto override vote is 90, two-thirds of the 134 House seats, which is only five more seats. House Democrats think they can pick up those seats this year, because of prevailing anti-GOP winds and the fact that in presidential years, Democrats do a terrific job of turning out the vote.

But Ben Golnik, political consultant to the House Republican Campaign Committee, vehemently disagrees. He is confident this season will bring gains for the GOP (perhaps even double-digit gains), citing vulnerable DFL freshman as prize GOP targets. A 19-seat gain would bring back the majority, and while it sounds unlikely, one need only look back to 2006 when the DFL gained 19 seats to steal the majority away. It can be done, says Golnik.

Ten seats which will receive considerable attention this year are the same House District races that were close in 2006. The tightest races were upsets of 8-termers Rep. Phil Krinkie (R-Shoreview) and Rep. Greg Davids (R-Preston), whose races were ultimately decided by 26 voters. Krinkie, now President of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota, did not pursue endorsement at the caucus earlier this year. In fact, a primary is expected between endorsed candidate John Kappler [campaign site] and former two-term Senator Mady Reiter [campaign site] (R-Shoreview). Reiter lost to Sen. Sandy Rummel (DFL-White Bear Lake) in 2006 by 2,265 votes, however in the 53A side of her district Reiter only lost by 179 votes.

Davids is gearing up for a rematch with freshman Rep. Ken Tschumper [campaign site] (DFL-La Crescent). Mid-week, Tschumper still had not updated his website from 2006, but one assumes his message of, "We are not going to solve our problems if we keep re-electing the people already in office," will likely be tweaked a bit. [The fact that Davids doesn't have a website prompts the question: Which is worse? A website that is outdated, or no website at all?]

In 38A, Freshman Rep. Sandra Masin [campaign site] (DFL-Eagan) will be holding her ground against endorsed GOP candidate Diane Anderson [campaign site]. Masin ran against then-GOP incumbent Tim Wilkin in 1998 and lost by 2,176 votes. But every year since, Wilkin's DFL opponent closed the gap. Wilkin garnered 54.3% of the vote against Tom Weisbecker in 2000, 53.8% against DFL-endorsed Meg Tilley and Independence Party candidate Art Seaberg in 2002 and 52.4% against Christine Harbron in 2004.

This year will be the first time since 2000 that voters in district 25B will not see a Bly vs. Cox ticket. Rep. David Bly (DFL-Northfield), after two unsuccessful attempts, finally took out Rep. Ray Cox (R-Northfield). In 2002 Cox won by 46 votes, and in 2004 he won by a much more comfortable spread of 586 votes. Cox ran unsuccessfully against Sen. Kevin Dahle (DFL-Northfield) in a January 2008 special election for the seat left vacant when Sen. Neuville (R-Northfield) was appointed to the Rice County bench. Cox's website says he has, "grown weary of the spirit of politics that has developed in Northfield," and thus chose not to run for the House seat this year. Data from the special election likely influenced his decision as well: while he lost to Dahle by a total of 1,577 votes, he lost in HD 25B by 1,606 votes.

In 29B, Rep. Kim Norton [campaign site] (DFL-Rochester) will be defending her seat against Jason Johnson [campaign site]. As the chart shows, pro-DFL interests spent over four times as much as Norton's campaign itself spent, with the GOP interests not far behind. In 2004, Norton trailed Rep. Fran Bradley (R-Rochester) by only 311 votes. When Bradley retired in 2006 after 12 years of service, Norton squeaked ahead of Rich Decker to earn a seat in the 2007-08 Legislature. Johnson is a Ron Paulite and his recent post on a Ron Paul web forum detailing his need for funds can be found here. His campaign website shares that his August wedding will now be postponed - not due to the campaign, but to his wife-to-be's need for a kidney transplant.

We'll have more on the top House races after the Fourth of July holiday, but meanwhile, check out the table here detailing 2006's closest House races (PDF, victors are underlined, "Inc." stands for Incumbent).

 [Thanks to PIM's Pam Steinle for the hours she put in researching the races.]

We know you will find it to be the most comprehensive House race guide available because we built it to be that way. For each House District page, we've incorporated the maps and district descriptions from the 2007-2008 Politics in Minnesota Directory. We added links to candidate web sites.

Most important, we added a place for everyone to post new news or comments about the race to each page. We're hoping candidates, other media and bloggers who write about races will add new information in this section. If anyone wants to add something without attribution, please send it to staff@politicsinminnesota.com and we'll post it for you.

Of course, to get a much better picture of each candidate's prospects, your best bet is to order the 2007-2008 Politics in Minnesota Directory, which includes election histories for each incumbent, the vote percentages for major candidates in each district and much more in addition to the maps and district descriptions below. Buy the Directory here.

Please note that the district maps and written descriptions are copyrighted. We encourage you to link to the pages, but printing them for dissemination requires the permission of the publisher. To get permission, write to staff@politicsinminnesota.com.

Also, please note that some incumbents do not yet have opponents. Candidate filings close July 15, 2008.

We've just posted a new Weekly Report for you to check out:

• Politics in Minnesota: The Weekly Report - Vol. 3, Issue 45 - 5/20/2008: In this issue: Happy End Of Session & Publishing Notes; House Retirements And The Lay Of The Land; A Final Gesture: Eloquent Ozment Saves Foreclosure Reform; Superdelegate At Large: Nancy Larson On The Spot - And Within The Dark Void Of Fox & Friends; Salvia Part II, Fictional Fiscal Note Edition: Save Money & Look Good By Expanding The War On Drugs For Free!; Ron Paul Revolution Everlasting!; Third Congressional District, Continued...; Bits & Pieces; Lobbyist Watch.

Also, we've added a new blog to our Minnesota Political Blog Directory: the Black Oil Blog run by the U.S. Energy PAC of Rogers, Minnesota. They're pushing politicians to generate more energy domestically, while criticizing ethanol for contributing to the jump in food prices.

Please send your blogs to staff@politicsinminnesota.com or use our handy contact form.

This concludes the coverage by Politics in Minnesota and the Saint Paul Legal Ledger Capitol Report team at the 2008 DFL State Convention. The convention still has to digest a very large number of national delegate contenders because everyone wants to go to Denver. We will release the results of the DFL's platform action agenda in the Morning Report later this week. Thanks for joining us, and click here to see all our convention coverage posts in fullscreen format.

Freshman Rep. Paul Gardner (DFL-Shoreview) is cranking up for the fall campaign, his third. (He ran unsuccessfully in 2004, and kept fighting to narrowly defeat arch-fiscal conservative former Rep. Phil Krinkie in 2006.)

Gardner's GOP-endorsed opponent this fall is John Kappler, a conservative who was endorsed in March after eight ballots (here's his website). Kappler's opponents were former Sen. Mady Reiter and Laura Merickel of Shoreview. There's a possibility Reiter may challenge Kappler in the primary: the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board says her committee is still open. Gardner is "a little surprised" at how the suburban GOP units have been endorsing candidates, sticking with people who are "really pure on taxes."

During his freshman term, Gardner has been cutting a modern path presenting his work to constituents electronically. He's been getting into the multimedia thing, with a YouTube video about transportation posted in February. He also makes weekly posts about policy and local affairs on paulgardner53a.blogspot.com, and he encourages his fellow legislators to follow his lead. He likes to let people know what lobbyists have been seeing him, what's happening on his committees, and in his session wrap-up, where his bills entered law, often tucked deep within omnibus bills. (He's even got a Facebook account!)

Gardner has just started door-knocking again, and he's feeling pretty good about his chances of hanging onto his seat in the once-staunchly GOP district (consisting of Lexington, Circle Pines, and parts of Shoreview, North Oaks, Lino Lakes and Blaine). Why? Suburban DFL legislators have "found our voice;" it's even a bit "therapeutic" to doorknock and see how citizens feel about the legislative session.

He says that he can check off accomplishments in each area he campaigned on: education, health care, property taxes, the environment and transportation. "99 percent of the credit" should go to House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher (DFL-Minneapolis), in part because "every voice is heard" within the DFL caucus.

Gardner expects his team of 15 campaign folks to return for the summer campaign, more experienced and ready to win. Gardner believes his district sees a contrast between how the 2008 session concluded, versus the 2004 and 2006 sessions. Before, locals thought that "these guys can't finish on time," but today he hears, "Wow, you did it." People in his district are "not upset" about the gas tax hike, because they are "seeing results," including slating the reconstruction of I-694 between I-35W and I-35E for 2012. Even some GOP supporters say he "did what you needed to do" on matters like education.

Many of the Senate District 53 delegates are new to him: locals are energized, in no small part by U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) candidacy, although many delegates are motivated by state-level races, as well.

Initially, he was a Mike Ciresi supporter for the U.S. Senate, and came specifically to vote on the race, though he declined to declare his preference. Prior to the contest, he wasn't worried if balloting would take a long time. "After two weeks on the floor [of the House] straight, this is easy!"

I think Amy Klobuchar is cute.

That’s not satire, it’s not a joke, and it has nothing to do with whether I think the former Hennepin County prosecutor is a good U.S. Senator.

I just happen to think she’s good-looking. And for the record, I think it’s too early in her senatorial career to judge how effective or not Klobuchar is.

But she’s definitely a politician, someone who’s been groomed for the political arena, and she’s apparently pretty good at it, given she was elected to the U.S. Senate.

And make no mistake – being a politician ain’t easy.

Over the years of my career as a journalist, mostly in Chicago, I’ve covered more than a few politicians and political races. I like to say that I like and dislike politicians and politics with equal fervor.

Some of the politicians I’ve covered and gotten to know a little I hold in the highest regard, no matter which party they belong to; others, I consider egotistical blow-bags not worth much (again, regardless of party).

I’ve often thought about how to be a politician you have to have a sizable ego, a great touch with people, tremendous energy and a strong desire to serve the public. In the best ones, the ego is not quite as big as the desire to serve and bring about change.

But there’s no doubt how much time and effort it takes to run for office and stay in office (not even to mention the oodles of money it takes and keeps taking).

Think about it – as a politician you always have to be “on”. You can never in public let your guard down, especially in these Internet- and YouTube-fueled days. We all have our bad days, days when we’d be better off staying home because the force just isn’t with us.

But for most of us, having a bad day isn’t a make-or-break proposition; for politicians, especially candidates, a bad day can make the difference between winning and losing.

I was thinking about this last night as I observed Al Franken making his way out of the DFL’s “Unity Party” at the Mayo Civic Center Saturday about 10 p.m. after a long day during which Franken finally secured the endorsement of Minnesota’s Democratic party.

It took Franken and his few handlers a half an hour to wind their way out of the party because every few feet someone wanted to shake his hand and/or have their photos taken with him. Most of the people, I’m sure, were happy and sincere and excited to get a few moments with the U.S. Senate candidate and well-known comedian.

But then there were others, like the two young men who stopped Franken and got in his face to urgently and almost angrily make a point about gay rights. Franken’s face went from smiling-and-friendly to tense-but-still-trying-to-keep-the-smile in a few seconds. And I don't blame him.

Then there was the guy who was laughing as he walked away from using his cell phone to take a photo of himself with Franken. I asked the guy why he was laughing, and he cracked up some more and told me that he’s a Republican and doesn’t like Democrats but was going around and taking photos of himself with every DFL politician he could find and then sending the photos to his friends, just for a few laughs. He showed me a few.

Politicians are targets and spectacles – they are celebrities.

Betsy Sundquist captured the spirit of last night's event, including the fact that Mark Dayton was beaming. Rumor has it that Dayton spent $100,000 on last night's party. He worked it hard, personally greeting and chatting with every delegate who came through the door.

Worth noting is that for many of these delegates, this is their first one-on-one conversation with Dayton. Traditionally, about 80% of any DFL or GOP state convention is comprised of people who have attended previous conventions.

Not this year. Democrats estimate that about half of the 1300 or so DFL delegates are first-timers this year. For the DFL delegate newbies, this was their first exposure to Dayton's candidate M.O. -- sponsoring swank parties before declaring he's running for office.

Starting with Dayton (hey, it was his party), here's the skinny on possible 2010 DFL gubernatorial candidates:

Former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton. PIM named him 2005 Politician of the Year (the old snail mail newsletter and thus not linkable) in large part because he had the audacity to say what everyone knows: Washington is a cesspool where nothing gets done. [Witness the last two years...the only policy bill to be passed by both the Senate and the House and successfully confereed.] Had a terrific presence this weekend because of his party.

Sen. Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook). Another PIM Politician of the Year (2007). Worked the hallways, yesterday.

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. Has not filed a committee or formally declared any intentions, but he's been everywhere on the floor and in the halls today and yesterday.

Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner. Has filed a committee and ran a booth this weekend. Working the floor hard this Sunday morning. Most organized so far.

House Speaker Margaret Kelliher. Someone is circulating little red buttons that simply say, "Margaret."

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie. Worked the convention Saturday.

Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak. Has not filed a committee but says he is thinking about it. Was at the convention Saturday afternoon.

Two years out, there's no clear favorite on the DFL side, unlike the GOP one.

Mari Urness Pokornowski, of Cokato, president of the Board of Directors of the DFL Feminist Caucus, resigned Saturday because of the group’s endorsement of Al Franken over his opponent in the Democrat’s nomination battle in the U.S. Senate race.

Pokornowski was not immediately available Sunday morning.

Jackie Stevenson, 73, political director of the DFL Feminist Caucus, helped recruit Pokornowski to run for head of the feminist caucus and describes her as a close friend, said she is disappointed that Pokornowski has resigned but isn’t sure yet why.

“It all started with the Franken thing and some things that were said, but I don’t know exactly why and don’t want to say more until I get a chance to talk with Mari,” said Stevenson, who joined the feminist caucus not long after it started in 1973.

On Saturday afternoon, the caucus endorsed Franken with 72 percent support in a surprisingly tough nomination battle with college professor Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer made much more difficult by negative publicity Franken got for past satiric writings that included “jokes” about rape, violence toward women and bestiality.

Republicans say they will try to make Franken and his personality the focus of the campaign against incumbent GOP U.S. Senator Norm Coleman.

In a press release announcing the endorsement, Stevenson said, “Al very strongly demonstrated an understanding of our issues and we know he’ll represent us in Washington.”

There’s no doubt that Pokornowski has had a tough week as head of the caucus.

After U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill, became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president after a bruising battle with U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY, Koryne Horbal, 71, who founded the DFL Feminist Caucus, said she would not support Obama and wanted to organize a write-in campaign for Clinton.

Pokornowski was forced to issue a press release distancing her group from its founder’s actions. “It was as much of a surprise to us as it was to you,” the press release said in part.
On its website, the feminist caucus says it works “to bring about change by electing progressive legislators.

“Our members and supported legislators have been responsible for progressive legislation including bettered women's programs, sexual assault programs, displaced homemaker programs, child health care, anti stalking legislation, among others.