2008 Republican National Convention

Thirteen groups attached their names to a letter sent Thursday to two Minnesota DFL members of Congress calling for “independent investigations” of police actions during protests at last week’s Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

In a letter to Minnesota Reps. Keith Ellison and Betty McCollum, the groups said they are “troubled” by the “disproportionate, preemptive and even violent law enforcement response to peaceful protests” during the RNC.

One of the signatories, Kris Hermes of the Coldsnap Legal Collective said the “widespread level of political repression has so far occurred with impunity.”

The groups singled out police raids on Friday and Saturday before the RNC. They also allege mistreatment of people detained by police during the RNC protests.

In an effort to remove the adjective from his name, an attorney for disgraced U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, on Wednesday asked a Minnesota appeals court to throw out his plea of guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct, stemming from his widely publicized "wide stance" incident last year in a men’s restroom at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Craig himself didn't appear in the Minnesota Judicial Center courtroom on Wednesday. But the press did: Continued interest in the case was evident from the number of media organizations that were represented (and the number of satellite trucks parked outside the Minnesota Judicial Center).

Dolan Media videographer Bill Klotz followed protesters again on Day 4 of the Republican National Convention, and witnessed a number of aggressive clashes with riot police.

WARNING: This video includes strong language.

You can also view this video on YouTube and Blip.tv.

 

Photographer Bill Klotz captured a number of stunning images of Thursday's protests.

He also captured some striking video that we will post later today.

More photos after the jump...

Media reports indicate that tonight’s balloon drop at the Republican National Convention was one of the biggest ever at a political convention. The video is coming soon.
Earlier: Podium problems:

We're receiving breaking news that another shot of Macallan 55 has been purchased and consumed...details forthcoming. Scotch Watch Count: at least TWO.

I have a shameful confession to make: I have watched "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" only a few times.

Don't get me wrong. I've liked it when I've seen it. It's made me laugh. But, you know, it's on at the same time as the 10 o'clock news, and I'm a creature of habit. Also, I didn't want to be known as one of those people who gets her "news" solely from a satirical news program. (You've heard that, right? A lot of people in their 20s and 30s admit that "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" are their only sources of news? Of course you have.)

So I felt kind of guilty when I ended up with a VIP ticket to Thursday night's taping of the show at the History Theatre in St. Paul. But not guilty enough not to accept it.

I didn't have to show up at 1 and stand in line for four hours to get a seat. I was instructed to arrive no later than 4:30, and with my typical good planning, I was 10 minutes late. (I'm always late. Ask my husband. Or my editor.) I came panting up to the History Theatre, and there was nobody in line outside. I walked around the barricades like I knew what I was doing, asked someone who looked official where I should go, and he actually called someone over to escort me to the right door. I marched inside, showed my e-mail confirmation letter, and was given a pink laminated VIP ticket with the number 136 on it.

When I lucked into a VIP ticket to Thursday night's taping of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" in St. Paul, I lucked into something else: an aisle seat beside Sam and Sylvia Kaplan, referred to several days ago by my editor, Bill Clements, as "Minnesota's political power couple."

The taping was delayed, so we had some time to chat. The two of them were fretting because of the delay; they were expected at a fund-raising event in Minneapolis with Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, which was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

We discussed GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's speech to the Republican National Convention last night, and we talked about the RNC protesters -- specifically the ones who have been breaking windows and putting riot cops to work all week. "I don't know what they are, but they're not Democrats," Sylvia sniffed.

And we talked about "The Daily Show." Stewart "suggests that he's nonpartisan, but the Republicans are so much more ridiculous," Sylvia said.

As the delay stretched on, the Kaplans continued to stew over the fund-raiser they were missing. They defied the "Daily Show's" strict no-cell-phone edict by having Sylvia hold her capacious bag open on her lap, while Sam sent messages on a BlackBerry hidden in the bag.

U.S. Sen. Robert Bennett (Photo: Kendall Anderson)

U.S. Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) said Thursday afternoon at the Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs that he believes his bipartisan Healthy Americans Act, if given a shot, can move the U.S. toward fixing that which couldn't be more broken. The bill in essence puts market forces into health care, offering universal coverage without a single-payer system by giving consumers the ability to control their health care dollars.

By changing the tax code to unleash employers from the health coverage policies that their employees have, supporters say it tackles one of the biggest problems with our current system -- the lack of portability. The measure, which Bennett has been crafting with Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden since Democrats seized control of Congress, would do for health care what the 401(k) did for pensions.

"The key realization behind [the bill] is that you cannot change health care without changing the tax laws," a tall and distinguished-looking Bennett told a crowd of more than 100 at the last of this week's 18 discussion panels at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute.

Because market forces can't penetrate the tax code and because the current health care system puts employers instead of consumers -- or the users of health care -- in control of the dollars, there is a mess, Bennett says.

Many St. Paul businesses along West 7th Street are disappointed by the drop-off in business they’ve experienced during the Republican National Convention.

And the letdown in sales during the week of the RNC hasn’t been for lack of trying.

The Glockenspiel restaurant, 605 W. 7th St., is adorned with a banner on its facade that says “WELCOME CONVENTIONEERS.”

Another sign advertises breakfast at 8 a.m. for the week of the RNC. Glockenspiel manager Rusty Hill says the breakfast was a one-time feature for the restaurant that was intended to draw RNC visitors. He staffed the breakfast with a bartender and server in addition to other staff.

We scheduled a last minute late lunch early / dinner at the St. Paul Grill yesterday for the hard-working team at Capitol Report and Politics in Minnesota.  [Capitol Report Managing Editor Bill Clements and I have noticed a discernible difference in staff work product when stomachs are full of steak and walleye, as opposed to White Castles.]

Imagine my surprise when I picked up the menu and looked for my usual choice --the cheapest steak on the menu -- and found that it wasn't on the menu.  The steak I usually order is about $26 (if memory serves)  The cheapest steak on the menu was $46.45.

Here's that steak.



From our perusal of the menu...


It appears that the price of entree choices was increased about 30 percent.  Always one to try to beat the system, I ordered the lamb chops because at $48.95, the lamb chops were marked up less than the steaks (maybe Republicans don't order much lamb. Baaaaaaa.]



According to St. Paul Grill General Manager David Soos, the Grill raised prices because of the "extra security costs along with increased prices from vendors during convention week."

What about other comparable restaurants?  Pazzaluna raised their prices. Pazzaluna, of course, like the St. Paul Grill, is owned and managed by Morrissey Hospitality Restaurants.

About a block down the street on St. Peter is Kincaid's, owned by Restaurants Unlimited based in Seattle.  Kincaid's didn't increase prices.  "The only thing we did different for the convention was to extend our hours," said Kim Oppergard, Kincaid's general manager.

Across the river, Ed Carson, the General Manager of Manny's Steak House, reports no price increases there.  At The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Sales & Event Coordinator Amy Huston reports no price increases.  James Murray, one of the owners of Murray's, also reports no price increases.  The Grill's price increases were new news to the restaurants I talked to. 

At first blush, The Grill's price increases seem ridiculous.  But to be fair, it looks to me like the St. Paul Hotel and the St. Paul Grill did spend some serious dough on security  -- and door openers.  Dare you to try to get into the joint without having someone else rush to open the door.  But perhaps more important, The Grill made clear to me earlier this week, and I overheard staff telling other patrons, "never mind the crowds, we're trying to do our best to accommodate our regular customers."

Too bad about CNN's Candy Crowley, though.  "Too Exclusive" item, you have to scroll down the page. 

Which they certainly did in our case.  We made a reservation only several hours before we went, around 5 p.m.  I recognized several other regular patrons, including Metropolitan Airports Commissioner and Lindquist & Vennum lobbyist extraordinaire Bert McKasy, and his better half, Carolyn McKasy, enjoying a birthday celebration with their extended family.  Happy 40th birthday, Kristie McKasy!

All things considered, I'll conclude The Grill should be forgiven for the GOP "Steak Tax."  Particularly because I bet the steak tax helped pay for Republicanizing The St. Paul Hotel's fine garden.

Macy’s reports increased traffic at its downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis stores during the RNC. Jennifer McNamara, local spokeswoman for Cincinnati-based Macy’s, Inc., declined to cite specific sales figures, but confirmed the uptick.

On Monday, Macy’s made headlines when protesters broke three display windows at the retailer’s downtown St. Paul store. McNamara said that Macy’s promptly replaced the windows on Tuesday morning.

McNamara noted that like any good retailer, Macy’s added some merchandise of particular appeal to shoppers in town for the RNC.

“We did add some specific items like red ties, making sure that we had an assortment of red ties,” McNamara said. She was quick to add that the neckwear would endure beyond the current political season. “It’s also a great traditional item to have year-round."

Today, things in downtown seem tense, as word is going around that some city employees have been asked to head home, businesses may close and building managers warn their tenants of possible riots. On the other hand, after a mostly quiet Wednesday, it could just be another false alarm.

Yesterday's big false alarm were some firecrackers tossed somewhere on St. Peter Street, but the most trouble happened in downtown Minneapolis after the Rage Against the Machine Concert. Police on bikes and wearing riot gear lined up to tightly control the First Avenue area, and dozens got arrested.

[Why the police leadership chose to bottle up a dispersing crowd with riot cops is another question -- and an important one.]

As with many events this week, news of the downtown situation got distributed over Twitter. Tony Webster, a Twitter user under the name Webster, provided a series of updates about getting trapped near the IDS Center, and then finally, simply, "Arrested." Webster reported that he was detained and paraded in front of TV cameras, then released. He promptly got an e-mail from Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan: "Happy to see a response, even if it is filled with fabrications, CYA-style. He reads my Twitter."

A handful of students walked out of St. Paul high schools Thursday morning to take part in a “march to arrest the war criminals,” organized by a Twin Cities group called Youth Against War & Racism.

The group encouraged a “massive walkout” by high school and college students at 11 a.m. today and told participants to make their way to the state Capitol, where a rally was to begin at 1 p.m.

Christine Wroblewski, chief community relations officer for St. Paul Public Schools, said about 40 high school students out of approximately 10,000 left class this morning.

“Our high school principals sent out information using a voice-mail system to parents, informing them that we encourage students to stay in school,” Wroblewski said. “They also advised parents that students would need a note from their parents if they walked out, or it would be considered an unexcused absence, and they would be disciplined. We want students in school during the school day.”

Building managers in downtown St. Paul were standing by Thursday afternoon after being warned by an unidentified person that today’s protest march might escalate into “riot conditions,” and some businesses sent employees home early as a precaution. 

“Someone has been calling the different buildings, indicating that St. Paul’s going to experience some kind of riot,” Matt Anfang, president of the St. Paul Building Owners and Managers Association, said early this afternoon. “The person has not indicated their name or anything like that, so nobody has any information about who this person is.

“We’re in a situation where what do you do? First and foremost should be the safety and security of the downtown employees, tenants and buildings.”