DFL convention

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.

There are certainly more vendor and advocacy tables at the DFL convention than the GOP had. We spoke with a few more public policy advocates this weekend.

Minnesotans for Impartial Courts had a well-presented table, devoted to their message of keeping the money out of judicial elections.

Their motto is "Judges based on merit. Elections based on performance," and they're offering a nice folder of information with overviews of the retention election system and the complete final report of the Citizens Commission for the Preservation of an Impartial Judiciary (a.k.a the 'Quie Commission'), which took 14 months to complete.

Roger Moe has recently joined the group's board, and it's supported by top DFLers like Sen. Larry Pogemiller (DFL-Minneapolis) and Rep. Margaret Anderson-Kelliher (DFL-Minneapolis), we heard from Dan Mikel, manning the booth. Mikel says that Quie sees this as the most important issue he's ever worked on his life, and they're expecting to tackle the issue at the Legislature during the next session.

Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota (CEIMN) advocates for clean, transparent balloting systems, and they organize vote audits within the state. Compared to the troubled election systems in many other states, Minnesota's "in a pretty good place," says Mark Malmberg, but there "can still be over-votes," and they're "looking for that sort of thing."

The group's founder, Mark Halvorson, went to see the recount process in Ohio in 2004, and was "appalled" at the situation. In response, he set up CEIMN and promoted vote audit laws. They're collecting volunteers for audits after the election this November. Additionally, they consult a lot with the Minnesota chapter of the League of Women Voters.

The DFL had an interfaith service at 9 a.m., and now the convention is looking at electing state directors. The female slate is up right now, and the 8 under consideration are:

• Nimco Ahmed - CD5
• Lori Bergland-Olson - CD7
• Deb Hogenson - CD 1
• Josie Johnson - CD 1
• Grace Kelly - CD 4
• Jeanette Martimo - CD 8
• Shanti Shah - CD 3
• Katherine Speer - CD 1

There is a discussion about suspending the rules right now, because one person wanted to enter their name for nomination but didn't quite reach the microphone in time. The rules have now been suspended, so that late person may be out of luck.

There is a motion to pass a unanimous ballot for female directors, and it passed strongly. Eight female state party directors have just been elected.

[Update 10:35 a.m.] Now the male directors are being considered. There have some been nominations from the floor, but the already-listed people on the screen are:

• Omar Adams - CD3
• Jamie Edwards - CD3
• Ben Gross - CD 2
• Del Jenkins - CD 5
• Steve Linerooth - CD 8
• Eric Margolis - CD 5
• John Sherman - CD 4
• Dan Weinard - CD 3

[Update 10:55 a.m.] The four added from the floor are:

• Sean Broom
• Kendal Killian
• Ken Martin
• Rick Nelson

They've each got 90 seconds to make their case, starting right now.

A large majority of the Minnesota DFL gathered in the Mayo Civic Center's exhibit hall Saturday night to celebrate victories and potential victories.

The party, hosted by former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton, featured food, drinks and entertainment.

Dayton himself -- rumored to be mulling a run for governor in 2010 -- stood at the entrance to the exhibit hall, dressed in jeans and a blue T-shirt, shaking one hand after another and beaming.

Inside, guests could drink beer or wine or soft drinks, peruse Paul Bangtson's vast collection of Minnesota political memorabilia (he was overheard telling one guest, "This is just the tip of the iceberg"), watch a magician, a juggler or a "physical comedian" and dine on Minnesota picnic fare: hamburgers, hot dogs, brats and potato salad.

Beer, wine and soft drinks flowed, hands were shaken and schmoozing took place. Guests wore everything from Birkenstocks and shorts to long skirts and jackets and ties. A few wore oddly shaped balloon hats, clearly procured from the magician inside the exhibit hall.

The convention winds down Sunday with election of delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August.

We didn't hear anything too earth-shattering at the 3:10 p.m. press conference, but the outlines of the summer's campaign became clear. Al Franken was asked if he is the GOP's "dream candidate," as they have said recently. Franken flipped it around, saying that they've been "doing this for a long time" in order to "distract from the real issues," U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman's record of rubberstamping Bush Administration policy, at the "top of that list" of "enablers in Congress."

He reminded the media of Coleman's infamous "I am a 99% improvement over Paul Wellstone" remark, adding that how Coleman chose to re-spin it, by saying he was 99% better at supporting the White House, has now become Coleman's electoral albatross.

Franken said that he took nothing for granted in today's balloting, and "learned" from his politically tough week. His words of apology "speak for themselves," and he downplayed the seriousness of the whole flap.

Former Gov. Wendy Anderson unexpectedly popped up and asked Franken who his favorite ex-governor was. When Erik Eskola asked about how he would pivot to the general election, Franken said that the "media has a role to play;" specifically, they should concentrate on how politics affects regular people, rather than "inside baseball." That kind of thing is "why people get angry at the media," a risky line in a room full of media people. Still, Franken said, he has "faith in you" to cover things like health care, the green economy, and the war in Iraq. Franken said that Minnesota is a "purplish state in certain ways" but "blue in other ways," at least on issues like health care, tax breaks for oil companies, and Iraq.

Now we'll see: the Coleman campaign, the Franken campaign, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, unknown outside groups, Coleman's soft-money friends surrounding FLS-DCI, and perhaps the rumored entrance of former Gov. Jesse Ventura (or even former Sen. Dean Barkley) will define the character and pacing of the scene.

To the victor, goes the seat.

Photos by Bill Klotz

DFL officials consult their notes during balloting for the U.S. Senate race.

Delegates consider their U.S. Senate ballots.

The press zone is a busy hive of activity.

The convention paused for a moment to recognize veterans of the Armed Forces.

Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer concedes the race for U.S. Senate, and afterwards, Franken embraces him. Franken then says that people like Pallmeyer are why he's a Democrat.

Franken gets showered with confetti, and points towards the DFL pols onstage.

Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia) and Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park) laugh onstage.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar joins Franken onstage.

Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher (DFL-Minneapolis) congratulates Franken as the confetti falls.

Congressional candidate for CD3 Ashwin Madia joins Franken onstage.

Gov. Wendy Anderson embraces Franken. Anderson later told PIM that he actually prefers walking, golf, hockey to fishing. Fishing is all right, but he doesn't like sitting in the boat.

Franken's family joins him onstage.

Rep. Karla Bigham (DFL-Cottage Grove) winks at Franken, as Senators Mee Moua (DFL-St. Paul) and Larry Pogemiller (DFL-Minneapolis) look on.

Ron Carey, head of the Minnesota Republican Party, reacted to the nomination of Al Franken in the U.S. Senate race, saying the election will be about Al Franken.

“The joke today is that the DFL has nominated Al Franken,” Carey told reporters. He questioned whether people in Minnesota will want as one of their two senators in Washington someone who writes jokes about rape and bestiality.

Brian Melendez, head of Minnesota’s DFL Party, said, no, the election will be about Norm Coleman and his record in Washington the last six years.

The Republican strategy of trying to make the Coleman-Franken race about Franken is not going to work, Melendez said. “The people of Minnesota are smarter than that.”

In an interview with reporters about 3:30 Saturday afternoon, Melendez said, “What the Republicans are desperately trying to talk about … is anything but what Minnesotans want to talk about.

“Of course the Republicans want to talk about Al Franken, because every one of the issues that are important to Minnesotans the Republicans have failed on.”

“Al Franken will make the campaign about [Norm Coleman], and he will win,” Melendez said.

The party chief, who is also head of the Minnesota State Bar Association, said he and other
DFL leaders had accepted Franken’s “heart-felt apology” for the past satiric writings that some have found offensive – including some Democratic politicians, like U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL-MN4) of St. Paul.

“I’m done with that,” Melendez said. “And he [Al Franken] is right – if he has to keep answering questions about this … the election will be about him. This election is about Norm Coleman.”

Here's Coleman for Senate Campaign Manager Cullen Sheehan's statement following the Minnesota DFL endorsement of Al Franken:

"On the first ballot, the DFL Party endorsed a candidate who stands outside the mainstream of the state he wants to represent. From jokes about raping women, to a commitment to raise gas taxes on hard working Minnesotans, to a commitment to sitting down and negotiating with terrorist groups like Hamas, Al Franken has shown he lacks the judgment to serve in the United States Senate. In a day and age when we need less partisanship - not more - and where we need people who can work across party lines to get things done, Al Franken is simply more fuel on the partisan fire burning in Washington. We look forward to a campaign where there are clear choices - a choice between Norm Coleman, who has a 30 year record of bringing people together to get things done for Minnesota, and Al Franken's 30 year record of driving people apart."

State Sen. Ellen Anderson, DFL-St. Paul, got some face time with DFL state convention delegates Saturday afternoon to plug the constitutional amendment proposal for increased environment and arts funding.

The delegates meeting in Rochester agreed to suspend the convention rules on a voice vote to let Anderson speak about the sales tax increase proposal that will be decided by voters in the November general election. Anderson touted the ballot question that will ask Minnesota voters if they want to increase the state sales tax by three-eighths of 1 percent to clean up impared streams and lakes and pay for cultural programs.

Anderson said four out of 10 waters tested in Minnesota don't meet federal clean water standards.

“We are in danger of becoming the land of 10,000 polluted lakes,” Anderson said.

The dedicated funding proposal probably wasn't on delegates' minds for very long after Anderson spoke. That's because U.S. Senate candidate Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer rocked the convention shortly after Anderson's speech when he withdrew his nomination bid and threw his support behind Al Franken.

But supporters of the amendment, known as the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, papered the convention tables with informational pieces prepared by Vote Yes Minnesota, a St. Paul-based group that is promoting the ballot initiative.

"Acting now to ensure that we properly protect our water, parks, wildlife and arts and cultural heritage for our children and grandchildren is an investment well worth making," the flier states.

“Tomorrow, we get back to work.”

At those words, as Al Franken finished his acceptance speech, red, white and blue confetti burst from the ceiling and the Kinks’ “I Hope Tomorrow You’ll Find Better Things” blared from the loud speakers.

The comedian had officially become a candidate.

Despite a week of negative attention resulting from past writings that have offended some people and politicians – on a bi-partisan basis – Franken is the DFL candidate for U.S. Senate.

He will face first-termer Norm Coleman, the Republican who used to be a Democrat and mayor of St. Paul and won election to the Senate a few weeks after the late U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone and his wife and others died in an airplane crash.

Franken made it perfectly clear that he is going to try to make Coleman and his record of supporting President George Bush the primary themes of his campaign.

His challenge, as Democrats and Republicans agree, will be to make sure that the GOP is not successful in making Franken himself the focus of the campaign.

State Sen. Larry Pogemiller (DFL-Minneapolis), Minnesota Senate Majority Leader, predicted that “in about a month” people will know whether Franken can do that and have a chance to beat Coleman.

Arlys Graff, a delegate from Le Sueur who supported University of St. Thomas peace professor Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, said it was a bit “sad. But that’s what happens with elections. .. I think we’re pretty united to beat Norm Coleman.”

David Beecham, an alternate delegate from St. Paul, held a sign with one side supporting Franken and the other Nelson-Pallmeyer.

Beecham, a Franken supporter, praised Nelson-Pallmeyer’s decision to withdraw his bid for the endorsement. “I am a big Jack fan right now, as a result of what he just did. This is symbolic of unity in the party. The making goal has been to unseat Norm Coleman.”

Franken gave an animated acceptance speech, taking hard aim at Coleman and linking him with Bush.

“We have been waiting for eight years … and we have seen a new progressive majority in this state and in this country,” Franken said. “And we know what we want – we want universal health care; we want an economy that works for all of us and not just special interests; we want global warming initiatives that will create a green economy.

“And we want to restore our standing in the world, starting by getting out of Iraq and bringing our troops home.”

Franken promised that he and his staff will work hard by “getting up early and staying up late. … And we are going to do that because 5 million people in Minnesota need representation in Washington, and Norm Coleman has not been doing that. Norm Coleman has not brought people together to get things done; he has sold people out to get ahead.”

Now that Franken has secured the DFL nomination, some are wondering whether wealthy lawyer Mike Ciresi, Franken’s one-time primary rival for the nomination, will get back into the race and challenge Franken.

Speculation also has it that Jesse Ventura, Minnesota’s former governor and an Independent, will get into the race.

(Capitol Report staff writer Charley Shaw contributed to this post.)

The Rochester Mayo Civic Center staff responded to our story earlier this week, which had suggested from our experience (and that of at least one GOP delegate) that something was amiss in the food or water at the Center.

An independent utility, the Health Department in Rochester, tested the Convention Center's water and it checked out all right, we heard. One staffer agreed that testing the water "filled a piece" of their tasks at hand, to make sure it was safe. They said that they hadn't heard any complaints about the concession food or water from the prior weekend's GOP festivities.

Convention goers hanging out in the Mayo Civic Center's auditorium -- where vendors had booths set up, and where Nelson-Pallmeyer's and opponent Al Franken's supporters had tables directly across the room from each other -- hauled chairs in front of televisions to listen to U.S. Senate candidate Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer's concession speech Saturday afternoon.

The auditorium crowd was, for the most part, silent. Jack backers seemed resigned, applauding only at the end of his speech.

By the time Franken took the podium to accept the nomination, Nelson-Pallmeyer's supporters had quietly slipped away from their spots in front of the monitors. Some returned to their places in his booth, shook hands and exchanged (sometimes tearful) hugs with fellow believers.

That's the thing about politics: Every time someone wins, someone else has to lose.