by David Strom
Published: May 18, 2012
Those of us outside government tend to think of everywhere else as the “real world,” but during a legislative session, no place is as real as the Capitol for those involved in lawmaking.
by Ezra Klein
Published: May 18, 2012
If the U.S. is growing at 3.5 percent a year while China is growing at 8.5 percent a year, enabling China’s economy to surpass the U.S. in a decade or so, does that mean the U.S. is in decline?
by Steven Schier
Published: May 16, 2012
In the final weeks of the 2012 legislation session, GOP leaders tried to work out a “big deal” with Gov. Mark Dayton. The deal involved bundling an agreement to build a stadium with GOP legislation providing tax relief and a bonding bill.
by David Schultz
Published: May 16, 2012
The duties of elected officials are never easy. But in the case of the Minnesota Legislature, the deliberations and final votes on the Vikings stadium reveal a travesty of accountability, open government and questionable politics.
by Dane Smith
Published: May 16, 2012
Expectations were extremely low for the 2012 Minnesota Legislature. Yet here and there in the cloud’s lining are more than a few silver strands, representing investment in human and physical capital, and advancement of public good.
by Phil Krinkie
Published: May 11, 2012
With both the Minnesota House and Senate passing bills to fund a new billion-dollar Vikings stadium, the situation is reminiscent of the debate over the Twins ballpark. As that great philosopher Yogi Berra stated, “It’s deja vu all over again.”
by Bloomberg News
Published: May 11, 2012
“We have been studying Washington politics and Congress for more than 40 years, and never have we seen them this dysfunctional,” wrote Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein in the Washington Post. “In our past writings, we have criticized both parties when we believed it was warranted.
by Stephen B. Young
Published: May 9, 2012
The Minnesota House of Representatives “did good” on Monday in passing a bill to permit public funding of a new stadium for the Vikings NFL franchise.
by David Strom
Published: May 4, 2012
Otto von Bismarck, famous for unifying Germany in the 19th century, is famously quoted as saying, “Laws are like sausages; it is better not to see them being made.”
by Margaret Carlson
Published: May 4, 2012
The first weeks of the general election campaign have seen Republicans go after two of President Barack Obama’s strongest points: his personality and his national security credentials.
