Boycott Sutton's Baja Sol?

Caught an interesting email earlier today...

Tony Sutton, Minnesota GOP Chair, put out a memo today urging folks to stay away from a certain food provider at the Minnesota State Fair...

All because the owners of that stand give money to DFLers.

So are we to believe that proceeds from Sutton's Mexican food mecca, Baja Sol, don't go to any right wing, Conservative, GOP cause?

Two can play this game...

I say we all boycott all the Sutton owned Baja Sol's in the Twin Cities!

Awesome Bachmann/Palin video!

Calley Apologizes for My Lai

Wow.

Calley owns a pawn shop in Columbus, near Fort Benning Georgia. As a young Army Private, we used to stop by every once in awhile to "take a look".

By Dick McMichael | The Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer

William Calley, the former Army lieutenant convicted on 22 counts of murder in the infamous My Lai Massacre in Vietnam, publicly apologized for the first time this week while speaking in Columbus.

"There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai," Calley told members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Columbus on Wednesday. His voice started to break when he added, "I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry."

In March 1968, U.S. soldiers gunned down hundreds of civilians in the Vietnamese hamlet of My Lai. The Army at first denied, then downplayed the event, saying most of the dead were Vietcong. But in November 1969, journalist Seymour Hersh revealed what really happened and Calley was court martialed and convicted of murder.

Calley had long refused to grant interviews about what happened, but on Wednesday he spoke at a Columbus Kiwanis meeting. He made only a brief statement, but agreed to take questions from the audience.

He did not deny what had happened that day, but did repeatedly make the point — which he has made before — that he was following orders.

Calley explained he had been ordered to take out My Lai, adding that he had intelligence that the village was fortified and would be "hot" when he went in. He also said the area was submitted to an artillery barrage and helicopter fire before his troops went in. It turned out that it was not hot and there was no armed resistance. But he had been told, he said, that if he left anyone behind, his troops could be trapped and caught in a crossfire.

Interesting Health Care video

Michael Moore has a new movie...

Capitalism: A Love Story

Bachmann loves TV...

more than the 6th.

According to a story in CQ Politics Congresswoman Bachmann has a national cable interview every 9.1 days.

The next time I see Congresswoman "in district" will be my first.

Santa and the Easter Bunny visit our secluded part of the 6th more often than Congresswoman Bachmann...

Steve Kelley Op-Ed in Startribune

I can't believe this hasn't made it up at any of the other blogs...

Imagine the entire population of Mora homeless. Imagine that not one of St. Louis Park's 40,000 residents has access to health care. Imagine that all of residents of Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center and Maple Grove are living in poverty.

Now imagine that they are all children. On Aug. 9, "Kids Count" released data showing that the number of children living in poverty in Minnesota grew by an astonishing 33 percent from 2001-2007. Right now, 2,700 children are homeless, 40,000 do not have health care and at least 112,000 children and counting are living in poverty. These numbers and the challenges they create for our schools -- as revealed in the recent No Child Left Behind reports -- should be jolting Minnesotans into action. We need to act to broadly change the future for our children.

But that is not what is happening in the governor's office. Instead, Tim Pawlenty's unallotments and the damage they will do have indelibly marked his pint-sized picture of Minnesota's future. Pawlenty has offered only small ideas. As opposed to dealing with the myriad issues that our children face as they attempt to learn in our schools, the current administration has chosen the flawed path of blaming schools for our society's failures.

For the sake of our collective future and for what is right, we can and must imagine a bigger, better Minnesota where all of our children don't just survive, but thrive. To speed our recovery from this challenging recession, we must make no small plans.

We can look for inspiration to successes around the country and the world. One model of success is the Harlem Children's Zone in New York. The Minneapolis Foundation recently sponsored a visit here by Geoffrey Canada, the Zone's leader. Their goal is to have all the children who grow up in the 100-block zone graduate from college. Harlem Children's Zone offers a Baby College for new parents, universal education for 4-year-olds, good public schools, chemical dependency and health counseling, and housing stability programs. All children there are wrapped in a variety of support systems designed to help them and their families succeed.

Some communities in Minnesota, with the help of foundations, are starting to work on similar approaches. These initiatives are a laudable start, but they raise the moral question of where the boundary lines for the new children's zones should be drawn? Which kids get supported on their path to the American dream, and which kids do we leave out?

The right answer is that the whole state should be the Minnesota Children's Zone. No less than in 100 blocks of Harlem, the goal for all children in Minnesota should be that they will all graduate from college and get their chance at living the American dream.

No one should doubt that we can achieve this goal. In a competitive world, we must achieve it. Step one is to invest in innovative early childhood education, including proven ideas like age three to grade three schools. By properly funding Minnesota's schools, we can boost each child's path to success in college. And by creatively reorganizing how we spend health care and housing dollars, we can ensure that families are healthy and stable enough to help their children succeed.

The Minnesota Children's Zone can succeed. It will need the right leadership, the courage to do right by our kids, and the undaunted dedication to get numerous agencies and levels of government to work together. We'll need the help of volunteers and communities and the commitment of families most in need of help.

Our state, and especially our children, deserve nothing less than big plans for a bright future filled with opportunities to succeed. The days of small plans are over. It is time to make big dreams into reality.

Steve Kelley, a former state senator, is director of the Center for Science, Technology and Public Policy at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and is exploring a campaign for governor.

I was a strong Kelley supporter and have always admired his commitment to our kids education and our communities. In a strong field for the DFL Gubernatorial nomination, Kelley is a decided underdog...just the kind of candidate I tend to support.

Why can't Maureen Reed answer a question?

After Dr. Reed's recent MinnPost debacle, one would think it would pay off for her Congressional campaign to open up a bit and actually answer some questions.

Which is why I was caught off guard by a post over at mnpAct!

I had hoped for a chance to compare policy positions between Dr. Reed and Ms. Clark but after a couple of requests to the campaigns, information has not been forthcoming. Reed's campaign never answered at all -- Clark's campaign indicated that they would answer my questions "sometime this fall". I am sure they are all very busy...especially Clark's campaign as they play some catch up.

Yes, I understand that Senator Clark did not answer questions either, but their campaign responded to the request. If Senator Clark and the Clark campaign fails to respond in the fall, they rightfully deserve criticism.

The fact that Team Reed didn't even respond bothers me.

Maureen Reed seeks to defeat a Congresswoman who fails to act on the requests of local media and constituents by failing to respond to local media and constituents?



I love "outside of the box" campaigns but I think this may be taking it too far Team Reed.

Tarryl Clark in the Huffington Post

Good interview!

Best quote?

"For many in Minnesota, when Sarah Palin came on the scene it seemed like she was Alaska's Michelle Bachmann," Clark told the Huffington Post. "They seem to share some similarities."

Bachmann on Hannity, but no WCCO

Tribute to Blueman's favorite political communications person

A bit of an inside joke here...but fun nonetheless!

Senator Clark in Roll Call

It's a good write up and despite the taunting by local right wing bloggers, appearances like this will make a difference 15 months from now.

Minnesota state Sen. Tarryl Clark (D) touched down for less than 24 hours in the Steel City in an effort to meet as many liberal bloggers as possible from around the nation.

The state Senate Assistant Majority Leader is running for Congress almost 1,000 miles away, and there likely wasn't a single 6th district voter in a crowded bar on Friday night on the city’s north side. But Clark figures that if she wants to match Rep. Michele Bachmann’s (R-Minn.) national following, she is going to have to seek support from all over the country, too.

“I think it’s important if we’re going to win this, we’re able to play on the even playing field,” Clark said. “And the net roots can help do that.”

Fortunately for Clark, Bachmann is a popular villain among the Netroots Nation because of her well-publicized controversial comments on cable news shows. Clark was one of almost a dozen candidates who attended the annual convention's “meet the candidates” pub quiz night in an effort to nationalize their campaigns for Congress.

Tarryl Clark interviewed by Esme Murphy

From this morning!

"WCCO has repeatedly asked Congresswoman Bachmann to appear on the show and the invitation remains open."

Apparently, WCCO is not big enough for Congresswoman Bachmann...

BREAKING: Footage of Local GOP Outrage at Townhall Meeting

A Blueman Exclusive:

It sure is getting hot in here...

From a friends page on Facebook:

"sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and disagree with this administration, somehow you’re not patriotic. We need to stand up and say we’re Americans, and we have the right to debate and disagree with any administration.”

I couldn't agree more.

As a Veteran who protested the war in Iraq (circa 2003-04), having my "patriotism" questioned by folks who don't understand the concept of the military structure, good order and discipline, and our commitment really ticked me off, although getting full cans of Coke and padlocks thrown from moving cars wasn't fun either.

When Mark Kennedy came to St Cloud to talk about Roe v. Wade several years ago, I simply walked up to the microphone and asked how he could be so "staunchly pro-life and pro-war".

He glossed over my question, and while it ticked me off that he never gave a direct answer, I didn't feel the need to get loud, violent, or angry. Despite his support for a war that, at last count, has taken a dozen of my former colleagues and friends.

Watching the footage of events on TV this morning shows me just how polarized Americans are by their party identification of Democrat or Republican. On NBC, a woman was holding an Obama picture with a Nazi flag in the background.

Really?

Is this what we've come to?

I'm still left wondering when someone will be killed at one of these events...

Senator Clark in the NY Times!

It's always good getting some national exposure!

Minnesota 2010 Democrats are, of course, coming up with their own 2010 hitlist and Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann might as well have a bull’s-eye on her forehead, especially now that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is supposedly out of the picture, writes Politico. The Democratic Party is doubling efforts to oust her in the upcoming election, backing state Senator Tarryl Clark, a potential gubernatorial candidate “widely regarded as a political heavy-hitter.”

And no vague descriptions of Maureen Reed...

Maureen Reed Waffles

Nope, IHOP has not endorsed a new dish after Dr. Marueen Reed's performance in a recent Eric Black MinnPost interview.

The headline says enough...almost!

Maureen Reed offers vague positions on abiding and abortion

Bob Olson was many things, vague was not one of them.

I'll say this...based on my experiences in DFL endorsement races, being vague on issues is bad. The last thing we need is someone who cannot clearly articulate a rational position on the issues important to us. It doesn't matter that a member of Congress has little influence on the issue of choice, people want to know where they stand on the issue.

On the endorsement:

“We’re going to get the endorsement. That is the plan. That is what we’re aiming at and that is where we’re focused... You can say that we’re planning to get the endorsement. All of our efforts are focused on that.”

Awesome. Bob Olson said the same thing, although he used 4 times as many words.

Newsflash to the Reed for Congress Campaign:

Senator Clark gaining the support of AFSCME and the SCSU College Democrats is merely the tip of the iceberg. I predict Clark will secure every labor endorsement available.

I admit to be impressed with Dr. Reeds fundraising figures. However...

I see this all the time at my work. A new salesperson comes in and cleans house for the first month or so, completely destroying their quota and quickly becoming the newest Tom Hopkins in our area. I always suggest that we check out the sales figures AFTER they've finished selling stuff to their friends and family. 9 times out of 10, the third and subsequent months are dismal.

I want to see Reed do that at least one more quarter before I believe it to be an actual movement and not the personal Rolodex, impressive as that may be.

"In terms of whether or not she will abide -- this is being pushed by supporters of Clark and Tinklenberg who want Maureen to make a statement on abiding by the endorsement. Why? Well, only they can really answer that question, but we believe the fact that Maureen has raised funds far north of $230,000 has made the other campaigns stop and realize she is an extremely viable candidate."

When you put this quote with the following quote, things get really interesting.

“I would not run on the IP line. I’m DFL. And that’s the line that I’ll be on.”

Wow! Paxil Bob just breathed a sigh of relief.

Having been the IP Lt Gov candidate in 2006, the IP ticket would have been a great fall back position.

Seriously.

If I were a woman, running for Congress in the 6th, and running against Senator Tarryl Clark and Congresswoman Bachmann, the middle ground of the IP would seemingly be the BEST place for me, wouldn't it?

And with $230,000 to spend in the 6th? Perhaps the ability to tap into some Ron Paul supporters and raise a cool $500k for the race?

Keep in mind, I bet the DFL candidate will need in excess of $4 million for this race, and with all due respect to Reed's folks, Clark will have an easier time approaching this number with the support of labor and a strong netroots presence.

But most disturbing to me is Dr. Reed's lack of an answer on the biggest issue facing us today, health care.

I know it's pretty complicated, BUT if I were a health care professional AND had this as a hallmark of MY campaign...my answer would be anything but non-committal.

“The goals that I would have are that we have to get expenses under control, cut the cost of administration and care. And we have to cover everybody. We need universal coverage and we need lower costs. And there are a lot of ways to accomplish those goals.

"People get so wedded to a particular method that they forget about the goal that we’re trying to achieve. People wind up with their feet in wet cement on their method, that my method trumps your method. To me the only thing that counts is that we fix it.”

It's not like asking Bob Olson about taxes...

Or is it?

Someone's going to get hurt here...

I caught some footage of members of Congress being shouted down at town hall meetings...

Wow!

It looks like a highly choreographed event to me, despite what Michael Steele has to say about it.

Jeff over at Publius has a good post up this morning about all this crap.

It got me thinking, especially since I live in the District of Congresswoman Bachmann.

Who's going to take Congresswoman Bachmann up on her plea for Minnesotans to be "armed and dangerous"?

"I want people in Minnesota armed and dangerous on this issue of the energy tax because we need to fight back. Thomas Jefferson told us ‘having a revolution every now and then is a good thing,’ and the people – we the people – are going to have to fight back hard if we’re not going to lose our country. And I think this has the potential of changing the dynamic of freedom forever in the United States."

I can see why some members of Congress are holding fewer and fewer town hall meetings, I just hope something bad doesn't happen.

Sutton goes to New Ulm

From GOP Chair Sutton's Twitter page...

agsutton:On the way to New Ulm to talk how we beat Tim Walz.
about 4 hours ago from mobile web

What a waste of time and money.

Next Sutton and Brodborb will be enroute to Moorhead to discuss how to beat Congressman Peterson...

Schumacher reports SCSU Democrats Endorse Senator Tarryl Clark

Originally posted over at MPP, Larry Schumacher reports on the SCSU College Democrats endorsement of Senator Tarryl Clark.

St. Cloud State University College Democrats endorsed state Sen. Tarryl Clark, DFL-St. Cloud, in her bid to become the DFL's 6th Congressional District candidate in 2010.

A news release from the campus organization says that Clark, who represents the university population within her Senate District, has "shown exceptional interest and concern for issues affect SCSU college students, such as education, health care and job growth," board member Michael Rosenow said.

Clark is seeking the DFL endorsement to take on U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., next year. 2008 DFL congressional candidate Elwyn Tinklenberg and 2006 Independence Party Lt. Gov. candidate Maureen Reed are also seeking the endorsement.

We've seen Team Tinklenberg take a much different stance on blogs for the 2010 race than in the 2008 race, notably after the hire of Kos blogger Dana Houle.

A comment over at MPP caught my eye...in response to Houle calling on Clark to denounce the endorsement of a community that helped her win her State Senate seat.

Really Dana? (0.00 / 0)
First, welcome to Minnesota. It is great to know that you have come here to help defeat Michelle Bachmann. That is a goal we can all agree on.
But seriously, is this the best use of your time? Smacking down a blog posts about college Democrats?

It seems perhaps the SCSU Dems may have jumped the gun with this one. Is school even in session? But they do have a long long history with Senator Clark.

I have been attending SCSU Dems meetings on behalf of political campaigns and causes for over seven years. In fact, I was there the day they were chartered. Senator Clark has been a mentor to these students. They have interned with her and knocked on doors for her in the dead of winter.

One piece of history: Senator Clark was elected on December 27th, 2005. Governor Pawlenty deliberately scheduled the election on that date to disenfranchise students at SCSU.

Senator Clark and her campaign went out of their way to involve students in their campaign and do everything thing possible to help them vote.

So Dana, this is the most important thing you have to do today? Really?

And we're what...7-8 months before the endorsement (that only Clark will abide by)?

Fargo Forum: "Peterson Tells It Like It Is"

I'm up in Fargo for the weekend and as we sat in out hotel bar last night, I caught this op ed in the Fargo Forum.

Republicans in Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District think they have been handed a club they can use to beat up Congressman Collin Peterson. Not gonna happen.

The ever-candid Peterson said Monday that he doesn’t hold town meetings in the district because “25 percent of my people believe the Pentagon and (then-Defense Secretary) Rumsfeld were responsible for taking the Twin Towers down” on Sept. 11, 2001. The comment was immediately seized upon by state GOP Chairman Tony Sutton, who called it “really bizarre.” Sutton said the comment should help Republicans recruit candidates to run against Peterson.

Good luck with that, Tony.

Fact is, many people in the pool Sutton would plumb for candidates believe what Peterson said they believe about the 2001 terrorist attacks. Peterson, who knows the 7th very well, might have been exaggerating by saying 25 percent of his constituents subscribe to such nonsense, but enough do so that open town meetings could very well deteriorate into nut-fests. Later he expanded his initial comments by noting that people on the far right and far left “try to hijack public forums like town meetings.” Anyone who’s been to one of those meetings knows the congressman has it right.

What’s “really bizarre,” as Sutton put it, is that Republicans apparently don’t recognize that Peterson’s tendency to speak his mind – whether about Fargo-Moorhead flood control or the fringe folks in his district – is one of his political strengths. He might ruffle feathers, but his appeal to voters in the 7th is as strong as ever. Indeed, no matter who Republicans run against him, he wins by margins so wide that an impressive number of Republicans have to be voting for him.

If the best Sutton and his minions can do is hang their election hopes on a frank and honest comment by Peterson, the congressman will run up another landslide win in 2010.

A pretty harsh indictment on Brodkorb and Sutton's faulty tactics, if I do say so myself!