April 15-16, 2015
Apr 15 01:54 DFL hates miners Apr 15 03:05 The State of the State is still good? Apr 15 08:25 HuskyData 6—Developmental Courses Apr 15 08:58 Exposing Dogra's pony show Apr 15 11:42 Exposing Becky Rom's dishonesty Apr 15 19:15 Hillary's Iowa astroturf Apr 16 03:29 Democrats: Harry Reid's enablers Apr 16 13:38 Gov. Dayton's attention to detail
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
DFL hates miners
Betty McCollum just submitted a bill that would kill mining in northern Minnesota :
Voyageurs National Park and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness would be protected from some mining under legislation being introduced in Congress this week.
U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, a Democrat who represents Minnesota's 4th District, said her bill would bar new federal mineral leases to companies interested in extracting copper, nickel and other metals from sulfide ore within the surrounding Rainy River Drainage Basin.
The basin drains into Voyageurs and the Boundary Waters, and opponents of copper-nickel mining say pollutants from the extraction process could threaten pristine ecosystems.
The so-called National Park and Wilderness Waters Protection Act has little chance of passing in the Republican-controlled Congress, but McCollum said she is also putting pressure on the Obama administration to prevent copper-nickel mining in the area.
Yet again, a DFL legislator has submitted a bill that's aimed at killing future mining. What will it take for miners to finally figure it out that the DFL is run by environmental activists from the Twin Cities? At some point, sympathy for Iron Range families will dry up. Republicans stand ready to help mining families build a thriving middle class. The DFL, by contrast, has done everything imaginable to destroy mining families by destroying mining. Check this sentence out:
McCollum said she is also putting pressure on the Obama administration to prevent copper-nickel mining in the area.
Rep. McCollum represents St. Paul and some of its suburbs. Range families should ask why she's meddling in the Range's business. The answer is simple. She's fundraising. By submitting this bill, she's pleasing the Twin Cities' environmental activists, thereby guaranteeing this year's flow of checks from Twin Cities environmental activists. Here's proof of that:
The Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, which has been lobbying in Washington, D.C., for protections from copper-nickel mining, applauded the legislation . The group's chair, Ely resident Becky Rom, said if Congress steps in on the issue, it would expand protections from mining it gave the Boundary Waters back in 1978.
Becky Rom is a slithering snake that I wrote about frequently. See here , here , here and here .
The Ely Echo did some digging into who recommended a PEIS (Programmatic Environmental Impact Study), which would essentially halt mining for a decade. Here's what they wrote initially:
Then they wrote this:
Then, late Thursday a Freedom of Information Act request by Twin Metals-Minnesota was granted. Upon request, they shared those documents with us. If anyone would like a copy, just send us an email. In the documents provided by the Bureau of Land Management was a letter asking for the PEIS. The agency requesting the PEIS? Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness. And who is the vice-chair of NEMW? Becky Rom.
We also have copies of emails sent by Rom outlining a meeting with the BLM where the agenda included: 'The BLM, together with the Forest Service, should undertake a programmatic environmental impact statement.'
Rom told us the first she heard of the PEIS was when Tom Rukavina, an aide for Congressman Rick Nolan, was in Ely on March 5. We'd like to refresh her memory. A letter sent Jan. 23 from the attorney for NEMW specifically requests that the BLM and the USFS undertake a PEIS. The letter even references a meeting held on Dec. 10, 2013 with Bonnie and NEMW members. The letter to Bonnie is nine pages long and is a multi-pronged attack on copper-nickel mining in northeast Minnesota. It specifically targets Twin Metals Minnesota.
Simply put, Ms. Rom's answers were evasive, if not totally dishonest. That's who's praising Betty McCollum. There's more to this that's coming in a future post. Check back later today for that next post.
Posted Wednesday, April 15, 2015 2:48 AM
Comment 1 by Chad Q at 15-Apr-15 07:15 AM
As I have said time and time again, the Range gets what it voted for. If they had kept Chip or voted for Stuart, they'd have someone to tell ol sweaty Betty to stuff it but no, they voted to put the dinosaur Nolan back in.
Comment 2 by Gary Gross at 15-Apr-15 08:01 AM
I've said the same thing dozens of times, too. My goal, though, is to eventually flip that area.
The State of the State is still good?
Last Thursday night, Gov. Dayton delivered his State of the State address. Early in his speech, he insisted that the State of the State was good :
For right now, we have a rare moment of great opportunity. The state of our state is good. Not everywhere. Not for everyone. But overall, Minnesota is doing better than it has for some time, and Minnesota is doing better than most other states.
For the past week, I've highlighted the "not everywhere" parts of the state. One of the "not everywhere parts of the state where things aren't that great is the UMD School of Education :
The Minnesota Board of Teaching on Friday suspended the ability of a University of Minnesota Duluth college to offer teacher preparation.
The College of Education and Human Service Professions, with the exception of its approved special-education programs, has been given a probationary status through April 10, 2016, while it undergoes review. That means it can continue to offer current programs but it can't enroll new students . UMD informed students Monday night via an email from Andrea Schokker, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs.
The board in March disapproved all of the college's secondary education programs after the discovery that UMD had submitted inaccurate information about them.
In January, two dozen students learned they wouldn't be able to obtain a regular teaching license because UMD failed to document changes to their program in 2012, making the program nonexistent. Those who had job offers could apply for temporary licenses.
I'm betting that these students don't think the state of their part of the state is good at all. I'm betting that they're thinking the state of their part of the state is pretty worthless right now.
Further, I'm betting that these students are questioning these administrators' competence. Submitting information is part of what administrators do. If UMD didn't have a system in place to verify whether their paperwork was complete, accurate and sent in on time, then the chief administrator for the department should be terminated ASAP. Ditto with UMD's president.
Back in January, Gov. Dayton gave monstrous pay increases to his commissioners. At the time, Gov. Dayton said that he needed to do that to attract and retain the best people. Time after time, Gov. Dayton has overpaid for mediocre talent, starting with Myron Frans.
With 4 of MnSCU's universities and 11 of MnSCU's colleges in deep financial difficulty and with the U of M system being mishandled, it's safe to say that the state of Minnesota's higher education system isn't good.
Posted Wednesday, April 15, 2015 3:05 AM
Comment 1 by Mystique at 15-Apr-15 09:49 AM
Not only should these students question these administrators, the students should get a student refund and take legal action.
HuskyData 6—Developmental Courses
HuskyData 6 - Developmental Courses
by Silence Dogood
The sixth issue of the HuskyData Newsletter, "a regular newsletter dedicated to sharing data and information about SCSU and our students," was released on Friday, March 4, 2015. It focused on developmental courses and student success.
A plot reproduced from the HuskyData 6 newsletter shows the percentage of first-time students taking at least one developmental course during their first year:
If you look at the data as a whole, the average is 28.4% with a standard deviation of 1.4. From the data, it certainly appears that since Fall 2010 the number of students taking a developmental course in first-time student cohorts is decreasing. In fact, the data for Fall 2014 (not shown in the plot) shows the decline has continued to 25%. From the trend in the declining number of first-time students taking a least one developmental course, one might jump to the belief the data shows that SCSU is attracting a better 'quality' student. It certainly seems reasonable that if there were fewer students taking developmental courses, there would be a concomitant increase in the academic quality of a cohort of students.
The belief that SCSU is attracting a better quality student might also be supported by the decline in the number of DGS/ACE students that has occurred since Fall 2011 (as shown in the following figure):
If students in the DGS/ACE program did not meet SCSU's normal admission standards, it's reasonable to assume that the DGS/ACE students are responsible for the largest percentage of first-time students taking developmental courses. However, despite their reasonableness, assumptions can be incorrect. The following figure shows the number of New Entering Freshman (NEF) and DGS/ACE students:
From this figure, it is clear that the number of DGS/ACE students is declining at a rate that is much greater than rate of decline in the number of NEF. If the percentage of DGS/ACE students out of the total number of NEF (DGS/ACE students are counted as NEF) is calculated, the following figure is obtained:
Clearly, the percentage of DGS/ACE students of the total number of NEF has declined nearly 50% from the value in Fall 2011. Thus, when the DGS/ACE students are excluded, it is clear that the percentage of NEF that are taking at least one developmental course is, in fact, INCREASING among regularly admitted students. As a result, if the quality of entering students is measured by the percentage of regularly admitted students taking developmental courses, the quality is actually declining.
Unfortunately, with the pressures created by a 21.8% decline in enrollment since FY10, it is not hard to believe that the administration is allowing students with lower academic qualifications to be admitted without necessarily being admitted to the DGS/ACE program. The following figure shows a portion of the Weekly Admit Report for March 6th, 2015:
If you calculate the percentage of admission offers as a percentage of the total applications, as of March 6th, 2015, the percentage was 57.6%. As of the same date in 2014, the percentage was 54.9%. Clearly, the acceptance percentage is increasing. If you calculate the percentage of admission offers as a percentage of the number of completed applications, you obtain 87.3%. So either SCSU is attracting high quality applicants or just about anyone who completes an application is being offered admission. If I were to make an assumption, it would be that if an applicant has a pulse and completes the application, they are offered admission. At least that is what I hear from a number of high school students who are in the process of considering where they want to go to college.
But there I go making assumptions. However, when you further consider that the number of college credits students have earned prior to graduation from high school has been increasing significantly over the past few years, the quality of entering students should be increasing. In fact, the number of students entering college right out of high school who have already completed an Associate of Arts (AA) degree (while still in high school) is growing exponentially! Within a few years it is easy to see that a majority of students will graduate from high school with an AA degree already in hand!
Thus with an increasing number of students entering college with significant numbers of college credits up to and including AA degrees, we should be seeing an increase in the quality of the incoming NEF. As a result, it should be easy to predict that the need for remedial courses will disappear entirely. Unfortunately, without any kind of assurance of the quality of the "concurrent enrollment" or "college in the schools" programs, many of these students may have nothing more than a piece of paper that they can hang on their wall. I'll even go so far as to make another assumption that we will probably see the average grade in upper-level courses go down significantly as more of these 'AA' students fill our classes.
In the end, even if the number of remedial courses decreases to zero, it may not really indicate an increase in the quality of NEF. Some people might just think of these trends as 'opportunities' for higher education. However, as a 'dinosaur' about to become extinct, HuskyData 6 looks like an effort to put lipstick on another pig rather than shining light on an important set of data with the potential to improve SCSU's response to emerging trends.
Posted Wednesday, April 15, 2015 8:25 AM
No comments.
Exposing Dogra's pony show
Bill Polian, the architect of Buffalo's, Carolina's and Indianapolis's Super Bowl team, has been all over the Ben Dogra/Adrian Peterson soap opera this entire winter. Matt Vensel, one of the Strib's Viking beat writers, wrote about Polian's conference call where Polian addressed the situation for the umpteenth time. Here's what Polian said:
'I've had a lot to say on this subject on [ESPN's NFL] Insiders,' he said. 'Let's take away the hypotheticals for a moment and say the following: Despite anything his agent may say to the contrary or his, quote, people, whoever they may be or say to the contrary, the following are the facts. He has a valid contract, a multi-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings. And if the Minnesota Vikings decide that they want him to play football for them, he will play football for them or play football for no one.
'So I think that is a fact. It's very clear-cut. It's black and white, despite any protestations to the contrary. Secondly, if you were to be interested in trading for him, that means that the Vikings control the ability to move him. No one else. So there is no third party interaction here. This is a question of whether or not the Vikings want to trade Adrian Peterson to someone else. So I think those two sets of facts have been lost in all of the noise that surrounds this situation almost since last January.
'The third part of the equation is where does he stand with the league? I presume that question will be answered at some point in the foreseeable future. But it has not been answered yet. And that certainly affects any potential trade. I hasten to add that if the Vikings would be willing to entertain one - and they have said just the opposite, at least from where I can tell recently - trying to determine what's fair compensation for him in a trade assumes that the Vikings would be willing to enter into such a transaction. Not that someone else decides that it should take place.
'So compensation is [Vikings General Manager] Rick Spielman's call, and I'm not going to farm his land. The fact of the matter is that he has a very, very fair contract, in my opinion, from his perspective. He's the highest-paid back in the league, I believe. And he has a multi-year contract. So he would be ostensibly available for three more years if any team ever trades for him. To me, that mitigates whatever his age is. He's also had a year off, which is probably for a running back a good thing. So the extent that his age is a factor if you were going to move him, I don't think it is a factor because he's under club control for the next three years.
'Could you make a trade for anybody on the clock? Of course you can. But the question of whether or not that player will report is another issue. And that's unknowable at this time. I would be, as a general manager, I'd be very wary given what's gone on up to this point that he would report and honor that contract. I would have concerns about that if I were trying to make a trade.'
This is essentially the same answer Polian has given ever since Ben Dogra, Adrian Peterson's agent, started shooting his mouth off about the subject.
To the fans, Ben Dogra is a villain. To Vikings GM Rick Spielman, he's just a pain in the arse. Dogra is doing what Adrian wants him to do. To his credit, Spielman is playing hardball. That's the right response to the situation. If Spielman can swing a trade that nets him a first round pick that he can turn into Todd Gurley, that's fantastic. If he can't, then Spielman should call Adrian and tell him he's expected to show up for the mandatory mini-camps. He should also remind Peterson that non-participation will cost him $45,000,000 in salaries that he won't collect and it'll force him to write a check for $2,400,000 for the signing bonus he didn't earn.
I'm betting it won't come to that. No player is stupid enough to turn his back on $50,000,000. No agent would advise his client to forfeit that money, especially considering the fact that Adrian's salary pays Dogra's commission.
Posted Wednesday, April 15, 2015 8:58 AM
Comment 1 by walter hanson at 15-Apr-15 03:03 PM
Where is Donald Trump to walk up to Ben Dogra and say, "You're fired!" AP should've done this weeks, if not months ago.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Exposing Becky Rom's dishonesty
I intentionally called Becky Rom a "slithering snake" in this post because she tried dodging legitimate questions about whether she'd submitted a request for a PEIS, aka Programmatic Environmental Impact Study:
What's strange is no group or individual has had the intestinal fortitude to stand up and say that they requested that a PEIS be conducted. There have been plenty of fingers pointed at groups like Friends of the Boundary Waters, Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, Sustainable Ely along with one person who has connections to those groups and who has consistently spoken against copper-nickel mining in northeast Minnesota. That person is Becky Rom of Ely.
So we called Rom and asked her if she or any of the groups she is affiliated with formally requested a PEIS from the Forest Service. As a former attorney, Rom is skilled at not answering questions. So we pressed and pressed some more. Here's the best of answers we could get:
'I've encouraged the agencies to do what's required under the law and using the best science.' 'Nobody is pushing for an extra layer or extra delays or costs or more money. I'm just saying this is really important and doing right is following the law and basing decisions on the best science.' 'I did not pen any letter but I've had these discussions.'
'As far as I know there's no formal process for a request like a petition.'
We specifically asked if Rom had approached U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Robert Bonnie (who oversees the USFS). 'I never talked about this to Mr. Bonnie.'
It wasn't until later that the Ely Echo found out that "Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness" requested the PEIS. At the time, Ms. Rom was NEMW's vice-chair.
That's just the tip of the Rom-corruption iceberg.
When Rep. Betty McCollum submitted the National Park and Wilderness Waters Protection Act for congressional consideration, Rom praised the legislation :
'This Act is crucial to protecting large portions of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park from acid mine drainage,' said Becky Rom, third-generation Ely resident and chair of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters. 'Sulfide-ore copper mining would do more harm than good to this beloved region. Allowing industrialized mining on the edge of the Boundary Waters would not only pollute water, it would also destroy National Forest lands in areas now used for hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, dogsledding, hiking, skiing, canoeing, logging and other activities.'
The problem with that statement is that this article disputes the "third-generation Ely resident" claim:
His daughter, Becky Rom of Edina, a dedicated conservation volunteer, said Olson urged Rom to take jobs in the wilderness, primarily with the U.S. Forest Service in the 1930s.
I don't doubt that Rom has maintained ties with the Ely area. It's just that I doubt Ms. Rom's ability to tell the whole truth. My opinion isn't just based on that article. Here's Ms. Rom's official bio :
Rebecca (Becky) Rom has served on The Wilderness Society governing council since 1996. Becky recently retired as president of Twin Cities Community Land Bank, a nonprofit organization that provides a variety of services for urban redevelopment of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.
For over thirty years she practiced law at Faegre & Benson, a law firm that has engaged in a national public interest practice in public lands and wildlife protection.
Becky has been an advocate of wilderness protection for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Quetico Provincial Park since the mid-1970s and, among other positions, chaired the board of the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness for 17 years. She has also been active in Alaska public lands issues, serving as a board member of the Alaska Wilderness League and founding and chairing the Alaska Coalition of Minnesota.
Becky is former chair of The Wilderness Society's Governing Council.
In other words, saying that Rom is a "third-generation Ely resident" isn't just a bit of an embellishment. It's stretching the truth to the point that the truth isn't recognizable.
Originally posted Wednesday, April 15, 2015, revised 07-Jan 6:20 AM
Comment 1 by Chad Q at 15-Apr-15 12:31 PM
So they are for logging, hunting, snowmobiling and other activities but are against mining. Once they shut mining out for good, they'll take up getting rid of those other activities as well so mother earth doesn't have to be bothered with such things. These environmentalist wackos are just that and will never be happy because something will always be threatening their god.
Comment 2 by Rex Newman at 15-Apr-15 05:11 PM
Our adversarial justice system allows lawyers to pretend to be dumb or unaware in their clients' behalf. But they are also officers of the court, which to me at least says that if they do speak up in legal proceedings they should not lie or idly repeat hearsay. It would appear Ms. Rom doesn't share that view.
Comment 3 by Drew Campbell at 10-Dec-16 09:26 AM
This article about Becky Rom, which is my first ever hearing about her, is a great testimony of a life dedicated to protecting assets and natural resources for both the U.S. and Canada. Minnesota's only National Park, Voyagers National Park, lies within the watershed of the proposed metal mining proposal. If my limited knowledge serves me correctly, a huge amount of the waters passing through Voyagers comes from the Boundary Waters Park, also part of this Metal Mining Proposal. I would say any American should be concerned when a National Park may be threatened, and it matters not if they live in Ely or anywhere nearby. That one park alone belongs to all Americans, and someone from Southern Florida, or Hawaii can and should be invested in what the health is of any National Park, even in Northern MN. I currently work as a County Commissioner in Southern MN, and I am very concerned about any large Metal Mine within the watershed of those named parks. I have camped and fished on Namakan Lake for the last 45 years. Probably more than half of the water flowing through the lake comes from that same watershed in question. The Namakan River has some of the the oldest and purest populations of Sturgeon, which also could be wiped out by the Proposed Metal Mining. Thousands of people come to the Boundary Waters and Voyager Parks which provides for a fairly stable economy for thousands of people who depend on visitors, campers, fisherman, hunters, snowmobilers. The cities of Ely, Cook, Orr, Crane Lake, and many more would permanently lose visitors and users if the waters and natural resources of these parks were to be degraded. The loss of income in my estimation from people not coming north to these beautiful natural resources would be far greater over time than any amount of short term money from the proposed metal mining. In working as a Commissioner, I would like to ask that local populations in and near these natural resources work up a comparison study, and look at probably 100 years worth of income from the proposed metal mine, and how much of that money will be spent in and around your cities and community. Then look at 100 years of probable lost income from people who stop coming to the parks due to poor water, loss of fish and natural resources. Include the many properties which will be devalued, abandoned and property taxes not paid to local governments. Basically the bread and butter for keeping any form of infrastructure up in those lands. A real effort of Due Diligence and not just looking at temporary jobs needed. Also included in this study would need to be the loss of enjoyment of the once clean lands and waters, and other listed values which one might place on their cultural significance, which gives richer value to life itself. Thank you Becky Rom for seeing the long term value in our parks. I have never heard of you before reading the article in the StarTribune and then this article here on this blog site today, December 10, 2016. ------------ Sincerely, Drew Campbell
Comment 4 by Elizabeth Sivertson at 22-Oct-17 01:48 PM
I think everyone needs to look at the scientifically based reasons against a copper mine near the waters of the BWCA. Copper mining is the most toxic producing industry, not anything like the iron mining industry we have benefitted from in NE Minnesota. Copper mining ores waste piles of crushed rock would leach sulfuric acid for centuries, and can never be mitigated without GIANT risk, as proven over and over again not only in 3rd world countries. Right here in the regulated and state of the art, USA, Copper mining is the catalyst to most of our nation's superfund sites. The risks of Iron mining has no comparison to the risks of copper/nickel mining, and should not even be considered in the same category, or especially not with the same kind of loyalty. All mining is not equal. We need good trade, and this proposal is totally imbalanced in their favor, without any guarantees to us in protections of jobs OR the environment. This multinational push by corporations with terrible track records - companies that have gained reputations for the worst human rights violations for the miners- these are the same exact companies that are vying for our minerals. For Minnesotans to be willing to risk the waters and the health of the fishery, by dangling such a puny economic opportunity is pure crazy. I am with Becky Rom.
Comment 5 by Elizabeth Sivertson at 22-Oct-17 01:51 PM
I think everyone needs to look at the scientifically based reasons against a copper mine near the waters of the BWCA. Copper mining is the most toxic producing industry, not anything like the iron mining industry the whole nation and our Minnesota miners have benefitted from in NE Minnesota. Copper mining ores waste piles of crushed rock would leach sulfuric acid for centuries, and can never be mitigated without GIANT risk, as proven over and over again not just in 3rd world examples. Right here in the regulated and state of the art, USA, Copper mining is the cause of most of our nation's superfund sites. The risks of Iron mining has no comparison to the risks of copper/nickel mining, and should not even be considered in the same category, or especially not with the same kind of loyalty. All mining is not equal. We need good trade, and this proposal is totally imbalanced in favor of mining conglomerates, without any guarantees to us in the protections of jobs OR the environment. This multinational push by corporations with terrible track records - companies that have gained reputations for the worst human rights violations for the miners- these are the same exact companies that are vying for our minerals. For Minnesotans to be willing to risk the waters and the health of the fishery, by dangling such a puny economic opportunity is pure crazy. I am with Becky Rom.
Response 5.1 by Gary Gross at 22-Oct-17 03:34 PM
So you're arguing that there aren't any sulfur deposits in iron? Forgive me if I don't guy that BS.
Comment 6 by Ginny at 23-Dec-17 11:07 AM
And who funds you?
Today's news suggests Chile. Is that "freedom"? I wonder what that means for the rest of us. I think you mean "freedom to exploit," almost everything, including the beautiful BWCA. I suppose "slithering snake" works as an argument if that's all you've got. Millions of us WANT the BWCA PROTECTED, especially from people who think this is "freedom."
Response 6.1 by Gary Gross at 23-Dec-17 12:41 PM
Theoretically speaking, you believe that technology is giving people incredible capabilities, whether we're talking iPhones, medical technologies that save lives or whatever. Why is it impossible for you to believe that the technology exists that'd keep the environment pristine? Or is it that you're paranoid & think that all corporations hate people & can't wait to screw people over?
Hillary's Iowa astroturf
Hillary Clinton's grass roots appeal is a bit underwhelming. Last night, I wrote this article talking about how there were more reporters that greeted her at her first official event than there were activists. This post will be the perfect 'Part II' to that article. According to this article , Hillary's Astroturf operation is operating at peak efficiency even if she isn't:
Hillary Clinton's AstroTurf candidacy is in full swing in Iowa.
Her Tuesday morning visit to a coffee shop in LeClaire, Iowa was staged from beginning to end, according to Austin Bird, one of the men pictured sitting at the table with Mrs. Clinton. Bird told Daily Mail Online that campaign staffer Troy Price called and asked him and two other young people to meet him Tuesday morning at a restaurant in Davenport, a nearby city. Price then drove them to the coffee house to meet Clinton after vetting them for about a half-hour.
The three got the lion's share of Mrs. Clinton's time and participated in what breathless news reports described as a 'roundtable'- the first of many in her brief Iowa campaign swing. Bird himself is a frequent participant in Iowa Democratic Party events. He interned with President Obama's 2012 presidential re-election campaign, and was tapped to chauffeur Vice President Joe Biden in October 2014 when he visited Davenport. 'What happened is, we were just asked to be there by Troy,' Bird said Wednesday in a phone interview.
Hillary meeting with 'ordinary people' is off to a glorious start. Who knew that she'd just happen to find some former Obama campaign volunteers at that quaint little diner? If that isn't the most coincidental meeting in the history of campaigns, it's close.
It's still too early to be certain but the hunch I'm getting is that Hillary's campaign is suffering through an enthusiasm gap. This staged event isn't the only indicator. The fact that there's a 'Draft Elizabeth Warren' organization after all the times Sen. Warren has said she isn't running indicates Democrats just don't like Hillary.
Price was executive director of the Iowa Democratic Party until a month ago. Clinton's team tapped him last week to be its political director in Iowa. He did not respond to a request for comment.
Bird is a government and community relations coordinator at Genesis Health System in Davenport, Iowa, according to his LinkedIn profile. A coworker at Genesis said Wednesday that Bird is 'basically a lobbyist in training. That's what he wants to do.' Bird disagreed, saying his role was 'more public relations.'
I'm betting that Iowa Democrats don't care that Hillary's events are staged. They just care about winning. Hillary's problem with this publicity is that it feeds the narrative that Hillary is distant and doesn't connect with voters.
Clinton's nascent campaign has carefully coordinated her image as a spontaneous, handshaking populist in her first days as a candidate, posing with Pennsylvanians at a gas station and venturing into an Ohio Chipotle restaurant for lunch. When no one recognized the former first lady - she was wearing sunglasses - the campaign leaked information to The New York Times so its reporters could get security-camera footage to prove she had tried to mingle with voters.
If Hillary doesn't change things, she'll need to raise that $2,500,000,000 just to bribe enough 'activists' to attend her events.
Posted Wednesday, April 15, 2015 7:15 PM
No comments.
Democrats: Harry Reid's enablers
Last night on 'On the Record', host Greta van Susteren played a clip of Harry Reid saying something utterly outrageous, which isn't surprising. Greta then asked her Political Panel why Democrats haven't spoken up about Reid. Kirsten Powers' response was the obligatory 'Harry Reid has been effective' chanting point.
I'm tired of getting that reply. There's no justification for the disgusting things Sen. Reid has said, especially the lie that he told about Mitt Romney not paying taxes for 10 years. I know that Sen. Reid is protected from litigation because his statements on the Senate floor are covered by the Speech and Debate Clause of the Constitution.
Harry Reid's actions condemn him. Reid didn't think about troop morale when he said that "the war is lost" shortly after President Bush ordered the start of the Surge. It didn't take long for Sen. Reid to be proven wrong. The surge worked.
Key question: What type of dirt bag puts a higher priority on criticizing the commander-in-chief than the puts on maintaining the morale of true American patriots who are putting their lives on the line?
Harry Reid didn't hesitate in lying about Mitt Romney. He didn't have proof that Mitt didn't pay taxes. He didn't care. Sen. Reid put a higher priority on winning at all costs than he put on being a man of character.
Key question: What type of political party sits silent while their leader repeatedly lies about the other party's presidential candidate?
Frankly, it's disgusting that a political party wouldn't criticize a dirt bag like Sen. Reid. Today's Democratic Party isn't just without character. They're disgusting to the core. They're unrepentant. Their first concern is accumulating and maintaining power. Their next priority is to never criticize a fellow Democrat no matter what they've done.
Edmund Burke said something that Democrats should think about if they still have a heart. He said "All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Right now, the Democratic Party is filled with people who a) apparently don't have a heart and b) haven't lifted a finger to criticize one of the nastiest politicians that's ever served in the US Senate.
Key question: Are there any Democrats still in the Senate or in Punditland that will excoriate Sen. Reid and run him out of DC?
Kirsten Powers has done some honorable things. Still, last night, she didn't do a thing to excoriate Sen. Reid. She had the opportunity to criticize him and take down the nastiest man in the Senate. Ron Fournier had the same opportunity. He didn't lift his voice to excoriate Sen. Reid, either.
Key principle: Americans shouldn't trust a political party that doesn't care about ethical behavior.
The Democratic Party is infested with disgusting people who don't have the character required to consistently do the right thing. During the last 6 years, they've consistently put doing what their special interests wanted them to do ahead of doing what's right for the American people.
If people with character within the Democratic Party don't rip the party away from the Harry Reids of the world, then the Democratic Party should be vanquished to the trash heap of failed political parties. They will have earned it.
Posted Thursday, April 16, 2015 9:00 AM
Comment 1 by Chad Q at 16-Apr-15 07:21 AM
You keep answering your own questions. The Democrat party is filled with a bunch of people who will lie, cheat, steal, sell out whomever they need to, to keep themselves in power. The ends always justify the means with these people.
Gov. Dayton's attention to detail
Gov. Dayton's attention to detail is inspiring. What other governor would pay attention to umlautless road signs late in the budget session? Here's what I'm talking about:
Gov. Dayton didn't know that the Vikings stadium bill had a provision in it that allowed the Wilfs to sell personal seat license but Gov. Dayton knows that the Lindstrom highway sign doesn't have the proper umlauting.
Gov. Dayton didn't know that the 2013 Tax Bill that he negotiated with the DFL legislative leaders included a sales tax on farm equipment repairs but he's ordered the umlautless signs to be fixed ASAP. Minnesotans will sleep easier tonight knowing that Gov. Dayton's attention to detail is unsurpassed:
In a new executive order issued Wednesday, Dayton demanded his state's transportation authority "reinstate the use of umlauts on roadway signage, when appropriate."
'Nonsensical rules like this are exactly why people get frustrated with government," Dayton said in an accompanying statement. Dayton said he was inspired by the troubles faced by the relatively small city of Lindstrom, which bills itself as "America's Little Sweden." "Even if I have to drive to Lindstrom, and paint the umlauts on the city limit signs myself, I'll do it," Dayton vowed in his clearly emotional statement .
That's stunning. Getting upset because road signs don't have umlauts where they're appropriate isn't just a little deranged. That's a 'the cheese has slid totally off the cracker' moment. Not everyone agrees with me, which is stunning by itself:
Business Insider reached out to Lindstrom City Hall for comment on the executive order. City Administrator John Olinger applauded the governor's change, which he said would allow local signage to better reflect the city's history.
At least someone other than Gov. Dayton will sleep better tonight thanks to Gov. Dayton taking decisive action.
Posted Thursday, April 16, 2015 1:38 PM
Comment 1 by Chad Q at 16-Apr-15 05:54 PM
Gov. Goofy has nothing better to do because Flint-Smith is the one really running the government. It still amazes me this idiot got re-elected when he continually says and does crap like this. He's a moron's moron.
