February 12-16, 2014
Feb 12 00:08 Questions for Schumer, Franken Feb 12 03:44 al-Qa'ida morphing Feb 12 09:06 What's Wrong with this Picture? Feb 12 14:37 Frightened Franken fighting back? Feb 13 03:22 Democrats legitimizing terrorism Feb 13 10:07 The impending DFL civil war Feb 16 14:37 Another Metrocrat shafts Iron Range Miners
Prior Months: Jan
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Questions for Schumer, Franken
This article should frighten Constitution-loving Americans across the political spectrum. Here's why:
Schumer during remarks to the Center for American Progress argued that Tea Party groups have an unfair financial advantage over left-leaning groups because of the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision, at one point even suggesting that President Barack Obama go around Congress to impose stricter campaign finance laws.
'It is clear that we will not pass anything legislatively as long as the House of Representatives is in Republican control, but there are many things that can be done administratively by the IRS and other government agencies - we must redouble those efforts immediately,' Schumer said.
'One of the great advantages the Tea Party has is the huge holes in our campaign finance laws created [by] the ill advised decision [Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission],' he added. 'Obviously the Tea Party elites gained extraordinary influence by being able to funnel millions of dollars into campaigns with ads that distort the truth and attack government.'
First, it's worth noting that Sen. Schumer's speech is intellectually dishonest. Next, it calls into question whether he or the other signatories to his letter cherish the Constitution or whether they're willing to sacrifice the Constitution for political expediency.
These questions are aimed specifically at Sen. Schumer and Sen. Franken:
- Do all political organizations have the right of free speech or do only some political organizations have First Amendment protections?
- If only some political organizations have First Amendment protection, who determines which political organizations have First Amendment protections and which political organizations don't?
- Why do you think that the IRS is the right enforcer of who's protected by the First Amendment?
- What part of the Constitution or the Bill of Rights can you cite that prohibits political speech for some organizations but protects poltiical speech for other organizations?
- Shouldn't the Supreme Court be the final arbiter of what's constitutional and what isn't constitutional?
- Finally, why haven't you demanded that the IRS be investigated for targeting citizens because of their political beliefs?
The reality is that Sen. Franken and Sen. Schumer don't think in terms of what's protected by the Bill of Rights or the Constitution. They think in terms of what will help them politically. With them, it's never been about constitutionality. It's always been about what'll help them politically.
Originally posted Wednesday, February 12, 2014, revised 06-Aug 8:12 AM
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al-Qa'ida morphing
According to top US intelligence officials, al-Qa'ida is morphing so it can fight other fights:
'Is al Qaeda on the run and on the path to defeat?' Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-OK, asked in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday.
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper responded, 'No, it is morphing and and franchising itself and not only here but other areas of the world.' Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, added, 'They are not.'
Former President George W. Bush asserted that that al Qaeda network was 'on the run' as early as October 2001. President Obama adopted the phrase and used it repeatedly on the campaign trail in 2012. Touting his foreign policy record, Mr. Obama often said, 'al Qaeda is on the run and Osama bin Laden is dead.'
What's troubling about this testimony is that it indicates this administration's policies are flawed. While President Obama loves talking about taking out core al-Qa'ida, it doesn't say what it's doing to gather intelligence that's capable of rolling up entire networks.
The Obama administration has trumpeted its successes in killing terrorists with drone strikes. They certainly trumpeted the killing of bin Laden. What they didn't do is keep these victories quiet, giving terrorists information that helped them quickly adjust.
Further, this isn't doing anything to adjust to al-Qa'ida's changing identity, which is needed to thwart future attacks. Most importantly, though, is that this administration has stopped hunting al-Qa'ida where it lives. It's frustrating knowing that America's withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan is turning territory once taken from al-Qa'ida is now being given back to al-Qa'ida and the Taliban.
If al-Qa'ida sees that the US is exiting the Middle East and north Africa, they'll know that they'll soon be controlling large chunks of real estate that can quickly be turned into terrorist training camps. In short, President Obama is giving back the victories President Bush won.
President Obama won't admit this but al-Qa'ida isn't on the run. It's growing its control of large parts of the developing world. Simply put, they're achieving their goals. We're failing at achieving our goals.
Posted Wednesday, February 12, 2014 3:44 AM
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What's Wrong with this Picture?
What's Wrong with this Picture?
by Silence Dogood
As of 4:30 am this morning, the MnSCU website lists the following spring semester enrollments. While these are not the 30-day enrollments or final enrollments, they do give a snapshot of the current enrollment picture.
From the data in the table, it is clear that the all of the MnSCU universities are currently down in enrollment when compared with last spring's numbers. However, some are clearly down more than others. SCSU is down an eye popping 367 FYE while the entire MnSCU university system, excluding SCSU, is down 290 FYE.
If we look at the numbers for FY14 compared to FY13, the MnSCU data currently shows
Again, the data shows all of the MnSCU universities are down in enrollment when compared with FY13. However, it's almost a certainty that there is still some enrollment left to be entered so that Moorhead's decline will likely be under 2.0% and MSU-Mankato will be positive for the year, although not by much. Because of their large post-secondary enrollment program, Southwest MSU may also have enough additional enrollment this spring that its yearly decline will be under 2.5%. Even SCSU will have some additional enrollment to report that will bring the yearly decline to closely match President Potter's prediction of a 5% decline. So we should be celebrating. Right?!?!
Currently, the data shows an annual enrollment decline of 704 FYE at SCSU for FY14, which is currently larger for the year than the enrollment decline for FY14 for the rest of the MnSCU's university system (543 FYE). If President Potter's enrollment prediction is realized and SCSU's enrollment picks up an additional 52 FYE to bring the annual enrollment decline to his predicted 5%, decline, the decline at SCSU will still be 109 FYE larger than the decline in enrollment for all of the MnSCU universities excluding SCSU.
Being down 5% in enrollment should not be cause for celebration especially in light of being down 6.4% in FY13 and 6.9% in FY12.
Posted Wednesday, February 12, 2014 9:06 AM
Comment 1 by Prefer Anonymous at 12-Feb-14 10:45 AM
The university will continue to see enrollment declines based simply on the fact that one low year results in 4+ years of lower enrollment - even if NEF remains steady. One low year has persistence throughout the time that the class remains at SCSU. The impact is dampened as time goes on, just as silence has pointed out. So, the low year in 2011 will generally continue to cause lower enrollment figures even as the the number of NEF remains stable.
Frightened Franken fighting back?
Apparently, Al Franken thinks he's in a competitive race. The first sign that he thinks he's in a competitive race is that he's sending out fundraising appeals almost daily. Here's Sen. Franken's latest fundraising appeal:
'American Crossroads Preparing to Enter the Game.'
-- Roll Call, 2/7/2014
Have you heard of American Crossroads?
It is a super PAC that spent more than $104 million in the 2012 elections. Apparently, they're getting ready to spend big again.
And the man behind the Crossroads curtain is none other than Karl Rove -- who recently called me out by name and pointed to Minnesota as a pickup opportunity for Republicans in 2014.
Crossroads is firing up the attack machine. We need to be ready to fight back. And this month, that means hitting our $200,000 goal. Can you give $5 or more before the deadline?
American Crossroads is one of those groups spawned by Citizens United. And let me tell you, Rove and his pals have a great reason not to like me.
It's not because they don't like my jokes. They know I don't support the special interest, anti-middle class, Karl Rove agenda. I support the protecting Medicare, preserving net neutrality, reversing Citizens United agenda.
I work for families, not super PACs. They may have millions of dollars to spend on attacks, but I've got something better: You.
I know you are all committed to strengthening our grassroots efforts. So let's make sure we're ready for whatever Rove can throw at us. Give $5 or more toward our $200,000 goal today.
Thank you for your help this month.
Al
I'll give Franken this: he's got chutzpah. What other person would whine about Karl Rove's "special interest, anti-middle class agenda" after voting for every major piece of President Obama's economic agenda that's left the nation's economy struggling? Sen. Franken's ideological blinders won't let him admit that Obama's economic agenda has crippled job growth, stunted economic growth and given special breaks to President Obama's biggest bundlers. (Think Solyndra, aka taxpayer-subsidized boondoggles.)
For all his whining about Karl Rove's special interest, anti-middle class policies, Franken has voted for initiatives that've left the middle class working part-time or part of the army of chronically unemployed people who've been searching for jobs since 2009.
Sen. Franken, why haven't you supported the Keystone XL Pipeline project? The State Department's report says environmental impact will be minimal. Is it because you're beholden to anti-science militant environmentalists? Apparently, you don't give a damn about blue collar workers who would be put to work building that pipeline.
Sen. Franken, why haven't you supported the PolyMet precious metals mining project in your own state? Is it because you won't say no to Minnesota's militant environmentalists? Is it because you only support blue collar union miners in word, not deed?
That's the definition of being controlled by anti-middle class special interests. Minnesota deserves better. Minnesota deserves a senator who'll fight for the middle class.
Posted Wednesday, February 12, 2014 2:37 PM
Comment 1 by walter hanson at 12-Feb-14 03:28 PM
Gary:
I'll give Al credit for fighting to be reelected since Republicans in the US House and US Senate by their acts of surrender to Obama on everything are acting like they don't want to be an opposition party and get elected.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 12-Feb-14 04:48 PM
That's why having the House but not the Senate matters. Shutting down government didn't work well. Get out of the way & tee up the midterms on our terms.
Comment 2 by walter hanson at 12-Feb-14 06:48 PM
Gary:
The real problem with the Senate is if all 45 Republicans had been willing to say we will stand on this:
* No immigration bill with amnesty
* no CR until changes to Obamacare were put into the bill
* No debt increase unless real reforms like Keystone is approved.
I can go on, but if they had just stood with the House Bills we could've achieved great things. Instead a bunch of Republicans in the Senate gave Obama and Harry Reid the clean CR on spending they needed, the clean debt ceiling increase they needed, caved on immigration so if the House has one week moment until next January we have the amnesty bill pased.
That's one reason why whoever the Republican running against Franken is going to have a tough time because some votes will think there is no difference on who is the US Senator.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Democrats legitimizing terrorism
This video shows some ecoterrorists trespassing on Mark Maki's private property:
This is the unhinged, despicable left terrorizing a private citizen on his private property. That didn't matter to them. This article fills in the details from that act of terrorism:
Masked protesters carrying torches and threatening organized violence protested outside the home of an executive at a major oil pipeline company last week. Eight environmental activists gathered on the lawn of Mark Maki, a member of the Enbridge Energy Company's board of directors and president of Enbridge Energy Management, to protest the arrests of three anti-pipeline activists last year.
The protesters, who brandished torches for a photo posted online, held a sign warning, 'solidarity means attack' and 'we will shut you down.'
Maki stepped out of his Houston, Texas, home to talk with the protesters, though he said he was not familiar with their grievances. 'It's 10 o' clock at night, I'm happy to discuss it, [but] not here, not in my neighborhood, not with my neighbors around,' Maki told them.
As protesters stood on Maki's lawn, they told him that Enbridge is 'criminalizing protest' by testifying against three anti-pipeline activists who were recently convicted of criminal trespassing for chaining themselves to Enbridge construction equipment in July.
There's no denying the fact that these terrorists are criminals. What's stunning is that their actions are accepted by supposedly mainstream environmental organizations:
Anti-pipeline activism has recently spurred even nominally mainstream environmental groups to endorse criminal activity.
The Sierra Club, one of the most prominent environmentalist groups in the country, gave its official endorsement last year to acts of civil disobedience as a means to stop the popular Keystone pipeline.
Anti-pipeline activism has become a pillar of the post-Al Gore environmentalist movement, which has found it to be an effective issue around which to rally its supporters.
It isn't just environmentalists that terrorize people at their homes :
Last Sunday, on a peaceful, sun-crisp afternoon, our toddler finally napping upstairs, my front yard exploded with 500 screaming, placard-waving strangers on a mission to intimidate my neighbor, Greg Baer. Baer is deputy general counsel for corporate law at Bank of America, a senior executive based in Washington, D.C. And that, in the minds of the organizers at the politically influential Service Employees International Union and a Chicago outfit called National Political Action, makes his family fair game.
Waving signs denouncing bank "greed," hordes of invaders poured out of 14 school buses, up Baer's steps, and onto his front porch. As bullhorns rattled with stories of debtor calls and foreclosed homes, Baer's teenage son Jack, alone in the house, locked himself in the bathroom. "When are they going to leave?" Jack pleaded when I called to check on him.
President Obama, when he was still candidate Obama, stated proudly that he'd marched with SEIU. SEIU is considered a central part of today's Democratic Party, as is the Sierra Club.
Altogether too often, the Democratic Party has turned a blind eye towards the Sierra Club or SEIU when they've condoned terrorizing private citizens. Altogether too often, they've essentially said that the ends justify the means. In the Democrats' minds, evil is acceptable when it's used to terrorize one of the Democrats' boogeymen.
Terrorism, whether it's used against Mark Maki or Greg Baer, isn't acceptable. If the Democratic Party doesn't want to be known as the party that condones terrorism, needs to start standing up to these terrorists. If they don't, the Democratic Party should be known as the party that appeases terrorists.
Posted Thursday, February 13, 2014 3:22 AM
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The impending DFL civil war
All of the pundits have hinted that the DFL is one big, happy family. I'm betting that those pundits are stretching things a bit based on this article :
The DFL political establishment on the Range is virtually unanimous in its support, which also has the backing of many in the construction trades, another key DFL constituency. But the controversial project faces stiff and well-coordinated opposition from environmental groups and many DFL lawmakers.
'Clearly this opens up the clash and conflict between those DFLers who value the environment first, versus those who value jobs first. We will all have to answer the question, 'Whose side are you on?' Anzelc said. 'I think this issue has the potential to divide the DFL convention this summer. The table is set for Democrats running for statewide office to have a real challenging time of it in the '14 elections.'
Anzelc is partially right. He said this in the context of Gov. Dayton picking Tina Smith as his running mate. This split has been developing since 2009. That's when Chip Cravaack campaigned hard on the Range and took tons of votes from Jim Oberstar, something that people thought was impossible.
In 2012, 'normalcy' was restored when fossilized Rick Nolan defeated Chip. That calm exterior disappeared when Nolan decided to vote for HR761 :
Northern Minnesota is known for its great fishing, so perhaps it's fitting that tracking 8th District Congressman Rick Nolan's position on a bill that deregulates the mining industry and fast tracks the permitting process for PolyMet is a bit like watching a fish flopping around on a dock: first he's against it, then he's for it and now he once again opposes it, this time promising to vote against the legislation if it 'comes anywhere near close to becoming law.'
Picking Tina Smith certainly contributed to this division getting exposed but the DFL's allies have contributed more to this expanding division. Twin Cities Metrocrats are militant environmentalists. They're passionately opposed to mining. They love harvesting the Iron Range's votes. They also love stiffing the Iron Range on their highest priorities.
Gov. Dayton's pick is essentially the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.
Marlene Pospeck, a former mayor of Hoyt Lakes and a longtime DFL activist, noted that strong turnout on the Range has been critical to many DFL victories in the past, including Gov. Dayton's narrow victories in the DFL primary and general election in 2010.
'The people in St. Paul need to be aware that if they want to be re-elected, we on the Iron Range hold one of the keys,' Pospeck said.
Still strong for DFL in '14?
Like Anzelc, Pospeck believes that PolyMet and, more generally, mining, is the principal source of regional conflict within the party. But she said it is not the only one. Another came in 2012, when Mark Phillips was squeezed out as commissioner of the powerful Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). An Iron Range native who previously worked at the IRRRB, Phillips resigned the post after less than a year on the job. The reasons for Phillips' departure have never been made entirely clear.
Pospeck isn't issuing an idle threat on this. I wrote this post about Pospeck's LTE about taking the Iron Range for granted:
For instance, although mining is the lifeblood of our region and provides benefit for the entire state, those in high office in St. Paul have been almost silent in support of this important industry that provides thousands of jobs on the Iron Range.
So when these DFL candidates come north, seeking our votes and making promises they do not intend to keep, let's carefully assess whether or not they truly support our concerns and intend to effectively address our issues.
It is no longer enough for them simply to carry the label DFL to win our votes. We Iron Rangers must hold their feet to the fire and demand their support for issues important to the Iron Range in return.
It's put-up-or-shut-up time for the DFL. They can either support the Iron Range or they can start expecting to get a smaller share of the Iron Range vote.
Posted Thursday, February 13, 2014 10:07 AM
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Another Metrocrat shafts Iron Range Miners
These days, the environmentalist wing of the DFL, aka the elitist Metrocrats, seem determined to shaft miners. This time, it's Speaker Thissen that's giving the Iron Range the shaft :
The Minnesota House speaker will not allow any legislation to pass this year setting an amount PolyMet Mining Corp. should set aside to fix environmental damage done by its proposed copper-nickel mine.
'We are not taking up any legislation related to mining, one way or the other,' House Speaker Paul Thissen, D-Minneapolis, told Forum News Service on Friday. 'The best thing is to let the process work its way out.'
One of Thissen's committees held a five hour meeting this week dealing with how much money the state should require PolyMet to pay up front to clean up any environment issues once the mine closes. PolyMet itself has said perhaps $200 million should be available at mine closure, with a few million more a year for some time afterward.
When Yvonne Prettner-Solon announced that she'd gotten tired of being ignored by Gov. Dayton, she created an opening on the Dayton ticket. Rather than picking Tony Sertich, Gov. Dayton picked Tina Smith, creating an all-Minneapolis ticket.
This time, Speaker Thissen is saying he won't lift a finger to help out the Iron Range. It's worth noting that Thissen is the quintessential Minneapolis Metrocrat. He's danced the environmentalists' tune every time they've demanded it of him.
At some point, the blue collar workers of the Iron Range will have to ask whether Gov. Dayton, Speaker Thissen and Alida Messinger care about them after they've cast their votes for the DFL. Thus far, the Metrocrats have proven that they're interested in the Iron Range's support at the polls. What's worse is that the Metrocrats have shown that they're totally disinterested in supporting the Iron Range's pro-mining agenda.
FOOTNOTE: During Friday night's political roundtable, SEIU Local 26 President Javier Morillo-Alicea said that this isn't a big deal, that "voters don't think in terms of geographical balance." Andy Brehm pounced on that, saying "Spoken like someone from Minneapolis."
It's true voters don't walk into a voting booth and say "I can't vote for this ticket because it isn't geographically balanced. That said, there's tons of reasons for Iron Rangers to abandon the DFL, starting with the indisputable fact that Alida Messinger, the biggest funder of the DFL, hates mining.
Funding the DFL isn't the only activism Ms. Messinger has engaged in. According to Conservation Minnesota's website, Ms. Messinger is the Vice-Chair of CM's Board of Directors . CM is one of the biggest supporters of MiningTruth.org:
Our goal is to provide a resource for Minnesotans to get the facts about sulfide mining and its impacts. Today, there is little awareness and even less understanding about proposed sulfide mining projects in northern Minnesota.
Our state has important choices to make that impact every Minnesotan. The more people who participate in these decisions, the better the outcome. Learn more about sulfide mining.
Founding partners of Mining Truth are Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Conservation Minnesota. See the full list of supporters.
Apparently, Thissen doesn't want his DFL House caucus voting on anything controversial:
However, Thissen said the DNR should proceed with its studies, adding that he is confident the process will provide enough information that those in charge 'can make the right decisions.'
'We do have this process in place,' the speaker said. 'It feels like the information is getting out there. I feel this is going to be an extensive process.' Thissen said fellow House Democrats, who hold a majority of the votes, do not appear to be leaning 'one way or the other' on the PolyMet issue.
That's pure BS. The Twin Cities DFL want to kill the PolyMet and Twin Metals projects. The Iron Range DFL want those project built ASAP.
Politics is definitely a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately proposition. Lately Metro DFL legislators have given the Iron Range the shaft. They just didn't give them the mine to go with it.
Posted Sunday, February 16, 2014 2:37 PM
Comment 1 by Chad Q at 17-Feb-14 12:06 PM
You'd think information like this would turn every Iron Range DFLer into a GOPer or at least they'd vote against the DFLer in the election but dollars to dounuts the Iron Rangers will vote for those who refuse them good paying jobs.
Comment 2 by Gary Gross at 17-Feb-14 01:09 PM
I'll have more on this this week. Stay tuned.
Comment 3 by Sean at 18-Feb-14 01:11 PM
The DNR is likely to produce an up-front dollar amount for PolyMet lower than what the Legislature would if it was left up to them, so Thissen's action (or lack thereof) is likely advantageous to the project.
Comment 4 by walter hanson at 18-Feb-14 02:54 PM
Gary:
Shouldn't the Polymet people put out the following statement. "We have asked the state of Minnesota to name our potential libability. Since the state refuses to name a number that means the state of Minnesota has already ruled we will do no damage and we can start building our mine right now without having to worry about any future damage."
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
