July 16-19, 2012
Jul 16 04:08 ABM's "better options" Jul 16 10:01 Is President Obama's EPA killing Ohio? Jul 17 01:43 Unions carry DFL's water on Photo ID Jul 17 10:12 EPA: killing jobs is their specialty Jul 18 03:04 Mark Ritchie must go Jul 18 18:55 DCCC's jump-the-shark-moment Jul 19 03:09 Rick Nolan, loose cannon Jul 19 04:46 President Obama plummets in CBS/NYTimes poll Jul 19 07:32 Bringing clarity to priorities
Prior Months: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
ABM's "better options"
If there's anything that people ay about Alida Messinger's organizations, it's that they're fighting to prevent fresh ideas into the debate of solving Minnesota's problems. This op-ed is the perfect example of that:
The 'better option' would have been to close tax loopholes that let big corporations hide profits overseas.
The 'better option' would have been to ask the richest of the rich to pay the same in taxes as middle-class St. Cloud families.
The 'better option' would have been to provide sustainable funding to schools to plan for the future, not force them to constantly wonder where the next dollar or job will be cut.
The 'better option' would have been to put kids first, not corporations, special interests, which means middle class families lose.
It's interesting that nowhere in ABM's list of "better options" did they include finding that taxpayers' hard-earned money being misspent. For instance, ABM didn't talk about this :
House Majority Leader Matt Dean (R-Dellwood) is doing his own inquiry into how the Minneapolis Public Schools spends it money after reading this Star Tribune report. The story revealed Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson's decision to award $270,000 in retroactive raises to central office administrators at the same time the district cut more than 100 jobs, including 52 teaching positions.
Wouldn't reining in this type of abuse be a better option than just pouring money into EdMinn's black hole? Who can justify the termination of 52 teachers to pay for a $270,000 retroactive pay raise "to central office administrators"?
The reality is that Matt Dean and the GOP were the only legislators that highlighted this abuse of the taxpayers' money.
ABM certainly won't highlight that because part of their funding comes from EdMinn. EdMinn won't highlight that because ABM provides them with political cover.
ABM certainly didn't highlight the fact that Gov. Dayton proposed borrowing more money from the K-12 budget than the GOP budget called for :
MBD offer 6/30/11
- Shift school aid payments from 70:30 to 50:50 (-$1.4 Billion)
- Increase per student formula by $50 per student to pay for the cost of additional borrowing costs (+ $128 million)
It's interesting speculating why ABM didn't highlight Gov. Dayton's proposal to borrow $1.4 billion more from cash-strapped school districts than the GOP plan proposed. The last thing the DFL wants highlighted is their proposal that would've put schools in a more difficult financial situation than the GOP plan. That's because DFL matriarch Alida Rockefeller-Messinger essentially has operational control of both the DFL and ABM. She's pledged to spend lots of money to buy Gov. Dayton a DFL legislature . This is the description of ABM at the bottom of their op-ed:
The alliance is an online advocacy and communications organization focused on securing major advances in progressive public policy for Minnesota.
First, the Times published that disclaimer in bold print. Next, ABM isn't "an online advocacy and communications organization." They're a propaganda factory that's disinterested in the truth. Here's proof of that:
Settle in high flying corporate executives, because Tom Emmer's Minnesota is going to be more fun than your last trip in a golden parachute. Here in Tom Emmer's Minnesota, we believe that paying for good schools and hospitals is the job of the unwashed masses. That's why the slightly regressive taxes of the past have been replaced by a massively regressive tax code in Tom Emmer's Minnesota. In Tom Emmer's Minnesota, we don't even care if you have your interns set up post office boxes all over the world to avoid paying your taxes. Even if those funds would go to fund nursing homes and other medical facilities, in Tom Emmer's Minnesota we want nothing to get in the way of the gobs and gobs of money coming your way, not even fair play. Rest assured, my very rich friend. This isn't just a one-time deal. You can trust that in Tom Emmer's Minnesota, solid investment in good schools, nursing home facilities, clean lakes, fixing roads or health care for 'regular folk' will never get in the way of your extreme wealth and stealthy tax maneuvering.
That's typical ABM work product. It's the rule, not the exception. That's before talking about the outright lies propagated by ABM's affiliate, the Alliance for a Better legislature. Here's a lie from ABM Executive Director Carrie Lucking:
'We must remember the extremism that caused legislative Republicans to reject fair compromises on the road to the state shutdown,' Carrie Lucking, Executive Director of the Alliance for a Better Minnesota said. 'Now, Republicans are threatening another shutdown, even as our schools borrow millions of dollars just to stay afloat and homeowners and renters pay higher and higher property taxes.'
The GOP isn't threatening another shutdown. They're committed to keeping the promises they made to the people in 2010. The GOP proposed a balanced budget that didn't raise taxes. When asked if the DFL legislature would propose a budget, Sen. Bakk replied "I don't know why we would." Further, the communications between the GOP leadership and Gov. Dayton shows that Sen. Bakk and Rep. Thissen rejected agreements between Gov. Dayton and the GOP leadership that would've prevented a government shutdown.
Finally, these communications verify that Gov. Dayton rejected a GOP lights-on bill that would've kept the government operating until a final agreement was reached. ABM and their partners in propaganda specialize in lying. The documentation proves that.
The notion that they're just simple citizen activists is disgusting. Denise Cardinal and Carrie Lucking are paid to spin the DFL's agenda in the most positive light possible. Why doesn't ABM admit that they're funded by the Dayton family, PEUs like the SEIU, AFSCME, EdMinn, AFT and MAPE, and militant environmentalist organizations like the MCEA, MEP and Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness?
Shouldn't ABM admit that they oppose changes to a government model that was antiquated in the 1990's? The past 2 years, they've fought against K-12 education reform, permitting reform, budget reform and downsizing government. ABM insists on fighting against changes that would save taxpayers money if it means saving PEU jobs. ABM won't hesitate in fighting against changes in government if it means their special interest allies will lose leverage in the courts.
That's because MCEA and other like-minded organizations can't win in the court of public opinion. They can only win through the courts. ABM's diatribe is highly publicized propaganda. They won't admit the truth because the truth is their enemy. That's irrefutable because their quotes betray them. It's that simple.
Tags: Alida Messinger , Carrie Lucking , Denise Cardinal , ABM , EdMinn , AFT , AFSCME , SEIU , Mark Dayton , Paul Thissen , Tom Bakk , DFL , King Banaian , Tom Emmer , John Pederson , Reforms , K12 Education , Permitting , MNGOP , Election 2012
Posted Monday, July 16, 2012 4:08 AM
No comments.
Is President Obama's EPA killing Ohio?
Despite the fact that it's a dramatic headline, the reality is that this article suggests that it's something with merit:
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio - Can Mitt Romney win Ohio by convincing voters in this economically-depressed Appalachian town and those like it that President Obama has declared a "war on coal?"
That's the message coming from Romney's Ohio campaign manager, Scott Jennings, who argued in an interview that Mr. Obama's "hostility to domestic oil production", particularly when it comes to coal, will help put Romney over the top in this pivotal swing state. Mr. Obama is holding a campaign event in Cincinnati on Monday.
Jennings pointed to the fact that six coal-burning power plants in Ohio, three in or around Cleveland and one each near Toledo, Dayton and Cincinnati, are slated to close or have closed, taking hundreds of jobs and much-needed tax revenue with them. Republicans and many in the coal industry attribute the closures in large part to Environmental Protection Agency regulations mandating reduced mercury and other emissions. Jennings said the losses will resonate across a state where the Ohio Coal Association, citing unnamed studies, says there are up to eleven "spin-off" jobs tied to each of the more than 3,000 jobs in the state in the coal industry.
"The energy policies don't just affect a guy that's a coal miner," he said.
If Mitt Romney wants to hammer President Obama about anything, I'd recommend he focus his attention, travel and speeches to the EPA and the coal industry whenever Mitt travels to Ohio, Virginia and Pennsylvania. I'd have an ad ready to respond to President Obama's statements from this morning's campaign stop, too. That ad should include this footage from 2008:
Here's the key phrase that must be repeated again and again in merciless fashion:
So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted.
The other infamous Obama quote on that subject is that "electricity prices will necessarily skyrocket."
Based on this article's reporting, I'd argue that President Obama's EPA is pointing us in exactly that direction. I'd argue that power plant employees and coal miners alike are losing their jobs. It's inarguable that shutting 6 coal-fired power plants won't cause electric bills to spike.
"If you're looking regionally, these folks understand how bad this administration has been to the American coal industry," said Mike Carey, chairman of the Ohio Coal Association. "But I also think that once people start having to spend more for electricity, which they will, there's nobody to blame except the administration." He said that domestic coal production has fallen from 1.2 billion tons per year when Mr. Obama took office to 808 million tons per year today.
"If you look at the rhetoric and the policy from the president and his staff, clearly we see a direction," Carey said. "You don't look at those numbers and think that he's improved the lot of the coal miner's life."
There's only one thing to conclude from that statistic: that cutting coal production by a third will lead to higher electric bills. President Obama can argue that till he's blue in the face but that won't change the harsh reality of higher electric bills.
The Romney campaign should jump all over this reporting, pointing to the layoffs in Ohio, Pennsylvania and throughout coal country that resulted directly from this administration EPA's war on coal.
The Obama campaign is whining about alleged outsourcing of jobs during Mitt's time at Bain. That's nothing compared with this administration's aggressive attempt to kill the entire coal industry, from the mines through the power plants.
As a direct result of the Obama administration's policies, power plant workers and coal miners are unemployed and middle class families are having to make their money stretch farther because of higher home heating bills.
That's a legacy worth trashing.
Tags: President Obama , Cap and Trade , Coal , Power Plants , Mines , Unemployment , Ohio , Electricity , Families , Democrats , Election 2012
Posted Monday, July 16, 2012 10:01 AM
No comments.
Unions carry DFL's water on Photo ID
The public employee unions are carrying the DFL's water in their desperate fight against Photo ID. As usual, their assertions are without merit. Their credibility is nearing zero. Here's a sample of their nonsense :
Minnesotans voting November 6 will be asked to vote yes or no on a constitutional amendment to radically alter the way Minnesota votes.
The first thing to know about the proposed amendment is that it is not a 'good government' reform measure. Instead, it is a highly partisan measure which passed both the Minnesota House and Senate without one single vote from Democrats. Only Republicans voted for the amendment.
The first truthful statement is in the final sentence. Saying that "only Republicans voted for the amendment." In fact, that's their only truthful statement.
For instance, it's a bald-faced lie saying that the Photo ID constitutional amendment is "a highly partisan measure." It's accurate to say that it's "a highly partisan measure" at the State Capitol.
I wrote here that there's broad bipartisan support for Photo ID:
'According to our exclusive new SurveyUSA poll, 76% of Minnesotans say they'd vote in favor of voter ID. Only 18% oppose the idea.
'Party affiliation - Yes, 92% of Republicans support voter ID. So do 76% of independents: and 59% of those wingnutty Democrats in Minnesota, too.
The only place where Photo ID is controversial is within the DFL caucus rooms at the State Capitol. When 3 of 4 independents say that they support the Photo ID constitutional amendment, that's proof of wide support. When 3 of 5 Democrats say that they support photo ID, that's proof of widespread support.
That's the opposite of "a highly partisan measure."
Constitutional amendments go straight to the November ballot, so Governor Mark Dayton could not veto the measure, but he strongly condemned it. He noted: 'Previous Governors Arne Carlson and Tim Pawlenty [both Republicans] have said correctly that significant changes to our elections processes should not occur through partisan contrivances, but only with broad bipartisan support.'
In Minnesota, roughly 35% of Minnesota's 4,200,000 registered voters are Republicans, with another 38% being registered DFL voters. The other 27% of the voters are independents.
Using those verified figures, that means 1,352,400 Republicans, 861,840 independents and 941,640 Democrats would vote for photo ID if every registered voter voted.
On average, that means each DFL senator voted against the wishe of 14,000 of his/her constituents. That's an indictment against DFL legislators. It isn't the GOP's fault that DFL legislators don't vote according to their constituents' wishes.
Only in the DFL spin machine does 76% of Minnesotans' support not constitute "broad bipartisan support.' This statement is utterly laughable:
'This amendment is a proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing,' Dayton wrote in a letter issuing a symbolic-only veto. 'It goes far beyond its stated intention to require photo IDs. Instead, it dismantles Minnesota's best-in-the nation election system. According to the Secretary of State, this amendment would end same-day voter registration, long a goal of many Republican partisans, and require an entirely new system of provisional balloting.'
Why would anyone trust a secretary of state who won't enforce his state's election laws? Ritchie hasn't lived up to HAVA's requirements, either, by ensuring that the SVRS is updated in a timely fashion. Now he's knowingly lying. He's spoken out about the provisional ballots that would be required as part of EDR in a Photo ID world. If there are provisional ballots, there must be election day registration.
Further, why trust a governor who twice reached a budget agreement with GOP leadership, then reneged on those deals? Gov. Dayton says that eliminating election day registration has long been "a goal of many Republican partisans." I've been a GOP activist for years. I've yet to meet a GOP activist that thought twice about EDR with the exception of vouching.
Gov. Dayton, if you're going to make that accusation, you'd better offer verifiable proof. If you don't, it'll get treated as a lie from a partisan hack. Speaking of lies from partisan hacks, this post wouldn't be complete without this lie from Javier Morillo-Alicea:
'The evidence shows that voter fraud is not a problem,' said SEIU's Javier Morillo-Alicea.
This video was shot at the DFL State Convention this June:
The delegates to the DFL State Convention were worried about voter fraud. Is Morillo-Alicea prepared to say that they're wrong? Or will he admit that it's possible to commit voter fraud? Chuck Repke and Alan Varko thought it was possible to commit voter fraud.
If Morillo-Alicea wants to argue with DFL State Convention delegates, that's his right. It's also an exceptionally stupid fight to pick.
Tags: Javier Morillo-Alicea , SEIU , Photo ID , Unions , Mark Dayton , DFL
Posted Tuesday, July 17, 2012 1:43 AM
No comments.
EPA: killing jobs is their specialty
It's hardly a surprise to find out that this administration's EPA thinks it's omniscient. Like leader, like follower. This time, the EPA thinks it can determine the environmental damage of a project before the project applies for permits :
Researchers hired by Pebble have donned dry suits to snorkel through the arctic streams to study spawning habitat and count fish, adding some 7,000 pages of investigative work to another 20,000 pages of environmental reviews the mine company has so far produced.
'It's one of the most comprehensive environmental studies of a mine project in Alaska, and probably nationwide,' said Mike Heatwole, vice president of public affairs for Pebble.
The problem is that the studies have not been completed or analyzed, and the actual mine plan has not been finalized.
But that hasn't stopped the EPA from jumping the gun to write its own assessment of the mining operation's effects on the surrounding 20,000 square mile area and on the salmon population and other species in Bristol Bay - 120 miles away from the proposed mining operation site.
The best that the EPA can do with that limited amount of information is guess what the environmental impact might be under specific scenarios. At best, their opinions are wild-ass guesses. At worst, they're opinions written by the militant environmentalist organizations that contribute to President Obama:
Pebble officials say the EPA's preemptive actions set a dangerous precedent.
'What's really a concern to us is that the EPA has never stepped into this kind of preemptive space: before we've even defined development scenarios for the mine,' Heatwole said. 'The EPA is being asked by environmentalists and a number of native Alaskan tribes to potentially take action against us before we have even defined our project and submitted an application.'
The thought that the EPA is basing their decisions on politics, not science, isn't surprising. Environmentalist organizations have contributed tons of money to President Obama this cycle. Most of these militant environmentalist organizations don't care about the science as much as they care about their agenda.
It would be reckless to say that these organizations don't care about the environment. It's just that there've been too many instances where these organizations put a higher priority on their agenda of controlling lives than they put on protecting the environment.
The thought of the EPA making pre-emptive rulings should frighten everyone. The EPA has enough trouble getting their rulings right when they have all the facts. The EPA making rulings before they have the facts if downright frightening.
Tags: EPA , Mining , Copper , Gold , Molybdenum , Alaska , Environementalists , Campaign Contributions , Elections
Posted Tuesday, July 17, 2012 10:12 AM
Comment 1 by J. Ewing at 17-Jul-12 04:10 PM
The EPA has already made big trouble for one mining operation in Alaska that I know of. They and their environmental wacko buddies continually complain about the amount of heavy metals being "moved" outside the boundaries of the mine site. It's a LEAD MINE! The streams are actually cleaner there now than before, because much of the surface lead had been removed! Think logic matters?
Mark Ritchie must go
Mark Ritchie must go. He was considered the thought leader for the bloody WTO protests in Seattle in 1999. In recent court filings, he's said that he doesn't have the affirmative responsibility of preventing felony voter fraud. Prior to that, it's been proven that he hasn't faithfully updated Minnesota's SVRS, which he's required to do according to HAVA.
We know this because felons have been convicted of voting illegally. Had the voter rolls been updated in a timely fashion, they couldn't have gotten a ballot.
Now, the Pioneer Press Editorial Board is accusing Mark Ritchie of attempting to suppress the vote :
Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie has changed the Legislature's voter ID amendment title, "Photo identification required for voting, " into the following: "Changes to in-person & absentee voting & voter registration; provisional ballots." Ritchie, who is well read and well spoken, clearly had to go deep into the Orwellian playbook to come up with that one.
But what explains this bizarre formulation that obviously seeks to obscure the initiative and confuse the voter? One of the best explanations we've heard is that Ritchie hopes to so confuse the voters that they simply throw up their hands and skip this ballot item altogether. Remember, by law in Minnesota, a nonvote on a constitutional amendment question has the same effect as a "no" vote.
Mark Ritchie's cumulative actions have sent the unmistakable message that he won't enforce parts of Minnesota's election laws that he disagrees with. I wrote here about the lengths Mr. Ritchie will go in refusing to enforce the parts of Minnesota's election laws he doesn't agree with. Here's what Mr. Ritchie said about enforcing Minnesota's election laws:
There is nothing in the words 'any election,' in art. VII, § 1, or elsewhere in Minnesota law that places upon Defendants [Mark Ritchie, Lori Swanson and Joe Mansky] an affirmative obligation to prevent such persons from committing felony voter fraud.
The thought that Mr. Ritchie won't accept responsibility for preventing voter fraud speaks volumes about his governing philosophy. It says that Ritchie thinks it isn't his job to prevent honest people from having their votes negated by dishonest people who are gaming the system. It's as if Ritchie's say it's just his job to make sure as many people vote even if there's substantial voter fraud happening.
Most importantly, it's his statement that Article VII is meaningless. If he won't enforce Minnesota's Constitution, what's his responsibility? Does Mr. Ritchie think that it's his job to make sure as many people as possible? Does he think that enforcing the Constitution is unimportant?
At a time when voter fraud is happening, when tens of thousands of PVCs are returned because the address doesn't exist, Minnesota needs someone who's interested in protecting legal voters.
Minnesotans love high voter turnout. They also demand that ther election laws be consistently applied. Mr. Ritchie fails that final part badly.
That's why he's got to go.
Tags: Felony , Corruption , Mark Ritchie , Photo ID , Voter Fraud , Constitution , DFL , Elections
Posted Wednesday, July 18, 2012 3:04 AM
Comment 1 by walter hanson at 18-Jul-12 03:59 PM
Unfortunately there are enough votes in Minneapolis and Saint Paul to keep him elected. After all it was Minneapolis and Saint Paul that gives us state wide democrat wins.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Comment 2 by Jethro at 18-Jul-12 04:20 PM
Money cannot buy this kind of effective corruption.
Comment 3 by Gary Gross at 18-Jul-12 04:55 PM
Walter, If people help me get the word out through this blog, through Examiner & through other events, I'll guarantee Ritchie's defeat.
The reason Ritchie wins is because a) the media protects him by not publicly vetting him and b) conservatives haven't ponied up the money to put together a counter to ABM.
ABM has to have tons of money to repeat their lies often enough. Conservatives can wipe the DFL's lies out with a simple blast of the truth.
When people in Melrose, Alexandria, Mora, Bemidji & Becker hear Ritchie say that it isn't his job as SecState to run clean elections, I'm betting that they'll turn against him.
Conservatives are great at pointing out problems. They're pretty good at finding solutions, too. They're fantastic at venting.
Unfortunately, there's room for improvement in the making it happen front.
Let's make it happen. ASAP.
DCCC's jump-the-shark-moment
Just like President Obama doesn't want this election to be about his failed economic policies, it's clear that the DCCC doesn't want this election to be about their votes on President Obama's failed policies.
That's why they've sunk to this :
7/2/2012
CONTACT: Jennifer Crider & Jesse Ferguson (202) 485-3440
Foreign Chinese prostitution money is allegedly behind the groups funding Congressman Sean Duffy's (WI-07) Republican Majority.
The Associated Press reported that Sheldon Adelson, the single largest donor to Congressman Sean Duffy's House Republicans, allegedly 'personally approved of prostitution and knew of other improper activity at his company's properties in the Chinese enclave' of Macau, China. Recently, Senator John McCain said that Adelson is 'injecting millions of dollars in Chinese 'foreign money' by contributing to Republican campaigns.
' What will Congressman Sean Duffy do when his Chinese prostitution money comes from billionaire Sheldon Adelson?' said Jesse Ferguson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee . 'House Republicans like Congressman Duffy are fighting tirelessly to protect billionaires like Sheldon Adelson who make fortunes overseas and Adelson is now the largest single donor to Congressman Duffy's Republican Majority. It's past time for Congressman Duffy to reject the support of these groups funded by foreign money from a Chinese prostitution strategy.'
Billionaire Adelson has given $5 million to Speaker Boehner's Congressional Leadership Fund Super PAC, pledged $5 million to Leader Cantor's Young Guns Network Super PAC, given $70,800 to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), and has committed at least $20 million into Karl Rove's American Crossroads. Earlier this year, ABC News found that Adelson's company 'has been under criminal investigation for the last year by the Department of Justice and the Securities Exchange Commission for alleged bribery of foreign officials.'
The Las Vegas Sun is reporting that Sheldon Adelson isn't turning the other cheek this time:
In a scathing letter to the [DCCC], Sheldon Adelson's lawyer accused the organization of "maliciously branding Mr. Adelson as a pimp" and demanded the DCCC either retract and apologize or be sued.
The three-page missive to DCCC press secretary Jesse Ferguson refers to a claim already rated "Pants on Fire" by PoitiFact because it is a claim made in a lawsuit against the Las Vegas Sands chairman, who is dominating the headlines this cycle with his SuperPAC donations. The letter demands the claim be scrubbed from the DCCC site as well as an apology, "a prominent statement, in a form approved by Mr. Adelson, retracting and apologizing for your false claims."
This might change the subject from the economy but it isn't the type of distraction that'll help the DCCC. It's the type of thing that'll tell people that the DCCC won't hesitate in defaming people in their effort to win control of the House.
Mr. Adelson has more than enough money to hire a legal team to totally bury the DCCC if that's what he chooses. If the DCCC doesn't publicly apologize for these dishonest, disgusting statements, he'll file the lawsuit against the DCCC.
Once that happens, the DCCC will be exposed as one of the most digustingly vile, corrupt political organizations in American politics. While it's true that the American people think most politicians are corrupt, there is a tipping point, a jump-the-shark moment, where they get utterly disgusted and turn on that organization.
If the DCCC doesn't apologize ASAP, Democrats nationwide will suffer. Their reputations will suffer because of their connection to this organization. They'll suffer financially because people who need money to be competitive won't have the money because fundraising will dry up.
The DCCC, and the candidates that get assistance from them, will be tainted by this disgusting press release. If they don't apologize for this ASAP, that'll be the least of their worries.
Tags: DCCC , Prostitution , Scandal , Jesse Ferguson , Jennifer Crider , Democrats , Sean Duffy , Sheldon Adelson , Lawsuit , GOP , Election 2012
Posted Wednesday, July 18, 2012 6:55 PM
No comments.
Rick Nolan, loose cannon
In 1974, the first year I could vote, Rick Nolan was the DFL candidate for my congressional district. At the time, several neighbors of mine were members of the DFL. I distinctly remember because I leaned a little to the left myself. What I remember was that most of my DFL neighbors refused to vote for Nolan.
Being a novice politically speaking, I trusted their opinions. That's why I didn't vote for Nolan. It turned out I never voted for Nolan. After listening to the tape of Nolan's interview on the Jack Rice Show, it's clear that Rick Nolan is as hard left as Keith Ellison or John Marty.
That said, Rice isn't that in touch with reality, as evidenced by this statement:
JACK RICE: If I think about the amounts of money that seem to be necessary to win a race, what I find particularly disturbing is the idea of how beholden somebody must be if you've always got your hand out, telling people "Give me $100, give me $1,000, give me $10,000...
This is projection. It doesn't have anything to do with reality. Chip Cravaack won in 2010 with less than half the money that Jim Oberstar had. The difference in that race was that people related to Chip's positions. Chip was outspent by over $500,000.
But I digress. Let's get to the stunningly foolish things Rep. Nolan said. This quote is a good place to start:
NOLAN: And so the same corporations that've done such a good job of selling crap we don't want and don't need and aren't good for us, like cigarettes and junk food, are pouring in millions and millions of dollars into giving us politics that, similarly, we don't want, don't need and aren't good for us.
In short, Nolan loves the First Amendment as long as people don't exercise their First Amendment rights too much (in his eyes). It's gotta be asked who made Rick Nolan and the DFL the arbiter of what level of political speech is an acceptable amount of political speech?
All Citizens United did was give corporations the same ability to influence elections that umbrella organizations like TakeAction Minnesota had.
Then there's this statement on Chip Cravaack:
NOLAN: Well, you know, he's a very nice fellow but on policy, he's a Michele Bachmann clone. He's voted for the Ryan budget every chance he's got. He's voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act every chance he's got. He's voted to turn Medicare over to the insurance industry and, like all Republicans, he'd like to turn Social Security over to Wall Street.
Nolan's whine includes every GOP boogeyman imaginable. Unfortunately, that's just the tip of Nolan's nuttiness iceberg. About a minute later in the interview, Nolan accuses Chip of "being one of those who've just gone right on down the line" with the GOP agenda. Again, Nolan gets in difficulty when reality intrudes upon his rant :
When we took a look at Congressman Cravaack's term in office, it became clear that he has done a good job of staying away from partisan Washington politics, and really focusing on bread and butter issues that are important to construction workers in his district. He is not afraid to stand up to his party when he disagrees with their direction, and his votes reflect that.
There have been 7 attempts in this Congress to repeal critical local contractor and worker protections in the Davis-Bacon act. All 7 times Congressman Cravaack stood with local workers and local contractors and voted against his party line. Just recently, there have been several attempts to eliminate the ability of the government to use Project Labor Agreements on federal projects which save the taxpayers money and ensure quality construction. Congressman Cravaack voted against the party line, and with the local construction workers and contractors that benefit from Project Labor Agreements.
That's what the International Union of Operating Engineers said in their endorsement of Chip Cravaack for re-election, which, by the way, must've stung Nolan, Clark and Anderson particularly hard.
These things, while nutty are nothing compared with the disgusting comments he made about Chip's military service:
NOLAN: I never heard him complain about Veterans benefits or being on the federal payroll all of his life.
RICE: Not on the payroll. On the public dole.
NOLAN: He's been on the public dole all of his life but he's gonna make sure nobody else gets a benefit.
That's insulting. The minute Nolan gets on the radio with another progressive, he finds time to denigrate Chip's service to his nation. Nolan clearly thinks that military service isn't really serving your country. If he'd said that Chip's been a federal employee most of his life, that wouldn't be as inflammatory as saying Chip's been on the public dole all of his life.
This information straight from Nolan's campaign website won't endear him to the miners:
The environment, our air, lakes, rivers and forests, are crucial to our 8th district economy. The degradation of our air and water, along with global warming, threaten the very survival of our species here on mother earth. We absolutely must do what is called for to prevent this calamity.
It's pretty clear that Nolan won't get along with the miners. This information won't endear him to the miners, either:
Northeastern Minnesota would be home to a major new national research center dedicated to the advancement of minerals research, mining technology and the environment, and is expected to generate several thousand new jobs, under a plan announced today by Rick Nolan, the DFL-endorsed candidate for Eighth District Congress.
The proposal is strongly supported by former Eighth District U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, the University of Minnesota Duluth's Natural Resource Research Institute, NRRI, and the UMD Swenson College of Science and Engineering.
At a news conference in Duluth and with press interviews across the Iron Range, Nolan said he will immediately introduce legislation to establish the United States Technical Institute for Mining and the Environment (TIME) upon taking office in January 2013. The exact northeastern Minnesota location for the TIME Center will be selected from proposals developed by the state, municipal and county governments and their private sector partners.
Rather than fighting for real jobs like Chip's done, Nolan's 'solution' to unemployment and poverty on the Range is building a facility that'll study the nexus between mining and the environment. He was slippery enough to not pick a spot for this institute, too. If he names a city, he'd lose the votes of other cities that wanted that federal pork for themselves.
It's been almost 40 years since I first heard of Rick Nolan. In all that time, he's still a slippery leftist with little regard for military service.
Tags: Rick Nolan , Anti-war Activist , Militant Environmentalist , Progressive , DFL , Chip Cravaack , Mining , Unions , MNGOP , Election 2012
Posted Thursday, July 19, 2012 3:09 AM
Comment 1 by Dave Thul at 19-Jul-12 09:57 AM
I'm biased, but I think the most insulting statement is that veterans benefits are the same as being 'on the public dole'.
Unlike all of the entitlement programs our government has, veterans benefits are earned, not given.
Comment 2 by Terry Stone at 19-Jul-12 01:06 PM
The IRRRB could have provided the function of such an institute if such an institute was needed.
Comment 3 by Larry Jones at 19-Jul-12 05:45 PM
Like Chip I did a military tour to include a year long junket to RVN in 1967-8 with the 101st abn. I remember Nolan from that time and if I remember he embarassed himself with his quasi-buddist meditation thing. I suspect he had more in common with Ayers, Obama, and the choom gang.
Response 3.1 by Gary Gross at 19-Jul-12 06:21 PM
Larry, I remember how people in the district wondered if he was an existentialist. I was too much of a novice at the time but that'd fit with who he is today.
President Obama plummets in CBS/NYTimes poll
This week, Mitt Romney finally went on the offensive. Last week, President Obama made the biggest gaffe in presidential campaign history since Gerald Ford declared that the Soviet Union wouldn't dominate Poland in a Ford administration. As a result, the latest CBS/NYTimes poll shows President Obama in deep trouble . The horserace numbers shouldn't scare the Obama administration. They should frighten them:
Forty-five percent say they would vote for Mr. Romney if the election were held now and 43 percent say they would vote for Mr. Obama .
It'd be presumptuous to write this election off. Still, anytime only 43% of the people say that they'd vote for a sitting president, things are pretty bleak. This information won't cheer up Mssrs. Axelrod and Plouffe, either:
The poll, conducted between July 11 and 16 and including 982 registered voters, is reflective of the national mood, not the views of voters in the handful of swing states most likely to decide the outcome, and where most of the campaign advertising war is being waged.
According to Dick Morris, who's read tens of thousands of polls in his lifetime, "about a third of the registered voters polled don't vote." Last night on O'Reilly, he said that "Obama is sweeping those voters."
If that's true, that translates into a 2-3 point lead for Mitt Romney. That's troubling to the Obama campaign. If that's the best they can do after their carpetbombing ad campaign to make Mitt unacceptable to voters, they're in trouble and then some.
That's before factoring in the part about Mitt having not really spent much on major ad buys. When he accepts the GOP nomination, he'll finally have access to the money he's been raising the past 2-3 months. You can't forget the burn rate of the Obama campaign or President Obama's less-than-stellar fundraising the last 2 months, either. After factoring those things in, it's easy to picture this as being a tough fight for President Obama that's about to turn into an uphill fight for him.
These numbers aren't heading in the right direction for President Obama, either:
The poll includes a drop in Mr. Obama's favorability ratings, with 36 percent saying they viewed him favorably and 48 percent saying they did not. In April, 42 percent expressed a favorable opinion of him and 45 percent an unfavorable one.
A 6 point drop is a huge figure. Between the 43% horserace figure and a huge drop in favorability ratings, it's safe to argue that President Obama is facing a challenging, uphill fight for re-election.
Adapting an old Ronald Reagan phrase to this situation seems appropriate. He said that "a recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose your job. And a recovery starts when Jimmy Carter loses his job."
Based on this polling, I'd say a recovery is about 111 days away.
Tags: President Obama , Fundraising , Polling , CBS/NYT Poll , Democrats , Mitt Romney , Economy , GOP , Election 2012
Posted Thursday, July 19, 2012 4:46 AM
Comment 1 by J. Ewing at 19-Jul-12 07:40 AM
Polls of registered voters generally favor Democrats. CBS/NYT polls generally favor Democrats. Even polls of likely voters don't necessarily factor in "intensity" on one side or the other, where the GOP this year has a tremendous advantage. Few Democrats see Obama's re-election as "the most important in our lifetime" but most Republicans do; they WILL vote. Considering all that, Obama will be convinced he cannot lose, until he does. I fear for his mental health and the country at that point.
Comment 2 by jgarcia at 19-Jul-12 08:55 AM
This same poll had the President down 3 point in May. He is down 1 point in July his numbers have actually risen since this CBS polled in May.
Look I start taking polls seriously after the conventions and labor day. Bush was down 43/49 to Kerry in July 2004 and came back to win.
Comment 3 by Bob J. at 19-Jul-12 09:31 AM
The best news out of all this is the hope of actual conservative gains in Congress if enough people realize 0bama's ineptitude and these trends continue.
Due to his demonstrated record I have zero confidence in Romney governing as a conservative should he win, but solid conservative majorities in Congress might help return this country to something at least approaching sanity in terms of the size of its government.
Comment 4 by walter hanson at 19-Jul-12 04:14 PM
Bob:
We need a President Romney to sign all of those bills which Obama won't sign.
We need a President Romney who understands the EPA is destroying the country.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Comment 5 by Bob J. at 20-Jul-12 09:42 AM
Hi, Walter:
I would have preferred a President Conservative who would do all those things and not have written 0bamacare along the way.
Yet we must play the hand we're dealt. That will mean finding conservative majorities that will force Moderate Mitt to govern from the right. It won't be easy.
Have a great weekend.
Bringing clarity to priorities
For the first time in his political life, President Obama isn't getting a scandal gift-wrapped by Mr. Axelrod that turns a tough fight into an easy win. This time, he's being questioned by someone he can't dismiss. Most importantly, he's having his priorities questioned and it's making him look bad:
Now that Mitt's turning up the heat, President Obama's priorities are getting questioned :
"You know what he's been doing over the last six months?" Romney asked in a crowded gymnasium at a community center here. "In the last six months he has held 100 fundraisers. And guess how many meetings he has had with his jobs council? None. Zero. Zero in the last six months."
With job creation numbers tanking, President Obama can't afford to look disinterested in the economy. If he isn't careful, people might think of him in a less-than-flattering light. Attending 100 fundraisers while not meeting with your jobs council gives President Obama the image of looking indifferent on the economy.
That's a place he can't afford to be in.
Getting supported by Jay Carney isn't where he should be either:
Asked why, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Wednesday that Obama "has obviously got a lot on his plate" but said he "solicits and receives input and advice from members of his Jobs Council and others about economic initiatives all the time." Politico noted in its article that some on the 26-member council have not endorsed Obama.
That's a tepid response at best. This FNC poll question will give President Obama some heartburn:
Do you think the Obama administration has made the economy better or worse?
July 15-17
Better 37%, worse 49%
March 10-12
Better 44%, worse 42%
The first quarter's jobs reports were pretty solid. The second quarter's jobs reports have been dismal. Despite the Obama campaign's negative advertising campaign, jobs reports had a bigger impact on President Obama's economic approval rating than his ad campaign.
If that trend continues, which it likely will, President Obama will have a tough re-election fight on his hands. Couple that with Mitt Romney having a ton of money available for the general election and this could turn ugly for Team Obama fairly fast.
Tags: President Obama , Fundraising , Jobs Reports , Jay Carney , David Axelrod , Ad Campaign , Democrats , Mitt Romney , Polling , Cash On Hand , GOP , Election 2012
Posted Thursday, July 19, 2012 7:32 AM
No comments.
