November 1-2, 2016
Nov 01 02:16 Dayton, Daudt will meet Nov 01 03:29 Doug Schoen's patriotism Nov 01 08:58 Feingold's skeletons multiplying Nov 01 12:55 Will Biden, Mondale help Nolan? Nov 01 13:38 Lewis on offense while Craig hides Nov 02 01:36 Will voters believe Hillary? Nov 02 02:00 Dan Wolgamott: DFL's puppet Nov 02 09:08 Health care crisis hits hard Nov 02 13:14 Why does the DFL hate farmers?
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Dayton, Daudt will meet
According to this Fox-9 article , Gov. Dayton and Speaker Daudt will meet Tuesday morning "at the Governor's Residence, to discuss the possibility of addressing rising health insurance premiums."
Sam Fettig, Gov. Dayton's press secretary, also said "Earlier today, Dayton Administration officials met with Senate Minority Leader David Hann. The Governor spoke last night with Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, who indicated he has been in communication with Speaker Daudt as well. Since announcing his proposal last Thursday, the Governor has also been in communication with House Minority Leader Paul Thissen."
Gov. Dayton is attempting to paint the MNsure/ACA crisis as being all about high health insurance premiums. Speaker Daudt rightly is highlighting the fact that it's about unaffordable deductibles, microscopic-sized networks and difficulties finding insurance carriers. This article highlights the difficulties people will have in buying health insurance.
According to the article, "Blue Cross Blue Shield will offer its Blue Plus health maintenance organization policy to anyone who wants it in all but five counties, but it is more expensive, has high deductibles and does not always allow patients to use their own doctors." It won't be people's first choice when open enrollment opens. Blue Plus is most likely the option of last resort. Expectations should be low for this meeting. Gov. Dayton wants to pretend that he's trying to look nonpartisan. Let's hope Minnesotans know that he's acting.
Gov. Dayton is praying that he gets an all-DFL legislature so he can implement single-payer health care. Speaker Daudt hopes that Republicans flip the Minnesota Senate so they can push their main street agenda. That agenda will include pushing popular health care reforms that have worked when they've been implemented in the past.
The key to these negotiations is Rep. Thissen. He isn't officially in a position of power but don't let that fool anyone. Other than Tina Flint-Smith, Thissen is the person Gov. Dayton is closest to ideologically. They're birds of a feather. If Flint-Smith and Thissen object to what Speaker Daudt proposes, expect Gov. Dayton to hold a press conference immediately after the meeting. Gov. Dayton's message will be simple. It'll essentially be 'I tried working with those evil Republicans but they weren't willing to compromise.'
It won't be true but that's what Gov. Dayton's message will be. Further, expect the Twin Cities media to buy Gov. Dayton's story without hesitation. The good news for Republicans is that outstate Minnesota voters aren't fooled by Gov. Dayton's dishonest statements.
The thing that will hurt DFL incumbents and DFL challengers is the fact that southern Minnesota and western Minnesota have lots of farmers who have to buy their health insurance through MNsure. We keep hearing that it's 'only' 5% of the population that buys their insurance through the individual market. Statistically, that's true. It's also incomplete because it doesn't tell people that a large percentage of the people who buy their health insurance are clustered in southern and western legislative districts.
Don't expect the DFL to do well in those districts. Those districts will help Republicans hold onto their majority in the House and give the GOP their best opportunity to flip the Minnesota Senate.
Posted Tuesday, November 1, 2016 2:16 AM
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Doug Schoen's patriotism
When I wrote this post early Monday morning, I was stunned at what Doug Schoen, Bill Clinton's former pollster, said on Fox Report with Harris Faulkner. What caught my attention is what half-frightened Ms. Faulkner. Mr. Schoen said "As you know, I have been a supporter of Secretary Clinton: But given that this investigation is going to go on for many months after the election: But if the Secretary of State wins, we will have a president under criminal investigation, with Huma Abedin under criminal investigation, with the Secretary of State, the president-elect, should she win under investigation. Harris, under these circumstances, I am actively reassessing my support. I'm not a Trump --"
At that point, Faulkner replied "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. You are not going to vote for Hillary Clinton?"
When I saw this video , I saw that it was a rather lengthy video at over 13 minutes. Immediately, I thought it was the video of the entire Political Insiders segment, something that I'd wanted to see. When I started watching the video, though, it was immediately clear that this wasn't from Sunday night's show. That was confirmed when Ms. Faulkner said that it was streaming live on Facebook. First, here's the video:
It's a lengthy video but it's worth watching it from beginning to end. Right at the start, Ms. Faulkner had a discussion with Mr. Schoen over what happened on Sunday night's Fox Report. Here's a partial transcript of that opening conversation:
HARRIS FAULKNER: But first, the man who made news on Fox Report Sunday night, last night, by saying that, after all the many years, decades, that he's known Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, he's had a change of heart and I want to bring in Doug Schoen. So, first of all, it's great to see you.
DOUG SCHOEN: It's great to see you, too.
FAULKNER: We're sitting on set last night and we're always on our devices and I didn't realize this was happening but you made an announcement. What was it?
SCHOEN: Here's what I said. I said that after working very harmoniously and I think very successfully for Bill Clinton for 6 years in the White House, and having been a steadfast supporter of Hillary Clinton -- I helped her in her Senate campaigns, been a supporter of her first presidential campaign and, until last night, her second presidential campaign, I said 'given what's happened, I just cannot continue to support her candidacy. I'm not changing to become a Trump supporter. My world view is the same but I can't vote somebody who can yield or produce an immediate constitutional crisis.
This isn't the script for Mrs. Clinton's coronation. Mrs. Clinton still might win but I'm guaranteeing that this won't yield the coronation DC's pundits predicted after the first presidential debate.
I've been searching for a liberal who was an American first for years. There's no disputing that Ron Fournier is an American first. I hadn't found another one until Sunday night. That's when I found 2 of them: Patrick Caddell, Jimmy Carter's pollster in 1980, and Doug Schoen, Bill Clinton's pollster for 6 years.
The unanswered question is whether Schoen's shocking announcement gives other DLC Democrats 'permission' to abandon Mrs. Clinton. We'll find out in a week.
Posted Tuesday, November 1, 2016 3:29 AM
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Feingold's skeletons multiplying
According to this article , Sen. Ron Johnson, (R-WI), just put together an ad that mocks ousted US Sen. Russ Feingold. The ad is appropriately titled 'Skeletons'. According to the article, then-State Sen. Feingold was "low on name identification and cash - did a two-minute ad where he portrayed himself as a quirky, folksy, 'Man of the People.' In it, he compared his modest home in Middleton to the luxury mansions of his Democratic opponents, former Congressman Jim Moody and Joe Checota. The ad helped turn Feingold from an also-ran with support in the single-digits, into the front-runner."
In the ad, Feingold gives "a tour of his own home, in which one of the first things he does is open a nearby broom closet, turn sheepishly to the camera, and say, 'Look No Skeletons.'" This time, that scene repeatedly shows the skeletons that've accumulated in Feingold's closet. One of the skeletons in Feingold's closet is a headline that reads "Russ Feingold's PAC funded fees, salaries for former staffers, himself."
Another headlining 'skeleton' reads "Majority of Feingold campaign contributions coming from outside Wisconsin." Still another headlining skeleton reads "Russ Feingold, critic of speaking fees as senator, cashed in out of office."
The race in Wisconsin is tied. That sentence seemed improbable 6 months ago. Back then, most people thought Sen. Johnson was history. With Feingold's skeletons multiplying, don't count Sen. Johnson out. That would be a monumental mistake.
Posted Tuesday, November 1, 2016 8:58 AM
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Will Biden, Mondale help Nolan?
This article highlights just how popular Donald Trump is with blue collar workers. It also highlights the fact that Democrats don't own the Iron Range like they once did. A decade ago, it wouldn't have been imaginable to see a paragraph that said "The vice presidents wanted working class voters to know they still have a home in their party. The fight for the 8th District - home to the mining region known as the Iron Range - is a story about evolving political topography and economic frustration, just as much as it is a tale of two well-known personalities dueling for the second time in as many years."
Earlier in the article, it said "Former Vice President Walter Mondale, who addressed the standing-room-only crowd at the Nolan Annual Fish Fry in Brainerd last Thursday, and incumbent Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who spoke in Duluth the next day, had a bigger message than just saving their friend's seat."
Vice President Biden and Vice President Mondale aren't telling the truth. Today's Democratic Party hates working class voters. Ask yourself this: when was the last time a Democrat fought against environmental activists? When was the last time this administration sided with the pipefitters, not the environmental activists? Think Keystone XL Pipeline and you'll have your answer. If you need something more recent, think Dakota Access Pipeline or the Sandpiper Pipeline before it. The Democratic Party used to love working class people. It doesn't anymore.
Stewart Mills has reason to hope, especially after this:
Removing his Carhartt jacket and sitting down for coffee, Mills had reason to feel good. He'd seen a photo of the Biden rally from earlier in the day showing a relatively sparse crowd . And he'd just heard on the radio that the FBI was investigating Clinton's emails again.
We'll find out a week from today what all this means in terms of who wins. At this point, though, there's no question that there's lots of momentum on the Trump-Mills side. This 30-second spot will help strengthen and sustain that momentum:
Posted Tuesday, November 1, 2016 12:55 PM
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Lewis on offense while Craig hides
Let's be clear about the state of the race in Minnesota's Second District. It's a tight race with tons of volatility. ( The KSTP-SUSA poll shows Craig with a 5-point lead, 46%-41%, with 12% still undecided as of Oct. 17.) What's indisputable is that Jason Lewis has momentum on his side.
That's because he's found a message that's working. He's hammering Ms. Craig over her statement that she'd " fight to expand Obamacare ." Meanwhile, Ms. Craig has either been hiding from the attacks or attempting to deflect attention away from Lewis' attacks.
Today, Lewis published this statement , saying "Nowhere has there been a clearer policy difference between Angie Craig and I than on the issue of Obamacare. While she was lobbying to pass the disaster that gave us MNsure, I was talking with Minnesotans on the radio about the disaster ahead of us. My opponent's lack of judgment on the issue of Obamacare alone certainly doesn't warrant giving her even more power over our economy. Hard-working people in CD 2 and across our state are suffering as a result, and tens of thousands of people are facing astronomical hikes in their premiums and fewer insurance options. I'm ready to get to work removing and fixing this burden on Minnesota families by way of reforms that give Minnesotans true affordability and more healthcare options."
Last week, Lewis made his case on WCCO Radio with John Hines:
It's a powerful case Lewis makes. Ms. Craig's message is getting buried while Lewis' message is resonating. Minnesota is a state with a reputation of being late deciders. With 1-in-8 voters still undecided 3 weeks before the election, Minnesota's Second District is living up to that reputation.
If this polling is accurate, it wouldn't be surprising if the vast majority of those undecided break in Lewis' direction. The ACA/MNsure issue is positively toxic for Democrats. Craig and Nancy Pelosi have thrown the kitchen sink at Lewis and he's still standing. In fact, he's getting stronger as the finish line approaches.
Posted Tuesday, November 1, 2016 1:38 PM
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Will voters believe Hillary?
This Washington Post article contains a quote from Hillary Clinton that encapsulates her campaign. In a heat-of-the-battle moment, Mrs. Clinton said "There is no case here" with regards to the FBI's re-activated investigation into her emails.
The question is whether the American people will believe Mrs. Clinton's self-serving statement. Considering the fact that Mrs. Clinton's unfavorability is the highest it's been during the campaign, it isn't a stretch to think that the American people will reject Mrs. Clinton's statement. Meanwhile, while attacking FBI Director Comey, Mrs. Clinton is wasting precious time not making her closing argument. Then again, it isn't likely that Mrs. Clinton's closing argument would get much air time with the email scandal and the Obamacare health insurance crisis taking up most of the airtime.
Mrs. Clinton's obsession with discrediting Director Comey is a major mistake at this point. This isn't changing Mr. Trump's momentum. This isn't helping her in battleground states. Undecided voters aren't breaking her direction as a result of her ham-handed criticism of Director Comey. This video suggests that Mrs. Clinton's obsession is hurting her in Rust Belts states:
During Doug Schoen's interview with Harris Faulkner, which I wrote about here, Schoen said that Rust Belt states like Wisconsin and Michigan might help Trump reach 270 electoral votes.
Most importantly, Trump is paying attention to making his closing argument. He's spending lots of time criticizing Obamacare. He's briefly mentioning the FBI investigation but he isn't focusing on the FBI investigation. He's talking about immigration and taxes, too. He's making his closing argument without catching flack.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Clinton seems to be doing nothing but catching flack without making her closing argument.
Posted Wednesday, November 2, 2016 1:36 AM
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Dan Wolgamott: DFL's puppet
The last 2 weeks of a legislative campaign are filled with mailers. This year isn't an exception. Dan Wolgamott, the DFL-endorsed candidate for SD-14, touts himself as running a positive campaign. What he isn't telling people is that the DFL is running his smear campaign for him. In fact, of the 4 lit pieces I've received since Saturday, all were paid for by the "Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor State Committee." In fact, the fine print says that "this is an independent expenditure, not approved by any candidate."
My favorite lit piece has a young woman doctor with a stethoscope looking at a smiling little girl. The caption on that page says " Dan Wolgamott will never play politics with our healthcare." (Emphasis their's) At the bottom of the back page is a side-by-side comparison of " Dan Wolgamott's healthcare plan" and " Jerry Relph's healthcare plan."
Dan Wolgamott's health care plan has 3 bullet points, starting with " Protect affordable healthcare in Minnesota from profit-hungry insurance companies that want to limit our coverage and hike premiums."
I didn't need to read further to know that the DFL isn't capable of telling the truth. The Affordable Care Act, aka the ACA, was written in such a way as to prohibit insurance companies from making a profit. That's why Democrats had to include a provision in the ACA that I call the insurance bailout provision. Now that insurance companies are losing money, they're hiking their premiums and limiting the number of policies they'll sell.
If this is Wolgamott's health care plan, which I suspect it is, then he's advocating a single-payer health care plan. Talking about "profit-hungry insurance companies" sounds like Bernie Sanders' talk. The only plan Sanders, the socialist, would support is single-payer.
The other point that must be made is that we've got a full-blown health insurance crisis because health insurance premiums and deductibles have gone through the roof since MNsure became law in Minnesota. If Wolgamott truly wanted to guarantee affordable health care, he should've told the DFL not to participate in the ACA.
The DFL destroyed Minnesota's health insurance system. Now politicians like Dan Wolgamott are trying to pretend like they've got a solution to the problem. Wolgamott's solution is a taxpayer's nightmare. It's anything but affordable. And yes, Dan Wolgamott will play politics with Minnesotans' health care. In fact, he's already playing politics with it.
Rejecting Wolgamott is the right thing to do. That's the only way to prevent him from doing serious damage to a health care system that's already in crisis. It's in crisis because the DFL isn't interested in doing right by Minnesotans. They're just interested in piling up ideological victories, even if it hurts Minnesota families.
Posted Wednesday, November 2, 2016 2:00 AM
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Health care crisis hits hard
This article drives the point home that the DFL-created health insurance crisis isn't just a story on the news. It's about families in our city, in our neck of the woods. In this case, Rose and John Lang, farmers from Richmond are getting hurt by the ACA. According to the article, Rose said "I have been worried sick about this for weeks." This happens to be rising health care prices.
Notice that I didn't say health insurance premium increases. According to the article, "Rose said in 2012 their premium was $1,425 every three months. It increased to $5,000 every three months with a $2,000 deductible in 2016 for a total of $22,000 a year. The cheapest plan they can find now is a $4,000 premium every three months and a $16,000 deductible."
Gov. Dayton and the DFL are painting the picture that it's just health insurance premiums that are going up. Gov. Dayton and the DFL are doing whatever they can to con people that things aren't as bad as they are. Rose Lang's words should be thrown in the DFL's face whenever Gov. Dayton or a DFL candidate try pretending that things really aren't that bad:
The Supposedly Affordable Care Act is so expensive that Rose and John Lang are spending their life savings on health care while they're still farming. The F in DFL supposedly stands for Farmer. The ACA is ruining farmers' lives. In fact, when the DFL insists that "only 5% of Minnesotans buy their health insurance through the individual market, a high percentage of those families buying through the individual market are farmers.
The DFL is trying to salvage as many legislative seats as possible this election in their attempt to implement a radical 'fix' to the problem. They're hoping to hold the few House and Senate seats they still hold in rural Minnesota. I think farmers like John and Rose Lang won't be fooled by the DFL. That's why I think rural DFL legislators will have a difficult night next Tuesday.
Posted Wednesday, November 2, 2016 9:08 AM
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Why does the DFL hate farmers?
I just wrote this post about Rose and John Lang. They're farmers near Richmond, MN. Rep. Mary Franson represents a rural district with lots of farmers. This morning, Rep. Franson took to Twitter to tell people about the crisis-causing health insurance premiums. One story she told talked about Vern. According to the notification letter Vern recently received, Vern's monthly premium for 2016 was $961.12. According to the letter, Vern's plan isn't a MNsure plan so it isn't available anymore. The cheapest plan available to him through MNsure will charge him $1,898.56 a month.
According to Tina Liebling, "Obamacare was set up to make a failed insurance system work better. People need health care, not insurance." That's DFL propaganda. Further, it's a dodge from the heart of the matter. The ACA is failing so badly that people who have health insurance can't afford to use it. One of those people is Mary Katherine Ham. Mary Katherine wrote about her situation in this article for the Federalist. What she wrote is heartbreaking. Here's the heartbreaking part:
This year, my premium is going up 96 percent . Ninety-six percent. My monthly payment, which was the amount of a decent car payment, is now the size of a moderate mortgage. The president refers to these for thousands of citizens as 'a few bugs' when to us it feels like a flameout. For this astronomical payment, I get a plan with an astronomical deductible that my healthy family of three will likely never hit except in the most catastrophic of circumstances.
Rep. Liebling, the ACA created a situation where people are insured but they're paying for most of their medical costs out of pocket. As for the good things that the ACA has done, the truth is that Minnesota's pre-ACA system was insuring a high percentage of Minnesotans at a fraction of the cost that farmers are getting hit with in these notices. Here's Vern's notification letter:
The fact that Gov. Dayton, Tina Liebling and the DFL are attempting to defend the indefensible is offensive. Repealing the ACA isn't throwing out the baby with the bathwater. The ACA is nothing but bathwater.
Posted Wednesday, November 2, 2016 1:14 PM
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