November 6-9, 2016
Nov 06 04:17 Thissen on healing partisanship Nov 06 10:15 Out-of-touch DFL mayor Nov 06 18:12 Franken's disgusting partisanship Nov 07 04:14 Trump's Minnesota visit Nov 07 16:58 MNsure's unfunded mandate Nov 07 22:19 Is Colorado flipping? Nov 08 07:05 Rebuilding society's institutions Nov 09 07:10 Big night for Republicans (National) Nov 09 12:24 Big night for MNGOP
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Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Thissen on healing partisanship
Paul Thissen's op-ed is a total snow job. In that respect, it reminds me of Halloween, 1991. That's the date of the infamous Halloween Blizzard.
Having Rep. Thissen say that "the next Legislature's top priority must be to repair the divisions the last two years have created" is especially rich considering the fact that Thissen engaged in "a disturbing pattern of verbal abuse of Republican Staff ." This was reported in a letter from Reps. Peppin, Franson, O'Neill, Mack, Albright, Fabian and Nash. In their letter, they said "Throughout this session, we have witnessed a disturbing pattern of verbal abuse of Republican Staff by you on the floor of the House of Representatives."
I said then what I'll repeat now: that "Thissen's behavior wasn't 'over the line.' They weren't an aberration." They represented a pattern of disgusting behavior. Remember that the letter said that they witnessed "a disturbing pattern of verbal abuse of Republican Staff by you on the floor of the House of Representatives."
In his op-ed, Thissen writes "Why has this ugly divisiveness emerged? Certainly, it arose in part from political rhetoric that marginalizes and demeans Americans based on their race, religion, gender and geography. Voters should demand that all candidates, regardless of party, stand up to and denounce such hateful rhetoric. It has no place in our politics." Later, he continued "A good first step in addressing this would be to pass meaningful campaign-finance reform to shine a light on the millions in secretive spending that distorts our politics and make sure those who use such intolerant language for political advantage can be held publicly accountable."
I've got a better idea. Let's start with throwing out legislators that verbally abuse the hard-working staff that make legislators' lives better. If legislators can't treat legislative staff with dignity and respect, they're incapable of leading. That has nothing to do with campaign finance laws. It has everything to do with being a mean-spirited, disrespectful individual.
Thissen literally talks himself in a circle -- inside of a single paragraph:
That means offering serious solutions to the realities that squeeze family budgets - child care costs, college tuition, retirement savings, prescription drugs and health care premiums. Finger-pointing and partisan bickering won't cut it. As an example, House Democrats put forward the first concrete proposal to provide immediate relief for Minnesotans who are facing large premium increases on the individual market. Our plan caps premiums at 10 percent of annual income - a practical solution that will help families now. We invite House Republicans to set aside political expediency and join us in problem-solving so we can get the job done.
Thissen first states that "finger-pointing and partisan bickering won't cut it", then engages in finger-pointing and partisan bickering. Then Thissen tells Republicans to "set aside political expediency and join us in problem-solving" the MNsure/ACA crisis. The DFL proposed a one-year fix. Speaker Daudt and Chairman Davids have proposed a plan that would fix the things that are wrong with the ACA.
Republicans proposed a plan that would increase access to health care, not just reduce the price of people's premiums. Republicans proposed a plan that will actually help people with pre-existing conditions get insurance without raising the cost of health insurance for healthy people. Republicans proposed a plan that will provide people outside the Twin Cities metro multiple choices of insurers.
Anyone that dishonest and that mean-spirited is disqualified to lead.
Posted Sunday, November 6, 2016 4:17 AM
No comments.
Out-of-touch DFL mayor
This LTE , written by Mountain Iron Mayor Gary Skalko, shows how out-of-touch, not to mention scripted, the DFL is.
For instance, Skalko wrote "Both Stewart Mills III and Donald Trump were born with 'Silver Spoons' in their mouths. They have absolutely no connection or affiliation to the middle class. They have no idea who we are and what we really stand for and believe in."
Really? Shame on Skalko for demeaning the construction industry that Mr. Trump has been successful in. Shame on Skalko for demeaning Mills Fleet Farm, one of the most popular retail chains for farmers and the middle class in Minnesota history. While it's indisputable that Mssrs. Trump and Mills are wealthy, it's equally indisputable that they've paid attention to what's happening in the real world. After starting out stocking shelves at the family business, Mills eventually was put in charge of the company's benefits program. By all accounts, Mills employees have vastly better health care than do people buying health insurance on MNsure. They certainly aren't paying Cadillac plan premiums for catastrophic policies.
Hillary told Diane Sawyer that they were "dead broke and in debt" when they left the White House:
Most people who have mortgages are in debt. Further, like most things she's said, they weren't dead broke. Before joining the Senate, Hillary Clinton wrote her first memoirs, collecting millions of dollars for the book.
Meanwhile, Rick Nolan has criticized Mills for being wealthy. During his first stint in office, I don't recall him criticizing Jay Rockefeller, John Kerry or Ted Kennedy for being wealthy. I've never heard him criticize Dianne Feinstein or Nancy Pelosi for being wealthy.
I'd love hearing Mr. Nolan's explanation for why he hasn't criticized the Clinton Foundation for ruining Haiti after the earthquake. The DFL's outrage, apparently, is selective. It certainly isn't consistent.
Posted Sunday, November 6, 2016 10:15 AM
Comment 1 by Terry Stone at 06-Nov-16 01:15 PM
I thank Mayor Gary Skalko for clarifying exactly what delineates the anatomy of the classes of the DFL class warfare scheme. I was hoping that class was related to accomplishment, community contribution, reputation or education. No, class just means money according to Skalko. Worse yet, money and the middle class values that we respect so much are mutually exclusive.
This is strange because liberals themselves aspire to be filthy rich--preferably without working for the money. Why else would they buy lottery tickets?
Franken's disgusting partisanship
Al Franken's response to Donald Trump's 'Argument for America' ad is beyond reprehensible. It's disgustingly dishonest. According to this article , Sen. Franken thinks that Donald Trump's ad is anti-Semitic. It isn't. It's a page out of the Democrats' dog-whistle playbook.
Here's the complete transcript of Trump's 'Argument for America' ad:
This is about replacing a failed and corrupt political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American people. The Establishment has trillions of dollars at stake in this election. Those who control the levers of power in Washington and for the global special interests, they partner with these people that don't have your good in mind. The political establishment that is trying to stop us is the same group that is responsible for our disastrous trade deals, massive illegal immigration and economic and foreign policies that have bled our country dry. The political Establishment has brought about the destruction of our factories and our jobs as they flee to Mexico, China and other countries all around the world. As the global power structure that is responsible for the economic decisions that have robbed our working class, stripped our country of its wealth and put that money into the pockets of a handful of large corporations and political entities. The only thing that can stop this corrupt machine is you. The only force strong enough to save our country is us. The only people brave enough to vote out this corrupt establishment is you, the American people. I'm doing this for the American people and the movement and we will take back this country for you and we will make America great again.
I'm Donald Trump and I approve this message.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) issued this statement:
That's BS. Some of the "images" in Trump's ad were of Mrs. Clinton, Janet Yellen, the leaders of the G-8 nations and President Obama. Lloyd Blankfein and George Soros also appeared in the ad. Though they are Jewish, it's difficult to think of Soros and Blankfein as Jewish. Soros is thought of as the leader of the open borders movement. Meanwhile, Blankfein is known mostly as the CEO for Goldman Sachs.
Thankfully, the Trump campaign responded:
Jason Greenblatt, who co-chair's Trump's Israel Advisory Committee, accused the ADL of engaging in partisan politics in a message to The Huffington Post. "The ADL should focus on real anti-Semitism and hatred, and not try to find any where none exist," the statement said. "I am offended and concerned that an institution such as the ADL would involve itself in partisan politics instead of focusing on its important mission.
"Mr. Trump and his campaign have laid out important ideas, a vision and critical policies for our country. The suggestion that the ad is anything else is completely false and uncalled for. Mr. Trump's message and all of the behavior that I have witnessed over the two decades that I have known him have consistently been pro-Jewish and pro-Israel and accusations otherwise are completely off-base."
Franken should focus on being a real senator instead of being one of the most dishonest partisans in DC.
Posted Sunday, November 6, 2016 6:12 PM
No comments.
Trump's Minnesota visit
Despite the fact that Twin Cities pundits have written Minnesota off for him, Donald Trump still stopped in Minnesota for a campaign rally. According to this article , "a mixture of longtime Republicans, independents and people who don't usually care about politics" showed up for the event.
Predictably, DFL legislators criticized Trump's visit. Sen. Kari Dziedzic was especially critical, saying "If Donald Trump had spent time in Minnesota before today he would know Minnesotans don't want anything to do with his dangerous and divisive vision for America."
I'd love hearing Sen. Dziedzic's explanation for why she thinks consistently enforcing the law is divisive. Apparently, she thinks that it's positive to have small businesses comply with a complex tax code. Does Sen. Dziedzic think that the EPA is a well-behaved regulatory agency or does she think it's the poster child for weaponized government? Donald Trump thinks that enforcing our nation's laws is essential. Mrs. Clinton thinks that laws don't apply to her. Mr. Trump thinks that special tax breaks for big corporations hurt small businesses. Mrs. Clinton wants to raise taxes while adding special carve-outs for her special interest allies. Mr. Trump will put an end to the special interests writing regulations that fit their agenda. Mrs. Clinton will turn the regulatory-writing in her administration to the special interests.
Under a Trump administration, the Republican nominee promised, we "will not bring in any refugees without the support of the local community." Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chairman Ken Martin, in a statement, said that Trump's discussion of Somali refugees was "hateful and bigoted" and that Minnesota "has always welcomed those that have come seeking a better life for themselves and their families."
It isn't surprising that Trump would actually pay attention to national security. Likewise, it isn't surprising that the DFL is putting a higher priority on political calculations than they're putting on keeping Minnesotans safe. Isn't it telling that a terrorist injures 10 people at a St. Cloud shopping mall but it's hateful to mention the fact that the terrorist was part of a refugee resettlement program?
Posted Monday, November 7, 2016 4:14 AM
Comment 1 by MplsSteve at 07-Nov-16 08:50 AM
I'm curious what inspired Trump to make a stop here.
My first thought was that our TV stations broadcast into western Wisconsin, a battleground state. The Trump campaign was aiming at the GOP-leaning counties right along the Wi-Mn border.
Or is there something the Trump campaign sees in some polling data that makes them think a visit here would be beneficial to his chances of winning the state?
Comment 2 by Chad Q at 07-Nov-16 05:20 PM
Where was or is Hillary? Oh that's right, she knows she can count on the DFL to deliver her another state even though the DFL has screwed MN, so why waste money on MN.
Also, I have it on very good authority that the DFL is bussing in loads of Somali's into Rice County to early vote. Surprisingly they all have the same birthdate and no one can verify their address yet they are allowed to vote.
MNsure's unfunded mandate
People who've read LFR lately know that the ACA's health insurance premiums are increasing. There've been days lately when I've felt like I was writing for a publication called 'The latest in ACA failures.' I thought I'd read it all. This article is proof that I hadn't read it all.
The part that caught my attention is a quote from Mary Liz Holberg. She said "This has been a huge unfunded mandate on the counties. Once again, we're cleaning up the state's mess." According to the article, state "officials once promised the system - officially called the Minnesota Eligibility and Technology System (METS), would make the process of enrolling and verifying participants faster and cheaper. But behind the scenes, county eligibility workers have been tearing their hair out over a malfunctioning IT system that's never come close to living up to its billing since MNsure went online three years ago. In fact, it's gotten worse."
This should get everyone's attention:
"There is more case eligibility and maintenance work required in METS by county staff than in the former system," according to a recent Hennepin County Board report.
In other words, MNsure isn't the reason for the premium increases. It's just part of the problem. Either way, it isn't doing what it's supposed to do. It isn't working as well as the system that was in place pre-ACA.
That's the definition of a failure.
Posted Monday, November 7, 2016 4:58 PM
No comments.
Is Colorado flipping?
This article raises an interesting possibility. They're raising the possibility that Colorado might give their electoral votes to Donald Trump. What caught my attention was the opening paragraphs of the article.
The opening paragraph said "Republicans took the lead in early voting in Colorado at the end of the day Friday and held the advantage through the weekend despite robust Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts." The second paragraph said "The latest early voting numbers released Monday morning show registered Republicans cast 652,380 ballots compared to 645,020 registered Democrats - a 7,360 vote GOP advantage. The breakdown looks like this: 35.2 percent Republican, 34.8 percent Democrat and 28.5 percent unaffiliated."
FYI- This reporting is being reported by the Denver Post.
The D-Post is also asking if Democrats took Colorado for granted, adding that the "Trump campaign is emphasizing Colorado as evidenced by the candidate's rally Saturday in Denver - his third visit in eight days to the state. Republicans also are outspending Democrats when it comes to television advertising in the state, according to media trackers, which runs counter to most media markets."
Colorado's importance increases if this report is right:
Obviously, it isn't important if Mrs. Clinton wins Florida or North Carolina. Based on the last polls, it's definitely possible for Mrs. Clinton to win those states. I don't think it's likely that Mrs. Clinton wins both states but it's possible. If Trump sweeps Florida, North Carolina and Colorado, though, something that's viewed as possible, then holds the other red states, Trump's president-elect.
If I had to guess, which is all that anyone can do at this point, I'd predict Mrs. Clinton winning but by a razor-thin margin in a hand-full of battleground states. Still, I'd be lying if I said Mr. Trump doesn't have a path, albeit uphill, to victory.
The prediction that I won't hesitate in making, though, is that Mrs. Clinton won't have a governing mandate. Mrs. Clinton's chief campaign message has been that she isn't Donald Trump. She's run a personality-driven campaign that's been essentially substance-free. Yes, she's played Santa Claus with free college tuition in her attempt to win over Bernie Sanders' voters but nobody thinks she's stupid enough to push that initiative except during the mid-term elections.
Posted Monday, November 7, 2016 10:19 PM
Comment 1 by Nick at 07-Nov-16 11:45 PM
Most polls are rigged in favor for Hillary. Statespoll.com did a good job crunching the numbers of the polls to account for realistic demographics. They are calling a Trump landslide.
Rebuilding society's institutions
Regardless of who wins tonight, the inescapable truth is that society's institutions need rebuilding. No institution needs rebuilding more than journalism, with the justice system close behind. After watching the DC media act like Mrs. Clinton's campaign communications team, it isn't a stretch to think that Americans don't trust the media to tell the truth. The American people are right in thinking that the media isn't impartial. They're right in thinking that large parts of the media are the portrait of partiality.
For those of us who've been at this awhile, we remember how journalists couldn't be bothered into checking Jeremiah Wright's church in Chicago but couldn't wait to hop a jet to Wasilla, Alaska to surveil the GOP vice-presidential nominee. It didn't surprise conservatives when the lefty media tried explaining away JournoList . JournoList officially disbanded but they didn't disappear. They just changed names and went to work for Mrs. Clinton or the DNC.
We know this thanks to WikiLeaks :
In 2008, 'journalists' slobbered all over themselves to help their messiah get elected. In 2016, Dana Milbank wrote a column based on DNC research. I get it that newspapers and networks separate their pundits from their reporters. Frankly, it's time to start ignoring the blindly partisan pundits. Mr. Milbank fits that description. Ditto with E.J. Dionne, Sean Hannity and Eric Bolling. They contribute nothing valuable to the debate this nation needs to have.
The Obama Justice Department is the most politicized (and corrupt) Justice Department in US history. Between Eric Holder refusing to turn over Fast and Furious documents to Congress, to not prosecuting Lois Lerner for violating American patriots' civil rights to Loretta Lynch fixing things with Bill Clinton on a secluded air strip so Mrs. Clinton wouldn't get indicted. That's without mentioning Eric Holder dropping voter intimidation charges against the New Black Panther Party:
Over the coming days, I'll go through a list of institutions that need rebuilding. Make sure you tune into these reports.
Posted Tuesday, November 8, 2016 10:37 AM
No comments.
Big night for Republicans (National)
The big story from Tuesday night was that Republicans pretty much had their way with Democrats once the urban votes were counted. Donald Trump was on the verge of victory seemingly for hours. Minutes ago, he won Pennsylvania, officially giving him 278 electoral votes. That's without adding Arizona's 11 electoral votes (Trump leads there 49.7%-45.4%) and Michigan's 16 electoral votes (Trump leads there 48.1%-46.8%). If Trump wins those states, that puts him at 305 electoral votes.
Though Trump's victory was the night's biggest news, it wasn't the only good news for Republicans. At this point, Republicans have lost a net of 1 seat in the US Senate with 2 races heading for runoffs. That gives Republicans a minimum of 51 seats in the Senate. Add to that the fact that Republicans easily held onto their majority in the House and you've got a banner night for the RNC and America's blue collar workers.
This means that Merrick Garland won't be confirmed as the next Supreme Court justice. In fact, the next question will be whether President Obama pulls the nomination or whether Garland withdraws his name from consideration.
Throughout the night, commentators kept saying that Trump had a path to victory but that it was a narrow, uphill path. After Trump won the must-win states of Florida, North Carolina and Ohio, those commentators said that Trump had done what he had to do before mentioning the fact that Mr. Trump hadn't yet penetrated the Democrats' Blue Wall. That commentary disappeared when Wisconsin fell. Suddenly, those commentators realized that Mrs. Clinton was on the defensive. They realized that she was suddenly in the position of needing to run the table to win the White House.
By the time they called Pennsylvania, the writing was on the wall. Reality had started sinking in. Most commentators in the network studios understood that Donald Trump was all but officially the president-elect of the United States. This is how Fox News called the race over:
The incoming Trump administration and the Republican House and Senate now have a mandate to get things done. The first 100 days of the Trump administration figure to be busy. They'll have to nominate the man or woman who will replace Justice Scalia. They'll want to work with Congress on building the wall. Hopefully, they'll repeal and replace Obamacare. They'll want to get started with reforming the tax code, too.
Those things wouldn't have been possible if not for the Republicans' big night on the nation's biggest stage.
Posted Wednesday, November 9, 2016 7:10 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 09-Nov-16 09:34 AM
Bernie would have won. The DNC - superdelegate convention rigging undid Bernie, in the process undoing itself; the Republicans winning the spoils.
If the election was not rigged, at least the DNC's party convention surely was; and they got what they deserved.
Trump will have scores to settle, which will prove interesting.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 09-Nov-16 11:08 AM
Eric, the DNC rigged the primaries from prior to their first debate. DWS, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake & Donna Brazile rigged it in HRC's favor. Once he'd lost, though, Bernie acted like a tamed puppy dog. Elizabeth Warren did too.
As for Trump, he's got an ambitious agenda to get through in his first 100 days in office.
Big night for MNGOP
Last night, Donald Trump came close to flipping Minnesota into the win column, losing Minnesota by 42,675 votes . Despite that loss, it was a pretty good night for the Republican Party of Minnesota.
First, Republicans started with a 73-seat majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives. They finished the night with a 75-seat majority , a net pick-up of 2 seats. Next, Republicans entered the night with 28 senators . They finished the night with 34 senators and the majority. What makes this feat more impressive is the fact that Republicans defeated committee chairs Rod Skoe and Tom Saxhaug in addition to incumbents Lyle Koenen, Kevin Dahle, Matt Schmit and Vicki Jansen while picking up 3 open seats.
Senate Republicans will have to work with the DFL this session because Republicans hold a 1-seat lead in the Senate. In addition to that slim margin, the Trump administration and Congress will soon repeal and replace Obamacare, meaning they'll have to pass a budget and replace MNsure. That's quite the daunting task.
Posted Wednesday, November 9, 2016 12:24 PM
Comment 1 by MplsSteve at 10-Nov-16 09:09 AM
If only David Hann (my state senator) had won re-election and we had won Dave Thompson's open seat in southern Dakota County, we'd be in better shape. The latter flipped back to the DFL.
On a side note, what the hell is wrong with Dakota County?! With each passing election, that area turns bluer. Now Lakeville has a DFL senator. Lakeville is a good strong GOP suburb.
On a very positive note, Ron Erhardt did get knocked off in purple Edina. He really had become a crusty almost insufferable ass in the last 5 years or so - not to mention, he's a traitor for bailing out on the GOP.
