The Morning Report 2/6/08 - Daily Minnesota Political Stories

Breaking News: Never mind who won, the biggest Minnesota caucus story yesterday with the longest legs was the historic turnout. Your publisher last spoke to Secretary of State Mark Ritchie (DFL) about midnight, last night. At that time, Ritchie reported that about 250,000 people had attended DFL precinct caucuses, and around 70,000 for the GOP ones. Those numbers shatter previous records in both parties. In 1968, Democrats recall attendance as somewhere between 75,000 - 100,000. The previous record for Republicans was in 1996 with about 30,000. We'll have much, much more this Friday in Politics in Minnesota The Weekly Report.

Top Stories: Full MN caucus results, Romney and Obama take Minnesota caucuses, Caucus goers turnout in record numbers, Most jobs likely to survive a Delta-NWA deal,Minnesotans could save billions in health care costs, task force says, Bush budget includes money for Northstar rail line, Critics: Pawlenty 'action plan' on climate change lacks planning and action.
Agriculture:

• State to distribute $3.7M in farm aid after drought, flooding, AP
  

Best of the Blogs and Think Tank Thoughts:

• Q: Who lost big in the MN caucuses?, True North
• Obama destroys!, MN Publius. Includes selected comments about caucus-goers experiences last night.
  
• Caucusing stories from SD45, SD60, SD43, SD63, SD51, True North
  
• GOP turnout lower?, Mary's Page - TPT
  
• Met Council transportation survey released, buzz.mn
• Norm Coleman and his rare display of bipartisanship, MN Blue
• If only people knew the truth, Wright County Republican
• 20 years behind: Adding up transportation's half loaves, Growth & Justice
  
• MN GOP decision to move caucuses to Super Tuesday was brilliant, MN Democrats Exposed
• Legislators hear from peak-oil expert, MN Monitor
  
• Super Tuesday: The return of Lambert & Janecek, Lambert to the Slaughter
  
• Free tax help: Too good to be true?, TC Daily Planet
  

Business/Economy:

• Pine Island gets $600K for bioscience park, MSP Business Journal
• Select Comfort springs a leak, Star Tribune
• Most jobs likely to survive a Delta-NWA deal, Star Tribune
• Two appeals question site plan for St. Paul Trader Joe's, Star Tribune
• 300-turbine wind farm proposed for Dodge County, Rochester Post-Bulletin

Campaigns:

• DFL Senate candidates take first step in nomination process, MPR
• Slog becomes sprint for the candidates, Wall Street Journal. Real life on the campaign trail: Dizzying routine, colds, no sleep, weight gain.
• A sizzle among the young (at least some), New York Times. St. Paulite continually refreshes his Facebook page, watching the count of his fellow Obama supporters tick upward.

Congress-Senate:

• Senate Democrats to push expanded stimulus plan, New York Times. Democrats add $1 billion increase in home-energy subsidies for low-income families --a move to expand a program Democrats support but also to press Republicans like Norm Coleman in MN, a state with high heating costs.

Education:

• $500,000 more in cuts are predicted, Red Wing Republican Eagle
  

Elections:

• Full MN caucus results from MN Secretary of State
• McCain seizes command; Clinton, Obama battle on, Chicago Tribune. Obama wins MN, "a state with a reform tradition but which the Republicans consider competitive" ... and campaigns like Wellstone.
• Massive caucus turnout means snarled traffic, some chaos, Pioneer Press
• McCain scores in Northeast, California, Wall Street Journal. Romney wins MN, one of the states that "tend to attract the party faithful."
• Romney and Obama take Minnesota caucuses, Star Tribune
• Caucus goers turnout in record numbers, MPR
• Independence Party brings few, Minnesota Daily
  

Environment:

• Minnesota cities struggle with measuring their carbon footprint, MPR
• Fridley firm must pay fine for alleged pollution, Star Tribune
• DNR to employ sharpshooters to thin deer herd in bovine TB zone, AP
• Military waste to be extracted from Lake Superior, KSTP

Health Care:

• Minnesotans could save billions in health care costs, task force says, Star Tribune

I-35W Bridge Collapse:

• Louisiana bridge inspections to follow Minneapolis' cue, Daily Journal of Commerce

Legislature:

• St. Cloud joins central Minn. cities in lobbying effort, AP

Media:

• MnMon, Strib get their men, MinnPost

Opinion-Commentary:

• Gene Gibbons: States exemplify real change, Politico. MN and IL are pioneering programs designed to help demobilized service members.
• Katherine Kersten: Cop's insight on elephants makes council forget bad idea, Star Tribune
  

Opinion-Editorial:

• Editorial: A more user-friendly Super Tuesday, Star Tribune
• Editorial: Tonight, you can pick a president, Hutchinson Leader
• Editorial: Keep classrooms ad-free, Minnesota Daily

Pawlenty:

• Critics: Pawlenty 'action plan' on climate change lacks planning and action, MinnPost
• Pawlenty to attend Munich security conference with McCain, AP
• DFL may attempt to keep Pawlenty out of roads fight, Red Wing Republican Eagle

Public Health/Safety:

• Another Austin meatpacker ill, Star Tribune
• Appeals Court; churches can ban guns without posting signs, AP
• Beef might have gone to 700 schools, groups, Star Tribune

Stadiums:

• Man charged with harassing officials over Twins ballpark vote, AP
  

Transportation:

• Bush budget includes money for Northstar rail line, AP
• Future of Hwy. 14 pondered, Mankato Free Press

Washington:

• Kampelman remembers Reagan fondly, Politico. Now 87, former Humphrey aide still trying to rid the world of nuclear arms.