Home » Politics in Minnesota: Weekly Report: 2007 » Politics in Minnesota: The Weekly Report - Vol. 2, Issue 44 - 05/10/2007

Politics in Minnesota: The Weekly Report - Vol. 2, Issue 44 - 05/10/2007


In this issue: The Media Battle...; Whats The End Game? Turbulence At The Star Tribune...; The PIM Directory, Ready To Peruse! Window Shopping? DCCC Looks To MN-03; 2008 Presidential Campaign Volunteers & Meet-Ups; Bits & Pieces...; Lobbyist Watch.

--A collection of insider news and opinion--

The Media Battle...

Pawlenty

During the past week, the suddenly ubiquitous Governor Pawlenty hit his natural stride with his cute, smart and witty sound bites about the DFL proposals and his own vetoes. His top three quips in this category so far this year were his "catch and release" comment about the fishing opener, his suggestion that the HHS bill was from a different galaxy, and his initial comment about the DFL tax proposals as being "stupid." These quips are vintage Ventura, and while quotable, don't lend themselves to any sort of civil dialog with legislators. The last time the Governor took this approach with the legislature, it cost his party 14 seats in the House in 2004. While he won this week, the shallow comments could come back to haunt him when negotiations begin in earnest.

Senate

Senator Tarryl Clark has been holding regular media briefings for the Capitol press corps, and after the Senate DFL's release of their first K12 plan which put all the surplus into Special Ed, she has done very well. During that event, Clark appeared to be having trouble handling her sidekick, Majority Leader Senator Larry Pogemiller, who managed to pull off a mild imitation of Tom Cruise on Oprah's couch. Since then, the Senate has done a good job offering consistent communication. However, they have not been very effective in defining an agenda or communicating an ongoing vision for the state. In the coming weeks, we expect to see a few more voices emerge as "good" cops and "bad" cops. The most under-quoted Senator this year? Sen. Tom Bakk, the Tax Committee Chair. Look for Bakk to increase his media profile as the Senate tries to put the Governor on the defensive.

House

This is where there appears to be a mismatch. Minority Leader Rep. Marty Seifert has assumed the strident and sharp role that everyone expected he would. His hyperbole has been over the top at times but he has been quotable and visible in opposition. The missing voice in the media has been Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher. For the past few weeks she has been virtually invisible and has therefore not been outlining what many think is the most moderate of the positions at the Capitol. Granted, she is a first term Speaker dealing with a young caucus, which is probably like herding cats. Anderson Kelliher must step up her own media presence--or the House DFL media presence--not only for success at the end of the session but also for success in next year's elections.

What's The End Game?

That's the question that's being asked daily, if not hourly, at the State Capitol. The answer is, no one truly knows. A few thoughts:

Scenario One

Governor Pawlenty will continue the Vetopalooza and everyone is headed to a special session that no one would have predicted after the last election or even in early January. That scenario gives us a session until the middle of June, which could pose the biggest political risk to the Governor. If he doesn't negotiate or compromise at all between now and June, the public could quickly turn against him. This was slightly foreshadowed last week with Governor Pawlenty's appearance on At Issue, where he suggested that having the legislature sit in St. Paul all summer wasn't such a bad idea.

Scenario Two

The House buckles and forces the Senate to weaken and the Governor will get what he wants. Many people think this scenario has already begun to take shape. Most agree that the House DFL has the most to lose, because all 134 members are up for reelection next year. This scenario is also the most talked about because Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher hasn't been viewed as bold or particularly sturdy concerning the House DFL positions during the past month, before or after the vetoes.

Scenario Three

The Senate digs in and takes on the Governor while the House emerges with the moderate position. The press and political observers get to see the showdown between Sen. Larry Pogemiller and Gov. Pawlenty that everyone suspected would come. This scenario also leads us into a potentially long summer. Such a scenario could be likely because the DFL and Pogemiller don't want Pawlenty to emerge from the session more popular than when it began. The long summer scenario would tend to push negatives up and make him more reactive.

Turbulence At The Star Tribune...

...And The Minnesota Poll

We can't help but note that the first round of restructuring by the new Star Tribune owners, Avista Capital Partners, seems to disproportionately and adversely affect the newspaper's public affairs coverage. The paper wants to "right size" the newsroom by eliminating 50 positions out of a 350-person newsroom. [Digression: Reports we heard from the newsroom had Strib publisher Par Ridder invoke "right sizing" several times. That's a phrase corporate America quit using years ago.] The most startling "right sizing" move was showing the door to the Minnesota Poll's Rob Daves As we noted last week in our stories about KSTP's recent issues poll, taking the pulse of the public at legislative decision time is a rich Minnesota tradition that the Minnesota Poll used to own, along with setting the table for each legislative session with an issues poll at the beginning of each legislative session.

Avista says the Minnesota Poll will continue, but gave no indication how and perhaps more important, how often. Certainly, the fact that Daves was the first high-profile person to be dismissed after the big "Black Monday" meeting earlier this week doesn't bode well for the Minnesota Poll going forward. And for sure we bet that Avista didn't fully comprehend the important role Daves has played. Sure, he designed and ran the poll (all that statistical numbers stuff that's beyond most of us). But more important, he ran interference for the Poll and the newspaper in the public at large. For years, Republicans have criticized the Minnesota Poll, alleging it favored Democrats. Much has been written on the subject (including this publication long before the blogosphere came into being).

Unbeknownst to many a GOP Minnesota Poll hater was how accessible Daves has been to anyone over the years who wanted to call the paper and vent. Daves has run the poll since 1977 and even the Minnesota Poll's harshest critics (like Scott Johnson who writes at Powerlineblog.com ) have noted how available and helpful Daves has been over the years explaining the how the poll was conducted to sometimes hostile detractors. Many of our readers may have seen Daves on Almanac or At Issue where he has appeared frequently over the years. Besides patience in the face of heavy criticism, Daves was also gracious. Perhaps the best outcome is that Avista hires Daves back to run the poll as a consultant. [That's the much derided "outsourcing" engaged in by both the private sector and state government under GOP control. Generally, it's cheaper for the hiring entity and more lucrative for the consultant.] Before packing up his office next week, Daves will head out to Anaheim to give a speech and conduct the duties attendant to his being president this year of the American Association of Public Opinion Outreach.

...And The Editorial Page

Here's where the people reductions are the most dramatic: The Star Tribune's editorial page will be reduced from 13.5 to 7.5 FTEs (full time employees). At first blush that would seem to be a bad thing, but not so fast. The editorial page is where previous owner McClatchy badly stumbled. We never fully understood why the decision was made to run mostly syndicated opinion on the "Opinion Exchange" page but it was one of the dumbest decisions. In this day and age of 24/7 Internet-published opinion by both syndicated columnists and bloggers, running days-old columns from the likes of George Will, Mona Charon, Jonah Goldberg and Maureen Dowd only exacerbates the dinosaur image of major newspapers. Moreover, for whatever reasons, the amount of local, original writing on state and local issues by others has dwindled to almost nothing. When was the last time you heard, "Did you see what so-and-so wrote in the Star Tribune?" As we understand it, there will be an effort to bring back local voices.

As far as the editorial stances taken by the paper as an institution--which are 99% left of center and sometimes far left on the ideological continuum--expect no change in political perspective. However, as we understand it, Avista management has made one important conclusion, which is that there's not that much value in having the Star Tribune frequently opine on national issues. Rather, the conversation we hear is that there will be a lot more locally-focused editorials. That's a really good thing, particularly since the St. Paul Pioneer Press has dramatically reduced the amount of local opining by the paper as an institution on its pages.

Another good thing is that the Sunday Op Ex section is scheduled to live. The best hope here is that the section returns to where it started, and that is with lots of deeply reported opinion on state and local issues by Star Tribune editorial writers, along with countering opinion solicited by the paper from others. An example that comes to mind is the section that was devoted to all that's wrong with Minneapolis city government.

Finally, the last good thing we hear is that Lori Sturdevant's weekly political column will live. At a time when political bloggers, particularly those who break news like minnesotademocratsexposed.com on the right and minnesotamonitor.com on the left, weigh in several times a day with different news and opinion, there's a lot to be said for a column like Sturdevant's. There's a unique and unquantifiable value in a seemingly measly one bylined column a week from Sturdevant. [Sturdevant, of course, researches and writes many of the institutional editorials for the paper, particularly on state issues.] Having worked as a political reporter for many years, Sturdevant is steeped in Minnesota political tradition and history and thus has the street cred with both DFLers and GOPers to do what she does, which is to choose one topic each week to offer new news and a new perspective. We have heard, "Did you see what Sturdevant said about such-and-such last Sunday?" at the Capitol several times the last few months.

As an aside, much of what we said about Daves applies to deputy editorial page editor Jim Boyd, who has said he will take the buy-out. Love him or hate him, he was gracious in the face of criticism.

...And The Web

The Web may well be where McClatchy made the biggest mistake (and perhaps this mistake was a significant contributing factor in the fire-sale price of the Star Tribune when Avista bought it). Remember all that hoopla about the paper's paper redesign? That cost the paper a small fortune and was supposed to draw younger subscribers (the old Variety section became Go, Do, Whatever designed for the under 30 crowd). We don't know of a single person in his or her 20s who was drawn in to subscribe by that.

Imagine if all that time and money had been directed toward the paper's presence on the Web.

...And News Coverage

The mantra we hear is more local and more stories about the suburbs and the exurbs. Perhaps. Although one funny but true line we heard from a reporter was," There's a reason people move to the suburbs...there's no news there." Meaning, of course, few crime or bad school stories.

...And PR

One of your publishers is fond of saying "the most important person in any operation is the gal (or guy) at the front desk." [That is certainly true for Politics In Minnesota.] The immediate firing of the switchboard ladies. We already miss that voice (and don't know her name), "Good afternoon! Star Tribune!" For many readers, the person who first picks up the phone provides the lasting impression of the paper. Firing the little people (who cannot possibly be that significant to the bottom line) is bad PR.

Speaking of PR, your publisher who is in that business cannot help but wonder...do the 50 bodies who have to leave the Star Tribune become 50 more bodies in the local PR biz?

The PIM Directory, Ready To Peruse!

We neglected to mention earlier that the 2007-2008 Politics in Minnesota: The Directory has been printed and distributed to the early buyers (thank you for your patience). This year's edition runs to 788 pages. With so many new legislators and staffers, the book is already a great reference for policy wonks, journalists, lobbyists and citizen activists visiting the Capitol. It's still a great, affordable value at just $47.70, which includes shipping.

Impress your friends and scare your enemies with an uncanny sense of political geography! For the first time in many years, we overhauled the entire look of the book, enhancing its legibility and offering more information at a glance. We would like to thank the legislators and legislative assistants who gave us their time so generously.

Discounts for large purchases are available.

Window Shopping?

Last week, Former Senator Mark Dayton said he intends to run for governor in 2010. Being a U.S. Senator didn't quite suit him because the body is a "a very reactive institution," quoted the Star Tribune.

So, what? He was just trying out the U.S. Senate, wasn't quite satisfied there, and now he wants to try being governor to see what that's like? That's sure what it sounds like.

Dayton has some very significant factors on his side for any position for which he wants to run. Despite the fact that Dayton Hudson Corporation is now Target and all the former Dayton's department stores are now Macy's, the Dayton name still has high name-recognition value. He's presumably still a rich man who could fund his own campaign, if he wanted. And he has won a statewide election.

But he's also got some significant negatives. As we suggested above, if he does indeed run for governor, it will appear as if he's simply window shopping for an office.

Then there's the fact that he voluntarily stepped down after only one term in the Senate. He'll be called a "quitter" for stepping down early and criticized for not really having done anything as a Senator.

Lastly, as a Senator he was rather quiet and reserved; certainly not a camera hound. He hasn't yet demonstrated mastery of the skill that is so much of being an effective governor, the use of the bully pulpit.

DCCC Looks To MN-03

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has been candidate shopping in Minnesota's Third Congressional District, currently occupied by Republican Congressman Jim Ramstad. In previous years, the DCCC never gave the district much attention because Ramstad had built a moderate-conservative voting record and the western metro district leaned heavily to the GOP in local and statewide elections.

But things have changed. national Democrats are looking to build on their majority in the U.S. House. With their top-tier candidate in the Sixth Congressional District, former MnDOT Commissioner El Tinklenberg, dropping out, the national party is looking to the next prime opportunity. Since Minnesota is poised to lose one congressional seat in the 2012 redistricting, national and state Democrats know they need to win one suburban seat to maintain their five seats in the state.

The district has been trending purple in recent elections. Last year, Senator Amy Klobuchar (DFL) won there with more than 55% of the vote. Presidential candidates Al Gore and John Kerry came within four and three points of George Bush. By a margin of 6-5, the district has more DFL state senators and there are an even number of DFL and GOP state representatives. These numbers should be encouraging for any potential congressional candidates.

Also encouraging should be Ramstad's record. Ramstad has been in Congress since 1990 and previously served in the state senate from 1980-1990. That's a 28-year voting record to comb through. That's thousands of votes that could come back to haunt him, like his 1995 vote to abolish the U.S. Department of Education. And let's not forget his votes to continue the unpopular Iraq War.

We know that '06 Hennepin County Attorney candidate Andy Luger is interested in running. But national Democrats are looking for a candidate who can raise the two to three million dollars to run a successful campaign. The DCCC has been quietly talking to several current and former state lawmakers, business executives and local government officials. Our understanding is that some of those talks have been fruitful.

2008 Presidential Campaign Volunteers & Meet-Ups

With the recent MSNBC presidential candidate debates, interest among political junkies has increased. While the presence of paid staffers remains hazy, volunteer organizations and MeetUp groups are springing up from the state's fertile fields of activists. The DFL's website is listing local 2008 Democratic Presidential Campaigns already, but the GOP has no such page we could find. (By the way, both the GOP and the DFL should make their phone numbers easier to find. We get calls at our office for their numbers quite often!)

Here are the contacts we've found so far. If you know of more campaign contacts, please email staff@politicsinminnesota.com. We will try to keep this index current through the presidential race. This week we are featuring the Democratic efforts we've managed to track down, and next week will feature GOP campaign efforts.

Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY)
  • Clinton MeetUp
  • MN State Coordinator (volunteer): Heidi Kraus. Phone: (612) 333-2175
  • Minnesota Campaign Chairman: Former Sen. Mark Dayton.
Former Sen. John Edwards (NC) Rep. Dennis Kucinich (OH) Sen. Barack Obama (IL) Gov. Bill Richardson (NM)

Politics In Minnesota: Bits & Pieces...

We hear Minnesota Public Radio will be releasing a new poll tomorrow and that it will be updated regularly. Look for it at minnesota.publicradio.org.

We have learned that the Ciresi for Senate campaign has recently hired nationally known pollster Celinda Lake. Lake has had mixed results in Minnesota. She was former Congressman Bill Luther's pollster for many campaigns and recently worked for Congressman Tim Walz (MN-1). But she also was the pollster for Becky Lourey's campaign for Governor and Ember Reichgott Junge's campaign for Congress in the Fifth Congressional District.

DFL activist and former campaign staffer Eric Mitchell is the campaign manager for businessman Bob Olson's campaign for U.S. Senate. Mitchell, a former Norm Coleman staffer, has floated from campaign to campaign since leaving the DFL State Party a few years ago. His last campaign job was as Becky Lourey's field director.

We found this campaign job announcement on the Web site Democratic Gain, a campaign job posting site for Democrats. "Ciresi for Senate seeks a full-time Assistant Press Secretary for this top tier Senate race. Please send resume and 2 references, including email and phone numbers to Kerry Greeley at kerry@ciresiforsenate.com."

St. Joseph mayor and DFL Sixth District Field Coordinator Richard Carlbom has taken a new job with Congressman Tim Walz. Carlbom, who is resigning his position as mayor, will become Walz's political director. Carlbom's hire continues Walz's trend of hiring young staffers for his congressional and campaign offices.

We're glad that email distribution doesn't bring us the overhead costs of using the postal service, which of course our predecessor, the PIM Newsletter, depended on. Small publications across America have long depended on relatively low magazine postal rates, but now many will be threatened with extinction because the U.S. Post Office is about to spike the rates. There's an online campaign, StopPostalRateHikes.com, run by the nonprofit Free Press Action Fund. We'll see if Big Media cares. (And how about making unsolicited junk mail more expensive instead? That stuff takes a lot of time and money to handle!)

Freshman Democrat U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (MN-5) and his family get a refreshing, very different kind of press coverage in the May/June issue of Muslim Girl magazine, the Islamic-American answer to Seventeen. This month, alongside prom tips and hip new summer styles for the hijab (head scarf), he and his 10-year-old daughter Amirah reflect on family and celebrating her birthday during the campaign. She says she wants to be a politician when she grows up: looks like a new dynasty on the way! Unfortunately the whole text is not free online; maybe Ellison's office should put out a press release.

As a bit of an experiment, on June 9, volunteers supporting Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination will put on the national campaign's first canvassing day, which is intended to help the campaign sign up more volunteers and raise contributions. One volunteer says that the Minnesota chapter, the Obama Minnesota Grassroots Movement, is the nation's largest and best-organized. The statewide campaign will officially kick off on June 29, though details have not been finalized.

In February 1938, Popular Mechanics praised Minnesota's growing hemp industry as a potential billion-dollar crop. Federal law, rather than economics, quickly knocked out that opportunity, and we haven't seen much in-state print promoting the cannabis plant since. Even with all the hubbub around the medical marijuana bill (which passed the Senate floor, and now awaits a full House vote), state papers haven't opined much on it. The Winona Daily News bravely editorialized that it's high time to pass medical marijuana: "It seems unfair--even cruel--to ban marijuana from those who might use it to have a life that's more pain free just because of the potential for abuse by a few. We must think of the good that will be served by those who will use it for legitimate medical purposes and prosecute those who obtain it illegally." Those wild Winona liberals! Treating pain with marijuana goes back as far as the ancient Chinese emperor Shen Neng in 2737 B.C. Nationwide efforts led by the Marijuana Policy Project have been fruitful at state capitols this spring, with Vermont, New York, Illinois and Rhode Island lawmakers considering or passing new regulatory regimes. Democratic presidential candidate and New Mexico governor Bill Richardson signed a medical marijuana regime earlier this year, evidently seeing little political liability. (And privately, many legislators support restarting the state hemp industry to generate biodiesel and ethanol, but that's another story.)

Congratulations to Austin teenagers Anthony Hernandez and Dustin Gillard, who won national acclaim for the second year in a row for their documentary film making skills, the Rochester Post Bulletin reports. Last year the duo won a grand prize for their documentary on the illegal immigration debate in Austin. This year, their first place entry was titled "Our Duty" and addressed the Iraq war on both a local and national level. "Our Duty" will air on June 13th at 7:50 a.m. on C-SPAN or you can watch it online [RealVideo] at the C-SPAN Student Cam website.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton has scheduled a fundraiser in Minneapolis on June 1.

We must note the new design of one of Minnesota's most read blogs, Minnesota Democrats Exposed. The design by Derek Brigham is very good. Brigham has been the impressive right-wing designer of other blogs including Kennedy V. Machine, Craig Westover, and the Taxpayer's League of Minnesota's direct mail. Design is something often missing in political communications and Brigham hits it nearly every time.

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