Southwest Journal on Ranum

MN Senate, 2006 Elections Today the Southwest Journal published a piece about Ranum's decision not to run again. This issue has been covered by several posts here at SD63, but this article does have a few things worth pointing out. First, had Sen. Ranum ran to replace Amy Klobuchar rather than to work for that person, it may have been an upgrade from the current County Attorney.

Ranum points to legislation she championed in 1994 that overhauled the state's juvenile justice system as one of her most significant accomplishments while in office. The reform legislation, recognized by the New York Times in 1999 for being an innovative model in juvenile justice, implemented blended sentencing for youths convicted of crimes. Teens 16 and older convicted of serious crimes, such as murder or rape, faced adult penalties while youths 14 and older convicted of felonies faced the possibility of adult sentences. She also said she's proud of her work on the state's CriMNet, an information-sharing network for law enforcement agencies, probation officers and judicial officials, among others.

Source: Southwest Journal, February 21, 2006

To her credit, Ranum has a good anti-crime record, while Klobuchar has let the city of Minneapolis slip back into a state of chaos. Rambix and KvM have done a good job documenting Klobuchar's failure. The article also highlights a fourth DFL candidate for the SD63 seat, Mark Fiddler. In a past comment the Minneapolis City and SD63 DFL chair, David Weinlick, hinted there were others. I am guessing this is one of them.

A number of DFLers have expressed interesting in running for Ranum's Senate seat, including state Rep. Dan Larson of Bloomington and Mark Fiddler, a Minneapolis attorney and party activist, said David Weinlick, the district's DFL chair.

Less than two weeks to the caucus for these candidates.

Lack of Posts

Illness and a home project is sapping all blogging time. The good news is that our laundry room now has more lighting and a new suspended ceiling.

I'm Sorry Lance

Miscellaneous Last July there was talk about seven time TdF winner Lance Amrstrong going into politics. As a huge cycling fan, I was concerned where he would fall politically due to the mixed signals he sent. He is a Texan who biked with President Bush, but he is also regularly seen rubbing elbows with the elite from the entertainment world. So, I was delighted to read this even though the source is less than credible. If this is true, I am sorry for doubting you Lance.

3. Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow Break Up Over George W. Bush? As is often the case when celebrity couples part company, there has been an enormous amount of press coverage concerning the Lance Armstrong/Sheryl Crow split. But the Star is reporting a possible political cause for the engagement halt. There's speculation that the root of the rift may have to do with President Bush. No, Crow doesn't have a crush on the prez. Quite the contrary. The singer has been public about her opposition to Bush's policies. Many of us have a less than fond remembrance of her highly visible, much discussed "War Is Not the Answer" T-shirt. Well, it turns out that Armstrong is actually a Bush backer. The famed cyclist went biking with the commander in chief last summer. According to a friend of Crow, Armstrong was a Bush backer to the max. "Sheryl said Lance didn't just support Bush, - he'd go off and fight if the president asked him to," the friend said. The Left Coast Report says, Poor Sheryl, how will she ever find someone who shares her hatred of Bush in a place like Hollywood?

Sabo Has a "Challenger" in CD-5

2006 Elections, Federal The lifelong member of Congress, Martin Sabo (CD-5), has a DFL challenger this year. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer is running as far left as he can with a hard anti-war campaign, pro-green campaign. I am sure he will generate a small, very small, amount of interested, but only because Democrats are see failed leadership nationally and the amount of greens in Minneapolis. I found some evidence of this by checking the forums on Democratic Underground forums.

I know Sabo is much loved. Hell, he's been in Congress longer than some DUers have been alive. But he is part of the establishment that says "Don't blame the Democrats" for anything while they keep voting for Bush's destructive policies or take a passive stance. We, the people, are stuck here in outrage while our Congresspeople sit like stumps.

All that said, don't quit your day job Jack. (Photo: www.backjack2006.org)

Retailers Unionize Against Unions!

This is an interesting article. Especially if you are interested in healthcare and labor issues. Or you can read about Maine's screwed up answer to healthcare. While you read it, keep in mind Rep. Thissen's (DFL-63A) healthcare initiatives. Healthcare for all, especially children, is a noble cause, but how realistic is it?

Will This Be Enough?

Miscellaneous There is an interesting development brewing regarding Saddam and WMD. The early reports indicate that these tapes could be the "smoking gun" that would provide additonal support for the ousting of the evil dictator.

The tapes are being called the "smoking gun" of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq. The New York Sun reported that the tapes have been authenticated and currently are being reviewed by the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

If this is true, maybe my brother will shut his big yapper about the war in Iraq?

Loftus has been tight-lipped about the tapes, telling the Sun only that he received them from a "former American military intelligence analyst." However, on Wednesday he told Cybercast News Service, "Saddam's tapes confirm he had active CW [chemical weapons] and BW [biological weapons] programs that were hidden from the UN."

I guess I have to tune in to Nightline tonight.

On Tuesday night, Loftus told Cybercast News Service that ABC's "Nightline" would air an "extensive report" on the tapes Wednesday night. Loftus also described an ABC News "teaser," which reportedly contains audio of Saddam Hussein discussing ways to attack America with WMD. "Nightline will have a lot more," said Loftus.

DFLers Lining Up

MN Senate, MN House, 2006 Elections With the endorsing convention just 8 weeks away, SD63 and SD62 candidates are lining up. Last night I reported that Mark Gleason is going to jump into the race for Senate. I have yet to confirm that, but the email I received seemed trustworthy. Here are some more additions found via the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. 63 Senate - Ellen Trout Van Iwaarden 63B House - Linda Slocum 62 Senate - Matthew Gladue That makes three vying for the Senate seat. Since Thissen is the chair of the Larson campaign it, appears the leaders of the local DFL are behind Larson. With his past success Gleason is sure to have a few loyal friends in the district, however with Laron's name recognition in 63B and Thissen fighting for him in 63A, I suspect Gleason will really have a tough fight on his hands. As for Ellen, she lists herself as the treasurer and chair of her campaign so I wonder how serious this candidacy really is? Anyone willing to offer me more insight, send me an email. UPDATE: Our friend David Weinlick chimes in with news in the comments. It sounds like the next eight weeks will be exciting for the local DFL.

There are already more in each race. I count four in 63, and four in 63B. I'll give you some time to guess first, but some of them have already sent introductions to the previous delegate lists. As for 62, there are more jumping in over there as well. I heard about another candidate who declared intentions last night. David Weinlick Homepage 02.14.06 - 7:27 pm #

Then There Were Two

MN Senate, 2006 Elections Larson has a fight on his hands for the SD63 State Senate seat. Now both Rep. Dan Larson and former state representative Mark Gleason are seeking the DFL endorsement for this seat. As the email to friends and supporters indicates, Mark will abide by the endorsement process. This will make for an interesting seven or eight weeks for the SD63 DFL.

From: Mark Gleason To: Mark Gleason Subject: I'm running for the Minnesota Senate in District 63 Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 15:40:14 -0600 Dear Friends, Over the past weekend I decided to run for an open Senate seat here is District 63. Senator Ranum recently announced her retirement at the end of 2006. Senator Ranum did a great job and I believe that I am the best person to carry on her work in representing the people District 63 in the Minnesota Senate. Senate District consists of the entire city of Richfield, five precincts in SW Minneapolis and eight precincts in NE Bloomington. I have lived here since 1984 and represented roughly half of this district in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1999-2002. My campaign began yesterday. I'm planning a formal announcement later on this month. The first phase of the campaign will revolve around the precinct caucuses on March 7, followed by the District 63 DFL convention on April 8. I will not run without the local DFL's endorsement, so the endorsing process will make or break this campaign. I'm hoping I can count on your support and would love to discuss this endeavor with you at the earliest opportunity. I'll be working the phones during the next eight weeks and will be focusing on the local decision makers that participate in the caucuses here in Richfield, Minneapolis and Bloomington. Mark Gleason 612-xxx-xxxx

Gleason represented 63b at the Minnesota House for two terms, 1999 to 2002. SD63 has changed significantly since Mark represented the seat. In those days, 63B was most of Richfield and the very southern edges of Minneapolis. In 1998 he beat Mitchell Hadley 56.2% to 43.6% and then in 2000 he beat Kristian Olav Dahl 62.93% to 37.08%. I have to confess I know little about Mark or these races since I was not as active at the time and I happen to live in the small part of Richfield that was not part of 63B. In 2002, Mark then made a run for the State Auditor seat. If you google "mark gleason" state auditor you get a fair amount of hits, his run ended when he lost the endorsement to Greg Gray. The same link above regarding the endorsement loss also speculated that if Thissen went after the Ranum seat, Gleason would go after the 63A seat vacated by Thissen.

Tuesday January 24, 2006 State Senator Jane Ranum told constituents in a January 20 letter that she will not seek re-election to another term. Ranum, a Hennepin County prosecutor, reportedly has tired of the fundraising and is ready to move on. The move opens up the seat to a couple of DFL reps, Dan Larson and Paul Thissen, who share the Minneapolis-Richfield-Bloomington district. We’re told Larson plans to run and that Thissen will certainly consider it. If Thissen runs, look for former state rep. Mark Gleason, who gave up his seat to Thissen four years ago when he ran for state auditor (and lost the DFL endorsement to Greg Gray), to make a bid for his old seat.

Chances Are Low

Federal, 2006 Elections Roland Low sent this email out to DFL activists on Thursday evening announcing his candidacy for the 3rd district. Jim Ramstad is in his 8th term in Congress and in 2004 his opponent, Deborah Watts, only managed 35% of the vote. Low is seeking any help he can get. The DFL's chances of beat Ramstad in this district are only slightly better than the Republicans beating Martin Sabo in the 5th, and that isn't saying much.

By now, many of you have probably heard that I am running for the 3rd Congressional District U.S. House. I am in the early stages of the campaign and am working to receive the endorsement of the DFL, but I have been very excited about the feedback and the support that my campaign team and I have received. I am setting up times to visit with as many of the Senate Districts and DFL Links as I can as quickly as I can. The web site is under construction and things are falling into place. We still have a lot of work to do and would be very interested in anyone who is willing to join the team to help put a DFL'er back in the house. If you have any special skills that can be used during a campaign, I would love to hear from you. We have immediate needs now with such things as the web site. You can E-mail the team at RLOW3rdcd@aol.com. I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can and certainly to hear from each of you what issues are important to you and your families. I thank you in advance for help and support. Roland Low

I Can Tell You Where to Stick These Magnets

The LearnedOne at KAR identifies one of the many reasons why some school "funding issues" are more about wasted money than limited funding. Warning: If you choose to read some other posts at KAR, be aware they are a little nuts sometimes, but that is just the way I like them. Consider yourself warned.

The Chili Report

I had a writing utensil issues and therefore I was not able to take any notes during the event. The good news is that Andy and Mitch did and they each posted thoughts on it at Residual Forces and Shot in the Dark. I will see if I have any memory of the event and post them once I get some of the photos from the events photographer.

Hungry? Try Some Chili

Just a reminder, myself, Andy from Residual Forces, Gary from KvM and Mitch from Shot in the Dark will be speaking at the SD63 fundraiser next Tuesday. You will also have a chance to meet and hear from SD63 legislative candidates for the '06 election. I would enjoy meeting some of you regular readers, so come have some chili and introduce yourself to me.

14th Annual SD63 Chili Dinner Fundraiser

Blogosphere: Exposing Liberal Media Bias

February 7th, 2006 6:30 pm

Southwest Community Church

1501 W 54th Street

Minneapolis, MN 55419

$10 or FREE with $50 Refundable Contribution

Dated to keep it at the top of posts.

Awww... Shucks

Matt Abe at NorthstarLiberty is sharing the love. Seriously, thanks for the kinds words Matt! I think Matt makes some great points, but obviously him and I agree otherwise all the work on this blog would be a waste of time.

Come One, Come All!

The state Republican and DFL leaders found something they have in common last month, they both want people to get involved in the process. On January 24th a press release was put out by both parties announcing a campaign of sorts.

DFL, GOP TO HOLD JOINT NEWS CONFERENCES, OTHER MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF CAUCUSING

ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor and Republican parties will hold joint news conferences in St. Paul and Rochester on Tuesday, Feb. 14, to increase awareness about its party caucusing events, which are scheduled for Tuesday, Mar. 7. Specific details for the events are forthcoming. “There are things that Republicans and Democrats disagree about from time to time, but one of the things we do agree on is that Minnesota is better when more Minnesotans are involved in the political process,” Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez said. “More participation makes better government, and together Minnesotans can do better.”

I personally have never attended a so this will be my first. I am very excited to be a part of the process. The press release went on to talk about what a precinct caucus is:

A precinct caucus is a neighborhood meeting and the first step in the political process allowing citizens to get together to discuss issues and candidates. Decisions concerning the party’s platform and candidates begin at the precinct caucus, and Minnesotans are encouraged to make their voices heard by becoming a delegate or alternate to subsequent endorsing conventions. Minnesota law recognizes the precinct caucus as the basis of the political endorsement system and governs the operation of the caucus to ensure the openness of the system.

I urge all my readers to consider this. If you have more questions, check out this flyer on the Secretary of State website.