55% Rule Does Not Always Work

Checks and Balances makes an effort [reg req'd] to set the stage for the battle for the Minnesota legislature. The post is a nice effort, but I need to point out that the 55% rule does not always work. C&B says...

We have once again taken a gander at the past legislative races and have found that, based on a 55% or less rule (based on the 2004 election), there are 46 house seats and 26 senate seats (based on the 2002 election) worth watching during this election cycle. We have included the results from these races for you to view for yourself. Of the 46 house seats, 19 are held by DFLers and 27 by Republicans. In the senate, of the 26 seats 11 are in the hands of the DFL and 15 held by Republicans. This means there are 34.3% of the house races and 38.8% of the senate races are “in play”. Now each one is not necessary going to change hands, but if Democrats expect to take the majority in the house, they need to retain all 66 of their current seats and there is only one open DFL seat on this list. In order for the Republicans to retain their majority, they need hold on to all 68 of their current seats and five of these are open this election. On the senate side if the Republicans seek to take control they need to retain all of their 29 of their current seats and hold the three of them that now are open. On the other hand the DFL majority needs to hold their 38 seats of which five are now open. We will provide ongoing coverage of the house races in 01B, 02B, 03B, 04A, 08B, 09A, 12A, 12B, 13B, 14B, 16A, 17A, 17B, 20B, 22B, 23A, 25B, 26A, 26B, 27B, 28A, 29B, 30A, 30B, 31B, 32A, 32B, 37A, 38A, 38B, 39A, 40A, 41B, 42B, 43B, 45A, 47A, 47B, 50B, 51A, 52B, 53A, 54B, 55A, 56A and 56B and races in senate districts 04, 08, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31, 38, 42, 43, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 56, 57 and 63. We encourage our readers to keep us apprised of any developments in these districts they feel are worth discussing. To see the entire list of house seats click here: http://www.checksandbalances.com/House_55_Races_2004.xls To see the entire list of senate seats click here: http://checksandbalances.com/Senate_55_Races_2002.xls

The article ask for help so I will offer some. I recommend that they keep an eye on the 63B race in east Richfield and Bloomington. In 2004 the Republicans fielded a young, unmarried, hard-working and relatively inexperienced candidate in Pat Kirby. On top of these disadvantages his campaign got a very late start so his 37.97% was not a surprise. This year the Republicans are fielding an exceptional candidate in Vern Wilcox and the seat is open because Dan Larson is running for the SD63 Senate seat vacated by Jane Ranum's retirement. Vern has an exceptionally long list of experience, accomplishments and proven electoral success. This seat is VERY MUCH in play.

I'm Baaack!

OK, the move to a hosted server didn't go well. I am going to move the blog back to "Blogger" for now. I may try again with different software, but the whole attempt was generally a bust. Over the next week I will move all my posts from that other website to blogger.

Friday Fun: Geeks on Parade

The "Geek Squad" float at the Richfield 4th of July parade earned quite a few laughs with their sign.  Check it out, it is pretty good.

Some marketing guy earns their pay.

Kennedy Trims Pork

Since the KvM boys were all on top secret assignments this past holiday weekend, I was asked to represent them at a Mark Kennedy visit on Indepdence Day. As noted earlier, Mark Kennedy was a special guest of Bloomington City Councilman and 63B candidate Vern Wilcox at his home for a good ol' fashion hog roast.

Other than conventions, this is the second time Mark has attended a SD63 event with the other being our Chili Dinner in February. This visit was a much more personal visit where he stayed for about an hour enjoying the hospitality of the Wilcox campaign and the company of all the guests.

The best line of the day came when Mark took a photo op trimming the hog. It was shouted by a guest who encouraged Mark to cut the Washington pork just like he was doing on the 94 pounder in front of him. (My camera failed me for that great photo.)

Vern and special guest Congressman Kennedy

Myself and the next Senator from Minnesota

Danes Deal Out Justice for Muslim "Honor Killing"

Two days after a woman was married, she was lured by her aunt to a reconciliation meeting and was murdered by her brother.  You see the family did not approve of the marriage due to religious reasons.  The religion was the "religion of peace" of course. The killing is sickening, but the justice handed out gives helps balance those feelings.  Read below or here from more details.

A Warning to Would-Be Honor Killers

In the first case of its kind in Western Europe, a Danish court has prosecuted an entire family for the honor-killing of an 18-year-old Pakistani immigrant. Will the case set a precedent for other European countries dealing with similar incidents?

The ruling was as historic. Last week, a court in Copenhagen practically convicted an entire family for the role it played in planning and executing the honor-killing of 18-year-old Ghazala Khan. It could set a precedent for the rest of Europe as countries seek to mete out punishment for similar crimes.

The Danish court sentenced the Pakistani immigrant's father to life in prison for his influential role as patriarch in the planning of the murder. The brother who actually carried out the act of murdering Khan has been sentenced to 16 years in prison. Other family members were also slapped with long prison sentences for the role they played in the crime.

The trial rivetted Danes and also drew major international attention. Denmark's Berlingske Tidende called the convictions a "sensation," and the daily Jydske Vestkysten called it a "historic one for the entire world."

Last September, Khan died after her brother shot her, execution style with his pistol in the village of Slagelse. Her Afghan husband -- whom she had married just two days before the shooting -- survived the attack, but only after an emergency operation. The deeply religious Muslim Pakistani immigrant family disapproved of her speedy marriage because it didn't conform with their religious views.

What's most striking about the case is that the court doled out the most stringent punishment to the girl's father, who didn't actively participate in the crime. The court also sentenced the girl's aunt to 14 years in prison for luring the young woman to what she thought would be a reconciliation meeting with her family. Instead, the aunt had tricked her by inviting her neice to her own killing. The aunt will be deported from Denmark as soon as she finishes her sentence. In preparing for the trial, which was based mostly on circumstantial evidence, prosecutors untangled a crime that had been premeditated and meticulously planned by the family.

Prosecutor Jeanette Andersen described the verdict as "very satisfying. It sends a strong message to other families who may be considering similar killings that such cases will not be tolerated in Denmark." Moderate immigrant organizations also issued statements supporting the convictions. Honor killings have "nothing to do with Islam," declared the Danish organization Muslims in Dialogue. "They are cold-blooded indifference."