Tim Pawlenty for President
It’s official now. He said it.
“I’m Tim Pawlenty, and I’m running for President of the United States.”
It’s official now. He said it.
“I’m Tim Pawlenty, and I’m running for President of the United States.”
I had been wanting to see if we could have a somewhat level-headed informed and nuanced discussion on the challenger pool for Chip Cravaack in MN 8th Congressional District. I figured I’d wait until after the homegrown fog burned off to post anything, but this morning the Duluth News Tribune has a bombshell from John Lundy saying Tarryl Clark is running for the seat. Was that a bombshell for anyone else besides me?
Before I knew about Clark’s bid, I wanted to talk about other un-announced candidates. In addition to Daniel Fanning and Jeff Anderson who appear to be in Pawlenty mode, that is, campaigning-but-not-campaigning not officially in other words. Here are the people who are not campaigning but that I think might make the race interesting: Tom Rukavina, Tom Bakk and Don Ness (Donny says he doesn’t want the job and that is fine with me, I’d like to keep him as mayor for a term or 3 more). The DNT identifies a few other candidates in the article that I did not know were considering a run, including Yvonne Prettner Solon, but most of them I don’t know so I can’t comment (but you can).
So we’ve already got a half dozen “local” candidates mulling a run and then Clark rolls in from St. Cloud and changes the entire chemistry of the race. Or does she? Banter away PDDers but please save the frothy mouthed passion for the Troll Zone thread. I’m looking for thoughts and analysis here, not bile. Thanks.
Update: I discovered that MN Brown Iron Range writer/college instructor Aaron Brown, already wrote about this a couple of months ago, including the possible Clark bid.
Also, I forgot to add Karen Diver, Chairwoman and CEO of the Fond du Lac Band to my potential candidates list. She has a great deal to recommend herself for the position and to me, she’s actually the most interesting potential candidate, although I have no idea if she or anyone else besides Tarryl Clark is actually gonna run.
Update 6/14/11
“I filed today my paperwork to seek the office of the presidency of the United States today and I very soon will be making my formal announcement.”
Michele Bachmann last night on CNN one of her classic headline stealing moves that has to have Tim Pawlenty’s stomach all tied up in knots today. But this means that Bachmann can not run for her 6th District seat and president at the same time.
So Today MinnPost is asking the same thing I want to know: Does this mean Tarryl Clark will give up her bid for the 8th District so she can run for an open seat in the 6th? She recieved 38% of the vote there vs. Bachmann’s 52% in 2010 according to those geniuses at wikipedia
I was reading this month’s new FDL Band Newspaper (PDF) and about halfway through I found a breezy little history piece on Chief Buffalo: Hero of the Lake Superior Ojibwe by historian Christine Carlson. The article was already interesting, then I notice mention of Duluth’s Point of Rocks which has been discussed extensively here on PDD. It sounds like the area surrounding Point of Rocks was selected by Chief Buffalo as part of one of the articles of the Treaty of 1854. The area would have also included Wisconsin Point and much of what is now considered Downtown Duluth and West End/Lincoln Park.
This Friday, my dad (and uncle, I think) will accompany 2004 presidential candidate, David Cobb, on the Twin Ports leg of his national speaking tour for Move to Amend. Mr. Cobb will speak about the perils (i.e. 2010 WI governor’s race) of corporate personhood and what is happening, nationally, to abolish it. For those who don’t remember or weren’t aware, “The Monahan brothers” walked across the U.S. last May-October to raise awareness about this issue. So, come have a pint and/or some noms and get informed about an issue that is sure to foul up our lives for generations to come!
State Finances: Federal Taxes Collected vs. Federal Funding by State
According to this, Minnesota ranks #50, meaning we get about $0.50 back in federal funding for every dollar in taxes we pay (using 2007-2009 figures).
This does not make me want to take former Senators Dayton and Coleman out for dinner in downtown Duluth.
It also brings this question to my mind: how much influence do governors have over federal funding? Are governors involved in the discussion of federal funding in any concrete way?
Another from our Rep.’s crack staff:
Cravaack Statement on Anniversary of Obamacare
(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Congressman Chip Cravaack (MN-8) released the following statement on the one year anniversary of Obamacare being signed into law:
“Today marks the one year anniversary of Obamacare being signed into law. Obamacare puts government between doctors and patients; is harmful to our job creating entrepreneurs and small business owners; and has been ruled unconstitutional in federal court. Despite broad opposition from the American people, the Obama Administration and their allies on Capitol Hill used every procedural trick in the book to ram through their nearly 3,000 page partisan health care takeover.
“Since then, report after report has shown Obamacare will cost significantly more than we were told, kill jobs, raise taxes, expand government control, and increase the cost of health care for northeast Minnesotans. In response, my colleagues and I in the House passed a simple, two-page bill to repeal this legislation and begin the process of replacing it with true reforms that will expand coverage while at the same time cutting costs to consumers. I will continue to fight against the folly of Obamacare and for common sense solutions to issues within our health care system.”
[This post originally contained a video embed that has since been removed from YouTube.]
This time it isn’t a book trailer; he’s announcing that he’s exploring a bid for the presidency.
From the Rep’s D.C. office:
(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Congressman Chip Cravaack (MN-8) announced the hiring of Sheldon Anderson as his new District Director. The District Director position manages all staff and activities in the Congressman’s district offices.
“Sheldon Anderson is a great addition to my staff and I am pleased he’ll be assisting me as I strive to provide excellent constituent services to the people of the Eighth District,” said Cravaack. “Sheldon knows northeastern Minnesota well. His father worked as a pipe-fitter in mines on the Iron Range, and he has served as Mayor of Wyoming and as a private sector appointee to Governor Pawlenty’s ‘Corrections Strategic Management Operations Advisory Task Force.’ Sheldon has also been a small business owner for the past 20 years so he understands how important they are to the economic health of Minnesota.”
Currently, Mr. Anderson is President of Capital Investigations, a company that provides security and investigative services. He will be based out of Congressman Cravaack’s North Branch office, serving as the Congressman’s chief representative in the Eighth District.
At PDD, we compared Pawlenty to Superman, among other things, for his chest-puffed image on his book cover. Stephen Colbert one ups us by comparing him to Brawny Man.
At PDD, we called Pawlenty President of the United States of Apocalypse after viewing his book trailer. Colbert says Pawlenty is “running for President of the next Transformers movie.” That one could probably go either way.
The bill to allow retail sales of alcohol on Sundays in Minnesota is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday, March 16, at 10:30 a.m.
Quoth Sen. Roger Reinert of Duluth:
“Sunday liquor sale laws are remnants of a bygone era that no longer make sense in a 21st Century world.”
WI Governor Scott Walker will be in Washburn WI around 4pm this Saturday, for a Lincoln Day diner. The fine folks of the town plan to give him a “warm” welcome, especially in light of the WI Senate passing the so called Budget Fix bill on Wednesday, despite three weeks of constant protest against it.
Washburn is a lot closer than Madison.
Rep. Nick Milroy of Superior was tackled to the ground as he entered the Capitol building in Madison to retrieve some clothing from his office. Apparently he showed his ID to an officer, but the officer didn’t give him clearance to get in.
(This post originally contained an embedded video that was later removed from YouTube.)
