I Don’t Hate America!

A talking point the Republican Party has used lately to illustrate itself as the party best for Minnesota is that the Democrats finance their campaigns, at every level, nearly exclusively with out of state contributions. In a candidate debate held in Winona last year, District 28 State Senate candidate Steve Drazkowski, R-Wabasha, essentially accused his opponent, incumbent Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, of being bought off by Barbara Streisand and the fringe “Hollywood left.”

Barbara Streisand has an interest in southeastern Minnesota? I could barely keep a straight face at the accusation of Drazkowski, who has since been elected to the House.

Neither could Murphy.

This election cycle the right-wing bomb throwers have gone after DFL US Senate candidate Al Franken for his large amount of campaign contributions from Los Angeles, New York and other places not within Minnesota.

Looking to the First District Congressional race though, large amounts of out of state contributions are going to not a DFLer, but to a Republican, Dr. Brian Davis. Davis, a Mayo Clinic physician who is one of four Republicans seeking to unseat first-term DFLer Tim Walz, declared himself the undisputed champion for the third quarter fundraising period.

Via his blog:

This past Monday, October 15th, was the third quarter fundraising filing deadline, and I am very pleased with the support we’ve received. During the third quarter - July 1 to September 30 – our campaign reported $81,228 in total receipts. Contributions from individuals totaled $55,035 - the most of any Republican candidate in the race. Better yet, we still have over $74,000 in the campaign’s coffers.

The $55,035 of individual donations looks quite impressive compared to Day’s $39,707, Demmer’s $16,855 and Meyer’s barely-on-the-radar $2,650. However, of the 80 individuals who gave donations itemized on the FEC form (over $200), just 15 were from Minnesota.

An impressive base of donors? Hardly. The 65 out of state donors, nearly exclusively a group of physicians, may help get the campaign off the ground but will be unable to be in the trenches with the candidate knocking on doors, dropping literature and most importantly, voting in the First District GOP Convention.

Maybe Davis has plans to take a page out of the playbook of gentleman’s club owner Richard Jacobson and have all of them register as voters in the First and list “Mayo Clinic” as as their residences, but in our brief dealings with Davis we find him to be more reasonable than to attempt that type of shenanigans.

Of the $55,035, just $12,352 came from First District Republicans. Of that $1,450 was contributed in-kind by John Morris who flew Davis around. Davis himself gave the campaign $26,193.25.

If Davis feels that claiming “victory” after a FEC filing quarter in which he himself donated more than two times the cold, hard cash other First District contributors did well, more power to him.

It is Halloween; what Davis should not only find not impressive, but downright scary is who by and large gave more money to Walz than to him: other Mayo physicians!

You mean the Mayo employees (with the exception of a few) not only snubbed their co-worker, but gave a ton of money to his opponent? Yup! Over 90 employees of Mayo (radiologists, anestheislogists, cardiologists, neurologists, the whole gambit) contributed to the Walz campaign in the third quarter.

Most notably: Dr. Glenn Forbes, CEO of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, gave $2,300 to Walz. More interestingly: just a year and a half ago he gave $500 to Gil Gutknecht. It’s not surprising that if Davis can’t get the support of people like Forbes he isn’t getting the support of former Gutknecht supporters outside of Mayo, such as former GOP state Rep. David Bishop. Bishop, who was House Ways and Means chairman under Speaker Steve Sviggum from 1999-2002, gave Walz $1000.

Don’t get me wrong: Walz’s re-election bid is by no means a slam dunk. However, with how vulnerable some in the GOP consider him to be, the lackluster fundraising, especially by the so-called “third quarter champion” Davis, this Halloween has to be frightening to those looking to take back the First for the GOP.

Following up on a bizarre situation involving Minnesota House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, and the security measures employed in the Redwood County courthouse, the Marshall Independent, Seifert clarified his comments to make it clear that he is not so arrogant to think that the county board should provide him his own security nor than he thinks it is acceptable to bring a knife of gun into the facility.

Seifert said he thought court-ordered security from 5th District Chief Judge George Harrleson was odd because it appeared to apply when court was both in session and not in session. The Gazette quoted Seifert as saying Harrelson’s order was odd and that was reprinted in the Oct. 25 Independent.

“I don’t have a problem with security in the courtroom,” Seifert said Monday.

But, does a deputy need to be on the third floor of the courthouse providing court security when no court is in session, Seifert said Monday and said he had asked at the Redwood County board meeting Oct. 16.

Seifert said Monday he believed court was not in session Oct. 16 and a deputy was still on duty. That led him to discuss the order and mention it would be odd to require security when there was no court in session, Seifert said.

Court administrator Patty Amberg said Monday that court was in session Oct. 16, and Harrelson said Redwood County District Court Judge David Peterson told him court was in session Oct. 16.

I’m sure the folks of Redwood County are happy they have the permission of their state representative.

Harrelson was quoted in the Oct. 25 Independent story that his order was issued because of specific and general safety concerns, and that in one week four knives were confiscated.

Seifert said Monday he was asked by area residents during the weekend if he thought it was OK to bring knives and guns in the courtroom.

“I want to clarify, I don’t think it’s OK to bring knives and guns in the courtroom,” Seifert said.

But he also wants Harrelson to clarify if he wants to require Redwood County to have security when court is not in session.

Speaking of Seifert, he and Rep. Lynn Wardlow, R-Eagan, will be having a town hall meeting this evening at Eagan City Hall at 7:00 p.m. I would be there except I will be attending “Indoctrinate U” at the Oak Street Cinema.

Maybe someone in attendance can ask the gentlemen about this, via MnPublius:

Last weekend was MNA’s 102nd annual House of Delegates convention.  I had the opportunity to be a delegate among 200+ Registered Nurses (RN’s) to represent MNA’s membership of almost 20,000 RN’s.  Like many union organizations, we voted on everything from financial issues to legislative priorities.  As this was my first convention, I did not expect that legislators and senate candidates would be so willing to come and listen with us.  The goal of the MNA PC (our political action committee) was to get a legislator (representative or senator) from every district to sit with their corresponding MNA member’s district.  It was quite successful with over thirty who came. 

I had the opportunity to meet Ron Erhardt (R) 41A, who isn’t my actual representative since I moved last week.  He is the only republican pro-choice candidate in the house.  The MNA believes that 2008 will be a big year for healthcare reform and safe staffing.  Ron wasn’t as optimistic about this as his last statement before leaving was, “I don’t believe in government-run healthcare.”  He was very willing to listen to what we had to say, but hopefully he will continue engaging in conversation with us as we discuss the difference between government-run and government-funded healthcare.  I will write more about that at a later time.

Betty McCollum also addressed us regarding our nursing safe staffing initiatives.  Here is the YouTube video of her statement:

The current U.S senate candidates were all invited to participate in speaking to the delegation.  The DFL candidates Al Franken, Mike Ciresi, Jim Cohen, and Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer accepted our invitation.  The GOP candidate, Norm Coleman ignored our invitation by not even responding to the MNA request.  All spoke about nursing issues and wanting to move toward universal healthcare, but their plans for implementation differ greatly.  Here’s a quick position statement from each candidate’s webpage:

Al Franken - “I would require every state to cover every one of its citizens, and the federal government to provide funding to fulfill that requirement. Each individual state would be free to offer a variety of options, as long as they add up to universal coverage, giving us 51 laboratories (if you count DC) to figure out which system works best. “

Mike Ciresi -  “Provide universal coverage.  Keep people healthy through preventative health care and early detection and cure of diseases – before they become chronic problems .  Keep people affordably insured for their lifetime – from job to job, and through retirement, and forever eliminate the term “pre-existing condition”

Jim Cohen - “A pragmatic progressive dares speak the truth that the most practical and economical way for all our citizens, including children, to have access to quality and affordable health care is a publicly funded single payer system modeled after Medicare. This is not socialized medicine. It is simple common sense and a moral dictate.” 

Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer - “We need a universal, single-payer comprehensive health care system with a focus on prevention. It will provide security to our families and improve the competitive position of U.S. companies.”

Norm Coleman - “Senator Coleman is deeply committed to the goal of giving all Americans access to quality, and affordable healthcare. With that in mind, he’s fought to pass common sense legislation to drive healthcare costs down.”Before IDHA! endorses any candidate, we will make sure to send out interview questions regarding important issues affecting the nation.  It will be up to the candidate to address our specific issues of importance, such as student financial aid, healthcare costs, and transportation… to name a few. 

Via press release:

Mayo Clinic Calls for Thorough Review of Canadian Pacific’s Acquisition of the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad
Current ‘fast-track’ schedule doesn’t allow for meaningful dialogue with affected communities 

Rochester, Minn. (Oct. 26, 2007) – Late yesterday, the Mayo Clinic asked the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to revise its proposed timetable for reviewing the Canadian Pacific’s recent acquisition of the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E). 

“Mayo Clinic does not object to DM&E being sold,” said Chris Gade, a Mayo Clinic spokesperson. “We are simply asking for a complete and thoughtful review of a transaction that may have a tremendous impact on our community and for the opportunity to have a constructive dialogue with the railroad’s new owners before the purchase is approved.”

In its filing, Mayo Clinic asked the STB to:

• Reconsider the procedural schedule associated with review of the transaction, because it fails to provide sufficient time for meaningful dialogue between the affected parties and the new ownership.

Mayo Clinic also asked that the STB ensure that the application for the transfer of control include:

• Information that verifies DM&E’s revenues.
• Meaningful operational information that fully  addresses the future movement of Powder River Basin coal.
• Meaningful information that addresses the environmental effects of the transaction.
• A safety integration plan.

“Our primary concern continues to be the safety of our patients, staff and community, as well as the safety of other communities along the line,” said Gade. “We welcome the opportunity to meet with DM&E’s new owners in the hope that these concerns can be adequately addressed.”

Mayo Clinic’s filing highlights the probability that the Canadian Pacific’s purchase of the DM&E could result in as many as 43 trains passing through downtown

Rochester every day. According to the proposed sale agreement, the Canadian Pacific would make about $1 billion in additional payments to the DM&E if it transports at least 125 million tons of coal in a calendar year. This is a substantial increase from DM&E’s previous coal-hauling estimates and represents an additional 2.2 million cars per year (43 trains x 135 cars x 365 days) that would move at high-speeds over a rail line located just a few hundred feet from Mayo Clinic. 

Due to these new projections Mayo Clinic maintains that an additional environmental review is appropriate. In its filing, Mayo Clinic suggested that Canadian Pacific provide a comprehensive safety integration plan that addresses DM&E’s industry-worst safety record. 

Notwithstanding the Bush administration’s bull-headed ideology (maybe just blindness to the issue), the Democrat-led Congress is trying again to extend children’s health benefits.

Earlier this week, Rep. John Kline, R, MN-2, came out with a column full of gloom and doom scenarios about the bill. It didn’t take long for Rep. Tim Walz, DFL, MN-1, to answer with a column of his own shedding daylight on Kline’s rhetoric such as a claim that S-CHIP legislation provides give-aways to illegal immigrants. What is really sad about this whole state of affairs is that Bush, Kline and others shouldn’t even need a Democrat to tell them they’re wrong; GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley, Iowa, has blamed false gloom and doom comments like those from Kline on “intellectual dishonesty.” Wow; that’s brutal.

A letter to the Red Wing Republican Eagle by Cannon Falls’ Joy Jacques shows frustration with Kline’s priorities:

Can someone tell me why we continue to throw an unlimited amount of money into Iraq, but we can’t help American kids get health insurance?

Republicans failed us yet again when they refused to override Bush’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

It’s obvious that Republicans like John Kline will approve endless sums of taxpayer money to conduct war, and for their own pet projects, yet claim that funding SCHIP is too costly.

These Republicans say nothing about the social costs of denying millions of children access to insurance. They say nothing as they spend $12 billion a month in Iraq. They say nothing when their colleagues spend millions on pork-barrel projects.

They spend and spend, but they won’t fund our kids and help our families.

Does your family have job and health insurance security? Many middle-class families are one catastrophe away from losing what they have worked so hard to achieve.

Our family experienced this. After a costly surgery my husband was laid off by the company that had employed him for 10 years. Our family faced his lost income yet we could continue our insurance for $800 per month.

That’s a lot of money for after you’ve just lost your job.

Policy makers seem more afraid of “socialized medicine” and “Hillarycare” than in dealing with a broken system. All we hear are scare tactics from the Republicans and insurance companies.

It’s long past time we stopped giving these people the benefit of the doubt. Republicans in Washington like John Kline have stopped representing their constituents.

They continue to support a president and an administration that have done nothing but lead our country closer and closer to bankruptcy and ruin.

Let’s send them a clear message. American families should be their first priority.

Reading this letter coupled with the news that Tim Walz plans to hold another town hall meeting with constituents makes me wonder when and if Kline ever intends to hold one.

At the meeting in Winona last weekend, Walz made it clear to the attendees that that type of gathering is one of the most fundamental principles of democracy.

“I would argue it’s a requirement of our citizenship to engage in these discussions,” Walz told the crowd. “I would also argue that it’s a requirment of the job in representing you. It’s critically important that I provide a forum that has as easy and unrestricted access as possible to air your points of view and your concerns.”

Kline’s record of constituent outreach is anything but “easy” or “unrestricted” to constituents. When Kline does invite citizen input the medium is usually a “tele-townhall meeting” which is by its nature restricted. If Walz is able to provide stellar constituent service after fewer than 11 months in office, why does Kline continue to lack in that department?

The voters of the Second Congressional District have sent John Kline to Washington three times. I would certainly think that after five consecutive years of service to the district he ought to feel comfortable enough to have an open and honest conversation with constituents. Or is he comfortable?

Come on, John, how does avoiding open and honest discussion with the public give us a reason to not replace you with Steve Sarvi next November?

When Minnesota state Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes, DFL-Winona, was campaigning last year for the seat being vacated by Republican Bob Keirlin, one of her major themes was heath care reform.  Sen. Ropes, who is also a registered nurse, will be seeking constituent input on the subject next Thursday when she and Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville and chair of the Senate Health, Housing and Family Security Committee, hold what is billed as a “community listening session” in Winona.

The following information was forwarded by her office:

 Senator Sharon Erickson Ropes of Winona along with Senator John Marty,
chair of the Minnesota Senate Health and Housing Committee, will hold a
community listening session on affordable health care on Thursday,
November 1st, from 6:00- 8:00 p.m. at the Minnesota State College
Southeast Technical, Tandeski Center, Room 141 in Winona.

The general public, local elected officials, and concerned citizens are
invited to attend.  Those who have received this email are welcome to
forward this email to any interested party.

Senator Sharon Erickson Ropes encouraged Marty to come to Winona as
part of his effort to obtain public input on health care. “When I was
campaigning back in 2006, I heard repeatedly about problems with the
high cost of health care. I will continue working with Senator Marty to
enact legislation providing affordable health care to all
Minnesotans,” said Erickson Ropes.

“We would like to invite business owners, community members and
families with and without health insurance who live in and around the
Winona area to talk about the impact that health care costs and lack of
access to affordable health care is having on their lives.” said
Senator Marty.

“I’m hopeful that concerned citizens, business representatives, and
members of the medical community will attend this public meeting and
will take this opportunity to share their concerns and suggestions,”
Erickson Ropes said.

People interested in testifying may contact Senator Erickson Ropes’s
office at 651-296-5649 or simply show up at the hearing.

From news reports I have found it easy to get the impression that the southern California fires and the subsequent destruction make a pretty big deal, but it’s hard to appreciate the sheer vastness of the surface area covered until you actually see a map.

And Glenn Beck said that some folks who “hate America” lost their homes or something like that.   Well, since we proclaim in the name of our site that we don’t hate America, I guess fire will never destroy our homes.

I guess that means if it rains tomorow, let’s fire up the grill and brown some brats.

…inside the garage!

In all seriousness, I hate when people get worked up when talk radio hosts come down with “foot-in-mouth.” No matter the level of douchebaggery they reach, it’s their job to be controversial. Rush Limbaugh has radio shtick to do.  Glenn Beck has radio and television shtick to do.  When someone takes what someone like Limbaugh or Beck says seriously, that person is no more reasonable than the conservatives who take them seriously and buy into their ideology.  Why not go ahead and believe pro wrestling is legitimate, too?

When people are talking about what these people said, more people will tune in. Calling for Beck to be taken off the air? Pah-leeze!

Since some of the Republican candidates for Congress in Minnesota’s First District, such as state Rep. Randy “the Whammy” Demmer and Brian Daivs, have had problems with various issues such as “mathematics” and “perspective” it has been suggested that I open the Danielson School of Adult Education. If I did, I wouldn’t even require an admissions application from any of candidates lined up to take on Tim Walz as I know at least the two I mentioned can pay the tuition without a problem. Considering all of the extra per diem Rep. Demmer has taken, I would just be scared that his tuition would be considered publicly subsidized. Hee Hee.

I can teach the math course seeing as I have basically already given away the curriculum. My IDHA colleague and registered nurse Jason Bauman can teach an introductory course on health care. Ian Galchutt could teach a course on communications, but he would probably just indoctrinate the class with Barack Obama talking points.

While we work out issues with obtaining a land grant and gaining accreditation, here’s a classic from Hall and Oates clearly titled after the concept of my school.

A cloture motion to proceed with the DREAM Act in the Senate failed today on a vote of 52-44.  60 affirmative votes were required to continue.

The DREAM Act, championed by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill, would give a path to citizenship those undocumented immigrants who came to the US as minors, have attained a high school diploma or GED and intend to begin college or join the military.

The opposition to this and similar bills remains deeply rooted in ideology and excuses.  They want immigration reform, yet it seems unless it’s a 500 ft. high fence on the boarder it’s not worthy of consideration.

Marisa Trevino at the Huffington Post looks at some consequences of such rigid opposition:

These students are graduating as bilingual teachers, nurses, engineers, business administrators — the list goes on.

Yet, this country would rather slap these young people in the face by not acknowledging the fact that these students, who may not be native-born but are “home-grown,” have a ready command, in most cases, of two languages and an intimate knowledge of the history, the traditions, the culture/pop culture and the issues of this country.

The further insult is that school districts facing a shortage of bilingual teachers are bypassing our own qualified graduates, albeit undocumented, to import teachers from Mexico, Spain and other South American countries to teach in a school system that they are unfamiliar with and where they should be role models in modeling both English and Spanish to their bilingual students, inevitably need to either learn English themselves or are naturally stronger in Spanish.

Hospitals are bypassing qualified nursing school graduates who are bilingual to recruit nurses from such countries as the Phillipines. Nurses who must learn U.S. routines and patient care that is unique to this country.

But because our graduates who are undocumented cannot legally work, they must stand idly by and watch their rightful jobs go to people who have a steep learning curve when it comes to knowing the culture and people of the United States.

With such unreasonable reactions from folks such as Tom Tancredo to the proposition of even listening to undocumented students and their stories, it’s no wonder this type of legislation isn’t advancing and immigration policy will remain exactly as it is and everyone will remain unhappy.

Dick Day hanging out with minutemen will surely get us somewhere, though.

Both of Minnesota’s Senators, Norm Coleman, R, and Amy Klobuchar, D, voted for the measure.

As I was watching WCCO’s 5 p.m. newscast this evening I couldn’t help but think of state representative and congressional candidate Randy “the Whammy” Demmer and specifically his difficulties with mathematics.

I thought of the man known in some circles as “Teen Talk Barbie” when a story featuring this high school program came on:

Yes, “Who Wants to be a Mathematician?” The game shows high school students that learning math can be fun!

While current First District Rep. Tim Walz dedicates his time to a high school program giving students the chance to visit China, one of his opponents, Demmer, would be better off participating in this one about math.

His struggles with counting and division have already been documented, but perhaps Demmer will need to learn about the concept of negative numbers.

Negative numbers, as in being stuck with a portion of the $20,000 loan he gave to his campaign if he can’t improve his fund raising efforts and is unable to get the Republican nomination. Not even $17,000 this period, Randy? I may suggest not using expensive convertibles in parades; a mid-size sedan should suffice. Maybe there’s a barber college where Demmer can get cheaper haircuts? Selecting the BBQ chicken sandwich, fries and cornbread for $4 or $5 from the Longworth cafeteria instead of going to Ruth’s Chris while in Washington on NRCC junkets (I’ve had the former; it’s pretty good!).

Taking more Minn. House per diem? Oh wait.

I’ve been very mean to Rep. Demmer recently, so today I’m just trying to help!