I Don’t Hate America!

All the arguments have already been made.  Pundits have weighed in.  Television ads have been aired.  Form e-mails have been sent.  It’s now time for those of us in the state of Minnesota to make decisions at this thing we do called “caucusing.”

Tonight I will attend my first caucus since returning home to deep-red Savage.  I hope we have a good turnout on the DFL side to bring momentum into the elections this November.

Speaking of momentum, if you were at the Target Center on Saturday you would see momentum personified.  Having all of those people packed into that arena just felt like special, once in a blue moon feeling.  The prospect of change was truly in the air.

Change.  Yes, we have all heard that buzzword.

“DANIELSON, I’D LIKE TO YOU DEFINE CHANGE!,” you might say.

Let’s try: change from the politics of fear and cynicism.  Change from the policies based on fear and cynicism.  Change from this atmosphere of fear and cynicism that could potentially lead to two families having members in one of the top two spots for 36 years.

A lot of what I just mentioned may be intangible, but in a time like this it is certainly important.  To have a candidate who can make people, especially those younger folk like me, feel like they are part of an optimistic movement to actually bring about change can set in motion a renewed progressive movement taking us into the next generation.  Obama is this candidate.

Oh but the criticisms.  He doesn’t have enough experience, you say.  Spending time all over the globe.  Organizing communities.  Teaching constitutional law.   In elected office for 12 years.  I say that’s plenty of experience.  Also, it’s important to look at what a person has DONE in his or her experience as opposed to the LENGTH of that experience.

Or maybe more importantly, what wasn’t done.  Such as in the case of Hillary Rodham Clinton, stopping  Wal-Mart labor-busting revolution or working to stop us from going into war.

Also some say “he can only give a good speech, he doesn’t talk about issues!”

Saturday he talked about plenty of issues!  He has talked about issues in the debates.  He has issues on his website.  If you can’t see that he has policy positions, you simply aren’t trying to.  My opinion? He’s such a good orator that it is so convenient to ignore the fact he has positions.

Now, don’t get me wrong: Clinton would be a fine president and certainly an improvement over who we have now.  But it is this thought process that leads us to think that “good enough” is the way to go.

I truly believe this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for such great change.  Support Barack Obama tonight!

Ann Coulter, the outspoken conservative pundit has stated she would vote for and campaign for Hillary Clinton if John McCain gets the Republican nomination.  Here is the recent YouTube video from the Hannity & Colmes show that caused this news to spread:

This is the same Ann Coulter that made harsh comments about Bill and Hillary Clinton in a January 10th, 2002 New York Observer interview with George Gurley.  Courtesy Media Matters.

[Gurley] Do you have a perverse admiration for her [Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)]?

[Coulter] “Ewwww, no. As with John Kerry, I generally don’t admire people who get ahead on somebody else’s coattails. She’s like the anti-feminist. No, except she isn’t — because all feminists behave that way and pretend to be, ‘Oh, I’m a strong woman.’ They’re all weak and pathetic.”

[…]

[Gurley] What should we remember about Bill Clinton?

[Coulter] “Well, he was a very good rapist. I think that should not be forgotten.”

 Clinton thinks it is rather funny and probably doesn’t believe it either:

“I’m a conservative, Neil.  I just have a thing for voting for the more conservative candidate and it’s McCain versus Hillary.”

Is anyone else extremly confused how liberal democrats and conservative republicans (like Coulter) can vote for the same candidate?

Via press release:

WALZ TO RETURN APPROXIMATELY $100,000 OF OFFICE BUDGET TO TREASURY

(Washington, DC) – Congressman Walz announced today that he will return approximately $100,000 in unspent funds from his 2007 congressional office budget to the U.S. Treasury.

“In my first year representing the people of Southern Minnesota, my staff and I exercised fiscal discipline and were good stewards of the people’s money,” said Walz. “We finished 2007 with money left over and today, I am proud to announce that we will give approximately $100,000 back to the Treasury to help pay down the monstrous federal debt.”

Walz said, “One hundred thousand dollars isn’t a lot in comparison to a $9 trillion federal debt, but I believe that we’re all in this together and that every little bit helps.”

Every member of the House of Representatives receives an annual allowance to fund his or her office activities.  This appropriation is called the Member’s Representational Allowance and in 2007 it totaled roughly $1.4 million.  Walz will return approximately 7 percent of his budget.

-30-

1:18: LIVE FROM MINNEAPOLIS, this is DJ Danielson liveblogging from the Target Center. LINES OUTSIDE WERE HUGE! I’m sure this will be an event I will tell my grandchildren about someday. Doors are set to open in about 10 minutes.

1:24: Place is still buzzing. Situated with me on bloggers row are Flash, Jeff Fecke and Sean Broom. I’m right next to a gentleman from ABC Radio.

1:28: One last sound check. You can also get coverage over at the Uptake.

1:30: IEEK! Fox News Radio is to my right! AS IF!?

1:31: Lights are up; I can only assume doors will open any minute.

1:34 I don’t think doors are open yet, but the press risers (which I am right behind) are getting full, not sure how much I’ll be able to see!

1:57: In a scare to this and many other bloggers, wireless internet was down for a while. BOO! But it is back up. On the risers as well are Ollie Ox and Joe Bodell. I also met a nice lady named Corissa who is covering this event for MTV. People are now coming in; no idea when the event is set to start.

2:03: Wireless is spotty still, but I will try and update the best I can. The gentleman from ABC Radio just filed his report as state Sen. Patricia Torres-Ray walked by. Meanwhile, I will continue to soak in this electric atmosphere.

2:09: Also spotted is Minneapolis Mayor and big Obama supporter R.T. Ryabk. He debated Tarryl Clark, DFL Asst. Senate Majority Leader on Almanac last night. Lower bowl is about 1/3 full. With the secret service and metal detectors here, I’m sure it takes a while to get through the doors. Oh, and pardon the sentence fragments today!

2:26: What is Hillary Clinton thinking: 4pm at Augsburg? No offense to any of my friends who attend Augsburg, but for real? During the Super Bowl?

2:30: I’ve come to the realization I’m not going to be able to see a damn thing once this starts (the half the arena opposite the stage is beginning to fill; next will be the upper deck) and that’s fine by me. Earth, Wind and Fire is playing on the PA system: sweet!

2:32: Cotton candy and mini donuts for sale. Rats, I’m out of cash!

2:36: Congressman Keith Ellison is in the house.

2:44: Folks starting to enter the upper deck. No idea when this is set to start.

3:04: Just a guess, the upper about 1/3rd full. An unnamed mainstream media source just told me Barack Obama landed at the airport. It’s gonna be a while.

3:10: The band Golden Smog was just introduced and is now playing. I guess they are big supporters of Sen. Obama. Cool.

3:20: The crowd is doing the Wave as the camera follows. Not quite restless yet, but this crowd is energized.

3:16: ROCK FOR BARACK. That is catchy.

3:34: Traveling bus press has arrived. Tons of men walking around talking to receivers on their collars; presumably secret service. I would assume the Senator is nearby or here.

3:39: As the traveling press corps plugs into the wireless it becomes more spotty so bear with me. The jumbotron is showing supporters and they yell wildly when the focus of the camera.

3:43: “Fired up, ready to go!” The chant emerges. Two of Obama’s field directors are welcoming the crowd and reminding the crowd to caucus. The end of the arena facing the stage on the upperdeck is about full and the portion behind the stage is about half full.

4:12: RT Rybak, Betty Mccollum and Keith Ellison are on stage. I’m going to step away from the computer for a better view; wireless is slow anyway.\

4:54: Heckuva speech so far. Wide ranging topics from education to the war to health care.

5:13:  This concludes the liveblog.  I’ll have more later when I arrive home.

Got sent this press release today:

ROCHESTER, Minn. (Feb. 1, 2008) – Mayo Clinic today asked the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) to require mitigation for the city of Rochester as a condition of the Canadian Pacific’s pending acquisition of the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E). The proposed merger currently ignores the significant environmental impacts created by combining the two railroads, including the consequences of increased shipments of ethanol and other hazardous materials on what are universally considered to be unsafe tracks. The STB has previously ruled that it will require mitigation only if the Canadian Pacific decides to proceed with DM&E’s controversial Powder River Basin (PRB) expansion proposal.

 

Mayo Clinic submitted its comments today as part of the STB’s formal review of the proposed Canadian Pacific-DM&E merger.

 

“We remain committed to working with the Canadian Pacific and we look forward to it assuming ownership of the DM&E, but at the same time we need to protect the interests of our patients, staff and community,” said Glenn Forbes, M.D., CEO of Mayo Clinic Rochester. “Any increase in hazardous material shipments through Rochester without adequate mitigation poses an unacceptable risk.”

 

Right now there are more questions than answers about how this merger will affect us,” added Forbes. “We need answers.” 

 

The merger is expected to create a new single service rail option that has the potential for significant growth regardless of the viability of PRB expansion. If current Canadian Pacific projections hold, DM&E’s Iowa, Chicago & Eastern line has the potential to originate more than 36,000 carloads of ethanol annually by 2010. Increased traffic generated by the merger is expected to move through Rochester on its way to and from the Canadian Pacific’s interchange point at Minnesota City.

 

“We fully expect the Surface Transportation Board will eventually approve the merger,” said Rochester City Council President Dennis Hanson. “We don’t object to the Canadian Pacific owning DM&E, we just want the board to recognize that mitigation is necessary with or without the PRB expansion.” 

 

The Canadian Pacific has suggested that it will initially spend approximately $300 million over the next several years on making improvements to the existing DM&E rail line, but it is unclear where or how that money will be spent, or whether it will benefit Rochester in any way. It also is unclear whether $300 million is nearly enough to improve DM&E’s dilapidated rail line. Ten years ago DM&E claimed more than $800 million was needed to address significant deficiencies in its track and structures.   

 

“Public safety remains the primary concern,” said Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede. “It gives us little comfort to know the Canadian Pacific has a good safety record if proper mitigation and adequate infrastructure investment are not part of the deal.” 

 

-more-

Combining these two railroads as proposed – one the safest and the other the most dangerous – does little to lessen the threat a sharp increase in rail traffic or major rail expansion would pose to the people of Rochester and the patients and staff of Mayo Clinic,” added Brede. “Even one major accident by a moderately safer railroad would be one too many.”

 

Powder River Basin Contradictions

 

Today’s Mayo Clinic filing also brought to light contradictory statements from DM&E’s current and future owners about the proposed PRB expansion. Since announcing its decision to purchase the DM&E, the Canadian Pacific has maintained that it has not yet decided to move forward with the PRB expansion. However, the DM&E continues to aggressively advance the project. In January, GOTRAC, an organization supporting DM&E, sent a letter to the South Dakota Legislature urging swift action to pass a bill that would accelerate the condemnation of private land for the PRB expansion.

 

“The Canadian Pacific maintains a full environmental review isn’t necessary until it decides whether to move forward with the PRB expansion, but that isn’t stopping DM&E from trying to advance the project anyway,” said Olmsted County Commissioner Ken Brown. “DM&E seems to want it both ways – progress without consequence.”

 

“Until this merger is approved, it feels like we are in a bit of a ‘good cop, bad cop’ situation,” said Rochester Chamber of Commerce President John Wade. “The Canadian Pacific maintains it wants to work with us while the DM&E is out condemning lands and promising everyone who will listen that a major rail thoroughfare is about to come through the heart of our city – whether we like it or not.”  

 

The DM&E’s rail tracks bisect the city of Rochester and pass within just a few hundred feet of Mayo Clinic, a leading international medical destination with more than 1.4 million outpatient patient visits annually. Currently, two to three slow-moving DM&E trains pass through Rochester daily. The proposed PRB expansion would create a major rail way through downtown Rochester with more than 34 trains bisecting the city daily while carrying vast amounts of coal and hazardous materials at speeds in excess of 50 miles per hour.   

 

The federal Surface Transportation Board is scheduled to issue a final decision on the Canadian Pacific’s DM&E acquisition by Sept. 30, 2008.