Almanac: At the Capitol

Sen. Al Franken will be talking turkey and health care with us tonight on Almanac.  It's our annual effort to bring in some interesting people to cook their Thanksgiving favorites and share recipes with our viewers.  We've had Minnesota Governors and First Ladies in the past.  Tonight we'll also mix in a little politics with Franken on the eve of the most important vote of his life.

The Senator's delightful wife Franni will also join us to cook a family recipe.  The Strib recently had an interesting story about the "Forceful Franni Franken" in D.C.  Al and Franni love to cook, so this will be really fun.  We've been nervous all week that the Frankens wouldn't be able to make it because of the health care vote in Washington, but we're delighted they will be here.  Tune in!

More than a hundred people rallied outside of Hennepin County Medical Center against Gov. Pawlenty's elimination of General Assistance Medical Care.  The cut doesn't hit until March and the state has started moving patients onto MNCare.  But that may not be a good fit for all patients, especially homeless and mentally ill folks who could struggle with getting mail, paying premiums and co-pays.  The costs of the program were exploding when the governor used his veto pen to phase it out.  This week on Almanac we start a month-long series on GAMC, what it is, why it's being eliminated, who's on it and some possible solutions.  

Here's the word from both sides:

Minnesota House Rules Committee approves resolution regarding unallotment lawsuit

The Rules Committee of the Minnesota House of Representatives has approved resolution R19a which allows for a brief of amicus curiae to be filed supporting a lawsuit challenging budget unallotments made by the administration of Governor Tim Pawlenty.  An amicus curiae brief, also known as “friend of the court,” is filed by a group which has a strong interest in the legal matter and offers information to assist the court in its deliberations.

"Members of the Minnesota House feel strongly that we need to address the important issues raised by this case," said House Majority Leader Tony Sertich.  "The plaintiffs are arguing that the governor did not follow the law when he resorted to unallotment in this instance.  We believe it is important that the court understand we agree with that argument."

Attorneys with the House Research Department will prepare and file a brief as soon as possible.  The brief will address issues affecting the House, including separation of powers issues under Article III of the Minnesota Constitution.  That article declares the powers of state government are divided into three distinct departments of legislative, executive and judicial.  No one department shall exercise the powers belonging to the others.

"Defending the constitution is not a partisan issue," said Majority Leader Sertich.  "The case has important ramifications for our state, regardless of which party the Governor and Legislature represent.  We also intend to examine the unallotment statutes and how they impact separation of powers during the upcoming 2010 legislative session."

Zellers: House Democrats abuse their authority, politicize nonpartisan legal staff


ST. PAUL, November 16, 2009 – House Republican Minority Leader Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, issued the following comments after today’s hearing of the House Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration.
On a party line vote, the committee ordered the nonpartisan House Research Department to file a legal brief supporting a lawsuit against Governor Tim Pawlenty for using unallotments to balance the state budget.

“Democrats today showed that nothing is off limits in their quest to keep spending money the government doesn’t have.  They couldn’t accomplish their tax increasing agenda through the regular legislative process, so now they are turning to the courts for help and abusing their authority over nonpartisan staff to do so.

“If they don’t like the way Governor Pawlenty stepped in to finish the job they couldn’t do, they should have spent the five months we were in session finding a way to balance the budget without billions of dollars of taxes increases.  But they couldn’t, and now they are dragging us through this political mess to try to save face.”

Here's the word from both sides:

Minnesota House Rules Committee approves resolution regarding unallotment lawsuit

The Rules Committee of the Minnesota House of Representatives has approved resolution R19a which allows for a brief of amicus curiae to be filed supporting a lawsuit challenging budget unallotments made by the administration of Governor Tim Pawlenty.  An amicus curiae brief, also known as “friend of the court,” is filed by a group which has a strong interest in the legal matter and offers information to assist the court in its deliberations.

"Members of the Minnesota House feel strongly that we need to address the important issues raised by this case," said House Majority Leader Tony Sertich.  "The plaintiffs are arguing that the governor did not follow the law when he resorted to unallotment in this instance.  We believe it is important that the court understand we agree with that argument."

Attorneys with the House Research Department will prepare and file a brief as soon as possible.  The brief will address issues affecting the House, including separation of powers issues under Article III of the Minnesota Constitution.  That article declares the powers of state government are divided into three distinct departments of legislative, executive and judicial.  No one department shall exercise the powers belonging to the others.

"Defending the constitution is not a partisan issue," said Majority Leader Sertich.  "The case has important ramifications for our state, regardless of which party the Governor and Legislature represent.  We also intend to examine the unallotment statutes and how they impact separation of powers during the upcoming 2010 legislative session."

Zellers: House Democrats abuse their authority, politicize nonpartisan legal staff


ST. PAUL, November 16, 2009 – House Republican Minority Leader Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, issued the following comments after today’s hearing of the House Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration.
On a party line vote, the committee ordered the nonpartisan House Research Department to file a legal brief supporting a lawsuit against Governor Tim Pawlenty for using unallotments to balance the state budget.

“Democrats today showed that nothing is off limits in their quest to keep spending money the government doesn’t have.  They couldn’t accomplish their tax increasing agenda through the regular legislative process, so now they are turning to the courts for help and abusing their authority over nonpartisan staff to do so.

“If they don’t like the way Governor Pawlenty stepped in to finish the job they couldn’t do, they should have spent the five months we were in session finding a way to balance the budget without billions of dollars of taxes increases.  But they couldn’t, and now they are dragging us through this political mess to try to save face.”

Gov. Pawlenty and lots of elected officials are recognizing Veterans Day in a variety of ways.  One odd choice may be guest hosting the local TV talk show Twin Cities Live.  But the governor did note all of us should "stop and pause" and give thanks to veterans.  The hosts asked him about his presidential aspirations to which he responded "I don't know."  Pawlenty added that right now he's trying to help out the Republican Party.  The governor was also asked questions on Facebook and the first person inquired who is the most inspirational person in his life.  Pawlenty responded that his "mom and dad are great role models, they inspired me, mentored me, so shout out to mom and dad."  His parents have both passed away.

Today I'm thinking about my dad, a veteran.  Folks who know Gene Lahammer might not even recognize him in the photo above back in his Army days (he's on the left).  "Geno" as we call him served in intelligence breaking codes in the Korean War with Top Secret clearance.  His mind and memory are legendary in Minnesota politics and media, so the Army put his brain to good use.

My father-in-law served in the Air Force throughout Europe.  Here he's peering out a window and posing in Paris.  Rough.  It was in England that he met his British bride and my mother-in-law.  I love this photo of her wearing her mini-dress in front of her Mini-Cooper.  So thanks to those who served and all of our dear family members today!

It's not often we see press release photos this strong, but I love photography and these images from the House of Representatives caught my eye.  Here's the news release:

This week, a Minnesota legislative delegation led by Rep. Frank Hornstein touring Israel and the West Bank had an emotional visit to Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Memorial and Museum.  The group included State Rep. Bernie Lieder (DFL – Crookston), who as part of the 102^nd Division of the U.S. Army, was among those who freed several Nazi slave labor camp in Germany in 1944 and 1945. Lieder also helped survivors in the hours after the massacre at Gardenlagen, where Nazi soldiers forced more than 1,000 slave laborers into a barn and set it on fire.

In addition to visiting the Holocaust History Museum and Children’s Memorial, Rep. Lieder was honored with the privilege of rekindling the eternal flame and laying a wreath at a special ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance. Yad Vashem is located at the foot of Mount Herzi on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem.

The Minnesota delegation will continue their tour of Israel and the West Bank through Veterans Day, returning to Minnesota on Friday, November 13^th.

Photos by Isaac Harari/Yad Vashem

(above) After lighting the eternal flame, Rep. Lieder lays a wreath in memory of the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust in the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem.

(top of page) Rep. Lieder visits the Hall of Names at Yad Vashem.  The Hall contains biographical details about Jews murdered in the Holocaust.

With Brian Sullivan definitely not running, it keeps Marty Seifert in a more comfortable position as the presumed front-runner on the Republican side of the race for governor.  Seifert told me Sullivan would have "been a formidable candidate."  Sullivan issued a statement saying:

“In June, I announced that I would not run for governor in 2010. However, in the following months, I received many requests from Republican activists to reconsider that decision.  As a result, two weeks ago I asked some friends to sound out the opinions of party leaders about the possibility of my candidacy and to understand the challenges of a late entry into the race.  Though I received much gratifying encouragement to run, I concluded that my business obligations would prevent me from dedicating the time needed to run an effective campaign.  Accordingly, I will not reconsider my previous decision, and I will not be a candidate for governor next year.  I am optimistic about Republican prospects to keep the governorship, and I look forward to supporting the party's endorsed candidate.”

But there's still a strong possibility Norm Coleman could enter the race.  Seifert told me he personally likes "Norm" a lot, but "it would be impossible for him to get endorsed."  Seifert says he hears a lot of Coleman fatigue after his losses to Ventura for Governor and Franken for Senate.  I am hearing that some more moneyed metro Republicans were the ones interested in other candidates other than Seifert, a lawmaker from Marshall.  Seifert tells me he had lot of urban business leaders approach him over the weekend at Tim Pawlenty's PAC dinner and they told Seifert they would give money to his campaign and see him as a "proven leader."

Seifert also joked with me that "I may not have Norm's or Tim's looks, but Wellstone and Perpich were successful too!"  It was a little shot back at my recent story "The Amazing Race" in the current issue of Minnesota Monthly where I teased Seifert a bit over the comb-over.  The former minority leader says he knows as a statewide candidate he has to "look the part" and he has improved his wardrobe noticeably. 

By being extra high profile this week, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has become a bigger target on a national stage.  The DNC went on the attack saying:

Minnesota Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, after making a series of smart strategic moves over the past few months in advance of an expected run for president in 2012, has struggled on the national stage in the past week.

First, Pawlenty waded into a special election in Upstate New York on behalf of Conservative party nominee Doug Hoffman -- a move that came directly on the heels of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's decision to endorse Hoffman over state Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava (R).

"We cannot send more politicians to Washington who wear the Republican jersey on the campaign trail, but then votes like Democrats in Congress on issues like card check and taxes," Pawlenty said in a statement announcing his decision.

Then, in an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Monday, Pawlenty seemed to make an unforced error by calling into question whether Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe (R) truly belonged within the Republican party.

Later in announcing a constitutional amendment that would impossibly have to pass through a DFL-controlled legislature, Pawlenty proposed:

In order to limit state government spending, ensure balanced budgets, and force lawmakers to prioritize limited resources, Governor Tim Pawlenty today proposed an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution that would cap the state general fund budget at the level of revenue actually received during the previous budget period.

Under Governor Pawlenty’s proposal, Minnesotans would vote on the proposed “Spending Accountability Amendment” during the general election on November 2, 2010.

“For 40 years prior to my inauguration as Governor, Minnesota government spending increased by an average of more than 10 percent per year,” Governor Pawlenty said.  “During my time in office, we slowed that to just over 2 percent per year, and cut spending for the first time in the history of the state.  However, limiting government spending growth should not be a once-in-a-century event.  We should let Minnesotans decide if government should live within actual revenues collected instead of predictions.  Doing so would force government to live within its means and stop the seemingly unending desire for more programs and more spending that put pressure on taxpayers’ wallets.”

But, Democrats quickly countered by producing a chart trying to put egg on the governor's face:

During today's media availability, Sen. Pogemiller and Sen. Bakk noted that the Governor had not submitted a budget proposal that met the requirements of the constitutional amendment he proposed this morning.

There's a lot of talk (PIM and MPR) that businessman Brian Sullivan may indeed enter the race for governor.  Earlier this summer he told me "now more than ever in this economic climate there's going to be an interest in someone who hasn't grown up in government."   You could say the Republican frontrunner Marty Seifert has done exactly that, entering the legislature at just 24 years old.  But it's those years of experience at such a young age that got Seifert to the top Republican spot as former minority leader.  

Sullivan would be a game changer.  So would Jim Ramstad or Steve Sviggum (who's still quietly itching to get back into the race but won't give up his day job as a Pawlenty commissioner).  The other Republican to watch is Norm Coleman.  I've been chatting with him on Facebook lately, off the record of course, but I don't think he's done with politics or a public life yet.  Coleman has more than 5,000 supporters on the social media site and Seifert comes in below 1,000.  It seems this still early race will still have some shake-ups.      

After spending a couple of weeks in Europe touring historic sights and visiting family (my mother-in-law is British) besides seeing the expectedly awesome castles and Big Ben hovering over the Houses of Parliament, we saw something that surprised us:  Obama everywhere.

From the kid who serves frozen "yoghurt" by the sea at Brighton who thought Obama was "cool" to the British car with the bumper sticker which is unheard of in England.  While the new president's popularity has fallen in his home country, he stills seems very popular in Europe and particularly England.  The Pew poll proved that by showing 86% of Britains have confidence in President Obama.  Americans came behind that at 74% at the time of the poll.

I guess I shouldn't have been a surprise to see extensive news coverage of the American president in Europe, but it was remarkable to see detailed analysis of what American health care reform could mean for British companies.  The London newspapers covered small details of Congress' emerging healthcare bill.  I saw repeated references to the "Obama factor" in Europe.  I can't image we'd ever see this much coverage of a British politician in mainstream American news.  Now back to reading more than a thousand emails with a jet-lagged brain.

After moderating the first governor's debate featuring both Democrats and Republicans for Hunger Solutions, here are a few observations on the candidates that showed up (in the order they were seated).

Tom Bakk:  He was my biggest surprise.  At the Capitol Bakk can be a bit of a boring policy wonk.  While he was still wonkish today, he expressed serious passion and stood out in the crowd.  He was the only Democrat I noticed who talked directly about reaching Independent voters.   What really sticks in my mind was when he got choked up, nearly crying talking about his new grandchild and the importance of this race for this new generation.   It was personal and emotional.

Mark Dayton:  He was not surprisingly passionate and stuck up for going to a primary as being the most democratic way of electing a governor, versus having a cadre of party activists decide the winner.  He also stood out for being the only candidate to literally stand up when answering each question.

Tom Emmer:  The often-described bombastic lawmaker was much more sedate.  Actually all the Republicans seemed to dial down their rhetoric a bit for this debate, perhaps it was the topic of hunger and poverty had them not wanting to look mean or heartless.  I missed his quotability.

Margaret Anderson Kelliher:  The House Speaker was solid and consistent, as she has seemed to be in most forums to date.  No big surprises, but steady is probably the right idea for her at this stage.  She was willing to mix it up a bit more than her GOP colleagues, but she didn't take any real tough shots.

John Marty:  The earnest unbending liberal bled for the audience.  You could feel his pain for the poor and hungry, good for the crowd, not that that's going to win him an election.

Marty Seifert:  He's clearly seen as the real Republican frontrunner because all the Democrats beat up on him throughout the forum.  Audience members were disappointed he wouldn't differentiate himself from Emmer when I put him on the spot.  Several said he should have hit his positives harder when asked why he was the better candidate.

Susan Gaertner:  After criticizing me for trying to force her hand on taxes, the Ramsey County Attorney finally gave me an inch by saying she was a better choice than Kelliher because she represents a fresh start. 

Michael Jungbauer:  He's funny and quirky and often provides some needed comic relief while still addressing the policy questions.

Tom Rukavina:  The Croatian Sensation probably handled my one-on-one match up questions the best when he said he's had a lifetime of "doing more with less" referring to his height disadvantage. He confessed he would tax everyone in the room, including himself!

Paul Thissen:  When asked how the nice guy in a crowd of lawmakers would stand out, he certainly tried, owning the health care issue and even taking issue with some of his fellow DFLers. 

Leslie Davis:  He recited poetry, repeatedly, what more can I say.