Almanac: At the Capitol

The image is just about what you'd expect:  guy in a cowboy hat, lots of signs saying welcome, multitudes of media and lots of sunshine.  Denver is busy and exciting.  Delegates, media a politicians are everywhere.  David Gillette's essay on it all is hilarious, check it out!  We've seen plenty of Minnesotans too.  DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez is pictured below riding on the airport tram with delegate Ralph Remington.

Sen. Mark Dayton was also on our plane and eager to invite everyone to his luncheon.  I chatted with Buck Humphrey in the airport.  Vice President Mondale was on my crew's flight out and he will be part of the Minnesota breakfast at the delegation hotel this morning.  Sen. Amy Klobuchar is on the list of podium speakers this afternoon.  So look for more coverage of our Minnesotans in Denver later today!

The national and local buzz is huge that Pawlenty will be McCain's running mate. A new Quinnipiac poll helps that thought, it shows McCain essentially chopping down Obama's once double digit lead in Minnesota.  The 46-44 lead for Obama now compares to 54-37 back in June.  Also, Pawlenty has an event in Bloomington for McCain today. He'll talk about lowering gas prices. The poll shows that issue is working for McCain, one in ten changed their minds and now favor drilling.

“Sen. McCain is gaining strength, particularly among younger voters, independents and the Twin Cities suburbs, but the situation remains fluid with more than a third of independent voters saying their minds are not yet made up,” said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

“Democrat Al Franken still faces an uphill battle in his quest to unseat Sen. Norm Coleman, with almost 20 percent of the voters in his own party voting for the Republican incumbent.”

Franken still has trouble down 53-38 compared to 51-41 in June. This is generally a well-respected poll, it has a good sample and talks to real people. But many are questioning the big swing.  Franken's campaign pointed out that "The party ID breakdown from the poll was 14% Republican 23% Democrat 64% Independent." 

DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez says the polls are everywhere and no one knows what to believe. The Democratic Party head did have a barbed quote when asked about Pawlenty for VP, after wondering if the governor would resign his state post to run for national office, Melendez delivered this back handed compliment about Pawlenty "He's done a great job sucking up to John McCain." 

Mike Huckabee launched his Minnesota campaign and the most notable name is Republican Party Chair Ron Carey. This is the earliest presidential endorsement by a party chair in memory. DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez has stayed neutral until a nomination. Carey said there was "too much at stake to be silent anymore" and the party bylaws allow his endorsement. The biggest problem for Huckabee could be there are no plans for him to make a visit in person. While the Huckster pulled off a low-budget miracle in Iowa, he did it in person; and since his personality is a big part of his success, not being here in person could hurt him. This also creates a divided front for Minnesota Republicans with Gov. Tim Pawlenty in a huge national role and John McCain campaign's co-chair. Bush's Minnesota campaign press secretary Peter Hong ironically drew similarities between Huckabee and Pawlenty, saying they're both bright, likeable and love rock'n'roll.

Senate Republicans want Secretary of State Mark Ritchie to step aside and let a deputy oversee the Jan. 3 special election to fill Sen. Tom Neuville's seat. Minority Leader David Senjem said secretaries of states "live in glass houses and that glass has been broken." Sen. Chris Gerlach (R-Apple Valley), in his first press conference in a decade at the legislature, said he wants a fair and impartial election and he questioned Ritchie's ability to provide that not just because the secretary of state admitted to sharing a list with his campaign, but Gerlach said it was how Ritchie handled what happened after the allegations, that is changing his story. Gerlach says Ritchie is now "tainted." DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez said "this maneuver stinks of political desperation." He said Ritchie has been all about letting people vote and all he did was "misspeak" and having the secretary of state step aside for an election would create a "dangerous precedent." We'll get to hear much more from DFL and GOP party chairs when they square off live Friday night on Almanac.

And when it comes to elections, it looks like there could be a primary Dec. 18 or an endorsement battle on the DFL side. Mick McGuire the mayor of Montgomery announced his intention to run for Neuville's senate seat. Earlier today Anne Miller filed. And sources say another Dem is likely to get in soon too. It looks like Ray Cox will remain the lone Republican.

Here's the official word from the governor and quick react from the DFL:

GOVERNOR PAWLENTY CALLS SPECIAL SESSION TO DEAL WITH FLOOD RELIEF

~ Governor sets Special Session for Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. ~

Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty announced this afternoon that he is convening a Special Session of the legislature tomorrow to pass additional flood relief assistance for southeastern Minnesota.

The Governor’s proclamation sets the opening of the Special Session for 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 11. He said he expects that legislators will be able to complete their work in one day.

“The recovery and rebuilding effort in southeastern Minnesota requires us to come together as a state to help our neighbors,” Governor Pawlenty said. “We’ve gotten a head start by advancing LGA funding and redirecting existing resources, but we need a strong flood relief package from the legislature to complete the important job before us.”

Special Sessions to deal with similar disasters in 1997 and 2002 took place three or four months after the flooding. This Special Session will be held more quickly. In April-May 1997, the Red River of the North flooded, causing major damage in Minnesota, North Dakota and Manitoba. A one-day special session was held on August 19, 1997. From June 9-11, 2002, heavy rains caused flooding in Roseau and the northwestern part of the state. A one-day special session was held on September 19, 2002.

Since the August 18-19 flooding in the region, a little more than three weeks ago, Governor Pawlenty has directed state assistance to help those impacted by the flood:

• On Friday, Governor Pawlenty directed state agencies to provide $31.8 million of state aid for the rebuilding effort. The money includes assistance for homeowners, businesses, and additional help for local governments to repair their infrastructure. The largest portion of the funds is $16 million from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency to be used for loans to rehabilitate damaged homes and apartments, new construction, and for mortgage down payment assistance.

• Government aid payments to cities and counties in southeastern Minnesota have been accelerated to help communities address the costs associated with rescue, recovery and rebuilding. Local government aid payments are regularly sent to cities and counties twice a year, on July 20 and December 26. Under the Governor’s order, December payments for cities and counties in the presidentially declared disaster area have been expedited. The payments total $25.1 million – $18.2 million to 58 cities and $6.9 million to seven counties.

• Southeastern Minnesota flood victims will receive Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) from the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development. The DUA program provides temporary income assistance to workers and self-employed individuals whose work has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of recent flooding.

• Governor Pawlenty also ordered the state to waive electrical inspection permit fees for residents of southeast Minnesota who are rebuilding their homes following the devastating flash floods earlier this month. Homeowners will not have to pay the $35 to $135 state fees if they are eligible for repairs or reconstruction of their homes under the current FEMA Individual and Household grant program. The fees will be waived for permit applications received by the Department of Labor and Industry within one year of the date of the presidential disaster declaration.

• A new “Minnesota Recovers” Web site is operational and features information for individuals, businesses and others affected by flooding in southeastern Minnesota at www.minnesotarecovers.org

• Governor Pawlenty directed the Department of Revenue to temporarily waive the tax paid for hauling construction debris generated in the presidentially declared disaster area (Minnesota Statute 297H.06; subd. 3). The tax is paid by waste haulers and passed along to residential and business customers. To qualify, debris must have resulted from flood-caused demolition and repair and be hauled to a facility designated by the Pollution Control Agency.

According to estimates by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, severe flooding on August 18-19 resulted in approximately $67 million in damage to private property and public infrastructure in southeastern Minnesota. About 1,500 homes in the area sustained some damage and approximately 300 were destroyed.

Following an expedited request by Governor Pawlenty, the presidential disaster declaration made funds available from a number of federal programs in seven counties – Fillmore, Winona, Houston, Steele, Olmstead, Dodge and Wabasha. FEMA disaster assistance includes aid to individuals and households, aid to public and certain private non-profit entities for emergency services and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged public facilities, and funding for measures designed to reduce future losses to public and private property.

Per federal policy, FEMA reimburses 75 percent of eligible costs associated with public infrastructure damage caused by the disaster. The state and local communities are responsible for the remaining 25 percent. Individual assistance from FEMA is capped at $28,200, though other loans and grants may be available from the Small Business Administration and the State of Minnesota.

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SPECIAL SESSION OR NOT, PAWLENTY FAILED MINNESOTANS

Three Weeks After Floods Ravaged Southeastern Minnesota, Pawlenty Finally Musters the Political Courage to Defy Special Interests, Call Special Session on Flood Relief

Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez is releasing this statement in response to news today that Governor Pawlenty has finally called a special session of the Minnesota State Legislature:

“Nearly six weeks after the catastrophic collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, and over three weeks after historic floods devastated southeastern Minnesota, only today has Governor Pawlenty mustered the political courage to call a special session,” said Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez.

“It would be nice to say that leadership and compassion for our fellow Minnesotans inspired a quick response to urgent needs that face us as a state. But instead, Minnesotans across the state suffered while we got more of the same from Governor Pawlenty — putting politics ahead of real results for the people of Minnesota,” continued Melendez. “Let’s just hope that Pawlenty called this session with a mind toward actually moving our state forward with all the options on the table, instead of bowing to the short-sighted few who continue to want something for nothing.”

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