Almanac: At the Capitol

Partisan playfulness reached a new high (or low) on both sides of the aisle at the Minnesota State Fair.  First the DFL launched the “Hunt for Tom Emmer’s Plans.” During the scavenger hunt, "DFLers will receive clues and search the fairgrounds looking for any evidence of a plan from GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer."  The hunt began midmorning at the DFL Pavilion and participants had half an hour to bring their findings back to the DFL booth (the winners are pictured above from the DFL).  Emmer has been a target of lots of criticism for not having a plan to balance the state's estimated $6 billion budget shortfall.

On the Republican side "following a tremendous public response to the unveiling of the Republican Party of Minnesota’s tracker uniforms at the Minnesota State Fair" the GOP announced a contest to allow Minnesotans a chance to design their own tracker uniform for Labor Day, the Fair’s final day.  Trackers (pictured above from GOP) are the folks who follow and record candidates every move on small format video cameras.  “Mark Dayton asked us to provide our trackers with clothing identification and we were happy to comply.  Given Dayton’s disastrous record, I’m sure there will no shortage of great ideas,” Republican Party's Michael Brodkorb said.  Winners will be unveiled at the GOP booth Monday.

Governor Tim Pawlenty signing an executive order to decline “Obamacare” set off a firestorm of responses.  Pawlenty said “To the fullest extent possible, we need to keep Obamacare out of Minnesota. This executive order will stop Minnesota’s participation in projects that are laying the groundwork for a federally-controlled healthcare system.”

First leading DFL health care lawmakers sounded off.  “The Governor’s obstruction on health care is hurting care providers, patients and most importantly, costing Minnesotans jobs when we can least afford it,” said State Rep. Tom Huntley (DFL – Duluth).  “There are still over 200,000 Minnesotans out of work and the response from Governor Pawlenty and the Republican Party can be summed up in three words – just say no,” said State Rep. Erin Murphy (DFL – St. Paul).

Then the Minnesota Aids Project said “Governor Tim Pawlenty has rejected $850,000 from the federal government that would fund community based teen pregnancy prevention programming. These federal funds did not require state matching funds, which essentially makes it free money.”

Planned Parenthood added “Because of this executive order, the state of Minnesota will not be allowed to share in the bipartisan progress made through health care reform. It’s an unconscionable move at the expense of the health of Minnesotans,” said Sarah Stoesz, PPMNS President.

The Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenthood said “Sadly, Minnesota's young people have been discounted with the recent decision to decline nearly $1 million in federal funding aimed at providing teenagers with information on contraception and disease prevention, as well as education on the benefits of delaying sexual activity.”

Take Action Minnesota had tough talk “Governor Pawlenty turned in his veto pen for a heavy-duty paint sprayer. It is by now old news that Governor Pawlenty’s agenda is geared towards his planned run for U.S. President in 2012. The developing story is the toll that Governor Pawlenty’s run for office will take on Minnesotans. With one broad stroke, today’s executive order derisively rejects a multitude of valuable opportunities to expand and improve health care for Minnesotans.”

The MN Hospital Association, Medical Association, Council of Health Plans issued the statement "We are extremely disappointed Gov. Pawlenty decided not to apply for money that will help Minnesota plan how to best implement health care changes. In the past, the Governor signed comprehensive health reform legislation in Minnesota with many of the same objectives as this federal legislation."

Back to Pawlenty, the possible presidential candidate gave his reasoning as “Obamacare is an intrusion by the federal government into personal health care matters and it’s an explosion of federal spending that does nothing to make health care more affordable.”

It's a non-partisan or multi-partisan issue that's gone mainstream:  locally-grown food.  Democrats, Republicans, Independents all want to support our state's farmers.  The annual Minnesota Cooks event at the Minnesota State Fair showcases the cause.  Farmers from all around the state join area chefs and celebrity tasters for a day of delicious discussion and eventually eating.  Today's morning treats included French toast and scones.  

"Buying local and making the connection between where your food comes and what you put on the table is becoming more important to people these days," said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President.  "Minnesota Cooks is the perfect way to celebrate the great food produced in Minnesota."  I've been lucky to be a celebrity taster for the last six years at the event and talk about my family farm roots and the importance of eating healthy local food. 

St. Paul Chef J.D. Fratzke was our emcee, he joined us on Almanac last year for a cooking segment.  The event was started by Minnesota Farmers Union.  Food Alliance Midwest, www.foodalliance.org, other organizations invloved are the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), www.auri.org, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, www.mda.state.mn.us that has added a Minnesota Grown  directory to its website.  

There are plenty of political games to play at the Minnesota State Fair.  Today the DFL released the game "Knock Out Emmer's Excuses."  It's a bean-bag toss that is intended to "highlight the many excuses Minnesotans have heard from Tom Emmer on why he was absent from the budgeting process during the last legislative session."    Democrats also take aim at Emmer not providing a plan to balance the budget yet.    

Meanwhile Emmer has his own game at his booth.  You can spin the wheel to pick choices like:  improve business climate, streamline regulations, responsible spending, revitalize economy and lower taxes.  The booth is full of photos including one of him hunting in blaze orange, ironic because Emmer admits he's not a great shot.  In fact his father joked in an interview for our upcoming biography show that Tom Jr. "loved to hunt but he couldn't hit a thing!"

All the candidates for governor are spending a lot of time at the Minnesota State Fair.  We caught up to the big three today and will have interviews with them tonight on Almanac.  But the most buzz probably belongs to Independent Tom Horner who is targeting fair goers as they sit or stand to go to the bathroom.  When we asked about the so-called urinal ads he says he's got to have fun and the PR executive says it's been all good PR.  Horner is working on name-ID with voters at the fair and says he's exactly where he wants to be at this stage in the campaign.

DFLer Mark Dayton is the only major candidate for governor who does not have a booth.  He is spending his time at the DFL Party booth.  Dayton says that's not a strategy but the reality of not knowing if he'd survive the new August primary and need a booth.  Dayton was rushing around the fairgrounds and eventually into the DFL booth an hour after his schedule said he would be there.   He had a long line of people waiting to talk to him and we had to talk him into taking a couple of minutes to do a quick interview.  In our conversation Dayton accused Emmer of cutting education in our Budget Slap Shot exercise and said we're the only people to get budget specifics out of Emmer that have not appeared in debates.

Republican Tom Emmer says people are really recognizing him, he joked in part because of the "$6 million spent against me!"  Emmer's booth has a spin the wheel feature on his ideas, but he didn't really know the specifics about it.  It's the first time the current state lawmaker has been at the State Fair as a statewide candidate and he says he's loving it, especially when he arrives early around 6:00 am and has a chance to chat with people more extensively.  With nice weather heading into a weekend the "Great Minnesota Get Together" got busy fast.

One very relaxed politician is Governor Tim Pawlenty.  We ran into him chatting with his longtime friend former House Speaker Steve Sviggum.  First Lady Mary Pawlenty donned boots next to Tim's sandals.  This is the last State Fair for Pawlenty as governor and he said not having to run for anything at the fair is beyond relaxing with "no pressure." 

Gov. Tim Pawlenty appointed Major General Richard Nash as the new Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard.  Nash acknowledged he's coming in at a tough time saying "There'll be challenges with restrained budgets going forward."  But on the budget shortfall, Pawlenty said if his unallotments were permanent the $6 billion deficit shrinks to about $2 billion and he called that "relatively easy."  Minnesota has the 5th largest Guard force in the nation (not the 6th as Pawlenty said during the press conference).

Nash is currently the commander of the 34th Infantry Red Bull Division that has roots back to the Minnesota First Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War.  Pointing to the painting in his ornate offices, the governor called the MN First and now Red Bulls a "storied tradition with historic results and they've met those standards and exceeded it."  Pawlenty said their leadership in the Iraq is a "point of great pride" and that affirms his confidence in General Nash.  The new National Guard head had a private sector career in construction and invented "pre-stress concrete" components.   

Right on Independent Tom Horner's heels, Republican Tom Emmer released his first television ad on Sunday.  It's called "Work" and it features Emmer's best asset:  his family.  A Republican running for governor has to win the suburbs and exurbs and by showcasing his seven children Emmer is working on that suburban appeal.  Its positive upbeat message also tries to blunt Emmer's image Republican insiders are concerned has been appearing too "harsh and mean."  We sat down with all the Emmer kids at one time for our upcoming biography series and they were fun.

Emmer's campaign says "He knows, as Minnesotans know, that what we’ve been doing isn’t working. The same old solutions of the past that other candidates are offering will only give us the same results.  It’s time for a new direction!”  Left-leaning Alliance for a Better Minnesota contradicted the ad in a news release saying "Government recovery spending creates jobs in Minnesota" and "Emmer opposed a job creation bill.  On March 29, 2010, Emmer voted against a DFL-written jobs bill, which passed the House 112-20."  Democrat Mark Dayton has said he planned to fundraise for his next ad, but could self-fund again if needed.  

Independence Party endorsed candidate for governor Tom Horner has an eye-catching ad for his first TV spot.  It shows a slightly creepy, but humorous face with two eyes looking in two different directions saying "For the past few years Republicans and Democrats have only been looking in one direction:  Too far to the right or too far to the left."  Horner says he'll have common sense solutions.  As for beating the Republican endorsed Tom Emmer to the airwaves, Horner says it shows "my fundraising is going well and that I have a clear path to winning based on a strategy I have consistently been pursuing since jumping in."

Emmer took a lot of heat for missing the Coalition of Greater Minnesota's debate this week.  Wadena Mayor Wayne Wolden tweeted this picture of an empty chair for Emmer.  Friday the Coalition sent out a news release saying they are "deeply concerned Republican Tom Emmer skipped the debate, given his statements that he does not support Local Government Aid... Mayors of all political stripes wanted to hear Rep. Emmer explain his position."   People will get to hear Emmer give his position on transportation, jobs and the economy at a forum Wednesday in Brooklyn Park that he just agreed to late this week.  More from the week's campaign action tonight on Almanac.

It might have been more entertaining than the governor debate sans Tom Emmer.  Former candidates for governor Marty Seifert and Tom Rukavina squared off for the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities.  Moderator Tim Flaherty wore a referee jersey.   That set the tone for fun and feistiness.  DFLer Rukavina opened with the joke "I'm standing in for Tom Emmer."  Many mayors from various political parties were disappointed Republican-endorsed Emmer did not attend the debate held later in the day.  One twitter user asked me to ask Seifert if he would support a write-in campaign for him.  Seifert said no.

Seifert bluntly told the crowd "almost every part of the budget will be affected" and he expects gambling to be part of a budget solving solution.  Rep. Rukavina, who unlike Seifert plans to return to the legislature, said "it will be the toughest session we'll ever face; all the gimmicks and low hanging fruit are gone."  Seifert said you can close the shortfall through cuts alone but "I'm not sure Minnesotans will like what it looks like."  Rukavina said you have to cut and tax.  He suggested some want to tax clothing but "if you come to Embarrass in the winter and see folks in their underwear, you know clothing is essential."  Finally, on bonding or borrowing for state projects, former House Minority Leader Seifert said "if you elect more Republicans you're going to see a clamping down on bonding."  On the flipside, Rukavina brought down the house with "I like pork.  I eat pork.  I'm trying to get more pork at the Capitol." 

At the Minnesota Digital Government Summit leading lawmakers supported the idea of bonding or borrowing for technology.  Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope), Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Minneapolis) and Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka) all were interested in trying to use that new funding source to invest in technology which could save the state money in the long run but requires upfront investment.  The Democrats were divided on whether a constitutional question to voters is the right route.  Rep. Keith Downey (R-Edina) is hesitant to bond for IT saying it could "open up the flood gates." Downey expressed the most interest in more privatizing, Kahn disagreed saying "e-verify was a disaster."  Lawmakers and the next governor will look to technology to deliver "efficiencies" and "redesign" in all levels of government to help account for a nearly $6 billion state budget shortfall. 

Sen. Rest said Minnesotans expect 24/7 service from the state online and the system simply "has to work."  She complained about her Blackberry not syncing with the state system.  Government IT employees asked good questions of the lawmakers, noting "everyone is a little afraid of you guys" and their decisions on streamlining and rulemaking.  One audience member summed it up saying it's about service, transparency and access.  All four lawmakers have smart phones and said "most" legislators have mobile devices.  Sen. Bonoff proudly held up her iPad to audience applause.  When we asked for questions via twitter, Common Cause Minnesota wondered why it's hard to find lawmakers' voting records on the state's website.  The lawmakers said they'd look into that and even offered to tweet their votes.