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Election year 2004 was a chance for Minnesotans to see what it's like being a resident of New Hampshire or Iowa, what with constant visits from George Bush and John Kerry in search of the state's electoral votes that were sure to make or break the election. OK, so we were irrelevant by the time November rolled around, but you have to admit it was still nice being chased.
Maybe we should get used to it. David Broder has a column about the importance of Minnesota and several other states in 2006, as the nation looks toward 2008.
Broder says these states -- headed by Ohio -- are important since Republicans have solidified their power in the South and Democrats have done the same in the Northeast. But out here in fickle flyover country, we haven't decided to go steady yet.
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In light of the battle between Blois Olson and Michael Brodkorb, an article published in the dead news period of last Friday in the Pioneer Press is worth ruminating on. Can Blogs Tip Votes in '06 Races? Olson thinks so. He told me yesterday blogs are the new 527s. He's not alone. Bradley Smith of the Federal Elections Commission has made a push -- so far unsuccessful -- to view blogs that way.
It's not everyday the Wall Street Journal goes crazy nuts about the Republican Party. The editors did today with an editorial in which they called the GOP "clueless" about the Jack Abramoff scandal. That some Republicans are just as corruptible as some Democrats won't surprise students of human nature. But it is an insult to the conservative voters who elected this class of Republicans and expected better, the Journal said.
Speaking of the Abramoff scandal, Polinaut notes the editorial in the Star Tribune today, Abramoff illustrates scourge of 'Dixiecans', that said Look at Minnesota's Republican congressional delegation. Not a single one of them has been linked in any way to Abramoff. Reportedly, Rep. Gil Gutknecht received a few hundred dollars in the mid-'90s. By the way, here's a list of politicians who are not returning Abramoff-connected money. HOUSE: Henry Bonilla, R-Texas, $1,000 Mary Bono, R-Calif., $21,500 Norm Dicks, D-Wash., $1,000 John Doolittle, R-Calif., $50,000 Phil English, R-Pa., $5,000 Scott Garrett, R-N.J., $1,000 J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., $150,000 Jay Inslee, D-Wash., $5,000 Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., $42,500 Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., less than $10,000 Robert Menendez, D-N.J., $2,000 Anne Northup, R-Ky., $1,000 Jim Oberstar, D-Minn. $3,500 Frank Pallone, D-N.J., $13,600 Joe Pitts, R-Pa., $894 'in-kind' donation of food from Abramoff Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., $47,000 Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., less than $10,000 Tom Reynolds, R-N.Y., at least $7,000 Pete Sessions, R-Texas, $20,500 Adam Smith, D-Wash., $3,000 SENATE: Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., $10,000 John Cornyn, R-Texas, $1,000 from Abramoff as part of a joint fundraiser Jon Corzine, D-N.J., $5,000 Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., $4,000 Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, $3,000 Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., $2,000 Trent Lott, R-Miss., $22,000 Patty Murray, D-Wash., $41,000 Harry Reid, D-Nev., $61,000 Ron Wyden, D-Ore., $1,000 Source: Associated Press
Rep. John Kline today joined a growing number of Republicans suggesting that Tom DeLay should be permanently replaced as majority leader. "The situation is that Tom's legal situation doesn't seem to be reaching clarity," Kline told The Associated Press. "There are stories of more indictments or questions associated with Jack Abramoff. And I think that Tom DeLay is going to have to concentrate on that."
