Capitol View®

Odds and Ends

Erlandson hits the airwaves.

Mike Erlandson is running radio ads to help his run for Congress. Erlandson is one of seven DFLers running in the September primary in Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District. He is the former DFL party chair and former chief of staff to Congressman Martin Sabo, who is retiring. In fact, one of the ads is Sabo singing Erlandson's praises.

Speaking of Sabo, he'll appear at an event on Thursday with Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. Here are the details:

Congressman Martin Olav Sabo (DFL-5th District), a senior member of the U.S. House of Representatives, will host Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi at a forum with respected Twin Cities leaders on the New Direction for America agenda recently unveiled by Democrats in Congress.

WHO: Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Martin Olav Sabo, Congresswoman Betty McCollum, and Invited Guests

WHAT: Democrats' "New Direction for America" Forum

WHERE: Humphrey Forum

Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota

301 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN

WHEN: 3 p.m. Thursday, August 3, 2006

Pelosi isn't the only national politician who will be in Minnesota this week. The Republican National Committee's 2006 Annual Summer Meeting themed "Defining The Difference," will be at the Bloomington Sheraton Hotel on Thursday and Friday. Here are those details on the open press events:

OPEN PRESS EVENTS

Thursday, August 3rd, 2006

1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. CDT

RNC Standing Committee On Rules Meeting

Edina Room

4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. CDT

Welcome Session

Grand Ballroom (West and Center)

Friday, August 4th, 2006

10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CDT

RNC General Session

Grand Ballroom (West and Center)

12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. CDT

RNC Member's Luncheon

Grand Ballroom (East).

The Independence Party's Team Minnesota will hold a news conference on Thursday. Peter Hutchinson, who is running for governor, and the other I-P endorsed statewide candidates will discuss transportation:

Peter Hutchinson, Independence Party-endorsed candidate for Governor, and the rest of Team Minnesota (Maureen Reed - Lt. Governor, John James - Attorney General, Lucy Gerold - State Auditor, and Joel Spoonheim - Secretary of State) will conduct a news conference on Thursday, August 3, 10:30 a.m., in State Capitol Room 125. They will discuss issues related to Transportation, one of the four main things (Education, Health Care, Transportation and Environment/Energy) that will move Minnesota forward.

Finally, Paul Ostrow is one of those candidates on Youtube.com. You can see him talking about policy issues here.