'There they go again,' Bill Clinton says, tweaking Republicans

On the second day of the Democratic National Convention, former President Bill Clinton gave Barack Obama a resounding endorsement, and we talked to blue-collar workers who may turn away from the president. A supporter of same-sex marriage makes his case in Minnesota. We'll hear about troubles in the arts here in the Twin Cities. And, an experimental pesticide may be working against zebra mussels. First, the politics:

Bill Clinton tweaks Republicans: 'There they go again'
The speech was vintage Clinton, overlong for sure, insults delivered with a folksy grin, references to his own time in office and his wife Hillary, all designed to improve Obama's shaky re-election prospects. At one point he even turned GOP icon Ronald Reagan's words back on Republicans for the way they propose to handle the economy. "There they go again," Clinton said, as the convention hall rocked with delegates' applause.

Clinton's speech: Read the transcript
"I want to nominate a man whose own life has known its fair share of adversity and uncertainty," Clinton said of President Barack Obama. "A man who ran for president to change the course of an already weak economy and then just six weeks before the election, saw it suffer the biggest collapse since the Great Depression."

Obama struggles with blue-collar workers
Many white, blue-collar workers who have soured on the president and his policies want to know what he will do to improve the economy. We spoke with participants in the annual Labor Day parade in Charlotte, N.C., about the state of the economy and their support for Barack Obama.

Meanwhile, Romney is sequestered in Vermont
Candidates usually spend the week of Labor Day campaigning heavily in battleground states. GOP nominee Mitt Romney, though, is staying largely out of the spotlight as President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party hold their convention in Charlotte, N.C.

Ryan wants prayers in public schools
In the early 1960s, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down government-mandated prayer and Bible study in public schools, but voluntary, individual student prayers are still legal in public schools. Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan said Wednesday that he supports prayer in public schools.

1 in 10 Minn. households lacks access to enough food
A new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the closest thing we have to an official "hunger count," shows that the number of Minnesotans who struggle to put food on the table remains at an all-time high.

Pesticide treatment on zebra mussels may work in one northern lake
An experimental effort to stop the spread of zebra mussels in a northern Minnesota lake might be working, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. This week, divers searched for zebra mussels in a small lake in Otter Tail County after a small area of the lake was treated with chemicals.

Children at heart of marriage amendment debate
How children fare growing up in gay or lesbian families is one question at the heart of Minnesota's debate over the proposed marriage amendment. Citing research they say backs their claims, amendment proponents say children raised by same-sex couples don't fare as well as those raised by their married mothers and fathers. Opponents of the measure, citing competing research, dispute those claims.

Reflecting on the Olympic s
Seventeen Minnesotans made it to the Olympics this year. Two of them spoke with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer about the experience. Amanda Smock and Susie Scanlan. Amanda was the only American who qualified for the women's triple jump. Susie competed in fencing and her team brought home a bronze medal.

At Penumbra Theater, layoffs and a dark stage
In the midst of a financial crisis, the Penumbra Theater in St. Paul is suspending plays and laying off staff to survive. Artistic Director Lou Bellamy told MPR's Morning Edition that the decision to forgo any shows this fall was a painful one.

Vikings stadium electronic pulltabs debut just weeks away
Taxes on new electronic pull tabs are supposed to help pay for about one-third of the new Vikings stadium. And the games could be in gambler's hands in Minnesota in less than two weeks. That's the word from the Minnesota Gambling Control Board and from the first manufacturer given the go ahead to bring the pull tabs to this state.

Government surveillance and your privacy: Take the poll
Today on the Daily Circuit we talked about what our guest Shane Harris calls "the rise of the surveillance society." He says the arsenal of spying techniques and equipment used by the federal government to track terrorist and outside threats is now turned on U.S. citizens.

Court: Campaign spending can stay hidden
A Minnesota law requiring disclosure of independent corporate political spending is "most likely unconstitutional," a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday, reversing a three-judge appeals panel and backing a challenge filed by the anti-abortion group Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, the Taxpayers League of Minnesota and a travel agency.

Supervalu closes stores
Struggling grocery giant Supervalu plans to close about 60 of its supermarkets outside of Minnesota, most of them before December. Company spokesman Mike Siemienas says the stores are under-performing or not critical to the Eden Prairie-based company's plans.

Voter ID amendment campaign ramps up
Supporters of the proposed requirement point to public opinion surveys that have consistently shown it has strong support. Opponents are trying to convince voters it could disenfranchise some Minnesotans and that there is scant evidence of voter fraud.

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