HometownSource Blogs

This blog is desperately in need of some humor. Do you know Iowahawk? In my opinion he may very well be the finest political satirist of our time. Do read his take down of the Republican aristocracy at the National Review. A sample:

Just last week conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks and I were enjoying an apres-badminton apertif at the family weekend house in Montauk with my good friend Viscount Klaus-Maria Von Wallensheim, the conservative EU Agricultural Pricing Minister with whom I shared an Alpine chalet and manservant during our years as classmates at a Swiss boarding school.

Pure genius.

(By all means, leave favorite lines in comments. If you can choose just one.)

Regarding a recent “faux-debate” around here on nationalized health care, government belt-tightening (inevitable and to the detriment of those in need of health care), and increased wait times are forcing the question in Canada: Should it embrace a private health care system?

Ironically, the answer, “no,” right now seems directed solely at protecting the public system from further erosion. That doctors and other health care professionals would choose to work in a privatized industry, speaks volumes about what they think of the public version.

I couldn’t be happier that today is Halloween. I’m wearing an orange shirt, I uncovered an old orange purse from the depths of my closet (I’m a mess, what can I say) and I’m looking forward to the candy I know I will for sure be eating later. Read more »

Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s name was mentioned last night on PBS’s “NewsHour” in relation to “Saturday Night Live.”

Reporter Judy Woodruff was questioning SNL’s executive producer Lorne Michaels about the recent appearance of Sen. John McCain’s runningmate Gov. Sarah Palin on the show.

Woodruff asked Michaels what would it have been like had McCain had picked Pawlenty or former governor Mitt Romney as a runningmate instead of Palin.

“It would not have been as much fun,” replied Michaels.

There are just so many “hooks” to Palin on which to hang skits, the SNL people explained.

She’s a comedic gold mine, they opined.

If you haven’t been able to see any of CNN’s coverage on this, I urge you to check this out.

CNN Hero of the Year

It’s so hard to pick just one, but my vote went to Viola Vaughn.
I would encourage everyone to vote twice this election year, or at least take a look at CNN.com/heroes.  Amazing stories.

Once again, the Obama campaign is perceived to be persecuting media outlets deemed unfavorable to his campaign:

Obama spokesman Bill Burton confirms Drudge’s report that two right-leaning papers, the Washington Times and the New York Post, have lost their seats on the Obama plane, along with the Dallas Morning News.

My goodness, were this a Republican candidate there would no end to the hysteria from the Antique Media.  My guess is all these episodes will pass with barely a whimper.

Why should Minnesotans have to endure another addition to the state sales tax?

In 1967, Minnesota adopted its first sales tax. Three percent was to replace increasing property taxes. In 1971, it increased to 4 percent to help schools. More budget problems helped to increase the sales tax to 5 percent in 1981, six percent in 1983 and another 1/2 percent in 1991. The last increase was to be temporary.

So, why not take that last 1/2 percent and apply it to the Clean Water, Wildlife, Cultural Heritage and Natural Areas Amendment, also known as the Clean Water Legacy Act. More money would be generated for water, wildlife and the arts while Minnesotans would not be taxed another iota.

Former LA Times reporter Evan Maxwell on that paper’s rather frightening decision to withhold a video of a current presidential candidate speaking to an audience:

this situation presents a real breakdown of editorial judgement. Journalists can’t withhold the best evidence of any news event from the reader and at the same time characterize the contents and draw conclusions and impressions. That kind of gate-keeping arrogance, in the present climate, is unacceptable…The moment a journalist says he is using a secret report to validate his work, and then refuses to reveal the full contents of the report, he is guilty of the kind of conduct that deservedly brought Sen. Joseph McCarthy to disgrace.

Not only will the Times not release the video, they refuse to even release a transcript of what is on the video.

Remind me again, are we still having that “bias in media” discussion? Well, not anymore.

Attorney General Lori Swanson issued a statement today (Oct. 29) on the news that the U.S. Department of Justice would not attempt to block the Northwest-Delta airline merger.

“Vigorous competition is an important ingredient to our capitalistic system, and I am concerned that this merger will set off a new round of other mergers, with the industry becoming dominated by just a few national airlines, leaving fewer choices and higher prices for consumers,” Swanson opined.

“I will encourage the next president and Congress to make Teddy Roosevelt proud by restoring teeth to our federal antitrust laws,” said Swanson, opining that over the last several decades the antitrust laws have been significantly weakened by the courts.

First, it was John McCain, but they quickly realized he wasn’t conservative enough.

Then, it was Sarah Palin, and they realized she wasn’t smart enough and started calling her names.
So, finally, the Republicans have found the new leader of their political party — “Joe” the Plumber.

It doesn’t matter that his name isn’t Joe and it doesn’t matter than he isn’t even a licensed plumber, because this guy does it all.  He is even an expert on foreign policy, and agreed with a mental midget question which suggested a vote for Obama would be the “death of Israel” and the end of American democracy.

So chin up, Republicans.  You may lose this election, but at least you threw McCain under the bus and established a couple of fresh faces for your storied political party in Palin and Wurzelbacher.

Ah yes, the future looks oh so bright with those two leading the way!

Gov. Tim Pawlenty at a Coleman campaign stop in Anoka on Tuesday (Oct. 28) said he believes 6th Congressional District Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, R-Stillwater, will be reelected.

“I think she’s still going to win the race —it’s a challenging year,” said Pawlenty.

“Obviously she hit some bumps in the road, but she can pull it out,” he said.

Read more »

Writing in the Boston Herald, Michael Graham pulls a lot of this “co-called bias” stuff together and reaches a depressing conclusion:

The percentage of Americans who rate reporters as objective and not favoring either candidate? Eight percent.

My friends in the Partisan Press, your reputation has now fallen lower than both President Bush (25 percent) and the Democratic Congress (18 percent). Journalistic integrity now ranks along side communicable diseases and nuclear mishaps.

I don’t know, this all seems a little vague. After all, Graham didn’t specify which communicable disease. There is a world of difference between chicken pox and anthrax.

Seriously, how could Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens not realize he was getting a deal on home improvements.

Looking at the photos, before and after, and tell me anyone would really believe all that could be done for so. Honestly. I went from a 1,200 square foot home to one encompassing 10 rooms and three baths. Read more »

Sixth Congressional District Democratic candidate Elwyn Tinklenberg appeared at Circle Pines City Hall Monday (Oct. 27) to speak on social security.

Tinklenberg described the federal program in personal terms.

“As many of you know my first wife died when she was 39,” he said.

“I had three kids. And her salary was going to help us save for their college,” he said.

“If it hadn’t been for the support of social security survivor benefits, we wouldn’t have been able to do that,” said Tinklenberg.

“We need to protect social security,” he said.

“There couldn’t be a more unbelievable time for people to pick up the refrain of privatizing social security at a time we’ve seen the volatility we’ve seen and incredible decline in the stock market,” said Tinklenberg.

“This is a time for all of us to stand together and  be very clear we will not tolerate undermining social security,” he said.
According to Tinklenberg, about 815,000 Minnesotans receive social security benefits — some $823 million a month entering the state economy.

In the 6th District there are about 88,000 social security recipients pulling in all told about $90 million a month, he said.

The Bachmann for Congress campaign did not respond to a call concerning Rep. Michele Bachmann’s position on social security.

Since Bachmann’s “Hardball” appearance a week ago last Friday the Tinklenberg campaign has taken in about $1.8 million in campaign contributions.

The St. Cloud Times has endorsed Independence Party U.S. Senate candidate Dean Barkley and 6th Congressional District Democratic candidate Elwyn Tinklenberg.

The newspaper spoke of Barkley having a sense of realism and moderation and in the Tinklenberg endorsement, criticized Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Stillwater, for the lack of both, saying voters deserved better.

In other 6th District nuggets,  Republican Aubrey Immelman has launched a write-in campaign after watching Bachmann’s “Hardball” appearance.

Immelman walked across the 6th District as part of a primary election tactic to unseat Bachmann — he failed, but made the walk.

Immelman speaks of a campaign funding war chest in the four-figures and of buying newspaper ads.