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Child safety activist Patty Wetterling has endorsed 6th District Congressional candidate Sen. Tarryl Clark, DFL-St. Cloud, in her race for Congress.

Wetterling, who twice ran unsuccessfully for Congress in the district, spoke of working with Clark.

“Tarryl and I have worked together as advocates, as mothers, and as leaders to make real change on behalf of Minnesotans. Tarryl speaks passionately about the needs of our children and families,” wrote Wetterling.

“But what makes Tarryl effective is her willingness to roll up her sleeves to deliver on the issues that matter,” she wrote.

Clark gets the job done, Wetterling concluded..

Former Democratic vice president Walter Mondale has endorsed Sen. Tarryl Clark, DFL-St. Cloud, in her run for Congress in the 6th Congressional District.

“I believe that Tarryl Clark can lead the 6th District in a new direction. She will unite us behind positive solutions – a stark change from the controversial comments and partisan rancor we’ve seen over the past few years. She will focus her time and efforts on listening to her constituents and turning ideas into action,” Mondale wrote.

Clark, in a DFL endorsement battle against Dr. Maureen Reed, a doctor of internal medicine and former Independence Party candidate for lieutenant governor, just recently picked up two labor endorsements.

“I’m proud to call Tarryl my friend, and I know that she will make a tremendous Member of Congress,” said Mondale.

Former Republican U.S. senator Rod Grams is still weighing entering the race for governor.

He’s “kind of leaning that way,” said Grams.

Grams said he wanted to see the Republican field fully form — he believes there’s a better than 50-50 chance that former U.S. senator Norm Coleman will enter the Republican gubernatorial fray.

“He’s (Coleman) got nothing to lose,” said Grams, adding that Coleman has the ability to raise campaign funds.

The only thing that might keep Coleman out are family considerations, Grams explained.

Having Coleman enter the race does not preclude him from running, Grams said.

Although saying there are candidates in the field he likes, Grams questions whether any of them has the “guts” to carry out the fiscal measures he believes necessary.

Grams said he would probably make the decision on whether to get in or stay out of the race after the first of the year.

He will not be attending the Republican state convention on Saturday.

Child safety activist and two-time 6th Congressional District DFL candidate Patty Wetterling has endorsed Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner for governor.

“Throughout her career, Susan has demonstrated a passionate commitment to the families and communities of her jurisdiction. In addition to successfully prosecuting many dangerous offenders, she has led innovative projects that have made significant long-term impacts on the youth and families of Ramsey County,” said Wetterling in an endorsement letter.

And while on the theme of endorsements and the 6th District, 6th District Congressional hopeful Sen. Tarryl Clark, DFL-St. Cloud, has been endorsed by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Minnesota Council, in her run for Congress.

“Whenever Minnesota’s workers have needed her, Tarryl has been there,” said Julie Schnell, President of the SEIU Minnesota State Council in a press release.

Meanwhile, in a definitely related matter, 6th District Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, R-Stillwater, sent out an appeal to supporters for campaign donations before the end of the month in order to meet the next quarterly fund raising report.

” I must show a solid bank account to keep the Democrats from pouring millions into my opponents’ campaigns. They’ve spent millions here before, and right now they’re gearing up to do it again!” Bachmann says in the email.

Yesterday Bachmann penned a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack encouraging him to include strong representation from Minnesota on the new Dairy Advisory Committee.

Sixth Congressional District DFL candidate Sen. Tarryl Clark, DFL-St. Cloud, has received the endorsement of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council, her campaign announced today.

“In the Senate, Tarryl Clark has been a strong voice for Minnesota’s working families,” said Harry Melander, President of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council.

“From fair wages to job creation, Tarryl has stood with us,” he said.

The council represents more than 45,000 construction workers in Minnesota, according to the campaign.

Thousands live within the 6th Congressional District.

Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, and House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis, announced today the creation of the Subcommittee on a Balanced Budget, an offshoot of the Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy.

The new subcommittee, to be chaired by Pogemiller and Rep. Lyndon Carlson, DFL-Crystal, was created in the spirit of immediacy voiced by former state officials in a recent Leadership Summit at the Capitol, say leaders.

Indeed, two members of the summit, former Republican governor Al Quie and former Democratic congressman Martin Sabo, were at the Capitol today on the release of a statement on the state’s budget challenges.

Taking questions, Quie, who plans to meet with Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty, questioned Pawlenty’s recent appraisal of state budget woes as manageable.

“No, it’s more than management,” said Quie, speaking of vision and tactics.

Asked if legislative leaders — such as Kelliher, a gubernatorial candidate, Pawlenty, a possible presidential candidate — could deal with the state budget when chasing political aspirations, Quie indicated that it is an obstruction.

“They can’t do the kind of bargaining that they could do if they were free,” he said.

“They’ve got to do the best they can,” said Quie.

Quie, who supports Pawlenty and will support him in the future, explained that one legacy Pawlenty could take into a presidential race would be a sound state budget.

Quie believes Pawlenty has as good of a chance as anyone in getting the Republican Party presidential endorsement.

Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Tom Hanson has announced that the state has hit the $1 billion mark in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act spending.

Some $440 million in contracts and grants have also been awarded, the commissioner reports, and will soon be paid out as work is finished.

The state expects to get some $4.7 billion in stimulus funding eventually.

The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities has launched a campaign to extract from gubernatorial candidates their positions and beliefs on local government aid — hold their feet to the fire, coalition officials style it.

Coalition officials were at the Capitol today and plan stops at several cities in Greater Minnesota.

The coalition has crafted a two-minute issue ad they hope to see run on local cable stations and elsewhere. It features an often cited appearance of gubernatorial candidate Tim Pawlenty before coalition officials in Worthington in 2002 where Pawlenty says that cutting local government aid will cause local property taxes to rise.

“I understand that,” said candidate Pawlenty, who as governor has pushed for a property tax cap and suggested ways cities can save money.

He has also cut LGA funding.

Coalition officials, though expressing a willingness to take LGA cuts, described LGA as low hanging fruit in Pawlenty Administration budget cutting and argued recent LGA cuts have been dramatic instead of reasonable.

“We’re tired of it and we’re not going to take it anymore,” said Wadena Mayor Wayne Wolden, Coalition of Greater Minnesota spokesman.

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Rep. Marty Seifert, of Marshall, detailed a seven-point plan for leadership today at the Capitol — he drew from his past legislation in crafting the plan.

One of the points was ethics reform.

Seifert, who said he has never taken campaign contributions from lobbyists as a lawmaker and will not take them as a gubernatorial candidate, spoke of requiring a waiting period before former lawmakers could turn lobbyists.

Additionally, Seifert spoke of tighter controls on committee chairs who are running for higher office — he threw out the names of several DFL committee chairs running for governor — and their ability to okay legislative allowances for themselves.

“I just want to throw it out there,” said Seifert, saying some lawmakers question the need for any legislative meetings during the interim and suggesting the hearings and meetings may simply be a means for candidates to have the state pick up the check for cost of campaign travels.

Seifert said he had no evidence of this taking place.

Seifert, who stepped down as House minority leader prior to officially becoming a gubernatorial candidate, also questioned the ethics of allowing House speakers and minority leaders running for higher office — DFL gubernatorial candidate House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher falling into this category — the power to appoint people to various commissions and boards.

Couldn’t an appointment be a way of pleasing or gaining favor with a party delegate? Seifert asked.

In a sense the ethics reforms that he was proposing shouldn’t have to be enshrined in law, Seifert explained.

They should just be followed as matter of course.

But Seifert suggested a need for action existed and that people could agree on what needed to be done.

The U.S. Justice Department has awarded a grant of $153,000 to Pine County to establish a probation program in its new jail, Congressman James Oberstar, DFL-Chisholm, reported.

Another Justice Department grant of $225,000 will go to the Duluth-based Mending the Sacred Hoop to combat sexual assault against Native American women.

“Native American women are 3.5 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than women of other races and ethnicities; that statistic is chilling.” said Oberstar.

News today (Sept. 22) that Gov. Tim Pawlenty is forming a political action committee (PAC) — a move that will allow him to donate to state and federal candidates and one other possible presidential candidates have already done — drew a quick response from Democrats.

“Today’s news about Pawlenty starting a political action committee is just the latest in a series of broken pledges by the Governor – first breaking his pledge to not raise taxes on the people of Minnesota, and now breaking his pledge to finish his term ‘strong’ as Governor. This is just more evidence that Pawlenty is, at best, a part-time Governor who cares more about his national political ambitions than the people of Minnesota,” said Democratic National Committee National Press Secretary Hari Sevugan.

According to the Washington Post, “Freedom First,” Pawlenty’s PAC, will host its first official event on Nov. 4 at the Minneapolis Hilton.

A person must collect $100,000 for the event in order to serve as a “chair” for the fundraiser, the newspaper reports.

Pawlenty recently told reporters not to assume that his speaking appearances across the country necessarily meant he was running for president.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty is scheduled to address the Values Voters Summit in Washington today, followed by an appearance before Ohio Republicans tomorrow.

Another speaking engagement has been reported, namely that the Republican governor and possible presidential candidate will appear before South Dakota Republicans on Oct. 2 in Rapid City.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty in a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Commissioner Tom Hanson directed the commissioner to stop all state funding to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) unless legally obligated.

The governor cites reports of questionable and potentially illegal activities by the group — Republican 6th District Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, in a recent fund raising letter reported allegations that ACORN members were caught organizing prostitution and in a recent speech said she awoke every morning thinking about how to defeat ACORN.

Both the Pioneer Press and Star Tribune last autumn editorialized about ACORN voter registration efforts here in the state, indicating that things needed to be fixed.

The group works at getting poor people or people of modest means registered to vote.

A preliminary review of state financial records, according to an OMB press release, shows the state has funded ACORN $109,000 since 1996, the latest payment taking place in May of last year.

Nearly all the state funding to the group has come from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency.

State Economist Tom Stinson views the federal stimulus package passed earlier this year as having a positive impact on the economy.

Without it the country may have gone another year without any growth in employment, he said.

The stimulus funding may have subtracted a percentage point “or more” from the national unemployment rate, said Stinson.

Stinson cautioned against judging the impact of the stimulus funding on jobs based on the amount that has been spent. For instance, in highway construction, it would only be natural that construction companies would be paid with stimulus dollars later rather than sooner.

But that doesn’t mean extra people haven’t gone to work.

As for increasing the national deficit, Stinson indicated that revving up the economy is a greater concern now than the growth of the deficit.

“I think we should worry about first things first,” he said.

Minnesota Business Partnership Executive Director Charlie Weaver isn’t looking to the Legislature for economic solutions.

“The best thing the Legislature can do is go home — seriously,” said Weaver, asked what lawmakers could do to speed up an economic recovery.

“Get out of the way,” he said.

Although Weaver cited a few things, such as Angel investments, that lawmakers could work on next session, basically they should just leave business alone and let it lead the recovery, he explained.

“Just do no harm,” said Weaver.