In the Know

Minnesota DFL
Feb. 5, 2016
231 days before people can begin to vote by no excuse absentee ballot, Sept. 23
276 days until Election Day, Nov. 8
25 days until DFL 48 Caucuses, Mar. 1

 
Events today

• 9 a.m. – Gov. Dayton will travel to Madelia to meet with community members affected by the recent fire.
• 11:30 a.m. – will meet with school counselors at Dakota Meadows Middle School for School Counselors Week.

 
Events Saturday

• 11 a.m. – Nurses employed by Allina Health will rally Saturday as they go into contract negotiations. Other nurses and supporters are expected to participate in the solidarity rally at the Ramada Plaza, 330 Industrial Boulevard, Minneapolis. The rally is organized by the Minnesota Nurses Association.
• 7 p.m. – Republicans debate at St. Anselm College. The debate will air on ABC.
• 7 p.m. – The Brooklyn Park DFL will host a GOP debate watching party. Kelly’s Ninth Hole, 8432 Noble Ave. N, Brooklyn Park. Suggested donation is $10.

 
Mark your calendars

• Feb. 9 – Worker Voice Regional Summit with US Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and local leaders 11 a.m., MLK Park Building, 4055 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis. Join United States Secretary of Labor Perez and local leaders for the first Regional Worker Voice Summit. Regional Summits are focused on bringing together seasoned and emerging leaders from across the country who are lifting up workers’ voices to be active participants in this conversation. Learn more and RSVP here.
• Feb. 9 – The New Hampshire primary.
• Feb. 9 – Senate District 35 special election. Roger Johnson is the DFL-endorsed candidate.
• Feb. 9 – House District 50B special election. Andrew Carlson is the DFL-endorsed candidate. 
• Feb. 9 – North Metro Chapter of the DFL Senior Caucus will meet at 11:30 at the Little Venetian Inn, Little Canada, to hear a presentation on the Compassionate Care legislation that is currently pending in the Minnesota legislature. Sen. Chris Eaton, the Senate bill author, and Dr. Rebecca Thoman will speak at the event.
• Feb. 11 – Democrats debate in Wisconsin, to air on PBS.
• Feb. 13 – Republicans debate in South Carolina on CBS.
• Feb. 25 – Secretary of State Steve Simon will host the “Secretary’s State on the State of Elections” at noon at the Wellstone Neighborhood House, St. Paul. After the speech, participants can attend one of two workshops, “What happens at a precinct caucus,” or “Building the next generation of poll workers.” For more information, click here.
• Feb. 26 – Republicans debate in Houston on NBC. The co-sponsors are Telemundo and National Review.
• Feb. 27 – The DFL African American Caucus will meet. Location TBD.

 
Fundraisers

• Feb. 19 – Congressional District 5 DFL will host its Heart of the Party fundraiser. 7 p.m., 301 on Main, Minneapolis. There is free parking adjacent to the building in an open surface lot. Tickets are $35.
• Feb. 2X – The DFL Senate District 13, and in partnership with the College Democrats of the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University will host “An Evening with Secretary of State Steve Simon.” 6:30 p.m., Gorecki Conference Center on the campus of the College of St. Benedict. Space is limited, and tickets should be ordered in advance, by no later than Tuesday, Feb. 16.  Price is $30, with a special discounted price for students of $15.  If paid by check, please make payable to “DFL SD 13” and send to: Dennis Molitor, SD 13 Treasurer, 923 Parkview Lane, Sartell, MN 56377.  Or you may pay on-line by credit card, by clicking on this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-secretary-of-state-steve-simon-tickets-21175533591
• Feb. 27 – SD36 DFL Fundraiser and Elections Pre-Caucus Rally. North Hennepin Community College, College of Business & Technology, Grand Hall, 7411 85th Ave N, Brooklyn Park. Participants will discuss the importance of Elections in Minnesota and your local Senate District. Keynote speakers are Minnesota Secretary of State,
• Steve Simon and Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. Suggested donation $20. All donations appreciated. Please RSVP with Reva Chamblis at  or call Reva at 763-657-1459.
• March 12 – Senate District 63 DFL hosts its annual Spaghetti Dinner. 5 p.m., Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church, 4120 17th Ave. S, Minneapolis.
• March 12 – The Senate District 16 DFL fundraiser will be held at Jackpot Junction, Morton. It kicks off at 5 p.m. and will feather a buffet meal, silent and live auctions and speakers.

 
2016 election
Legislature
DeNucci joins race for House 6A seat, Mesabi Daily News
Republicans launch TV ad in local House race, Star Tribune
Congress
Candidate loans play big role in 2nd District fundraising, Rochester Post Bulletin
Kern announces she will challenge Emmer in Sixth District, Star Tribune
“GOP First District congressional candidate Jim Hagedorn criticized incumbent Democrat Tim Walz for sponsoring an advertisement in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that condescendingly criticized Minnesotans for unspecified anti-Muslim bigotry. Hagedorn said Walz’s “politically correct pro-Muslim lecturing” further demonstrates how radically out-of-touch the five-term congressman is with his First District constituents. “Southern Minnesotans understand the serious threat of radical Islam and want a congressman who will speak the truth about Islamic terrorism and support the Peace through Strength policies needed to defend the United States and protect the American people,” said Hagedorn. morning take
President
Cruz-Carson-Christie-Trump — the GOP’s circular firing squad, Star Tribune
Kline endorses Rubio for president, MPR
Is Marco Rubio the most electable Republican running for president? MPR
The Latest: Trump says ‘I don’t care’ about Iowa dispute, Star Tribune
Democratic establishment starts to gang up on Sanders, The Hill
Anti-Trump super-PAC’s secret weapon: John McCain, The Hill
The fury of Ben Carson, Politico
Hillary Clinton keeps seizing the political moment on Flint, Washington Post
Marco Rubio’s biggest problem, explained by Rubio supporter Rick Santorum, Washington Post
Campaign notes – Washington Post

• Ben Carson slashed staff as funds dry up: more than 50 staffers to be cut, salaries reduced — and the doctor may be back to flying commercial, reports Robert Costa.
• A longtime Trump friend seeded a pro-Trump super PAC with $1 million, reports Matea Gold.
• George W. Bush is appearing in a Right to Rise ad for his brother, reports Politico.

 

 
American Muslims

 
 

 

 
Black History Month
Freedom Library hosts Black History Month programs, Workday Minnesota

 
Broadband
LT. GOV. TINA SMITH: Broadband Internet isn’t just nice, it’s necessary, Owatonna People’s Press

 
Campaign finance
House DFLers seek disclosure of all election-related spending, MPR
Does Minnesota’s constitution need a campaign finance amendment? DFL thinks so, Pioneer Press

 
Child abuse
Minnesota lawmakers look at new round of child abuse measures, Pioneer Press

 
Debates
7 moments you might have missed from the Clinton, Sanders ‘progressive’ debate, MPR
Fireworks fly as Clinton, Sanders square off in N.H. debate, Star Tribune
Democratic candidates exhibit a new ferocity in last debate before N.H. vote, Washington Post
Clinton gives fiery defense of her progressive record at debate, The Hill
Sanders: I’m the most electable, The Hill
Clinton, Sanders turn up the decibels in New Hampshire debate, KSTP
ABC News announces New Hampshire Republican debate candidate lineup, ABC
Carly Fiorina misses debate stage, The Hill
In her second presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton clearly doesn’t want to win through a war of attrition. She’s sick of Bernie Sanders casting himself as the protector of the progressive realm against the corrupting influence of the Clintons, and she is ready to extinguish the Bern now. After Sanders slammed her again as part of a political establishment bankrolled by Wall Street and drug companies at MSNBC’s debate, she unloaded. “Time and time again, by innuendo, by insinuation, there is this attack that he is putting forth which really comes down to, you know, anybody who ever took donations or speaking fees from any interest group has to be bought. And I just absolutely reject that, senator, and I really don’t think these kinds of attacks by insinuation are worthy of you.” Seconds later, she made it just a little more personal, saying: “I think it’s time to end the very artful smear that you and your campaign have been carrying out in recent weeks.” CNN
Bernie Sanders sounded out of his depth on foreign policy during his first mano-a-mano debate with Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire last night. The Vermont senator, leading in polls ahead of Tuesday’s primary, conceded that the former Secretary of State has more experience on international issues, but he argued that he has superior judgment. When pressed for specifics, though, Sanders offered simplistic answers that were anything but reassuring to experts and elites.Washington Post
Winners of last night’s Democratic debate (Washington Post)

• Hillary Clinton: This was not a debate in which Clinton scored a knockout blow. It was one, however, that she won on points. Clinton came out super aggressive in the debate’s first 30 minutes, pushing Sanders back on his heels on, well, everything: Guns, experience, the tenor of the campaign, what it means to be progressive and plenty of other things.
• Two-person debates: There’s a reason that networks try to limit the number of people on stage during these debates. This debate — the first one on one showdown of the 2016 primary season — proved that less is more in debates. The first hour was the best hour of any debate of this election: substantive, confrontational and entertaining.  Both candidates had plenty of time to make their cases to voters and, more importantly, voters had a chance to get a deep look at what these two people believe and where they differ.
• Split screens: I am on the record as wanting a channel — online would be fine — that runs a split screen the entire time when the candidates are talking. If the NFL can have 20 different camera angles to watch every play, why can’t I have this one little thing?
• Chuck Todd/Rachel Maddow: Moderating a debate for state Senate is hard. Moderating a presidential debate is really tough. Todd and Maddow did the thing that is both hardest and best for moderators at this level: They let the candidates actually debate.

Losers of last night’s Democratic debate (Washington Post)

• Bernie Sanders: I hesitate to put the Vermont socialist in the “loser” category because he did very little in the debate that will slow his momentum heading into a near-certain New Hampshire win. But, I also hate when analysts and reporters take the easy way out when picking winners and losers. It was a two-person debate; if Clinton won then Sanders, by definition, didn’t win.
• New Hampshire: Clinton pledged repeatedly to fight for every vote in New Hampshire. But, if you read between the lines of some of her statements, it was clear that she understands that the Granite State primary is probably already over. Her first big attack on Sanders was on his alleged lack of commitment to gun control including votes against the Brady Bill. That attack won’t play well in New Hampshire, a Second Amendment-friendly state, and Clinton knows it. But, she also knows that among Democrats nationally, being the candidate regarded as more liberal on gun control is a good place to be.
• Democratic National Committee: Remind me again why a) there weren’t more debates on the primary calendar initially and b) those that were scheduled were put at times when no one would watch them?
• Time: I initially had the 90-minute debate length in the “winners” column because that felt like plenty of time for the two candidates to hash out their differences and for us all to go to bed at a reasonable hour. I moved it to the “losers” column when the debate went beyond its scheduled 10:30 pm eastern end time. Then past 10:45 pm. Then past 11 pm.

 
According to Twitter, foreign affairs and national security were the most buzzed about topics during the debate. This chart shows which issues generated the biggest spikes in tweets: (Washington Post)

 
 

 
Economy
Smith tours Mayflower Building, talks workforce with local business leaders, Bemidji Pioneer
Unemployment falls to 4.9%, lowest in 8 years, CNN 

 
Education (higher)
Klobuchar pushing for solutions to student debt crisis, WCCO

 
Flint, Michigan

 
GOP
Paul Ryan to Tea Party: You are the problem, Washington Post

 
Groundhog Day

 

 
Guns
Permits to carry a gun soar in Minnesota, with 6,000 permit holders in a month, Star Tribune

 
Iron Range
Our view: Elected ‘leaders’ fail Iron Rangers, Duluth News Tribune

 
Labor
AFL-CIO links racial, economic justice, Workday Minnesota
Unions to discuss racial justice in Minneapolis, Workday Minnesota
St. Paul task force will study paid sick leave, Pioneer Press

 
Madelia
Gov. Dayton to tour fire-ravaged Madelia, Star Tribune
Blast, fire leave Madelia and its people devastated, MPR

 
McCarthy, Eugene
Emmer bill would honor Eugene McCarthy, St. Cloud Times

 
Mining
Financial turmoil half a world away is melting Minnesota’s iron country, Washington Post
Weighing copper: Dayton pressured on second Iron Range mine, Pioneer Press

 
New Hampshire
Heading into New Hampshire, GOP ‘front-runners’ are anything but, MPR
Political spotlight swings to famously slow-to-decide independents of N.H., Washington Post
Courted by Cruz, New Hampshire’s libertarians ask if they need politics at all, Washington Post
Kasich lays off attack politics, lays it all on the line in New Hampshire, Washington Post

 
Polls
New Hampshire poll: Trump on top, battle for second emerges, CNN
Sanders tops Clinton by 2-to-1 margin in New Hampshire, CNN
NH: Rubio surges into second place, The Hill
Poll: Trump holds lead in New Hampshire as Rubio gains ground, NBC

 
State Auditor Rebecca Otto
Minnesota auditor sues over law allowing private audits, MPR
State Auditor Rebecca Otto sues three counties over privatizing law, Star Tribune
Rebecca Otto’s private response to controversial Auditor bill, Pioneer Press

 
Transportation
MN Lt. Governor visits site of Moorhead underpass project, KVRR
Lieutenant governor, lawmakers call for including Moorhead underpass in state bonding bill, Fargo Forum
Dayton, senators seek to save nonstop Japan flight, Star Tribune
Embracing LRT: How one Minneapolis neighborhood plans to have a major impact on the Blue Line extension, MinnPost

 
Voting
New evidence that voter ID laws ‘skew democracy’ in favor of white Republicans, Washington Post

 
CD3 DFL
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State DFL
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