Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau will announce at a 1:30 news conference that she's backing State Rep. Tom Emmer for Governor. Emmer, of Delano, is seeking the GOP endorsement against a field of six other Republicans which include state Rep. Marty Seifert, state Sen. David Hann and former state Rep. Bill Haas.
Molnau's endorsement will help solidify conservative support for Emmer since she's just one of two Republicans who are holding statewide office (Gov. Pawlenty is the other). But it could also bring some baggage.
In many quarters of the state, the likely response to this news will be "Carol who?" but among the chattering political class, this is a very interesting move. Molnau serves at the pleasure of the Governor, in this case Tim Pawlenty -- does she really have a political base of her own? Moreover, is she going off the reservation by endorsing a candidate who's not the "establishment" pick?
Molnau has always been an interesting, if not especially high-profile, figure in recent Minnesota politics. The worst you can really say about her is that she was something of a do-nothing transpo commissioner until being soundly rejected by the state Senate after the I-35 bridge collapse. But there's not much decidedly positive to say about her tenure either, and she's never really sought a higher-profile role in a term and a half as Lieutenant Governor either.
That may free her up to endorse the hard-conservative candidate rather than having to make a political calculation based on her own future.
I began my interview with Rep. Frank Hornstein (DFL-Mpls) by asking for his elevator ride assessment of the legislative session that just ended. Frank is by nature verbose, but he thought for a second and had this to say:
"We did our work, but the Governor [Tim Pawlenty] over-reached on the budget," he said. "He is absolutely dismissive of the separation of powers under the constitution."
He reminded me that Gov. Al Quie only used unallotment once, but Pawlenty has used it three times. This is an emergency tool and should not be used as Pawlenty did. Quie and Pawlenty for several hundred millions, but $2.5 billion? This is wrong.
"I'm angry," Frank continued. "This is going to dramatically affect people's lives."
....Worst. Mayor. Ever. Until Phil Young came along, no one in Eden Prairie ever considered the possibility of a "worst" mayor. I bring this up, because according to a rightwing blogger, Mayor Maybe is being considered as a possibility to replace Carol Molnau as T-Bag's water carrier - should Pawlenty decide to run again. Plus, nationally, leading "conservatives" such as The Maja Druggie (Rush Limbaugh), and Newt "Is My Wife Well Enough To Divorce Yet?" Gingich calling SCOTUS Nominee Sonia Sotomayor a "racist" - I figured this was a good time to remind people that in December 2007, right before Christmas, Mayor Maybe led a grinch-like republiCon-dominated City Council that essentially voted to fire the colored girl, but keep the white guy.
For some background, consider this Letter To The Editor in the Eden Prairie News, written by yours truly, while the debate was raging:
Issue of philosophy
Out of an approximately $32 million annual budget, Housing and Human Services comprises a little more than 1 percent, rounded up to $400,000. Of this, approximately half is payroll; the other half is support to organizations such as PROP, Meals On Wheels, Cornerstone Advocacy Services, and services to seniors.
From what I can surmise, the City Council, led by Mayor Phil Young, wants to cut two of the three city staff positions on Housing and Human Services and cut city financial support to agencies serving city citizens by approximately 40 percent over the next two years.
The issue is not a fiscal/budgetary crisis; the issue is philosophy. According to Mayor Young, and the other Republicans on the council, providing even a meager 1 percent of budget to help our neighbors is not part of their philosophy of this city's core function.
To put these proposed cuts in perspective, the city earns approximately $1 million per year in profit from liquor store operations; profits which are used, according to the city's Web site "to fund several city projects including the pavement management program, facility maintenance and replacement of playground equipment."
Rather than a guiding philosophy of helping those in need best exemplified by "There but by the grace of God go I," this cold-hearted conservatism can be best summed up by paraphrasing a notoriously pompous phrase - "Let them eat park."
You wanted them? You got 'em! With just nineteen months or so until the 2010 gubernatorial election, there are about 730 Democrats running and no Republicans -- yet. Will that stop us from ranking 'em? Of course not! And here...we...go:
(Okay, so it's another promotion instead of new content -- but I'll have more stuff for you all tonight -- I promise. Plus, these "revised" fans are just too great not to promote. - promoted by Joe Bodell)
Some more recruits to the Bush/Katrina "Fan Club" Remember this?
I began my interview with Rep. Frank Hornstein (DFL-Mpls) by asking for his elevator ride assessment of the legislative session that just ended. Frank is by nature verbose, but he thought for a second and had this to say:
