am.mn logoNow we know why U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann left Minnesota during the State Fair for speaking gigs in Colorado: She has constituents there, too. A photo uploaded to Flickr shows an official Bachmann mailer sent at government expense to a Denver address. It’s against the law for Bachmann to use her franking privileges thusly, says MNPublius.

Elsewhere in Minnesota news today …

ST. PAUL: Pawlenty won’t reveal his recent whereabouts. The governor apparently has out-of-state constituents as well, but his calendar is off-limits. Try Google, he says. [Star Tribune]

STATE CAPITOL: A new “Blue Book.” Secretary of State Mark Ritchie unveils the biennial Minnesota Legislative Manual for 2009–10 today, revealing whether — among the phone listings and other info — Twitter truly has arrived. [Associated Press]

ST. PAUL: “Rammer” might run for guv after all. By his account, former U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad’s announcement in July that he wouldn’t seek the office inspired so many cards and letters that now “maybe the door is open just a crack.” [Minnesota Public Radio]

EDINA: Former Carter administration cabinet official toast of town. Ramstad will introduce Joseph Califano for an anti-drug speech at Edina High — anyway, he said he would.  [Associated Press]

NEW ULM: Hermann the German whips Roman ass. The hero of New Ulm marked the 2,000th anniversary of his historic victory by doing it again. [New Ulm Journal]

BEMIDJI: 100-year-old recalls paperboy days. He’d just had the flu (yeah, that flu) in a 1919 group portrait of Bemidji’s newsboys. [Bemidji Pioneer]